Must Have Done Something Right

All The Fun Stuff

2011-01-10T15:15:00.004-06:00

Yes, I am still excited.
Yes, I cannot wait.
And yes, I have been sick and tired and that has kinda tempered the situation...
... but only slightly!

Food used to be one of my favorite things... hence the blog that has mostly consisted of recipes thus far, but lately I am afraid to open my fridge. Just the sight of some foods can make me ill.
Especially green olives... I bought a huge jar of garlic stuffed green olives at Sams Club 4 days before I found out I was pregnant and then 2 days later I had to ask Karl to move them to the back of the fridge so that I couldn't see them. Yuck! I thought it was particularly ironic when I found out that this week (week 9) my baby is the size of a green olive. Great! Thanks! ;) I think I'll just say he (or she) is the size of a grape instead. Much less gag-inducing!

But back on the subject of food and my picky stomach. My favorite foods lately include oranges, cheese sticks, salt and vinegar kettle chips, and blueberry bagels. My poor, poor husband has been fending for himself food-wise as of late... lots of easily prepared meals. Hopefully I'll be okay soon and can get back into the kitchen!

I have to say, we have got to be one of the most prepared couples. Due to my awesome job I was able to get a great deal on a infant car seat and stroller and one of those convenient pack and play things. Saved about $250.00 and I'm only 9 weeks along. I've always liked to be prepared but this is a little extreme even for me... but you have to take advantage of deals I guess.

Anyways... that is my life as of late. I am looking forward to my first appointment later this month. We'll get to hear our baby's heartbeat! Can't wait!

Thank you for continuing to read! The comments are really appreciated!

Our Christmas Surprise (aka my excuse for ignoring MHDSR)

2010-12-31T11:29:00.004-06:00

Some of you probably already know this, but for those of you who don't...
we found out about a week before Christmas that...
We Are PREGNANT!

It was a nice Christmas surprise for our families! And though we had our suspicions, it was nice to know for sure!

So now we're just rejoicing in each email update I get telling us how big our baby is this week (week 8 and the size of a raspberry!), counting down the days until we get to meet our little boy or girl, and I'm dealing with being perpetually tired and fairly sick at almost every hour of the day!

Sometimes it's still so hard to believe that I'm going to be a MOMMY!!! God is so good! :)

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I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas and are enjoying the hopes and dreams of this coming New Year!

The Art of Stacking Dishes

2010-12-08T16:38:00.000-06:00

I have never in my life owned a dish rack... and as far as I know neither has my mother or grandmother. We have always just spread a dish towel on the counter and stacked the dishes there to dry.
It can be kinda hazardous and precarious if not done correctly... so here are some guidelines:

~Bowls are set to lean against the back splash in two rows (3 if needed), and plates lean against them.
~Glasses and mugs upside down in two rows to the left of the bowls and plates.
~Silverware a grouped together and set with the bowl of the spoon facing downward so they drain properly!
~Pot lids lean against plates and the pots themselves get stacked one inside the other and set on top of the bowls

That's how it's done... it takes awhile to perfect the art ;) but I love not having a dish rack to clutter up my precious counter space!

After draining for about 2 or 3 hours they're all dry and ready for the cupboard.

Sometimes I don't get to it right away and Karl will need a bowl (in the rare case that we run out of the ones in the cupboard) from underneath the pile, and I am proud to say that I can usually get a bowl out from the mountain of dry (or drying) dishes without upsetting the delicate architecture of the stack! Try it sometime... it is quite a feat! :DP.S.
My rings and hairband always come off my finger and wrist (respectively) before my hands enter soapy water... I'm just picky like that! ;)

My "Secret" Recipe for Chili

2010-11-30T13:50:00.009-06:00

My mom taught me how to make chili.

And we never used a recipe. But to be able to pass it on to all of you wonderful people I put it in a recipe form.... but please, don't use exact measurements... it's so much better when you wing it!

And for tradition's sake please make 4x what you plan to eat in one day... 'cause that's what we've always done. Make so much that you are either forced to eat it everyday for a week (which Karl thankfully likes to do) or freeze some for later. That is the tradition when it comes to chili.... ;)

My Mom's Chili~ yields a big old pot full

Begin by chopping up at least 3 medium sized onions and mincing 3 or 4 garlic cloves. Add these to a pot with just a splash of olive oil (enough to keep them from sticking to the pot) and 2 tablespoon of chili powder. Mix until the onions are nicely coated in chili powder and then saute until just tender.
At this point add about 3 pounds of lean ground beef, although we have made it with ground turkey or ground venison and it turns out just as good! Cook until the meat is browned and some lovely juice begins to collect at the bottom of the pan.

Now it becomes imperative to add 3 cans of sliced stewed tomatoes and all the juice that come with them. Also add 2 (or 3 if you like beans) cans of dark red kidney beans, but please drain and rinse them first!
I usually add about 2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and paprika (to give it a sweet and spicy flavor)! But you can adjust these ingredients to taste... experiment and have fun! :)

We usually eat about half a bowl with a spoon and the other half gets scooped up with tortilla chips... YUM!

