Chicken Noodle Soup, Wheat Bread, Honey Butter and a Lemon Tart (210:365)

I love cooking, but it sure is a lot of work when it's all from scratch! 

For dinner tonight I made Chicken Noodle soup, improvising as I went, throwing in some chopped kale to boost the health factor, and some freshly picked basil out of our AeroGarden. The soup turned out delicious.

Then I made some quick Whole Wheat Bread from The Essential Mormon Celebrations cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen. 

 Image from Everyday Food Storage

It only took 5 minutes to mix and only 40 minutes in the oven, with no rising time. I used molasses instead of honey. Here is a link to someone else who took the time to type it all up.

The bread was nice, with a definite quick bread/ chewy texture. The honey butter made it delicious.

From the same cookbook, I made some Honey Butter. The recipe calls for 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup honey, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat for 3 minutes on high. I halved the recipe though, since I'm the only one using it and it's only good for 4 weeks in the fridge.

Then I made a heavenly Lemon Tart.

Photo from Diana's Desserts.

Find the recipe here, from another kind soul who typed up this one for you all.

I topped the tart off with homemade whipped cream. Yummmm. It was a delicious meal.

What did you have for dinner?

Cast Iron Rice Krispie Treats (168:365)

Santa brought momma this little beauty for Christmas. 

(No, it's not a Le Creuset, but a Lodge Logic.)

 Image from amazon.com

I tried it out for the first time today, making what I what I bought it for - 

Rice Krispie Treats! Is that silly? There are a thousand things I can think of to use the pot for, but Rice Krispie Treats were number one on the list.

I am always burning them in my other big pots, so it was really nice to not burn this last batch. I'm sure my consumers agree.

Pot Roast (151:365)

This morning before church I actually had a little free time.

A first.

So, I threw a pot roast into the crockpot.

Potatoes

Onions

Carrots

Cream of Mushroom soup

Roast

Packet of Onion Soup Mix

Cooked it up while we were gone and, voilà!, a delicious meal.

I also noticed the missionaries didn't have a meal for tonight, and, knowing I already had a delicious meal ready at home, I was able to have them come right over.

Planning ahead is awesome! 

I need to do this more.

Lesson learned.

Meatless Monday on Sunday (137:365)

When I remember, I try to make meatless dinners on Mondays a la Paul McCartney.

I ended up doing it tonight instead and made a yummy Minestrone soup.

Minestrone Soup

Chop 1 onion, 2 celery stalks and 2 carrots into small cubes.

Turkey Day (134:365)

Today was a busy day.

First off, I ran my first race today. I was the middle leg in a 5k Turkey Trot relay. I ran with my friend Sara F. and my sister Sarah. We were team Saucy Cranberries and made hats and a sweet baton.

Not surprisingly we didn't win the race, but we had a very respectable time, which I will commend the Sara/h's on because I was SLOW. Sadly, we also did not win the costume contest or creative baton contest like I feel we should have because we (by we I mean Sara F.) were cute.

While we were running, Scott put the turkey in all by himself.

Yes, you read that right. He did it alone and it turned out great! I just may delegate that task from now on.

Then we went to a Pie Party in the morning at a friend's house because "you are too full to eat pie after dinner" so we ate it for breakfast instead. I thought it was a genius idea!

Then we had our friends Sai and Kyle over for dinner, which was really fun. We ate at noon which I plan on doing from now on because we've been noshing on leftovers all day!

What did you do, on this great day of feasting?

By the way, are any of you crazy like us and tackling the Black Friday madness?

Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello (133:365)

Today I finished our jaunty cranberry sauce hats.

My sister, Scott and I worked on Thanksgiving too. We made a Chocolate Pecan Pie (a family favorite taken from Emeril, which he has now added an extra 1/2 cup pecans to), Pumpkin Pie, Mashed Potatoes, and our Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello.

With thanksgiving in my heart, I share my grandma's recipe with you all.

May you hearts and tummy's be filled with gratitude, turkey and raspberry jello.

Great Grandma Carlsen's Raspberry Jello

1 large box of raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 cup cold pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)

One 2/3 size can (not the regular size) of pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained.  --be sure to save one cup of the juice as per above. 

(I usually just buy the large sized can because you don't get enough juice even with that. You can also buy pineapple juice to make sure you have enough.)

