tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73058286125200869612024-02-06T22:59:38.894-07:00Menu MakeoversInexpensive recipes for everyday cooking as well as some money saving tips.Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-81441236830542568242012-06-21T14:35:00.001-06:002012-06-21T14:35:19.933-06:00So I know this has nothing to do with food...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUpuL1d2yUGn6VN9DCywNEDCAQsO9YaBoaI_nqySqF85yUGnYpnCyrKm2OA0BjLfh7PnL8xYEmQLCt4bPITeGGKXm0yoLH4nobpLXzxnJ6mQCStPZlRFxNvz6HVvgGhBmGIpDLBR6SxKd/s1600/temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUpuL1d2yUGn6VN9DCywNEDCAQsO9YaBoaI_nqySqF85yUGnYpnCyrKm2OA0BjLfh7PnL8xYEmQLCt4bPITeGGKXm0yoLH4nobpLXzxnJ6mQCStPZlRFxNvz6HVvgGhBmGIpDLBR6SxKd/s320/temple.jpg" width="320" /></a>Just a few months after my fourth child was born I was sitting peacefully in the Celestial room at the Mt. Timpanogas temple when a distinct thought came to my mind that “my house was not yet full.” I knew immediately that we were meant to have at least one more child in our family. I actually came home feeling very distraught. I remember going outside and <i>yanking</i> the weeds from my garden. My last two pregnancies had been very difficult and I was determined to be done. Over the course of the next few weeks I convinced myself that I misunderstood my impression. Maybe it meant something else entirely… I began to systematically pack up all of our baby things as our littlest grew out of them and donated them to other families. I actually begged my husband to go “get fixed” just to be sure. He said it didn’t feel right. “I don’t know if we’re done,” he said, “right now I feel like we have all that we can handle but I feel like down the road we’ll change our minds.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">About two years ago I was reading in my scriptures and came across this passage:<br />
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“Children are an heritage of the Lord: and … happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.”<a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/ps/127.3,5?lang=eng / 2"><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">Psalm 127:3, 5</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span lang="EN">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">It touched my heart and I couldn’t get it out of my head for days. I kept thinking of that feeling that I’d had while at the temple. But during this time in our life we were going through some enormous trials at home. I couldn’t imagine adding to the chaos of our home with a pregnancy and then another child. This was actually a very touching time during my life and because of the trials that we were going through I was able to bring myself closer to the Lord than ever before. I began to focus on ways that I could fill my quiver without another child of my own. <br />
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I worked in the nursery of our church at the time. Some people dread this calling, comparing it to babysitting and are sure they are being denied the Spiritual food that those in the other classes are being fed. Though I’d always loved working in the nursery (where else at church can you take off your shoes, sit on the floor and eat snacks?!) I was definitely of the mindset that I was being denied my spiritual food. I decided that I would make it a goal to gain something spiritual out of nursery every single week. That’s all it took! I immediately felt as though I were “filling my quiver” with other people’s children. I began to bond with them and felt the spirit stronger than I’d ever felt it in any other class. It was there when I was able to calm a crying child or when a timid little girl began to play for the first time. It was there when I was walking through the halls and these little babies would run into my arms. It was there when they learned my name and beamed when I remembered theirs. It was there when I saw a glimmer of reverence in their eyes when we discussed the Savior during our <i>very</i> short lessons. It was there when they sang. It was there when they danced… <br />
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From there I continued to fill my quiver through various church callings, all within the Primary. I taught sharing time lessons and learned over 100 names of all the children in our ward. I taught the 4-year-old class and fell in love with close to 20 children- all of whom I know love me too. I joined the ranks of Cub Scouts and learned how fun little boys really are! <br />
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During conference last October, Neil L. Anderson spoke to me personally in his talk entitled <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2011/10/children?lang=eng">“Children”.</a> It was as if he were compelling me to understand this sacred responsibility and open my heart to yet another of my own. A dear friend of mine was days away from delivering her seventh child. She too had felt that their family was complete when she had a similar impression at the temple. She heard a sweet little voice asking her if she could join her family since her “way had been blocked.” I was shocked to see that when this sweet little girl was born, she had broken the “cookie cutter” mold of the family and had a look all her own. I will admit that when my friend first shared her experience at the temple with me I actually did have the thought “good, you can have another baby and then I won’t have to!” But as I held her baby in my arms, I again had that feeling that I needed to be holding one of my own. <br />
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<span lang="EN">But the timing was not right. Doubts began to creep in and I never shared my sentiment with my husband. Life was just too hard right now! For every reason to have another child, there were 100 reasons not to. But for the first time in many years I actually did have that honest yearning in my heart. When our church’s annual General Conference rolled around in April this year, I was shocked that the very first talk after President Monson’s opening comments was again directed towards me personally. In his talk “<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2012/04/and-a-little-child-shall-lead-them?lang=eng">And a Little Child Shall Lead Them</a>” President Packer reiterated the importance of children:<br />
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"<em>One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents. We come to recognize the truth in Isaiah’s prophecy that “a little child shall lead them.”</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/isa/11.6?lang=eng#5"><em><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">Isaiah 11:6</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></em></a><span lang="EN"><em>.</em></span></div>
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<em>In Jerusalem, “Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,</em></div>
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<em>“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.</em></div>
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<em>“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/18.2-4?lang=eng#1"><em><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">Matthew 18:2–4</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></em></a><span lang="EN"><em>.</em></span></div>
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<em>“Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.</em></div>
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<em>“And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.”</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/19.14-15?lang=eng#13"><em><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">Matthew 19:14–15</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></em></a><span lang="EN"><em>.</em></span></div>
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<em>We read in the Book of Mormon of the visit of Jesus Christ to the New World. He healed and blessed the people and commanded that the little children should be brought to Him.</em></div>
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<em>Mormon records, “They brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.”</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17.12?lang=eng#11"><em><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">3 Nephi 17:12</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></em></a><span lang="EN"><em>.</em></span></div>
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<em>He then commanded the people to kneel. With the children around Him, the Savior knelt and offered a prayer to our Father in Heaven. After the prayer the Savior wept,</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17.21-22?lang=eng#20"><em> “and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.</em></a></div>
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<em>“And when he had done this he wept again.”</em><a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/17.24?lang=eng#23"><em><u><span style="color: blue;"><span lang="EN">3 Nephi 17:24</span></span></u><span style="color: blue;"></span></em></a><span lang="EN"><em>.</em></span></div>
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<em>I can understand the feelings expressed by the Savior toward children. There is much to be learned from following His example in seeking to pray for, bless, and teach “those little ones.”</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%209-10485_000_12packe"></a></div>
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President Packer even quoted Psalms, </span><div style="text-align: center;">
<em>“Children are an heritage of the Lord: and … happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them.”</em></div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%202-10485_000_12packe"></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kpOkgZiOGEbkZCnJ5z7iLIOWYr0DOGnDWp5os7tcSa7LQHHLFd59y-qdeF5MwHBjrxYYmt9xUE_vKT-OElzKDcX3zVNNt1HyMkYwvmfikbERGb1MBXY7LZBXuxd9p3r7fzMdfRSxcwT4/s1600/fetus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kpOkgZiOGEbkZCnJ5z7iLIOWYr0DOGnDWp5os7tcSa7LQHHLFd59y-qdeF5MwHBjrxYYmt9xUE_vKT-OElzKDcX3zVNNt1HyMkYwvmfikbERGb1MBXY7LZBXuxd9p3r7fzMdfRSxcwT4/s1600/fetus.jpg" /></a>I am deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to finally add one more of Heavenly Father’s precious children to our family. There is nothing so monumental than to be trusted with <i>one</i> of His beloved spirits let alone five. I am also so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve <i>your</i> children every day through volunteer work at the school, in the community, and at our church. <br />
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Our newest edition is due late in January next year. </span><br />
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</span></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-81629851053672609802011-12-22T08:17:00.000-07:002011-12-22T08:17:27.036-07:00Baked Potato Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWC_bA59OXhte2QGAWndRb2XXfoliw4EZcjYQnEN-BbxXEYkJpCUDGSrzLqnnAzQCziX2DykpZKggKHSRzyiZ1PzcGwBNtHGvbREkPA6wXTMQTOnT8YlQX9dAk_9nd_ph9CAn2dDLz8p0i/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWC_bA59OXhte2QGAWndRb2XXfoliw4EZcjYQnEN-BbxXEYkJpCUDGSrzLqnnAzQCziX2DykpZKggKHSRzyiZ1PzcGwBNtHGvbREkPA6wXTMQTOnT8YlQX9dAk_9nd_ph9CAn2dDLz8p0i/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a>I hate being cold. But I do love Winter because of the following: Christmas, sweaters, and soup. There is just something ultra comforting about all three and it's a special treat when you can sit under the lights of the Christmas tree wrapped in a cozy sweater eating some warm and hearty soup. Ahhhh!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Baked Potato Soup</span></b><br />
5 large baked potatoes<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
1 small bell pepper, diced<br />
2 Tbsp butter <br />
3-4 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled<br />
8 oz. sour cream<br />
2 cups milk<br />
2 cups chicken broth<br />
1 tsp dried basil<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper <br />
shredded cheddar cheese<br />
minced fresh parsley<br />
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In a 5 qt. Dutch Oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chopped vegetables and saute until tender-crisp and lightly browned. Add broth and milk and stir. Cut potatoes into large chunks and add to pot along with crumbled bacon. Fork mash the potatoes, leaving some good chunks still in tact. The more you mash, the thicker your soup will be. Add salt, basil and ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and some shredded cheese. <br />
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</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-73301759780388973262011-12-15T16:16:00.000-07:002011-12-15T16:16:01.175-07:00Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Christmas Magic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just a few days ago I was complaining to a friend that Christmas, usually my favorite time of year, just didn't feel magical to me this year. I'd been trying to get into the Christmas Spirit but still hadn't managed to come up with my normal Christmas cheer. No goodies had been baked for the neighbors, no carols had been sung, no presents were under the tree. Trials are hard... They are harder at Christmas.<br />
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There is something about the season that just seems to accentuate the losses that we've experienced, whether it be the loss of family, of work, of faith, or even the loss of it all. Every Christmas carol reminds you of days gone by. Every brightly lit home of the cheer that should be within. Even the smells of cookies and eggnog bring back treasured memories that seem so far away. Sometimes, whether or not we are struggling financially, we feel so poor in Spirit... It is from these shallow depths that some of the most important lessons in life are experienced.<br />
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Last night we had a surprise knock at the door. Somebody delivered Christmas magic to our front step. My first response was almost a panicky plea for them to take it all away to somebody who needed it more than us. I know there are so many! But in came boxes with gifts and food... But we're fine, I said, and haven't been struggling to buy groceries for goodness sakes! But then a closer look showed me that these weren't just groceries- They were the ingredients to holiday baking. They were the <i>perfect</i> gifts for my children. They were thoughtful items meant for each member of <i>my</i> family. They were a way of saying,<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"<i>I know you. I love you.You are my friend and I care</i>." </b></span></div>I immediately felt the Holiday magic that had been missing surge through me with a challenge to rise above my trials and do more to help those around me. So thank you, whoever you are. You humbled me, brought tears to my eyes and magic into my heart. Merry Christmas!<br />