We are currently on our 4th (or possibly 5th day) of eating this most recent batch of chili (which tells you how long I've delayed this post) and neither of us are sick of it yet! When the weather is cold and snowy, like it's been here in Fargo, ND, Chili is the perfect remedy... it warms you right up! :)

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Thank you for all of the good luck wishes on my new job! It is going very well, although I have a different position than I stated with... one that I like much, much better as I no longer have to get up at 6 am! I am not and never will be a morning person! :)

Thank you for stopping to look here today... I'll hopefully be posting more regularly now that I've got in the swing of thing! Thank you for your patience!

My Promise

2010-11-27T00:33:00.001-06:00

In the next week I promise to post my recipe for chili... I PROMISE!!!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I will be back soon!
Thank you for you patience!

Sorry...

2010-11-08T08:31:00.002-06:00

I am a bad, bad person for not posting in forever... please forgive me...
I start my new job today and after I get settled in there I hope to get back to posting regularly!
Thank you for your patience!
See you soon!

Crepes

2010-10-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite memories of my brother-in-law Erik (who went to heaven this past February after battling Neuroblastoma since he was a 6 year old) is when he made all of us crepes when he was home for Christmas this past year. I will never forget that wonderful morning... we had tons of different toppings and the crepes just kept coming, hot off the griddle. I will never make these without thinking about Erik. He is greatly missed!

1 1/2 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. milk
2 T. oil
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and then whisk in the milk, oil, vanilla and the eggs until thoroughly combined. Yeah, it's that simple...

Plop a small pad of butter into a large skillet and heat over med-high heat until butter is bubbly. Pour about a half a cup of batter into the skillet and cook until slightly browned on one side and flip over and cook until slightly browned on the other side. Repeat until batter is gone.

And now for the fun part... top the crepes with your favorite toppings. I went with some vanilla yogurt, orange marmalade, dried cranberries and a sprinkling of cinnamon! Karl did vanilla yogurt, strawberry jam and a heavy dusting of powdered sugar!

It's the Little Things That Matter

2010-10-25T14:29:00.002-05:00

Rainy days (like today) when I can stay in my flannel pants.

A cup of tea that is just the right temperature.

A book that I just can't bear to put down.

Two lovely kitties to cuddle with.

Really, really cute finds on Etsy.com.

My Husband...

... who will be home in 2 hours and 48 minutes. (not that anyone's counting)

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What are the little things that matter in your life?

Going to the Dentist....

2010-10-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

It's no big deal... just a cleaning, but I HATE going to the dentist with a passion!
I hate the smell of the dentist office, the metal scraping against my teeth during a cleaning, people asking me questions when their hands are in my mouth and the little cards they make you bite down on when they take ex-rays.
But I do love how clean my teeth feel afterward. And so I suffer through it...

And that makes me wonder... What is it that you hate doing, but have to do anyways?

a Day in the Life of Our Cats: Part 1

2010-10-14T15:16:00.001-05:00

Meet Misty...
And Stormy...
... our lovely kittens!

They start out their morning by eating the same breakfast day after day... Cat Chow... YUM!
And then the follow me into the bathroom and watch me brush my teeth and hair and put my makeup on.
Clearly they think I'm fascinating... ;)

And then it's time to play in the sunlight that streams through our porch door.

Their favorite toys include a hacky sack and an old ethernet cable! They are so easily amused!

Directly following the playing in the sunlight comes the resting in the sunlight... sometimes it's difficult to determine where one pastime ends and the other begins!

Here is Stormy staring at the fridge. Why? Do not ask me! She's crazy like that!

Sometimes they curl up together on the floor or couch...

... but most of the time they sleep separately...
... insanely cute... right?

a Day in the Life of Our Cats: Part 2 coming soon!

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Hope you enjoyed this first day of my PhotoBlog! This is something I hope to do periodically in addition to my regular recipe posts! I take a bazillion pictures a day anyway and so I figured that I should do something with them beside just letting the sit idle on my hard drive! Hope this is something that will interest you... let me know what you think!

The Best Apple Dumplings

2010-10-12T14:05:00.003-05:00

First off, I am sorry I was absent from the world of blogging for a while. I took a bit of a break for my birthday and then had trouble even thinking about sitting down to post. I am a terrible person, I know!

When I told Karl that I was making Apple Dumplings he asked why I didn't just make an apple pie... silly boy! I knew he would love these and sure enough he now likes them better than my Apple Pie! Which is saying a lot! ;)

Here is the recipe... make them! Make them to celebrate Fall! It's a glorious time of year!

Apple Dumpling~ makes 6 dumplings

First make the sauce. Which is simple.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 t cinnamon (or more if you love it like I do)
1/4 t nutmeg (freshly ground is the best!)
2 T of butter

Combine all of the above except butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. While stirring add the butter and remove from heat. Stir until butter melts and then just set this aside. It will be crucial later!

