Baking & Blogging

Endings

2009-12-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

Anyone out there??? If you are, you should note, this blog is being "shut down" to make way for something new and exciting: http://middlebrookfamily.blogspot.com/.

A new blog for a new start. I'll be focusing a bit more on what you guys probably care about and a little less on cooking. Don't worry, I'll still share recipes. In fact, I have dedicated a whole new home to those I've already collected while writing this blog: http://sites.google.com/site/middlebrookcook/. It's not the best site (a little bland, font is inconsistent throughout, blah blah), but I think the organization works a bit better than a collection of random recipes in the side bar.

Keep in touch the next few weeks- life has been getting pretty exciting around here!

Tantrum Central

2009-10-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

2/3 of our house have spent the day in a state of irritability. I won't mention names, but Thomas sure does deserve a good night's sleep. My fridge is currently stocked with leftovers from yesterday's chili and today's chicken peanut chow mein (it was yummy, see recipe below!), and there is still one uncooked meal from last week's menu. This basically means no Monday grocery shopping is needed this week. I'm a little worried for my social life because this is depressing news. Surely I'll find some way to survive (it's spelled J-A-V-A-J-A-C-K-S).

Grocery shopping is exciting (again- I know how sad this sounds), but this week it's extra exciting. I heard about an online meal planning service at MOPS. Dave Ramsey's name is all over it and although that was a bit of a turn off (sorry, self-help gurus are always a turn off to me, even if I agree they're helpful) I decided to give it a try anyway. The website is www.e-mealz.com. Basically you choose a plan (options include family of 4-6 or family of 2, low-fat, walmart, any store, etc) and then pay them $15 to receive a weekly menu and grocery list every week for three months. Their goal is to provide an interesting plan that costs no more that $75/week for a family of 4. The family of 2 plan should be roughly half the cost, but it fluctuates more. I chose the Low Fat Meal Plan for Two for any store. My goal is to save money, but it should also save me time. I don't mind the time I spend cooking and planning, but I have tried for 6 months and am not good at planning cheaper meals. What can I say, I love to cook exotic food.

So far here's what I think- They use some typical "low fat" corners which means the meals aren't necessarily "healthy". I should've expected this, but it's still a bit dissapointing. The meals don't sound gross, but they're not exactly what I would have picked out. They have a list of "staples" which they don't include in the price. These staples include eggs, milk, butter, salsa, etc. Not sure how much this will effect the overall cost. They do not list how much they are expecting the items to cost, so it's hard to price match while shopping to see where their planning and my reality don't match.

It'll probably be next week before I'm able to try out this experiment, but I'll let you all know how it goes! Leave a comment if you've ever used a similar service.

Chicken Peanut Chow Mein (from Cooking Light)

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups noodle mixture, 1/4 cup onions, and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts)

Ingredients

1 cup precut matchstick-cut carrot (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup snow peas, trimmed (I used 1 1/2 cups)
2 (6-ounce) packages chow mein noodles (I halved this and it was plenty)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used 1 lb, 1/2 lb is only enough for 2 servings)
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup presliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons bottled fresh ground ginger (such as Spice World) (I used 1 tsp ground ginger, it was a little too much)
1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions (probably only need 1/2 cup, I only had 1/4 and it wasn't bad)
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cook carrots, snow peas, and noodles in boiling water 3 minutes; drain.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut chicken crosswise into thin strips. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and pepper, stirring well. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add broth mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Add noodle mixture and chicken to pan; cook 1 minute, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts.

Katherine - the Viking warior chef

2009-10-24T21:03:00.001-07:00

I just noticed that my blog banner artwork is a little strange. All the kitchen tools in the apron pocket are normal...except one... huh.

Odd time for an update I know, but I HAVE to distract myself from ebay. I just realized that you can type in Janie and Jack and you find over 3,000 listings of discounted, slightly used clothing from my favorite children's store. It's my favorite, but Eden has basically nothing from there because it's ridiculously expensive. Well, not ridiculously. The clothing, fabric, and design are all phenomenal- but I can barely bring myself to pay full price for clothing at Old Navy (and rarely do at that) so $80 for an infant dress is a bit crazy to me. Thomas and I recently took a small "vacation" to Houston--- interuption: can I call it a holiday? it was just a little weekend getaway/refreshing trip. Isn't that what the brits refer to as a holiday? it's such a useful term, AHEM--- Thomas and I recently took a small holiday to Houston and I got to actually buy something from Janie and Jack. Maybe it's because it's my favorite time of year, or because my daughter was born so close to the holidays, or because I'm a mind-warped-American-consumer, but there is just something so special about THE Christmas outfit. I went nuts last year trying to find the perfect one. Let's just say Janie and Jack had about 10 to choose from and I couldn't resist. Sooo, here it is:
Can't you just imagine it with tights and a red satin headband?? These pictures don't really do the fabric justice. Now if only shopping for myself was so easy.

It's getting cold---- YAYAY!!!

2009-10-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

It might seem odd at first, but if I was asked what my favorite-can't-live-without kitchen tool was I'd have to say my laptop. I try to keep all of my favorite recipes on here, use google way too often for recipe substitutions and measurement conversions, and watch hulu while cooking. In preparation for making chili tonight I opened up my blog to get the recipe (they're all on the sidebar!) and was shocked that I had never posted about this! Thomas and I bought a firepit last winter and broke it in by having a chili and smores party. Recipezaar is often a go to site when I'm looking for classic dishes and want to compare a variety of recipes. I found one titled "The Best Chili You Will Ever Taste" and haven't ventured to another recipe since. Well, here you go!

THE BEST CHILI YOU WILL EVER TASTE

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons oil
* 2 onions, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 lb lean ground beef
* 3/4 lb beef sirloin, cubed
* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 can dark beer
* 1 cup strong coffee
* 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
* 1 can beef broth
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 3 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce
* 1 tablespoon cumin
* 1 tablespoon cocoa
* 1 teaspoon oregano
* 1 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 teaspoon coriander
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans (I HALF THIS)
* 4 chili peppers, chopped

Directions

1.Heat oil.
2.Cook onions, garlic and meat until brown.
3.Add tomatoes, beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth.
4.Add spices Stir in 2 cans of kidney beans and peppers.
5.Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
6.Add 2 remaining cans of kidney beans and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-10-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

There are some BIG life changes looming over the horizon for our little family. Until we know for sure what we are doing in January I can't plan. People, I NEED to plan!! It's stressing me out and affecting my ability to make decisions. We're not talking about big decisions that actually require insight and spousal approval. We're talking should we get two or three pumpkins-when should I eat lunch-what conditioner should I use on my hair-should I spend an extra $2 organic milk???????. I get myself worked into a ball of anxious energy over the tiniest things, and seem unable to make the slightest move without asking Thomas' opinion. Poor guy! :). BREATH.

For my sake (ok, for Thomas' sake too) decisions need to be made- by me- throwing all caution to the wind and not worrying about what anyone else thinks. This might seem like a silly exercise- but I need to jump start my independent thinking processes. So I'm going to type out a list of decisions without consulting Thomas. Ok, here we go....

1) GET MY HAIR CUT- there, I made a decision - been fretting over that one for weeks
2) DO TAKEOUT FOR DINNER TOMORROW- I guess to make this a really good decision I should decide where.....(fighting urge to ask thomas).....(trying not to feel horribly conflicted because that's the point of this exercise)......Rancho Grande
3) ORDER THAT DRESS I'VE LOOKED AT EVERYDAY FOR A WEEK, in two sizes so I know at least one will fit right.
4) STOP MAKING THIS LIST AND GO TO BED!

But first, I want to leave you with a little eye candy. A little perk for reading through such a personal rant. Not being able to make a hard and fast decision has led me to create a little inspiration board of ideas for Eden's upcoming celebration (excuse the poor image quality). Enjoy!

To Do List (they keep me sane)

2009-09-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

During my week I think about a half dozen times "I should blog this." Now that I'm sitting at my computer with blogger open I can't think of what to say! Hmmm.....

Eden has her "first" viral infection. She has been fussy for about a week and we thought she was teething, but at a doctor's visit today it was discovered that she has a very angry sore throat. Fortunately, all the Tylenol we were giving her for sore teeth is the same treatment for this ailment. Hopefully she'll get to feeling better soon and we can all go back to sleeping through the night!

I've been super creative lately- meaning normal mommy tasks like cleaning house, cooking, and doing laundry have fallen to the wayside. Luckily Thomas has been home to help pick up the slack- he's such a sweet husband. He even hung some of my paintings up at Java Jacks :). There are several empty spots on the walls at our house now. Maybe I should paint more? Over the last couple of weeks I've finished a mock painting for a large scale mural, almost completed a large painting (just copy work) for a gift, baked an applie pie to celebrate the first day of fall (this will become a tradition in our family), baked scones THREE times, completed an album for my sister, and sewn pajamas. That doesn't sound like a lot now that I've written it out- but there was a very silly, fantastic, REFRESHING girl's weekend in the mix.

My to do list for creative projects is quite heavy at the moment:
-sew skirt
-paint mural
-finish large painting
-correct album
-start big girl quilt for Eden
and drum roll....da.dad.a.da.da.da.da...
-start new painting, a serious one (whatever that means, haha)

Oh, and remembering to cook and feed my family :).

Some catching up

2009-08-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

What a refreshing morning! After almost two weeks on the road we returned home early Friday morning. Eden went to stay with her Grandaddy and CiCi Friday night so Thomas and I could catch a movie and sleep in- we were admittedly a bit road weary. The movie, District 9, was not at ALL relaxing- but it was definitely a well done piece of cinema. We ended up winding down by starting Scrubs Season 8 (I don't feel like divulging just how many episodes we watched) and eating ice cream. After sleeping in, which felt SOOOO good, I took a bubble bath while reading magazines and eating oreos for breakfast. Perfect morning off! Although, think I need to go on a dessert strike again :).

Here are a few pictures from our trip:

Stopping in at the Arkansas border for lunch- Eden's first time in a state other than Texas

"I'm ready to get out of the car!!"- just outside of Chicago

Outside The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago

Hanging out in St Louis

After visiting Trinity Evangelical in Chicago, Thomas officially likes the program and will be working on the GRE and admission paperwork over the next month. Once that's done we'll just have to see what happens next! Exciting, no?

I got the painting itch on the trip and am glad that I've wrapped up most of my sewing projects. I'm pretty sure that the sewing machine will be put up so that it isn't a distraction.

Here is the finished quilt for Emily's graduation present. I printed the Psalm 121 panel through spoonflower.com. If you're crafty, check them out, awesome service!!

And here is a skirt made for Emma's first birthday present. This is from JonaG's Edith Twirl Skirt pattern.
Be expecting some recipes soon!

Say cheese!

2009-07-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

My sister Jill was in for a week last month and being the awesome aunt and photographer that she is spent a day in a sweltering hot house taking pics of Eden. Prepare yourself to run out of adjectives describing just how precious each one of these photos are.
Go here for the whole slideshow and check out www.jilliankay.com if you're interested (and you should be) in the rest of Jill's photography.

Birthday Goodies

2009-06-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to post about my birthday gifts because they've inspired so much creativity! Of course you would rather see pictures of all the cute odds and ends I've been sewing and baking and grilling... but it was easier to take one quick pic of all the inspiration.

Things I've made and the gifts that made them possible:
1. Gorgeously decorated cupcakes for new neighbors- Cupcake goodies from bakeitpretty.com. Not only does my sister know me well, but she reads my blog :). I got oodles of pretty cupcake liners, tops (including the Magical Forest Sampler, Vintage Village Cupcake kit, and ballerinas for Eden's 1st birthday), and an icing decorating kit. I have tried out the icing tips and they are fabulous! It makes the cupcakes look professional and I'm such a sucker for that in my baked goods (plus it uses twice as much icing, yuuuummmm)!

2. Chicken Curry with Greens, Mushrooms Scented with Cardamom, and Sweet Lassi- The cookbook Indian Home Cooking . This was written by a New York chef who teaches classes introducing Americans to ethnic cuisines and is meant to simplify basic Indian recipes. Thomas took me to an Indian Grocer in Austin during our little birthday weekend and I picked up about a dozen basic spices that will allow me to cook almost anything in this book.

3. Grilled Steak with Summer herbs and Potatoes- The Williams Sonoma Grilling cookbook. Not only does this have some pretty tasty looking recipes but it also has a helpful chapter on cooking with a grill that's already upped my game considerably.

4. Headband/Scarf looking thingy- Weekend Sewing. Ok, I'm really just to lazy right now to get up and look in the Weekend Sewing book to see what this thing is called. All you need to know is it was way cute, I had all the supplies on hand, and it only took about 30 minutes. Too bad I got my haircut today and it now looks goofy :(. Luckily there are 39 other projects in the book that look just as fun.

5. Tag Blanket for Eden- Simple Sewing. This has dozens of cute, easy projects and I want to make them all for Eden. I made a tag blanket from the book for Eden's future cousin Sophie Rose (don't you love the name!?) and then changed the pattern up a bit (used vintage hankies instead of cotton fabric) and made one for Eden.

6. Scrubs, Supernatural, and I-Tunes gift card- all of this crafting and cooking had to have some background noise, right? I'll take some recommendations on music!!

7. Fantastic Homemade Bread -Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day- ahhhh... yeah... that actually hasn't happened yet. I got this book because the technique sounds fascinating! Oddly enough it should be the quickest thing to make and it's the one I just can't seem to fit in. When I try it out I'll let you fine folks know how it works and IF it works :).

In baby news- we're onto solids! Well--- if by solids you mean vegetables that have been cooked longer than any adult would ever prefer and then blended with a lot of water--- then yes, we are onto solids. Eden really likes squash, breaks out with peas, and LOOOOVVVEEESS her sippy cup. This little girl is getting big too! She is in the 94% for height and 85% for weight. She is 6.5 months old and crawls but does not sit up- goofy kid :). It's hard work to get her to giggle out loud but it's ok because her silent laugh is hysterical! She smiles, opens her mouth wide, and throws her head back like she's in the middle of a big belly laugh--- but there is NO sound- HILLARIOUS. She got really upset last night because bathtime was shorter than she expected and she was not ready to say goodnight to ducky. Oh- and she loves all living small things- kids, babies, dogs, cats- I'd get a hamster but she eats EVERYTHING.

Yay for naptime/blogtime!

2009-05-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a strange, but good, weekend. Thomas got back about 2 am last night and had to go to work at 7 am. I miss him more now than when he was gone because I know he's just 15 minutes away! Eden and I are going to take him some lunch as an excuse to see him.

Eden had a fantastic time at her Mamere's while I spent some R & R in Ft Worth. Cyndi organized a little get together at their place Saturday night so I got to hang out with Michelle and Brian and Miriam and Aaron. My friends are so cute- they all have these major, wonderful life changes and they're so humble about them (ahem, meaning quiet) it's hard to keep up! Buying houses, graduating from med school, starting med school, finding new-good jobs in this economy, moving to Kansas, etc etc. You all know who you are and what great things you're doing- CONGRATS!!
We had fantastic vegetable curry, goat cheese stuffed figs, and hummas. I wrote down the recipe for the curry but I think I threw it away. Cyndi- I need it again- it was so good!! After dinner we spent literally hours playing Catch Phrase- what a fun game. Definitely need to get this one. I got back late Sunday but was too wound up to sleep so I made a couple desserts. With Eden I don't normally have enough hands or time to make a complex dessert. The evening was spent meticulously make a Tiramisu Cake (this was goooood!) and Chocolate Ganache Rasberry Tart while watching part of Numbers Season 1. It was so relaxing! As fun as all of that was I'm pretty excited to have Thomas and Eden both home and very much looking forward to some low key family time.

