tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16943013936838856912024-03-19T05:28:19.411-05:00The Seventh Level of BoredomTy'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.comBlogger487125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-28623498865569661212013-01-13T11:18:00.002-06:002013-01-13T11:18:55.526-06:00Craft CounselingCrafting can sometimes be like marriage. As much as you love your creations, sometimes they need a little....help. Just like in marriage, occasionally, what was once wonderful.. may need adjusting, tweaking....counseling.<br />
<br />
About a year ago, I posted this piece on my <a href="http://theseventhlevelofboredom.blogspot.com/2011/10/modern-day-fairy-tale.html" target="_blank">new entertainment center</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA_qZzWtZaeg8SdW4RJr1zeu_n3UO4KhEzoQZF9ftCmtTMOm2nevKrrQ37TBtMH_7pLVisN-Zu59_8K90bCTmOWQFJpJIisSUKhvoIDBjHgt7adiVlhDe0moRJgSUReLqkhHvukWyOyE/s640/TVcabinet+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA_qZzWtZaeg8SdW4RJr1zeu_n3UO4KhEzoQZF9ftCmtTMOm2nevKrrQ37TBtMH_7pLVisN-Zu59_8K90bCTmOWQFJpJIisSUKhvoIDBjHgt7adiVlhDe0moRJgSUReLqkhHvukWyOyE/s320/TVcabinet+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I love my entertainment center. I do. I adore it. It is the centerpiece of my living room. However, my son also loves his Wii. And since the TV in his room is tiny, he plays in the living room. And since there is a lot of drawers in the entertainment center, that is where we store his games, accessories, and Skylander characters. Which means, of course, that the drawers frequently get left open. I didn't consider this possibility when I was painting the drawers, mainly because I was in a rush to get the project completed while the husband was gone for the day (this seems to be a recurring theme in my crafting life). And so, the ancient piece was left with bare wood on the insides of the drawers. No big deal, right? After all, it was that way to begin with.... and who is going to be looking at the INSIDES of the drawers?<br />
<br />
Well, when your son leaves them open all the time, EVERYONE will be.<br />
<br />
Around this time, I found THIS pin on Pinterest (the pin didn't actually link up to anything, so I am only including the picture. I would hate to send you off on a wild goose chase).<br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/188377196884138100_D8DiHzOO_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/188377196884138100_D8DiHzOO_c.jpg" width="184" /></a></div>
<br />
I thought it was cute, but really, couldn't see a use for it in my home. Then my wonderful friend Sylvia pinned it and I asked her what she was going to do with it. Well, a year or so ago, we did a remodel on her daughter's bedroom, painting the walls purple. And her idea was to paint the insides of her dresser drawers to match. What a cute idea, right? I can totally see that working in a little girl's bedroom, but still had no inspiration for MY house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3WdU_iwC0jqEHDrbAXE77JJqRM7YWam6-5tLh4I7M0RREgRWdYxJyEt6ekh4-QUE4_ksjXSGWXVeNK534LR6rzJDlFfzsPyfEcQXXOhkBQIS5gahOGDgHOoFLLDaP1wx_w0rWNyGiQ/s1600/20130111_144832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3WdU_iwC0jqEHDrbAXE77JJqRM7YWam6-5tLh4I7M0RREgRWdYxJyEt6ekh4-QUE4_ksjXSGWXVeNK534LR6rzJDlFfzsPyfEcQXXOhkBQIS5gahOGDgHOoFLLDaP1wx_w0rWNyGiQ/s320/20130111_144832.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product!</td></tr>
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Well.... can you say "Duh"? Yeah, OBVIOUSLY my entertainment center needs help. So, I picked up paint chips, chose a favorite, and waited for a day the hubs would be gone. I even went a step further and paid the extra money for the Paint + Primer in one. I figured it would save me time, right? No. Possibly it was an unavoidable result with such old, thirsty wood, but I ended up having to slather on FOUR coats of paint and touchups as well in order to get decent coverage on the sides of the drawers. The insides definitely leave something to be desired since I was running out of paint and wasn't about to leave the drawers half done and sitting on the dining room table when the hubby got home. He already hates the entertainment center enough (yes, STILL), so I wasn't about to give him another excuse. I called the project "close enough" and put everything back together. Overall, I like the result...and after all, no one is going to be looking at the INSIDES of the drawers, right? RIGHT??Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-8047931739369388052013-01-10T07:20:00.002-06:002013-01-12T14:23:31.137-06:00Pinteresting - GLITTERFIED!!<br />
This post comes with a consumer advisory.... don't try this at home. But, if you do, just do it when your husband isn't home. Trust me on this.<br />
<br />
So.... I have these boots. I'm sure you can all relate, right? There is that one pair of boots or shoes in your closet that you LOVE. They fit you just right.... they are easy to walk in.....they go with your favorite jeans (which also fit you just right)....and something about the height of the heel...just makes your ass look good.<br />
<br />
Really, they do. You know what I'm saying. Don't judge.<br />
<br />
Ok, so I have these boots. Have had them for a long time, actually. And you know that moment.... that terrible, sad moment.... when you recognize the signs. The signs that these poor boots have seen better days. That, really, wearing them at this point only makes you look kind of shabby.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F7MnDJ8e-WBiGgLIcwUpdt0Wrd_A8Yr4UGG1omT5NVfMzjmv3AmVgFjGnxZTqjHsl_y3931F4y_dmXqMUy4NqFCZeax_3n62-P3dsQwSH6-kQeHEKOmqkamhJ9WK-M8hCkGpBruGOh8/s1600/GlitterHeels+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F7MnDJ8e-WBiGgLIcwUpdt0Wrd_A8Yr4UGG1omT5NVfMzjmv3AmVgFjGnxZTqjHsl_y3931F4y_dmXqMUy4NqFCZeax_3n62-P3dsQwSH6-kQeHEKOmqkamhJ9WK-M8hCkGpBruGOh8/s320/GlitterHeels+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Aren't they a mess?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />
But they are THE boots, right? You need to save them!<br />
<br />
Well, in walked Pinterest. Again. Saving the day. Have you seen the new thing in heels? Or, rather, ON heels? It's GLITTER.<br />
<br />
Now, I have to admit, I am NOT a fan of the sparkle. No sir, I am not. HOWEVER. I AM a fan of the boots. And the boots MUST be saved. By any means necessary. I love these boots. We have....history. <br />
<br />
And so, they shall be GLITTERFIED. There are tons of pins on Pinterest about making your own DIY glitter heels. Personally, I went for this one. Simple, few supplies needed. It was just a matter of finding black glitter, and I was on the move.<br />
<br />
This is very simple, really. Pour some modge podge into a dish (preferably disposable), then mix in the glitter until it becomes a glittery, but spreadable, mass. Now, slow down, you really don't need much. Not at all. I mean maybe a TABLESPOON of modge podge. And I'm not kidding. These boots of mine have big, thick heels, and I still ended up throwing out more than half my glitter mix. So, start small, you can always make more.<br />
<br />
Ok, now, using a brush, spread the glitter mix onto the clean heel. That being said, since the issue with my boots was that the leather was peeling off the heels, I first took a utility knife to both heels, thoroughly removing all traces of the leather, leaving a nice, virgin surface. <br />
<br />
You're probably thinking to yourself, "ok, so once I have covered the heel in modge podge, THEN what do I do? Its not like I can set it down on the counter..." Okay, maybe you're not thinking that yet. But trust me, you WILL. About the time you have the glittery heel in one hand and the modge podgy brush in the other, with nowhere to go.<br />
<br />
So, I did what any self-respecting country wife would do..... I *ahem* borrowed my husband's hunting boot dryer.... Yes. Yes I did. Did I mention not to do this while the husband is at home? I have yet to meet a straight men who doesn't hate glitter. He will see it as an act of domestic warfare. You'll just have to take my word for it.<br />
<br />
I digress. thoroughly cover the heel in the glitter podge. Then, while the heels are still wet and gluey, hold them (one at a time) over a large plate or piece of newspaper, and carefully shake more glitter over them, gently tapping the new glitter to help it adhere. This is where I must warn you.... I really hope you have a dustbuster. Seriously... this is the point where your project can go horribly wrong, and you'll be wiping black glitter off your kitchen counter for MONTHS. And trust me, you don't want that. Which, in turn, would give your act of glitter treachery away to the husband... so... be careful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE8grUDul0poWsyQWbR00SCX1Dz9sj__qkMAnHDTqMu1rf1SbXddkrVKwhqgt2TwS1mePVuVRd3O4BD1w6l5eYYpXBnB0kLi8QOsxI20VpFU_pBtG3tCC82CII-QHIDdqZ0kQx2n2VtM/s1600/20130106_115914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE8grUDul0poWsyQWbR00SCX1Dz9sj__qkMAnHDTqMu1rf1SbXddkrVKwhqgt2TwS1mePVuVRd3O4BD1w6l5eYYpXBnB0kLi8QOsxI20VpFU_pBtG3tCC82CII-QHIDdqZ0kQx2n2VtM/s320/20130106_115914.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what they will look like when you apply the "glitter-podge". Don't worry, once they are dry they won''t be white anymore.</td></tr>
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<br />
Now, let the boots dry. THOROUGHLY.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Nhma6T5gv2JdM03Vk3qnG14jXdJ0rDXU_c9mzC3-lXqe99A9Ofd82b_bHTEBMWJDBMjoq6ZaCOYDNWkS6jqNdfvgcg7I1laIKJdmjwKLn3yFT8SNUpdnvnESPzQQ6y1Qc_mvqbO4QAI/s1600/20130106_120458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Nhma6T5gv2JdM03Vk3qnG14jXdJ0rDXU_c9mzC3-lXqe99A9Ofd82b_bHTEBMWJDBMjoq6ZaCOYDNWkS6jqNdfvgcg7I1laIKJdmjwKLn3yFT8SNUpdnvnESPzQQ6y1Qc_mvqbO4QAI/s320/20130106_120458.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what they look like once they dry.</td></tr>
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When they are completely dry, shake off any loose glitter and apply an additional thin coat of un-glittered modge podge, just to seal it. And, VOILA! Kickin' heels!! I saved them from the trash bin and I can live happily once again.<br />
<br />
Try experimenting with a whole shoe. Maybe some really sassy heels that are just a little out of style.... cover them in glitter and get one more night of partying out of them. I can't wait to try mine out later this month.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbygVMoFXfEm5n7Uee1S6wwuSjpMsCFI1OCbVTC-13uqbO2vnjGVYo9J5JX8NnjpXaSfP7FDj-Z8wgDy_1uvOFQXuONkgMROp4cFSeKT0JBT6z6FpEnJEFE834-gmKPUyGyLxpDsTi8k/s1600/20130109_085412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbygVMoFXfEm5n7Uee1S6wwuSjpMsCFI1OCbVTC-13uqbO2vnjGVYo9J5JX8NnjpXaSfP7FDj-Z8wgDy_1uvOFQXuONkgMROp4cFSeKT0JBT6z6FpEnJEFE834-gmKPUyGyLxpDsTi8k/s320/20130109_085412.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best picture, but they look great peeking out from under my jeans!</td></tr>
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<br />
Oh, and don't forget to clean up! Make sure to erase every last little particle of glitter. Why is it they always notice the things you think they'll never notice? Hmmmm...Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-71501500054528886152013-01-08T17:50:00.002-06:002013-01-08T17:51:02.142-06:00Shiny Things<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do
you ever feel like a ferret? You know… distracted by shiny things…. A
little bit of a hoarder…. Running around frantically trying to find your
secret stashes….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yeah,
that describes me pretty well most of the time. Especially since the
dawn of the poison otherwise known as Pinterest. I see it…. I am
enchanted… I hoard materials
for it…. and then I run around like a crazy person trying to get it all
done.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As was the case with my most recent project. The Penny Ball.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
saw it… I had to have it….I got the supplies together for it…. and two
months later I find myself still trying to get it done. Its not hard…
its not even time consuming.