Next take 6 Granny Smith apples (I don't really like any other kind of apple, as I think I've already said... and these just bake so well!) and peel them. If you have a way to core them without cutting them in half more power to you... I don't and so I've found the easiest thing to do is to cut them in half and dig the core out with a spoon. Either way, remove all the inedible parts. Set the peeled and cored apples in a bowl of cold water (to keep them crisp and fresh) for later.

The crust is basically like a pie crust but with a little bit of baking powder to make it puffy and
flaky! This is the recipe I used, but if you have a favorite pie crust recipe please feel free to use it and just add 2 t. of baking powder!

2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup milk

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt well and them cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk to moisten the crumbs and form the dough into a ball.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is 12x18 inches (6x6 inch piece per apple). The first time I made these I was worried that the dough wouldn't be big enough, but I've found that even if I trim the edges off to make them smooth, I always have more than enough dough. But I often have smaller Granny Smith apples to work with.

Cut six 6x6 inch squares... and place a whole apple (or the two halves of a whole, depending upon how you took the core out) in the center of the dough.

Now this is where Karl and I differ on what a good apple dumplings are... he does not like dried cranberries and I on the other hand LOVE them. So for mine I fill the cavity of the apple to the top with dried cranberries and then sprinkle about 1 t of sugar on top, a good shake or two of cinnamon and a tiny, TINY pad of butter. For Karl's I fill the cavity with 1 1/2 t of sugar, a shake of cinnamon and a pad of butter.
It really comes down to your personal taste... you could fill the inside with orange marmalade or strawberry jam, a cream cheese and brown sugar mixture or any other crazy thing you think of. Be creative... and let me know if you have any ideas for fillings!

Now moisten the 4 corners of the 6x6 inch square of dough with water and fold each corner to the center of the apple. Press down to secure. Repeat with all 6.

Place all 6 in a greased 9x13 in. baking dish about an inch apart if possible (but it's not that important!!!!). Pour the sauce you made on top and let it pool all around those lovely little apple bundles!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Let them cool for about 15 minutes when you take them out and serve with some vanilla ice cream if you wish! Enjoy!

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I hope everyone is enjoying Fall! I certainly am! I bought my pumpkins ($4 at our local farmers market!!!), and made Acorn Squash for dinner last night and to my surprise Karl really liked it! He doesn't usually go for stuff like that. I have also been enjoying the lovely mums Karl bought me for my birthday!

Speaking of my birthday, I have to tell you what Karl did for me. He let me think he was going to work... left at the right time and everything, but then he came home 20 minutes later with a pot of mums, a Symphony chocolate bar (my favorite), Raspberry Milanos, and wine (... for cooking of course...). And he then proceeded to do all the dishes while I got a nice, relaxing shower! It was so surprising and wonderful! He is such a good man!

Thank you for continuing to read my blog! :)

Soon

2010-10-05T16:22:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't had a post yet this week... it's been pretty crazy...
But I'll have a yummy recipe for Apple Dumplings soon! I promise!
Thanks for your time! See you soon!

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

2010-09-29T10:03:00.004-05:00

Last week on Wednesday Donna and Aron (my mother-on-law and brother-in-law, for those of you who don't know) came up for dinner!

Don't get me wrong, I love having people over, but every time I have to come up with an idea for a full dinner for more than two people I start freaking out a little. It's ridiculous because before I was married I often cooked for my mom, grandma and myself and I've had experience making meals for even larger crowds, but just the thought of thawing more that 2 chicken breasts scares me, not to mention having to use my biggest pots and pans!

But I put on my big girl pants and set to work. I though about just making spaghetti, but decided that if the average college-age male could make it, it was probably too easy for someone who has a food-based blog... so I stepped it up a notch by adding breaded chicken breast! It turned out fantastic! Here is the recipe!

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan ~ serves 4

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato salad dressing
4 thawed, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup Italian bread crumb
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs
2 t. olive oil
4 T. mozzarella cheese
4 servings of pasta (I used penne) cooked according to directions
1 can of tomato sauce ( I like Hunt's 4 Cheese) heated according to directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
(I marinated the chicken breasts in Sun Dried Tomato salad dressing for about 30 minutes at room temperature first, but that is definitely not necessary if you don't have the time.)
2) Mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a plate and on a second plate dump the beaten eggs. Dip the chicken in the eggs and then coat fully in bread crumb mixture.
3) Place the breaded chicken breast in the lightly greased baking dish and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of each. Bake for 30 minutes.
4) At this point it is more than a little necessary to sprinkle a tablespoon (or more it you're feeling rebellious) of mozzarella cheese* on top of each chicken breast and then put them bake in the oven until the cheese is melted.
5) Put a serving of pasta on each plate and top with one of those breaded chicken breasts and cover it all in sauce. Sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese on top and serve with any yummy bread! Asiago Cheese Bread is my favorite! Enjoy!