Here's the menu for the week:
Tuesday- Grilled Orange Soy glazed Salmon and Asparagus with Saffron Rice
Wednesday- Szechuan Pork (menu in side bar)
Thursday- Citrus Tabbouleh & Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce (menus in side bar)
Friday- Herbed Black Bean Salad (menu in side bar) and Grilled Chicken
Saturday- Steak with Thyme Potatos and Corn

Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Tart (from Bon Apetit)
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Kahlú a, other coffee flavored liqueur, or strong coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups fresh raspberries (three 6-ounce containers)
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

Preparation

Using on/off turns, mix flour, butter, and sugar in processor until coarse meal forms.

Mix egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in small bowl. Add to processor; mix until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 9-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch round. Fit dough into pan; trim overhang. Freeze 20 minutes.

Bake crust until golden, 25 minutes; cool.

Meanwhile, bring cream just to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur and vanilla. Cool ganache 15 minutes.

Transfer cooled crust to platter. Spoon chocolate ganache into crust and smooth top. Arrange raspberries atop chocolate. Stir raspberry jam and 1 1/2 teaspoons water in small saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Brush warm glaze over berries. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Tiramisu Cake
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake layers:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons boiling water

For the espresso syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (I used brandy)

For the filling and frosting:
1 8-ounce container mascarpone
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto, Kahlua, or brandy (I used brandy)
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and the liqueur or brandy; set aside.

To make the filling and frosting:
Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

To assemble the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer - user about 1 1/4 cups - and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

For the frosting, whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.

With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving - the elements need time to meld.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

Checking in

2009-05-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have once again created a blogging conundrum. I have been so busy I can't blog and now am putting off blogging because I don't know where to start!

Thomas left today, and is currently flying overhead, for Bayfield, WI- where he and three buds are going to canoe to the apostle islands in Lake Superior. They are really trying to take one outdoorsy trip a year together. My girls and I have had similar goals but we've never gotten our act together :). Of course instead of canoeing in 40 degree lakes we want to go to NYC and catch a broadway show.

Eden is going to go to her Mamere's on Friday night and is staying until MONDAY! I normally go nuts after about 24 hours without her but there are some compelling reasons for me to let her go a little longer this time.
1: I'm not a big fan of the "single parent" game. My respect for single parents, military families, families of truckers or men who work in the oilfield, etc, has risen TREMENDOUSLY since having Eden. Thomas travels some and I'm totally capable of handling our little life without him, and have done so for short periods, but it's SO much easier with two parents- and selfishly- it's my birthday and I would like a break- not a harder day. Can I be selfish and still be a good mom? Meh- I've been told finding time for yourself makes you a better parent- but I still feel pretty guilty when I do it!
2: I really want to discourage seperation anxiety and these visits certainly help.
3: I'll get to do a little traveling of my own! Saturday morning I'm going to head to Ft Worth to visit Cyndi and Clay at their new place- hopefully we'll catch some dinner with Michelle and Miriam and their hubbies.

If you don't get anything else out of this blog it should be that I LOVE lists. I've actually already researched iPhone apps on the subject and have yet to narrow it down, oh but you can bet I'll be getting one.

Coming soon I'll post pictures of our tie-dye party. We broke in our grill (Thomas' b-day present to me, which I love!) and had a few friends over for burgers, tie-dye, and the following dessert.

Fresh Strawberry Bars
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup strawberry jam
4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

1. Heat oven to 350. Line 13X9X2 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut better on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.
3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars.
Make ahead- wrap the peanut butter base in foil; store at room temperature up to 24 hours. Before serving, top with jam and berries. Or freeze the peanut butter base in a freezer container up to 3 months.

Cute times infinity plus 1

2009-05-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

I don't REALLY have time to be posting. After all, I skipped out on a girlie movie because I had too much to do. In all honesty, Matthew Mcauna.. or however you spell it... just wasn't tempting enough to pry me away from pizza, baking strawberry peanut butter bars for tomorrow, and the season finale of Bones. What is prying me away just long enough to post is the absolutely adorable shot I got of Eden on our afternoon walk today. Even though she has had a really rough week, meaning I've also had a rough week, I can't deny that she's pretty much the cutest kid ever:

Still napping...

2009-05-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

Eden is still asleep! Yay for taking fewer but longer naps. I would save all of this information for a post tomorrow- but who knows what tomorrow will look like :).
If you subscribe to this blog- go to my actual page and check out my quick redesign!

This week's menu
M- Moroccan Roast Chicken Thighs & Moroccan Carrot Salad
T- Curried-Pear Chicken with Basmati Rice
W- Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze, Wild Rice, & Snap Peas
Th- Girls' Night!
F- Dinner Out

Now that that's over, I want to share a few goodies I've run across recently.

One of my greatly romanticized goals is to have a few chickens so that I have a fresh supply of eggs. I understand that in reality it is much easier to go to the farmer's market, it's illegal in the city, and it would be a lot more work that I have time for. Did I mention I'd love a dairy cow too? This product has re-invigorated my desire for a tiny farm. Seriously? How cute is that!? I could name them all fantastic old-fashioned names like Ethel,Vera and Nellie.

A more reasonable obsession is the discover of BakeItPretty.com- a FANTASTIC shop full of charming, vintage-inspired, CHEAP baking supplies. Here are a few of my favorites:

Blueberry Scones and Birthday Presents

2009-05-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

So this is the time I would normally post my weekly menu (ok, ok, if I actually POSTED it when I created it)- but instead, I have been cleaning out flower gardens, sorting baby clothes to be passed on, updating the recipe index on this blog and tending to a runny nose. Last week's menu had a bit of a change- Friday night instead of breakfast we had burgers. Why? Because my lovely hubby got me a grill for my birthday! Yes I know my birthday is at the end of the month and that he got it for me because I all but demanded he do so- it makes it no less exciting for me :).

Friday night we fired it up for the first time, had a neighbor over, and ate Worcester garlic cheeseburgers. Saturday we fired it up again so I could make "grilled" cheese- provolone, tomato and basil sandwiches. Surprisingly the texture was better on the grill :). FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE GRILLING RECIPES WITH ME- I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I AM DOING!

Saturday morning we went to a garage sale (where I scored some bread tins) and made blueberry scones. A few years ago we gave the cookbook Breakfast Lunch Tea as a Christmas present. Of course, I fell in love with it and got a copy for myself. It is written by the baker/owner of Rose Bakery in Paris, France. The scones were one of the first things I made and they tend to come out of my oven at least once a month.
Thomas and I baked these just before Hurricane Ike. We stayed with some family and brought these for breakfast. We practically lived on them and a few open restaurants while we were without power for the next week.

Blueberry Scones
Makes 12-15 scones

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 handful wholewheat flour or cornmeal (optional)
2 very heaped tablespoons baking powder
2 heaped tablespoons superfine sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange
Scant 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces (plus extra for greasing sheet)
2 handfuls blueberries
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole, 2% or soy milk
1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400. Grease a baking sheet with butter.

Sift the all-purpose flour into a bowl and add the wholewheat or cornmeal if using (I use wholewheat).

Mix in the baking powder, superfine sugar and salt, then add the butter and rub in with fingers (or pastry blender) until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs.

Mix in the lemon or orange zest.

Add the blueberries and mix well.

Beat one of the eggs in a measuring jug, then add enough milk to reach the 1 1/4 cup level.

Make a well in the middle, pour in the liquid and use a fork to work it into the dry ingredients. Finish by hand but without overworking the mixture- just lightly bring everything together to form a softish but firm dough. If it is too dry add a little more milk, and if it is too wet add some more flour. It must not be sticky at all.

On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a solid shape about 1 1/4 inches thick.

Using a 2 inch cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place them on the greased baking tray so that they almost touch.

Beat the remaining egg and use to glaze the tops of the scones.

Sprinkle with the brown sugar and bake 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.

The scones will stick together, so take them gently apart when they have cooled a little.

Mediterranean Meal

2009-04-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I FINALLY finished Eden's fabric book- one more thing for her to chew on! I am SO SO SO glad this project is over. It's a little sloppy looking because I just winged it- no pattern- not much forethought, but it's all for Eden and she doesn't know the difference. Here are a few pages:

Speaking of the little munchkin- she was so cute last night! It was pretty gloomy and rainy yesterday and we were in desperate need of a walk so we went to the mall. Of course a little browsing took place as well. We stepped into Payless and she LOVED trying on shoes! What a girl.

Here's this week's menu-

M- Date Night!
T- Kefta (Meatballs) with Yogurt Dipping Sauce and Citrus Tabbouleh (recipe below)
W- Rice and Beef Stuffed Peppers (recipe in side bar)
Th- Szechuan Pork (recipe in side bar)
F- French Toast with Fruit Topping and Chicken Spinach Sausage

Monday night a neighbor friend who had practically BEGGED to keep Eden watched for a few hours while Thomas and I got a little brake. We ate delicious sandwiches in an empty restaurant, splurged on magazines, comics, and books at Hastings, and read them while enjoying java jacks coffee and watching NeanderPaul perform (way cool!).

This is from last night's dinner- no pictures- but it was delicious AND pretty. It's from the Mediterranean Mezzas cooking class I attended.

Citrus, Olive Oil & Herb Tabbouleh
1 and 1/2 cups bulgur (light, cracked wheat)
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon honey
3 large garlic cloves, minced
Optional: 1 teaspoon ground coriander
2- 15 ounce cans mandarin oranges, drained, roughly chopped
1 packed cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
4 large green onions, ends trimmed, chopped (whites & greens)
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
3/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

Place bulgur in large bowl. Mix in the boiling water. Let stand until bulgur is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Whisk the oil, lemon juice, zest, honey, garlic, and (optional) coriander in small bowl to blend; set aside. Add salt to taste
Mix the oranges, parsley, green onions, mint and olives. Add oil mixture; toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 30 minutes to blend flavors. Makes 8 servings.

Kefta (Meatballs) with Yogurt Dipping Sauce
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 green onions, ends trimmed, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 tablespoons dried currants, chopped raisins OR chopped dried apricots
1 pound ground lamb or ground chuck (needs at least 10% fat)
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
Minted Yogurt Sauce (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 450. Combine all of the ingredients except the lamb and breadcrumbs in large bowl. Add the lamb and bread crumbs and mix well, being careful not to compact the meat.

Form level tablespoons of lamb mixture into 1 1/4 inch meatballs, arranging ona tray as formed. (Note: Meatballs may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely.)

Bake meatballs in upper third of oven 8-10 minutes, or until golden and just cooked through. Serve with the yogurt sauce. Makes about 3 dozen meatballs.

Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce (Labeneh):
2 containers Greek Yogurt (about 1 and 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Stir all together.

5 months

2009-04-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Eden turned 5 months today so it seems as good a time as any to do a little update on the kiddo.

At 5 months Eden:
Rolls over from back to belly... but has forgotten how to roll from belly to back.
Razzes... or at least I think that's what they call the spittle speak.
Yells with glee... in high pitched tones only dogs and moms can hear.
Smiles... CONSTANTLY :)
Still sleeps through the night... on her belly now.
Wears 9 month clothing... which I probably need to get more of :).
Giggles when you blow raspberries... especially on her belly and neck.
and
Is a ROCK STAR nap taker... making this post and the dishes possible.

I forgot to post my weekly menu on Monday (I know you're all DYING to know what we're eating :) ). To be honest, it's been really helpful to look back at this blog and see my menu planning and recipes, so just bare with me cause it's not going away! These recipes share a lot of cilantro.

M- Chicken Corn Tacos w/ cantaloupe (check out side bar for menu link)
T- Salmon w/Maple Lemon Glaze, Snow Peas (bought at the farmer's market), and saffron rice- see recipe below
W- Cilantro Lime Chicken
Th- Soy Citrus Scallops
F- Leftovers - or something else :)

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze (from Cooking Light, April '09)

The flavor on the fish was light and sweet and paired well with saffron rice and a sweet veggie.
It's fast, healthy, and cheap- YAY! Triple threat. (The cheap only applies because I got the salmon at Sam's- but it still counts!).

I changed this recipe because I don't have an oven safe skillet. Instead of searing it in the pan first and then moving it to the over, I simply broiled it for about 6 - 7 minutes on a roasting pan. I brushed it with the marinade about half way through.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning bag once.

3. Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute.

4. Heat a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over. Brush marinade evenly over fish. Broil 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Color Me Happy

2009-04-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

For Christmas I got to spruce up our living room a bit. Yeah, I know that was four months ago, but it's taken me a bit to get everything framed and hung. We replaced the metal sculpture and clutter that previously decorated our mantel with some fun prints I'd been drooling over at etsy.com, got some colorful accents (rug, pillow, throw), and moved the furniture a bit (aka moved the recliner that broke the window twice).
Here are the results!

Before:

After:
Not a huge change, but it definitely feels more like us. Notice, the kid has replaced the cat :)

The next step is to replace the lace curtains with some colorful, handmade "roman shades." I'm not actually good enough to make real roman shades- it involves a lot of patience and some special hardware, but I did find an easy looking tutorial on Martha Stewart.

One of these fabrics, along with white solid, I think would be nice:

Featured Creativity

2009-04-20T05:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some photos of what I've been up to.

Eden's Easter Dress, which hopefully won't fall apart in the wash as soon as I attack it with some fabric glue. It's a bit big in the arms, but was very cute with a cropped white sweater and white satin shoes. Sewing tiny clothing is much faster and does not have to fit as well- I think I'd do it again.

Rykan was born last Thursday and so I hurriedly finished her receiving blanket. This project is very sweet and EXTREMELY useful so I try to make it for all the little babies I know. She was 7 lbs 11 oz, 1+ 1lb over Eden's birth weight, but I seriously could not remember Eden being so small! It was so pleasant holding such a tiny life AND I got to swaddle her :).

A couple from our church had there 3rd child and first boy about a month ago. We're collecting needed items and I got to make the basket, meaning I got to try out making a name banner. I used what I had except needing some ribbon. During their renovation, the Nacogdoches Walmart got rid of their craft/sewing section (boo) so all I could find was some expensive Martha Stewart ribbon. Worst ribbon ever!!! Oh well, it got done- all from my head, no pattern.

I love making handmade presents (as you can see) and whipped this together for my sister-in-laws birthday (it was yesterday so I can post pictures of it now). It came out a bit brighter than I expected and I'm glad it's permanent home is not my yellow kitchen. I changed the pattern a bit and I think it will work well in its intended home.

Well, I think that's about it! I'm currently working on a soft book for Eden, but it won't be done for a couple weeks. Speaking of the little sprout- I'll leave you with a picture of her:

Let's try and make this quick...