It just had to get STARTED in order to get finished.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe
its because my subconscious knows that I won’t be able to foist the
penny ball on its intended purpose until at least April, if not later. I
mean, why work on
something that you can’t use, and you’ll have to find a place to store
it for months at a time, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
penny ball is purported to have some lovely outdoorsy benefits. For
one, when placed in your garden, it will (supposedly) repel slugs. Also,
if you have hydrangeas,
having a penny ball in their vicinity is reported to turn them a lovely
shade of blue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have neither slugs nor hydrangeas…. But I DO have a penny ball. I just
really think it will look cool in my low-to-no-maintenance garden. See, I
don’t do flowers.
I have a brown thumb. My garden is made of rock and pavers and the
occasional potted plant. And now…. the addition of this lovely little
gem. There are pins all over pinterest for these, so I am not going to
link up to any particular one since I pulled information
from several. True, I will have to wait until spring to finish my
garden and give the coppery dome a new place to live. But, in the
meantime…. It doesn’t look half bad in my dining room. Just don’t ask my
husband what HE thinks about it….</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SO,
how did I make it? First, I managed to get an old bowling ball from a
local freecycler. Then I ransacked our change jar (shhhh don’t tell the
Big Guy) for every
last penny I could scrounge up. I didn’t count how many that was. The
pins I looked at quoted anywhere from $4 - $10 worth, depending on the
size bowling ball you started with. Then, Liquid Nails. Or another
temperature-resistant silicon adhesive.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
worked on this in several sessions, leaving the ball poised in a cereal
bowl on my kitchen counter while it was in progress. First, I filled in
a good size section
on the top of the ball and gave it a few days to dry thoroughly. Once
they were solidly attached, I turned the ball over and continued to fill
in the remaining space with pennies, one section at a time. No
particular pattern, just however many I felt like
putting on while I was standing at the counter that day. Just for
kicks, since we live in Illinois, I made sure that Lincoln was facing
out on each penny. Why not, right?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAGOUSZMZh7LKhNotCBn0jCvi6t6dcpe5qYJlJYpGoWOUBPo8NVd9Llr7vLyxojd5MvSiGpVA7FTNF4KkkwcTRIeanJ9GN0DyC1nSFllgFpmWRcjJJc5q54-WGbAFDxz76Wd_5gEkTs8/s1600/20130108_173603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAGOUSZMZh7LKhNotCBn0jCvi6t6dcpe5qYJlJYpGoWOUBPo8NVd9Llr7vLyxojd5MvSiGpVA7FTNF4KkkwcTRIeanJ9GN0DyC1nSFllgFpmWRcjJJc5q54-WGbAFDxz76Wd_5gEkTs8/s320/20130108_173603.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, what do you think? Maybe in a few months I’ll post a picture of it in its future home.</span></div>
Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-27720315538919858292013-01-06T11:23:00.002-06:002013-01-06T11:23:42.641-06:00Kahlua and Cream Can Kiss My Grits....Ok, I originally found the idea for this cocktail somewhere on Pinterest, but when I went back to find it, I got pin-blocked. Has that ever happened to you? You see a pin that looks absolutely amazing but when you try to delve deeper, the pin has been blocked due to spam or porn or...whatever?<br />
<br />
Yeah well, I'm not so easily dissuaded.<br />
<br />
The original recipe called for Bailey's, some kind of Birthday Cake vodka, and coffee cubes (strong coffee, frozen in ice cube trays).<br />
<br />
My version? Well, when I went to the store looking for the vodka, I came across UV Chocolate Cake Vodka, and I'm sorry, but isn't chocolate ALWAYS better? Yes, I thought so, too. And, frankly, I don't need that much hard liquor in a drink I am most likely going to have late at night or right smack in the middle of the day, like...after breakfast. Or instead of breakfast. Or, well, you get the idea.<br />
<br />
But Mmmmmm when you put it all together, its like a wicked iced mocha. So, that's what I am calling it. Beth Anne's Wicked Iced Mocha. And yes, in case you're wondering, I'm having one right now..... jealous?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qBzbBpltO0wdLdHgYdma8cGwBxfd10b_bTHgVUdsiKlU_rXIbR9FMbwNQ9FujXtR6hWC2LProwRMUjsu0fWQpe9_2H6eVn_ypRPBb3vm7KPhyLq3OprXDIShjZMPo7lHshgBaiA9gUg/s1600/20130106_110808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qBzbBpltO0wdLdHgYdma8cGwBxfd10b_bTHgVUdsiKlU_rXIbR9FMbwNQ9FujXtR6hWC2LProwRMUjsu0fWQpe9_2H6eVn_ypRPBb3vm7KPhyLq3OprXDIShjZMPo7lHshgBaiA9gUg/s400/20130106_110808.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most beautiful picture, this is not. But do you really think I was going to waste time going for photographic gold when THIS was calling my name?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<u>Wicked Iced Mocha</u></h2>
4 or 5 coffee cubes<br />
1 ounce heavy cream<br />
1 ounce UV Chocolate Cake vodka (more or less, depending on what time of day it is)Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-9845425023531290702013-01-06T10:57:00.000-06:002013-01-06T10:57:17.259-06:00Pinteresting - Buffalo Chicken ChiliI've been away..... for a very long time. I keep telling myself that I will be back. That I will start posting recipes again instead of just throwing pictures out on Facebook. I promise the friends that implore me to start posting again that I absolutely will.<br />
<br />
I am such a fraud.<br />
<br />
I intend to, really I do. I had a grand plan to spend my twelve days off over Christmas break breathing new life into my blog. And yet.... here we are.<br />
<br />
However, I also have a new addiction. I imagine many of you are afflicted with the very same sickness. And they call it.... PINTEREST. I can't seem to stay away. I am constantly finding myself in the throes of yet another irresistible project or recipe. And so, a decision has been made. I MUST come back to blogging, just so that I can share my experiences with the crack otherwise known as Pinterest. Starting....<br />
<br />
RIGHT NOW.<br />
<br />
Of course, its not an entirely altruistic mission. It also gives me a venue to post pictures and re-pin them with my own personal notes, edits, and occasionally...rants. Because as we all know... sometimes those Pinterest projects don't actually turn out.<br />
<br />
This is not one of those cases. This, my friends, is a real keeper. A gem. In fact, even a "husband-approved" pin. This is Buffalo Chicken Chili.<br />
<br />
The hubby and I have a tradition of making soup to share with friends at our local watering hole on New Year's Day, as well as the hubster's birthday, the day immediately following New Year's Day. It makes for quite a "weekend" and brings a bit of closure to the holiday season for us.<br />
<br />
This year, I pulled a recipe off one of my boards and decided to give it a whirl. I had the hubby's blessing to give it an attempt, and so we were off. To say this pin was a success is a massive understatement. In fact, it was so well received, I had to send the recipe to more people than I can currently recall. I admit that I did make a few minor tweaks, but in the end, we have one for the books. A recipe the hubby has already requested another batch of. And in my book, it doesn't get much better than that.<br />
<br />
I am including the recipe below, with my modifications, and the <a href="http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/11/buffalo-chicken-chili-in-slow-cooker.html" target="_blank">original recipe</a> - props to the original poster!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNopA7qmvLpe1MvNvsF22ugCdF9x6H1xHL5Q_mtdIGCzz5d2EHeUtXRdvk22XB1ZuB6OEhAn0oEHOylOyGCCP-JcL1h9pW90JImxzO8moeeA0Y9X9YllrZRmr7Zi9yEuMRqeneCowXDE/s1600/20121231_170147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNopA7qmvLpe1MvNvsF22ugCdF9x6H1xHL5Q_mtdIGCzz5d2EHeUtXRdvk22XB1ZuB6OEhAn0oEHOylOyGCCP-JcL1h9pW90JImxzO8moeeA0Y9X9YllrZRmr7Zi9yEuMRqeneCowXDE/s400/20121231_170147.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><span>Buffalo Chicken Chili</span></u></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span><br /><span>2 large carrots</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>4 stalks celery</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1 large red pepper</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1 large onion</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>5 cloves of garlic</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1/2 cup chili powder</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>3tbsp. ground cumin</span><br /><span>1 tbsp. paprika</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce</span><br /><span>3 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce</span><br /><span>1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1 (15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span>1 (15 oz) can chili beans in sauce (do not drain)</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 cans water<br /><span>Salt and pepper to taste</span></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Cook chicken with a bit of water in pan
until cooked and easy to shred. Shred chicken and set aside. Heat
a bit of oil in a large pot and cook onions, carrots, pepper and
garlic about 8 minutes. Add all the
other ingredients and mix together. Simmer for about an hour, until the flavors come together. </span></span><br />
<br />Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-31703157506033768122012-08-29T09:44:00.001-05:002012-08-29T09:44:14.214-05:00Good Things!<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I am a “saver”. I try to keep it under
control so that I don’t turn into a “hoarder”, but I am always trying to find