* This step sounds really easy, but when your shredded mozzarella turns to one huge frozen brick in the freezer it can be a challenge to get just 4 T to use! It wasn't pretty and involved lots of microwaving, chipping at the block with a sharp knife (DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME!!!!!) and cheese flying to the ground instead of in the bowl!

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I don't know about where you are, but here in Fargo it has been beautiful lately. Cool, breezy and the leaves are changing perfectly! They'll be at their prime on my birthday! This is my favorite time of year... can't wait to carve pumpkins with my husband!

Painting the Cabinet

2010-09-27T14:03:00.002-05:00

I had this post planned for Friday, but our internet went out from Thursday until about an hour ago.

I bought this picture a weekend or two ago at a thrift store for $30! I really like it and so I was inspired to paint a cabinet I have to match the cabinet in the picture.

This is the cabinet before and after painting.......... big difference huh?

I started sanding Monday morning around 8:30am, took a brief break from 11:30 - 12:30 and continued sanding until 2pm. At that point I began painting. I painted on Tuesday also and by Wednesday morning it was done and dry!

I am now using it to store my abundance of cozy blankets!
I don't think I've confessed it yet, but I have an obsession with blankets! I love them! I already have far too many and yet I still want more. Lots of women go gaga for shoes, jewelery and clothes, but for me it's blankets.
Ahhh, feels good to get that off my chest! ;)

On that note I'd like to try something new.... I haven't asked many questions on this blog yet, because so far it's been solely devoted to recipes and projects, but that's something I want to start incorporating. So if you are reading this right now why not let me know in the comment section by telling me what it is that you collect that's out of the ordinary!?!
Looking forward to hearing from you guys! :)

Coming up next: Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan!

Apple Pie

2010-09-22T15:47:00.001-05:00

On the 16th we celebrate 8 months of wedded bliss and I though that called for a good yummy dessert. And so I whipped up my prize winning (2nd place at the Westmoreland County Fair... when I was 13!) Apple Pie!

It's a fairly simple recipe after you peel and slice the apples... I am so good at peeling now that I can peel a whole apple without lifting the peeler or breaking the peel... it's a pretty awesome skill of mine. ;)

But anyways here's the recipe! I'm really proud of it! And might I just say that I'm not the only one who really loves it! Karl loves it, but so does Karl's dad, Paul... he had 2 slices!!! That makes me proud!!!

So here's the recipe, enjoy!

Raeanne's Autumn Apple Pie

For the crust combine 2 cups flour and 1/4 t. salt and cut in 2/3 cup softened butter. It should resemble coarse crumbs (or at least that's what my mom's Betty Crocker Cookbook used to say). Drizzle 4-5 tablespoons of cold water on top of those "coarse crumbs" and stir together just until the dough comes together. For two balls, one for the top crust and one for the bottom. I've heard you're supposed to refrigerate the dough, but I never have the time to spare... so do whatever your schedule allows! Now roll out one of those dough balls on a floured surface with a flour rolling pin, until desired size. Line a 9 in. pie plate.

Now you will need 8-10 Granny Smith apples. This is very important... no other apples will do! And for the record I hate every other kind of apple, unless it happens to be covered in caramel.... I don't discriminate between apples if it's a caramel apple!

Peel, core and slice all of those lovely, green, crisp apples and pile them right up in the pie crust lined pie plate. You want to have a nice big mound of apples otherwise... well, it just looks better with lots of apples!

Now for the caramel sauce... Mmmmm... heaven!
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan on the stove. Stir in 3 T. of flour and then add 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Let this mixture come to a boil while stirring it gently, and then remove it from the heat.

This is my favorite part: where crisp apple meets hot dripping caramel sauce... but first preheat the oven to a 425 degrees.

Now take that sweet sugar and butter mixture and pour it on top of that pile of apples. Be careful that it doesn't spill off the apples and over the edge of the pie plate... you don't want to waste a drop of that yumminess! Sprinkle generously with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and a few drops of vanilla extract.

Roll out the 2nd half of pie crust, flop it on top, shave off the excess crust and flute the edges. Poke a few hole in the top of the crust and place it on a cookie sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake it for 40-45 minutes.
It's gonna smell so amazing after you take it out, but please resist the urge to dig right in. It needs to cool for a good 20 minutes to half and hour so that it cuts easily and the sauce sets!

Hope you enjoy!

P.S.
I've been working on a new project this week and I'll have some before and after photos for you soon! :)
Also, I bought myself some mums and found some of the lovely yellow flowers growing in the field next to our house... this is just one of the few reasons I love Fall!

My First Pot Roast

2010-09-19T20:44:00.004-05:00

This past Thursday I made my very first pot roast!
If you think about that, its kinda sad considering I've been cooking since I was 8! ;)

But anyways, yeah, my first pot roast!

I started with this lovely 2.5 lb. hunk of meat... and 5 peeled and chunked carrots, 10 mushrooms, 6 garlic cloves and 4 onions cut in half (I like onions and Karl doesn't and so I used a lot of onions!)

