Back Again

WOW!!! I can't believe that it has been that long since I lasted posted.  A lot has happened since then.  I have a new job and we now own a house.  Cooking and crochet are still my passions and I hope to write about them more frequently this time.

Here's to a new year and learning new things!

Dessert Time

Most of the recipes in my box are desserts.  There is something about making a dessert and sharing it with other people that gives me such joy.  Today I am making a Snickerdoodle Cake.  It is not a recipe that I printed off, but from a book that I received at Christmas from my son Patrick.  I have been wanting to make this cake for awhile and never seemed to have the time or ingredients to make it.  But on this 3 day weekend - I am up for the challenge. 

Snickerdoodles are on of my favorite cookies and bring back such great memories of my mom in the kitchen.  I loved helping her with them.  Rolling the balls into the cinnamon & sugar mixture and then placing them on the baking sheet.  They would come out a perfect circle and absolutely yummy!  That is behind my thoughts that this cake can not possibly be bad. 

I've made the cakes and am waiting on them to cool.  Then it is on to the frosting.  As soon as I get some feedback on the taste I will post again and let you know all of the ins and outs of this "can't be not yummy" cake.

A Maybe

So, once again I went to the box.  This time it was Pork Chop & Spanish Rice Bake.  I was looking forward to this one because I love pork chops.  Not as much as chicken, but it is a close second.  My only problem this time was that it was only going to be me and my husband for dinner.  The boys had other plans and were gone for most of the weekend.  So, my only test subject was a man who is not so fond of pork.

This is one of those Campbell soup one pot recipes which are really nice on an evening when you get home late and don't want to eat at 8 p.m.  My one suggestion is don't add the corn until last and mix everything together well before you add the corn.  This way the spices are not just sitting on top when you put the pork chops on.  I changed the directions below to reflect that.

The boys did come home later that evening and ate some.  So I did get a family result.  I was not that keen on it, the hubby and one boy liked it and the other boy liked the meat part but not the rice part.  I think I might make this again, but I don't think it is cookbook worthy.  Anyway, here's the recipe~

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbells Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup water
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cup uncooked regular long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 inch thick

Directions:
Stir the soup, water, onion powder, black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of the thyme in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Add the corn and mix in.  Top with the pork.  Sprinkle the pork with additional black pepper and the remaining thyme.  Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Recipe note:  For saucier rice, increase the water to 1-1/3 cups.

ENJOY!

Sunday Night Roast Chicken

I love chicken. Especially Roast Chicken. So, once again it was back to the cooking box. I found a Honey Roast Chicken recipe. My differences from the recipe were that I had an 8-pound roaster and did not make the sauce. My main problem was not with the recipe - it was that my chicken even after days of defrosting in the refrigerator was not totally thawed. My second mistake was trying to do all this while the Super Bowl was going on - thus the burn on my index finger. Needless to say I had some problems. It took an additional 30 minutes to thaw the chicken and I missed most of the first half of the game and commercials. I think my refrig temp is set too high - I'll have to fix that.

As far as the recipe, the chicken came out very good and the family liked so I am going to keep. The honey glaze was good on the skin but it took away from some of the crunchiness that I really like about roast chicken. Also, my husband would have liked it on the actual meat instead of just on the skin. I think the glaze will be a nice addition to regular chicken breasts in the future and I might even make a point of slipping it under the skin the next time I roast chicken.

All in all for all the trouble and time that it took it was yummy. So, I guess another winner for the book.

Honey Roast Chicken
Serves 6 to 8
1 Tbsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), giblets discarded
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into pieces and chilled

1. PREP CHICKEN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, and paprika in small bowl. Pat chickens dry with paper towels. Rub mixture under skin and over outside of each chicken. Tuck wings behind back, and tie legs together with kitchen twine.
2. MAKE GLAZE Stir cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. Bring honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ½ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into glaze. Return to simmer and cook 1 minute.
3. ROAST CHICKEN Arrange chickens, breast side down, on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Roast until just golden, about 35 minutes. Remove chickens from oven and, flip breast side up. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and broth into roasting pan. Return chickens to oven and roast until thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Brush chickens evenly with thick layer of glaze, and continue to roast until glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with remaining glaze, and let rest 15 minutes.
4. MAKE SAUCE Meanwhile, pour pan juices and any accumulated chicken juices into saucepan; skim fat. Stir in thyme, bring to simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Carve chickens and serve, passing sauce at table.

