Yesterday I started my shopping. I did very, very well. And actually ended up in a much better mood. Mom Waz- I finally saw a Jo-Anne's. Wow. One just opened up here in Green Bay. It is everything I love about Hobby Lobby- plus everything I love about Hancock Fabrics. What a beautiful store. Oh my gosh- all the fabric. And they have it so nicely laid out. Home Decor fabric in one section, quilting fabric in another section, crafty fabric in another section, wearable fabric in yet another section. Wow. Simply amazing. I can't wait to go back. (well, actually my checkbook can wait!)
I also took a gift card I had received to Kohl's and treated myself to a new outfit. It's very bold for me- I think I like it, and it actually looks good on me. I also bought a new CD that wasn't a kids CD- and I really like that. The group is a new one called The Afters. Lizzie- it's really good. I think you'd like it. Of course, I also found tons of stuff for church at a really great price. I got a whole different kind of inspiration for the men's room of all things. I painted it green- and I was planning on decorating it with trees and wildlife things. Well, yesterday I found tons of golf stuff at a really great price- so I'm doing the men's room in golf. It will be fun. I found some really pretty old wooden drivers to hang on the wall too. That's going to be the room I have fun in.
Anyway, I made these beautiful hanging floral arrangements last night- so I'm feeling really good about my shopping trip today. Hopefully I can find what I want at the prices I want. I mostly wanted to let a few of you know that you were with me shopping, even though I went alone. Everyone have a nice day!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Okay Starving college kids!!
Okay girls, this one's for you. It is sooo good. You'll have people knocking down your door for just a bite. I have not found many crockpot recipes that I actually like. They all taste the same to me. But this one is good. Give it a whirl.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs -- (4 or 5 thighs)
3 medium carrots -- sliced
1/3 cup onion -- chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package roasted chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well.
Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
ABout 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf.
In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well.
Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additonal 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked.
Serve with rice or biscuits.
Description:
"Crock pot recipe"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 96 Calories; 5g Fat (44.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 219mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
NOTES : **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.
**Chicken breasts can be used, but either decrease the cooking time by an hour, or put in the breasts frozen at the beginning. Otherwise they will dry out.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Smothered Buttermilk Chicken
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs -- (4 or 5 thighs)
3 medium carrots -- sliced
1/3 cup onion -- chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 package roasted chicken gravy mix
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup frozen peas
In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, water, butter, salt, pepper and bay leaf; mix well.
Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
ABout 20 minutes before serving, stir gravy mix into crock pot. Remove and discard bay leaf.
In a measuring cup, blend buttermilk and flour until smooth. Stir flour mixture and peas into chicken; mix well.
Cover, increase heat to high; cover and cook an additonal 25-20 minutes or until peas are cooked.
Serve with rice or biscuits.
Description:
"Crock pot recipe"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 96 Calories; 5g Fat (44.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 219mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
NOTES : **You can use frozen bone in chicken thighs as well. Just turn up the heat to high for the first hour, then down to low for the remaining 6 hours. Before stirring in gravy mix, remove the skin from the chicken. The chicken will fall apart and meld nicely with the rest of the dish- just be sure to remove the bones before serving.
**Chicken breasts can be used, but either decrease the cooking time by an hour, or put in the breasts frozen at the beginning. Otherwise they will dry out.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
As promised... Punjabi style shrimp
Mmm. This is so good. If you've never had Indian food before- I promise this will convert you.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Punjabi-Style Masala Shrimp
Recipe By :Recipe courtesy Geetika Khanna
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chiles -- such as arbol (2 to 3)
2 medium onions -- sliced
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons minced peeled -- fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium plum tomatoes -- diced
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp -- peeled and deveined
1 cup whole-milk yogurt -- divided
Cilantro leaves -- for garnish
Chopped fresh green chiles -- for garnish
Heat the oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and red chiles and cook, stirring, until the fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark and fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat soft, about 3 minutes. (You can make the sauce up to this point a day ahead.)
When ready to serve, heat the sauce over high heat. As soon as it starts to bubble on the edges, add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp turns opaque. Lower the heat, gradually stir in the yogurt, and gently heat it through. (Don't bring it to a boil or the yogurt may separate.) Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with the cilantro and green chiles. Serve.
Source:
"Show: Sara's Secrets"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* Exported from MasterCook *
Punjabi-Style Masala Shrimp
Recipe By :Recipe courtesy Geetika Khanna
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chiles -- such as arbol (2 to 3)
2 medium onions -- sliced
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons minced peeled -- fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium plum tomatoes -- diced
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp -- peeled and deveined
1 cup whole-milk yogurt -- divided
Cilantro leaves -- for garnish
Chopped fresh green chiles -- for garnish
Heat the oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and red chiles and cook, stirring, until the fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, ginger, garlic, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark and fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat soft, about 3 minutes. (You can make the sauce up to this point a day ahead.)
When ready to serve, heat the sauce over high heat. As soon as it starts to bubble on the edges, add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until the shrimp turns opaque. Lower the heat, gradually stir in the yogurt, and gently heat it through. (Don't bring it to a boil or the yogurt may separate.) Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with the cilantro and green chiles. Serve.
Source:
"Show: Sara's Secrets"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Let's talk about those crazy kids!