I generously salted and peppered the meat and browned the veggies.

And then it was chuck roast's turn to be browned into submission!

At this point I pulled the meat out and whisked in about 2 cups of beef broth, dislodging all that fine looking brown stuff at the bottom of the pan and then put the roast back in and arranged the vegetables artfully (ha!) around it. I was told by my father that it is important to make sure the meat is submerged at least halfway in the liquid, and though I can't be certain that this is the only way to do it, it worked well for me!

This is where the seasoning-crazy side of me comes out... I really like using herbs, and pride myself on being creative in that area, but I am sorry to say that since I moved away from Pennsylvania (and my mom's spice rack) I have yet to acquire some of the more crucial herbs such as rosemary *hangs head in shame*. But I made up for that with a generous helping of thyme and bay leaves. Specifically a tablespoon of one and three of the latter!

Before the commencement of said seasoning though I preheated my oven to 275 degrees. After that all that is left to do is sit back and wait for three hours as the sweet smell of pot roast permeates your house, apartment or bungalow.

After those hours are up feel free to cut or shred the tender beef and make gravy out of the drippings. I didn't have corn starch and so I regrettably did not make gravy. And since I didn't put potatoes in with the roast I made mashed potatoes. I would include the recipe except for the fact that they were a flop... edible, but a flop nonetheless! Still haven't figured out exactly how I like to make my mashed potatoes yet, but when I do I will post the recipe!

Let me just say that the whole time I was browning the vegetables and meat our apartment's two smoke alarms were were doing their best to annoy the heck out of me by beeping every five seconds to remind me that I did indeed take the batteries out to avoid the screeching noise I knew would follow the smoke cloud that forms in my kitchen when I attempt to brown things!

I made a killer apple pie too... so prepare for a post on that later this week!

P.S.
I know I promised Vanilla Bean Scones before I left for Pennsylvania, but unfortunately I forgot to purchase the beans for my source in P.A. and I discovered that the cheapest I can find here is 2 for $9 and, as I need 4 of them and am not made of money, I am holding off until I can find less expensive beans! Sorry for the let down! :(

Roasted Potato Wedges and Sesame Paprika Chicken

2010-09-16T11:36:00.000-05:00

I had wanted to get right back into blogging after we got back from Pennsylvania, but I failed to factor in the time it takes to recuperate...

But I am back now! Hello everyone! I missed you! ;)

While in Pennsylvania my family took us out to eat at The Back Porch Restaurant in Belle Vernon. It's sits right on the bank of the Monongehela River and you get to eat in the house Henry Speers Jr. built under a Sycamore tree in 1806.

Because we had a large group we actually got to eat on the back porch and the atmosphere was just lovely! Candles, fresh cut flowers, lace curtains and comfy chairs! And the food... don't get me started... the bread basket they gave us had mini muffins strewn amongst the warm dinner rolls and the dinner, aside from being extremely photogenic, was delicious!

It was such a lovely place that I couldn't help but take some pictures!

Here are three of the entrees I had the pleasure of trying: Chicken with Gnocchi in Parmesan Broth (Karl's dish), Wasabi Tuna (my new favorite), and Blackened Bistro Salmon (what I ordered... which was fantastically spicy!)

So, if you couldn't already tell, I was impressed! It's a must try if you're ever in south-western Pennsylvania!

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So yes, our trip was lovely! It was great to get to see some old friends and spend time with my family! But I must admit that I am grateful to be home! I missed my kittens like you wouldn't believe and, even though it is exciting to travel it can be very tiring! (as most everyone already knows!)

Tuesday was our first day back in Fargo and due to an afternoon nap that ran overtime and lack of foresight on my part, I found myself 90 minutes away from dinnertime with nothing thawed and nothing planned!

It may seem like no big deal. An hour and a half should be plenty of time to make something but I've found that I am the type of person that cannot usually whip things up quickly... I need a plan. Thankfully I remembered that I had wanted to make potato wedges and quickly set to work.

First I thawed two chicken breasts in a bag in water and began washing and cutting 6 red potatoes into wedges. The potatoes then went into a bowl with 1/3 cup olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt , pepper, chives and garlic powder. Next I spread them, single layer, on a cooking sheet with all the excess oil poured over them and popped them into an 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.

While the oven worked it's roasting magic I mixed together a tablespoon of sesame seeds, a teaspoon of paprika, a teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper on a plate. The chicken had blessedly thawed by this point and I dried it with a paper towel and coated both side of each breast with the sesame paprika mixture.

Normally I do not even think about cooking chicken if it has not been marinated in some flavorful liquid for at least an hour beforehand, but desperate times, call for trying new things...

Anyways, after the one side of the potatoes had enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame (so to speak) I pulled the pan out and gently flipped them onto their other side, so as not to show favor! And cooked them for 20 minutes more.

Then I waited until a skillet got very hot and I cooked the sesame paprika crusted chicken with butter!