2009-04-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

The kid is napping and I should be getting ready for the day- this usually happens at 6am- but I overslept this morning (till 7 am) and it was great! She is so cute right now when you put her down for naps. No matter how tired or asleep she already is, when you set her down she starts flailing all of her limbs wildly for 30 seconds, takes a deep breath, and then is completely still and asleep :). It's one of her many cute things.

Easter weekend was very lovely and fairly stress free. Friday and Saturday were cookie madness again as I prepared cookies for Trinity and James' renewal ceremony. The ceremony was very sweet and their little family looked so cute!

The rest of Saturday was spent preparing for Sunday company and lunch and hanging out with our friends Kali and Joel- the conversation was too good to cut short and we stayed up a little later than normal. During their visit I baked a banana chocolate chip cake (bundt cake- RECIPE BELOW!) and prepared the ham glaze for Easter lunch. My parents and brother and sister-in-law came over for lunch yesterday which was such a treat as I don't see them as often as I'd like. Eden was pretty fussy at the start of lunch and after trying everything else we stripped her down. Apparently she felt like celebrating Christ's victory in the nude and spent lunch all but naked. Clearly there was no need to make her a dress :).

Today is iphone day! Thomas put my phone together yesterday and surprise, surprise, it worked. WHAT??!!!! Yeah, it survived going through the dishwasher. I had tried on two previous occasions to resurect this phone to no avail- apparently the battery was the only thing wrong. We decided that we would keep it as a back up for the next time Thomas destroys his phone (he's used up all the trade-in's the phone insurance allows). If you have an iphone, tell me what your favorite ap is!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups mashed, well ripened bananas
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. Beat the sugar and butter together until light in color and texture. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Reduce mixer to low and add mashed bananas. Gradually add in flour. Mix in chocolate chips by hand. Spread evenly in pan.
3. Bake 1 hour or till a toothpick comes out clean and the cake starts to pull away from pan.
4. Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Lots of Lists

2009-04-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our little family is still doing pretty great - cooking a lot of well balanced meals, exercising more, sleeping well, fitting in both family and personal time, and overall staying pretty sane! High five to us.

Here's our menu for the week:
M- Chicken Fajitas
(sauted chicken, bell pepper, and onions, served with wheat tortillas, tomato, and guacamole).
T- Shrimp and Broccoli
(recipe is in the side bar)
W- Steak Diane, Mashed Potatoes, and Corn
(Thomas has been asking for mashed potatoes, I'm steak impaired but this was pretty easy! See recipes for
this at the bottom of entry)
Th- Homemade Vegetable Pizza
F- Turkey, Provolone and Sundried Tomato Pesto Paninis

Our week in recap:
Monday night we rented Get Smart- one we had missed when it first came out- HILLARIOUS!
Tuesday my mom came to visit and took Eden on a little shopping trip- new party dresses, just in time for Trinity and James' party this Saturday!
Wednesday Eden and I went to Lufkin to get an Easter Ham from Sams (we had a gift card for signing up recently) and check on getting an iphone. That was actually a pretty frustrating morning- Eden wouldn't eat or sleep, the AT&T store was totally unhelpful, I was confused on Sam's hours and got there too early, blahblahblah. The evening totally redeemed the day- Eden took a really long nap after Thomas came home, was in a terrific mood when she woke up just in time for church, AND Sarah kept the nursery! Thomas and I haven't attended Wednesday night services together in months- one of us is always in the nursery. It was quite a treat- followed by excellent conversation and coffee.
Thursday Eden and I went to MOPS and she rolled over for the first time! Just a small group of mom's showed up- Trinity, me, the director of the program, and one of the other mom's that I really enjoy talking to. We discussed the need to ask for help and talked about sharing Easter with our kids. It was probably the most Christian centered meeting we've had and it was very refreshing. That evening I got to do a little crafting-

Projects I'm up to:
1. Making Eden a cloth book
2. Finishing Eden's Easter dress (done!)
3. Making a quilt for the living room
4. Finishing a receiving blanket for a baby (due in a week!)
5. Designing a small vegetable and herb garden

Friday is Today! Eden is taking stellar naps- which is good because she woke up at 6 am. We've already mixed dry ingredients for the cookies I'm making for the paty tomorrow and taken a long, wonderful walk where we ran into lots of neighbors and friends.

Things we're looking forward to:
1. Party Party- Trinity and James 10 year vow renewal- so happy for them :)
2. Easter services
3. Hosting Easter Dinner for my parents and brother and sister-in-law. (I've never baked a ham before- cross your fingers!)
4. Getting my iphone on Monday!
5. Thomas leaving for a raising on Tuesday- back on Friday- looking forward to this because me being left alone with Eden while he works out of town has been a long time coming (only one night in the last four months, wow!) It's going to be nice to finally get it over with.
6. Getting contacts on Wednesday- or whenever they can order them in.
7. Getting our flower boxes next week and adding some curb appeal.

Sick of lists? I'll just leave you with the recipe for the steak. Mashed potatoes Thomas style- I skinned then boiled 3 lbs of potatoes, mashed them with an entire head of roasted garlic, creamy horseradish, a little milk, and creamed goat cheese then baked them in a casserole dish for about 40 minutes. OBVIOUSLY this was not the healthiest meal, but totally happy husband making.

Steak Diane

Ingredients

4 rib eye steaks (1/2 in)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter (divided)
3 teaspoons green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced

Directions

Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 T butter in skillet,stir in onions and mustard.
Add steaks.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
Remove to serving platter and keep warm.
To skillet, add lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and remaining 2 T butter.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add parsley and chives.
Pour over steaks.

Odds and Ends

2009-04-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

I ran across this deal through one of the thrifty mom blogs I read. If you sign up for the DQ blizzard fan club (and come on, who doesn't, right?) you get a coupon for BOGO free blizzard. You guys enjoy one for me!

Also, for you fashionistas out there, this is kind of a cool site to check out- just see it for yourself- I can't explain it, but it's tons of fun.

The little one and I are off to get ready for a trip to Lufkin for some grocery shopping and whatever else trouble we can get into!

One dark and dreary morning...

2009-04-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

Eden had her four month check-up yesterday and was so wound up she didn't take any naps. Whoever said those shots make babies sleep hasn't met our quirky little kid. Eden is big and healthy- 70% on length, 75% on head (she's growing into her noggin!), and 80% on weight- a whopping 14lbs and 11 oz. She has been cleared for cereal and I can't wait to try out the first oh so messy feeding.

Our lives are so full right now that it is hard to find time to blog- it is also hard to catch up from my last post- but I'll try to hit the highlights:

Thomas took Eden to her Mamier's on Friday, taking along with him Creamy Chicken Enchiladas I made them for dinner. I'm shocked to discover that I've never posted this recipe before. We eat it often and it's my go to recipe when preparing dinner for another family. Check out the recipe below.

While they were traveling I made cookies and watched Crossroads (not the Brittany Spears version but oh just equally unwatchable). After very little sleep, I braved the freezing weather to sell cookies. The cold snap sort of killed the spring fling- but I was still able to break even (covering one time purchases like the tablecloth) and make enough to pay myself about $1.50 an hour. I will not be doing this in the future :), but it was fun while it lasted.
The rest of our weekend was VERY relaxing- I napped, we took a walk at the lake with Ryan and Anna (well, Thomas and Ryan played disc golf), ate sushi, bought and watched A LOT of Pushing Daisies (which Thomas loves), sewed a little for a friend's baby shower, and found my phone- IN THE DISHWASHER.

Yeah, I'm special, I've been told.

Monday was spent feeling crazy because I didn't have a phone (I'm addicted), Tuesday was spent traveling to see my parents and borrow a junker phone from my brother, and yesterday was Eden's dr appointment. Caught up now?

So I get to buy a new phone... and I'm starting to think iPhone. Thomas made the excellent point that if we move- easy connectibility will be a must. I'm still not convinced that I'm worthy of such a fancy phone, but I'm sure I'll grow out of that soon!

Today is dedicated to gathering ingredients and prepping cookies for Thomas' mom's family reunion this weekend. My current plan is to make Midnight Cowboy Chocolate Chip cookies (sans cocunut), butter rum cookies, and hazelnut caramel cracker bars. They are all pretty quick and easy and two of the doughs can be made a day ahead of baking. I'll let you know how they go, but for now will just leave you with this yummy recipe:

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (drain well!!! or your enchiladas will be soggy)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 7-ounce can diced green chiles, drained
6 flour tortillas (smaller ones)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped tomato for garnish

Place chicken in a large saucepon in enough water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes ro utnil chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken from saucepan. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred chicken into bite-size pieces (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Set aside.

In a large bowl combine chicken, spinach, and green onions; set aside. For sauce, in a bowl combine sour cream, yogurt, flour, cumin, and salt. Stir in milk and chile peppers. Set aside.

For filling, combine half of the sauce and the chicken-spinach mixture. Divide filling among tortillas; roll up. Placed filled tortillas, seams sides down in a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish.

Spoon remaining sauce over tortillas. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with lots of chopped, fresh tomato.

Cookies, Crafting, and Camping

2009-03-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I discovered yesterday that Eden will happily play close by while I work out- making it really easy for me to add this into my current routine, which is GOOD because I am sick of all of this scheduling! Eden staying at her mameir's this weekend is perfect timing. I am going to use the empty house tonight as a chance to try the farmer's market again- so if you're local come and see me- I give away free samples! On the menu for the weekend are hazelnut caramel cracker bars, vegan chewy chocolate chocolate chip cookies, decorated sugar cookies, and MAYBE cornmeal thyme or citrus cornmeal cookies. This weekend is the big Spring Fling so it should draw the largest crowd - lots of entertainment, kids activities, and first signs of produce. Not only do I hope to sell more, but it should just be lots of fun!

Today Eden and I will be traveling out to get a few supplies for the market and also a snap fastener. Her Easter dress is almost finished and I have been dreading the buttons- they are difficult to do well AND I don't like buttons on her clothing. It dawned on me last night that I could simply change the pattern and add snaps - which I definitely prefer for the ease of dressing a baby. Plus I get a new toy :).

Thomas and I have been discussing taking a small family vacation for a few weeks and yesterday decided that we should go camping. We'll be joined by two very good friends who live in Ft Worth- if anyone knows a food camping site between Nac and Ft Worth- let me know!

Isn't this just supposed be a metaphor?

2009-03-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blurry picture, if you can't tell the window is broken. Seriously--- I think my scales are telling me something. To be honest, I have no idea how it broke, but it's not too far fetched that it was me. I have officially peaked at my post-baby-easy-weight loss and still have about 1/3 of what I gained- thus begins step 2 in Katie gets her act together. Normally I would refrain from publicly discussing something that I, and most women, consider a very private challenge. However, I recently learned during the cookie experiment and step 1 in getting my act togherther:cleaning, that I'm more apt to follow through with something if I make a public proclamation. Don't worry, there will be no mimicking of crazy radio dj stunts, no swearing to post a picture of myself in a bathing suit in three months, etc. Weight loss for me is a pretty slow process because I refuse to diet- none of this no carb/counting calories, etc. I just try to eat "right". Our meals usually show good habbits- lots of veggies, few breads/pastas, light/low-fat ingredients/ lean meats, etc, but they are NOT diet foods. I guess I'm saying that I'm still going to talk about our menus, and they're not going to look like I'm on a diet, so please don't judge me! (not that any of you sweet people would).

The plan will be to cut back on/cut out sweets and workout. Two things that I do very little of. I have a serious sweet tooth and I get little/no exercise- It's actually quite amazing that I don't gain weight. The fact that I live this way and still manage to creep off a few pounds leads me to believe that losing some "extra me" won't be TOO difficult if I follow through with these two goals.

This will probably lead to less blogging. Eden takes about 2 - 3 short naps while her daddy is at work. I have been using those to clean/blog-surf/and prep dinner. Exercising is going to take priority over EVERYTHING, or, let's face it, it will never happen. So Eden's first nap is exercising. I am going to lay out clothes and equipment the night before so I have no excuses. Her next nap will be dedicated to cleaning- don't want to undo step 1!

Hopefully this will lead to having free evenings to hang out with Thomas and Eden and slip in the occasional craft project- which is what you would all rather be reading about! I realize my life via blog may sound a bit boring/boxed in- but hey- I have a newborn. Cleaning/exercising/cooking (well maybe not cooking) are not what I want my life to be about! But it is important for me to find ways to make them routine and easy so that my life can be mostly consumed with family time and time to create. I'm always amazed when people seem to naturally balance all of these things, and work too! I really have to work at it- but at least our days don't look like this anymore:

- Thanks for sticking with me during my journey!

FREE MOVIE MONDAY!

2009-03-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

Don't forget about your FREE movie today. Enter promo code HG7W56 before you pay.

I'll be picking Joseph up from the vet shortly (he got bit by something on the back of his legs and somehow that turned into staff- I'm so glad he's outside only at this time- staff + baby = bad), throwing together some spicy sloppy joes, and then relaxing with Thomas and a movie soon to be determined. Hope you all have equally enjoyable evenings!

Spicy Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped yellow summer squash
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 16oz jar salsa
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
6 to 8 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted

Directions
In a medium skillet cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is brown. Drain off fat. Stir in zucchini, yellow summer squash, mushrooms, and sweet pepper.
Cover and cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. stir in salsa, basil, parsley, and rosemary. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve meat on TOASTED rolls. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

**I will be halving this recipe (just use really small squash) AND I use wheat sandwich buns instead of Kaiser rolls.

Gourmet Salled

2009-03-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Whoa... where to begin.. a lot has happened since I last checked in. We'll just start with Wednesday.

Our anniversary plans got changed up a bit. The chef became ill and our cooking class was canceled. Thomas and I threw together the meal we were supposed to, but didn't, eat on Tuesday,Lamb with spinach and bearnaise sauce, dropped Eden off at the sitter, hit the grocery store for some appetizers and chocolate cheesecake, and headed back home for a cozy candlelit dinner on our back porch. We talked until well after sunset and then finished Shadowlands before picking up Eden. It was very chill and very nice.

Thursday I was back on track with my cleaning/cooking schedule. Having decided to try the farmer's market this week, I made a plan for Cookie Madness and got all of my supplies. For dinner we had Rice and Beef stuffed peppers. This is a good recipe for anyone who wants to prepare dinner earlier in the day and then just pop it in the oven an hour before dinner.

Rice and Beef Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
6 large red, green, or yellow bell peppers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1/3 cup parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 jar (26 oz) Classico di Firenze Florentine Spinach & Cheese Pasta Sauce
Salt and black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Directions
1. Cut tops off peppers and set aside. Remove the seeds and membrane from each pepper.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and parsley. Cook until tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked onion-mushroom mixture with beef, rice, cheese, bread crumbs and 1/4 cup pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in egg.
4. Spread remaining pasta sauce in baking dish. Fill peppers with beef mixture and replace tops. Place peppers in prepared baking dish. Bake, covered, in preheated oven until peppers are tender and meat has cooked through, about 1 hour. Serve peppers topped with sauce.
I halved this recipe- it still made enough to stuff 4 bell peppers (i had an extra pepper). I'll use the leftover veggies and meat in dinner tonight- because i didn't use it Friday....