ways to repurpose items rather than throwing them away (not to mention saving
myself money).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">One way I “save” is by re-using food
containers from the store. The 32 ounce cottage cheese containers are the
perfect size for freezing stock, for example. The problem is, when I put them
in the fridge or freezer, I often forget what I had in them, because my mind
says “oh, that’s your cottage cheese”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Well, no more! I found this on
Pinterest and tried it myself at home. It seems like such a no-brainer, I can’t
believe I never thought of it, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Acetone nail polish remover. I have
this on hand all the time anyway. It takes a little patience, but if you soak a
cotton ball and let it sit on the ink on a container, it will begin to remove
it. A little rubbing, and away it goes! Now, I HAVE found that it doesn’t work
on EVERYTHING. For example, it didn’t want to remove the ink from the LIDS of
these sour cream containers, but hey, at least now I can tell it’s a re-used
container. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rsWjy5hftFVaL7pS0G8NaY1Y2AIfH7V_1-U80PEr-T84Es7CnchFGg7-ehBhVNRU7mEvi0asjPdKFoJMwqKsQxs_TI86U9b4TZ0L9TAdmCHB3bcu87_yUbZxqv3quUG5LptmqdrtbYI/s1600/pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rsWjy5hftFVaL7pS0G8NaY1Y2AIfH7V_1-U80PEr-T84Es7CnchFGg7-ehBhVNRU7mEvi0asjPdKFoJMwqKsQxs_TI86U9b4TZ0L9TAdmCHB3bcu87_yUbZxqv3quUG5LptmqdrtbYI/s640/pin.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The acetone doesn’t seem to hurt the
integrity of the container at all, and being able to re-use them is a good
thing for me. In this small town, the recycle center only accepts #1 and #2
plastics, and most of this type of container are #4 or #5. So its either
re-purpose, or throw away. And I just HATE option #2. Don’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I may never need to buy new containers
again. And THAT’s a GOOD thing!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-76375189570536811602012-08-18T11:52:00.000-05:002012-08-18T11:52:12.719-05:00Jam Exchange 2012!This summer has definitely been one for the record books. Extreme heat, drought, and a very poor growing season all combined to make this summer.....not very fun for canning.<br />
<br />
For the past few years, I have been participating in <a href="http://stephchows.blogspot.com/2012/06/jam-exchange-2012.html" target="_blank">Steph Chow's Jam Exchange</a>, and it is SO. MUCH. FUN. What a good excuse to gather produce from the garden, make something lovely out of it and send it off to someone you've never met? And THEN! When that long-awaited mystery package arrives at your doorstep...well....its kind of like Christmas in July. Ok, technically September, but you get the idea.<br />
<br />
Luckily, I got an early start to my jamming this year and finished off my first batch in May, before the heatwave crippled the entire midwest. Somehow I managed another batch in June, and then, just this last weekend, the third - an experiment. I have to mail my package fast, before I give the rest of my goodies away to family and friends!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD905jcDq999eTu-fBdrK8nvS54c6FSxU0uZhiKWQ4UOLxQ5Vnd54fqY7_bWYgWxfOfeDyLi4mcWELrwPdd8V-4A4xtfECuDCt5-tjsZC-ddJaAp5Rjh8JtQHov5vmhbaP3w_QIxZsgB8/s1600/20120818_113343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD905jcDq999eTu-fBdrK8nvS54c6FSxU0uZhiKWQ4UOLxQ5Vnd54fqY7_bWYgWxfOfeDyLi4mcWELrwPdd8V-4A4xtfECuDCt5-tjsZC-ddJaAp5Rjh8JtQHov5vmhbaP3w_QIxZsgB8/s400/20120818_113343.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I hope my jammy exchange partner (check her out at <a href="http://blondiescakes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blondie's Cakes</a>!)enjoys the package heading her way on Monday, with one jar each of my Piña Colada (recipe <a href="http://theseventhlevelofboredom.blogspot.com/2011/09/we-be-jammin.html" target="_blank">here</a>), Mango Habañero (recipe <a href="http://theseventhlevelofboredom.blogspot.com/2010/08/mango-habanero-jam.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), and the new experiment - Corn Cob Jelly! (recipe below!). I had so much fun putting these together, two long time favorites in this house and a new addition to the menu.<br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Corn Cob Jelly</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">12 large ears of corn<br />
2 quarts water<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
1 package powdered pectin<br />
3-4 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Cook corn; cut kernels from cobs and store for another use. Measure 2 quarts water into a large pot; add corn cobs.<br />
<br />
Bring to a boil; boil hard for 30 minutes. (If you had the pot covered
when you brought it to a boil, take the lid off now. Boil it down
uncovered for a more concentrated result.) Turn off heat and remove
cobs. Strain corn liquid through cheesecloth or a fine
mesh strainer if you like a clear jelly. (I prefer to leave the corn bits in there! I
didn’t strain it.)<br />
<br />
Measure remaining corn liquid. I got a little over 3 1/2 cups corn
liquid after it boiled down. Return liquid to the large pot. Stir in
lemon juice and pectin. (Add a dab of butter to prevent foaming.) Bring
to a boil. Add sugar cup per cup to match the measure
of your corn liquid. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring pot to a rolling
boil. Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. (I probably boiled mine for five minutes at this stage because the first batch I tried never set up very well.) Remove from heat. Ladle
hot corn cob jelly into hot jars. Adjust lids and bands. Process in a
boiling water bath for 10 minutes.</span>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-50147048572739356162012-08-18T10:54:00.001-05:002012-08-18T10:54:24.161-05:00Tied in KnotsWe are living in the electronic age. Everyone knows this. If you didn't, well, you've been living under a cyber-rock. Technology is wonderful...and horrible....all at the same time.<br />
<br />
Evidence? That mess of look-alike black cables seething in your desk drawer, or jumbled about in the junk drawer of your kitchen. So many cables....a different one for every device. Ipod...camera....phone (one for everyone in the house, and each one unique), Kindle....GPS.... you name it, it comes with a cable.<br />
<br />
Now, try finding the right one when you REALLY need it.<br />
<br />
SOLUTION!!! Its sheer genius, really. I reorganized the basket I have in my computer desk where all the mystery cables reside. All it took was some 6-inch scraps of PVC, a sharpie and some zip ties.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPTtmrF2U6QFi6sT6qWQMJYH0MfJGHEBFSAEA9VaJH7Vk_ns1uyDkFvpYjPFPzxo7LRwGMaxqjpTio4JJEjsT7uKkjPaDDSbYhzm19E6xtEkDvCv8ZVOOWABer9ZScCysnnf7q8JDvVA/s1600/cableorganizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPTtmrF2U6QFi6sT6qWQMJYH0MfJGHEBFSAEA9VaJH7Vk_ns1uyDkFvpYjPFPzxo7LRwGMaxqjpTio4JJEjsT7uKkjPaDDSbYhzm19E6xtEkDvCv8ZVOOWABer9ZScCysnnf7q8JDvVA/s640/cableorganizer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Now, if I can just keep the husband out of it, it might just STAY organized!Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-20972801035133846722012-07-11T21:26:00.000-05:002012-07-11T21:26:10.546-05:00Testing, Testing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0YcHf7W3CWGb-I1THxgbLD0Bh2OkWu_E7vLL5lOnEnB9uOJwX1JDCvDGNaeIO54rx4w2trlE3N_jnYoLzNzR-1IBNPri6CSNucGVX-Mo23NpxRlk9AHfeK4VsDLE04x9fJOlBEe3c9I/s1600/scotch1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0YcHf7W3CWGb-I1THxgbLD0Bh2OkWu_E7vLL5lOnEnB9uOJwX1JDCvDGNaeIO54rx4w2trlE3N_jnYoLzNzR-1IBNPri6CSNucGVX-Mo23NpxRlk9AHfeK4VsDLE04x9fJOlBEe3c9I/s320/scotch1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQgV6df4KCQ9LelhIMhh7KOoHxnNEZ2wpDYF2JrQFeBIGKqrh4_-jUbrr1CnXl0o66S8raSnRxcXBH02mC5HIWeIWSJMK7e1zASY_-tESHczyQvjq435Loc-J5J7GYS8wzjetnc7WZVQ/s1600/scotch2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQgV6df4KCQ9LelhIMhh7KOoHxnNEZ2wpDYF2JrQFeBIGKqrh4_-jUbrr1CnXl0o66S8raSnRxcXBH02mC5HIWeIWSJMK7e1zASY_-tESHczyQvjq435Loc-J5J7GYS8wzjetnc7WZVQ/s320/scotch2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Anyone out there big scotch aficionados? We are trying to identify this old bottle....Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-28021194907023772502012-07-10T09:24:00.003-05:002012-07-10T09:24:36.371-05:00Vegan Challenge - Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">You might say I am venturing into
unfamiliar territory. You could say I am getting out of my comfort zone. It
would be reasonable to say I am eating outside the box.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">I am going Vegan.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">Okay, okay, stop laughing. Allow me to
clarify. I am taking on a vegan challenge with a group of friends at work for
one week. This is a part of a program that our Wellness Committee at work is
promoting over the summer. The challenge is coming up next week, but I am
trying to test drive a recipe or two in advance so that I know if I can stomach
it or not before I invest in all the expensive vegan ingredients. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">Today’s experiment? Sweet Potato
Breakfast Casserole.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">Inherently, this recipe poses a couple
of issues for me. One being that I am not a big fan of sweet potatoes. Two
being….ditto for bananas.Three? Well, carbs and starches tend to be my DOWNFALL
in the weight loss routine, not my salvation, but hey. Its only a week, right?
Also, this recipe seems to harken to more autumnal days instead of the 100
degree heat wave we’ve been enduring here, but I digress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">The pluses? I need SUBSTANCE for breakfast.
