Fruit Leather

 I made fruit leather! What is this so called "fruit leather"? Well it's not exactly like leather, it's a lot like a fruit-roll-up.  However a million times better! Did you know fruit roll ups contain: "pears from concentrate, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Fruit Roll-Ups also contain 2 percent or less than 2 percent citric acid, sodium citrate, acetylated monoglycerides, fruit pectin, dextrose, maltic acid, ascorbic acid, natural flavor and the following food coloring: blue 1, red 40 and yellows 5 and 6." from this website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/523619-fruit-roll-up-ingredients/#ixzz231AhB95O
Wow that took up a ton of space! MY fruit leather contains 3 things: Fruit, orange juice, sugar. I can pronounce all of that! I only sweeten a little with sugar and it depends if the berries are way too tart. If they are super sweet I don't add any sugar. The orange juice is just me layering my flavors.
I gave some tastes out to two little girls: and one said "hey there are seeds in this!" I said "Yeah there are seeds in Raspberries!" She still liked it. Even my fruit hating fella was snacking on them. He likes fruit flavored things, but not actual fruit. Well I figure this is as close as I can get for him. 

The easiest and "lazy" way to make, is by having a food dehydrator, I mix up pour into my trays and plug in. About a day later it's done! But for all of you who don't have this handy tool, it can be made in the oven. It still takes about a day to do so. It slowly takes the moisture out of the fruit, leaving the yummy slightly sticky snack. Since it is berry season right now I have been stocking up on them. I predict that come fall I will be taking advantage of pears, apples, and other fall fruits. This works best with fresh fruit- not canned.  Enough with the long winded talk of equipment, and yummy fruits. Here is my basic fruit leather recipe- Feel free to play around with flavors. Comment below if you try any that are good!

Raspberry -Orange Fruit leather

4- 1/2 pints of fresh raspberries

1 orange - zested and juiced

1/4 cup sugar or more to taste

Puree in a blender, food processor or by hand with a potato masher.

If using a oven preheat to lowest setting mine is 200*

prepare your pans Line a sheet pan or dehydrator trays with parchment paper

THE NEXT STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! SPRAY THE PARCHMENT WITH NONSTICK SPRAY!!!

 Pour puree into pans/ trays- (for each tray I used 1 cup of puree)

Dehydrate / bake 10-12 hours. I do it overnight so I don't constantly check to see if it's done.

You are thinking how do I know it's done? Well it will be slightly tacky and it will hold it's shape.

Next to keep them rolled up- I put down a piece of wax paper and put down a single layer and cut into 2-3 inch strips, and simply rolled them up. Since it has been so hot this last week I am keeping them in the fridge. I am not sure how long they will keep, but they won't last that long here.

Papaya Pops

After making my Papaya Face Mask I had a good amount of papaya left over. Since papaya is yummy  frozen I decided on POPSICLES!!
I am obsessed with Popsicles!! I have collected quite a few molds from goodwill shopping. So this is my kick off to a Summer of Popsicles. I will have many more flavors, as the summer goes on!

Since I didn't know squat about papaya until I bought one, here is a great website that explains How to pick out a papaya.  

I like to make lots of different kinds of pops, so to keep them straight I label the end of each stick, that way I can store multiple kinds in the same bag.

 Papaya Pops!

3 1/2 cups  papaya cut up in 1 inch chunks

3/4 cup sugar

 1/4 cup lime juice

zest of 1 lime

Add everything into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. See that was easy!

Now divide into Popsicle molds, freeze for about and hour and add the sticks. Don't add the sticks right away because they will sink to the bottom. I always freeze my pops overnight before removing from the molds. To release from molds, just dip in warm water and pull out. Wrap the pops in wax paper or plastic wrap,then stack in a freezer bag. It's so much better then store bought pops!

Energy Bars

I came across this recipe when flipping through cookbooks at the library. Wow so great! This energy bar is full of protein and nutrients. The best part is you can add any kind of nuts and dried fruit. I kept it pretty traditional with raisins and almonds this time. Next time I plan to use figs and pecans.