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With our goodies was several containers of oats <i>and </i>cinnamon which was <i>so</i> perfect since I'd had this recipe saved as a draft for a couple weeks. This gave me the perfect opportunity to bake today!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUCsTVx7hx8LM30a5KEcyi8bgklLWU3Umr4TKXGQYDGmkd9DgwPwEj7sitnItQXFtyeqbs2YP65mhUPf0CL-4_n5uTZvYOwRkzF1B-UQ5V1mm-GHF-AA5IVPjX9HWyThMn22w5vIeYagP/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUCsTVx7hx8LM30a5KEcyi8bgklLWU3Umr4TKXGQYDGmkd9DgwPwEj7sitnItQXFtyeqbs2YP65mhUPf0CL-4_n5uTZvYOwRkzF1B-UQ5V1mm-GHF-AA5IVPjX9HWyThMn22w5vIeYagP/s200/009.JPG" width="200" /></a>I have been playing with this recipe for the past twelve months. Last year my aunt mentioned that her husband (one of my favorite uncles) LOVES oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but they always have a hard time finding any that are <i>really</i> delicious and live up to his high expectations. I made it a personal quest to create the perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookie for him for this Christmas. (Yes I realize I sound like a complete nut working on a recipe for an entire year just to give somebody a cookie... ) <br />
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Anyway, the thing that I always struggled with when making oatmeal cookies was that they always ended up being flat and unappealing. I'd try to add more flour and then they'd taste more like flour than oats... <i>Finally</i> I think I've figured it out and the recipe is as follows:<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>1 cup (2 sticks) butter<br />
1 1/2 cups brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1 1/2 cups white flour<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
3 cups quick cooking or rolled oats<br />
1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips<br />
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Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on your oven and cookie size each batch should take about 10-15 minutes. I usually make my cookies on the smaller side so mine take about 10 minutes.<br />
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Cream butter and sugar. For the best results, beat until mixture is lightened in color. I mixed mine for close to 5 minutes to get the texture I was desiring. (This is where it'd be nice to have a Kitchen-Aid mixer.) I've learned that this is an important step when making oatmeal cookies or they tend to come out quite flat.<br />
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Add eggs, vanilla and salt and mix well. <br />
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Combine flour, soda, oats and cinnamon in a separate bowl and then gently combine into your wet mixture. Don't over-mix or, again, the cookies will end up flat and runny. <br />
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Fold in chocolate chips.<br />
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Drop by heaping tablespoonful onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. (You can skip the parchment if you absolutely don't have it... but I highly recommend it!)<br />
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Bake with the oven light on so you can monitor your first batch. I usually take the cookies out before they look completely done. They should be dry and slightly browned around the edges, but the middle may still look a tad underdone. Trust me on this! The cookies will continue to cook after they've been pulled from the oven and they will set into soft, chewy cookies instead of little rocks.<br />
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</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-82684925289945370472011-12-03T22:10:00.000-07:002011-12-03T22:10:19.458-07:00Marinated Mushrooms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Ok, I couldn't get marinated mushrooms off of my mind since my heart was set on them last week. So, despite the enormous size of my mushrooms, I did cook myself up a batch yesterday. However; I did <em>not</em> leave them whole...<br />
Also, no pictures this time. I tried, but no matter what angle I snapped I just could not figure out how to make a <em>fungus (especially a sliced fungus)</em> look delicious. Oh! But they were delicious!<br />
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And just a quick side-note. I am <em>extremely</em> thankful for my herb garden when I am cooking recipes like these. Last week for my pate, I threw on my slippers, grabbed my flashlight and picked parsley at nearly midnight because, on a whim, I decided I wanted to add it. This one was thought ahead more so I didn't have to pick the herbs in my pajamas. But if I didn't have these on hand, I would sacrifice and add dried over paying an arm and a leg for fresh. <br />
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<strong>Marinated Mushrooms Recipe:</strong><br />
1 pound of brown or white mushrooms, or a mix of both <br />
4 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil, or more if needed <br />
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar <br />
2 cloves of garlic, minced <br />
1/4 cup of red onions or shallots, finely chopped <br />
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, finely chopped <em>(Use 1 tsp dried leaves if fresh is not available)</em><br />
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped<em> (Use 1 tsp dried leaves if fresh is not available)</em><br />
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1/2 teaspoon of salt <br />
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns <br />
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)<br />
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Wash mushrooms well and remove stems. Boil mushrooms in salted water for about 10 minutes, drain and let cool. While mushrooms cool, combine all other ingredients in a jar or large bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and shake until it's all combined. Add mushrooms, close lid and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 10 minutes before planning on serving it.</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-58060125849243939202011-12-02T19:52:00.000-07:002011-12-02T19:52:53.176-07:00Happy December! (Chocolate Chip Cookies)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTm7ZXHhl-IRrsgxSalEr0rOGfVeQWT3qt4CcjlvlbYJlaRgG3qdlo9nYJIZzHINre7HfXxtGojDNVDyhr92dsvtY-ATghdeOL6Fqe16lX5PzOwUyUx0q9tfqLrI0ycS4Ir5d7mS_AGSS/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTm7ZXHhl-IRrsgxSalEr0rOGfVeQWT3qt4CcjlvlbYJlaRgG3qdlo9nYJIZzHINre7HfXxtGojDNVDyhr92dsvtY-ATghdeOL6Fqe16lX5PzOwUyUx0q9tfqLrI0ycS4Ir5d7mS_AGSS/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Here it is December already and to be honest with you I keep thinking that it should still be October! I am seriously lagging behind in the Christmas Spirit this year so to pump it up a notch I decided to bake some cookies today. This is always dangerous for me because I am an honest-to-goodness cookie addict and for Christmas this year I decided to give myself back my favorite jeans. (A Summer of stress does <i>not</i> bode well for for the waist line...) So the first thing I had to do after snapping pictures was to load these morsels up and <i>give them away!</i> (I may or may not have eaten one first...)<br />
I scoured this blog the other day and realized that I didn't even have my all-time-favorite-standby chocolate-chip cookie recipe on here. Sometimes we take for granted that which we bake all the time. So here they are, the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Enjoy and Happy December!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></span><br />
1 cup soft brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup powdered milk (or use 1/2 cup granulated sugar)<br />
1/2 cup soft butter<br />
1/2 cup Crisco<br />
2 eggs <br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1 cup rolled oats<br />
12 oz. chocolate chips (or 2 cups) <br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream butter, Crisco and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients except oats and chocolate chips and mix in completely. Stir in oats and chocolate chips and drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes or until slightly golden on the sides. <br />
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</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-7471801599015070772011-11-29T16:03:00.000-07:002011-11-29T16:03:53.654-07:00Smoked Salmon Paté<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAjcZEeWoXiGZq6KAk8HbmpL38wxMrq5mZ6TRIU4bDJVwSArS5r_vmQC8qNon2xHmmlmFAX9hVssnQ7h7ulCle7CjZYmxKgRBaEO5TNxtahZOIkO9TrWjJjM_0211GF6J6mKyTCqpsaO4/s1600/IMG_20111124_113426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAjcZEeWoXiGZq6KAk8HbmpL38wxMrq5mZ6TRIU4bDJVwSArS5r_vmQC8qNon2xHmmlmFAX9hVssnQ7h7ulCle7CjZYmxKgRBaEO5TNxtahZOIkO9TrWjJjM_0211GF6J6mKyTCqpsaO4/s200/IMG_20111124_113426.jpg" width="177" /></a>My husband and I seldom exchange gifts on our birthdays. Instead, we like to shower each other with attention and service. For Mike's birthday this year I took him on a camping trip, just the two of us. For my birthday, he cooked me dinner. But not just any dinner! He went all out and smoked some wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Wow! That is definitely a new birthday tradition around here. I wish there were some way I could describe how delicious it was. In fact, it was so delicious that we decided on an encore for a Thanksgiving appetizer. It really was too good to turn it into a paté but I'd been wanting to try a new recipe. My thought was that I could put this on my daughter's bagels for the days that she insists on only bringing a bagel and cream cheese for lunch. That way she's at least getting some extra nutrients, right? I have the <i>pickiest</i> seven-year-old so we are constantly trying to find interesting things to try in her lunchbox. The girl won't eat peanut butter and jelly... But she did it this!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHdtCwK5mEuuA1xZTx-64bIuRsneuDmMmxJJSVu09Sq-pP3bjDG4bH11_hU02DISAieVbHgo_dDOgnIPDYUsW41keMMjsT1cTplRP8QqxZzZfcK3KGT5HwZba6VV2Kfo1_KXspnm7Hmpe/s1600/IMG_20111124_113426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a> </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Smoked Salmon Paté</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 oz smoked salmon</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 lb low-fat cream cheese</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp smoked paprika</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">pinch of cayenne pepper</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 tsp garlic powder</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp prepared horseradish</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Put the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Season with additional pepper to taste and add fresh, chopped parsley if desired. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and put in the refrigerator. Tastes great on bagels, crusty bread, crackers and cucumbers.<br />
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</div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-16704393452326821772011-11-27T21:16:00.000-07:002011-11-27T21:16:58.663-07:00Stuffed Mushrooms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
I almost never host Thanksgiving since I have a mother-in-law who shines in that department. I do, however, love to cook Thanksgiving dinner which means my husband usually gets to eat the meal twice over the holiday weekend. He doesn't complain...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8HJWCT3pLPCGOktGjxIM3-c81QMcmNNMmBiBT665_GFh9_kHZW2VW6l0ZJGF5tmMz_3_miB0-Wc-ahRi7euUnkdvZZJT4GCpqGlomOpxoQ-sHbMXl89DD1mYVsRgGxrwwcioTTnZ1NT_/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8HJWCT3pLPCGOktGjxIM3-c81QMcmNNMmBiBT665_GFh9_kHZW2VW6l0ZJGF5tmMz_3_miB0-Wc-ahRi7euUnkdvZZJT4GCpqGlomOpxoQ-sHbMXl89DD1mYVsRgGxrwwcioTTnZ1NT_/s320/066.JPG" width="320" /></a>This year we tried a new method of cooking turkey which was OUTSTANDING and really very simple. <a href="http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/chicken_turkey_duck/ultimate_smoked_turkey.html">Here is the link that explains each and every step</a>. We cooked ours in the oven instead of on the grill, but other than that the process was the same and our turkey turned out beautiful, moist, and delicious. My husband thinks that he needs to consult <a href="http://www.amazingribs.com/">Meathead</a> for every problem in life (well at least in the kitchen) and I have to admit I'm becoming a big fan myself!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6iwyl1sOZDoRPN5ECZN7VR4lFr-9y3c73jKF3ePNs3IReeqj3GJgeuMoNvFZNud4XWHR1CzVapSpfMicTxeLCHKbZF5X9ILa7TodCRBoJDoMlFJYM_gc9EkH0yXkrtncfA2mwfXjX3DK/s1600/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6iwyl1sOZDoRPN5ECZN7VR4lFr-9y3c73jKF3ePNs3IReeqj3GJgeuMoNvFZNud4XWHR1CzVapSpfMicTxeLCHKbZF5X9ILa7TodCRBoJDoMlFJYM_gc9EkH0yXkrtncfA2mwfXjX3DK/s320/074.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Anyway, as my contribution to Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house, I was planning to bring some marinated mushrooms. I bought an entire 10 pound box of fresh mushrooms so I'd have plenty to eat at home as well.<br />
To my surprise when I went to go pick them up I found that I'd ordered them JUMBO size... not exactly fitting for the appetizer I'd had in mind!<br />
All was not lost though and I came up with this delicious alternative. And with these jumbo-sized mushrooms this could easily be turned into a meal by adding just a little ground beef or turkey in with the stuffing. I tried a couple different versions and if you love mushrooms you will love these!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"> Stuffed Mushrooms</span></b><br />
12-15 whole fresh mushrooms (or 6 giant ones!)<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
1 stalk celery, diced<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
1 large clove garlic, minced <br />
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning or <a href="http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/simon_and_garfunkel_rub.html">Simon & Garfunkel Rub </a>(I used S&G- another Meathead Favorite)<br />
1/2 cup. mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />
1 cup dry bread crumbs <br />
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.<br />
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2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Saute about three minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add garlic and seasonings. Cook an additional two minutes.<br />
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3. Add bread crumbs and cheese and stir until completely combined. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.<br />