If I can’t have meat, then I need something that’s going to stick to my ribs. Oatmeal
seems to be a reasonable solution. After some investigation on the good ol’
internet, I turned up this little gem of a recipe at <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6002072" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a> and decided
to give it a whirl. I have included my notes in the recipe below, but head on over to the site for the original recipe.</span></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aH83N10jPTc4WPV4D00azDEgv8WdewgHYhsljD2nUSGQUFOJWkKVAqDiAbq4b-PxQ5nfRU2w2Mv61upDCBsitbA2Eqc3tdnqCn_EJqvI4hPGaz6-w54ppz7VtDq4uzqJwgGKtUkMwsY/s1600/sweetpotatocasserolebefore.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aH83N10jPTc4WPV4D00azDEgv8WdewgHYhsljD2nUSGQUFOJWkKVAqDiAbq4b-PxQ5nfRU2w2Mv61upDCBsitbA2Eqc3tdnqCn_EJqvI4hPGaz6-w54ppz7VtDq4uzqJwgGKtUkMwsY/s400/sweetpotatocasserolebefore.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">If you saw my Facebook post last night,
you know that I definitely had my reservations as I was putting this together. Let’s
just say that the unbaked mixture is…..visually unappealing. It is a very easy
recipe to throw together and the ingredients are mostly basic. I didn’t have
chia seeds, and they are not an ingredient that is even remotely available in
my area. Heading back to the web, I found that flax seeds are a good substitute
and I happen to have a jar of flax seed meal in the pantry, so I subbed that
out for the chia seeds. Other than that, no problem at all!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">All of that being said, fresh out of the
oven, this is a pretty tasty little dish! I doubled the original recipe to make
a 9x13 pan so I would have plenty to share at work today, and I am pleased to
say it has met with rave reviews! It is definitely something I would be more
inclined to eat in the winter, with its cinnamon, nutmeg, oats and sweet
potatoes, but it definitely has the “stick-to-your-rib-ability” I was looking
for, and it makes a large enough quantity that I can eat breakfast from the pan
all week long!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, for my first dish in the lineup, not
bad at all! Next up – Veggie Burgers! Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="fn" style="margin: 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #34c24e; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" id="author" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span class="singlerecipetext1"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">Oatmeal
Ingredients</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/2
cup </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 10.5pt;">rolled</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">
oats<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2
cups soy milk </span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1
small sweet potato, peeled, chopped (made 2 cups raw or 1.5 cups cooked)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1
ripe large banana<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1
tbsp chia seeds (if you omit, you may have to reduce the milk</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-size: 10.5pt;">.
I used flax seed meal instead of chia seeds</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1-2
tsp pure vanilla extract<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tsp
ground cinnamon + 1/8th tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2
tbsp pure maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span class="singlerecipetext1"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;">Crunchy
Pecan Topping</span></b></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/3
cup chopped pecans<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2
tbsp Earth Balance (or butter)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2
tbsp flour (I used spelt flour)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 2.25pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1/4
cup brown sugar (I used Sucanat)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #34c24e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Instructions<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">1.
Preheat oven to 350F. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized
pot. Add in the peeled and chopped sweet potato. Cook over medium heat, for
about 5 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">2.
Give the pot a quick rinse and then add in the oats, milk, and chia seeds.
Whisk well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about
5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">3.
With a potato masher, mash in the cooked sweet potato and the banana into the
pot. I left some chunks for texture. Now stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup,
nutmeg, </span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">vanilla
</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">and salt to taste.
Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook on low for another few minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">4.
Make the crunchy pecan topping by mixing together the pecans, flour, Earth
Balance (or butter), and brown sugar with a fork. until very clumpy. Pour the
oatmeal into a baker dish (I used a 4 cup/8 inch casserole dish) and spread out
evenly. Now sprinkle on the pecan topping.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 5.25pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">5.
Transfer the oats to a</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">n
8x8</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">
casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, at 350F. After 20 minutes,
set oven to BROIL and broil on low for a couple minutes, watching very closely
so you do not burn the topping. Remove from oven and serve. Makes 3-4 servings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailOriginal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Nutritional Info (based on 4 servings
with soy milk, without topping): 217kcal, 4 grams fat, 7 grams protein, 6 grams
fibre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><br />Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-30833469168902120932012-06-20T07:13:00.000-05:002012-06-24T11:07:07.175-05:00Working My Fingers to the Bone….<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">I always thought the saying went “If you love someone, set them free”.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Apparently
that is just a loose translation of, “If you love someone, go through
hell and back to make them a custom shooting vest in full-on Remington
colors, and practically
inaccessible mesh fabric normally only available to wholesalers”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">At least, that is my husband’s translation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Allow
me to give you a little background information. See, my husband is a
die-hard Remington Arms fan. Which, in turn, makes us a Remington Arms
family. The hubs is
also a stickler for detail. So, when he started shooting trap
competitively last year, the wheels in his brain started turning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">He
wanted a Remington shooting vest. I could not deny the appeal. So I
went shopping. As it turns out, Remington does make a shooting vest. It
looks like this:</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4auys4lZlefaTtC-nkrgaMAwnYqDC2Tnrv6NNzs3WoFpF4FamXF0qEFIXsjSvsMbbayDeRojLGaK3TNYGE2W_KcDEmMq-54TqV4iu2nL3X1PO9q-xnT_MMPA8J8jcpp3MMjYyRiM_2G4/s1600/remington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4auys4lZlefaTtC-nkrgaMAwnYqDC2Tnrv6NNzs3WoFpF4FamXF0qEFIXsjSvsMbbayDeRojLGaK3TNYGE2W_KcDEmMq-54TqV4iu2nL3X1PO9q-xnT_MMPA8J8jcpp3MMjYyRiM_2G4/s1600/remington.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Very nice, no?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">NO.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you are going to go Remington, you’ve got to go big. At least, that
seems to be how my husband’s mind works, because he quickly shot down
this option in favor of
a Remington Green and Yellow vest. Did you notice the material the vest
is made of? Yes, that is mesh. A utility fabric. Normally only
available to wholesalers. And he wanted a Remington logo on it. And he
wanted coordinating green padded shoulders. And he
wanted it for CHRISTMAS…..ahem…last year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Needless
to say, I didn’t make it. But, in all fairness, I told him that wasn’t
going to happen when he asked for it. I had way too many other projects
already in the
works with a Christmas deadline. What I DID do, however, was scour the
internet for green or yellow mesh and coordinating twill. It took
awhile, but I managed to pull together all the elements needed and
then…..stalled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">And stalled.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">And STALLED some more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">I
didn’t want to do it. I really didn’t. It was going to be a nightmare.
They don’t make patterns for shooting vests. I know people who can just
look at a garment and
recreate it, without a pattern. I am not one of those people. So
finally, shortly before Father’s Day (this was the secondary completion
date requested by the hubby), I began work in earnest.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">If
you think velvet is a pain to work with…. corduroy….anything at
all….nothing compares to the nightmare that is MESH. Especially THIS
mesh. It has very large holes
and for any piece of material you want to attach to it, you better have
another piece of material BEHIND the mesh for the thread to grab onto.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">And
so…. After several days, more than a few “pinned” fingertips, and
multitudes of curse words, the best Father’s Day present EVER was born.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGXft1ZZ73R3KvwHN2zjY8es8A0TV_55UbdMaT2ETEiJ_odA6ohUZu9YctYt-Q04XEf9-yEAbSzI7CqJ4jkK6HfHSw0v50qiXcOF9ZLkQxj6PN8oydpYB4r_FathyphenhyphenmeNRVkW-vUM0CS4/s1600/ShootingVest+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGXft1ZZ73R3KvwHN2zjY8es8A0TV_55UbdMaT2ETEiJ_odA6ohUZu9YctYt-Q04XEf9-yEAbSzI7CqJ4jkK6HfHSw0v50qiXcOF9ZLkQxj6PN8oydpYB4r_FathyphenhyphenmeNRVkW-vUM0CS4/s320/ShootingVest+002.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpHNpk5jEm61KgRvp2SzKTYaWMTX9ZKAEONQKRbwLbWE_HxhKCbL5qvXs2SkVi9bnhXe3FmCsuNavJYp1FGc8sUbfWGjnUFPLaqjpZsRArGJgeUeoPLIpJWhRgQBk_5X9le-D8joBIao/s1600/ShootingVest+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpHNpk5jEm61KgRvp2SzKTYaWMTX9ZKAEONQKRbwLbWE_HxhKCbL5qvXs2SkVi9bnhXe3FmCsuNavJYp1FGc8sUbfWGjnUFPLaqjpZsRArGJgeUeoPLIpJWhRgQBk_5X9le-D8joBIao/s320/ShootingVest+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Silly man thinks he’s going to talk me into making a matching one for a friend of his.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="color: #244061; font-family: "Segoe Print"; font-size: 12pt;">Silly, silly man……</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZFgS2IBlhmKxrnM5VY1C1t0dWRZJ4BdYCPeVNmXdi0sOHYw5cjlUCgoBczZpQFj8paM8dk8xVisoAMi695DF4DmYxxp1080-7tHoNnmyL_fZdF7PhcHSok2MLe5ObvAB4IHDWjSMrro/s1600/ShootingVest+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZFgS2IBlhmKxrnM5VY1C1t0dWRZJ4BdYCPeVNmXdi0sOHYw5cjlUCgoBczZpQFj8paM8dk8xVisoAMi695DF4DmYxxp1080-7tHoNnmyL_fZdF7PhcHSok2MLe5ObvAB4IHDWjSMrro/s320/ShootingVest+006.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI1TpW-2_2-4zKc9OBiB7IVz72Cyk5KI2a-xb0Usf1vhgb9BX5hhr59KCgfjwN4g0bAJ9fKcVnJ5a0wVK5NBZP7mnCHgitFmnAwB7iFdJWDHMB2aSyOgVLTtYuOusQZPJpWi-Hd-yIpw/s1600/ShootingVest+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQI1TpW-2_2-4zKc9OBiB7IVz72Cyk5KI2a-xb0Usf1vhgb9BX5hhr59KCgfjwN4g0bAJ9fKcVnJ5a0wVK5NBZP7mnCHgitFmnAwB7iFdJWDHMB2aSyOgVLTtYuOusQZPJpWi-Hd-yIpw/s320/ShootingVest+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-21301508154314895112012-06-19T19:16:00.006-05:002012-06-19T19:16:50.876-05:00Wine On!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Just a fun little craft project to brighten things up around here!</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSJ9RN1ZavO7iw3WddRNeAag9mrkF6LIcqx7haqm1Jp03FCBpT45DcmlurxITwNjJ4-j5kNDIv3DZUtU0gzjUyopT-h_a0oD18wcm0kLWPAT3IDj_HRdMGXwGxsyPeYTILn4JjynjxiA/s320/WineBottle+002.jpg" width="240" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT0zM6rBlU8cFHrc2paLBR5Y8RKnrCQRIonL2lM981lF-95S8yWr12XkMERoj3PgEFGyDgczozwNhwgFNGg49gU6uyJJfN8zlyKzggFlBfPAHbsmzyKEvSFlPmsXdf0_4omXPRzapAN0/s1600/WineBottle+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDT0zM6rBlU8cFHrc2paLBR5Y8RKnrCQRIonL2lM981lF-95S8yWr12XkMERoj3PgEFGyDgczozwNhwgFNGg49gU6uyJJfN8zlyKzggFlBfPAHbsmzyKEvSFlPmsXdf0_4omXPRzapAN0/s320/WineBottle+005.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-18708176817011524352011-11-03T05:46:00.000-05:002011-11-03T05:46:54.472-05:00October Food 'n Flix Roundup!This month, I was lucky enough to host the October <a href="http://foodnflix.blogspot.com/">Food 'n Flix</a> Roundup, and boy did I have fun! Ratatouille is one of my all-time favorite movies to watch with my Little Man - and it never fails to make me HUNGRY!!!<br />