Next - Simple Cheese Lasagna

I usually only make lasagna once, maybe twice a year. I don't know why - but that is how it is. I was just in the mood for it yesterday so I went through my cooking box and there it was. It was good, except I think I used WAY to much basil. I bought the basil in the tube (brilliant idea by the way) instead of fresh. Reason - my food processor has problem in chopping herbs (basil, parsley, etc...) And I put in the same amount that the recipe called for and it was way to much. So next time I will either use fresh or way less of the tube. As a side note - it tastes better today than it did last night. The basil mellowed a little so it didn't taste as strong as it did last night.

I also ended up doing 4 layers in stead of the three. I had a lot of the filling mixture and it worked well for me. But, I think it was because the ready-oven noodles were smaller than normal lasagna noodles. Other than that it wasn't to bad. I just know now to tweak it next time I make it and I have made notes on the sheet. So in the cookbook it goes.

Simple Cheese Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

Our Chunky Tomato Sauce for Lasagna (see related recipe) tastes better than jarred sauce, but if using jarred sauce (tomato only) is more convenient, you will need about two 24- to 26-ounce jars.

15	ounces ricotta cheese (1 3/4 cups)
2 1/2	ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (1 1/4 cups)-
1/2	cup minced fresh basil
1	large egg , lightly beaten
1/2	teaspoon table salt
1/2	teaspoon ground black pepper
6	cups tomato sauce (see note above)
12	no-boil lasagna noodles (one 8-or 9-ounce package)
1	pound whole milk mozzarella , shredded (4 cups)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the basil, egg, salt, and pepper until well combined.

2. Following the photos, spread 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place 3 of the noodles on top of the sauce and drop 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture down the center of each noodle, then spread it to an even thickness. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the sauce evenly over the cheese. Repeat this layering two more times.

3. For the final layer, place the 3 remaining noodles on top. Spread the remaining 1 1/4 cups sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and then the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Spray a large sheet of foil lightly with vegetable oil spray and cover the lasagna. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is browned and the sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Our First Winner

Well, we have our first tested recipe to go into the cook book. It is 15-minute Chicken & Rice Dinner. I saw this recipe in November 2010 on Campbell's Kitchen website. I made it tonight and it was yummy and definitely cook book worthy! I served mine with cornbread muffins.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil (I used garlic oil)
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 cups of water
1/4 Tsp paprika
1/4 Tsp black pepper
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
2 cups frozen broccoli florets (cut small)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the soup, water, paprika & pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil. Scrape any chicken pieces off bottom of pan. Stir in rice and broccoli. Reduce heat to low. Return the chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with additional paprika and black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Resolution #1

Well it has been awhile since I posted. I have decided for 2011 to do things a little differently than my norm. So, that is why I am back and will be posting more often. Mainly because of my New Year resolutions.

Like most people they involve eating, exercise and money. But, I have additional ones. The first one has to do with my cookbook. I have wanted to do a cookbook for a long time. Something that has past and present recipes from the families. I have been mulling the idea around for quite some time. I narrowed it down to any family recipes. But I wanted to do more.

I have this large box with all of my loose recipes. Every time I see a recipe that I would like to make, in it goes. All of the family favorites are in there as well. So, I decided that I am going to go through the box, set aside the tried and true and get to working on the ones that I have been saving for a rainy day or a miracle or something. So, starting this weekend I am going to weed through my box of recipes. Throw out the ones that we don't like, including the ones that are "OK" and only keep the ones that are really good or "You need to make this again" worthy.

Now since I am a procrastinator, I figured I would probably be done sometime before I died. But I was inspired last night by watching Julie & Julia. Julie did all of Julia Child's recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 1 year. Well since I am not doing anything so grand as French cooking it should take me less time, don't you think?

So, starting this weekend I will be doing my own version of Bon Appetite'. God help us all!

Lack of Control

I have such a lack of control on my life that I am seriously losing my mind. I have No control at work, no control at home, NO control whatsoever. Nothing I do matters at all - it all comes down to someone elses whim or decision. Can I do what I want - no, I have to ask permission from everyone.