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4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvbBi6mwR88hW0qenBBAtkHTvn0jvcUFphK5YnmpuT4xh6kaSl94CZkIfrJMWqo_h2LINFRt8bQfz2j_msOY6JxvAyTAX63-FBWWVJ5TJTuLxMQ4dMuPBqmo9ox-2bbha4acoJeArTgts/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvbBi6mwR88hW0qenBBAtkHTvn0jvcUFphK5YnmpuT4xh6kaSl94CZkIfrJMWqo_h2LINFRt8bQfz2j_msOY6JxvAyTAX63-FBWWVJ5TJTuLxMQ4dMuPBqmo9ox-2bbha4acoJeArTgts/s320/087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
**As made, I thought these mushrooms were fabulous! But I <i><span style="font-size: large;">love</span></i> mushrooms. For my husband who only <i>likes</i> mushrooms he thought these were a bit too mushroomy and needed something extra. The following is a variation I made for him which I actually thought was a tie with the first but they taste quite a bit different. These are not quite so <i>Thanksgiving'ish</i> so would be a good appetizer for any occasion.<br />
<br />
<br />
6-8 whole fresh mushrooms (or 2 giant ones!)<br />
1/4 cup chives, chopped<br />
1 Tbsp dry sherry<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
1 large clove garlic, minced <br />
<br />
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme<br />
4 oz. cream cheese<br />
1 cup dry bread crumbs <br />
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped<br />
2 Tbsp walnuts<br />
<br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.<br />
<br />
2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushroom stems and sherry to the skillet. Saute about two minutes. Add garlic and seasonings. Cook an additional one minute.<br />
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<br />
3. Add bread crumbs, cream cheese, chives and walnuts. Stir until completely combined. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.<br />
<br />
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.<br />
<br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-90915965257692092752011-11-25T20:30:00.001-07:002011-11-26T13:39:16.323-07:00Crack N' Chili<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have a son who doesn't like tomatoes. I know it's a little unnatural and up until a year ago I kept hoping he'd grow out of it. He's sixteen now so I'm not so sure there's hope for tomatoes... Anyway, every once in a while I like to indulge my children and so I created this chili recipe without a single tomato on board. (Although if you're really missing them you can add some diced tomatoes on top when serving.) Sorry no pictures! I've made this recipe several times in the last few weeks and each time I've made it my camera has been out of batteries. <br />
<br />
This stuff is so addicting we dubbed it Crack N' Chili. And yes, don't worry. It's perfectly legal.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Crack N' Chili</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large red bell pepper, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 jalapeno, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 Anaheim chilies, chopped*</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup onion, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika (regular will work too if you have it)</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 tsp pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 tsp salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 Tbsp red chili powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 Tbsp ground cumin</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp oregano</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 tbsp butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp cornstarch</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 1/3 cup milk</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 (15 oz.) can small red chili beans</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Melt butter in a 5 qt. Dutch Oven over medium heat. </div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Add vegetables and saute until tender-crisp. </div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Add seasonings and cook 1 minute to extract flavor. </div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Combine 1/3 cup milk with cornstarch and add to vegetables. Stir until vegetables are coated and quickly add remaining milk. </div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Stir constantly until mixture thickens, about the consistency of gravy. Slowly add shredded cheese and stir until completely melted. </div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Add undrained beans and heat through. If you're like me and do most of your cooking during the day, at this point you can transfer everything to your slow cooker to keep it warm from afternoon to evening.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>You can also add shredded pork or chicken if you like. Also top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, a dollop of sour cream and some chives to dress this up. </i><br />
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<em>*</em>If you don't have fresh peppers you can substitute 2 (4 oz) cans of diced chilis when you add the beans</div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-47077259878041098822011-11-23T11:49:00.000-07:002011-11-23T11:49:42.621-07:00Healthy & CHEAP Microwaved Popcorn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span id="goog_1619483806"></span><span id="goog_1619483807"></span>I had been babysitting two of one of my good friend's daughters for her during the day. It was an adventure to say the least! And you should have just seen the looks I received when I had to take them out in public. Sometimes my parade of little ones was met with admiration, like when I carted them all to the Scout store to pick up awards and Pinewood Derby cars. Other times the look was of disgust like when I had all four of them crammed into a shopping cart at Costco. I'm sure it was quite a site to see such a circus of girls (ages 5, 4, 3, and 2) on wheels. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzEIxnqO8rnzJ2OKZ2EalZPPZsC8o2XBpwMTrDoH2pJTqhZQoOOXyRuEQQLkjwL8DHnCP9AgK1dtuik8tbD_LwvpdIhZDufdg9QXiPZY0ijoLFv0e8eqw1oad2E5rIchwkUO2OIVoL7_Z/s1600/Surprise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzEIxnqO8rnzJ2OKZ2EalZPPZsC8o2XBpwMTrDoH2pJTqhZQoOOXyRuEQQLkjwL8DHnCP9AgK1dtuik8tbD_LwvpdIhZDufdg9QXiPZY0ijoLFv0e8eqw1oad2E5rIchwkUO2OIVoL7_Z/s1600/Surprise.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I admit it was a little bit fun to see the "Only in Utah" look as I was checking out. The funny thing is that probably anywhere else in the country people would wide-eyed ask me "Are they ALL yours?!" (I'm just guessing because this has happened to me in at least 3 different states when I've had friends' kids in tow along with my own... well okay, once it <i>was</i> only just my own... ) But never here. Not once in all the public venues I've carted them along to have I ever been asked that question. Nope. Not where I live. This is Utah where it is not entirely out of the ordinary to see such a spectacle. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that with all the extra kids in my house (we still did play-dates and from time to time I'd be watching other friends' children as well) inexpensive snacks RULE! Not to mention quick <i>and </i>inexpensive! I used to <em>always</em> pop my popcorn on the stove but with a house full of little monsters there is no WAY I could devote that much time all at once to my kitchen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1bbo-LxJYNnnBIoKpi0MHJfakN50crwTtaxuzcv0rzrKVdUS2Q7CDKSsxgYvdVzeofc-HQ-7DbGD8ED6SY48fLAZSjJV5gZugXMLklLi5U7wknqTa60kKixhzFJ33uUy0b1iE-tt-PKb/s1600/Popcorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1bbo-LxJYNnnBIoKpi0MHJfakN50crwTtaxuzcv0rzrKVdUS2Q7CDKSsxgYvdVzeofc-HQ-7DbGD8ED6SY48fLAZSjJV5gZugXMLklLi5U7wknqTa60kKixhzFJ33uUy0b1iE-tt-PKb/s1600/Popcorn.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is very simple and ridiculously cheap and helps you control what actually goes into the mouths of those you love. I've long been wary of the carcinogen-laced, lung damaging microwaved popcorn snack. (I shy from just about anything with ingredients that sound more like a chemistry experiment than something that's edible.. Check out <a href="http://ethicalnag.org/2010/01/09/micro-popcorn/">this link</a> for more information on this snack. )</div><span style="color: #0066ff;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Ok enough talk already! Here's the logistics of this beautiful "new" (people have actually been doing this for years before Orville) method.</span></strong></span><br />
<ol><li>Put 1/4 cup popcorn in a brown paper lunch bag. Fold top over a few times and tape, staple (your microwave won't mind a couple small staples), or even just fold tightly.<em> (I've always just folded mine since my tape usually ends up as Barbie lingerie.) </em></li>
<li>Place in microwave folded side up for 2 to 3 minutes or until there is 5 seconds between pops.</li>
<li>Eat plain or add flavors (such as salt, butter, sugar, etc.)</li>
</ol>Easy enough? I promise you it works beautifully. And guess what? Since you aren't even adding oil (although you can add about 1 tsp along with the kernels if you really want to) you should be able to reuse the same paper bag for the next batch as well! <span style="color: #0066ff;"><strong><span style="color: black;"> </span> </strong></span></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-49219496312299651812011-11-22T12:46:00.000-07:002011-11-22T12:46:08.541-07:00The Spirit of ThanksGIVING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Several months ago, I wrote the following after attending the funeral of one of my good friends. She died after a not-long-enough-but-way-too-long battle with cancer. During this time my entire neighborhood and even my own family members had been riddled with hardships. I had 4 different friends who were battling cancer at the same time (One passed away just a few weeks afterwards), my sister was recovering after an induced coma after too many near-death battles with her own auto-immune disease, 2 of my friends were going through bitter and heartbreaking divorces, I had countless friends who were unemployed or had to take jobs in other states to be able to provide for their families. But through all of this, it was as if my own family was blessed with little or no problems of our own.<br />
Here is what I wrote:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX8-cqSe4yGVBCKZtFkkzaZNeFmXkfJ6gzVfc7R-NvUTXp6x3ABwDBxEkaGcvglBZSeb3WDRbir9SgKKKNT9HqgYy9FHn92YTT7y-R8-MdNyL7XF7M9O-dfo2GMBF69k2eIAd8qxwQWhu/s1600/Flowers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkX8-cqSe4yGVBCKZtFkkzaZNeFmXkfJ6gzVfc7R-NvUTXp6x3ABwDBxEkaGcvglBZSeb3WDRbir9SgKKKNT9HqgYy9FHn92YTT7y-R8-MdNyL7XF7M9O-dfo2GMBF69k2eIAd8qxwQWhu/s320/Flowers.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>(April 12, 2011) <br />
<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix"><div><i>"I have a picture forever imprinted in my mind of an empty chapel. The lights dimmed and a slight scent of flowers in the air. Dozens of used tissues littered the floor and benches, a physical reminder of the tears that were shed there that day. I know that life is eternal and we will see our loved ones again- but sometimes that's just not enough to stay the tears.<i> Today I miss my friend... </i></i><br />
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<i><i></i></i><br />
<i>In the April 2010 LDS General Conference, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom said:</i><br />
<blockquote><i>"In the most difficult circumstances of life, there is only one source of peace. The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, extends his grace with the invitation, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' (Matthew 11:28) He further promises, 'My peace I give unto you: Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. ' (John 14:27)</i></blockquote><i>Unfortunately this is hard to realize until those most difficult circumstances arise. And then we have a choice: To realize it.. or to ignore it. Every day in my neighborhood I see people making the best of very difficult situations (Unemployment, death of loved ones, divorce, chronic illnesses and more). It is heartbreaking- but then I see neighbors, friends and family pouring out love and support.. and I'm reminded that we <i><b>ARE God's hands</b></i> and sometimes it is through <b>us</b> that He is able to give that peace.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Perhaps for this reason God blesses some while heaping trials upon others- so we can all have a turn helping our neighbors and sharing our blessings. I am truly grateful for my own trials that I've been through. It helps me to put my life into perspective. It has helped me to truly empathize with my friends that are currently going through trials of their own. But more, it has helped me to feel true gratitude for the "minor" trials I face each day.</i><br />
<blockquote><i>"Because I have been given much I too must give... "</i></blockquote><i>I know I'm not immune to hardships at this point in my life. Just because my life was hard once, doesn't mean that it won't be again. But in the meantime I am blessed. And I will continue to do all that I can to ease the burdens of my friends and family. Life is a gift and a blessing... and I hope that at the end of my days I can be proud of the way that I've used this precious gift.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVGOn98aF9UCpKDZ9q9zlp3cGfZJQepo5HGm5SqyIleRYa-ahIvxern3W2mkoYbv71dO6h6HKgUL4FB7D5dlF6VJrClozic9RLi3Y2k_kD8hMAqT2PEH5V0p9e8V5ZNclmlApsleqna7c/s1600/Clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVGOn98aF9UCpKDZ9q9zlp3cGfZJQepo5HGm5SqyIleRYa-ahIvxern3W2mkoYbv71dO6h6HKgUL4FB7D5dlF6VJrClozic9RLi3Y2k_kD8hMAqT2PEH5V0p9e8V5ZNclmlApsleqna7c/s320/Clouds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Yes, I miss my friend. And my heart <b><i>aches</i></b> for those she's left behind. But I know that she's dancing with the angels and she's got a smile on her face. She is free of pain and suffering and she can be proud of the way she lived her life. Her memory is precious and perfect. She will forever be beautiful and sweet and kind."</i><br />
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Just three months after I wrote this, my own world started to crumble around me. I began to despair and went through a lot of searching, pondering, and praying just trying to keep my head above water. I had a lot to learn about faith apparently because I was suddenly in the middle of the most intense lesson I'd ever experienced. I went days without being able to see straight due to my constantly "watery" eyes and I was so completely stressed that I couldn't eat or sleep.<br />
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I remember one evening a couple of months ago... I had been babysitting for a friend all that day and then afterwords made three dinners. One for my family, one for a friend who had just had a baby, and one for a friend who was trying to avoid bed-rest with her own pregnancy.<br />