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We didn't have a large number of submissions, but I believe its all about the quality, not the quantity, and we certainly have quality food right here!<br />
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Heather, of <a href="http://www.girlichef.com/">Girlichef</a>, and our lovely founder of Food 'n Flix, was inspired to make this <a href="http://www.girlichef.com/2011/10/ratatouille-omelet-food-n-flix.html">Ratatouille Omelet</a>, and I like the way she thinks! What a fun way to have breakfast!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5T_-_iU680LzYDfAsYYK1oLUctI7PDSkOz7iR-KJPzjiDi7BALNf-aLntO3h78uIxQE8mvjmrj7ya1_PyDNqRKedB4AYi6Gj34-qCyZoviqoRvUbtB7oyhvJ-BfJQzMppPHHKJm3_PY/s1600/Omelet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5T_-_iU680LzYDfAsYYK1oLUctI7PDSkOz7iR-KJPzjiDi7BALNf-aLntO3h78uIxQE8mvjmrj7ya1_PyDNqRKedB4AYi6Gj34-qCyZoviqoRvUbtB7oyhvJ-BfJQzMppPHHKJm3_PY/s320/Omelet.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Deb at <a href="http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/">Kahakai Kitchen </a>made a gorgeous <a href="http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/roasted-ratatouille-not-so-traditional.html">Roasted Ratatouille</a> that just makes my mouth water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YwMVMyNE1pUiEgr2of5LqOeAC7sTzXLDMdhFZihaGyD00ClxrsMnY6SPhhgK97GPZUKkbA74vaD-2mTqZCq3_61cboFEacK-r19JLgzFC0XUf-n60S731z2ihkIEg_lgAO4V4mgAiv8/s1600/RoastedRatatouille.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YwMVMyNE1pUiEgr2of5LqOeAC7sTzXLDMdhFZihaGyD00ClxrsMnY6SPhhgK97GPZUKkbA74vaD-2mTqZCq3_61cboFEacK-r19JLgzFC0XUf-n60S731z2ihkIEg_lgAO4V4mgAiv8/s1600/RoastedRatatouille.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook found herself thinking like a rat and made <a href="http://lawstudentscookbook.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/baked-cheesy-ravioli/">Baked Cheesy Ravioli</a>. Hmmm maybe I should start thinking like a rat. Cheese? Ravioli? You can't beat that at my house, either.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvA4llIEzgPGN68wgfJDYm7q7bTWNO26OtNs_WmnnyFKq-lKm5l6uicnzx_BeA5lCuQUjp3JARj4erxtzsBMIXJTXlAGy2V-N4ea02jlH25ZfEinYvYfJtzZ3jL71AJTCplAFnDBDvOhc/s1600/Ravioli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvA4llIEzgPGN68wgfJDYm7q7bTWNO26OtNs_WmnnyFKq-lKm5l6uicnzx_BeA5lCuQUjp3JARj4erxtzsBMIXJTXlAGy2V-N4ea02jlH25ZfEinYvYfJtzZ3jL71AJTCplAFnDBDvOhc/s1600/Ravioli.jpg" /></a></div>And, I finally have my own submission posted. <a href="http://theseventhlevelofboredom.blogspot.com/2011/11/soup-for-food-n-flix-roundup.html">Parisian Soup</a>, which is my own little memory-inducing comfort food.A cream soup recipe from the 1970's, with lots of butter and LOVE in it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sg-WeE1ZoPPS-Mv7m_bUn_sKvf4ohiAb9FgxR5UltZSqayXwIT5BvkKDDQ7m1oeo48eh85L6qYkhIw-hrKi2rZO4tDkIkcuZD-PluSnJIKK95PQB2RP1VxHqOla5uk-ZQOHFsAI1c6c/s1600/ParisianSoup+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sg-WeE1ZoPPS-Mv7m_bUn_sKvf4ohiAb9FgxR5UltZSqayXwIT5BvkKDDQ7m1oeo48eh85L6qYkhIw-hrKi2rZO4tDkIkcuZD-PluSnJIKK95PQB2RP1VxHqOla5uk-ZQOHFsAI1c6c/s320/ParisianSoup+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It was a fabulous stroll down Memory Lane, thinking back to being in the kitchen with my Mom while she put together this heart-warming dish. I hope it was the same for all of you!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-6918363941635854972011-11-03T05:34:00.001-05:002011-11-03T05:35:53.298-05:00SOUP! for Food 'n Flix Roundup<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvL1BoMenmImKLVodfHic26Kyb5HarlDVoOaGQK3x2kpGwWAVlBQwBYODdHUeOxjnSZMYoCESyFA8-AjHnlC-XsSNxJxuRioCOW2cFLxcyeGTiREaA-NalDDBjJQ_HXafiESSd5DYbrYQ/s1600/ratatouille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvL1BoMenmImKLVodfHic26Kyb5HarlDVoOaGQK3x2kpGwWAVlBQwBYODdHUeOxjnSZMYoCESyFA8-AjHnlC-XsSNxJxuRioCOW2cFLxcyeGTiREaA-NalDDBjJQ_HXafiESSd5DYbrYQ/s1600/ratatouille.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Ahhhh Ratatouille. Such a fine foodie film in an unexpected wrapper. Of course, it’s a fun movie to watch, but why did I choose Ratatouille for this month’s <a href="http://foodnflix.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-flick-ratatouille.html">Food ‘n Flix</a> selection? My son.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">No, Little Man did not say “Mommy, Mommy, you HAVE to pick Ratatouille!!” jumping up and down and threatening to hold his breath if I didn’t see things his way. Why, then? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Ratatouille changed our lives. CHANGED. OUR. LIVES.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">See, I know this is going to come as a shock to you, but…. Mommy loves to cook. I know, try and contain your surprise. Well, Ty has always loved to be in the kitchen with me, form an early age. I have pictures of us washing dishes together, even.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">But after seeing Ratatouille, Ty “got” it. He understood the concept of creating a beautiful dish, a new “taste experience” and he began to question combinations, ingredients, and started accumulating his own kitchen tools, apron, and a step stool so he could cook with Mommy, on her level. He wants to get in there, hands on, and BE the chef. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPogMAYt1kqa5nOtljjjNllZ51Lwjjf-5SGJ1yRXOAd6cutfYfA6IMrNXll34pJlGjyrBtN7f-6o6M_GMjooI2hrhD4rWLUqrqrplSkp34RN5EuPzHAJSdaPzp-2iyKmtxt-ymN9thyphenhyphenk/s1600/LittleChef.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPogMAYt1kqa5nOtljjjNllZ51Lwjjf-5SGJ1yRXOAd6cutfYfA6IMrNXll34pJlGjyrBtN7f-6o6M_GMjooI2hrhD4rWLUqrqrplSkp34RN5EuPzHAJSdaPzp-2iyKmtxt-ymN9thyphenhyphenk/s320/LittleChef.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes literally.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">And so, when it was my turn to choose a film for Food ‘n Flix, the choice was easy. Now I bet your question is. “So what did you cook?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">“SOUUUUUP???”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">The look on Chef’s face as he realizes a possible catastrophe is about to leave his kitchen in the form of Linguine’s “soup”. This soup is inspired. According to food critic Leclaire, it is a “revelation”, and it is. In more ways than one. I have no doubt the soup was a phenomenal “taste experience”, as the critic states, but it is an awakening for both Linguine, Remy, and all of Paris as they discover (and re-discover) the world of food. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">What was in the soup? Who knows. What started as one thing, became another, as was the case for not only the soup, but Remy and Linguine , as well. We saw stock go in and cream, as well as leeks and some herbs…..thyme maybe? “Rosemary? That’s an herb, right?” One ingredient that obviously went into it was Passion. A passion for food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">So could I re-create Remy’s soup? No, of course not. But here’s a bit of irony. When I was a girl, there was a soup that my mother made. I haven’t had it in many years, but just the thought of it takes me back home, to my mom’s kitchen, transported like Ego was to his childhood home. A few years back, I asked my mom for the recipe, which she gladly gave me…..and yet, I’ve still not made it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Until now. The ironic part? It is called “Parisian Soup” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Ty and I spent quality time in the kitchen, putting our ingredients together with love, and turned out a heart warming batch of my mom’s Parisian Soup. In honor of Remy, Linguine, and yes… even Ego. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola;">Parisian Soup</span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Makes 3 quarts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">16-18 ounce bag frozen vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot blend)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">2 c. water</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">½ cup butter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">½ cup margarine</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">½ cup chopped celery</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">½ cup chopped onion</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">1 cup flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">4 chicken bouillon cubes</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">6 c. cold milk</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">1 c diced ham</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">1 tsp white pepper</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">1 tsp Accent</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Salt</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Cook vegetables in water until just tender – do not drain. Set aside.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Melt butter and margarine in a skillet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Add celery and onion and sautee until tender.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Add flour, stirring until well blended.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Crush chicken bouillon cubes and add to this mixture. (I don’t keep bouillon cubes in the house, but I did have some chicken soup base, so I used an equivalent amount of that.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Add cold milk and stir until thick and smooth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Add ham and cooked vegetables with their cooking liquid.</span></div><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Add seasonings.</span><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWFKMxT4_cp55LAhw5mtPa52-XwpixpKUvAfEXT86fXmvuSf04OwbkvxYnkxC1oMlJOkfFDMi3og68iQvMi13h7bALNwrdJ2gDbBwUUL7MXoly50HlolbE9y7_hGyf7-x-WEum17ku34/s1600/ParisianSoup+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWFKMxT4_cp55LAhw5mtPa52-XwpixpKUvAfEXT86fXmvuSf04OwbkvxYnkxC1oMlJOkfFDMi3og68iQvMi13h7bALNwrdJ2gDbBwUUL7MXoly50HlolbE9y7_hGyf7-x-WEum17ku34/s400/ParisianSoup+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-79958456827347708732011-10-27T07:15:00.000-05:002011-10-27T07:15:33.277-05:00Food n Flix Deadline!<span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That’s right folks, I am hosting Food ‘n Flix this month, and I had set today as the deadline, but I’ve had a change of heart! (Ok, so really, I’ve been too busy making Ty’s Halloween costume to get my OWN dish made!) You still have time! If you can get your submission to me by noon on Monday, October 31<sup>st</sup>, it will still make it I the roundup.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Get cookin', everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-3101328725428764232011-10-06T18:37:00.002-05:002011-10-07T18:30:38.982-05:00A Modern Day Fairy Tale<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a small town, there was a young couple, living in an old schoolhouse , with very little furniture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">One day, while attending a local auction, the young woman spotted a cabinet that seemed to call her name. And, after all, they did need something to put the TV on. And so, much to the young man’s dismay, she bought the cabinet for the paltry sum of $15, and they hauled it home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Unbeknownst to the woman, the man DESPISED this cabinet. To this day, she doesn’t know what brought on this utter dislike of the cabinet, and yet, it was there,….. growing….festering. Until one day, the couple remodeled their country home to make room for Baby. And the cabinet found a new home in the depths of the garage. This pleased the man greatly.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Years went by and the couple moved to a new home…. And once again, they needed a place for the TV to rest. Unaware of her husband’s intense hatred for the old cabinet, she made plans to refinish it. Because, after all, it was fairly unattractive. Yet it was sturdy, and she felt it had great potential. The husband, however, stood in her way at every turn, trying desperately to thwart her efforts, and regaling her with tales of what type of damage he would enjoy inflicting on the innocent piece of furniture. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Yet she persisted, undaunted by her husband’s denial of what she knew to be truth. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">This cabinet WOULD be beautiful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">And so began the makeover. A palm sander, a few coats of high gloss paint and some new hardware turned the Ugly Duckling….