Raisins, Oat, Almonds, Honey, Butter

Energy Bars:
Adapted from Green Market Baking Book
1/4 cup Salted Butter
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup Milk
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups oat flakes
1 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey

Preheat the oven to 350*

Toasted Oats and Almonds

Spray the sides and bottom of a square baking dish.  Rehydrate the raisins in the milk and vanilla let sit till plump about 15 min.  Melt the butter in a large pan on medium heat, add the oats and almonds toss to toast for about 5 min-  make sure to keep stirring. Add the cinnamon and cook for 1 min longer. Pull off the heat.  Add the eggs and honey to raisin mixture, mix well, then add to the oat raisin mixture. Stir till evenly combined. Spread the mixture into the baking dish, and bake till golden brown and pulling away from the sides about 20 - 30 minutes. Cool before cutting. They will keep for 1 week. I know they won't last that long here!

Papaya Face mask

I bought a papaya the other day. I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. Many things whirled through my head. I ended up doing some research and decided on a face mask. Papaya is full of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, plus an enzyme that helps ex-foliate for a smooth complexion. Just what I was looking for. Now what to add to it?  I saw many different recipes, but settled on the one I had everything for in my pantry. Papaya Almond and Honey.

This made a pretty big batch for how much I have on my face. Keep it refrigerated and use it within a week. It's a great soothing mask for sunburned or irritated skin. It can be applied on a regular basis.

Papaya Almond Face Mask:
1 cup Papaya cubed up
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup plain Almonds

In my research I found a great site that explains How to pick a papaya.
 I peeled the papaya and then cut it in half. After cutting in half you will see the seeds, they are big black seeds. I tried one to see how it tasted and well lets just say don't do that! Way bitter! Scoop out the black seeds.  Cut the papaya in chunks, toss everything into the food processor, blend to a smooth constancy. Let sit for 10 min, then apply to your face avoiding the eye area. Rinse off after 10-15 min. This will help with a smooth complexion. 
NOTE: I am not a trained dermatologist, if you are allergic to any ingredient I suggest not using this recipe.  Use at your own risk.  However I used it and had great results! 

D.I.Y. Garden Lables

This D.I.Y. is for all you wine drinking gardeners! I have been getting more corks since my post wine cork board. 

Corks and Forks!

 I got some forks from goodwill, and stuck corks on them. While making this I remembered a funny scene from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels when Steve Martin is eating his dinner with a fork with a cork on it. Ha so funny! If you haven't seen it, look it up and watch. It's a classic!
 As you can see by the photos it's way cute.  I used forks of all sizes, and tried to find corks with some space to write clearly. Just write in pen and trace over it with a sharpie. Stick them in the ground and done! Happy drinking and gardening!

Chicken Pot Pie

I am still using up that giant chunk of pie dough that I brought home from work. I overdosed on Pop Tarts, chicken pot pie sounded good and easy. I do have to admit that I have never made chicken pot pie at home, however plenty of times at work. I had a limited supply of vegetables, and two picky boys. My filling wasn't as exciting as most but still Delicious. As long as the basics are covered- it doesn't matter.  On to Chicken pot pie! For the recipe below I have added a few vegetables to make it more exciting. In my actual pot pie there was chicken, potatoes, onion, carrots and corn.

Chicken Pot Pie
butter_pie_crust
2-3 Chicken breasts
2 Potatoes
2 Carrots
1 Onion
1 Zucchini
2 Celery stalks
1/4 cup Olive OIL
1/3 cup  corn kernels
1/3 cup  peas
1 cup broccoli blanched- chopped
1 egg
For the Sauce:
4 TBS butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 TBS sherry
2 tsp Dill weed
1 tsp black or white pepper

Make pie crust, and roll into 2 rounds, place 1 in a pie dish the other is for the top- set aside.
Preheat oven 375*
In oven proof baking dish cook chicken till no longer pink inside.  While chicken is cooking prep the vegetables: dice potatoes, carrots, onion, zucchini, celery- make sure to dice everything the same size. Toss them together in a bowl with the olive oil and garlic. Put them on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 min.  Toss the cooked chicken and vegetables with broccoli, corn and peas.
To make the sauce: in a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Once melted add flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes, slowly add the milk while whisking. Whisk over medium heat till thickened. Once sauce is thick add the sherry, dill, and pepper.

