Pumpkin Pie?

I did something very cruel and unusual yesterday. Something my husband would never do to me, yet I did to him.

I ate all the leftover cake.

We had a little bit of a stressful morning here. Nothing life shattering, but it ended in giving a hunk of money to some bug man. Not the way we like to spend money around here!, but one of those things you just have to do. I don't really want to go into the story much since I'll be sharing a recipe as well.

And I seriously was 2 seconds away from hyperventilating.

So, back to the cake. I was stressed. I called my husband in a panic. The sweet guy actually left work and came home to take care of everything for me. Seriously, he's the best. So after all the to-do I was relieved, yet annoyed, yet relieved, yet....hungry, yet......unable to resist the leftover cake from a going away party for a friend. Before I could stop myself, it was gone!

I tell ya what. Once an emotional eater, always an emotional eater. No matter how hard I try to hide it.

Now, this super sweet husband, who had a long day at work followed by a really sad visitation for an old friend he hadn't seen in years, came home to be with our kids and my bestest girlfriend's boys so her and I could go out to eat. Again, isn't he the greatest? And again, isn't it cruel and unusual that I didn't leave any cake for him?! Yes. Yes, it is.

So I'm attempting to bake a pumpkin pie for him, but have a few problems:

1. No regular sugar
2. A can of evaporated milk that expired 11/08
3. Yet a can of sweetened condensed milk
4. Only 1 cup of leftover pumpkin from the bread I made the other day

After looking all over for recipes, I got some ideas and made this baby up. It's baking in the oven and have no idea how it will taste....here's the recipe and I'll update if it gets a thumbs up or a big thumbs down.
(and if it is successful, I need to get this down quick before I forget)

Pumpkin Pie?

Graham cracker crust (just do what you do)

In a saucepan over low-medium heat:
about 1/4 cup of dark corn syrup
10 marshmallows (why 10? Well, I put in a handful and there were 9 so I decided to even it out.)
about 2/3 cup brown sugar
about 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (I'm real exact, huh.)

Stir until melted.

Pumpkin mixture:
3 eggs well beaten
1 cup pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tbl honey

Slowly add the marshmallow mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-40. Wait anxiously to see how in the world it turns out! And wait anxiously to see if I'm forgiven! (of course...I already am...because he is the best, afterall!)

Happy Thursday everyone!

Baking Overload

I've been baking a ton lately and have loved it. I used to bake a lot just for our little family, but then I'd eat the entire finished product. Not kidding. Now I just try and bake when I have good reason too, and then get to sample some without feeling sick to my stomach. Here's a couple of new favorites:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread:

2/3 soft butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 can (1lb) pumpkin
2/3 cup water
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
3 1/3 cup flour
3/4 - 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix ingredients together in order given, mixing well until thick and smooth. Pour into two 9x5 inch bread pans or three 8x4 inch bread pans that have been greased and floured on the bottom (or cut out a little piece of parchment paper for the bottom) Bake at 350 for 70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
This recipe is great because it makes 2 loaves. One for someone else and one for us! I made it yesterday for 2 gals who were going to watch 9 kids at our house. I ran out of sugar, so used about 1 1/2 cups of sugar and then a big glob of honey. I also added not as many chocolate chips and then threw in some raisins and coconut, and for good measure put some brown sugar on top. Since I gave both loaves away I don't know how my substitutions/additions tasted, but it sure smelled good!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 pkg chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugars, and p.b. until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chips. Roll into balls onto ungreased (I again used parchment paper) cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets.This last step helps them not fall apart.

More than anything, I love baking cookies! My secret is to always bake them at a little lower of a temp and for a bit longer (mainly because I have a gas stove), but usually take them out just before they're done and leave them on the baking sheet for a bit to finish cooking. I dream of owning a diner someday with my husband, and you can be sure there would be a menu just for the cookies!

Black Bean Lasagna

So I guess you may have noticed....I like black beans! My mom found this recipe and sent it to me. I tried it last night and it is gooood. We have no intentions....yet.....of becoming vegetarians, but have cut back quite a bit on our meat consumption so this is a great alternative to traditional lasagna.