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While I was out delivering the dinners with my children my husband returned home from work. He met me at the door and I all but collapsed into his arms near-tears trying to relate all of the stress of the day. He shook his head at me, and said, <i>"This is ridiculous! Somebody should be watching our kids and bringing </i><i>us dinner. You can't keep doing this!"</i><br />
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I took a deep breath and calmed down a bit... then I realized that the one time during the last week that I'd felt even remotely <i>okay</i> was when I was out delivering those meals to my friends. I had become so wrapped up in our own hardships that this was the first time in weeks that I'd even ventured to cook for somebody else... and yes that includes my own family! I can't imagine what my poor husband was going through. This was as much his trial as mine and yet he had to go to work and function everyday and come home to pick up all my pieces.<br />
My trial is not yet over but I've learned at least two things so far:<br />
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1. God is ever mindful of our needs but sometimes it takes action on our part as well for us to get the help that we need. While I've long had an almost self-righteous attitude of being able to take care of myself, I really needed to learn to humble myself and ask for help. That doesn't make me less of a person but instead gives me new insight and empathy to be aware of the needs around me. This allows me to even better be able to serve my neighbors with a thankful heart. I'm embarrassed to say that it took several months of pain before it finally dawned on me that I'd never asked for help... Once I asked for the help that I needed, I had several people sincerely (even those I'd not expected) offer to help in any way that they could. It was humbling. I will forever be gracious for those who are acting as God's Hands on my behalf.<br />
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2. I am truly happiest when I am in turn serving others. And in my case I mean literally <i>serving</i> others. I love to cook for people! At the moment it is beyond my capacity to do some of the other things that I truly wish I could do to help others. Instead of beating myself up over the things I wish I could do, but can't, I need to focus on the things that <i>can</i> be done. There are plenty of ways within my current ability to brighten the lives of those around me. I am hoping that by continuing this blog I will in a very small way be able to<br />
help enrich the lives of others.<br />
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Yes, I share this with you all as an explanation of where I've been these last few months. But I also, and more importantly, wanted a venue to share with you my thankful heart. Thank you for humoring me! My life is truly blessed and no matter what trials I may face in this life, though it may be difficult, I know that with the Savior's love I can endure them all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ_2bwBSwpIuVDPxwfsg8GOY6lilHRLli6biFVzAoDGXORTICZ8eDg6aKqGhn4Rm9hoGhkRnbjyuq2P4HMI3ph2d-rZXBOf9tyJrWLpchKbJXGskH1pbgdUNn8U__lAyyPhJypl5muJp5/s1600/Mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ_2bwBSwpIuVDPxwfsg8GOY6lilHRLli6biFVzAoDGXORTICZ8eDg6aKqGhn4Rm9hoGhkRnbjyuq2P4HMI3ph2d-rZXBOf9tyJrWLpchKbJXGskH1pbgdUNn8U__lAyyPhJypl5muJp5/s320/Mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">God bless you and have a happy Thanks<b>GIVING!</b></span><b><br />
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</div></div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-49241923741144878942011-07-01T08:18:00.000-06:002011-07-01T08:18:37.444-06:00Tandoori Chicken Breasts with Mango-Mint Chutney<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This recipe comes from my favorite grilling book, Weber's Way To Grill by Jamie Purviance. If you've ever wanted to learn to grill, get the book. It's fantastic!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaBBtAsZyNN7HdTiAB86N8Q_ZWdH_MRa8sMlHOgOpbyuP5e4tCio25m-cCPGbQimFprYGTYpSStIFkDfkc028y9Z1c5ZuuqpMSOzemO83ANHYmAFOId3hu4jc7OWNkNt0FoKb6qpFgpc2/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaBBtAsZyNN7HdTiAB86N8Q_ZWdH_MRa8sMlHOgOpbyuP5e4tCio25m-cCPGbQimFprYGTYpSStIFkDfkc028y9Z1c5ZuuqpMSOzemO83ANHYmAFOId3hu4jc7OWNkNt0FoKb6qpFgpc2/s400/017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b>Marinade</b><br />
1 cup plain yogurt<br />
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
1 Tbsp chopped garlic<br />
1 Tbsp fresh ginger<br />
2 tsp garam masala<br />
2 tsp sea salt<br />
1 tsp sweet paprika<br />
<br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each<br />
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</b><br />
<b>Chutney</b><br />
2 firm ripe mangoes, sides cut from pit<br />
1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil<br />
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint<br />
2 Tbsp cider vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp granulated sugar<br />
1/4 tsp kosher salt<br />
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
<br />
Vegetable oil<br />
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1. In a food processor (or my Vita-Mix) blend the marinade ingredients until uniform in consistency, adding 1 or 2 Tbsp of water, if needed (which I didn't). Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Turn the bag several times to distribute the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally. <br />
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2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat.<br />
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3. Lightly brush the mango sides with the oil. Grill over direct medium heat, flat sides down, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they brown, about 2 minutes, without turning. Remove the mango from the grill, crosshatch the flesh in the skin, and scoop out the little pieces. In a small bowl combine the mango with the remaining chutney ingredients.<br />
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4. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Wipe off most the marinade clinging to the chicken and brush the chicken with oil. Grill over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8-12 minutes, turning once. Serve warm with the chutney.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">To cut a mango: </span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY1Ozyh2b_umqxUuY4zbDATocKEPKEDb0M0Ch4yBURL-EbCgHIjyMLv29B2OUfPGaPPbjAYnONHTmtkqKp07Ha19MPkw7JUe7G1-V_RJxdtUGzwzTR0WSXnYYSwWgGu768F2kcKKemgh1/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhY1Ozyh2b_umqxUuY4zbDATocKEPKEDb0M0Ch4yBURL-EbCgHIjyMLv29B2OUfPGaPPbjAYnONHTmtkqKp07Ha19MPkw7JUe7G1-V_RJxdtUGzwzTR0WSXnYYSwWgGu768F2kcKKemgh1/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">First, cut around the pit by rotating the mango so that the pit runs parallel to the blade of your knife. Cut each mango lengthwise along each side of the pit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0yQYS88voRVIJV7GDqw5sybLP1kMMdMAfwD_D0PDr9eBwfb0_sWwzOKr0EDWIiDK6-Ss59bTfxUtJ9iSZYH94diAWYvFvTsDOk_Cx2O76JmRNT7hLKwTl41HoTlj7s1PDQr90zM5Ms-a/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0yQYS88voRVIJV7GDqw5sybLP1kMMdMAfwD_D0PDr9eBwfb0_sWwzOKr0EDWIiDK6-Ss59bTfxUtJ9iSZYH94diAWYvFvTsDOk_Cx2O76JmRNT7hLKwTl41HoTlj7s1PDQr90zM5Ms-a/s200/006.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Crosshatch the flesh without cutting through the skin, and scoop out the little pieces with a spoon.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Even if you're just putting the mangoes into a smoothie (which is <i>delicious</i>, by the way), this is by far the easiest way to cut a mango. Although, if I'm pureeing the mango anyway, I don't crosshatch- I just scoop.</div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-23436456990585212002011-06-22T14:12:00.000-06:002011-06-22T14:12:22.833-06:00Pepperoni Chicken Involtini<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lHSFN12jDdVVtcfjxiBiGDU02BSC79w5H9YsOHkKtl1XU5kUBG3y1nyc_fNytpipEkAqqCMpPdRNVqyhwzUP1_TOZWpywtM8g0K7BsX9gvmmdm4TnEGf7gsi6OHXvjTPF7r8nZPetSE1/s1600/052.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lHSFN12jDdVVtcfjxiBiGDU02BSC79w5H9YsOHkKtl1XU5kUBG3y1nyc_fNytpipEkAqqCMpPdRNVqyhwzUP1_TOZWpywtM8g0K7BsX9gvmmdm4TnEGf7gsi6OHXvjTPF7r8nZPetSE1/s400/052.JPG" width="400" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 8 ounces each</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp. sea salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp. granulated garlic</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp dried oregano</div><div style="text-align: center;">8 oz. sliced pepperoni</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 thin slices munster cheese</div><div style="text-align: center;">8 large basil leaves</div><div style="text-align: center;">8-16 baby spinach leaves</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">First, flatten the chicken breasts, smooth side down between two layers of plastic wrap. For very thick pieces of chicken, it helps to cut partially into the meat and fold it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sLj7QQ7CdDMiHRSi3E0vRWKhmCNWFBXiJQFF_IUUV68WxaeW4pcXJfgATC9HCbJif6TDijX9QBSM-EqC-d4HUTmEzYck06Gpv-iq51pHcXQpWS6itJS_MbMxqbkaZtjbrlUHgLj7pY9/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-sLj7QQ7CdDMiHRSi3E0vRWKhmCNWFBXiJQFF_IUUV68WxaeW4pcXJfgATC9HCbJif6TDijX9QBSM-EqC-d4HUTmEzYck06Gpv-iq51pHcXQpWS6itJS_MbMxqbkaZtjbrlUHgLj7pY9/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to flatten the meat. You could also use the bottom of a heavy pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBs0VHUoPKPX5XGgpL3lfusQGGbVTTzk083cbAYMDOTUqKOMUonpjGBc6U1CDG6918p58KFu3nE-Js5beX-5rE-IV6CnvdRZBxUwNO_2aqZxOmSgqDxzrb47PKY7u7m6Dn6lv1bTcYW15s/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBs0VHUoPKPX5XGgpL3lfusQGGbVTTzk083cbAYMDOTUqKOMUonpjGBc6U1CDG6918p58KFu3nE-Js5beX-5rE-IV6CnvdRZBxUwNO_2aqZxOmSgqDxzrb47PKY7u7m6Dn6lv1bTcYW15s/s320/039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Mix seasonings and sprinkle generously over each piece of meat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9diRU1-QfyOSdTV47yGOFxwjKwdNhuoQNRSnt6z06sO-LFf182B88IfdmnLyVf2-LlCwegcK0ID_GKMct07iSvzocZcg4MgIb5W3zLyTHEszcLWRfyNKhea97EoaJcUMeBX-PWsAYFMvk/s1600/042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9diRU1-QfyOSdTV47yGOFxwjKwdNhuoQNRSnt6z06sO-LFf182B88IfdmnLyVf2-LlCwegcK0ID_GKMct07iSvzocZcg4MgIb5W3zLyTHEszcLWRfyNKhea97EoaJcUMeBX-PWsAYFMvk/s320/042.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Load each piece of chicken with spinach, basil, 1 slice cheese and about 4 slices pepperoni</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogA7mkpFA7DQIPCnotdsc_GZOmQwZS7ZA2YK6BSXeddSS_dVzQYxjeAVkio__zxFZXOa5Mw3Vam5FfQgdi9pzKB1nBoQfF3VosNEnhpMqT-ZZT6BCs5bstn5J6pEoiVAGIELoJmEr1QyB/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogA7mkpFA7DQIPCnotdsc_GZOmQwZS7ZA2YK6BSXeddSS_dVzQYxjeAVkio__zxFZXOa5Mw3Vam5FfQgdi9pzKB1nBoQfF3VosNEnhpMqT-ZZT6BCs5bstn5J6pEoiVAGIELoJmEr1QyB/s320/043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Roll chicken lengthwise. Keep it as tight as you can!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Lv7Q6zbrQ8OLCoEGIaN16iRgRGs8UFKGbZlRMIvtAb7yyG83wNmEL9kP21ngqw4s1gRUGONUt1jQ6mJWmohrUKV1Ay73qoXWXcBIkThMsWL3JBdRHrEnN3oUI1uUhlkQxH_o2xlfib4/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Lv7Q6zbrQ8OLCoEGIaN16iRgRGs8UFKGbZlRMIvtAb7yyG83wNmEL9kP21ngqw4s1gRUGONUt1jQ6mJWmohrUKV1Ay73qoXWXcBIkThMsWL3JBdRHrEnN3oUI1uUhlkQxH_o2xlfib4/s320/045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Tie each piece of chicken with 2 pieces of butcher's twine and brush the surface of each with olive oil. I didn't have any twine, so I simply used thread which worked just fine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zt1MWzsJarbt_3c5gsGoJT4AR47T9iNYnk9HNk03sGsgOH6TYrmLAKDVJ3AhiGZ_sp-lKf_005XdECUPRN_uzQX2BABCQZQ3hHlq1YPP-u-ia6WBZ9FxTrRFDhA0yQmfBZs2GnEPGmuj/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zt1MWzsJarbt_3c5gsGoJT4AR47T9iNYnk9HNk03sGsgOH6TYrmLAKDVJ3AhiGZ_sp-lKf_005XdECUPRN_uzQX2BABCQZQ3hHlq1YPP-u-ia6WBZ9FxTrRFDhA0yQmfBZs2GnEPGmuj/s320/046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Grill over direct medium heat for about 12 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the cheese has melted. I turned my chicken every 2-3 minutes to keep it from burning. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfTvkKqQIEoH9vfrD_e_XFTy1mxlbWSVG77wPjcgLqdzNnw1Uqh4JjfZtZ7YwJpiE-bAKH9V4GqartNnn4qPPD_PdxaGeAzfTl9suXa6M_P_B0kbnW3dfhlIOKkEYwhqbhnt0XOL7XIm6/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfTvkKqQIEoH9vfrD_e_XFTy1mxlbWSVG77wPjcgLqdzNnw1Uqh4JjfZtZ7YwJpiE-bAKH9V4GqartNnn4qPPD_PdxaGeAzfTl9suXa6M_P_B0kbnW3dfhlIOKkEYwhqbhnt0XOL7XIm6/s320/049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> This would be great served with some good quality tomato sauce but we skipped the sauce so my girls would actually eat their dinner~ which the did. They loved it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lHSFN12jDdVVtcfjxiBiGDU02BSC79w5H9YsOHkKtl1XU5kUBG3y1nyc_fNytpipEkAqqCMpPdRNVqyhwzUP1_TOZWpywtM8g0K7BsX9gvmmdm4TnEGf7gsi6OHXvjTPF7r8nZPetSE1/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">P.S. We sliced the leftover chicken and put it on sandwich rolls for some delicious sandwiches the next day. Yum!</div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-17702176564620326612011-06-20T09:36:00.000-06:002011-06-20T09:36:59.639-06:00Strawberry Shortcake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I made that <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-jam-strawberry-syrup.html">strawberry syrup</a> on Friday. Saturday the girls wanted pancakes for breakfast... and lunch... and dinner. I guess they liked it! Of course, with all these strawberries around here, I <i>had</i> to make some strawberry shortcake for dessert too!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Strawberry Shortcake </b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZMCVUzHzVjHA8xzlqid_ItaYMLNFU5alWtIsB5Lla9XlRdOl9mVSpn_cKfB2Ix_4sUPM8v-EJ_oT3xywvizG-aBOKjcO7UpZ-BAhhpETOeB3lFIuVkGyTs9Tcjy3QqnX-aKIqx_d4t8e/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZMCVUzHzVjHA8xzlqid_ItaYMLNFU5alWtIsB5Lla9XlRdOl9mVSpn_cKfB2Ix_4sUPM8v-EJ_oT3xywvizG-aBOKjcO7UpZ-BAhhpETOeB3lFIuVkGyTs9Tcjy3QqnX-aKIqx_d4t8e/s400/024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><ul><li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 quarts (I always double up on the berries, but 1 qt will work too) strawberries, sliced</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">3/4 cup sugar</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient">3 teaspoons baking powder</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1 dash ground nutmeg</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1/2 cup butter or margarine</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 1/2 cup milk</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 eggs, separated</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> 2 cups sweetened whipped cream</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient"> fresh mint</li>