To assemble: pour sauce over the chicken and vegetable mix.  Add to pie shell. Take the top pie crust and lay over the top of the pie. Trim and crimp the sides, and cut slits in the top. brush the top with egg wash.  Bake at 375* for 45 -60 minutes. Wait 10 min before cutting into it will be HOT!

Lime Meltaways

This cookie is by far my Dad's favorite cookie in the whole wide world! On the other side of the spectrum this cookie almost changed my career path. One time while making these cookies about 11 or 12 years ago I burned my hand when pulling them out of the oven. I screamed "I AM NEVER PUTTING MY HAND IN A OVEN EVER AGAIN!!" Yeah luckily I got over that, I reach into ovens all day.  Since lime meltaways are my dad's favorite cookie he begs me all the time to make them. I got the recipe while watching The Martha Stewart Show back in the day. When I was reading the new issue of Martha Stewart Magazine and saw the recipe it reminded me that I should be a good daughter and send some to my dad. It also helps that limes are on sale this weekend since it's Cinco De Mayo.

Lime Meltaways!
adapted from Martha Stewart
1 cup of Salted butter Softened to room temp
2/3 cup powdered sugar
 3 small limes zested and juiced
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 TBS cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar

To get the most juice, first soften in the microwave for 15 sec, then roll on the counter. 

Preheat oven 350*
In a mixer beat butter with 2/3 cup powdered sugar till light and fluffy. Add lime zest, juice and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl for even mixing. Whisk flour and cornstarch together, then add to creamed butter and sugar. Beat on low speed till dough comes together. This dough is super sticky!

Traditionally this cookie is rolled into a log and then frozen, then sliced thin. But I am doing 2 other methods, first  is rolling the dough between 2 pieces of parchment, then chilling for 30 min, after chilled use a cookie cutter.

Or dropping the cookie by tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and lightly flatten them with your palm.

Bake till light golden in color, pull form the oven and let sit about 5 min. While still hot coat in the reserved 1/3 cup powdered sugar.

Since this cookie doesn't have raw eggs, it's a great batter to eat before baking!

Little Lime stars! Just melt in your mouth!

PB & J Pop Tarts

Some of the perks of working in a bakery I get to bring "scraps" home. Today I was fortunate enough to bring a huge chunk of pie dough home with me. Our dough is amazing- since I can't give you the recipe I will send you to a site that has a great comparable recipe. The best part of the dough is it is all butter! No shortening-Yay! So what to do with a giant chunk of pie dough? Make POP TARTS!! The filling combinations are endless. I stayed simple with homemade strawberry-blackberry Jam. Then a few PB&J since my boys L-O-V-E peanut butter! I just bit into one and Holy Cow! AMAZING!!  Flaky, crunchy fruit filled pillows, how can anyone resist?  The best part is that they can be frozen before baking so you don't have to be tempted to eat all of them as they come out of the oven. As I am typing this I have already had 2 1/2. I must stop and save some for the boys! The only healthy thing about this that there is a tiny bit of fruit. Otherwise this is a buttery- sugary treat. It looks like all you really need is a ton of tools, don't be intimidated. A pastry cutter is optional, it just makes the edges really cute. If you don't have access to a pastry brush using a paper towel works alright. No pizza cutter? well then use a knife, a pizza cutter makes it quicker. No rolling Pin? use a wine bottle -full or empty works in a pinch but trust me kinda a pain in the butt. I like the look of crystal sugar on top it seems to pull everything together, it's not super easy to find but not impossible either. I hope you love this as much as I have!

Tools:
Pizza cutter, pastry brush, pastry cutter, ruler, rolling pin

PB&J- Pop Tarts
Preheat oven 375*

-Bon Appetit Pie dough recipe

Peanut Butter- Smooth or Chunky

Jam- homemade or store bought

1 egg

crystal sugar

rolling pin

fork

pastry brush

ruler

pizza cutter

pastry cutter (optional)

Ready to roll- Only in small batches, it's good not to overwork the dough. Dust the counter with a little flour to prevent the dough sticking to the table. 