1 cup of frozen raspberries

1 cup of whipping cream (prior to whipping)

1 Tbs powdered sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Add Jello to boiling water and stir until dissolved.  Add pineapple juice.  Stir and chill until almost set.  In the meantime, whip the cream and combine with powdered sugar and vanilla.  Once the Jello is close to being set, fold the whipped cream into the Jello and then fold in the drained pineapple and the frozen raspberries.  Add chopped pecans to taste.  Continue chilling until firm. 

Serve and enjoy!

Missing you today grandma Carlsen.

Busy Bee (120:365)

Today I was a procrastinating little busy bee.

I got a lot of things done, yet nothing for the craft fair!

Breath...

Well, since I did stuff I'll just share it with you all so you can see how productive I can be when I'm avoiding productivity.

First up, Dee and I made some gummy snowmen. We bought a kit from Target the other day and we had a lot of fun making them. Not hard at all and I'm looking forward to doing it again.

 

Then I finally rehung the curtains Dee accidentally ripped out of the wall like 2 months ago.



 Then I hung up some shelves I bought for $1 each at a garage sale like 3 months ago up in the girls' room.



Dee wanted me to make her some clip on earrings the other day. She picked the fabric from my stash all by herself. Here she is, sporting those cute things.


Recently, at Hobby Lobby, I found a sign that explains how I feel about doing laundry and had to buy it to make me feel better in that room of dreariness.


And for dinner, I made some egg rolls, but baked them instead of frying them.
They turned out pretty good. Different, but still good. Definitely worth the less calories and fat.


So, that is what I did today instead of working on my craft fair stuff.
Yeah, I'm a good procrastinator.

Sneaky Chicken Nuggests (114:365)

I mostly (because some of the recipes are too healthy/"sneaky" for the likes of me) like the cookbook Deceptively Delicious that was written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. Also, her all-knowing tone is kind of irritating too, but that issue is for another day.
I use the Banana Bread recipe from her book all the time and we love it.

Today I made a Chicken Nuggets recipe from that cookbook for the first time and everyone loved it! On her own, without any questioning, Dee said that they nuggets were "really good", and Scott also declared the same. I read reviews online where everyone that used the broccoli puree said it was a nightmare and didn't work well at all. I like the sweet potato in baby food jars because it is easy and fast!

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (or panko) 
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup broccoli or 1 cup spinach or 1 cup sweet potatoes or 1 cup beet, puree
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 lb chicken tenders, rinsed, dried and cut into small chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, paprika, garlic and onion powder on the paper or foil and mix well with your fingers.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Sprinkle the chicken chunks with the salt. Dip the chunks into the egg mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.
4. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil.
5.  Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes.
6.  Turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. (Cut through a piece to check that it's cooked through.) Serve warm.

 

What I did:

I used panko breadcrumbs, not whole wheat.

  

I didn't add any Parmesan Cheese because I wanted to be able to dip the nuggets into a Tikka Masala dip and a Thai Sweet Chili dip. Both went really well with the nuggets and made them seem a little more grown up.

 

For the egg and veggie wash mixture I used Sweet Potato (baby food puree in a jar!) since we have TONS of those right now.
Honestly I sneak baby food veggies into all kinds of recipes and no one (usually) notices. I've used the Sweet Potatoes in pancakes (with added brown sugar), Carrots in a Quinoa Chile, and would put Carrots into a Spaghetti Sauce too. It's all about hiding the healthy stuff in a way that no one notices the extra veggies they are getting. I've also seen pureed veggies in the freezer section at Costco and Target, stuff like beets and spinach, that would be a good thing to have on hand as well.

Oh, anyone else excited for Trader Joe's? I seriously think about it a few times a day! I know that I am super obsessed right now, but I can't help it! I'm totally going next weekend to one that is opening over an hour away. Boo-ya! 

El Pato Deliciousness (111:365)

 

This + a Roast + 7 hours in a crockpot on low = AMAZING!

After cooking, shred up the meat and let it soak up the juices for a little while. Then eat it in a tortilla au natural. Don't put anything on it, just let the meat and seasonings do their thing.

I have to send a shout out to Scott's aunt Rea for introducing this delicacy to our family.

P.S. My favorite way to eat this is chopped up on some nachos.

I'm salivating just typing about it.

Covered Button Earrings and Beef Stew (106:365)

I made more fabric covered button earrings today for the upcoming holiday bazaar. One pair in particular is hot! I'm totally making a ton of them. Even better, they are made from vintage fabric I got at an estate sale. 