</ul><div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h3 style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Directions<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span></b></h3><h3 style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a bowl, gently stir strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; chill. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; cut in butter until crumbly. Combine milk and egg yolks; mix well. Add to crumb mixture, stirring just until moistened. Divide and pat into two greased 9-in. round cake pans. In a small mixing bowl (or large measuring cup) beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; spread over dough. </span></h3><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXkc5-rtgjlILyoLHG6xW8coFBIOqbtRvnDH4uwuX5ABweAyquO_juyVGc6vBEFzITjnI1fH2d8GfobkoNUcqdl98gG8p9UTSQLGgVpjX31uREs1sFEc8wfvwcFYbeU8M55wAoqPNOF5W/s1600/009.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXkc5-rtgjlILyoLHG6xW8coFBIOqbtRvnDH4uwuX5ABweAyquO_juyVGc6vBEFzITjnI1fH2d8GfobkoNUcqdl98gG8p9UTSQLGgVpjX31uREs1sFEc8wfvwcFYbeU8M55wAoqPNOF5W/s200/009.JPG" width="200" /></a><h3><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="font-weight: normal;">Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. (Layer will be thin.) Cool completely. </span></h3><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybRv2L1QvkyYeAPyRilL3lzGXBIoaqM2hxjfmWCXyQsU8rgzSq96WO6o76en-Bb9c3MemgI97Cg1TtFQMDLKX9AANTggfMjxiG8Vf296D9cGD7TNfYO19Vj-x7RBQ3WbFUnifuMjMvhxo/s1600/012.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybRv2L1QvkyYeAPyRilL3lzGXBIoaqM2hxjfmWCXyQsU8rgzSq96WO6o76en-Bb9c3MemgI97Cg1TtFQMDLKX9AANTggfMjxiG8Vf296D9cGD7TNfYO19Vj-x7RBQ3WbFUnifuMjMvhxo/s200/012.JPG" width="200" /></a><h3><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="font-weight: normal;">Place one cake layer on a large serving plate; spread with half of the whipped cream. Spoon half of the strawberries over cream. Repeat layers. Garnish with mint if desired. </span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2o4B9AhOxrkL9a1RGFjJG-8UsJOvoBCOoeMFIIxGFQsFaOtdY-zQCTuk5tZOOR3KqEsq1HHYfEtOQ9q-8Fv4CfrLVl5nb_K9jeEHy-lbd9-u5BezJIHIsSoDo6SpshQt6lXb7vTEJ-tq/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2o4B9AhOxrkL9a1RGFjJG-8UsJOvoBCOoeMFIIxGFQsFaOtdY-zQCTuk5tZOOR3KqEsq1HHYfEtOQ9q-8Fv4CfrLVl5nb_K9jeEHy-lbd9-u5BezJIHIsSoDo6SpshQt6lXb7vTEJ-tq/s200/018.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmr0oxmuWbXxZ95NCx5ZMihnQSUIqOQNzWqDp7-73RcWmc_3fTKT_CLf90asWzcUh0R9Od5LNlrQFd2rIaEFCtAr08rUW8Nzv8kXrGF_E3ZCsnSgUUtNiH497dkHmyJH0s6M9zMMVh0XG/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmr0oxmuWbXxZ95NCx5ZMihnQSUIqOQNzWqDp7-73RcWmc_3fTKT_CLf90asWzcUh0R9Od5LNlrQFd2rIaEFCtAr08rUW8Nzv8kXrGF_E3ZCsnSgUUtNiH497dkHmyJH0s6M9zMMVh0XG/s200/021.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><h3><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXkc5-rtgjlILyoLHG6xW8coFBIOqbtRvnDH4uwuX5ABweAyquO_juyVGc6vBEFzITjnI1fH2d8GfobkoNUcqdl98gG8p9UTSQLGgVpjX31uREs1sFEc8wfvwcFYbeU8M55wAoqPNOF5W/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybRv2L1QvkyYeAPyRilL3lzGXBIoaqM2hxjfmWCXyQsU8rgzSq96WO6o76en-Bb9c3MemgI97Cg1TtFQMDLKX9AANTggfMjxiG8Vf296D9cGD7TNfYO19Vj-x7RBQ3WbFUnifuMjMvhxo/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-90648694582596489732011-06-20T09:19:00.000-06:002011-06-20T09:19:14.008-06:00Sweet Chili Poppers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zwqZXoEYgIQ3rxgA4L0BBvf9lerkS7wMMsGjQQshrYCqddV2PIOt-GmrKi7SlrQbQcuDu9vZ7_a_NrK76sXO48RuMPt6UxSoUKsDLLhMDEl0QiD-Q519YImGGKBoxgK1cxmluIeBSI6F/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zwqZXoEYgIQ3rxgA4L0BBvf9lerkS7wMMsGjQQshrYCqddV2PIOt-GmrKi7SlrQbQcuDu9vZ7_a_NrK76sXO48RuMPt6UxSoUKsDLLhMDEl0QiD-Q519YImGGKBoxgK1cxmluIeBSI6F/s400/079.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Did you get some of these yummy sweet chilies in your <a href="http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/">Bountiful Basket</a> on Saturday? I got mine plus a friend gave me hers as well (two weeks in a row) so by this last Saturday I had a whole bag full in my refrigerator. I chose to turn mine into some delicious appetizers for our Father's day feast.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Sweet Chili Poppers</b><br />
2 cups soft bread crumbs (I used rye bread for extra flavor. Puree it in your blender, or Vita-mix for fine crumbs.)<br />
1 cup finely chopped sweet apple <br />
1 cup finely chopped onion<br />
2 Tbsp finely diced fresh cilantro<br />
3 slices cooked and crumbled bacon <br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
2 oz. Monterey or PepperJack cheese, sliced<br />
about 20 sweet chili peppers <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Combine bread crumbs, apple, onion, cilantro and bacon. Add egg and milk. Mix until all is incorporated and moist. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2yl6WQVkhr7_EhXcvYbcXUvNhyGbMPe7KCYZWq8Z_iK9P8lH0Npjnu42CnFwSOlpgUFchdtPDd2e2GRz6KBF55Q7Ow3tHNcD_hRdqap_x7-n0QAtKOaTssLd-PMtz_6aaa9d-0MAtLDQ/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS2yl6WQVkhr7_EhXcvYbcXUvNhyGbMPe7KCYZWq8Z_iK9P8lH0Npjnu42CnFwSOlpgUFchdtPDd2e2GRz6KBF55Q7Ow3tHNcD_hRdqap_x7-n0QAtKOaTssLd-PMtz_6aaa9d-0MAtLDQ/s200/071.JPG" width="200" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wash peppers and arrange them so they lay flat. On the opposite side of each pepper, cut a 'T' into the side of the pepper for the filling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K6QtGPslshg1-Bd2pkpGih6HJOOGoFNXjC11NCpS0a7bpOJQUrLSd5oyJ-cdFUeY_zBA1fNrA3geBnjpRUNysKw-qIozZHwc062NNjETmVjXKknqJVn7D9cJQADo61y3HyszjQKUcFP6/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K6QtGPslshg1-Bd2pkpGih6HJOOGoFNXjC11NCpS0a7bpOJQUrLSd5oyJ-cdFUeY_zBA1fNrA3geBnjpRUNysKw-qIozZHwc062NNjETmVjXKknqJVn7D9cJQADo61y3HyszjQKUcFP6/s200/072.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Stuff each pepper with stuffing (baby spoons work great for this!) and arrange in a single layer into a lightly greased casserole dish with a lid. Top each pepper with a piece of cheese (cut to fit). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcoJMPi69yDP6gJd2Mb88cnqJNb1X4ELEVTClv_QnHlyOmmeFpH2BTaUBGfUStIa7fxhuPxOnaDLZbMRcH-Xw1lljZpDkR3MGszUnSomAYvOAHa9Ft35ukbXJm6rCkftdaB1Rry0K9wZk/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcoJMPi69yDP6gJd2Mb88cnqJNb1X4ELEVTClv_QnHlyOmmeFpH2BTaUBGfUStIa7fxhuPxOnaDLZbMRcH-Xw1lljZpDkR3MGszUnSomAYvOAHa9Ft35ukbXJm6rCkftdaB1Rry0K9wZk/s200/075.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Bake covered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold. They're delicious either way!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodgBmGMwJF34WvCVNiJ1igLJFrgsTKqYJ853wcHQi7-O2eX9Dhz7zOAxraD4kW3t1xWP1MAth4D4OqDl0grv3cco4Vigd3Jg_JLXLD5WFaIDJpK05-2Xkhn1H1rbReg6_MD2exX8ndabh/s1600/077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodgBmGMwJF34WvCVNiJ1igLJFrgsTKqYJ853wcHQi7-O2eX9Dhz7zOAxraD4kW3t1xWP1MAth4D4OqDl0grv3cco4Vigd3Jg_JLXLD5WFaIDJpK05-2Xkhn1H1rbReg6_MD2exX8ndabh/s400/077.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-60510435554433739802011-06-20T08:55:00.001-06:002011-06-20T15:28:27.812-06:00Strawberry Jam & Strawberry Syrup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Strawberries!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3ZqEzmqNddA66Dr14BRKajfnqfZv6j6plD4FhrbbUVGgpUyTscRZB48-qEIdzQ9jtuVrdq_DAqsh2Y00fAGYQpZ2nN35_x4AkhVEOf8dnr8JcZy7mDLQhGDasyPZCqU0ucA0Fg_-ENjc/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3ZqEzmqNddA66Dr14BRKajfnqfZv6j6plD4FhrbbUVGgpUyTscRZB48-qEIdzQ9jtuVrdq_DAqsh2Y00fAGYQpZ2nN35_x4AkhVEOf8dnr8JcZy7mDLQhGDasyPZCqU0ucA0Fg_-ENjc/s400/031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despairing over my strawberry patch full of still-green strawberries I finally bit the bullet last week and ordered a flat of strawberries from Bountiful Basket. Of course by the time Saturday rolled around, my stubborn berries began to turn red. (I guess all they needed was some competition!) No worries, of course. Between my girls and I, we can easily eat a pound of strawberries every day.. which is what we did. By the following Friday, between the purchased flat and my garden, I still had about a half a flat of berries left. Cue the telephone.. My sweet husband calls and tells me while going to a job site, he found some boy scouts selling strawberries for $5 a flat, should he get some? ... YES of course! 5 flats please! I was so excited! It's been a very long time since I've had enough berries to actually <i>do</i> anything with except eat. I love strawberry jam and sauces, but I'm normally never willing to sacrifice my fresh gems to the stove. Much as I like jam, I'd much rather eat a strawberry fresh and whole. <i>MMmmmm </i>But with my husband's purchase I needed to process at least some of the berries so they didn't go bad. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We washed, hulled and froze about 2 1/2 flats for smoothies. The rest I turned into strawberry jam (and lots of it!) and strawberry syrup. Both are super easy and keep for about 2 years on the shelf when processed. (As if they'd last that long around here anyway!)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">For Jam:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">1. First, wash and hull 2lbs of strawberries </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fd4zuHE_jXmLGD_flciLE7sLhmj4vPlyFGvTdQGZYVbSKW6f7j_vdJtbBqz6SxbOOuwIZuMiQVRZxJqudd-WOJQdsxS3a5-s6Ad5ZYQ5P4ojEVYkPSoz4Lf610AHL4vmL3QrC9hj3yKA/s1600/035.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fd4zuHE_jXmLGD_flciLE7sLhmj4vPlyFGvTdQGZYVbSKW6f7j_vdJtbBqz6SxbOOuwIZuMiQVRZxJqudd-WOJQdsxS3a5-s6Ad5ZYQ5P4ojEVYkPSoz4Lf610AHL4vmL3QrC9hj3yKA/s200/035.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">2. Now crush, mash or finely chop the berries. Of course I just pulsed them in my Vita-mix, making sure to still leave some chunks.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RRPETxTGYjF9Jmy95YjSibhY6uRJWgSd6oUYe1pysirlWB8wV0CXJDLgOCFP-8u8a4iqhyphenhyphene5gjKb8z8yrjC6N1zwlzmjcmnuFCUZnDG11SWIa-P9h-n4pMNmNwOlZjUdcjlVCx7RNIx0/s1600/036.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RRPETxTGYjF9Jmy95YjSibhY6uRJWgSd6oUYe1pysirlWB8wV0CXJDLgOCFP-8u8a4iqhyphenhyphene5gjKb8z8yrjC6N1zwlzmjcmnuFCUZnDG11SWIa-P9h-n4pMNmNwOlZjUdcjlVCx7RNIx0/s200/036.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">3. Pour the berries into a large pot (5 qt. should do it) </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GCAFfZCHdamtQHL3-H8ar19spz_WqfnvZRxA4oCgWTD4zpDSz0IJt-bE1JdyD2OVDObzU7L_4W-k9d7AF25y_XDCAngokDJVPeIzWJor919YgOno77hypRb_LDQpEvtqwPYwahxICVId/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GCAFfZCHdamtQHL3-H8ar19spz_WqfnvZRxA4oCgWTD4zpDSz0IJt-bE1JdyD2OVDObzU7L_4W-k9d7AF25y_XDCAngokDJVPeIzWJor919YgOno77hypRb_LDQpEvtqwPYwahxICVId/s200/039.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 4. Stir in 1 box of regular pectin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HLUEBVt_ZVSw4L-VCLr3OQ2E6klWnJ-sc4UehJepftGM7Ba7d0fOIpjC39WvQQomVSG_rxtqgOr-5FNEtjZo-vJwuk5MRxgRNtpCI4bhFBOcNWf9ZJao0DCGVUHMGXxU1l0JvEM0NPAV/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HLUEBVt_ZVSw4L-VCLr3OQ2E6klWnJ-sc4UehJepftGM7Ba7d0fOIpjC39WvQQomVSG_rxtqgOr-5FNEtjZo-vJwuk5MRxgRNtpCI4bhFBOcNWf9ZJao0DCGVUHMGXxU1l0JvEM0NPAV/s200/044.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 5. Also add about 1/2 tsp butter to help reduce the foaming. Seriously, you'll be much happier if you don't skip this!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4XkxXJcpHJQCJct-vrhLSidxsZQljiFTBSrrc34i3moW1wLCZ7jB5trSxzFLDnNNhHoKFuGz7HjPmLGJV5-TGdH5cM4l37y7cipVVcLAEXbtIFD3Viyn6hHZgSX2rAT0Wc8vbFcT4xG-/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4XkxXJcpHJQCJct-vrhLSidxsZQljiFTBSrrc34i3moW1wLCZ7jB5trSxzFLDnNNhHoKFuGz7HjPmLGJV5-TGdH5cM4l37y7cipVVcLAEXbtIFD3Viyn6hHZgSX2rAT0Wc8vbFcT4xG-/s200/045.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 6. Bring mixture to a boil. Have your <b>7 cups of pre-measured sugar</b> ready to dump into the pot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA3WLt0vpyAhUfs8m2BLXg_4cHUTB2odC54x633gL0WobHbj8O_oXTvwAimmJY_9J8jNM5oa-UYppPo4HRn-04rjUoINGpCFEWj_0W3TFcJm5Apa8CYpufcldIKTkQtM4jDr6m7yuYw1x/s1600/046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA3WLt0vpyAhUfs8m2BLXg_4cHUTB2odC54x633gL0WobHbj8O_oXTvwAimmJY_9J8jNM5oa-UYppPo4HRn-04rjUoINGpCFEWj_0W3TFcJm5Apa8CYpufcldIKTkQtM4jDr6m7yuYw1x/s200/046.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 7. Dump sugar in all at once and stir well. Bring mixture to a full boil once more and boil for one minute. Remove from heat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTV8Y-KgzE3R2qi8dHhwJ4Al6FUbzUBLK-HllISsVOYD5cwHIedh0b9KIF4ULS_nUzOtJ6dNjKAPyY3QM4cV20Z4B8FzOVDW9k38TOdvkolCPFOICYVXyKjJ0sIqZp-7E0AUYCWVcZ3FH/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTV8Y-KgzE3R2qi8dHhwJ4Al6FUbzUBLK-HllISsVOYD5cwHIedh0b9KIF4ULS_nUzOtJ6dNjKAPyY3QM4cV20Z4B8FzOVDW9k38TOdvkolCPFOICYVXyKjJ0sIqZp-7E0AUYCWVcZ3FH/s200/047.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 8. In the meantime, I've been keeping my clean jars in the oven at 200 degrees F so they'd be hot and ready when I need them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJKSdfAeyj1pSZO5cMKsDWlFd0J_VA_vwoUCNzBbkNAGEXY-XPcfYXuszGvb4pX-1vllwVmeFjfzJb5rSN9rDptNKL4QuVDp8ahCsEOMB9Kg8f9gGrSeLSig4Yg8JYOsrlUkw7ErJwRCb/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJKSdfAeyj1pSZO5cMKsDWlFd0J_VA_vwoUCNzBbkNAGEXY-XPcfYXuszGvb4pX-1vllwVmeFjfzJb5rSN9rDptNKL4QuVDp8ahCsEOMB9Kg8f9gGrSeLSig4Yg8JYOsrlUkw7ErJwRCb/s200/048.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 9. Pour hot jam directly into jars (use a funnel if necessary) and wipe the rims of the jars clean.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIICUt1AKU4-uzyy7g_IXyl3oeqDy8LumKQkdyQOOwvgSUdfqPOBvX_2FiIKachOO5wXJalHFnXQshTWlF4_k4v6j3i7UsTQeUbdkz5iM6WcjBKzT7L9XJhWyYGM1zD43cy9axChhmnEJ/s1600/050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIICUt1AKU4-uzyy7g_IXyl3oeqDy8LumKQkdyQOOwvgSUdfqPOBvX_2FiIKachOO5wXJalHFnXQshTWlF4_k4v6j3i7UsTQeUbdkz5iM6WcjBKzT7L9XJhWyYGM1zD43cy9axChhmnEJ/s200/050.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 10. Attach two-piece lids to each jar. Tighten gently; I usually tighten as much as I can then turn the ring back about a quarter turn. Also, before I started the jam, I poured boiling water over the lids in a bowl to help soften the rubber seal. Then I kept them in the bowl to keep them hot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbnRR4ObAy60p4tbeOT5jSJ5YXH9QqC4Vn886qp4RLa9bvMhSUAdIeio7VopEtijh7VoNA1e1e00IqJZtHlvZ4aTqSRqTI7FUsj9IWaEYXZtiOmU8QupgDJ-odujfVNlxT5ej8HSUREdZ/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbnRR4ObAy60p4tbeOT5jSJ5YXH9QqC4Vn886qp4RLa9bvMhSUAdIeio7VopEtijh7VoNA1e1e00IqJZtHlvZ4aTqSRqTI7FUsj9IWaEYXZtiOmU8QupgDJ-odujfVNlxT5ej8HSUREdZ/s200/051.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 11. Load the canning rack into a pot of hot, simmering water. It's best to start this pot at the same time you start the jam so you don't have to wait for it to heat up. </div><div style="text-align: center;">For small batches of jam (or the last few jars of a big batch) I love using this small rack from Ball in one of my large stock-pots. It's so much nicer than my huge canner when I don't have a lot to do!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hJV3aJFgq4AlhznzPKUTy6MNTCQUgePFALkhiZSpxdvX-hndZqw4-nshoGqzE7TgCo5K5i1OXkeQ-Oy-J6zzvTXlPi0uNrvu3WXm6TNE8gzYDIVPo1vTn9EjV6g89tvSfK88MdckrkMn/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hJV3aJFgq4AlhznzPKUTy6MNTCQUgePFALkhiZSpxdvX-hndZqw4-nshoGqzE7TgCo5K5i1OXkeQ-Oy-J6zzvTXlPi0uNrvu3WXm6TNE8gzYDIVPo1vTn9EjV6g89tvSfK88MdckrkMn/s200/052.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 12. Bring canner (or stock-pot) to a gentle boil and then process jars for 20 minutes. (Or 10 minutes at sea-level.) Remove from heat and then, using a jar lifter, move the jars to a draft-free area. Do not disturb for at least 12 hours. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvs4F3jVVlwVsXhrpCOex7NABnIZuPYmHr-MkmJutqbne2ReR2frfPmcemlYal4yYO0yq53AjfubmwP2UnXXqG_8GvojPxQqkMnh45iVUXQc3dlEk231h1am-4UcE5gE9Vz1XP8l_Db5L/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvs4F3jVVlwVsXhrpCOex7NABnIZuPYmHr-MkmJutqbne2ReR2frfPmcemlYal4yYO0yq53AjfubmwP2UnXXqG_8GvojPxQqkMnh45iVUXQc3dlEk231h1am-4UcE5gE9Vz1XP8l_Db5L/s200/053.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: large;">For Syrup:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Syrup is very si<span style="font-size: small;">milar in pro</span>cess with just a few changes to the ingredients. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfadasQKCy-Usv9w6quucdLivXJF-QTubidt6qnvYlgUN27hfI6jXm6ZvuLcn_ngRBTm5pE_sgTlrwQYTdO6vN-NDxMc5ZJy7qn2gGqN_jJxA_dqlBwcXxlfv6rDErve190t9ttlmYWI2/s1600/065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfadasQKCy-Usv9w6quucdLivXJF-QTubidt6qnvYlgUN27hfI6jXm6ZvuLcn_ngRBTm5pE_sgTlrwQYTdO6vN-NDxMc5ZJy7qn2gGqN_jJxA_dqlBwcXxlfv6rDErve190t9ttlmYWI2/s200/065.JPG" width="200" /></a><b>Strawberry Syrup </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">4 lbs strawberries<br />