Roll the pie dough out pretty thin then using  a ruler and pizza cutter to make the same size pieces, I made my first set rectangle, and second set square. (3X3 or 3X4) Then spread filling in the middle avoiding the sides so they can be sealed. I was informed that it could have some more filling. Peanut butter is thicker so I used more in those ones. Only put filling on 1/2 the squares, leave the others empty to use as the tops.

Make a egg wash by beating the egg in bowl with fork and adding a 1tsp of water. Then using the pastry brush; brush the sides of the dough that has the filling. To assemble: place empty dough square over the top and press the sides down with fingers to seal in the filling. (If you don't do this it will result in the filling leaking out the sides!) To make the sides pretty: take the fork prongs and press along the sides this will give the crinkle look. At this point you can leave it - or use the pastry cutter and that makes the sides even cuter! P.S I only have one because I found it at the thrift store for .50 cents.

Place on sheet pan with parchment paper: If no parchment just spray the sheet pan.  I pricked the top with the fork to make the indents over the filling.  Place in the fridge for 10-15 to chill the dough down before baking- Or at this point you can freeze them to bake later!. Before baking brush with the egg wash from before, and sprinkle with crystal sugar- optional. Bake for 7 min then check and turn sheet pan, and then another 7 min or so. It all depends on the size they are. Lets say just bake till golden brown.

Once they come out of the oven let cool for 8-10 min- Trust me Molten hot berry jam is NOT good for the roof of your mouth! Once completely cool store in airtight container for 3-5 days. I don't recommend putting in the toaster, looking at the picture you can see that some of the jam oozed out, not a good idea for the toaster. 

Steak House Chili

Last Friday I was ambitious!  First I started cooking a few of my favorite things Chili and Clam Chowder. Ryan wanted Chili and I wanted Clam Chowder. What the heck right? I had plenty of time and everything I needed.
First off I started with Chili since it cooks longer then Clam Chowder. I looked at a few recipes but then decided to wing it, as I do quite a bit. In no way since I made both in 1 day am I suggesting you do the same. I am just insane.
Clam Chowder is right after the Chili, I just wanted to do two separate posts.

Steak House Chili
3 TBS Olive Oil
3 Pounds Beef for Stewing* (see note) cubed
1 Jalapeno Pepper- Diced 1/2 seeds removed
1 Yellow Onion- Diced
1 Red Pepper-Diced
1 Green Pepper- Diced
1 TBS Minced Garlic
3 (14oz) Canned Beans** (see note)
1 (28oz) Canned Tomato Sauce or 1 jar of  Tomato, Basil & Garlic Sauce
1 (14oz)  Petite Diced Tomatoes
2 TBS Chili Powder
2 TBS Cumin
2 TBS Italian Seasoning
1 TBS Oregano
1 TBS Dill Weed
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Chopped
1 TBS Red Pepper Flakes - or more if you want it Spicy
1 TBS Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt- add more to taste.

In a large pot over medium heat Saute Beef, Jalapeno, Onion, Peppers, Garlic. Until the meat is browned and onion is translucent. Lower the heat, add everything else. Cover and let simmer for a few hours, till the meat is tender. Serve by it self or over rice, noodles, hot dogs, burgers, nachos. Great toppings are cheddar cheese, diced onions, cilantro, sour cream. The possibilities are endless.

Notes: * This steak is  really tough and needs to be cooked for a long time to become tender. It is relatively cheap. If you like ground beef, pork or turkey that can subbed as well. Even chunks of chicken is good. If you don't have a long time ground meat is the way to go.
** Any variety of beans works well.  I like to use a mixture or Black, Garbanzo, Kidney, Pinto and Chili. If using dried beans you will need  4 cups dried beans that have been soaked overnight and rinsed.