And I made a beef stew from the trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I have to say, I was not a big fan of the stew (my favorite from that cookbook is the Polenta and Beef Stew - Yummy!), but Scott liked it. That's all a wife can hope for, a happy honey bunch.

Also, we had Buttered Rosemary Rolls from The Pioneer Woman website.

They are super yummy and really easy. 

A family fav.

Also, have you tried The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti?

I HEART that stuff. Even Scott likes it and there is cheese in it.

Although, I don't think he realizes how much cheese is in it, so hopefully he isn't reading this post or he'll likely stop eating it altogether (mostly out of "principle" or something)!

Regardless, that is going on our menu next week.

I'm already salivating.

Giant Felt Bow, French Onion Soup, and My First Free Purchase (103:365)

I have been sort of fighting the giant bow trend.
I don't understand how all of these weird 80's trends keep coming back!

I gave in today and made a giant red felt bow for a headband for Jane.
It was so big it was threatening to blow off in the wind.
It was cute though. I just might borrow it sometimes.
Next one I make will be smaller.
I used this super easy tutorial.

For dinner I made French Onion Soup from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It was pretty good. A little too sweet though, because I tried to caramelize the onions a bit and added a little bit of sugar for that. Scott enjoyed it though, and that is all that matters around here, since he is Mr. Picky Palate.

And finally, today was the first time I have ever bought anything for free!
All you amazing couponers, you know who you are (Heather J...) have probably already had this experience, but today was my first.
We bought some stuff at the grocery store, and then I got a $6 cash coupon (a catalina) and $1.50 off 6 cans of Campbell's Chunky soup. So I went back in the store, got 6 cans that were on sale and that totaled $7.50. The cashier rang it up, scanned the coupons, and then said, "That will be...free!"
Boo-yah!
It feels great.
I need to get me a newspaper again so I can get that kind of a deal more often.
Anyone know how to just subscribe to the Sunday coupons without getting the paper?
And how to subscribe to multiples of the coupons?

Ode to Adrianne and Cream Sauce (102:365)

Do you ever daydream about a meal once had and never forgotten?

I often reminisce about one such meal my friend Adrianne made me shortly after she returned from her church mission to Italy.

Peas...

Noodles...

Salty Ham...

Cream Sauce...

Parmesan Cheese...

If your mouth isn't watering right now than your taste buds must be broken.

The recipe for the cream sauce is from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.





Then I just cut up some lunch meat ham and cooked some peas, them fried them up with some cooked spaghetti noodles, then put some cream sauce and a little parmesan cheese in the pot and mixed it up until palatable perfection was achieved.

Oh baby.


It was delightful.

A Curry Experiment (98:365)

It turned out pretty good, if I say so myself.

This experiment occurred because I was feeling lazy.

I know, that doesn't really make sense.

I found some yummy curry recipes online but I couldn't get the printer to work because the inkwell is dry.

So....this delicious concoction came to be by melding different recipe ideas in my head into one.

Heat a pot or wok to med-high (a little nod to Ashley D).

Chop 3 carrots, 2 potatoes and 1 onion.

Add about 2-3tbs oil to wok.

Then add veg as ready.

Ones that take longer to cook go in first.

Cook for 10-15 minutes.

Then add 1-2 cups of water and let boil until veg is all softish. While doing that, add one small can of tomato sauce. Also sprinkle some curry powder to taste (maybe a tbs?), and some turmeric (like 1 tsp or so.), salt and pepper to taste. Oh, and we added some dried cilantro, but I bet fresh would be even better.

Let it simmer for a bit so the flavors meld and develop.

Now, usually recipes call for plain yogurt in a curry, but since I didn't have any, I googled substitutions for plain yogurt and one of them is buttermilk, which I didn't have either. But I do have a substitute for that (double substitute, I was scared) which is 1 cup milk + 1 tbs white vinegar + 5 minutes = buttermilk.

I added probably 1/2 cup of that fake buttermilk.

Also, we thawed some cooked shrimp and added that.

It is delicious!

Wish you could have some.

I also made my first homemade Italian Sodas.

Ice

1 cup Perrier Sparkling Water

2-3 tbs Torani Strawberry Soda Syrup

A dash of whipping cream

Whipped Cream on top

Oh-la-la!

Creamy Corn Chowder (67:365)

It was a chili day out today, so I decided to make some soup!

This little number suited me best.

We had not a single potato on hand, so I substituted turnips for

potatoes again. The smell literally had Scott acting giddy (I think it really was the smell  of bacon that did it more so than the soup. Doesn't bacon make you giddy?)