1 cup Lemonade (not from concentrate)<br />
<i>you could also use 4 Tbsp lemon juice and 3/4 c. water</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">6 cups sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Tbsp butter</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp. almond extract</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wash and hull strawberries. Mash (or puree if you choose) berries into a large pot. A 5 qt. pot will work, but it will be close. If you have a bigger one, use it. Add lemonade. Bring to a boil. Add butter and sugar. Return to a full boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Pour into hot, clean jars and attach two-piece lids to each jar. Process 20 minutes in a water bath canner. </div><br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-33032860464732317312011-05-25T09:25:00.000-06:002011-05-25T09:25:21.780-06:00Honey Whole Wheat Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have been on a mission for at least the last 12 months trying to find the <i>perfect </i>whole wheat bread recipe. I've found a few that are okay... but it seems to get a really good, moist and fluffy bread I always have to add at least <i>some</i> white flour. I can't tell you how frustrating it's been! I knew there was the perfect recipe out there somewhere.. I've bought 100% whole wheat bread from bakeries that has tasted fine- why couldn't I recreate it at home? I even researched <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/07/science-of-bread.html">the science of bread </a>to try to understand what I was doing wrong.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6k54fjN7_fyRomYvEFzAK0OQUvHNOzyJ0C0ZhWPUsh5hcmM9odPpk30Ij7uJpRlEsquMAVJjpcnqE4z5jxMWkiiHsV_zJij9UeEpCM8yDDW2_mE9tT0nL_k8l1V1eumkRPojKTKbChSiN/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6k54fjN7_fyRomYvEFzAK0OQUvHNOzyJ0C0ZhWPUsh5hcmM9odPpk30Ij7uJpRlEsquMAVJjpcnqE4z5jxMWkiiHsV_zJij9UeEpCM8yDDW2_mE9tT0nL_k8l1V1eumkRPojKTKbChSiN/s200/011.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Somewhere along my plight, my good friend Tina was probably chuckling to herself because all along she was in possession of such sought after recipe. It had been handed down from her mother who had always made homemade bread. Tina is the mother of eight and has carried on her mother's tradition of never buying store-bought "air bread". I've known for years that she always makes whole wheat bread and I've often wondered how in the <i>heck</i> she has time to make enough bread every week to satisfy her large family (and more importantly how she twisted their arms and forced them to eat such bread..) Well, finally Tina finished her chuckle fest and took pity on my plight. She gave me her recipe. I made this the other day and was <i>delighted</i> by how easy it was. I was practically jumping up and down in excitement when I sliced into it and it was not only good but delicious. Even my husband liked it!! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0SIrPw4IBCZPTWowsNMIDhpcAZIpHUtCnYJcpJkhyphenhyphenOwPPlO_Z4dLwZlbraCOs8oLpAfY8KvN3ucjg_QXD3PBGhKokF8KerNPe7EvnEISvPqnJHo2_0yNTsrNqfhX1kGcswT1XWuuXMbI/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0SIrPw4IBCZPTWowsNMIDhpcAZIpHUtCnYJcpJkhyphenhyphenOwPPlO_Z4dLwZlbraCOs8oLpAfY8KvN3ucjg_QXD3PBGhKokF8KerNPe7EvnEISvPqnJHo2_0yNTsrNqfhX1kGcswT1XWuuXMbI/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Honey Whole Wheat Bread</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>In a very large bowl, mix together:</i><br />
<b>5 1/2 cups warm water</b><br />
<b>5 cups whole wheat flour</b><br />
<b>2 Tbsp salt</b><br />
<b>2 1/2 Tbsp Saf-Instant yeast</b><br />
<b>2/3 cup oil</b><br />
<b>2/3 c. liquid honey*</b><br />
<i>Allow to rest 10-30 minutes until dough is bubbly and yeast has completely dissolved.</i><br />
Add<b> 8 more cups whole wheat flour</b> and mix until thoroughly combined. Grease loaf pans. Form into 4 large loaves (or 6 small). Cover with a lightly damp breathable kitchen cloth and let rise 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-35 minutes. (I baked mine for 33 minutes and it was perfect.)<br />
Allow loaves to cool before slicing.<br />
You can freeze this with good results- even pre-assemble your kids' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for school lunches like Tina does for easy grab and go on a busy morning. (Which I assume is every morning with eight kiddos!)<br />
*If honey has crystalized simply microwave it until it is liquid again. (about 30 seconds)<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">P.S</span></i>.- Some events may have been changed for the entertainment value of the audience. IE-Tina never purposely withheld her recipe. Thanks for sharing Tina!<br />
<br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-82312089471775302002011-05-23T18:58:00.001-06:002011-05-23T19:09:30.496-06:00Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last week I came across some chicken thighs marked down to $.79/lb. Though I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I couldn't pass up savings like that! I used some mushrooms from my Bountiful Basket for this easy dinner:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVyvXsIffEN89poIcQMOWsD9JOVmw04VsPE4-bZFAo2xZMI5nKVv-HngIJmBOsw0gMX5FgZbW4ZexS0wsxCP2tWM1vMrJO5IEvuWFF_IMlbhzILjLr7VEbNANTm6mRTaKaabyJMOaVTFj/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVyvXsIffEN89poIcQMOWsD9JOVmw04VsPE4-bZFAo2xZMI5nKVv-HngIJmBOsw0gMX5FgZbW4ZexS0wsxCP2tWM1vMrJO5IEvuWFF_IMlbhzILjLr7VEbNANTm6mRTaKaabyJMOaVTFj/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole</b></span><br />
2 slices bacon<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin (or remove skin completely)<br />
1/2 cup diced onion<br />
1/2 cup diced celery<br />
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce<br />
3/4 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
1/2 tsp dried sage<br />
1 cup brown rice<br />
1/2 cup wild rice<br />
6 oz brown mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered or sliced<br />
3 cups hot chicken broth, or enough to cover chicken<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 Tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish<br />
<br />
Microwave bacon on high (100% power) 1 minute. Chop and transfer to a 4 1/2 qt. slow cooker. Add olive oil and spread evenly on bottom. Place chicken in slow cooker, skin side down. Add remaining ingredients in order given except parsley. Cover, cook on LOW 4-5 hours or until rice is tender. Uncover and let stand 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper if desired. Remove skin from chicken before serving, if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley. <br />
<br />
**I ended up cooking about 5 lbs of chicken so I added some to the top of all the ingredients as well. I chopped the extra cooked chicken and plan on using it throughout this week in other meals.<br />
<br />
****You can make this as an EASY freezer meal!****<br />
<br />
For best results use boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1-inch pieces. Microwave bacon on high (100% power) 1 minute. Transfer to Gallon sized freezer bag. Add olive oil and spread evenly on bottom. Place chicken in bag. Add remaining ingredients in order given, except parsley. Freeze up to 3 months. <br />
To serve: defrost in refrigerator overnight and cook as above <i>or</i> run bag under hot water to loosen contents into slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours, or until rice is tender. <br />
<br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-32277330390002330922011-05-17T08:20:00.000-06:002011-05-17T08:20:47.515-06:00Deciding on a Grocery Budget: Step Six<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Step Six, Planning your TIME</b><br />
<br />
All of the previous steps are nothing compared to planning your time and sticking to your menu. Here are some tips to help make it easier. Hopefully this will help you start seeing a difference in your budget. Take it one step at a time and remember even a little bit helps. There's a lot to be said about a little bit of planning and I promise you it will help not only your wallet but your health too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDTyPPp8ul9tphXpNcd8s6qa4pDRWCiVMrTrD7kJC9oHjrvp44VuFlGNqJ6uuQcLEibAx7fQqWYwc1-d64YpRXfuR3-UFWoCm82E8NnnaapdNa6fB6M1n7gtQbw_XvK8-6ed4CKJrdjxY/s1600/BasicMenu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDTyPPp8ul9tphXpNcd8s6qa4pDRWCiVMrTrD7kJC9oHjrvp44VuFlGNqJ6uuQcLEibAx7fQqWYwc1-d64YpRXfuR3-UFWoCm82E8NnnaapdNa6fB6M1n7gtQbw_XvK8-6ed4CKJrdjxY/s320/BasicMenu.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br />
<b>Menu Tips for Week 1:</b><br />
<br />
Shopping day- try to buy everything on your list that you will need for the month with the exception of your more perishable items. Less trips to the store = less money spent.<br />
Properly store your groceries to maximize freshness- tips for each item can be found on Master Grocery List.<br />
When roasting chicken, roast 2 at once. De-bone, shred & freeze 2nd chicken for use later in the month. Divide equally into 2-4 freezer bags.<br />
Save broth & leftover chicken for soup later this week.<br />
Leftover corned beef & vegetables makes excellent hash for breakfast. <br />
When making spaghetti sauce, make double (or even more- it freezes well!) so you have enough to make your lasagna later this week.<br />
If there is enough leftover chicken from Sunday’s meal, use it to make chicken salad sandwiches. Otherwise you can use canned tuna.<br />
When making bread keep in mind the coming week’s menu. This can all be made from one batch of bread dough: 2 loaves French bread (spaghetti & lasagna), 1 dozen rolls (chicken noodle soup), 1 loaf bread (for chicken salad sandwiches)<br />
Bread can be frozen to preserve freshness. Even if using later the same week, store it in the freezer so it still tastes fresh baked when you use it.<br />
Be sure to freeze any leftover dinner portions that haven’t been eaten. These make great lunches in the future.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Menu Tips for Week 2:</b><br />
<br />
Be sure your roast is big enough to use leftover beef for stroganoff (a 3-4 lb roast is enough for Sunday’s meal with plenty leftover for lunches & enough for another meal)<br />
Make double the potatoes that your family will eat on Sunday- You will use the leftovers for tomorrow’s meal.<br />
If you have extra cabbage and ground beef, go ahead & cook it all. It freezes well & can be used in later meals.<br />
Double your soup recipe; then divide before adding the noodles. You’ll use the portion with no noodles as the filling for your pot pie later this week.<br />
Use frozen pre-cooked chicken in your soup if you have it.<br />
This week’s bread batch: Runza bread pockets, Rolls (for soup), your choice for remaining two “loaves.” I like to have a couple loaves sliced for sandwiches for easy lunches.<br />
<br />
<b>Menu Tips for Week 3:</b><br />
<br />
Wash & cut extra broccoli for Tuesday’s meal<br />
Make enough sauce for both chicken parmesan & noodles in one pot. If you have enough frozen sauce, use that to save time. For a richer sauce add 16 oz cream cheese or even a can of cream of chicken soup.<br />
Start chili in slow-cooker first thing in the morning. The longer it cooks (on low), the better the flavor.<br />
This week’s bread batch: Stuffed bread loaf, Sandwich Bread, Rolls, and your choice.<br />
Use leftover pulled pork for Navajo taco filling. You can also use ground beef or chopped chicken or leave the meat out altogether. Also leftover chili can be delicious on a Navajo Taco.<br />
Use leftover chili for pastafazool. Add 8-16 oz tomato sauce & 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning.<br />
If you have leftover roast in your freezer, use that for vegetable soup. Otherwise use ground beef. You can also omit the meat & make vegetable soup instead.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br />
Menu Tips for Week 4:</b><br />
<br />
Again, be sure your roast is big enough to use leftover beef for stroganoff (a 3-4 lb roast is enough for Sunday’s meal with plenty leftover for lunches & enough for another meal).<br />
Make double the potatoes that your family will eat on Sunday- You will use the leftovers for Tuesday’s meal.<br />
When clearing the table on Sunday, “put away” food into a casserole dish- assembling Tuesday’s Shepherd Pie. Cut beef into bite size pieces- add leftover corn or other vegetables (if you don’t have enough, open a can of corn and green beans and add those). Cover everything with leftover gravy then top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover dish and refrigerate. Tuesday’s dinner is DONE!<br />
If you have extra ground beef mix in freezer from Runzas, use 1-2 lbs of that for an easy Company Casserole. Otherwise follow recipe. It’s still a quick meal!<br />
Use pre-cooked chicken for enchiladas, Chicken & Stuffing, and Tortilla Soup. If you don’t have enough chicken, you can make beef enchiladas (leftover roast is great if you have it! Otherwise ground beef) If you have leftover pork from last week in your freezer- you can use that or even just cheese enchiladas. For the tortilla soup, you can use beef as well or omit meat altogether.<br />