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAkplQuAUHSIqs398Psy3Yw-cqqUOf1zE8RoN6k3tlNvceJ9_kiNDjDQQ5Jg_csKOGxzUkJvY77H3NDWr3PjFG6Ln201dQFGKJqR14EluB4RPYqI6lqvP_jlZDd-25B_oy2OyP-E_fRI/s1600/TVcabinet+BEFORE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAkplQuAUHSIqs398Psy3Yw-cqqUOf1zE8RoN6k3tlNvceJ9_kiNDjDQQ5Jg_csKOGxzUkJvY77H3NDWr3PjFG6Ln201dQFGKJqR14EluB4RPYqI6lqvP_jlZDd-25B_oy2OyP-E_fRI/s640/TVcabinet+BEFORE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">Into the Swan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA_qZzWtZaeg8SdW4RJr1zeu_n3UO4KhEzoQZF9ftCmtTMOm2nevKrrQ37TBtMH_7pLVisN-Zu59_8K90bCTmOWQFJpJIisSUKhvoIDBjHgt7adiVlhDe0moRJgSUReLqkhHvukWyOyE/s1600/TVcabinet+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPA_qZzWtZaeg8SdW4RJr1zeu_n3UO4KhEzoQZF9ftCmtTMOm2nevKrrQ37TBtMH_7pLVisN-Zu59_8K90bCTmOWQFJpJIisSUKhvoIDBjHgt7adiVlhDe0moRJgSUReLqkhHvukWyOyE/s640/TVcabinet+009.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14pt;">And the husband refused to admit he was wrong…. But the wife knew. And she was pleased.</span></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-30455318588706382162011-10-05T18:08:00.000-05:002011-10-05T18:08:30.238-05:00Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">Sometimes you just really need a casserole. Something warm, hearty, and comforting. Something with MEAT in it. And carbs. Lots of carbs. But then you have the guilt. You know the guilt I’m talking about. Is there anything GREEN in that casserole dish?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well, in this one, there is! I was craving exactly such a dish this weekend when it was in the low 60’s outside and smelling like fall. I recalled a recipe I had recently seen in one of my foodie magazines (but then couldn’t find later). And so, as any home cook with a sudden craving is wont to do…. I improvised.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQBNxB8tUAO6i2v7FR3AxvAriuW1Wc0wdV19YN8ZDoscBtXVRHLDITxRCy_ETYLGlaylW28UZ5GsG_i10rppJnsLW7r_bApgf5hEx-ZElMqEDhNfBvjxpSclAxP732j2cpYgjycvTa0s/s1600/Pastitsio+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQBNxB8tUAO6i2v7FR3AxvAriuW1Wc0wdV19YN8ZDoscBtXVRHLDITxRCy_ETYLGlaylW28UZ5GsG_i10rppJnsLW7r_bApgf5hEx-ZElMqEDhNfBvjxpSclAxP732j2cpYgjycvTa0s/s400/Pastitsio+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">Not-Even-Remotely-Authentic Pastitsio</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">2 cups dried penne noodles (I used mini penne)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">2 tsp Italian seasoning</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">1 pound Italian sausage (I used ‘sweet’ this time, but usually prefer ‘hot’. Use that you like)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">1 bag fresh baby spinach</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">Boil pasta according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking, brown the sausage and drain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">While the meat is still hot, mix in the cream cheese and tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and stir until evenly combined.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, sausage mixture, half the mozzarella and the spinach together, then press into a casserole dish.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warm throughout.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="color: #244061; font-family: Gabriola; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is my submission for <a href="http://www.prestopastanights.com/">Presto Pasta Nights</a> this week.</span>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-7322477770829941032011-10-03T19:40:00.000-05:002011-10-03T19:40:41.168-05:00ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Its Ratatouille for October's Food 'n Flix<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyone Can Cook.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA8_dRkgAIChISiQuuZ_-o4yAC9CdzEKDco7INqaVaVXL90LPgMm8V2Lyd24VOQooUPrxNEPngmVvHjEj0tsxY2uZzkiSrNom7VYRMuculZwX4Ks2lvHO8f4YB-YFj9G4ZKVZTWc5OgI/s1600/gusteau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA8_dRkgAIChISiQuuZ_-o4yAC9CdzEKDco7INqaVaVXL90LPgMm8V2Lyd24VOQooUPrxNEPngmVvHjEj0tsxY2uZzkiSrNom7VYRMuculZwX4Ks2lvHO8f4YB-YFj9G4ZKVZTWc5OgI/s320/gusteau.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So says Chef August Gusteau. The man, the myth, the legend..... of French cuisine in the Disney film, Ratatouille.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMmf6UT-C0tno4UAFq3KKX_4QiErgepaT82BHkd_4ZhbkiYragMTpk44xj0p2-PFatrSD-arw0JdtORGQhFVKlqrDf5rhGbfxbDjCFt89q19V5P6jmZ-8PArY9bzXcqOOwWkhTuKS2Qc/s1600/Remy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMmf6UT-C0tno4UAFq3KKX_4QiErgepaT82BHkd_4ZhbkiYragMTpk44xj0p2-PFatrSD-arw0JdtORGQhFVKlqrDf5rhGbfxbDjCFt89q19V5P6jmZ-8PArY9bzXcqOOwWkhTuKS2Qc/s320/Remy.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span id="goog_767593331"></span>Remy is a rat. A chef in his own right, mixed up and lonely, trying to find his place between two worlds.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAI_kxlbX6emG5orjAbw_jp4WOq8rED5vHiVcw4jDsGE6_B2M-7T11CMDR2GTm_d9jCjB-F1_Xl_p_qXh5H9VnyiaheIqO6XAioEBkUbz1yFMrVyCipkhWUD-DoiLJNfPCGgDe3pzRj3s/s1600/linguine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAI_kxlbX6emG5orjAbw_jp4WOq8rED5vHiVcw4jDsGE6_B2M-7T11CMDR2GTm_d9jCjB-F1_Xl_p_qXh5H9VnyiaheIqO6XAioEBkUbz1yFMrVyCipkhWUD-DoiLJNfPCGgDe3pzRj3s/s1600/linguine.jpg" /></a></div>Alfredo Linguine is.....human. Although even he isn't sure about that sometimes. He befriends Remy and they set out on a path together down the culinary yellow brick road.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbyhVC1h7TGfJBR_z7nKKfqLVvpkY1O_K7Ee2KgbqRkvzf2QB1zJ5sseW4LgpBJ0usgA11MhDE4ZlLYRpTrfQlZbfTiqKPrx4r0T_1q7DuKr1Wkq5W8SFYVuKF8pzumR5Y6tBAn2dJBg/s1600/ratatouille.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbyhVC1h7TGfJBR_z7nKKfqLVvpkY1O_K7Ee2KgbqRkvzf2QB1zJ5sseW4LgpBJ0usgA11MhDE4ZlLYRpTrfQlZbfTiqKPrx4r0T_1q7DuKr1Wkq5W8SFYVuKF8pzumR5Y6tBAn2dJBg/s1600/ratatouille.jpg" /></a></div>I have to admit that Ratatouille is one of my favorite foodie films....and for a good reason. Its my son's favorite foodie film! I am looking forward to getting in the kitchen with him to create a Ratatouille-inspired dish this month. What about you? Can you cook? Or are you truly fearless, like Remy? Let's find out in October!<br />
<br />
<b>How to participate in Food ‘n Flix:</b><br />
<div>1. Rent, buy, beg, borrow or steal October's film selection (<i>Ratatouille</i>) and watch it. Taking inspiration from the film, head into the kitchen and cook, bake or make something.<br />
2. Post about it on your blog with a link back to <b><i>THIS</i></b> post <b>and a link to</b> <a href="http://foodnflix.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Food ‘n </i><i>Flix</i></a>. <br />
3. Your post must be current (<i>during month of film</i>). And of course we don’t mind if your post is linked to other events…the more the merrier.<br />
4. Most important - have fun!</div><div>5. Email me at bethanneleach@gmail.com by the deadline (October 28th) and include the following:<br />
<ul><li><b>Your name</b></li>
<li><b>Your blog’s name and URL</b></li>
<li><b>The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you’re submitting</b></li>
<li><b>Attach a photo of your dish (<i>or just give me permission to “pull” one from your post</i>)</b></li>
<li><b>Indicate “</b><i><b>Food ‘n </b></i><i><b>Flix</b></i><i><b> Submission</b></i><b>” in the subject line</b></li>
</ul></div><div><b> Deadline for submission is: October 28th. I will be posting the roundup shortly after that, so check back often! </b></div><div><br />
</div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-92076984108209158552011-09-30T17:45:00.006-05:002011-09-30T18:18:15.643-05:00We Be Jammin’!<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">A year ago, I was lucky enough to run across a lovely blog hosted by an even lovelier blogger, <a href="http://stephchows.blogspot.com/">Steph Chows</a>. It all started with two words. </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">Jam Exchange.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">She had me from “hello”.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">I’d never been involved in a bloggy exchange before but the idea intrigued me, and so it began. It was very simple, really. Send two jars of jam to the person you are paired up with. In return, that person will send YOU two jars of their own homemade jam.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">What a fantastic concept, yes?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">I thought so. I posted about my exploits with last years exchange <a href="http://theseventhlevelofboredom.blogspot.com/2010/09/just-like-christmas.html">here</a>. You can imagine how anxiously I awaited this year’s edition. A pineapple, some farmers market blueberries, and a caramelized stovetop later, and my congealed creations were on their way to Georgia and Florida. What did I make? This year’s selections were Piña Colada, and Blueberry Lime. Both of which went over famously with the family here as well as an old high school classmate down in Florida, who caught me posting on Facebook about the adventure and “offered” to taste test them for me. I gladly complied and carried my little parcels to the post office the very next business day.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">And what did my wondering eyes should appear??? (yes, I’m sorry, I’m already thinking about Christmas) Two lovely jars of jam, straight from Georgia. The Redhead over at <a href="http://handcraftedwithaltitude.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/jam-swap/">Handcrafted with Altitude</a> (you can see a picture of the two jams I sent her here) whipped up a Ginger Vanilla Peach and a Blackberry Peach. Both of which were fabulous. I particularly liked the combination of ginger and peaches.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #244061;">You can bet I’ll be in line right away for the jam exchange next year! In the meantime, here are a couple of recipes for you to chew on!</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Piña Colada Jam</span></span></u><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3 1/2 cups fresh pureed pineapple</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup cream of coconut (do NOT use coconut milk)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/3 cup white rum</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1/4 cup lemon juice</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">6 1/2 cups sugar</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 (3 ounce) envelopes liquid pectin </span></div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" type="disc"></ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/pina-colada-jam-135040?mode=metric&scaleto=9.0&st=null" target="_blank"></a> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><ol start="1" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>In a large heavy bottomed pot, mix together pineapple puree, cream of coconut, rum, and lemon juice. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>S</i>tir in sugar and bring to a full rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down) over high heat. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Stir constantly, boil hard for three minutes. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Remove from heat and stir in pectin. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Skim off any foam. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Ladle into sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch of rim. Wipe rim clean. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Apply lids and rings and tighten rings just fingertip tight. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i>Process jars in boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes. </span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333;">Blueberry Lime Jam</span></span></u><span style="color: #244061;"></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">4 1/2 cups blueberries </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1 package dry pectin </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">5 cups sugar </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1 tablespoon lime zest </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">1/3 cup </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">lime juice</span> </span></div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" type="disc"></ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><h2 style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></h2><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Crush blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blueberries and pectin in a large pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in a hot water bath.</span>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-21669223118055987472011-09-26T05:37:00.001-05:002011-09-26T05:47:08.810-05:00The Help: A Movie ReviewI am well aware that in the grand scheme of things, my opinion means very little. However, there are times that I still feel the need to express it. Last month, my book club read The Help by Kathryn Stockett.. We have found in the past that we usually love one book, and then the next month we can barely get through our current selection.<br />