Snowy Cooking

Well it looks like it really happened, snow for the first time this season in Seattle. I am not ok with this! I moved to Seattle in the hopes to get away from my snowy childhood of Salt Lake City. For the past few years we have had snow. Seriously Seattle?! I am ok with rain, sleet, and gray days. But not snow!  I now know that embracing the snow is the best thing. I am big fan of staying home and cooking, crafting and all around hanging out by the fire- by all means playing games. Don't get me wrong I am not afraid of driving in the snow-  I am afraid of the other drivers, and the hills. Yes the hills in the snow are what kills me. Growing up in Salt Lake we didn't have that many hills. Not to mention all the snow plows, and salt hence the name. So today I will stay home. I have found a few things that look like fun. I am going to show some Link Love, just perfect for the blustery days of winter.
I will start with the Basics:
This is just funny but Martha does it again:
How to Build a Fire! Seriously? I bet it is the most amazing fire ever- right?

Now on the to good stuff- DRINKS!!
Block Island Fog from Country Living- I have new heard of this drink but I looks interesting for the coffee drinkers out there. Give it a try and let me know!
Soothing Ginger Tea From Martha-  This drink has many advantages. Ginger is really good for you and is low fat.
Mulled Cider with Red Wine - From Martha- This will make the house smell Awesome!
Honey Bourbon Toddy- From Bon Appetit- I had a Chef make me drink this when I told him my throat was sore and it was the beginning of a busy night!
Hot Buttered Rum- from Single Minded Women- I didn't know this But National Hot Buttered Rum Day is January 17th! So get ready it's right around the corner.
The Best Hot Chocolate! - from Food Network- Saved this one for last- I LOVE hot chocolate, I didn't care much for skiing but when we got to go the lodge and have Ho Cho- I was happy. And if you make the marshmallows for the top, that's a special treat.

Cooking- on cold days you need something to warm your core! And if playing in the snow is for you then something to stick to your bones!
Quinoa winter squash & carrot stew -  from Bon Appetit this  looks yummy and to add it is Vegan and Gluten Free. If you haven't had Quinoa it's a must. Look for it in the bulk section of the store, it cooks like rice.
Mushroom and Potato Stew - From Bon Appetit- this one will come together rather fast.
Chicken Pot Pie- Thanks Emeril! Pot pie is great as a easy casserole you can toss in the oven.
Sausage Lasagna- From the Food Network- Delish! I think we are having that tonight!

Desserts and Breads! My favorite is making the house smell like brownies and homemade bread!
Monkey Bread! From Smitten Kitchen- let me just first say I LOVE her blog and you should check it out sometime http://smittenkitchen.com/  I wish I could blog like her- maybe one day!
Brownies- from Allrecipes- gooey brownies are the best when they are hot.
Chocolate Chip cookies from Smitten Kitchen again! But like I said before Deb is amazing! I am a big fan of  M & M's instead of chocolate chips. I'm not really sure why.

I think I got enough here to get anyone started, I like doing posts that have many links as to add some variety. Not everyone likes the same stuff.

First Thanksgiving

Yesterday was my Epic thanksgiving. It was the first time cooking all the dishes, along with  a 20 pound turkey. In my family we name our turkey, this year was no different to me. I named him "Hank" I know some people think of it a little strange that I would name my dead frozen turkey before cooking it and eat it.

 I will recount the crazy 2 days of thanksgiving.  I did make every recipe from my post gobble-gobble, I only strayed a little bit, we will get to that later.
It all started on Wednesday morning. The brine was ready and it was time for hank to be tucked away for 24 hours. It was not the usual brine, the base was apple cider, soy sauce, ginger, salt, peppercorns, cinnamon, garlic and cilantro. For the brining process I found a brininig bag at the store, this bag saved me a whole lot trouble. Turkeys are big-O birds and to accommodate brining for 24 hours and still have everything for the sides and desserts in my fridge. I brined hank in a bag in a cooler with 3 bags of ice. The cooler stayed in the cold garage. To be safe I checked it during the day.

Apple Blackberry Filling

Wednesday was off with a bang. The goal for the day was desserts. I was a little ambitious with picking 4 completely different desserts. First the graham cracker crust, I added one secret ingredient- Candied Ginger, it got ground up with the graham crackers. For the crusts the food processor was my best friend, it makes the doughs effortless. Next was chocolate tart dough, then the cinnamon and ginger double crust pie. Once I had all the doughs done, a break was in order. I am sure it would have taken less time if I hadn't taken so many breaks, that's the luxury of baking from home.