This week’s bread batch: 2 dozen rolls, 1 loaf bread for sandwiches, 1 extra (your choice). I like to have a few extra pizza crusts in the freezer for quick meals<br />
<br />
<b>Week 5 Menu Tips:</b><br />
<br />
Save leftover chicken on Sunday for stir-fry. You can also use leftover broth to cook rice for more flavor.<br />
Cook 3-4 extra potatoes for quick potato wedges on Wednesday.<br />
Save extra pintos to make refried beans<br />
Make enough extra sauce for your spaghetti to use on Pizza the next day<br />
This week’s bread batch: Hamburger buns (for sloppy Joes), French bread, Pizza crusts<br />
<br />
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</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-58703232984218839122011-05-16T10:27:00.000-06:002011-05-16T10:27:16.174-06:00Deciding on a Grocery Budget: Step Five<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Wow! It's been so long since I've worked on this section of my blog that I decided to make a whole new menu (for illustrative purposes). So some of the information in this step may be repetitive from the previous steps. Bear with me- I'm a work in progress here! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIGBEFPqbpI02A4uGoSOZCde9QHSyrqTaVP1LTrhvyHSjs3AQDgsepR7orAgq-R9eWQwm1_I010CBF89CykF97fhJ0id1h3c0c9xSmgm0yLB-MV8enpXwGuRq_jSAfGzvUybNsg0pGdg5/s1600/BasicMenu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIGBEFPqbpI02A4uGoSOZCde9QHSyrqTaVP1LTrhvyHSjs3AQDgsepR7orAgq-R9eWQwm1_I010CBF89CykF97fhJ0id1h3c0c9xSmgm0yLB-MV8enpXwGuRq_jSAfGzvUybNsg0pGdg5/s400/BasicMenu.jpg" width="352" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Step Five- Making a shopping list </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Read through your menu and make a list of everything that you will need to make it happen. Then go through the list and cross of any items that you already have or don't want and add any extras that you may need. If you are careful and shop the sales, you can buy everything needed for this menu for about $200. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>Meat</b></u><br />
3 whole chickens (freeze at least one right away for later in the month)<br />
2, <i>3-4</i> pound beef roasts [whatever is cheapest] (transfer to freezer bags & freeze)<br />
1 small pork roast (1 ½ - 2 lb) (transfer to freezer bag & freeze)<br />
10-12 lbs hamburger (freeze in 1 lb packages)<br />
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (transfer to freezer bags & freeze)<br />
<br />
<u><b>Produce</b></u>- (Here are some of the things that we like best but we usually get most our produce from Bountiful Baskets. This allows us to spend as little as $16/week in produce. I usually just change my menu to fit what I get in my baskets. It's not hard if I already have a basic idea of what I want to make- usually just means changing a side dish.)<br />
5 lb Apples <br />
4 lb Bananas <br />
2 lb Berries <br />
2-4 lb Broccoli <br />
2 heads Cabbage <br />
3-5 lb Carrots <br />
2 bunches Celery <br />
6 lb Corn <br />
1-3 lb Grapes <br />
4 lb Green beans <br />
1 bunch Green onions <br />
2-3 heads Lettuce <br />
1-2 lb Mushrooms <br />
5 lb Onions <br />
5 lb Oranges <br />
5-10 lb Potatoes [Russet]] <br />
10 lb Potatoes [red] (or just add more Russet potatoes) <br />
5-6 large Tomatoes <br />
<br />
Any other fruit or vegetable you desire such as:<br />
Avocado, Sprouts, Spinach, Lemon, Lime, Snap Peas, Asparagus, Peaches, Pears, Melon, Winter Squash, Summer Squash, Cilantro, Garlic<br />
<br />
<u><b>Canned</b></u> - I treat almost everything on this list as optional. I've found that it's so much cheaper and healthier to just use fresh fruits and vegetables, especially with Bountiful Baskets, and make other things from scratch such as cream soups. This will, however, help you to make all the recipes on this menu in a pinch as well as give you some extra side and/or breakfast options.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Mandarin Oranges 10 cans (8 oz)<br />
Pineapple tidbits 3 cans (15 oz)<br />
Mushroom stems & pieces 8-10 cans (8 oz)<br />
Cream of Chicken soup 9 cans (10 oz)<br />
<a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/white-sauce-mix.html">(try using this recipe instead)</a><br />
Salsa 32 ounces<br />
Beans (kidney) 4 (15 oz) cans<br />
Beans (black) 4 (15 oz) cans<br />
Beans (chili) 2 (15oz) cans<br />
or small red beans if using dry (1 lb)<br />
Mayonnaise 16 oz<br />
Mustard 1 bottle<br />
Hot sauce 1 bottle<br />
Tomato Sauce 28 (8oz) cans<br />
Tomato soup 2 cans<br />
Diced Tomatoes 10 cans (15 oz)<br />
Green beans (if not using fresh/frozen) 3 cans (15 oz)<br />
Corn (if not using fresh/frozen) 7 cans (15 oz)<br />
<br />
<u><b>Dry</b></u><br />
Spaghetti Noodles 3 lb<br />
Macaroni Noodles 1 lb<br />
Egg Noodles 2 lb<br />
Lasagna Noodles (<a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/spinache-noodlesraviolis-marinara-sauce.html">or use this recipe</a>) 1 lb<br />
Flavored Gelatin 5 small boxes<br />
Small Red Beans (if not using canned) 1 lb<br />
Black Beans (if not using canned) 2 lb <br />
Kidney Beans (if not using canned) 2 lb<br />
Dry bread crumbs or Stuffing Mix<br />
Tortilla chips<br />
Ranch dressing mix (<a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/chicken-stuffing-casserole-ranch.html">click here for recipe</a>)<br />
<br />
<u><b>Dairy</b></u><br />
3-4 (16oz) Sour cream <br />
1-4 (16oz) Cottage cheese <br />
4-6 gal Milk <br />
4 lb (according to taste) Cheese [cheddar] <br />
1 lb Cheese [Parmesan] <br />
1.5 lb Cheese [ Mozzarella] <br />
2 16 oz blocks Cream Cheese (optional) <br />
2 lb Butter <br />
64 oz Plain Yogurt <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><b>Staples</b></u> You shouldn't have to buy all of these every month. Most of these items are much cheaper to buy in bulk. Plan to buy one or two of these bulk items from this list each month to keep your pantry stocked.<br />
Yeast (Usually cheapest to buy in 1 lb compressed block)<br />
Bread Flour <br />
Flour<br />
Brown Sugar<br />
Corn meal<br />
Baking powder<br />
Baking soda<br />
Pinto Beans 2 lb <br />
Rice (white or brown) 2 lb<br />
Oil (olive, or vegetable)<br />
Dry Milk<br />
Chicken Bouillon or soup base<br />
Corn starch<br />
<br />
</div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-10596404257348163922011-05-16T09:19:00.000-06:002011-05-16T09:19:33.913-06:00Dairy-free Creamy Broccoli Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I am slightly lactose-intolerant and have a daughter who had milk allergies up until about 6 months ago so I try to limit our dairy as much as possible. The only problem is that I love cheese and cream and just about anything else dairy. It just makes things taste good! I love this soup because the cauliflower really gives it that creamy texture and it's simple and delicious to boot. It doesn't feel like I'm missing out on anything when I eat this and even my husband didn't notice there was no actual cream in this soup! He even went so far as to call it "tasty" which is high marks coming from him. Don't get me wrong, he is not particularly "picky"and will eat just about anything that I give him, but his preference is definitely rich and creamy. <br />
I made a giant pot of this soup a few weeks ago when we received both broccoli and cauliflower in our <a href="http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/">Bountiful Basket</a>. I packed the "leftovers" into freezer bags, labeled and froze it for later. It's a cold and windy Monday, so we will be having this for dinner tonight. I also started a batch of <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2011/01/crusty-12-hour-bread.html">this easy bread</a> to serve with it. Yum!<br />
<br />
<b>Dairy-free Creamy Broccoli Soup</b><br />
<br />
1 head cauliflower<br />
1 bunch broccoli (florets and stems)<br />
5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped <br />
1 small onion (about 1 cup, chopped)<br />
1 large carrot<br />
1 stalk celery<br />
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon<br />
1 1/2 tsp dried basil or 2 Tbsp fresh <br />
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper<br />
water<br />
<br />
Roughly chop broccoli and cauliflower and add to a 5qt stockpot. Add potatoes, onion, carrot and celery. Fill pot with water about 3/4 way to top of vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is soft. Transfer all but about 2 cups vegetables to your Vita-mix or blender and blend until smooth. Add reserved broccoli mixture and pulse until desired consistency. (You can add all at once to blender if you don't want any chunks in your soup.) Add pepper and basil and pulse until combined. Serve hot with crusty bread.</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-31893958829004620362011-05-10T21:42:00.000-06:002011-05-10T21:42:21.326-06:00Hummus and Jicama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4xEI8H-AYA-Ov0yEGFxuxHuQooVmOQKvVk_T9WECQ8bZYHv_8DrM4RjosMasUsHSB10D0V9dELDLtzhfsHaHipOtvgIe_eR-ZCf-lRuRyZ78jIXOCkKSK-mtTeb0OKd7b5FIJxueUek0/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4xEI8H-AYA-Ov0yEGFxuxHuQooVmOQKvVk_T9WECQ8bZYHv_8DrM4RjosMasUsHSB10D0V9dELDLtzhfsHaHipOtvgIe_eR-ZCf-lRuRyZ78jIXOCkKSK-mtTeb0OKd7b5FIJxueUek0/s400/031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Hummus. Tasty, good for you and most importantly- really, really easy to make! I, of course, used my Vita-mix. If you don't have one, I'd recommend using a food processor over a traditional blender as this will be too thick to blend properly. You can always add water to thin... but then it just doesn't taste as good. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We served this with our jicama that we got from our Bountiful Basket this last Saturday. Just peel and slice however you like. We cut everything into sticks around here. Everything tastes better to my kids if it's in the shape of a stick. Carrot sticks, celery sticks, even fish sticks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Hummus</span></b></div><ul><li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 2 cups garbanzo beans (I soaked and cooked my own, you can also use canned)</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 3 Tbsp tahini</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1/4 cup lemon juice</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1 teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;">4 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1/2 tsp paprika</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 Tbsp fresh parsley)</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin</li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap ingredient" style="text-align: left;"> 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper</li>
</ul><div style="border-top: 1px dotted rgb(204, 204, 204); margin-top: 20px; width: 300px;"></div><div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px;"><h3>Directions<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> </span></h3><h3><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, paprika, parsley, cumin, cayenne, oil and garlic into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Serve with bread, pita or bagel chips or use as a vegetable dip. Tastes GREAT with jicama!</span></h3></div></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-59953933170642312292011-05-06T10:49:00.000-06:002011-05-06T10:49:08.048-06:00On The GO "meals"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CBI1omBK_6AVr-Yg81TiBcnKbjIPYnTSM6Gmz-XlyLMXO3jgiURgwgvzRvoZgSNZw7zWA2euBerF1yAwVQBS0eQr6YSPMJNqLxhbihUJ6kwCcEAAj3eileL5Gbnd5ykBI-d-Gt2KqqE0/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CBI1omBK_6AVr-Yg81TiBcnKbjIPYnTSM6Gmz-XlyLMXO3jgiURgwgvzRvoZgSNZw7zWA2euBerF1yAwVQBS0eQr6YSPMJNqLxhbihUJ6kwCcEAAj3eileL5Gbnd5ykBI-d-Gt2KqqE0/s200/032.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLcQdeh5_Zt49iWcmZFl-iYbeYAK_Fq5lK4OF-Jzeqjg-sedNUqb3NxUVe80YoUJuNcEQ06IWuNQoCyYgeyGk6MmML66JDwe-dBKm74hd63K35I0hIuhGOcJgstmg8vCQBGMhfKgn_3tD/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLcQdeh5_Zt49iWcmZFl-iYbeYAK_Fq5lK4OF-Jzeqjg-sedNUqb3NxUVe80YoUJuNcEQ06IWuNQoCyYgeyGk6MmML66JDwe-dBKm74hd63K35I0hIuhGOcJgstmg8vCQBGMhfKgn_3tD/s200/009.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnBJ4FDA4M6PMBh6jCsRKeyCD2wrfWqMvpt76Y3DrP-ta0hOlqkfe_5c-cC6pfqAUE9ZVx53R_kfefn72e0ajTamqnzqrlLy9LJAHZgr9coXKFxq1qEVFPVdABQJDHfMs7kcthCUN293h/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPa5eWCRuMVM7g9XlP11ldmSpafkbTQyKjrYuYytGKHc0xAnldFsQyjAuE312mRgl74o40r_vvg7p1SOrNnJmfSjaFuMEqdaVY96ZQvrUDazupt6R4hhSDlvX1J09y9VTQE1MTN6qukbG/s1600/Picture+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPa5eWCRuMVM7g9XlP11ldmSpafkbTQyKjrYuYytGKHc0xAnldFsQyjAuE312mRgl74o40r_vvg7p1SOrNnJmfSjaFuMEqdaVY96ZQvrUDazupt6R4hhSDlvX1J09y9VTQE1MTN6qukbG/s200/Picture+6.png" width="200" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>What do you think of when you think of dinner? Here are the things that come to my mind:<br />
<br />
A properly set table complete with a fork spoon, knife and napkin.<br />
A main course with at least two sides.<br />
At least an hour of “slaving” in a hot kitchen…<br />
<br />
Okay- so you got me. I like to cook so it’s never “slaving” for me, but I admit that I often spend an hour or more on a single meal. So what if I don’t have that kind of time? I anticipate this month being super busy for me. It’s the last month of school and there are plenty of class parties and activities to organize. Add that to beautiful Spring weather and a large garden to tend this year, not to mention home-schooling my oldest; and I don’t know if we will have even one slaved-over meal this month… <br />
I plan on using the crock-pot a lot and utilizing some of my pre-made meals from the freezer, but if those options fail me then I will just try to keep things simple. Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, or traditional for that matter. As long as I’m covering the basics then I’m feeling pretty good. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So what are the basics? Protein + starch + fruits and/or vegetables = dinner!</span><br />
And really… if I’m being completely honest than if I cover even 2 of the 3 basics with each meal then I’m not beating myself up about it! Here are some things that I’ve found make some very quick “meals” when I’ve neglected to plan ahead with the crock-pot. These can also be very portable so you can easily grab and go if needed. <br />
<br />
<b>Proteins:</b><br />
Hard boiled eggs. I usually even peel a few of them and keep them in an airtight container for ultimate convenience. <br />
Thin-sliced lunch meats and pre-cooked bacon. I’m talking about real meat, not that ultra-processed kinda-resembles-sorta-tastes-like meat that you buy in those little plastic packages. eew!<br />
Peanut/almond butter<br />
Nuts<br />
Lowfat cheese like mozzarella and cottage cheese.<br />
Sliced and shredded cheese<br />
Pre-cooked various beans (we use black beans, refried and kidney the most) <br />
Yogurt, plain<br />
Canned (or pouched) chicken and/or tuna<br />