Friday was all about preparing for Market- and boy was it a lot of work. I ended up baking 30 dozen cookies- 5 jam shortbread, 10 soft chocolate chip, 6 hazelnut caramel cracker bars, 7 vegan chewy chocolate chocolate chip, and 2 decorated sugar cookies. I was up until 1 am and awake at 6 am. When I arrived at the market I wanted to get back into the truck and head home and not try at all. I've made it a point in life to only try things at which I know I will succeed and I was pretty confident this was going to be a big fiasco/failure/all-around-dumb idea.
To be honest, the only reason I did it was because I said I would and I've recently told myself I had to start following through with any plans I make- but why did I have to start with this crazy hair brained idea??? Luckily, it was not a total bomb (although it might have been good for me to utterly fail at something)- I sold a little over half of my stuff and still managed to break even with costs (except for the unused packaging, tablecloth, and chalkboard which I will use for other things). People were very complimentary about my packing and display (in relation to the typical booth there I went above and beyond- but hey- this was ALL about giving it 110% and doing it the way I always imagined), and really liked the cookies. I also got to know some of the vendors that I buy from. I MIGHT do it next weekend- truncating what I bake to match what sold. Apparently I haven't learned my lesson about trying crazy things yet :).

FREE Movie Today!!

2009-03-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Free movie Wednesday! Go to this blog to get a promo code to rent a free movie at Redday.
Monday night we rented City of Ember which Thomas has wanted to see FOREVER and I finally relinquished. We were both underwhelmed- at least it was free! I made the great discovery that you can go to Redbox.com, enter your zip, and see what movies are in stock for rent. This makes picking out a movie with a baby soooo much easier.

Yay for the sun!

2009-03-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

The forecast for this week is much better which gives me hopes of staying motivated and on track with my new schedule. Cloudy, rainy days really affect me- something I have to get over when Thomas goes to school at... well... all of the cities he is looking at are kind of cold and dreary a lot- except maybe California :).

So Mondays are for menu planning, grocery shopping, and deep cleaning the kitchen. I actually managed to get all of that done!

Menu for the week:
M-Chicken Corn Tacos
T- Grilled Lamb Chops with spinach and lemon-mint sauce (this did not happen- keep reading)
W- *Date Night* (Three years!!)
T- Spicy Sloppy Joes
F- Rice and Beef Stuffed Peppers
S- *Other Plans*
S- Mac-N-Goat Cheese

I already had lots of chicken and some lamb, the sloppy joes and stuffed peppers share a lot of ingredients, and the mac-n-cheese is pretty basic. I'll share the recipes as I get to each meal- but the first two are linked above.

So, Monday went well, but now it's Wednesday and I already need to play catchup. It's ok- and you know why? Because Tuesday was on of the best days I have had in months! And that's saying a lot - my days are pretty good.

First, Eden slept until 7:45- that's about an extra hour and a half. Thomas turned off his alarm by accident and she did not wake us up before his work time. So as a family we peacefully slept in, it was spectacular. Since Thomas was already late and because I had fun plans for the day- he called in and took a spontaneous day off for family time. We had green milk and shamrock shaped french toast and played with Eden - bliss.
My dad showed up about 10 am and we headed to the Lufkin Zoo and then to UFO pizza for some lunch (yummy! the pizza, not the animals). Eden was good almost the entire trip and woke up just as we got home to play with her grandpa.
My dad left mid afternoon and we decided we had time to cook dinner for Thomas' dad's family They are moving into their new house this week and are super busy. Thomas relinquished his Tuesday night to himslef and helped me with Eden. Together we cooked a Morrocan feast consisting of Carrot salad, Couscous salad, and roasted Chicken thighs with Sweet and Golden potatos. It's what I learned at my cooking class a few weeks ago. Oh and maccoroni because I was afraid Thomas' sisters wouldn't eat the food, but just to prove how great yesterday was- they ate it! And liked it! We had a very pleasant evening in camp chairs on their new back deck/porch/outside palace (whatever you want to call it). We brought mint chocolate chip icecream for a St Patrick's day dessert and Thomas was able to snag a little bit of his evening back by getting in the hot tub with his fam while I watched Eden.
So, certainly that's it right? NO! Thomas and I capped the evening off by dragging my little dvd player to bed and watching Shadowlands- stopping at the part where everything is all figured out and happy- AND THEN we peacefully drifted off to sleep at the end of a perfect day.
YEAH- my life IS great :).

This morning I rescued my kitchen from the horrid mess I made yesterday. Now I have to clean the back bathroom which should have been done yesterday and clean our bedroom to keep up with my schedule.

Did I mention our 3rd anniversary is today and we get to celebrate with a babysitter and a mediterranean tapas cooking class?! (if you didn't catch it in my typing- I'm grinning like a giddy school girl :). Well- time to go get my own little giddy girl up from her nap!

Getting my act together...

2009-03-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

So did anybody rent their FREE Redbox movie this past Monday!? I did! Eden and I had our first official movie night. Thomas and I have recently tried putting more of a schedule over our lives-we're still in planning mode and we'll always be flexible- but Monday's are now officially Family Movie Night. I'm so excited! Movies in our family are going to be a big treat as Eden grows up because we do not have cable television and actually have started watching movies less and less. I know she can't be excited about it yet but I can just picture her little curly head bopping around in excitement before future events :). We rented our movie, picked up a pizza, had a picnic at the SFA duck pond, saw Thomas off to his movie (we do actually plan to do this as a family in the future, but he wanted to see The Watchman and I wanted to watch Fireproof- can there be more polar opposites?), and Eden and I had a big, girly time.

Thomas and I have also agreed it would be healthy to have nights designated for our individual hobbies. He's grabbed Tuesday and I've grabbed Thursday. It worked out super well this week because a friend delivered her third child and FIRST BOY! Thursday morning (they wait to find out the sex of the baby- it was quite exciting). I finally got around to using this cute book, had a left-over- never-used onesie, and threw together the following gift in 2 hours:

I am so excited about how easy these little kimono pants were that I've already cut Eden's size out of the pattern and hope to make her a few pairs. But first, her easter dress must be finished! I have actually started sewing and to great relief am finding it easier than expected.

The rest of the scheduling is just for my sake. I finally divided up house cleaning chores and spread them out Monday-Saturday. Sundays are reserved for not doing anything or doing monthly tasks like cleaning the car or straightening the yard. I don't know how anyone else does it- but I need a schedule- otherwise I end up doing surface cleaning of every room, every day, all day long. I'm a little OCD about tidiness and dishes but not about deep cleaning- hopefully I'll have more time and a cleaner house if this works. I'd be interested to hear anyone else's systems!

Picture Update!

2009-03-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

The first photos are from my phone- you'll notice the change in quality when they switch to camera:

Every once in a while Eden gets really really clingy:

She is "always" extremely happy and hyper first thing in the morning:

And not so happy other times (although she has the cutest pouty face ever!):

She cleans up pretty nice, especially when she will wear bows:

She and her daddy have matching blue eyes (be still my heart!):

She smiles and wiggles and is hard to photograph:

And has the cutest shoes!

If you're crazy and you know it clap y our hands...

2009-03-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

*CLAP**CLAP*
So Thomas and I have thrown around ideas for participating in the farmer's market since it reopened two years ago. See why I'm crazy? I am the girl who can kill every plant I touch, have failed to start a yard garden even though I've thought about it for a half dozen years, and haven't baked fresh bread since I was 5.
But we realized I'm good at one thing- and that's cookies. So it'll be a glorified bake sale and I'm afraid the "real" farmer's market people will want to chase me out of there with pitchforks- sort of like hippie carnies chasing out a no-talent wannabe clown. I am going to try to offer cookies that appeal to the crowd in hopes of turning a profit and avoiding previously mentioned pitch-forking.Currently under review are:
(The Staples)
My favorite chocolate chip cookies
Jam cookies
Decorated Sugar Cookies
(The eccentric)
Cashew Caramel Cracker Bars
(The pulling-it-off cause it's a farmer's market)
Cornmeal Thyme - or - Butter Rosemary (can't decide yet)
VEGAN Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Chips

I have already located good, cheap packaging and created a label for them. I need to get down grocery lists, estimate costs, and determine how much to package and price.
We'll give it one, maybe two trial runs and then do all the legal stuff if I think I'll continue.

Any suggestions on cookie choice or cost effectiveness (or large font exclamations to stop before I go any further) leave me a comment!

She's just that awesome..

2009-03-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

It was 1 pm, Eden had only taken one 45 minute nap about 10am, so I started thinking, she is probably going to take a nap soon. She let out one little yawn a minute later, I swaddled her, laid her in her crib,and left her smiling and wiggling. I came back 2 minutes later to find her fast asleep. Yes... she's just that awesome. We have actually worked pretty hard at teaching her to put herself to sleep- but she's a baby so you can't really expect too much- but she is great at it!

Other things she is great at (aside from being freaking adorable)
*Head control
*Tracking and eye contact
*Communication (she can literally carry a conversation- wait her turn to speak, expect a response- of course, towards the end of a discussion she gets really excited and speaks at the same time you do- I think she gets that from her mama :) )
*SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT
*Being a lefty
*Letting her mama eat lunch- we're still working on daily showers- for both of us

In non-Eden news- I started painting again! It's a simple decorative kiddish piece, but hey, at least I'm putting brush to canvas, or board in this case. It'll be a fun, playful piece in which I plan to use acrylics, pastel crayons, paper, and who knows what else. I've also picked out fabric and a pattern for Eden's Easter dress- we'll see if it gets done!

Insert interesting title here

2009-03-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

Cooking class was so much fun! If it wasn't for my lack of interest in anything competitive- culinary school would be a blast. When I get around to making some of the dishes we were shown I'll be sure to post about them in more detail. My favorite dish was the oranges in simple sauce with mint slivers. I was both surprised at the simple things I learned by watching a professional chef and the things I already knew that seemed to be new information to a lot of attendees. The best basic tips I walked away with were how to properly dice an onion, chop up and store herbs, and zesting citruses.

If you do not care about my cat skip this section :) - In non-cooking news, our cat is officially an outdoor cat. He has gotten progressively whinier since Eden was born and the climax was last week when he meowed all day long, waking Eden during her naps, and then to get our attention at 2 am knocked a wooden bell my parents had given me off of the dresser- breaking it. This wooden bell has a chime box that plays Edelweiss and my dad used it to put me to sleep. I loved it growing up. Luckily for the cat, he just broke off the handle and in such a way that it is fixable and will never be noticed- but still. He can come and go into the laundry room through the dog door but we keep it closed off to the rest of the house. It's been 3 days and he's only begged to come in once- and half-heartedly at that. If you live in Nacogdoches, please do not hit him if he's in the street :). I don't want to talk about it too much because you will all discover I really am a crazy cat lady- a realization I stumbled on the other day. Thomas told someone that Joseph's last name was "Underfoot" and I caught myself just before I could exclaim "don't you know his last name is Middlebrook?! you accepted him as family when you married me! Underfoot can be his middle name." So now he's outside, distancing himself, and I can be rescued from crazycatladyitis.

OK- in news you all actually care about- Eden is the cutest kid ever! Seriously, I haven't laughed this often, this hard, in YEARS. I wanted to have a kid this "young" for several reasons, but one was because I liked the idea of being a youthful parent. The truth is this kid would have made me feel young no matter my age. She reminds me to be playful, laugh at crazy situations (like the unfortunate pooing of March the 2nd which I will refrain from sharing in such a public place), and not take everything so seriously- especially other people's opinions. These are goals I have been trying to accomplish for a long time. Who knew it was as "simple" as having a kid ;).

SAVER TIP FOR THE DAY:
I was just thinking that Thomas and I do not utilize the library enough- especially for movies. We rented tons of movies before Eden was born. Even though we don't do it very often now, we're pretty bad about racking up late fees- which are higher at the video stores than at the library. The biggest drawbacks of the library are the lack of new releases and the limited amount of copies for the newer ones. Then today I read Abigail's blog and found a great tip- Free Movie Monday's through RedBox. You can find instructions for getting and using the promotional code here, and check in on each Monday for the new code here. THANKS ABIGAIL!

Check out the side bar!

2009-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

So, I added a feature to my blog which is going to make MY life a lot easier as I add favorite recipes and I hope it will inspire a few happy evenings with good food and friends to all of you readers. After I set it up I realized it might quickly outgrow the alphabetized organization and need categories- but meh- this is all I've got to offer for now.

It seemed as if the bad financial times had been skipping over my friends and family for a while, but it is finally starting to seep into the lives of people I know- lost jobs, tighter budgets, etc.etc. I liked the list of suggestions from This Vintage Chica blog. It has all set me into planning mode for cutting our expenses- finding coupons, shopping the sales, planning meals better, etc. Anyone with tips and ideas let me know! Right now I'm just focused on using every bit of food I buy- finding recipes that share ingredients and "eating to the back of the pantry" as my parents would say (this last part is funny- like yay right funny, not haha funny- considering how packed our pantry is, but you get the idea).

So I bought chicken on sale BuyOneGetOne, cooked it, chopped it up, and am spreading it across a few recipes. Monday night was Curves White Chili. I bought onions by the bag when they were on sell BOGO, had leftover jalapeno and cheese, and have this great chicken stock powder I got in a barter using tablecloths I no longer used. BTW- bartering is my favorite form of thrifting ever. Hit me up- seriously.

White Chili
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbls olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
7 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup cooked white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, cubed
chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in soup pot until tender. Add Jalapeno, chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt, and saute another minute. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and cheese. Makes about 3 servings.

The rest of the chicken will be used for Chicken and Dumplings tonight. The only ingredients I had to buy were the Carrots and Potato- the rest is in my pantry. BTW- I half this recipe and cut out the celery (Thomas doesn't like it).

My current goals are to buy more ingredients in their most basic form- shredding cheese myself, using my bread machine, buying heads of lettuce and bunched spinach.

So after sounding as if I'm a super saver (haha-I'm totally not) let me burst my own bubble and tell you how excited I am to go to a cooking class this afternoon! Definitely not on the cheap side of entertainment, but I have been wanting to go to a cooking class forever and can't wait! It's on Morocan cuisine and I'll let you know how it goes.

Fun in Houston

2009-02-25T14:37:00.000-08:00

Eden's Mamere and Pawpaw kept her last weekend and Thomas and I got farther out of East Texas than we had since Eden's birth- a whole 2.5 hours! It was a weekend all about food and shopping. We hit up Ikea, the Galleria, and Central Market; fueling ourselves in between at Nikko Nikko's (greek), some organic coffee shop place on Westheimer, Indonesia Grill, and La Madeline's. We even managed to get in a little education at the Natural Museum of Science where there was an exhibit on the Jewish roots of Christianity. It focused on providing context for the culture that was just before, during and after Jesus' time in and around Jerusalem. This was the most important time we shared together. Thomas is getting more and more serious about pursuing further education and possibly teaching old testament history. It's really important for me to share in that part of his life and I have a LOT of catching up to do. We had tons of fun with him playing teacher and me student (as always :) ).