<br />
September was a very good month.<br />
<br />
We all simply adored The Help and couldn't wait to get together and discuss it. It was my turn to host, so I even made themed food for the occasion. Southern-inspired Black Eyed Pea Soup, Muffaletta Pinwheels, Alabama Firecrackers (spiced crackers), and, yes, Chocolate Pie. (Read the book and you'll understand)<br />
<br />
<br />
When we selected The Help, I didn't realize they were making it into a movie, but how could the timing have been more perfect? I waited and waited, and finally this weekend, it came to our quaint little hometown theatre, The Marvel (yes, because I am too lazy to drive an hour to the nearest theatre where it was playing).<br />
<br />
<br />
Now, bear in mind that when I go see a movie that was made from a book, I try and go in with an open mind. So often I hear people being very critical of movies made from books because they "weren't enough like the book". Well, my theory is that its awfully hard to squeeze every aspect of a fantastic book into a matter of 120 minutes of darkened theatre mystique. I try and view these films as free-standing stories, and take them for what they are, entertaining (or not) in their own right, and try not to hold them to the standard of the book from whence they came. <br />
<br />
This generally works out pretty well for me. Especially considering that I don't think I have ever seen a movie that actually closely resembles the book is was made from.<br />
<br />
Until now.<br />
<br />
I have to give high praise to the creators of The Help (the motion picture) for their attention to detail, their dedication to the flow of the novel, and their unforeseen ability to make a grown woman cry in public.<br />
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I have to say that The Help so closely followed the book that I was amazed. Granted, there were details left out. How do you cram every last speck of information from a 500+ page book into an after dinner treat? But, while I noticed the exclusions, I did not miss them. The film stood on its own, an homage to the book, and while I still highly recommend reading the original from cover to cover, if you can't, the movie version is a darned good substitute.<br />
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Read it. See it. Bring tissues. If you don't get choked up during this film, well.... you just ain't right.Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-75781030626104853582011-09-24T13:44:00.000-05:002011-09-24T13:44:07.368-05:00New BeginningsHello again, everyone!!! As promised, I am back and ready to roll again. We have had a very busy and eventful summer but I have missed my bloggy world and can't wait to dive back in. I will have some new food posts coming up soon (I have jam exchange news!) and I will be hosting <a href="http://foodnflix.blogspot.com/">Food 'n Flix</a> in October. We'll be cooking dishes inspired by the film that inspired my Little Man to cook with me - Ratatouille! I'll have an announcement post up with the guidelines soon, but hop on over and check the site out!<br />
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SO, what have I been up to? Glad you asked. Instead of doing what normal families do over their summer vacations, like....you know....TAKING a vacation..... instead we gutted our house and commenced a remodel of gargantuan proportions while Ty was on summer break. I'd say we replaced everything but the kitchen sink, but that's not true. We DID replace the kitchen sink. And the cabinets, and the floors (all of them), and repainted every inch of wall and ceiling, and 22 new light fixtures, curtains on every window, new siding, new bathrooms fixtures and an enormous new deck. Yes, we did it all. and more. In less than three months.<br />
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As you can imagine, it was a whirlwind of a summer, and I promise to post pictures soon. We are still putting finishing touches on and trying to get settled back in. I am really looking forward to having my beautiful new kitchen to do all my holiday cooking, baking and candy making in.<br />
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Since starting back to school last month, Ty has also signed up for Cub Scouts, and...please try to control your surprise.... I "volunteered" to be one of his Den's leaders. SO, be on the lookout for some fun posts about what its like being a Cub Scout mom! I was in girl scouts myself for YEARS, but this will likely be a whole new experience for me.<br />
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But, you really just want to hear about the food, don't you? I thought so. Well, you'll just have to wait a TINY bit longer until I get pictures loaded on my new computer, but I'll give you a little teaser and tell you that for this year's Jam Exchange (hosted beautifully by <a href="http://stephchows.blogspot.com/">Steph Chows</a>) I made Blueberry Lime jam and Piña Colada jam, both of which were huge hits! I promise (again) to post more soon.<br />
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In the meantime, thanks for hanging around this summer! I'll make it worth your while.<br />
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See you soon!<br />
Beth AnneTy'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-7282014508916275812011-09-05T19:24:00.002-05:002011-09-05T19:24:51.367-05:00Fair Warning....<span style="font-size: large;">I'm baaaaaaack.... </span><br />
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I've got some new posts coming up and an explanation for my bloggy hiatus....see you all soon!Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-62618594973787932592011-04-11T11:40:00.000-05:002011-04-11T11:40:17.141-05:00Caprese, Caprese, Caprese....<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recently, I was curled up on my sofa, flipping through the pages of my new FoodNetwork magazine, when something gave me pause. I sat there, staring at the picture on the page, in a trance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The recipe immediately went to the top of the “things to make the next time Ginny visits” list.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can’t imagine something so dramatic that it would completely monopolize my thoughts? I know, its hard to imagine…..because, you know, that NEVER happens. (you recognize snark when you see it, I hope)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This recipe though, combines two of my favorite things.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eating….and drinking.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the early dishes that I can remember Ginny and I falling in love with as we picked our way down our culinary yellow brick road together, is Caprese Salad. Back then it was a rare sight on restaurant menus and few people I ran into even knew what it was. Gradually it has made its way into the foodie mainstream and has endured countless variations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am still partial to the original, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that I couldn’t resist trying this one.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Caprese Martini.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You heard me. MARTINI.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I have basil growing on my counter and fresh mozzarella is so much easier to get these days, the bottle of vodka came down from the rack and we indulged.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will grant you that we made a couple of tiny changes and our picture isn’t anywhere near as gorgeous as the one featured in FoodNetwork, but it certainly was tasty.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 10.5pt 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Caprese Martini</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 10.5pt 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ingredients</span></b></div><ul sizcache="15" sizset="366" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><!--concordance-begin-->1 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1 1/2 cups vodka (half of a 750-ml bottle) </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" sizcache="15" sizset="366" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Kosher salt </span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">16 grape tomatoes </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2 cups balsamic vinegar </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 bunch basil </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" sizcache="15" sizset="367" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">8 small mozzarella balls (<span style="color: black;">bocconcini</span>) – we used the little baby “pearls” and wrapped them in basil leaves</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #3d3d3d; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><!--concordance-end-->We also added a dash of lemon juice</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 10.5pt 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><!--concordance-end-->Directions</span></b></div><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Put the tomato slices in a large glass container or pitcher. Add the vodka (make sure it covers the tomatoes) and a pinch of salt; let infuse 6 to 12 hours at room temperature. Strain the vodka, then chill until ready to serve.</span><br />
<div sizcache="15" sizset="368"><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Meanwhile, prick <span style="color: black;">the grape tomatoes with a skewer; toss with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and marinate 4 hours at room temperature.</span></span></div><div sizcache="15" sizset="370"><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">Drain the grape tomatoes, reserving the vinegar. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes; let cool.</span></span></div><div sizcache="15" sizset="371"><span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black;">For each drink, drizzle some of the balsamic syrup into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Muddle 2 to 3 basil leaves with a splash of tomato-infused vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add another 1 1/2 ounces tomato-infused vodka and 1 cup ice; shake and strain into the glass. Skewer 2 marinated grape tomatoes, 2 basil leaves and a mozzarella ball on a cocktail pick and set in the martini.</span></span></div><div sizcache="15" sizset="371"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBNqroE2MQLCTYS9kAixKWMAOqFc7f5TCF_dvugsOgKNgWYVvNY7goZwvfBTB8-a1VBbrcRwuaL6bhGlK5I2bE7XHHSikGjteAfbaxmwEQLoY29aQOzmZrSm3tQ_vz_-cN9MJfr_G5z4/s1600/DSCN0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBNqroE2MQLCTYS9kAixKWMAOqFc7f5TCF_dvugsOgKNgWYVvNY7goZwvfBTB8-a1VBbrcRwuaL6bhGlK5I2bE7XHHSikGjteAfbaxmwEQLoY29aQOzmZrSm3tQ_vz_-cN9MJfr_G5z4/s400/DSCN0871.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">***NOTES: while we did alter the recipe somewhat, it</span> turned out fabulously. Instead of steeping the tomatoes in the vodka, we just muddled some tomatoes and basil in it at the last minute (because really, I don’t plan my martinis 6-12 hours in advance). Also, we didn’t reduce 2 cups of balsamic vinegar to make a syrup. I keep very good balsamic vinegar on hand so we just used some of that instead of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>using so much pricey vinegar for a couple of martinis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, its not the most photogenic drink in the world, what with the tomato seeds floating at the bottom, and the vodka being a bit murky (who doesn’t love a dirty martini?), but a delicious little taste treat on a hot Sunday afternoon, nonetheless. </span></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-85060265985045312342011-03-31T09:36:00.000-05:002011-03-31T09:36:30.800-05:00Chicken Canzanese<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In case you’ve never noticed, Ginny and I (though residing many miles apart) often share recipes we find. Sometimes one of us makes the dish and passes the recipe on to the other. Other times we hoard several recipes we both want to try and make them all during one of our semi-regular visits.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On this occasion, I had a package of chicken thighs in the refrigerator and absolutely zero ideas for dinner. The hubs isn’t the biggest fan of chicken to begin with, but I insist on rotating it between his regular meals of beef and pork. So, the dish had to be Matt-approved. The oven baked BBQ chicken quarters I made a few weeks ago did NOT pass muster, so I was really pushing my luck bringing these treacherous little thighs back into the rotation as it is.