Protein powder<br />
<br />
<b>Starches: </b><br />
Whole wheat tortillas<br />
Whole grain bread<br />
Cooked brown rice (I usually throw some in my rice cooker at least once a week and keep it in the refrigerator for those crazy days)<br />
Cooked pasta (Whenever we have a pasta dish I try to cook an extra couple cups of plain pasta to use as needed throughout the week.)<br />
Whole grain crackers<br />
Rolls, pita bread, muffins, biscuits, pizza crusts (All of these can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer until needed.)<br />
Granola, high fiber cereal<br />
Whole grain chips<br />
<br />
<b>Produce:</b><br />
Washed and peeled vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces such as: Carrots (or even buy the pre-washed baby carrots for more convenience), Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Snow peas, asparagus<br />
Also keep lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and sprouts if desired<br />
Cut-up fruit chunks such as: Pineapple, Melons, apples, oranges (mix the cut apples and oranges together to keep the apples from going brown)<br />
Also keep on hand whole fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, berries and grapes<br />
<b><br />
Extras:</b><br />
Hummus, Ranch and Italian dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, tomato sauce, seasonings, barbecue sauce, salsa, milk<br />
<br />
At the end of the week mix all your pre-cut fruit together that didn’t get eaten yet and make a nice fruit salad. You can also mix the pre-cut veggies and cook them into a soup- or just blanch them and put them into the freezer for an easy soup, stew or crock-pot addition later. <br />
<br />
Now what to do with all of this? Here are some ideas using the above ingredients for easy “meals” on the go. Remember, just because you don’t have to sit down with a fork and plate to eat these, doesn’t mean it won’t fill you up.<br />
<br />
Less than a minute:<br />
<br />
* Bag of carrots, tub of hummus, crackers<br />
* Brown rice and cheese (like string cheese) with asparagus and snow peas (raw)<br />
* Whole grain crackers and sliced lunch meat, your choice veggie<br />
* cottage cheese and berries with a muffin<br />
* Almonds and an apple and/or orange<br />
* Sliced apples with peanut butter<br />
* Tuna pouch and pita bread <br />
* Hard boiled eggs, veggies <br />
<br />
A minute or so:<br />
<br />
* Cereal or granola and milk <br />
* Cooked rice, berries, honey and milk<br />
* Spread natural peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla. Place a banana in the middle. Roll it it all up together.<br />
* Wash a handful of grapes and berries. Put them in a container. Pour yogurt on top with a teaspoon of honey and some granola (or keep it separate).<br />
* Make a sandwich with whole grain bread and whatever lean meat, low-fat cheese you have. Squirt some mustard on the bread, and add lettuce and a sliced tomato in there too if you can.<br />
* Put whole grain tortilla chips in a microwave-save container; sprinkle low-fat cheese on top; microwave for 30 seconds; top with salsa. Don't forget a napkin!<br />
* Blend together 1 ½ cup milk, a scoop of whey or soy protein powder, a dash of cinnamon, and a banana or handful of blueberries in a blender; pour in a portable mug.<br />
*Spread refried beans over pizza crust. Top with shredded lettuce, tomato chunks and salsa. Add cheese if desired.<br />
*Combine cooked noodles or rice with a can of chicken and some barbecue sauce<br />
*Combine cooked noodles with chopped vegetables, Italian dressing and chopped mozzarella for a pasta salad. Add some canned tuna or chicken if desired.<br />
*Combine lettuce, spinach, berries, and nuts with some Rasberry vinaigrette if you have some or just drizzle some lemon juice or add nothing but extra berries (that’s what I do!)<br />
* Egg, Tuna or Chicken Salad sandwiches- combine boiled eggs or meat with some mayonnaise (or substitute with plain yogurt) and mustard and serve on rolls or whole grain bread with lettuce and cheese<br />
* Combine brown rice, salsa and black beans with some taco seasoning and cheese. Serve on tortillas or just eat with a spoon. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some other things that help:</span><br />
<br />
* Freeze serving-sized meals for use on hectic days. Just microwave the meal in its container and go! <br />
* Have a portable cooler or decent-sized lunch bag on call at all times. <br />
* Keep a stash of napkins and plastic ware in your car, backpack, briefcase, or purse.<br />
* Pack your grab and go meal the day before when you know you'll be busy the next day. <br />
* Have transportable yet healthy foods handy, like some of the options mentioned in the above lists.<br />
<br />
Sometimes our on-the-go destination is only our back yard.. Or even our kitchen table! But even then it’s SO nice to be able to have something quick, easy, and nutritious at our fingertips. The boys in my house would go completely bonkers if we ate this way all the time but when it’s necessary at least I can go to bed guilt-free that night. <br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-29155123712953622272011-05-04T09:26:00.000-06:002011-05-04T09:26:02.458-06:00Loaded Baked Potatoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's been almost one year since I started blogging. I've learned a lot over the past year and it's been fun- but looking through all my old posts I've realized I've also come a ways from what I started this for. It wasn't meant to be merely another recipe blog, but a way to share my thoughts and tips on cooking with a tight budget. I have to admit I haven't even been paying that much attention to my budget let alone blogging about it! Funny how necessity brings on those great habits, right? And you can so easily forget your frugal ways when it's not quite so important anymore...<br />
But the thing is.. it's always important. Life can turn on a dime and you never know what may be in store for you and your family. Sure I feel like I'm prepared- my food storage is in order and more importantly I know how to use it. We have savings and we have survival skills if it came down to it but there's always something more that we can do. Food storage and frugal spending are not things you can ever really check off your list as being done. It's something that you need to constantly work at and improve upon and when I stop practicing for a few months I really start to feel it. It's always a little painful to get back into the routine.<br />
Some of the things I've noticed that slip when I get away from my frugal habits are things you'd expect like less money into savings and food that's not as healthy but the other thing-more alarming- that suffers is quality family time together.<br />
Like a lot of families, we tend to all have different things going on all day long. Meetings and sports, music lessons, school and work. When we all get together and forget about everything else on our "plate" is at mealtimes- specifically dinner. So of course, if dinner is leftovers (again) or some random pre-packaged <i>thing</i> from the freezer then we just don't spend as much time together. Dinner is what brings us all together!<br />
So this last week I've been working very hard at bringing back all my old habits. My goal is to save enough from our grocery budget these next few months to help pay for Disneyland tickets at the end of the Summer. This means more home-cooked meals, healthier snacks, and better meal planning.<br />
To kick things off this week, I've already made a menu and added 3 meals to my freezer (which had been empty of pre-made <i>home-made</i> meals for some time). [I've added <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/05/lasagna-bread-noodles-and-hamburger.html">lasagna</a>, complete with<a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/spinache-noodlesraviolis-marinara-sauce.html"> home-made noodles</a>, <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/home-style-macaroni-cheese.html">macaroni and cheese</a>, and <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/gilled-pizzas.html">home-made pizza</a>.] So far, so good... but it's only Wednesday!<br />
One thing that I constantly struggle with is LEFTOVERS. We hate leftovers around here- it's a fact. Unless I can use them creatively and turn them into a new meal then they just take up room in my refrigerator until I finally throw them away. Which is sad... I hate to waste food! But I'm just as bad, or worse, as the rest of the family about eating them... I've found that if I plan a menu ahead of time it's a lot easier to think of ways to use our leftovers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysVWDCybVfOVFJBnv_6bpQo9cm9nlEOs1ZM8THVISnoK6mIbEFvaLN_zudZrIhF8aCq5rPwkKeI_BfK3STnxRaS_a7btJOJl_Zmw8-hD-tSzBUzgbYGQ0O18vjAF1iEIz8El5pRPEtQXD/s1600/JDLoadedTwiceBakedPotatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysVWDCybVfOVFJBnv_6bpQo9cm9nlEOs1ZM8THVISnoK6mIbEFvaLN_zudZrIhF8aCq5rPwkKeI_BfK3STnxRaS_a7btJOJl_Zmw8-hD-tSzBUzgbYGQ0O18vjAF1iEIz8El5pRPEtQXD/s1600/JDLoadedTwiceBakedPotatoes.jpg" /></a></div>Last night I was finally successful with using some of the leftovers lurking in the fridge instead of throwing them out. We had loaded baked potatoes. I washed and baked several potatoes. We used leftover broccoli, leftover <a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/05/shopping-day.html">chili</a>, leftover cheese sauce (from<a href="http://menumakeovers.blogspot.com/2010/06/home-style-macaroni-cheese.html"> home-made macaroni and cheese</a>), and even a few pieces of leftover bacon from breakfast. Add to that some sour cream, salt and pepper and more cheese and even my boys left the table satisfied!<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-79465838199202416922011-04-27T18:04:00.000-06:002011-04-27T18:04:44.556-06:00Cream Cheese Chicken And Broccoli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTkW042k5ZaqvDhQTSV6qiysCOaaTdQwFw-zG3QOuRRdM2Oi_4xaVvIXLs6Sn7XlfkZQIsPbCTMKs0NU20su-BqW1xMKPrb2cPVEDFlhhxsz52EAZ5o-25Z2JfSlLF51nC4ycSXdqtsax/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTkW042k5ZaqvDhQTSV6qiysCOaaTdQwFw-zG3QOuRRdM2Oi_4xaVvIXLs6Sn7XlfkZQIsPbCTMKs0NU20su-BqW1xMKPrb2cPVEDFlhhxsz52EAZ5o-25Z2JfSlLF51nC4ycSXdqtsax/s400/104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This is a stand-by recipe at my house. It's one of the few things my six-year-old will eat without complaining about. Lucky for us we seem to get broccoli in our Bountiful Basket just often enough to keep her satisfied. When we get a plethora of broccoli, I always make a few extras to put into the freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>Cream Cheese Chicken With Broccoli<br />
Ingredients</b> <br />
<dir>1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1 package (1 ounce) Italian salad dressing mix<br />
2 cups sliced mushrooms*<br />
1 cup chopped onion<br />
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed low-fat cream of chicken soup, undiluted <br />
1 bunch broccoli, chopped<br />
1 package (8 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, cubed<br />
1/4 cup dry cooking sherry<br />
Hot cooked pasta</dir><b>Directions</b> <br />
<dir> <dir>Toss chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian salad dressing mix. Add to gallon sized freezer bag. Add mushrooms and onion. Combine soup, broccoli, cream cheese(cut into small chunks) and sherry and mix well. Add to bag & Freeze.<br />
To serve:<br />
Place in 5-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 3 hours. Stir and continue to cook on LOW 1-2 hours more.<br />
Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. </dir></dir><span style="font-size: x-small;">**if using canned, don’t freeze; add to slow cooker after defrosted</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305828612520086961.post-67260564003752449592011-04-27T17:36:00.004-06:002011-11-29T16:05:46.916-07:00Frosted Sugar Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnzegxdPH40tsKVvz6Fa0E_0l1Olhyphenhyphen4188lE_acnshcIgSa4ElFnM4xLB57CvN3sDdVNv6ziN4fSWp7nhkHif2xxxBRAsFuH9lo1Pqo_DRGnceqp-6FXEa0E5Qc2mbi78SBW0_rvdpTTL/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnzegxdPH40tsKVvz6Fa0E_0l1Olhyphenhyphen4188lE_acnshcIgSa4ElFnM4xLB57CvN3sDdVNv6ziN4fSWp7nhkHif2xxxBRAsFuH9lo1Pqo_DRGnceqp-6FXEa0E5Qc2mbi78SBW0_rvdpTTL/s200/005.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>A good friend of mine recently shared her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with me. She told me they were the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever so of course I had to give it a shot. I loved them but they weren't <i>chewy</i> enough for my picky boys. (I <b><i>love</i></b> soft, fluffy cookies so they were perfect for me. Naturally I ate the entire batch by myself....) But sorry folks, it's a top-secret recipe- I'm not at liberty to even post a picture!... either that or I ate them all before I could snap one... Just know that they were good!<br />
Maybe it was the almond extract (can I say that?), but the dough reminded me a lot of my sugar cookie recipe so I of course then had a craving for <i>frosted</i> sugar cookies... MMMmmmmmmm! They were delicious but this batch had to be promptly given away or I'm sure I would have eaten all of these too. I'm such a cookie addict, it's sad... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxADkt0UP1YGhgXwSXswXVzU6vMmBk88vE97c5Udi_rFDTKpLxw8MMS3EXeFmxHaZK4UBwu6ABaRp9cZ_vPtjQv_Q0HGNHTngM1BEoGn-JD0FjyiTmj4zXgeD7R7FMRmtcMCJoUMwbj7Y/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxADkt0UP1YGhgXwSXswXVzU6vMmBk88vE97c5Udi_rFDTKpLxw8MMS3EXeFmxHaZK4UBwu6ABaRp9cZ_vPtjQv_Q0HGNHTngM1BEoGn-JD0FjyiTmj4zXgeD7R7FMRmtcMCJoUMwbj7Y/s400/009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Frosted Sugar Cookies</span></b><br />
1 cup butter<br />
1 cup plain yogurt<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
3/4 cup dry milk<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 tsp pure almond extract<br />
<br />
4 tsp baking powder<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp soda<br />
7 cups sifted flour<br />
<br />
Cream butter, yogurt and sugars very well. Add flavorings and eggs, beating well. Add dry milk, baking powder, salt and soda and mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is stiff. (By the time all the flour is added you'll probably have to mix by hand). Shape into 1 or 2 inch balls and smash them down onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until very lightly golden. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting</span></b><br />
4 oz. cream cheese<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
1 tablespoon butter<br />
4-6 cups powdered sugar<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
yellow food coloring (optional)<br />
Cream together cream cheese, sour cream and butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until mixture begins to look dry. Beat in lemon juice and food coloring. Whip until fluffy then pipe over cookies or cupcakes.<br />
<br />
</div>Sherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15558737538461409516noreply@blogger.com0