I am becoming such a control freak because I have no control, I want control over even the littlest of things.

Do other people have these problems? I don't think so - everyone else seems to have some kind of control and can make their own decisions. Not me - I am so FRUSTRATED!!!!!

Being a Parent

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Page 229

When I first became a parent I used to lie in bed at night and imagine the most horrible succession of maladies: the bite of a jellyfish, the taste of a poisonous berry, the smile of a dangerous stranger, the dive into a shallow pool. There are so many ways a child can be harmed that it seems nearly impossible one person alone could succeed at keeping him safe. As my children got older, the hazards only changed: inhaling glue, playing with matches, small pink pills sold behind the bleachers of the middle school. You can stay up all night and still not count all the ways to lose the people you love.

It seems to me, now that this is more than just a hypothetical, that a parent falls one of two ways when told a child has a fatal disease. Either you dissolve into a puddle, or you take the blow on the cheek and force yourself to lift your face again for more. In this, we probably look a lot like patients.

Even though Patrick's illness is not really life threatening I still understand the above. We have a dr. appt Monday to listen again to the fact that his tumor is back. Once again we will have to deal with surgeries and all that goes with it. I wonder like most parents if there is something that I could have done differently. I want to dissolve into a puddle, but I stick my chin out and ask for more. What else can I do?

Lost

I am in a place that I have no idea where I am or how I got here. All I know is that I don't like it. I don't like the way I feel, I don't like anything about this place. It's dark and ugly and I feel terrible. It's not like a pit, I've been in one of those before. I can always seem to climb out of those. This is different. This is like being totally isolated, totally on an island. I think this is what it must be like for prisoners that are in solitary. Not that I'm alone, I know I'm not. But I feel like such a disappointment, such a let down in every way. I feel as far away as possible. I have knowledge, I have awareness, but not closeness.

I have gone so far away, I have slowly walked in a total opposite direction without really knowing that I was doing that. I'm here and am not quite sure how I got here or why. I remember the path and I remember walking but it all seems like a dream. Why would I follow this path, did I know I was following this path? Had I known I would get this lost? Would I have tried to stop myself? Why was I not paying attention? Where exactly was my mind? My heart?

How do I get back? How do I become that prodigal that returns? How and where do I find the strength to do that? Lost, how do you find you way home? Can you even get home? How to begin, where to start? Fallen, how to you get back on? Can you get back on track once you've been lost? Is it to late?

The Climb

If I had known that I would need mountain climbing gear in this life I would have gone shopping! Of course I also think it is important what is on the other side but this song really sums up my feelings right now.

Every step I'm takin'
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain,
I'm always gonna to wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Decline of the Human Race

The world, morals, everything is just decaying right in front of our eyes. It really is quite sad.

Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage
Iowa Becomes Third State To Legalize Marriage Of Same-Sex Couples
AMY LORENTZEN, Associated Press Writer
POSTED: 12:19 pm CDT April 2, 2009
UPDATED: 9:18 am CDT April 3, 2009

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Iowa Supreme Court said on Friday that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples, making it the third state where gay marriage is legal.
In a unanimous ruling issued Friday, the court upheld a 2007 Polk County District Court judge's ruling that the law violated the state constitution.
The case stems from a 2005 lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization. The group filed a lawsuit on behalf of six gay and lesbian Iowa couples who were denied marriage licenses.
The suit named then-Polk County recorder and registrar Timothy Brien.
The Polk County attorney's office claimed that Hanson's ruling violated the separation of powers and the issue should be left to the Legislature.

http://www.wsmv.com/politics/19077238/detail.html?treets=nash&tid=2656696678813&tml=nash_natlbreak&tmi=nash_natlbreak_1_09170104032009&ts=H

Oy!!!!

"Gloom, despair and agony on me-e!
Deep dark depression, excessive misery-y!
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!
Gloom, despair and agony on me-e-e!"

Listening Skills are Priceless

Associated Press
Let’s talk: Wife handcuff’s herself to husband
Cops say she attempted to reconcile with him, and allegedly bit him, too
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Police in Connecticut say a woman attempting to reconcile with her husband handcuffed herself to him as he slept and then bit him on his torso and arms.