And it warmed up my house.

Black Bean Lasagna
courtesy http://www.bhg.com/

9 lasagna noodles (8 ounces) *I normally opt for the whole wheat variety, but the day I went shopping, it just seemed too expensive....maybe next time.*

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper *I used red*
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium tomato sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro *I used fresh parsley*
1 12-ounce container low-fat cottage cheese *I used fat free*
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese  *I suppose you could use fat-free, but I like the 1/3 less fat the best*
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream *I left this out*
*I also added a bunch of sliced mushrooms and cooked them with the pepper and onion. Really, any vegetables would be good!*


1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain, or buy the oven-ready ones. Mash one can of the beans; set aside.

2. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; add onion, green sweet pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender but not brown. Add mashed beans, unmashed beans, tomato sauce, and snipped cilantro; heat through.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole with nonstick coating. Arrange three of the noodles in the dish. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Spread with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with bean mixture. Reserve the remaining cheese mixture.
4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Dollop with reserved cheese mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with tomato slices and cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate unbaked casserole, covered, up to 1 day, and bake as directed. Or, freeze up to 1 month; thaw frozen casserole in refrigerator overnight, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

I'm looking forward to the leftovers tonight! And, after some tears and discipline breaks, Henry ate his plate full. After every bite, he'd say suprisingly, "I yike it!". I think he was nervous because, I'll admit, it's not the yummiest looking thing I've ever seen, but it is good.

Recipes from the Weekend

I've had a craving for sweet potatos lately....

We had a picnic at a park this weekend with some friends and thought it'd be a great time to satisfy my craving.  I searched the web for a cold sweet potato salad and couldn't find quite the right one, so I got a couple of ideas and made my own. It was yummy!

Sweet Potato Salad

2 large sweet potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and cubed

(I didn't measure anything, so these are guess-timates)

1 1/2 tbl orange juice

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbl honey

1 tbl good stone ground mustard

freshly ground pepper...to your liking

salt....to your liking

1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

Roast sweet potatos at 375 for about 40 mintues, or until fork tender. Whisk all ingredients for the sauce together. Once potatos are done, immediately pore over potatos (do it while they are warm so they absorb the flavors). You can eat it right away, at room temperature, or chilled.

I also made a cold pasta salad since RJ had a big run the next morning and didn't want to eat a big burger off the grill. I just threw some things together that I had on hand, so here you go!

1 pkg whole wheat angel hair pasta

black olives (I used almost an entire big can...we love olives!)

green olives (again, used a lot)

1 can diced tomatoes...didn't have any fresh ones

1 can chunk light tuna

1-2 tbl parmesan cheese

Sauce:

your favorite balsamic vinegarette (start with about 1/3 cup and add more if needed)

lots of freshly ground pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tbl freshly chopped parsely

Simple. Good. Fast.

Can be eaten hot at room temp or cold as well.

Recipes and Baby Names

I was asked to make a meal for this gal last week since she just had a really cute baby boy. I already had a pork loin ready to go when I got the call, so quick looked up a recipe for pulled pork via crock pot. I found one that looked good and then changed it a bit to go with the ingredients I had on hand. Here she is:

Pulled Pork Rub:
1 Tbs ground black pepper

1-2 Tsp Cayenne pepper (I left this out for the new mommy, but used it when I made it for our family the next day)
2 Tbs Chili powder
2 Tbs Ground cumin
2 Tbs Dark brown sugar
1 Tbs Dried oregano
4 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Table salt
1 Tbs Granulated sugar
*This makes a big batch o' rub, so make it in a little container so you can save the leftover for next time.*
I rubbed this mix into the pork loin (or whatever kind of pork you have) and put it in the crock pot with a few cups of chicken stock....though if I had had me some apple juice, I would have used some of that as well. (The recipe did call to do this and then wrap it in saran wrap for about 3 hours and place in the fridge, but I didn't have enough time for that.) I set it on high and about 6 hours later, shredded it, discarded the fat and most of the juice left in the crock pot, and placed the pork back in with some BBQ sauce for about 20 more minutes. I didn't have any BBQ sauce so I searched again for a recipe and found this:

BBQ Sauce
1 cup Ketchup
1 tbl mustard
3 tbl worcesteshire sauce
2 tbl cidar apple vinegar
1 tbl lemon juice
3 tbl brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (again, I left this out for the new mommy)
a squeeze of honey

I may never buy BBQ sauce again! It's way more fun to make your own. So I made this for our family over the weekend and we're still enjoying the leftovers. This will be on our winter menu quite a bit!