There, I said it! I used butter! In my defense I ALWAYS cook with just a little bit of olive oil, but I was craving butter and so I used it and that is what made all the difference! The chicken reached this lovely shade of golden brown and I knew this was gonna be good!

I then got the pan out of the oven and low and behold, GOLDEN POTATO WEDGES!

Karl got home form work at about this time and came over to the stove where I was staring at my two golden creations and burst my bubble by asking "is there a vegetable to go with this meal?". So I threw some frozen broccoli florets into the microwave.... ;)

I was so excited to eat that I rushed through my usual relaxed picture taking process and so the best picture I got of this meal was a more than a little fuzzy, but please, please take my word for it... I was SOOOOO good!

Today I am trying my hand at something I have never made before... a pot roast! I have this lovely big chunk of chuck roast sitting in my fridge waiting for me...

So, as long as everything goes like I hope and pray it will I should have a recipe and pictures for you soon!

Farewell Until Next Week

2010-09-08T11:09:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their long Labor Day weekend!

I'd like to say that I'll have some yummy recipes this week, but that's not true. In fact I'm lucky I'm writing this right now. I have a lot to do...

We will be leaving to visit my family in Pennsylvania tomorrow for the first time since Karl and I were married, so I won't be writing again until next week! But hang in there, Vanilla Bean Scones is the one of the next recipes you have to look forward to! I'm craving them already! :)

I've never been on a plane before, so I'm getting very excited to fly! Please pray everything goes smoothly for us!

Thanks for reading and sorry this week will depressingly post-less! :(

Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars and Recovering Chairs

2010-09-02T11:36:00.017-05:00

It's time...
Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars!
My mouth is watering just thinking about them sitting in my refrigerator.

I didn't have any fresh blueberries so I used the ones I had frozen which worked just as well and I also substituted grapefruit zest for the lemon zest which worked wonderfully; I swear I could actually taste the grapefruit! Mmmmm....

Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars~ (from Cookie Madness!)

Crust/Topping:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
12 T. butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:
1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 t. lemon zest
2 cups blueberries

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 in. pan.
2) Combine flour, oats, sugars, salt and baking soda in a bowl and mix. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3) Press about 2/3 of crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and set aside the rest for the topping. Bake crust for 12 minutes
4) Meanwhile, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolks together and let stand for 5 minutes.
5) Arrange blueberries evenly over baked crust and pour lemon mixture on top. Bake 7 to 8 minutes.
6) Sprinkle remaining crumb topping over the lemon layer and bake for 25 more minutes.
7) Let the bars cool on a wire cooling rack for an hour or until just warm. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into bars and ENJOY!

I know it says to wait until they're chilled, but I'm not so good at that whole waiting thing.... and so we ate them after we got back from rollerblading... and they were amazing!!! This recipe is my new hands down favorite!

My other project for the last half of this week has been our porch chairs. They had that itchy, red, wool fabric on them and this morning I replaced it with that soft, light green fabric I found at a thrift store for $1! I didn't do the best job, but I'm pretty proud of it considering I've never refinished a chair before! They're much nicer to sit on now!!!

~It's obvious which chair Misty likes better! ;)

Tomorrow....

2010-09-01T21:29:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will have the recipe for Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars for you!!! Stay tuned....
... they are AMAZING!

One of My Favorite Easy Dinners (and vambraces)

2010-08-31T16:39:00.001-05:00

This was our dinner last night. Perfect for a Monday night on account that it is so simple and tasty.

All that you need to do is thaw 3 chicken breast and marinate them in 3/4 cup store bought teriyaki marinade* for at least 4 hours.

1) Make a batch of rice; I always add butter, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to mine.
2) Cook fully marinated chicken in a skillet with a few tablespoons of marinade until no longer pink inside.
3) While chicken is cooking saute sliced summer squash and broccoli florets in a pad of butter until they are tender-crisp and finally add salt and pepper. Enjoy!

*My wonderful mother-in-law makes her own teriyaki sauce and I want to do the same, but I have at least 3 more bottles that Karl and his roommate bought before we were married. Maybe after I use them up I'll post a recipe for a good homemade teriyaki sauce.

My other accomplishment....

This coming weekend Karl, his family and I will be going to the Minnesota Renaissance Faire. I've never been to this one before and we're planning on dressing up for the first time. So for the past 2 days I've been working on a major part of Karl's costume... his vambraces! He really wanted them to lace up and so I decided to do grommets (the little silver holes you put the laces through) and they turned out so wonderfully! Thought it was going to be really difficult, but it wasn't thankfully!
Here's a picture of the finished project...

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Anyways, thanks for listening, whomever is listening! Hope life is treating you well today!

A Friday Full of Confessions

2010-08-27T10:01:00.007-05:00

•´*)
¸.•*´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´•* It's been one of those weeks...

*I made Lime Bars... and that was the extent of my cooking/baking adventures.

*I'm sad to say that we had macaroni and cheese, ravioli, leftover Chicken Florentine Soup and last night I copped out completely and got a pizza... yup... I'm a terrible wife.