Police say 37-year-old Helen Sun told them she wanted to have a conversation with husband Robert Drawbough without him leaving. Police say she changed the locks on their bedroom and handcuffed herself to Drawbough while he was sleeping Monday.

Drawbough used a cell phone to call police. Officers heard his screams when they arrived at the couple's Fairfield home. He was treated at a local hospital.

Police charged Sun with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment and unlawful restraint. She was due in Bridgeport Superior Court on Tuesday.

Lesson

I'm all for lessons. When it is someone else that is learning the lesson. Me, not so much. Of course some lessons are fun and enjoyable and quick. I like those lessons. Unfortunately, I don't get those very often. Mainly because I am thick headed and stubborn. If you repeat that I will deny it.

Anyway, lessons. And of course the people that are brought into your life to help you learn those lessons. You know those people that are thrown into your path because well they have to be so that you will learn your lesson. Sometimes you may not even know that is why they were in your life even after they are gone. I can think of a few in my past that were in my life and after they were gone it was so blatantly obvious that they were one of those lesson people that it just hurt when I smacked my head with the epiphany.

Then of course there are those people that are in your life and all of a sudden a great big light goes off and you realize that the reason that they are annoying you is because they are in the process of being used as one of those lessons. You like this person, but OY are they really going out of their way to just rub stuff in your face and be annoying.

I think the answer is yes because you weren't paying attention in the first place and God had to up the anty so to speak.

All I have to say is I really wish I would pay more attention to what I am supposed to learn and just learn it all ready.

Save The Date

Save the Date!

Earth Hour: Nashville is a Flagship City
Sat, Mar 28. Earth Hour. 8:30 pm. Turn off your lights and come downtown to celebrate Earth Hour.

http://www.earthhourus.org/nashville/nashville.php

Rain Rain Go Away! - Oh, Winter too please

I want you to look at this forecast. Really look at it. Can you see the wrongness?!!! It is not supposed to be sunny until next Wednesday!! That is 7 days from now! It is supposed to be cloudy and rainy until next Wednesday!!! I really am beginning to dislike that stupid groundhog!

Bureaucracy At It's Best

For all the good intentions in the world - here is our government at work. To help keep our children safe a law was passed that anything that children under 12 use must be tested for lead. Makes sense, right? Especially with the toys coming from China with such high levels of lead.

But, what about books? Please watch the video link that is below. I especially like the end of the story where it mentions that the CPA won't send a letter saying that libraries are exempt.

http://www.wsmv.com/video/18791952/

http://www.cpsc.gov/

Things I would like to do before I die

A REVISED list of things that I would like to do before I die:

1. Travel: Scotland, Russia, Italy, Grand Canyon, Mexico, Japan, China, Egypt, Hawaii.

2. Ride on a motorcycle.

3. Ride in a hot air balloon.

4. Have one of my photo's published - where I actually get credit.

5. Win a cooking/baking contest.

6. Go back to school.

7. Own a house with a large garden and a sewing room (or in my case a yarn room).

8. Drive Route 66

9. Have a yearly subscription to the Symphony.

10. See the Marlins in a World Series game.

The New Year

Here I sit on my porch this morning. The sun is out and is warm on my face. There is a slight cool breeze. I'm not sure of the temperature since our barometer broke, but it feels nice. My wind chimes are tingling and bonging in the breeze. My cats are surrounding me on the porch. They are just looking around and enjoying the free outside (we call it cat TV).

I start back at work tomorrow and all of the stresses and pressures and responsibilities will begin again once that alarm goes off. And yet, here I am sitting. The birds are chirping in the background and I can hear the traffic over on Nissan Drive. I can hear all the hustle and bustle but I'm not part of it. I feel kind of detached from the world, as if I'm not part of it. I've got a little patch of warmth and a wonderful back seat to the world right now. His world. All of it belongs to Him. It's slow and quiet enough for me to feel that strongly right now. Kind of makes me never want to leave my porch.

Of course if you were here right now you would be philosophical too. There is just something about the morning light and warmth and sereneness that just opens my soul and sends it soaring like a bird.

From where I'm sitting the new year looks nice.