Apparently in the new Parents magazine, there is a baby name list showing the names that will be HOT in 2019. Guess what #10 for both boy and girl are?? Henry and Harper. Not that we thought we were naming our children the most unique names ever, but I guess we'll have to get used to hearing their names at the grocery store a lot more often. Oh well.

__________ Brownies

Take a can of _________.

 

Rinse and Drain them. Put them back in the can and fill to the top with water. Then puree in your blender, food processor, magic bullet, or what have you.

 

 Mix with a box of brownies.

 

Follow baking instructions on box. 

And dig in!

The secret ingredient? BLACK BEANS. No joke, people. They taste just like chocolate brownies! But without adding eggs or oil. They have kind of a spongy texture, but really yummy. There is a recipe that does the same thing, but doesn't use a boxed mix....that one's next on my list, but this one sounded oh-so-easy.

**Warning Update: You probably shouldn't sit down when they're fresh from the oven and eat the whole pan. Not that I did, or anything. I really didn't! But I'm just saying I wouldn't try it in fear of what might happen. If you know what I'm sayin'**

Taco

I love me some tacos. I make them quite a bit-especially in the summer. Mexican always sounds good in hot weather! Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You can make your OWN taco seasoning. Crazy, I know! I used to only make tacos when I had a packet of seasoning, which seems to often get forgotten at the grocery store. They're just such tiny little packets and a lot of times they slip right through the cart so you don't even notice it. So the other week I wanted me some tacos and, like usual, had no taco mix, and that's when it hit me. It was genius! I figured I could google it and find a recipe to make it up myself. Wow. I can't believe it took me 29 years to figure this out. Oh, you can? Well, you'll have to just keep it to yourself and humor me for a second. Here is what I found:

Taco Seasoning

2tsp minced onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic
Mix into 1 lb meat with 1/2 cup water. Then of course, you can up or lower any of the ingredients depending on your taste. This is a bit spicy with the pepper, but really good.

So there you have it. I'm sure you've all had this figured out for years, but just in case, I wanted to share it with you so we can all enjoy tacos more often.

I threw some clothes on before I came downstairs this morning. About an hour ago. The shirt felt really strange, but hadn't taken the time to figure out why. I just now looked down and realized it's on backwards.

See, I'm a little slow sometimes.

Tuesday

I have a daily goal of getting Henry and Harper's afternoon naps to coordinate with one another. It's been successful most days and the last 3 days they've both slept for 3 hours at the same time. I love it! Of course it helps to wear them out constantly so they are beyond exhaustion.

We had a marvelous play date today! The kids played in the water and in the yard the whole time while us ladies got to talk. I wish I would have remembered the camera. The kids were having so much fun! Well, as long as Henry wasn't getting wet, he was having fun. I need to somehow teach that boy that getting wet and dirty can be a good thing. One of my friends is due with her first baby shortly so we were talking about new mommy things. It makes me miss the anticipation of labor and those first few weeks of having a newborn. Harper is only 3 1/2 months old and I already miss it!

Weeks like these I almost feel guilty for having so much fun being a stay at home mommy while RJ has to go work. Thanks, babe.

I've been in a major cooking mood this summer and am loving finding some new, healthy recipes. A new recipe I'm going to try this week is Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers. But of course there are still those oldies, but goodies. I've made this chicken salad so many times, and may have already posted it, but here it is again. I love it!!

Chicken Salad
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I don't have any, so I leave it out and probably will never add it since it's yummy without)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups halved grapes
I'm sure almonds and pineapple would be a great add-in as well.