</span></i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ginny and I talk pretty much every day after work, so I posed the dilemma to her and she reminded me, without pause, of the dish she had recently made for her parents and got the seal of approval from everyone. She has been a long time fan of America’s Test Kitchen, and, recipe by recipe, she is bringing me over to the dark side with her.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you’re not familiar, at America’s Test Kitchen, they take a recipe and test it to within an inch of its life, through trial and error and finding the absolutely best version of it. And this is not just a matter of opinion. Its not solely based on the ingredients. Many times, its about the method. We have found, on multiple occasions, that if you follow an America’s Test Kitchen recipe to the letter, you will end up with an absolutely fool-proof meal.</span></i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As was the case with this Chicken Canzanese.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The name hails from Canzano, which is in Italy’s Abruzzo region (yes, I googled it). While there are many versions of this age-old dish, none that I found seem to stray very far off the path. I’d never made it before, but I can tell you with certainty that I will never even attempt another version. </span></i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">There is no need.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The America’s Test Kitchen task, in this case, was to find a way to cook/braise skin-on chicken without having the skin turn into a chewy, slimy, unappetizing mess.</span></i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I call them overachievers. But, in a good way.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This chicken was moist and succulent, but the skin remained crispy and golden, even after braising for over an hour. And the sauce? Oh, the sauce..... it was a revelation. The thighs are braised in a mixture of white wine and herbs, flavored with prosciutto and garlic. Even the hubs loved the sauce...you know, once I pointed out to him that it would be better on his roasted red-skinned potatoes that the piles of butter and cheese he topped them with.</span></i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Just to be clear.... this dish is “lick the plate” good. Hell, its “lick your whole family’s plates” good! I am officially an America’s Test Kitchen convert.</span></i></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE3iHYkNHkRdw6gsxQvKwO95YchvgWYxUhHbUp75CUUVNPXPh_fJE2cZeZkBBPWVFNaQf8JkJMWlw1OecaDHGg1NYZGtwIjU0ubkqy9V_BHTz-FVLJA6zeKAZygQykestQ_eTYpOS9eA/s1600/DSCN0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVE3iHYkNHkRdw6gsxQvKwO95YchvgWYxUhHbUp75CUUVNPXPh_fJE2cZeZkBBPWVFNaQf8JkJMWlw1OecaDHGg1NYZGtwIjU0ubkqy9V_BHTz-FVLJA6zeKAZygQykestQ_eTYpOS9eA/s400/DSCN0854.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><u><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Chicken Canzanese</span></span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From the episode: Italian Comfort Classics</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Serves 4 to 6</span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When seasoning the dish at the end, be mindful that the prosciutto adds a fair amount of salt. It is</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">important to use a piece of thickly sliced prosciutto in this recipe; thin strips will become tough</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and stringy. An equal amount of thickly sliced pancetta or bacon can be used in place of the</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">prosciutto. Serve the chicken with boiled potatoes, noodles, or polenta to absorb extra sauce.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ingredients</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 ounces prosciutto (1/4 inch thick), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see note) (I used bacon)</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4 medium garlic cloves , sliced thin lengthwise</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ground black pepper</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 cups dry white wine</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup low-sodium chicken broth</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4 whole cloves</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary , leaves removed and minced fine (about 1/2 teaspoon),</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">stem reserved</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">12 whole fresh sage leaves</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 bay leaves</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 tablespoons unsalted butter</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Table salt</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Instructions</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovensafe skillet over medium heat until</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">shimmering. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown,</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">brown, about 1½ minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic and prosciutto to small</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">bowl and set aside. Do not rinse pan.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2. Increase heat to medium-high; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat until just</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">smoking. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with ground black pepper. Add</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">chicken to large plate.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Sprinkle flour over fat and cook, stirring</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add wine and broth; bring to simmer, scraping bottom</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced,</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3 minutes. Stir in cloves, rosemary stem, sage leaves, bay leaves, red pepper flakes,</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and reserved prosciutto and garlic. Nestle chicken into liquid, skin side up (skin should</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">be above surface of liquid), and bake, uncovered, until meat offers no resistance when</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">poked with fork but is not falling off bones, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Check chicken</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">after 15 minutes; broth should be barely bubbling. If bubbling vigorously, reduce oven</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">temperature to 300 degrees.)</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4. Using tongs, transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Remove and discard</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves, and bay leaves. Place skillet over high heat and bring</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">sauce to boil. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">minced rosemary, lemon juice, and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><i><span style="color: green; font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">sauce around chicken and serve.</span></i></b></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694301393683885691.post-7053748730839787712011-03-31T07:35:00.001-05:002011-03-31T09:34:51.273-05:00Gettin’ Naked!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have a new chef over at <a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-get-naked.html">I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> this week. That’s right, its our first date with Jamie Oliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have always enjoyed watching Jamie, and I find his effervescent style very refreshing (pun entirely intended). I’m not sure how well we will get along over the next six months of cooking together though, as so very few of his recipes are “Leach Family” friendly. I adore his simple salads and his lovely pastas, but, as I have found, sometimes his choice of ingredients leaves me floundering in my lack of shopping options. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But, since I things he is absolutely fabulous, I’m going to give it the ol’ college try. Starting now. Our theme this inaugural week is “Let's Get Naked”, which I think is very forward for a first date, but hey, I’m willing to give it a chance!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the vote was in and it was announced that Jamie was our next chef, naturally I went looking for recipes. I don’t own a single one of his cookbooks (that’s a new concept for me) so I just did some browsing online, and the very first recipe that jumped out and said “Eat Me!” was Jamie’s Fresh Asian Noodle Salad. Conveniently, I had just happened across some little personal-sized packages of bean thread noodles and stashed a few in my pantry. Finding any decent fresh chiles wasn’t easy, though, and the best I could do was some green serranos. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say, This recipe kicks ass! I wasn’t that optimistic about it with its basic ingredients (and no, I didn’t have any prawns, either, so my medium size frozen shrimp had to stand in), but it came together beautifully and I couldn’t keep my chopsticks out of it as I was packing up the leftovers for lunch last night. This one is definitely going to be making regular appearances over the summer when I have my own home-grown fresh chiles on hand!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrGBRqhsAhkLSbTxByDbtCJKiaqGCKiz0zXkzdyMu_-poqvJs1rNXCmSFVVKIOxGQFwKw6wUUm1F5JK-veWR8E5z3B9D4mbbTaobx1xVAZC0AO5NcPd3oQ9yeJNdyVo4UjXFaguMWihE/s1600/DSCN0855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrGBRqhsAhkLSbTxByDbtCJKiaqGCKiz0zXkzdyMu_-poqvJs1rNXCmSFVVKIOxGQFwKw6wUUm1F5JK-veWR8E5z3B9D4mbbTaobx1xVAZC0AO5NcPd3oQ9yeJNdyVo4UjXFaguMWihE/s400/DSCN0855.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #00b5e6; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; font-size: 17.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">fresh asian noodle salad</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 15.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #00b5e6; font-family: "Georgia", "serif"; font-size: 17.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ingredients</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #f1f1f1; line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">• 300g/10½oz cellophane noodles or beanthread noodles<br />
• 200g/7oz minced beef<br />
• 2 teaspoons five-spice<br />
• 5 tablespoons olive oil<br />
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated<br />
• 2 heaped teaspoons of grated fresh ginger<br />
• 100g/5½oz cooked peeled prawns<br />
• 3 teaspoons sugar<br />
• 1 bunch of spring onions, finely sliced<br />
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce<br />
• 2 fresh red chilies, deseeded and finely sliced<br />
• 1 handful of fresh coriander, chopped<br />
• 1 handful of fresh mint, chopped<br />
• 2 handfuls of roasted peanuts<br />
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">starter | serves 4 </span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br />
<i>This is one of those salads which tastes so amazing that you have to keep making it! It’s spicy, zingy and really gets your tastebuds going.</i><br />
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Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water until soft, then drain and put back in the bowl. In a hot wok fry the beef and five-spice in the olive oil until brown and crisp, then add the garlic, ginger, prawns and sugar and stir-fry for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir the wok mixture into the noodles. Add the spring onions, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies, coriander, mint and peanuts to the bowl. Toss well and correct the seasoning — it wants to be quite zingy with the lime juice. Sprinkle with some extra herb leaves if you like and serve cold.<br />
<br />
Try this: You can modify the recipe by using a little wok-fried squid, shellfish or different minced meats.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is my submission to<a href="http://iheartcookingclubs.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-get-naked.html"> I Heart Cooking Clubs</a> and <a href="http://www.prestopastanights.com/">Presto Pasta Nights</a> hosted by Ruth at <a href="http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com/">Once Upon a Feast</a> this week.</span></div>Ty'sMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14227042503847495503noreply@blogger.com10