Assembled Apple Blackberry Pie

While reading through my sweet potato pie recipe I realized that  I bought the Wrong kind of sweet potato- WHAT?! I had no clue there was different kinds! Oh great now I had to head to the store on Wednesday night! Needless to say it was a zoo, but getting the right kind of sweet potato (yams) was worth it. After that fiasco I put together the apple blackberry pie. When looking for my mini cookie cutters, they were nowhere to be found. Instead I did a classic lattice crust, I just love that look. With the pie assembled, and pecan toffee tart baking in the oven, I was half way done!  Sometimes I amaze myself when I don't read the whole recipe and then at 9 o'clock at night realize I need to roast the yams for 1 1/2 hours. Luckily I had plenty of sugar in my system so I was just getting started, and with the baby asleep I had less distractions.

Baked Cream Puffs

 On to the cream puffs! You have no idea how many times I tried to talk myself out of making them , then convince myself that it was a yummy idea and they had to be made. So on to making cream puffs at 9:30 at night! While they were baking I made the pastry cream and caramel sauce. Once the cream puffs came out it was time for the sweet potato pie to go in. By the time the pie came out it was almost midnight.  But lucky me all the desserts were done and it was time for bed. Oh my bed felt so good after the day I had.

Thursday was the Big day. I got up and pulled hank out of the brine, patted dry and let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Thursday seemed relatively  easy, all I had to do was the sides.  Once I got the turkey in the oven, it was time to peel 10 pounds of potatoes, 3 pounds of carrots, clean 2 pounds of brussels sprouts and green beans.  I was prepared for the turkey to cook for 4 hours, no way it was ready in 2 1/2!! I was so surprised when I checked the temperature.  I pulled it out and covered with foil. Once the sides were ready I covered them with foil and placed in the oven on warm. I was done! Finally I sat down and had a glass of wine.

 I mentioned I only strayed from the plan a bit. Well on Wednesday night I realized I was not going to make rolls, I had lack of oven space. I made a call and she was happy to make rolls, they were not cranberry but who cares? They were delish! I also added mushrooms to the green bean casserole, I was amazed that mushrooms were not included, just chopped them up and folded in.

Sweet Potato & Apple Pie

In the long run we had 10 adults and 3 kids. Turned out 2 people couldn't make it. I might have gone over board with the mashed potatoes, we have a ton leftover.The sides went fast, only about 1-2 servings leftover. I got rave reviews on the desserts. The cream puffs were the first to go, then the sweet potato pie. Only 2 slices of apple blackberry pie, and chocolate pecan tart are lingering in my fridge. I thought I had made too much dessert, well I was Wrong! Everyone had plenty of food, after dinner we played board games. It was truly a fun night. It was been requested that I do Thanksgiving again next year. So I have officially taken over thanksgiving! Woo whoo! My only regret was that I was so hungry that I didn't take photos of the turkey or sides. I managed to snap a few of the desserts as we were slicing them.

Warm up!

Oh man the last few weeks have been crazy. The weather is changing, it is now getting cold and with daylight savings time it gets dark near 5pm. Every year at this time it gets gloomy and rainy here in Seattle. Don't get me wrong I like the rain that is why I moved here. It's a  little discouraging at first, just looking outside I get tricked and think it is 8pm but low and behold it is 5:30 WHAT?!!  I was ready for bed! 

With the snap in the air, I tend to want to curl up and stay warm. This turns me into a lazy Liz! Just because it is cold I can't ignore everything. I have a nice little list of things you can do to warm up on the chilly nights, and will get you motivated. Here I go with my lists again so put on a pair of slippers and get started!