Mix all together and, of course, is best on a croissant. *Update* The apple and carrot salad I posted last week is amazing and I've already made it twice. It is so good!! I think it will become one of those dishes I make that will be a "this again?" kind of thing because I want to make it again already.....

Hope you're all having a lovely week!

A few recipes I'll be trying this weekend.....

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 pounds medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ears corn, husked (or frozen kernels)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped( I may leave this out....I don't care much for cilantro...maybe parsley instead?)

Chile-Lime Vinaigrette, (recipe follows)

Directions:

In a large pot cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch and simmer, covered, until just tender, about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. In a colander drain potatoes and cool to warm. Cut the potatoes crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Prepare grill. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the potato slices with the oil mixture. Brush the ears of corn with the remaining oil mixture. Grill the potato slices

for 1 minute per side and transfer to a large bowl. If necessary, the grilled potato slices can be halved or quartered into bite-size pieces at this point. Grill the corn for 3 to 4 minutes rotating once a minute and transfer to a plate. When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the kernels with a sharp knife. Add the corn to the potato slices. Add the red bell pepper, scallions and 1/4 cup cilantro leaves. Pour half of the dressing over the vegetables and gently toss to combine. Add the remaining dressing and carefully stir again. Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cilantro.

Chile-lime vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon chile flakes

1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar
Directions:

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Yield: approximately 2/3 cup

*I am so excited about this recipes! I adore sweet potatoes. Sweet potato fries, sweet potatoes on the grill, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and brown sugar.....

Apple and Carrot Salad

2 large apples, 1 red and 1 green, cored, thinly sliced, cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or less to taste
3 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks (or the pre-cut ones)
1/4 cups chives, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
*I'm trying this salad to go with a grilled pork loin. Can't wait!*


Henry woke up with a fever the last couple of days and I took him in to the doctor yesterday and he has strep. Poor boy! He's actually been acting pretty well though and today at noon he'll no longer be contagious. Thank goodness babies can't get strep so I don't have to worry about Harper! They've both been up by at least 6 all week. Oy. That makes a mamma tired.

RJ left at 5 this morning to go to Waterloo where his grandma is having surgery to remove a tumor at the base of her brain. She has very aggressive melanoma. She had surgery to remove some from her lungs a couple of months ago, but now it's back in both lungs, her blood, and her brain. Please pray for her!

Have a Happy 4th of July!!

Tuesday and Quinoa

We just got back from the hospital lab where they took some of Henry's blood. He did a great job! I had him tested for lead a couple of weeks ago since we live in an old house and had seen a story on the news about it, and it came back a teensy bit high. So they wanted to take some blood from his arm as opposed to his finger because it's more accurate. We get the results this afternoon.....hopefully everything is fine!

If you are a Willow girl and went to our ladies retreat last month, then you got to enjoy the Quinoa salad. It was really good and really healthy and good for you and all that stuff. I bought a couple of boxes of it at Trader Joe's and tried the recipe on the box last night. It was yummy! I just had some leftovers for lunch and think it was even better the 2nd time around. Here's the recipe: (my changes in red)

Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Quinoa, Peppers and Basil


1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa prepared with chicken stock according to package directions
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders
4 tablespoons Garlic Flavored Olive Oil (just regular ol' olive oil, folks)
1 small onion, thinly sliced1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (I also used an orange pepper...we just joined Sam's Club so I've got a boat load of peppers to get through!)
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I just put in about 1/2 tsp on my minced garlic from the jar that keeps in your fridge. I love that stuff.)
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne (I didn't have any fresh basil, so I added about 1 tsp of basil pesto...from Trader Joe's, of course!)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, peppers, and saute for one or two more minutes. Add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat. Add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serves four.

I've seen quinoa at Dahl's and am guessing it's at the healthy food stores like Campbell's and wonder if they have some at the Metro Market? A little goes a long ways. I'm excited to try all these recipes as well. I'm trying to get healthy. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Burrito Abby's Chicken Tortilla Soup

I changed the a few of the ingredients and measurements, so I decided I could change the name too! (It was named after some guy named Joe) This is super yummy. My man loved it. That makes all the work worth every second.