After eating it for a little while, I told Scott that I used turnips in place of potatoes. He response was, 

"I think the turnips have worn out their welcome."

Note taken.

They sure do last forever though and, I think, they work in a pinch

when no potatoes are on hand.

Oh well, soup turned out pretty good, but would be better with fresh  sweet corn and potatoes. We also added a little cheese (yes, Scott DID have about a tablespoon of cheese on his, perhaps just for show for Jane. Whatever, it suits me just fine.
He will become a cheese convert...)

Fish in a Pouch (64:365)

I got this new recipe from Emeril on the Food Network, and some frozen cod (not as good as fresh, I'm a Northwest girl!) and whipped it up for dinner (I forgot to take a picture before we ate it). Scott said he liked it, and Jane wouldn't try it. She did try it the other day when I made Panko crusted fish. 

Jane is learning to like more things, seeming to eat more, and is moving up in her weight class. Today she measured at 50% for her weight! From the time she was a baby she's been as low as 3% and as high as 25%, so today was a big step!

Lucy is currently about 16 lbs. She is getting so big! She follows us around the house all day doing an army crawl. It is so darling.

I'm still working on that little sweater dress for Lucy. It fits her, but is pretty tight. Oh well, I think it will still be cute-ish. Hopefully I can post some pictures of a completed dress tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!

Seared Cod with Chive Butter and Her First Day of Preschool (50:365)

Well, I forgot to take a picture, but let me just say that it was good enough for Jane to enjoy one bite and not complain (that is a real feat, let me tell you!). 

I followed this recipe (or check out the video here), from one of our favorite The Next Food Network Star's non-winners, Aaron. We haven't had fish in a while, and since I'm a Northwest girl, I crave it so bad sometimes! I recently tried poached cod which turned out really well too. Today's recipe was good and simple. I did have to change a few things due to what was on hand and cost:

- I used only 1 egg for the egg wash, and there was plenty left over

- I used EVOO in place of Grapseed Oil

- I forgot to flip the fish and let the butter and lemon juice cook around the fish

For the Butter Sauce, I halved the recipe due to user comments/ suggestions and I changed the following due to cost 

and what was on hand:

- Substituted Chicken Stock in place of the White Wine

- Substituted Dried Thyme in place of Fresh Thyme

- Substituted Dried Onion for the Shallot 

(Wish I'd had a Shallot instead!)

- I used Half-and-Half in place of the Heavy Cream

- I used Dried Chives instead of Fresh (YUCK!)

It was still a good recipe, despited all the low brow substitutions that were made. I would definately make it again, but work on making the sauce more true to the recipe.

Also, today was Jane's first day of Preschool. She was really excited and told her teachers immediately that "Mommy made my pack pack!", and no, I didn't tell her to say that, she was just so proud of it.

She did well and had a good time. My baby is growing up!

I'm not so cute in this picture, but Jane is just adorable, 

so it had to be shared. Look at her glee!

Flannel Board Complete and More... (39:365)

I finished making my flannel board today.

Now I just need to finish
cutting out all the fun stuff to put on it...


Also, yesterday I cooked with turnips for the first time (put them in a yummy "throw it in the pot" soup, i.e., throw whatever is left over in the fridge into the pot and boil. I chopped the turnips into cubes, sauteed in butter for 10 minutes and dumped it ALL into the soup.
The Soup = Leftover chicken drumsticks from a failed Weight Watchers recipe [failed our tastebuds], kale, carrots, chicken "better than bullion", water, pepper, basil, northern/white canned beans. Yum!)


And, yesterday, for my friend's birthday, I made this flower, va-va-voom!

into a brooch so she can put it on a bag or jacket


and made another brooch with 3 poppies out of some fabric sample scraps I got from an estate sale and buttons I got from another estate sale.



Those are my favorite things now, estate sales...except that I have a huge garbage bag full of awesome fabric (that cost only $5!) taking up space in my living room...so many projects, so little time.

Puff Pastry Palmiers (32:365)

We went to a friends wedding party today and I needed a dessert but didn't have the time or the ingredients for something as delicious as I would normally try to make. I googled puff pastry dessert ideas because I happened to have some in the freezer and this was the simplest thing I could find. It turned out pretty good! I used Lingonberry Jam (from Ikea) and some Apricot Preserves, then sprinkled them after cooling with some powdered sugar to make it look a little more elegant. (This blog explains more details, like to bake for 15 minutes at 400F.)