1. Cook Dinner-  Cooking warms me up so very fast. The first thing I do when I get to work at 6am is turn on the ovens and bake scones and cookies. Now that warms me up at work. But for home it's practically the same thing. Turn on the oven for a casserole,  boil some water for pasta, cook some rice, anything will warm you up. 
2. Do the dishes-  When I first moved to Seattle my roommate and I would want to do the dishes because that water was hot and our fingers were cold. This will also keep your kitchen nice and clean.
3. Laundry- I just love to fold nice and hot laundry from the dryer. Just like putting on warm socks, be surrounded by warm clothes. Yet again keeping the house clean. 
4. Move around- easier said then done. When I get home from work I don't want to do anything because I am moving around all day. If I keep the momentum going things will get done. If I sit down i ain't movin'! But Luke keeps me going. If you have a little one then moving around is easy!
5. Exercise- Lately I have had a strew of injuries my knee and my back. I haven't been doing much, but intend to once I am feeling better.
6. Drink- Yes I said drink, it doesn't have to be Alcohol but it can be. Have some Tea, Ho Cho (hot cocoa) Coffee or Cider. But if you are so inclined have some wine it will raise your body temp.  Hell take some advice from the Russians and take a shot of Vodka.
7. Start a Fire?! ONLY IF YOU HAVE A FIREPLACE! Be careful

Now that I have made you clean the entire house and get drunk. Have a seat and cuddle up with a movie or a good book you deserve it. I bet you are warm.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!

 I am getting ready for Thanksgiving! This is my first year going the whole nine yards, we are having 15 people over and boy am I in over my head. I have been making lists and lists and lists. I have a shopping list which I have been comparing to the store ads and coupons. One list for all the dishes I will be making, another list of ingredients I already have, I even have a list to keep my lists in order. Oh it's going to get crazy in this house come November 23. I am not going to be doing test runs of the food since it's about a week away. I will share with all of you what I am planning on. If the recipes are online I will share them too. So bring on the Lists!
List 1: Dishes- This was way longer until I looked at it and freaked out. Way too much food, but I do love some leftovers! This list doesn't include the actual dishes I will have to be doing after dinner.. 
 I am taking a lot of advice from bon appetit and Martha Stewart

 

Photograph by Marcus Nilsson  


• 20 pound Turkey- did I really have to list this? Yes! it is the star of the day, GOBBLE GOBBLE! It's all in the way that you prepare it. I have cooked turkey before but not one this large.I have decided the cider-brined-turkey-with-star-anise-and-cinnamon is the way to go!
•  Garlic Mashed Potatoes-  now when making them you need a ton, it is the co-star to the turkey in my world. I just use a basic recipe but will add 6 cloves of roasted garlic cloves to 10 pounds of potatoes. mashed-potatoes

• Carrots- Usually it is a ton of starches and turkey, this year I want good veggie sides for everyone to choose from. spiced-glazed-carrots-with-sherry-and-citrus sounds yummy!
• Green Beans- Lets face it the traditional green bean casserole isn't the cat's meow. I found this updated recipe that includes artichokes, I think I will add the fried onions and some spices since they sound better then chunks of bread. green-bean-and-artichoke-casserole sure does look tasty. 
• Brussels Sprouts- Ever since I started liking them about a year ago I can't  get enough of them, plus paired with pancetta will be amazing this is a great recipe brussels_sprouts_with_pancetta.
• Gravy ties everything on the plate together. I am using this as a guide to silky-turkey-gravy but i will be using chicken stock that I have made already. 
• Rolls- cranberry_nut_rolls  I will omit the nuts, just a preference of mine. 
• Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing-  I am delegating it for someone to bring, com'on I can't do it all!

• Sweet Potato Pie- YES we have made it to dessert ! Instead of having sweet potatoes as a side dish, this pie will be replacing pumpkin pie at our feast- I hope I don't get in too much trouble for this.This looks so much better sweet_potato_pie
• Apple Blackberry Pie- Since I went a little blackberry picking crazy this summer I have a ton of blackberries to use up, this seems fitting and enclosed in a all butter double crust how can anyone resist? apple-blackberry-pie
• Chocolate Pecan Tart- I made this last year and it was Amazing, it has been requested this year. chocolate-toffee-pecan-tart
• Salted Caramel Cream Puffs- I am using this recipe but changing it a bit, I am only going to make the cream puffs with salted caramel pastry cream dipped in dark chocolate. Oh YES I went there! this is what I am going to have for dessert! milk-chocolate-and-salted-caramel

I have my work cut out for me, however I do have Wednesday off and I do some of this for a living, so it will be like working from home. But I don't get paid- darn!  It will definitely be a feast. I will report back after and let everyone know if I had a melt down or not.  Well I hope everyone has a great Turkey day. And I am thankful for my 4 followers, lets hope for a few more in the new year!