1/2 green pepper diced
1/2 red pepper diced
Saute in olive oil lightly. Then add:
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Saute for additional 3 minutes.
Stir in:
3 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Pour 2 cups of warm soup into a bowl. Whisk in:
2 1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream.
Stir in:
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded.
Serve with chips or crackers. Yummo! Sorry, but I just watched Rachel Ray. I try to just watch the last 15 minutes of her show where she only cooks.

I just met a friend at the mall and she had recently taken her daughter to the chiropractor for some issues and we had just had a chiropractor speak to our MOPS group on Friday so I'm flooded with all sorts of new information. I am completely sold on this. Anyone have any experience with going to one for your children? I'm completely new to it, but excited to give it a try...

I'm enjoying this stage in life right now. I'm pregnancy-tired, but when are we not tired. So yeah, I've gotten over it. I love Henry's age. He is learning so much everyday and trying to say so many things. We love sitting at the table during supper trying to get Henry to say things like, Jesus loves me, Barack Obama, Bob Costas, etc, etc. It's trying as well with his mini-tantrums and his listening/obeying skills, but I still enjoy it. Sometimes I feel like there were so many wasted days in his life. So many days where I didn't take joy in all the opportunities, but I'm learning here and I've got a lot of time left to do better.

RJ felt the baby move last night. :)

The Perfect Fall Cookie...or anytime, really.

Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup vanilla chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 bag dried apricot ( I usually cut each apricot in half so they are more evenly distributed.) I made them this weekend and I didn't quite have a full bag of apricots, so I cut them up small and also added a handful of Craisens. Delicious!

Bake @325 for about 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven of course. For some reason I have burned these a couple of times, so I usually take it low and slow.

These are my favorite cookies, hands down. I got the recipe from a cute little store I used to work in called Picketts. Inside Picketts, there was a cafe called, The Flying Pig Cafe.

Happy Fall!

I think I've done it! For those who dislike seafood, plug your ears, cover your eyes, etc, etc, etc.

I made fish tacos tonight. I've tried this before, but it came out the best this time. If you've ever wanted to try it, here's what worked for me:

Tilapia
I marinated it in a Lawry's marinade. Lime and something....
Grill!

Sauce:
Some mayo, a bit of chicken taco seasoning, fresh lime juice, some honey, garlic salt, and pepper

Toppings:
Raw coleslaw mix. I meant to get fresh cilantro, but forgot. I'm sure beans would be good too!

Pile on a tortilla and dig in, ladies.

I've had an enormous headache this entire day. I'm sure it's not going away over night either.

Tomorrow's a big day for me and Henry. VBS has been wearing us both out a little, but been fun too. We've got some pretty amazing/crazy/loud/hilarious ladies in our church in charge of VBS. It's a Wild West theme this year. You should see all the dancin and hollering going on to the blaring country music. Funny stuff.

Sorry there have not been many pictures. If I want pictures it takes me about 20 minutes to do it and some days that just seems like a waste. I'm so slow at this stupid technology stuff.
Soon, though. I promise.

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, but I'll share this one since I'm making it today.

Chicken Salad (yes, this is the best one ever. I'm obsessed with chicken salad and have tried many!)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (leave out because I don't have any!)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions ( I leave this out too)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped (Also leave this out, but almonds are good instead)
1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups halved green grapes ( I use red of ones because they're just plain yummier)


DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, Swiss cheese, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture, and stir to coat. Chill until serving.

I have croissants to put this in. Yum! I'm also roasting a whole chicken. I love doing this. Rub a dub some olive oil on it, sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper, and roast away.

Success! Both the boys are sleeping. We had a fun morning with Ms. Clara and it wore the boys out.

Our neighborhood is having garage sales today and tomorrow so I might walk around a bit. I got some fun stuff at them last year. My mom is coming tomorrow and me and Henry are going with her to Moline for my cousin's high school graduation on Sunday. I love my mom's family so it will be fun to see them! As long as the weather cooperates....