Central Market provided wonderful treats for us foodies. Here's a list of some of our spoils:
* Gorgonzola Raviola
* Gnocchi (which Kroger in Nac is actually carrying now)
* Lemon artichoke pesto - used on the gnocchi
* Raw Hazelnuts
* Ciao Bella Bacio Gelato - a favorite memory from Italy, this is seriously the best ice cream ever
* Edamame
* Frozen cubed sweet potatos
* Naan
* Korma and Tikka Masala Sauces
* Five Spice Powder and Garam Masala Spice
* Peach Amaretto Jam - already used to make Jam Cookies - see picture above
* Blood Orange Juice - another favorite of ours from our Italy trip
* Black Pepper and some kind of aged cheddar - both fantastic
* Golden raspberries - same flavor but less tart- awesome

So I used the lemon artichoke pesto and gnocchi last night for a quick, delicious dinner. I cooked a few chicken tenders in a skillet with the fantastic Pecan Oil Thomas got me for Valentine's Day, and then sliced them into smaller pieces. I cooked the gnocchi in boiling water, removed them - reserving the water and adding to it asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces. Everything went into a big bowl and was tossed with the pesto and was served with a salad.

Setting the mood

2009-02-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

We actually went on a date for Valentine's Day-ooohhh. Have we reformed our anti-valentine-day-ways? Nah- it was just convenient timing. We took Eden to Carthage and let my parents babysit for the evening and we went to a movie and then dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. We chose to see Coraline in 3-D which was awesome! Although it was a little creepy and we were sure all the small children in the theatre would need a little counseling afterwards- it was quite enjoyable. Dinner was.. interesting. We gave our name to the hostess at Johnny Carinos- one 40 minute wait and a call to 911 later we were sitting down to a meal that was interupted by police officers three times. No big deal- there was a wreck outside of the restaurant for which NO ONE STOPPED. Seriously people - STOP if you witness a wreck- the restaurant did not have a view of the road we could just hear it- so my police statements were frustratingly inadequate- but as the 911 caller I apparently still had to give one.

Although there has been a lot of cooking, I haven't blogged about it due to the embarrassment that I have met very few of my criteria- namely the cheap, healthy, and sometimes quick criteria (ok, so that's all of them). First it was the tomato and pesto tart which was a little expensive because of the goat cheese, pesto, and asparagus, had to bake for an hour, and was made only slightly more healthy by using a wheat crust. Next came the Indian feast (I even found flatbread in Nacogdoches!), which was at least quick- but most importantly fun. One of the prepackaged side dishes (chickpeas in curry, mmmmm) came with a CD of Indian Classical music- like getting a prize in a cracker jacks box. Admittedly it was annoying after about 3 minutes; however, I committed and kept it going through dinner.

That brings us to tonight- I will meet my goals!! I've made this one before and I know it's healthy, quick and cheap. It's quite tastey- enjoy!

Szechuan Pork Stir-Fry- from Cooking Light

Ingredients

6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
3/4 cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
3/4 cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.

Cooking and Blogging...

2009-02-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Baking isn't happening so much... although I did manage to make scones for breakfast... barely. Yesterday we ate dinner at 6:30. I turned up the oven and popped some blueberry scones in just as I took out our baked pasta. We ate a quick dinner, while feeding the kiddo, and rushed to church (in time to catch a few hymns!). I really was listening to the service, but something Steve said made me think of breakfast, and then the scones, which were still in the oven. I jumped up from my seat, ran into the nursery where Thomas was with Eden, exclaiming I was rushing home to make sure our house wasn't on fire. The time on the car clock read 7:36 as I hurriedly dialed a neighbor. I was about 7 minutes away and figured a lot of cute baby clothes could burn up in that amount of time (seriously?! baby clothing is what I thought of). She called me back moments later saying everything looked fine and not to rush, scones would just dry out and blacken anyway. I was still thinking there would at least be a lot of smoke and a smelly oven waiting for me, but everything seemed ok.
And you know why?
The silly oven wasn't even turned on. That's right. I turned it off. They were half-baked because of the pre-heating. I managed to salvage them- probably shouldn't have. Who knows what health risks there are when one eats dough that was partially raw and warm for an hour, but meh, I'm already ill.
So there was that baking. And Thomas happily watched Eden a few hours this past weekend so I could make him cookies.

But there's mostly just been cooking. I've promised a few friends that I would start posting the dinners I make for Thomas and me. I've aim for quick, healthy, and cheap recipes (in that order) and am finding a lot through Cooking Light's 20 minute meals.

The following recipe gets Two Thumbs Up (one from Thomas and one from Katie). The sauce is pretty strong, but a good compliment to the shrimp. I served it over basamati rice cooked in chicken broth. It met the criteria of being healthy and quick, but isn't so cheap because of the shrimp and ginger (I bought bottled prepared ginger because it was faster). I'm pretty weary of cooking shrimp and found this to be super easy.
It made enough for our dinner and Thomas' lunch- so probably about 4 normal servings. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup vertically sliced onion

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle shrimp with salt. Add shrimp to pan, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp mixture from the pan.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan. Add broccoli and onion to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add shrimp mixture and broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Look! I have time to play in photoshop, you know what that means...

2009-02-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

... Eden feels better!

Sorry for taking so long to report back on the health and well being of our family. I'd like to use being a full time mom as an excuse, but um, we all know my blogging habits.
So when I last left you Eden's Dr. had recommended a diet change. I had serious doubts, but it worked! There are still a few mixed emotions about the switch, but Eden's disposition dramatically changed within 6 hours of the recommended course of action. It took her about a week to have a random crying spell, and they are still very few. Now we are trudging along on this path, not the one we intended to be on, but isn't parenting all about the unexpected and following your gut concerning what's right for your child?

Currently we are chilling in the living room. Eden is in her pack'n'play enjoying her pimped out mobile (every girl should be so lucky). She has just been contentedly cooing away, entertaining herself for about 30 minutes now. Life is so different!
Of course the tales of parenting are never without a few bumps in the road. We moved her to the nursery on Friday and the timing was perfect! I have come down with a bad cold (flu??) and coughed all Sunday night and would have kept her up- not that she needed any help- she went from her schedule of bedtime at 9pm, feeding at 3am, up at 7am - to 9pm, 11pm, 1am, 3am, 5am, 7am.... I couldn't sleep in between because I was coughing so much. Thomas, who had slept through the night, was excited to come home and relieve me. Unfortunately, that afternoon he had a bad reaction to some medication and was too dizzy/nauseous to do anything (this also happened last Thursday, but I wasn't quite as sick and had a better night's sleep). Luckily, we have wonderful family/friends who babysat for a few hours.

So thank you for all the prayers, we're all back on track now. Thomas' side affects are all but gone, my bad cold now feels like bad allergies and my voice is back, and Eden is back to her regular sleeping schedule (did I mention that she often likes to party after her 3am feeding?).

Oh and if anyone wants to have a good laugh, I finally got my Babies'N'Me Pilates video. Eden is now going to be downgraded from cute, cuddly baby to workout equipment. This should be amusing- she weighs 12 lbs!

Strike Three?

2009-01-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

So, I like to keep my blog void of anything even bordering on personal. For one, I'm always shocked at the random people who I find out read my very infrequent ramblings about cookies and sewing and fear stepping on unsuspecting toes. Also, I fear that I will misspeak or leave out important pieces of information as one often does when communicating solely via computers. I'm not an eloquent writer (or speaker for that matter) and have become victim of this situation before. Not to mention all of the advice that I am "soliciting" simply by opening up to such a large crowd of people. Against my better judgment I'm deciding for tonight to set aside those worries (help us all) and type a bit about the challenge of Eden.

First and foremost a disclaimer in efforts to avoid point #2 from above. Not that any of you doubt this, but let me just say I love this little booger to death and she could be a terror and that wouldn't change. I am also not saying I have an extraordinarily difficult child. We are very lucky in many things. She came into this world well, she is free of any serious or life threatening issues, 80% of the time she only wakes at night to eat and goes right back to sleep, we do have some wakeful, happy times together, and I do not expect her to be that "perfect" baby. Ok, my disclaimer was long enough so I won't feel guilty about the following.

Eden cries a lot. I mean, a lot. She usually does not cry from 11 pm to 6 am unless she's hungry which is an enormous blessing. Other than that she cries about 45 minutes out of every hour and she rarely sleeps during the day.

Strike One- she was much much worse (cried at night too) her first week of life. Enter meds for reflux #1 and she started sleeping at night. YAY! However, she still threw up randomly and fussed while eating.
Strike Two- enter reflux meds #2- she stopped fussing so much while eating and no longer throws up. Has a few more happy periods.

At this point we threw in the towel- said, this is our child, we can deal with it, some babies are just fussy. We have tried two different slings, a swing, a vibrating chair, car rides, different beds, different white noises, different holding positions, etc etc etc.

I had decided this was her personality and am adjusting to it- although I'm a little frayed around the edges. It's difficult when your child cries so much there is no play time and there is nothing more of yourself to give to your spouse and definitely not friends and family. The experience has helped me grow more than any other- I'm getting better at accepting and, more importantly, asking for help from others. I'm easier on myself when nothing other than the absolute necessities of life get done.
I had prepared myself that the next four months (two months are already down) of our lives will be solely dedicated to pacifying this little girl and everything else could wait until later. Interstingly enough, her 6 month mark is my birthday :).

Then came her 2 month check up today. She had been doing her normal screaming fit for 45 minutes when the doctor finally came in. She heard Eden cry and stated something needed to be done for that baby in pain. *Lightbulb* - that was a pain cry! I've been listening to other babies cry for the past few weeks and kept remarking how different it was from Eden's and just assumed it was part of her fussiness. Let me just say that the realization that she is in pain and not just unhappy is not welcome- but- it holds promise because it's something with the potential to be fixed.

Long story short, we are trying a formula based diet for a few days to see if she is affected by her this and upping her meds a bit. Please pray for peace for our little one, a break from her pain, and guidance for us and our doctor as we try to determine what is best for her.

Good news! She is 10lbs 8 oz, 21.5 inches long, (both at the 50th%) - and her head is at the 75th%! No wonder she looks so much like her daddy :).

2009-01-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

As promised, I am posting pics of the nursery and sharing a few of our favorite nursery items.
In the below picture you can see beloved item #1- crocheted mobile from Emily. This is hands down the most helpful thing next to another human holding Eden. It is one of the handful (yes, these can be counted using just 5 fingers) of things that make Eden really happy- like smiley, giddy happy. She is particularly in love with the butterfly. Next to the window you can glimpse a couple of nursery rhyme art boards. These were hand me downs from a friend of a friend and are originally from a gallery in New York, New York. They are dated from the 40's and are perfect in her nursery.

The monogram artwork above the bookshelf was a handmade present from Melissa for Christmas and totally made some of the pictures Jill took of Eden (well Eden made the pictures, the artwork helped :) ). It's hard to tell how great it is in this photo, but the lamp was a vintage hand-me-down from Abigail (from the Kinnairds, from their friend....) that I was tickled to receive.

Well, that's the nursery!

Speaking of babies - I can't seem to get off that subject lately - if you need a baby fix go check out the submissions for best newborn photo at The Babble. WARNING- Some of the pictures show newborns first attempts at nursing and some show babies before the nurses had a chance to clean them. Anyway, they're mostly cute, but don't say I didn't warn ya if you see something you wish you hadn't.

We're all growing..

2009-01-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm finding ways to hold a sleeping baby and STILL type with two hands--- there is hope for this blog yet :).

My sister Jill (http://jilliankayphotography.blogspot.com/) did a photo shoot with Eden after Christmas. Below are a few of my favorite pictures (it took me longer to narrow down "favorite pictures" than it did to write this blog).

Things at our house are still crazy and rightly so. I plan (we'll see how it goes) to do the next few posts over things that I'm loving right now- from our favorite baby items, nursery decor, gifts I found for Thomas' birthday, clothing, etc, etc. You can catch a bit of a glimpse of one of them in the picture above- a fuzzy giraffe rug thing Tommy and Melissa gave us. This little girl LOVES it's silky soft texture.

I love the way Eden still curls up her legs ...

Her gorgeous eyes...
And how much she looks like her daddy.

Which is easier to see in the following picture:There has been baking, although a baby sitter had to be obtained in order for it to take place. Somehow, I don't think they minded :). Thomas turned 28 yesterday. On that day 28 years ago, his father, was also 28 years old and meeting Thomas for the first time. Kind of cool the way that worked out. For the occasion Thomas got the same cake from last year- with a little bit of an upgrade. Instead of plain vanilla with buttercream frosting I added a layer of raspberry filling- quite simply the EASIEST snazzying up ever.

SNOWFLAKE CAKE- from
Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated while cold, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk

For the frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, preferable a high-fat European style, at room temperature
1 pound sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
Pinch of salt

For the filling-
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
10 oz frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with waxed or parchment paper. Grease and flour the top side of the paper, and set aside.

2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then lightly whisk and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until light and nearly white, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in several additions, and beat until smooth and just blended. Scrape the sides and bottom.

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks just form. Gently stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated and no large white streaks of egg white remain.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using a spatula to evenly spread the batter. Gently rotate the pans to settle and level the batter. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the layers cool in their pans. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting the layers onto wire racks. Let the cakes cool thoroughly before carefully peeling off the paper. Cool completely before frosting, about 3 hours.

Make the frosting
1. In a stand mixer set on low speed, beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt until the sugar is moist. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat until light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Make the Filling-
Mix both ingredients together.

Assemble the cake-
Place one cake layer on a platter and cit off the top so that it is level. This also will allow the filling to soak into the cake a little. Spread the filling on this layer stopping an inch from the edges. You may not use all the filling. Top with second cake layer and frost.

Hi world!

2008-11-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Not much time to post yet, but here are the details:
Eden Alice Middlebrook . November 22nd . 6lbs 9 3/4 oz . 18 1/2 inches
More later!

Does this womb make me look fat?

2008-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

I think Eden is gaining weight again- she certainly feels heavier today, helping me perfect my waddle. The doctor said she is getting into position but other than that seems to be perfectly content to hang out where she is. More news again next Tuesday!

So I was serious about making a robe for myself in my last blog- it's rare that I so quickly make good on a crafty plan- but I guess the clock is ticking on this one. I used the kimono robe pattern from this book. I've made it once before as a gift and it's a pretty easy pattern- and as guessed it took about 8 hours. It's amazing what I can get done without distractions from my husband.

Speaking of, Thomas is coming home any minute!! He even gets tomorrow off for working so hard these last few weeks. Once he's home I can enlist him to hang the nursery artwork and then it'll be done! I'm using a lot of !!!! but I'm getting really excited about our little family's progress :). Hopefully I'll be checking back in soon with more pictures.

Hungry Hungry Hippo..

2008-11-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

Seriously, if someone wanted to bring me a piece of chocolate cake I'd be indebted to you forever. I'd make some for myself, but would probably eat the whole cake.

2 weeks, 4 days...

2008-11-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

I am officially counting down the days now, not just the weeks. No signs that the due date will change any, and so far I'm ok with that :). We go back to the doctor tomorrow- I'll try to share if there is any exciting news about Eden's progress - minus details of course.