*I may or may not have just restarted the dryer when I knew the clothes were already dry... just so I won't have to fold them right now.

*I've let the dishes pile up 4 times this week... and the saddest part of that whole thing is that the pile was not even a 1/4 the size of the piles that my husband and his roommate let accumulate when they lived together. (or at least that's what I tell myself...)

So yeah... this is the best I can do today unfortunately! Anyone interested in making me feel better should post in the comment section one of their own little confession... just an idea? :)

Now I am going to go a pack for a weekend spent with Karl's wonderful family. Lesa, Karl's little sister, is celebrating her 15th birthday today and I we're really looking forward celebrating it together!

Enjoy your weekend everyone and come back next week for Creamy Lemon Blueberry Bars and my favorite easy dinner menu and recipes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESA!!! ^_^

My Farewell to Summer In the Form of Lime Bars

2010-08-25T08:42:00.010-05:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am so excited for Fall! The last few day here have been very cool and breezy and it only increases my desire for Autumn to be here. The cool nights, the crisp days, changing leaves, hikes in the splendor of the forest, and getting to wear hoodies! I cannot wait!

And so as my farewell to Summer I made one last summer-time treat... Fresh Lime Bars.
They turned out even better than I remember them, in fact they are so delicious I had one for breakfast!
The key to these is the grated lime rind... I've made these without it, but it is just not the same!

Fresh Lime Bars~ 12 bars~

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 cup butter

1) Mix flour, powdered sugar and salt and then cut in butter.
2) Press into a 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Filling:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup lime juice
1 grated lime rind

1) Thoroughly mix all ingredients and pour over the hot crust.
2) Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
3) Cool 20 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar before cutting. Enjoy!
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I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading my blog! It's a work in progress and I hope to develop it into something more than just recipes eventually, but until then thank you for your comments (they make my week!) and for taking time out of your busy day to read this!

Enjoy your day!

Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-20T18:34:00.004-05:00

I lied to you before I even started this paragraph... I didn't make Blueberry Muffins because I discovered that I do not have a muffin tin! But I transformed the wannabe muffin batter into Blueberry Bread... and did not have the best results!
Don't get me wrong, it tasted fantastic! The orange juice made the loaf very moist and added extra flavor, but I failed to adjust the temperature and so the top of the loaf got ridiculously brown before the middle was even partially cooked... oops! But (clever me!) I just pulled the top part off and left the rest of the loaf in the oven to cook at a lower temperature (while my husband, Karl and I enjoyed the already done top half!). It got the job done but left the loaf looking so mutilated that I couldn't make myself take a picture of it. It looked sad....
...So, even though I didn't make the "muffins" I'm including the muffin recipe, until I have said Blueberry Bread recipe perfected!

Blueberry Muffins~ 12 muffins~

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup orange juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw before adding to batter)
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 T. sugar

1) In a bowl combine the oats and orange juice and let stand for 5 minutes.
2) Stir in the eggs and oil until blended.
3) In a separate bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda; stir into the oat mixture until just moistened. Fold in blueberries.
4) Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners; fill two-thrids full with batter.
5) Combine cinnamon and 2 T. sugar; sprinkle over batter.
6) Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Enjoy!

When I get a muffin tin (which will probably be soon because Karl informed me that he wants cupcakes!) I will make these the right way and post the pretty pictures! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Chicken Florentine Soup and Sweet Potato Biscuits

2010-08-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share last night's dinner with you. This is the first time I've ever made Chicken Florentine Soup, but the Sweet Potato Biscuits are a favorite recipe of mine! They rock!

Chicken Florentine Soup~ Yield: 10 cups~

2 cups uncooked multicolored rotini pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 jar (7.25 oz.) roasted sweet red pepper, drained and sliced
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, drained and cliced
2 t. dried rosemary leaves
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. butter
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Alfredo sauce
4 T. prepared pesto
3 T. shredded Parmesan cheese
1) Cook pasta according to package directions.
2) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the chicken in butter until juices run clear and then add spinach, red peppers, rosemary, garlic powder, and pepper. Saute until spinach is wilted.
3) Stir in chicken broth and add Alfredo sauce and pesto, cook for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
4) Drain cooked pasta and add to the soup. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and ENJOY! :D

Sweet Potato Biscuits~ makes 12 biscuits~

2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
3 T. butter
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

1) Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
2) Cut in butter.
3) Work the sweet potatoes into the flour mixture until it forms a soft dough.
*If it is still crumbly add some milk*
4) Roll out on a floured surface to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into biscuit size.
5) Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes

This dough will keep well in the refrigerator for several days... I have to do this to at least half the dough otherwise I would eat all of them in one night... they are AMAZING!!!
These two recipes are very hearty and would be great for a chilly Fall day!

Adventures in Dyeing Sheets and Crab Quiche

2010-08-17T11:09:00.001-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone!