Hope your Friday is fantastic!

Recipe of the Week!

Scalloped Potatoes

The first time I made these, I had a recipe, but now I just do whatever so I don't have exact measurements. I really don't think it can be messed up though!

Peel and slice or cube however many potatoes you want. I usually do enough to fill a 9x13. I"ve made huge batches for a big crowd and smaller batches too.

Boil potatoes in milk until tender. I usually do a half milk/half water combo so I don't waste too much expensive milk!

Spray or rub butter in the bottom of the pan. I usually sprinkle some garlic salt on the pan too.

Put first layer of potatoes down. Season with salt (I've found that potatoes can hold quite a bit of salt) pepper, and garlic or whatever other seasoning you like.

Sprinkle with about 1 cup of swiss cheese. Pour about a cup of heavy cream all over. The last time I made them I bought 2 small containers or cream and used them both. If I buy the big container I end up with cream that gets old in my fridge!

Repeat potato layer with more cream and cheese. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. So easy and SO yummy. The hardest part is peeling and cutting. I've never tried it with frozen potatoes, but I think it'd work? Goes great with grilling!

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

1 3/4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus additional for kneading
1 pkg active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
2 tsp fine salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbl coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (I just used dried)
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (I used kosher salt)

1. Put the water in a medium bowl; whisk in 2 tbl of the four, then sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Set aside until foamy, about 10 min.

2 Whisk the remaining flour and the fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour int he yeast mixture and 1/4 cup of the oil. Gradually stir the liquid into the flour with a wooden spoon to make a shaggy, loose dough. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (add just enough flour so the dough is workable but still moist.) Form the dough into a ball.

3. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl; turn the dough around the bowl to coat. Cover the bowl with a slightly moist kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 45 min. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and knead briefly before reshaping into a ball. Return to the bowl and set aside to rise for another 45 min-1 hour.

4. Pour remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into a 11x7-inch jelly-roll pan. Turn the dough onto pan and flatten by hand. Set aside for 10 minutes until dough spreads easily on the pan. Turn dough over so both sides are well coated with oil. Stretch and press dough from center to the edges of the pan. Make indentations in dough with your fingertips and sprinkle with rosemary. Cover with a towel and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle the dough with the sea salt (I also put sliced green olives on half). Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slip the focaccia from the pan and cool on a rack.

This sounds way more complicated than it really is! I thought I'd just try it once and never again, but we liked it so much I think I'll do it quite often with different toppings. It's a good thing to do if you'll be staying around the house for most of the day. I cut it into stips like Biaggi's does. I also want to try it with panninis next time!

Chicken Pot Pie

Here's a good, easy, recipe that is cooking in my oven as we speak. It's great for company and for new moms since there are no strong tastes. It's a little plain-jane, but delicious!

6 to 8 chicken breasts cooked and cubed (I used 3 big ones)
1 (10-12 oz) pkg frozen pea, carrot mix (I like corn and green beans in it too)
1 can cr of celery
1 can cr of chicken
1 cup chicken broth (this time I added about 1/3 cup since it usually is a bit runny)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp maggi liquid seasoning ( I had a hard time finding this and this is the only recipe I've ever used it for. I'm sure you could do without. I'm thinking it's a bit like liquid smoke?)
dash of hot pepper sauce (optional of course!)
2 unbaked 9 inch pastry shells. (by all the refrigerated biscuits. the box comes with 2 shells rolled up)
1 egg, beaten
2 tbls water

Combine chicken, veggies, and everything else. Spread in 1 pastry shell in a pie pan and cover with the 2nd pie shell. Crimp the edges to seal. Brush with egg mixture. Cut slits to vent steam.
Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Set the table during nap time and you're all set!:) My new favorite thing to do. Especially since it only takes a minute.

I love refrigerated pie crusts. It ends up looking so nice and fancy! Of course it doesn't beat homemade dough, but I save that for the holidays. I got generic brand this time and the dough seemed dry. Hopefully it still tastes good.

Have a great supper everyone!