My hospital bag is packed minus Eden's things that need to be washed, some entertainment in the way of books/magazines, and a robe. I am having difficulty finding a lightweight robe. Seriously, it's Texas. I know that big fleece robes make people get into the holiday season and believe that it's winter- but--- ahem-- it's Texas, sale something lighter. I'm toying with the idea of sewing one for myself. Last time I made a robe it only took 8 hours, and I have since added new cutting tools that make the prep work faster. The only problem is I'd really like it to be knit- but sewing with knits terrifies me because I don't have a serger (if any one has a good used one they want to sale let me know). Though to be honest, I don't even know what I'm talking about, just that I've read that sewing with knits is awful without a serger. If you're a sewer and have suggestions, I'm all ears.

Eden's nursery is really close to being done. There are a few more things that need to happen- painting shadow boxes and filling them, hanging all other artwork, washing clothes, sheets, and blankets, and vacuuming. I think I'm procrastinating because it would be weird to have it all done. Of course this means no pictures yet :). In the meantime, here are a few projects I've been up to:

Aaron and April had Alena Grace a few weeks ago and I'm happy to report the completion of a few projects for her! I helped with one of April's showers and provided cloth napkins in a nursery toile design so that they could later be turned into a small quilt.

There was enough unused fabric to make the quilt- but I decided to use the napkins from the shower so it'd have a special sentiment to it. Some of the napkins even have a few spots :). I think multi-textured blankets are great for kids so I used flannel for the backing and silk for the binding.

The next project was a special request from the parents that I happily took on. I think it's becoming a tradition for me to paint something for my friend's nurseries (if twice can be considered tradition :) ).

Thomas is gone for the third week out of the last four, though, it's really nice that he's been home on the weekends. That way I am really able to rest up when he's here- although I'm afraid he doesn't get the same! Poor guy spends all week in a physically demanding job to come home and pick his pregnant wife off of couches, the bed, the floor- pick up all of the things I've dropped or think are too heavy. Luckily I was able to cook some requested food and accompany him to an action flick- providing him with a little R&R. He should be home Wednesday or Thursday and then will not have to travel again for a few months. I can't wait to see him with this little girl- he's gonna be such a good papa!

Just because we felt like we didn't have enough balls in the air- we decided to have our house repainted. Honestly, the windows already had some bare, exposed wood and were going to rot - not to mention the parts of the wood siding that have already rotted.... We did such a HORRIBLE job picking out the house colors. We're talking orange clay with mint green. Yeah.... but the good news is they were fixed with just one remix! If you come to our house- ignore the color of the back steps, in fact, just save yourselves the horror and use the front door until the new paint is up :). It is going to be so pretty for Christmas and all of the many visitors I'm sure we'll have!

Coming soon: Christmas Goodies for Eden, Cookies and more Cookies, and Nursery pictures.

Snuggle Sack & Test Scores

2008-11-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

There are times I wish that knitting/crocheting didn't frustrate me so much (yes there are limits to what crafting I do). Finding this project was one of those times. It's so adorable! I can just imagine it in reds and pinks instead of blues and yellows- just in time for Christmas. Has anyone caught on that this is my favorite time of year? And that I'm thrilled to have a daughter coming in the middle of it? And I get to dress her up for Christmas?! She already has a mini tree in her nursery thanks to Mrs. Clinch :). I have a few good friends who actually like this hobby and are making/have made some sweet knitted things for Eden. Including a fabulous, brilliant blue sweater, bib, and washcloths Megan Y made for her. Thanks Megan!!

My test results were posted this morning, yay for the miracles of the modern age and computers. No more 4 week waiting periods for test scores to come by mail after they were hand scored by some individual hundreds of miles away... I passed! I know none of you had any doubts, but I tried to keep a healthy pessimism in case I had a fluke brain malfunction or something else distracting me... like my strongest braxton hicks contraction yet in the middle of the test - haha, yeah, that was funny once it was over. I even scored higher than I did on the practice tests. Who ever said cramming last minute for a state board doesn't work?

So now it's time to relax a bit- and just in time- Thomas gets 1.5 days off at the end of this week (this afternoon and all day tomorrow). I think our picnic plans (well, his plans, I can't take the credit) are being dampened. It's raining cats and dogs- oh well!

Taking a Break

2008-11-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Taking a break from studying to eat lunch and check my mail. The writer of one of the blogs I read has started a new blog project with the following purpose:
"As crafters, the reasons we create are many. Just one may be to spread a little bit of peace into the world, to make a small but meaningful difference in one person's life through a simple act of crafting with intention. Mama to Mama seeks to find ways to connect handcrafters with
mothers, children and families in need of a little bit of handmade love."
I love the idea of the first project The Caps to Cap-Haitien Project: A partnership with Konbit Sante.
We just cleaned my house out of any old t-shirts that would have been appropriate so I'll be walmarting or thrifting it in the next few days. Since my test will be over, I'll have some time I can dedicate to anything I want (at least until Baby Eden arrives)! If anyone wants to contribute but doesn't have the time or sewing skills, feel free to give me cotton jersey t-shirts you have lying around. I think the deadline for submissions is the beginning of December so it'd have to be soon!

Randomness

2008-11-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

For any of you still hanging in there, checking this blog as if I will keep my promise and write again, I'm back! Thanks for your patience. My Texes PPR test is in two days, hence the reason I'm finally blogging: procrastination. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, not that this will change anytime soon. There were three VERY lovely showers given in honor of Eden's quickly upcoming arrival. Each was unique with very sweet personal touches- we're so blessed by the loving people that are going to be here to greet Eden into this world. The last one was Saturday and it was a Bedtime Story themed shower. They made the dining room table into a bed (sheets, blanket, pillow, teddy bear) and all brought books that were displayed there. Of course the refreshments were milk and cookies :). It was completely adorable and Eden has so many wonderful books now!

The nursery is really starting to come together and I find myself making excuses to spend time in there (reading the books, sifting through her clothes, teaching myself how to use her cloth diapers). My parents picked up the glider and brought it to us yesterday (THANKS!!). Now, the crib is the only furniture we lack. I still have a few more projects to complete involving the decor of the room, but then I promise to post pictures.

Ooohh, one really exciting part of our weekend was that Thomas and my dad went shopping for a firepit while my mother and I attended the shower. S'mores here we come!! We still need to brainstorm a way to get a cooking grill or swinging arm rigged up over it so we can pretend we're not in the middle of the city and cook in our backyard. Just in time for the cooler weather :). If anyone has some delicious chili recipes, I'm all ears.

Cooking again! I've finally gotten into a little bit of a routine being home and dinner time has improved greatly. I made empanadas a year ago that were delicious- slow cooking chicken legs until the meat fell off the bone, combining it with interesting ingredients like cloves and pimento and olives. They were delicious! I've searched for a year for the recipe I used and can't find it, soooo enter empanada trial #2. Thomas thinks these are much better. Although I'm not convinced (mostly because they were much easier and surely all of my previous labor meant something!) they were pretty good. The recipe is a combination of Martha Stewart, recipezaar.com, and Katie tweaks.

I like to serve this with spanish rice and cantaloupe.

ATTENTION:: The below recipe is written for twice as much filling as dough. I froze half of the filling and made dough again a few weeks later. It made dinner really "simple" (this recipe is not a quick one). If you plan to make this just once, half the filling. The dough makes somewhere between 10 - 15 empanadas depending on the size you make them.

FOR THE FILLING
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, finely diced
7 oz can dice green chiles
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, diced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tsp (or more if desired) minced garlic
diced black olives (optional)
FOR THE DOUGH
2 1/4 cups all-purpo Blogger: Baking & Blogging - Create Post se flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup partially frozen butter (cut into small cubes, place the butter cubes in the freezer until ALMOST completely frozen)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions

Dough:

In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
Blend in the cold butter cubes using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (the mixture should be pea-size).
In a small bowl whisk together ONE egg, ice water and vinegar.
Add to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will look somewhat lumpy).
Transfer the mixture onto a floured surface.
Gather the dough together with your hands and gently knead with the heel of your hand once or twice (just enough to bring the dough together, do not overwork the dough or it will be tough!).
Form the dough in a semi-flat ball or rectangle.
Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Roll out the dough, then cut into desired size circles.
Fill with favorite fillings then close the dough over the filling (see directions below).
Brush the ends with an egg wash (one egg beaten with one tablespoon of water) then seal together with a fork.
OPTIONAL FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: If desired, freeze on a baking sheet until firm, 2 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic; freeze in plastic bags.
To bake fresh or frozen empanadas, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash, avoiding crimped edges. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Filling:

In a large skillet over medium-high, cook meat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add onion and chiles; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, tomatoes, and garlic. Cook over medium until mixture has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Home Sweet Root Beer Covered Home

2008-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

We're back from our trip to Wheaton- lots of friends, food, and sights. I'll address all of that in a moment, but first, what I know you would rather read about- trip drama! The only mishaps of the trip happened at the end and were seen more as comedy than drama.

Our luggage was included in the 1/5 that did not make it onto the plane from Chicago to Dallas. We were told the luggage would be delivered to our house by a DFW airport employee within 12 hours. 20 hours later I called the info line to find out that the luggage had been flown into Longview and would be delivered to us by that airport- Monday afternoon. Late Monday night I called the info line again to find out that it was sent out Fed-Ex and that it should be delivered today before noon. It's really no big deal; however, all of my casual maternity clothing is in the suitcase! I'm having to dress up for my new job as a stay-at-home-mamma-to-be :).

The more interesting drama happened when we came home on Sunday to discover the Great Root Beer Explosion of 2008. If you hang out with us enough, you may recall hearing about the Great Soy Sauce Spill of 2006, I think we've concluded that this was worse (the only arguing point is that the soy sauce spill ruined fresh baked cookies). A friend recently home-brewed 8 liters of root beer for us (4 2-liter containers). The advice to keep it chilled was not headed as we thought it referred to taste not chemical reactions and 3 of the 4 bottles were left sitting on our bench seat during the duration of our trip. Upon entering the kitchen, I first saw the enormous puddle of semi-dried root beer on the floor. It took me several more minutes to discover that root beer was on the ceiling, 3 of 4 walls, curtains, pictures, bench seat, table, fruit bowl, floor, trashcan, and cabinets. If you're familiar with our kitchen, it basically stopped short of the refrigerator. Once I located several pieces of the bottles it was determined that two of the three had exploded rather violently. Thomas decided the remaining bottle was hazardous, carefully carried it outside, and shot it with his bb gun. The resulting noise sounding like a tire backfiring- drawing neighbors outside of their home at 10pm to inspect what had exploded. Apparently the mushroom cloud of root beer foam was almost as tall as our house.
After two hours of work the next morning the first phase of cleanup was done- but everything is still a little sticky :).

So onto the actual trip- we got to stay with Tommy and Melissa in St Louis: ate breakfast at an awesome greasy spoon and talked to locals who were there when the arch was built, went up in the arch, took a small hike to an excellent view and had a much needed pedicure (both me and Thomas :) ). Next we stopped in on Timus, Nikki, and oh so cute Micah in his little glasses and enjoyed home cooked food (so good on a trip like this) including the BEST homemade ginger snap cookies. The rest of the trip we stayed in a very comfortable B & B close to Wheaton. The first day we took a tour of Wheaton, went to Chapel, and ate at Saga before venturing to the City. In Chicago we went to The Art Institute, ate Giordano's pizza (totally lived up to the hype), and had smores in the Hancock tower at night. The next day was spent at Wheaton- visiting professors and catching up with Thomas' old friends. Sunday, we attended a lecture by a Wheaton Poli-Sci prof on Religion & Politics given at Chris S' church before heading off to the airport, dropping off the minivan (the unmentioned drama of the trip-hehe) and heading back home.

Now that I'm home- it's nose to the grindstone! 9 weeks and counting. I spent most of yesterday addressing the root beer issue and completing an album for my sister. Today I am attempting to sign-up for my Pedagogy test (which is proving more difficult than it should be) and running errands. Depending on how testing sign up goes, I may or may not be spending the next week with my nose in a book studying- I think I'm hoping it doesn't work out well and the test is delayed until November :). Studying 1-2 hours a day instead of 4? I can do that without procrastinating..... (it's nice when writing a blog, you can't hear all of the snickering!)

From glowing to green...

2008-09-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

I would be terrible on bed rest, not that I expect to have to ever do that, I'm just saying, I can't sit still. When I wanted Thomas to throw his banana, peel and all, out of the car window at 6 am this morning, I should've known this was coming. Normally, I have all the love for bananas. After vomiting at work three times I decided that I really should just go home. I expected to get home and perk up because I wasn't at work, and then feel guilty for leaving and not really being sick, but that didn't happen. I have been on this couch since 10 am, with my feet up, expecting for my stomach to settle , stop making little growling, gurgling, and popping sounds, and stop hurting. So far this hasn't happened. It's only been 3.5 hours and I'm already tired of entertaining myself in the sitting position. I'm at home, a home full of sewing and cleaning projects that I really want to get done. I know if I got up and worked on them I'd only get sicker, so I'm trying to sit still- Eden is good motivation to behave.

All this time on the couch with the computer did give me a chance to check on the ice cream maker Thomas and I ordered 28 days ago... pregnant women should not have to wait this long for ice cream :). It has not even shipped yet! Should ship between today and, oh, the 18th of September. So much for throwing an ice cream tasting party this month. Tommy and Melissa B. were so sweet last Christmas to get us this amazing ice cream recipe book that I've been dying to try out. What I didn't want to tell them then was that our ice cream maker had just recently broken. It took me a while, but the situation is soon to be corrected and soon yummy pictures of ice cream will be here for oggling.

In less trivial news, Eden's quilt is finished- I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I've already washed it and it didn't fall apart, yay! Pictures will be posted later. I also put in my 4 weeks notice last week at work. Sooo... I have three weeks left. It's a bit surreal- I'm overwhelmed by how God has provided for us so I can be a stay at home mama while Eden is so little. Her nursery is getting painted tomorrow and should be carpeted within the next two weeks.

Ok, time to try to eat P B & J.....

Nursery Details

2008-08-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

The quilt top for Eden is now complete. Really, it was complete a week ago, or at least as much as I've now decided I'm going to do. I really meant to take progress pictures when the 192 squares I cut were turned into 384 triangles and then slowly sewn back together... but I was a little obsessed with the triangles and couldn't bear to put them down and grab the camera.

It's wrinkly, but you get the picture. My only complaint is that the purple I chose for the room's main fabric (will be repeated in the bumper and crib skirt) is a little bland for the quilts corner pieces. It'll work well for the skirt and bumper (mixed with green and yellow too) because it won't be overwhelming... but for the quilt... it's just a little blah. All this to say it doesn't bother me enough to rip the entire border off and do it again. I need to take close up pictures of all the fabric- they're such sweet feedsack reproduction prints.

So what else should have been done to the quilt top??

The pattern calls for a feather embroidery stitch to be done all around the edges. I thought "great! I just bought this wonderful book for beginning embroiderers! I can try it out!" 4 days later I finished outlining the first of twelve dutch windmill blocks, the quilt had lost some of it's softness, and I was already snagging it on things (what is a baby/toddler going to do with this??). It adds great color, but I'm all about the comfort and durability, so I ripped it all back out.