Cheers!

Frozen Burritos

When Ryan lived alone, he survived on frozen burritos, and pizza. It's a quick and easy food that he didn't have to do much with. Even though I make delicious dinners with leftovers. Sometimes I am not home for dinner, or we are in hurry. For these occasions frozen burritos are perfect. I hate to buy them because it is packed with so much stuff and kinda spendy. I experimented a few months ago with freezing pre-made burritos. It was a success. I told him if we got a chest freezer I would make more burritos, and frozen mini pizzas. I was slacking a bit, until this weekend. The motivation train was rolling through my house. I canned veggie stock, homemade grape juice and pears in blackberry juice. After that was all done, I took on my last food project for the weekend BURRITOS! Layered with Cilantro cumin black beans, spicy ground beef and cheese. I Bought the tortillas from the Mexican grocery down the road, and snagged a refreshing Mexican coke. First was the beans, I used canned black beans, but this would be good with pinto or refried.

Black Beans:

3- 28 oz Black Beans

1 bunch Cilantro chopped

2 TBS Cumin

1 TBS Red pepper flakes

1 tsp Salt

 In a large pan on medium heat, toss in all the beans, make sure to stir to evenly heat the beans, I like mine partly smashed with some whole beans for texture. Add the cilantro, and spices. Let cook for 5-10 min to incorporate the flavors. Keep stirring every few min. Once ready take off the heat and set aside.

Taco Meat:

2 pounds ground beef, or turkey

1/2 yellow onion- diced small

1 TBS olive oil

Taco seasoning for 2 pounds meat- I used trader Joe's taco seasoning

14 oz tomato sauce or diced tomatoes

3 TBS Jalapeno juice- from canned jalapenos (optional)

In a large pan on medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onion. Saute until translucent. Add the meat in small chunks around the pan. Cook meat until browned and broken up into small chunks. Drain off the fat. Add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce to browned meat and simmer for 5 min. Take off heat and set aside.

To assemble you will need:

12 Flour tortillas

12oz grated Cheddar cheese

Cilantro Black Beans

Cooked Taco Meat

If you have the counter space, you can build several burritos at once, assembly-line style, or just stuff them one by one.

The first burrito will help you figure out how much you can stuff in each tortilla and still be able to roll it. Take your filled tortillas, nudge the pile of filling toward one side (you can pull up the opposite end of the tortilla to shape it more into a line), then tuck the sides and begin to roll it tightly, tucking in as needed. Place the assembled burrito on a tray, seam side down. Repeat until all the burritos have been assembled. I had space to put the whole tray in my freezer, once they are frozen I will store in a freezer bag or two. To reheat in the microwave it only takes about 2-3 min on high. Add a bit of hot sauce and you are set for some quick and easy meals.

Watch Luke Grow!

I have put together a photo timeline of Lukas from the beginning to now. I can't believe how big he has gotten over the last 16 months. I can't believe 2 years ago I got pregnant, it changed my whole life. Lukas is so sweet and loving we are lucky to have such a great boy.  Most of the Photos I took, the rest were by some friends. 

First Ultra sound Photo

Minutes Old

First night in the Hospital

3 days Old

2 weeks Old

He did this pose on his own - 2 weeks old

1 month

6 weeks Smiley Face

2 months all snuggled up

2 months

2 1/2 months

3 months

4 months- wearing Oma Socks!

Little superman- 4 1/2 months

5 months

Go Seahawks! 5 1/2 months

New Year Baby! 6 months

Because he is! 7 months

8 months

10 months

11 months

11 months- baby steps

First Haircut- 11 months

Happy Birthday Baby! 1 year

Summer time fun 13 months

Bath time 13 months

14 months

15 months

Little Stunt man  16 months