For months I've been looking for a nice set of soft sheets that would fit our deep pocket mattress, match our blue and white quilt and not break the bank. After a purchase and then a subsequent return of a set of less than comfortable sheets I had the brilliant idea to simply dye our light green sheets blue. So that's what I did yesterday and also why I didn't post anything. The dyeing process itself was simple and painless, but the cleanup took quite a bit longer than I had expected... the only casualties were my hands, which are dyed light blue and the washing machine's bleach receptacle, which is now speckled blue. But the sheets turned out wonderfully! (I forgot to take photo documentation, so you will have to take my word on it!)

This recipe is one my mom used to make often and has become a hit with so many people... it would be a crime not to share it...

Crab Quiche~ serves 6 ~

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell*
1 - 12oz. package of imitation crab flakes
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups milk
5 eggs beaten
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 t. dill
1/2 t. garlic powder

1) Line a 9 inch pie plate with the pie shell and place a layer of crab flakes in the bottom, setting aside six or seven flakes.
2) Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Pour over the crab flakes in the bottom of the pie plate. Top with the reserved flakes.
3) Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes and then cut and serve. Enjoy!

* 9 inch Single Pie Crust~

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup shortening or butter
4-5 T. cold water

1) In a bowl combine the flour and salt.
2) Cut in shortening or butter with 2 fork until the mixture is crumbly.
3) Sprinkle in water until the mixture is wet enough to form a smooth ball.
4) Roll out on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until it is about 14 inches in diameter.
5) Line pie plate and cut off excess dough from edges.

Come back later this week for the recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits... they're amazingly good!

Crazy Storm and Apple Cheesecake Crisp

2010-08-12T18:33:00.000-05:00

I do want to do more with this blog than just recipes. Trust me, I have a lot to say about almost every subject, but when I was looking through a cookbook last night I found this decadent recipe that I knew I had to try and share with you.

I decided early in the week that I would run my errands on Thursday, and you know what they say: "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." Well, I did get to run my errands but of course it would be today that there was a torrential downpour, consisting of, but not limited to: freakish sideways rain, nearly black skies, insanely deep puddles, and horizontal trees. It was very intense driving through it all, but wild weather has always excited me and I didn't mind getting drenched.

I have the Apple Cheesecake Crisp baking as I type and it smells very good! While I was whipping together the cream cheese and brown sugar Stormy and Misty were sitting at my feet meowing... I always feel bad that pets don't get to partake of the yummy food we get to indulge in. :)

So without further ado, here is this amazing recipe. Enjoy!

Apple Cheesecake Crisp ~8 servings~

Crumb Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 T. butter, melted

Filling:
1 1/2 packages of cream cheese, softened (12 ounces total)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
6 T. sour cream
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 apple, peeled and sliced

Topping:
3 T. flour
3 T. quick-cooking oats
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. butter

1) In a bowl combine the cracker crumbs, oats, and brown sugar; stir in butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 in. pie plate coated lightly in cooking spray. Set aside.
2) For the filling beat cream cheese and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in the sour cream, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pour over crust. Arrange apple slices over the filing.
3) For the topping combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples layer.
4)Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour and then refrigerate overnight.

P.S.
I can tell you right now that we will not be refrigerating overnight... I cannot wait that long! ;)

Not Much Of An Introduction and Chicken Primavera

2010-08-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

My mother-in-law has told me time and time again that I should start a blog... even if just to share recipes, and so that is what I'm going to do and hope that it eventually develops into a something of more substance. But until then let me introduce myself:

I am a faithful conservative Christian. A newly married young woman who longs to be a wonderful wife and is constantly striving to better herself. I am a wanna be writer and cook and slight perfectionist. I do a little bit of everything and admittedly excel at nothing! I love peppermint tea, doing laundry and thunderstorms, preferably the three combined.

My husband plays the piano and guitar wonderfully, is still in a bit of a video game rut, and works in tech support. He could eat tacos every night for a week and not complain, he can hear a humorous line once and then turn around and quote it flawlessly and is allergic to all the best fruit.

We live in a little apartment in Fargo, N.D. with our two new kittens Stormy and Misty.

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For our first Valentine's Day as a married couple I made this and it has since then become quite a favorite. For special occasions I'll splurge on tortellini to replace the shells and add some asparagus (in 1in. pieces), but this helps keep the cost down and is just as good!

Chicken Primavera~4 servings~

2 cups shell pasta
3 T. olive oil, divided
4 T. prepared pesto, divided
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. pieces
2 heads of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 t. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. water

1) In a bowl combine 3 T. pesto and 2 T. olive oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature while cooking vegetables or for best results cover it and let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
2) In a skillet, saute vegetables, garlic powder, salt and pepper in remaining 1 T. of olive oil until tender.
3) Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and toss with remaining 1 T. of pesto. Add the vegetables to the pasta when they finish cooking and toss. Cover to keep warm.
4) In the skillet the vegetables were cooked in, cook and stir the chicken and marinade for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and water; simmer for 2 minute.
5) Add skillet contents to pasta and vegetable mixture; toss.
Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and enjoy!