In staying with the vintagey theme I'm working into the nursery, I got this fantastic pillow. It's new new- not just mine new- so it doesn't smell or have stains, and will really brighten up the brown glider my parents got us for the nursery.

This is not the actual chair, because of course we're too picky and it has to be special ordered (crossing fingers it's here before Eden :) ). It is in the same fabric as the one above but is a bit smaller with a rounded back instead of square. It is sooooo comfortable and just the perfect size for our little petite family.

More pics to come as things progress, but for now I think I'll go crash!

I want some chocolate cake for breakfast...

2008-08-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

So I have decided not to go to Dallas this weekend for many reasons, and I think it was a good decision. The things that we "needed" to do there have changed and no longer need to be done/can probably be done in Tyler instead. Also, I'm just still so exhausted! Don't listen to people when they tell you to get all the sleep you can before the baby comes- because it just adds to the list of things to worry about that aren't getting done. Sleep well before you get pregnant :).

I find out today whether the for-profit-cake (picture above) went over well. It was for a 9 year old's birthday..... yeah... most lucious cake I think any 9 year old might ever get. His mom said that when he saw the cake, he pouted, whining loudly "but mo-om, I said I wanted a homemade cake, not a store bought cake!" Ahhh such a cute un-knowning compliment from the little kid. So, at least it was pretty.

The recipe can be found here. It's a Martha Stewart Recipe for Rich Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting. I use 9 inch pans instead of the specialty ones the recipe calls for. Oh, and I didn't even attempt the shaved chocolate. Trying to hold onto chocolate in a Texas kitchen in August without it melting? Please. Being pregnant alone emits enough heat from my hands that would make the task impossible in the winter.

The cute tea towel in the picture was part of a set gifted to me by my mom last Christmas. She always finds the cutest things. Her back procedure yesterday went as expected- painfully but most likely successful. She won't know until a week from now if the procedure stopped the pain it was supposed to, but the doctors are optimistic. Thanks for all the prayers!

Reality Doesn't Bite

2008-08-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am exhausted and had a really pitiful breakdown yesterday where the 4 year old came out in me and decided it wasn’t fair that I was working so much. Really, God has blessed me with wonderful work, of which I mostly enjoy. Currently, I work “full-time” at Elliott Electric Supply- 32 hours a week. They moved me to a non-stressful position when I got pregnant, lowered my hours, AND let me keep my insurance (how great is that??); unfortunately- it’s just a tad bit boring. I also do album design for my sister’s wedding photography business, which I love! It’s usually not much work, but it’s been a consistent 8 hours a week the last few weeks. My evening last night was dedicated to baking a cake --- for money (it still shocks me what people will pay you to do). Throw in my Tuesday violin lesson- which is so not work, but it felt like it during my tantrum--- and you find me feeling like all I ever do is work (and Thomas agreed).

If you knew much about the Cocklins, you’d know we’re all work a holics- or hobby-a-holics (our hobbies tend to masquerade as work). We just can’t sit still! I usually LOVE the feeling of being productive, of using skills God gave me in a multitude of ways, but lately my train of thought has been shifted—and I realized after my 4 hour tantrum that this is where the clashing feelings are coming from.

Soon I will become a stay at home mom and we’ve been trying to prepare for the transition. I have only been out of a job for 2 months since I was 16 so this is going to be a BIG change. Thomas and I have had a lot of conversations about what each of our expectations are for my new role and how they fit into reality. I’ve thought about it so much that I expect myself to already be fulfilling the roles we discussed. And why not? There are millions of working moms that keep their house running like a well oiled machine. So if they can do it while they have kids, surely I can do it when I don’t have kids right? I sit in my cubicle for 7 hours a day dwelling on all the things I should be doing at home to prepare for Eden and serve my husband, and then when I get home, I either have more work or I’m too tired to do anything.

When I finally uncovered these mostly sub-conscious thoughts yesterday I realized 1) Pregnant women are allowed to let some things slip like consistent housework and cooking, 2) While I’m still working I shouldn’t expect myself to change overnight, and 3) I have an incredibly loving and supportive husband and God.

So what did I learn from my realization? Well, I’m baking another cake tonight and am going to Dallas this weekend to get some necessary baby things taken care of, and am convinced the crib skirt should be finished before I leave to be on schedule…. so maybe realizations are easier than action… but my mental health is much brighter and that laundry can sit in the corner for a few more days :).

Back into the swing of things...

2008-08-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well there has been a serious lack of baking… and blogging, but I have really good reasons! Pregnancy has thrust me from the camp of people with few food dislikes and a passion for trying new things to the camp of people who eat only safe, bland foods. As a result the joy of cooking for experimentation and tasty results is no longer appealing and the task has joined the ranks of other not so fun household chores. In spite of this development, I’m getting paid to bake soon! How crazy is that? I’m a little nervous that it’ll end in catastrophe but it’s a simple cake that I have made before. But do we need to ask ourselves what could go wrong? Ohhhh plenty :).

Although I’m not baking I’ve found other things to occupy my time (I can hear all the gasps of surprise). Currently I’m throwing myself into some sewing projects which have been really fun. After days of online searching I have gotten all of the fabric to make the bedding for Eden’s nursery, except the sheets which will be bought- I do have my limits even if they are a bit past the crazy line. This project involves making my second quilt, and I’ve once again chosen a pattern with lots of white accented by bright colors. I’ll post progress pictures as I go along. Most of the other projects will be top secret until after Christmas.

I just finished a project for which I was given two pillow shams and asked to make three throw pillows- square, rectangular, and circular. I love challenges and this involved using imagination and learning a lot of new skills. It all went well until the round pillow- adding cording to a round pillow is apparently not for beginners who are making up the pattern as they go along– but I think it’ll go over ok. I really want to make a bunch of comfy pillows for my living room now.

All of this extra time to sew is courtesy of being out of school. I passed my content state board and am now admittedly putting off my second state board because it’s so nice to not study! I’m really getting down the art of relaxing thanks to a sweet husband and some good friends. Thomas gifted me and Anna the best pedicure/manicure and we had a grand time being the only two customers in the salon for 3 hours. That mixed with large doses of pool time, a few out of town trips, and more than normal amounts of shopping has me plump and happy (ok, the plump part is Eden’s fault J ).
I really have a lot more to say but this is long enough already. I guess that’s why people blog every day…. Not every quarter….

Sushi Dreams

2008-02-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day reminds me of sushi- you either love it or you hate it and too much of a good thing can be its ruin. Unlike Sushi (mmmmmmm) I'm not a big fan of the holiday. I had to venture to the Monster Box last night for printer ink (which came in very handy for a much needed plan B at schooll) and as always it was easy to see the worst examples of societal cliches while I was there. People were running over other people with their baskets just so they could grab the last hideous pink and red stuffed 3 foot caterpillar. The recipient of which will no doubt love the thought and then end up giving said stuffed bug to charity during next years spring cleaning. Is it becoming clear that I have a negative view of the holiday? Well, then I read Abigail's thoughts on the day, I took a deep breath, and focused on what can be good about the holiday: sincere thoughts and homemade treats from loved ones.

Luckily I have a lot of creative and thoughtful people in my life that help to curve my cynicism.

These delicious treats almost didn't make it long enough to have their picture taken.

In other news... I taught art today!! YAY! I get such a high from teaching art. I compared Mexican Tile art to Nintendo Mario and then discussed the importance of perceiving color. As expected, a few students really liked it and some really didn't (hmmmm.. a lot of things are like sushi). What was great is that they all started to think about their color choice and made good decisions in creating their art works. What wasn't expected was a few a my peers openly bashing my lesson in front of the students. Knowing there are art teachers in the world who want every lesson to entertain the students and who don't take time to teach skills that are difficult is all the motivation I need to keep trying to become one who is different.

I think I'm going to wrap it up now so I can talk my sweetie into some sushi, of course, in an entirely non-valentine-date way :).

Cookbooks I Heart

2008-02-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

So because I have work, school, a private student, some semblance of a social life, and trees, I haven't had much time for baking. It’s even more tragic when you consider the fabulous cookbook Jill got me for Christmas.

How cool is organizing a cookbook based on color?? It was always meant for me. I do have to give into Thomas in admitting that it is not exactly the most practical organization, but it does justify the hours I’ve spent pouring over each chapter. I now know roughly what recipes are included and where to find them. I was so infatuated with the book that I carried it with me everywhere over Christmas. During a family function, Anna took a peak and almost immediately exclaimed, “when you make these you have to share them with me!” And of course I was going to make them! How could you not? They have the perfect combination of buttery shortbread and sweet fruit flavors, oh and they’re totally cute.

The cookies haunted me for weeks. Every time I made a peanut butter and jam sandwich, I was pained by how much jam was actually left in the jar. It had not yet been unleashed and allowed to lay peacefully, sandwiched in layers of shortbread. But they haunt me no more! Last week, I finally gave up and made cookies instead of doing homework (it really wasn’t a difficult decision when I finally thought hard about it).

I think I cooked them too long, or maybe too fast. They shortbread texture was spot on, but it was hard to use the cookie cutters to cut out shapes. The shortbread tended to crack and the jam made the cookies stick to the cutter. I think it would be best to cut them in the 5 – 10 minute window after they’ve been removed from the oven. You have to let them cool some or the jam will spread everywhere, but too long, and the jam is too sticky.

Of course, it ended up best to simply leave one huge cookie on the counter and cut off pieces as you walk by J.

Aside from these cookies and some “quick-hour-long” brownies I made, there has been no baking…. And really, no blogging.

I can’t promise more baking, but I’ll work on the blogging!

Home Sweet Home Owner's Insurance

2008-01-29T19:28:00.001-08:00

If you were wondering how my day went.....

....I'd say it went pretty lucky. I decided at the last minute to pull under the carport instead of parking in the driveway like I typically do while Thomas is out of town. The only thing that might have been more scary sounding than an oak tree breaking 20 feet away from me would have been that sound followed by the crunching metal of a VW Golf being demolished.

This second picture is for Thomas' benefit since he is away and cannot inspect the damage. The broken board seems to be the most damaged we received to our property. God really protected us.

A big thanks to all who took care of me!!

Me, GENIUS? Oh how sweet :)

2007-11-16T05:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks Abigail for the self-esteem boost!

Get a Cash Advance

This is apparently far off base considering I had to double check the spelling of genius when titling this blog. Maybe cooking genius's can't spell words that aren't edible :)

Cough, cough :(

2007-10-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

How Cute!! Don't be fooled, this is a rare moment of affection for one another.

I finally feel that my life is starting to ease into a pattern again. Work is at a good steady pace, my first big school are done, I'm finding time to hang out with Anna, Kellie and a few other people here and there (goodbye months of hermit behavior!), and my house is being cleaned on a regular basis :). So what's the first thing I do?? Try to find something new :). Seriously, I have no right to ever complain that my life is too busy or that I have too much going. My new found interest is most certainly a side effect of my becoming a voyeur of some craft and domestic arts blogs. Most of them revolve around knitting and baking, which I have tried and enjoy, but when one of them discussed quilting/sewing, I got really interested.
I stayed home from work today with a cold. All week I'd been going to work sick, but today I finally gave into the crusted eyes, soar throat and chest rumbling cough. Forcing myself to stay on the couch for an entire day is so hard, but I've used the time to read online sewing how to and think I've gathered enough info to start on my first project. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but I don't do self-taught things very well. More than likely I'll need to enlist the help of a friend who sews. If you can sew well, please let me know! I pay in cookies :)

I really need to catch up on posting the pictures I've taken of the recipes we've tried. This blog originally started because we kept forgetting all the good meals we'd made and never knew what to make for dinner. So although this is entirely unrelated to today, here goes:
Martha Stewart's Living magazine has two sections that I almost always make when I get the monthly edition. Thomas has taken to grabbing the magazine first when it comes just to see what these sections hold, as he knows he will directly benefit from their contents.
Last month, the what's for dinner recipe cards section had a recipe for Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches with Baked Sweet Potato Chips. I need to work on making pictures look more appetizing, but I promise it was tasty!

The recipe was pretty quick and easy and made good left overs. The entire sandwich can be reheated and the bread doesn't get soggy (I hate reheating sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, etc with any type of cold produce on them like lettuce). This is my much loved and used bento lunch box (found at lunchboxes.com, gifted to me from Tom & Sylvia last Christmas). It helps me eat healthier lunches. The novelty of filling the little containers has yet to wear off in the 10 months I've had it.

Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches:
Makes 4 sandwiches
1 small onion (the recipe called for white, I used red), sliced into 1/4 inch rings
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 4 limes)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, crushed (i used 2 tsp jarred minced garlic)
1 1/2 lbs flank steak, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 loaf ciabatta bread, split horizontally & halved lengthwise (I used wheat sandwich buns)
6 oz Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced (splurge on this one item above all others, it makes a difference)
1 whole dill pickle, thinly sliced crosswise
1. Combine onion, juices, cumin, and garlic in a shallow dish. Add steak, and let stand, turning once, for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat a grill pan to medium-high and oven to 400 (I just preheat the oven, with the grill pan inside). Pat steak dry, and season with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, 5 to 10 minutes per side. Let rest.
3. Grill onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Discard marinade.
4. Butter bread. Grill, buttered side down, for 2 minutes. Place cheese on bottom havles, and bake in ove until melted.
5. Slice steak thinly, AGAINST THE GRAIN (if you cut with the grain, it's really hard to bite off). Top cheese with pickle, steak, onion, and bread. Halve each sandwich and serve.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips
2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/8 inch think
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving (do not skip the lime! it makes the dish)
Preheat oven to 400, with racks in center and lower positions. Place in bowl with lid, drizzle with oil, secure lid, and toss to coat. Divide sweet potatoes between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread them in a single layer. Bake, flipping once, until centers are soft and edges are crisp, 22 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve with lime wedges.

Business as Usual

2007-10-05T20:29:00.001-07:00

This is my wonderful cozy living room, with two even cozier cats. It looks nothing like this right now :). In fact, it's rarely looked like this all semester. This welcoming sitting area is now piled high with text books, articles read and unread, lists of TEKS, art album discs, etc, etc.
I am trying to decide if i have given myself too much to do or if I am the type of person who is easily overwhelmed and suited better for a simple lifestyle.

Turning album designing into a company is an awesome dream; however, it would be great if someone could just hire me on to create albums and they took care of the websites, taxes, marketing, contracts, and so on that comes with the business side of things. I don't think I'm cut out to do it. The truth of the matter is, when I start to teach, there will not be time for this company, at least, no more time than I give it now. And isn't that the ultimate goal of what I'm doing? To get a job teaching? I like album design, but it's not painting and it's not teaching art. Should I just chill and not try to actively grow the company? I could keep working at Elliott until I find a teaching job. It shows a lasting position with a company and it has good benefits. It's also not a bad job :). Album design is just so interesting. It could be 0 - 5 years before I find a teaching job so it's hard to plan. Also, album design would be good for when I have kids- working from home............
(Thanks for reading through that short list of pros and cons, I'll spare you the rest, of which there is a lot). Suffice it to say, it's so hard to decide how much work to put into this.
But I will mention that I am possibly being hired on part time (case by case basis) with an album design company out of California. YAY!!!

To top that, and add more stress (happy stress), a friend of mine in Alaska, who works for an interior design firm, showed my work (paintings/prints) to her boss. It's apparently not quite the right style to show in their office space as they often do for local artists, but she likes my work and wants to get a good portfolio from me to keep on file to show clients in search of art pieces. Thanks Lisa for playing art dealer!!

I feel like I've already said too much about myself, but after all it is my blog and I should mention for those curious that I rocked my teaching assignment Thursday. I sounded confident and knowledgeable (not hard to do when you are teaching the kids about the four seasons :) ) and most impressive of all, I got all 60 kids to be quiet at one time! For like 10 minutes! Booya! Te he. Then I had fun getting them all rilled up and excited about watercolors for the next 30 minutes. Art is great :). The best part about it was that I wasn't nervous when I was standing in front of 75 people who were judging every move I made. I was exhilarated. I love teaching!!
I celebrated by drinking a lot of Raising Cane's Lemonade. I've never eaten their food, but that lemonade is like crack.
Whoo! So much running through my little brain....

Dulce De Leche Cookies

2007-09-29T13:26:00.001-07:00

Whew! I'm on the uphill climb and I can't wait for Thursday evening. One album down, another one begun and I have a major project due Tuesday in my art ed class. THEN, on Thursday, I teach!!! It's kind of nice to get my week of teaching done early in the semester, but I still feel a bit unprepared and nervous. I have to make 70 people (60 of them children) listen to me all at once and get them to learn something. I want to teach, and it's very exiting, but this group is so big and so unruly. Last week someone taught them the color wheel. I spent two minutes at one end of my table (the 3rd graders), and by the time I got to the other end, those kids had painted their hands :). Thomas gave me some really great ideas and I just need to get my props together.
Speaking of Thomas, he gets really excited when the monthly issue of Martha Stewart comes in because the last page is the cookie of the month. This month's was especially delicious. He begged for a week or two before I had time to make them, but it was well worth the wait. I don't know how hard it is to find dulce de leche in other states, but this south it's in every grocery store.

Dulce de Leche Cookies
Makes 18
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dulce de leche

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, chocolate, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. On a lightly cloured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch think. Cut 36 rounds with a 2-inch cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Bake until set, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool. Top half of the cookies with 1 heaping teaspoon dulce de leche and top with another cookie.

2007-09-22T08:57:00.001-07:00

Whew! How did I go from trying to live a slow life to being this busy?! There really hasn't been that much baking... or blogging.... lately. There hasn't been much of anything aside from school, work, and albums. School is great. We teach K-5th graders, 60 all at once, in an after school program on Thursdays. They're so cute! I'm a little stressed about school and I don't know why, but I've had a few anxiety dreams. You know, the kind where everyone in your class, your teacher, and your friends all stand around and tell you you're going to fail? I think the real root of my anxiety is an opportunity I've been given to expand my album design business. Jill sent me a link to an album design company out of California who is growing too fast and needs a few part time designers. In a crazy moment of "what could happen" thinking, I sent them an email with links to some of my work. They responded mostly positively and have invited me to design a sample album for them in October as an interview. What am I thinking!?? It would be great if this took off and I could quit my job, but that would take me believing my work is at the professional level. This is a jump I am not ready to take and I'm terribly fearful of rejection. So, yeah, anxiety much?
Despite everything going on, I did find time to put in a last ditch effort to accomplish a few of my summer plans before school got into full swing. I have an herb garden again!

This garden is not nearly as cool as the one Emily and Tex gave us as a wedding present (the cats aren't getting fresh catnip anytime soon), but it's so nice to have fresh basil and oregano again. Our favorite bean salad is much tastier with fresh ingredients. It's perfect for days when you want a light meal and don't have much time.

Texans complain a lot about the weather, but lately, it has been perfect! Low 80s, good breezes, clear skies. I've found myself on the porch a lot in the last week studying (it's also quieter outside, than inside with Thomas :) ). Every once in a while a good breeze comes and all the smells from my herbs get stirred up. While making the salad below, I was able to stab myself with a new knife, injuring my hand badly enough to make me think I needed to have stitches. Three hours later in the emergency room I was being handed a band-aid and feeling very sheepish. Oh well, better safe than sorry. A big thanks to Anna for taking me :). Don't worry, the food wasn't contaminated. Thomas was sweet enough to finish it for me.

Herbed Black Bean Salad
from Better Homes and Gardens Smart Diet
a present from Cyndi (THANKS!!!)
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
1/4 cup snipped fresh oregano
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl combine the garbanzo beans, black beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, green onions, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Let salad stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
We always serve this salad with cornbread.

Chicken and Dumplings

2007-07-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Abigail and Brett got married! It was a beautiful, fun wedding and I wish them both much safety and happiness. I got to hang out with Hung and Doug and a bunch of other people I rarely see. Weddings are great for hanging out with old friends.
So in my last post I'm shown serving an entire cornish hen to Thomas and another entire one to myself. The portion size for the recipe was, as you could imagine, a bit large. I don't like wasting leftovers, so I thought I should try my hand at chicken and dumplings. I have a few great cookbooks full of southern style home cooked menus, just to mention one, Pattie Labelle's Cooking Light :), but none had a recipe for cooking chicken and dumplings when the chicken was already cooked. I finally found a recipe on recipezaar.com. The recipe was pretty good, although a little different from other chicken and dumplings I've had because the cloves were so strong. All in all it was pretty easy and satisfying.

10 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, shredded
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
3 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup milk

1. Place first 8 ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add vegetables and simmer until vegetables are just tender (20 min.).
3. Mix Bisquik and milk to make drop biscuits.
4. Drop by large spoonfuls into soup which has been brought to a rolling boil.
5. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes, or until dumplings are done.
6. (Be sure to remove bay leaf and cloves.).

Lavish Chicken Dinner

2007-06-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

My sister is a part-time wedding photogrpaher in Northern California (jilliankayphotography. blogspot.com) and I do the design layout for her albums. I say all this to explain why I fell behind on posting so quickly! Well, my first big project is out of the way and I celebrated by cooking a huge dinner for Thomas. On a whim during the first 6 months of marriage, I bought cornish hens, because, well, when you're young, in love, have a little extra grocery money, cornish hens seem like a fantastically lavish idea. Then they sat in my freezer for oh.... over 8 months. After much discussion and reassurance from Thomas that the chickens were not rotten, I decided to try a few recipes from Martha Stewart Living.
The recipes were so simple, but looked and tasted so good that I felt like a master of the kitchen! (hahaha)

Mediterranean Panzanella
Serves 4

Coarse Salt
1 lb green beens, trimmed
½ cup shaved fennel bulb
½ red onion (4 oz), thinly sliced
½ cup pitted black olives
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
2 slices (about 1 inch thick each) rustic bread

1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat; add salt. Add beans; simmer until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Plunge beans into ice-water bath to stop the cooking; let cool completely in water. Drain.
2. Toss together green beans, fennel, onion, olives, feta, oil, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; season with pepper. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler. Place bread on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until bread darkens, about 3 minutes per side. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes, add to salad, and toss to combine.

So I used goat cheese instead of feta cheese cause that's what I had. It coated everything and it looked pretty unatractive. This recipe is not for the faint of heart- the vinegar makes it spicy!

Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs
Serves 4

2 Cornish hens (about 1 3/4 lbs each), room temperature, rinsed well and patted dry
1 bunch fresh thyme (about ½ oz), plus more for garnish
2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast, and place remaining thyme and the parsley underneath. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.

Blackberry Crumbles

Serves 4

4 cups fresh blackberries (about 14 oz)
4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for ramekins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 store-bought sugar cookies (about 2 oz), coarsely crushed
1/4 cup rolled oats

1. Preheat oven to 375. Stir blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 ½ tablespoons flour, and the lemon juice in a bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, cinnamon, salt, and remaining tablespoon sugar into a small bowl. Stir vigorously with a rubber spatula until creamy. Stir in cookies, oats, and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons flour. Work mixture through fingers until it forms coarse crumbs ranging in size from peas to gum balls.
3. Butter four 5-ounce ramekins (about 3 ½ inches in diameter). Divide blackberry mixture among ramekins; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake until juices are bubbling and topping is golden brown, 20 - 25 minutes. Let cool on rack 20 minutes before serving.

Avocado Gelato

2007-06-14T15:09:00.002-07:00

I got contacts today! They feel really strange and everything is a bit blurry, but I can see without glasses! It's been a decade since I've said that, and seeing as how I lost my glasses two days ago, I couldn't have chosen a better time :). Actually, the fact that I lose my glasses so often is the main reason I got contacts. I think I'll actually miss the nerdy little auro my glasses gave me.
So the other day, Thomas decided to read my Martha Stewart magazine and stumbled across a recipe for Avocado Gelato. When we went to Italy, we must have eaten gelato three times a day, but I don't remember ever seeing avocado on the menu. Thomas, however, had actually eaten some during the years he spent in Chicago and demanded that we make it ourselves.
We got an icecream maker Kitchen Aid Mixer attachment for Christmas from Thomas' mother, and with the rising Texas temperature, we thought it was time to start experimenting.

Avocado Gelato
Makes 1 quart, serves 4

1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 sugar
4 strips orange zest
2 ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Prepare an ice water bath. Whisk whole milk with cornstarch in a bowl.
2. Whisk together fat free milk, sugar, and orange zest in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. It took forever for my mixture to simmer. Add cornstarch mixture, and cook, whisking, until mixture bubbles and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove orange zest. Set in ice-water bath to cool.
3. Puree avocados, lime juice, salt, and milk mixture in a food processor.
4. Freeze the avocado mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for at least 3 hours. Stores for up to 2 weeks.
5. Serve, garnished with a lime wedge. The lime squeezed over the icecream really enhances the flavor. I like texture in my icecream so I added some sliced almonds, which turned out well, but a few went a long way.

Altogether, this turned out to be a light, refreshing gelato. It's pretty low in fat and calories as far as icecream goes, but you give up some of the creaminess using fat free milk. If I make it again, I'll probably try subsituting the whole milk for cream and the fat free milk for whole milk.

Roasted Vegetable-Cheese Pie

2007-06-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

I took off work sick today. I always feel guilty when I'm not at work so I actually went in for a few hours this morning to make sure no one needed me too badly. But honestly I felt terrible!! All day long I've been craving good rice. Plain, maybe with a bit of salt and pepper. My husband taught me about the BRAT diet during our second week of dating. My college roommate, Lisa, and I both came down with a stomach bug the week we moved out of our house. Not only was Thomas a total sweetheart and made sure we had all the BRAT essentials for when we were able to eat (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast), but he also packed most of my things because I was so weak. No wonder I knew so quickly I'd found my match :).

Anyway, thinking about rice and knowing I have all these great veggies in my fridge from the local farmer's market, got me hungry for a recipe I found and cooked a few months ago. Although I'm not sure I could stand the fennel and cheese at the moment, it sure looks yummy!!
At least being sick gave me the opportunity to finish The OC Season 4 :).

Roasted Vegetable-Cheese Pie
I found this recipe on www.recipezaar.com, a fantastic online recipe site ( they let you make shopping lists for free!).
This is a pretty straight forward and easy recipe. When I made it, I used basmati rice.
The fennel bulbs taste a bit like licorice and if I make it again I made leave them out. If you make sure to buy high quality olives, I think they would add plenty of tart/sour taste without needing the fennel bulb.

2 cups cooked jasmine rice or cooked basmati rice or long-grain rice
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
cooking spray
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup Fontina cheese, divided

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first three ingredients. Press evenly into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
4. Combine zucchini and next 8 ingredients (zucchini through garlic) in a medium bowl; stir to coat. Place vegetable mixture on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove vegetable mixture from oven. Add olives and tomato; toss gently.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
7. Sprinkle 1/4 cup fontina cheese over rice crust. Top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup fontina cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Love Cake

2007-06-01T16:45:00.001-07:00

I felt it was appropriate to start my blogging with my absolute favorite recipe. Everytime I make this cake it is a HUGE crowd pleaser. Something in the texture and richness of flavor speaks to the eater, lulling them to believe the baker loves them and believes they deserve richness of life.
BTW: The cookbook this recipe comes from is my FAVORITE cookbook. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to share more, but I encourage anyone who likes to cook to get their own copy.

Chocolate Love Cake
Recipe from "Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family" by Art Smith

Cake
Butter, for the pans
1 cup Vosges Haut-Chocolat Astec Elixir Cocoa (SEE NOTE FOR SOURCE)
( OR unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I JUST USE HERSHEY'S COCOA)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup water, at tap temperature
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons backing soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure-ground ancho chile powder (FOUND IN TEXAS AT LOCAL HISPANIC MARKETS)
(use ancho chile powder only if not useing Aztec Elixir Cocoa)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 vanilla beans, preferably Mexican, ground in a coffe grinder until very finely chopped, OR
2 teaspoons vanilaa extract (I JUST USE EXTRACT)

Filling
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure ground ancho chile powder
1/8 teaspoon pure ground chipotle chile powder, optional
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pesticide-free, edible flowers, such as nastriums and roses, for garnish

Position a rack in the center of the over and preheat to 350 F. Lightly butter two 9 X 2 inch heart-shaped or circular cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with wax paper. (LINING WITH WAX PAPER SHOULD NOT BE SKIPPED!) Dust the sides of the pans with flour and tap out the excess.

To Make the cake:
Whisk the cocoa and boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in the water and let stand until the mixture cools.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chile powder, if using. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer at high speed until the mizture is light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the chopped vanilla beans or extract. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the cocoa mixture, scraping the bowl often, until smooth. Spread the batter evenly in the pans, filling each pan no more than two-thirds full (discard any extra batter or pour into muffin tins to bake as cupcakes).
Bake until a wodden touthpick insterted in the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto the racks, remove the wax paper, and cool completely. (The cake layers can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature).

To make the filling:
Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over high heat. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let stand until the chocolate softens, about 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the ancho powder and chipotle powder if using. Let stand until completely cooled, about 1 hour.
Using a hand-held electric mixer at medium speed, beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a tiem until the filling is smooth. Do not overbeat.

To make the frosting:
Whip the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a chilled medium bowl with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Do not overbeat.

To put it all together:
Place 1 cake layer, upside down, on a serving platter. Spread with the chocolate filling. Top with the other cake layer, right side up. Spread a thin layer of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, to seal the dark crumbs onto the cake so they don't mar the white frosting. now frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Now frost teh cake with the remaining frosting, slathering it on and trying not to disturb the first coat. Refrigerate, uncovered, until read to serve. (The cake can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. If chilled, let the cake stand for about 30 minutes before serving.) Just before serving, decorate with the flowers.

NOTE: Vosges Haut-Chocoat Aztec Elixir Cocoa is a combination fo cocoa, vanilla, spices, and ground chiles. You can find it along with other fantastic truffles and specialty chocolates at www.vosgeschocolate.com.