So today I will share a little bit about my Pride (Abigail) and Joy (Zander). Next Monday we have the dreaded kindergarten screening. Abigail will be spending just over an hour at "school" being supervised. They will be asking her to: Print her name, Make a butterfly, Identify colors, Recite a fingerplay/poem, and Listen to a story. She can do all of the above (could about 2 years ago) so it should be interesting to hear the evaluation. The only thing they are going to teach her in kindergarten is how to tie her shoes. Poor girl is going to be bored out of her mind.
Anyway, the other day she was asking me how to spell Zander, and she was writing, so I told her, thinking nothing of it. A few minutes later she asks me for a piese of tape. Okay. The I go into her bedroom, and there- hanging on the wall by her bed is a sign that reads "no Zander". So funny. She didn't want Zander on her bed (her clubhouse) which he can't get to himself anyway, so I thought that was cute.
Zander is learning how to talk. His favorite word is Ball. But he says some funny things lately. He is quick to tell me when he's done eating "all done- ball?" Or when he wants to be changed "new diaper" followed by Zander getting a diaper out of the basket. He sees a bird outside it's "birdie- bweet bweet". He also loooves books. He's finally past the point of tearing real books- so he's constantly coming up to me "book!" with a book in hand. Then we stop what we're doing, and sometimes read the book, sometimes he just wants to flip the pages. When he's hungry or thirstly he will raise his shirt and point to his belly button. Usually this is followed by "juice?" or "apple?". He absolutely loves to watch the Backyardigans on Nick Jr. If you haven't seen this- it is the greatest show for kids ever. A group of friend get together in their backyards every day for an adventure. They ride pirate ships, visit the jungle, go on a snow adventure, go surfing, all in the confines in their backyard. A great great show for imagination. They also spend most of the time singing and dancing their adventures- so of course Zander and Abigail both go nuts singing and dancing. Zander's favorite episodes are The Yeti, (Z says "yetiyetiyeti!) Tarzan (again, Z says "ahhhhh") and Pirate adventure (Z says "argh").
Anyway, I just wanted to share a little of my daily adventure with the kids. They are two little balls of energy that are full of joy and happiness. My favorite thing to do is to sit quietly doing nothing, and listen to them play together in the next room. Their "sibling bond" is unbeatable. I hope they stay best friends forever. Ah well. Maybe I'll find another stunning recipe to share later. Maybe Indian shrimp today? We'll see.
Anyway, the other day she was asking me how to spell Zander, and she was writing, so I told her, thinking nothing of it. A few minutes later she asks me for a piese of tape. Okay. The I go into her bedroom, and there- hanging on the wall by her bed is a sign that reads "no Zander". So funny. She didn't want Zander on her bed (her clubhouse) which he can't get to himself anyway, so I thought that was cute.
Zander is learning how to talk. His favorite word is Ball. But he says some funny things lately. He is quick to tell me when he's done eating "all done- ball?" Or when he wants to be changed "new diaper" followed by Zander getting a diaper out of the basket. He sees a bird outside it's "birdie- bweet bweet". He also loooves books. He's finally past the point of tearing real books- so he's constantly coming up to me "book!" with a book in hand. Then we stop what we're doing, and sometimes read the book, sometimes he just wants to flip the pages. When he's hungry or thirstly he will raise his shirt and point to his belly button. Usually this is followed by "juice?" or "apple?". He absolutely loves to watch the Backyardigans on Nick Jr. If you haven't seen this- it is the greatest show for kids ever. A group of friend get together in their backyards every day for an adventure. They ride pirate ships, visit the jungle, go on a snow adventure, go surfing, all in the confines in their backyard. A great great show for imagination. They also spend most of the time singing and dancing their adventures- so of course Zander and Abigail both go nuts singing and dancing. Zander's favorite episodes are The Yeti, (Z says "yetiyetiyeti!) Tarzan (again, Z says "ahhhhh") and Pirate adventure (Z says "argh").
Anyway, I just wanted to share a little of my daily adventure with the kids. They are two little balls of energy that are full of joy and happiness. My favorite thing to do is to sit quietly doing nothing, and listen to them play together in the next room. Their "sibling bond" is unbeatable. I hope they stay best friends forever. Ah well. Maybe I'll find another stunning recipe to share later. Maybe Indian shrimp today? We'll see.
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Strawberry Bread! Yummy!
Okay, I am proud of this one. Yesterday I made a strawberry bread that I wasn't happy with. For anyone who's had it, it tasted like Amish Friendship Bread. Very good- but not very strawberry flavored, and it had way too much oil in it for me to feel good about eating it. So I tweaked the recipe quite a bit, and now I have a lovely strawberry bread. It is quite good. I think it would be awesome to serve it along with banana bread at a pot luck or party. The flavors would contrast nicely. I'm looking forward to eating this bread up over the next few days. Warning though. This bread does take about 4 cups of sliced strawberries- and at least 2 cups of that needs to be fresh- 4 cups fresh would be even better. Here it is.
* Exported from MasterCook *
STRAWBERRY BREAD
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 15 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs -- beaten
1 cup strawberry puree -- about 2 cups sliced berries
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh strawberries -- chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9" loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
In a seperate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir gently to combine.
Stir in nuts and strawberry pieces.
Bake in two 9" loaf pans for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely for best flavor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 293 Calories; 10g Fat (29.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
* Exported from MasterCook *
STRAWBERRY BREAD
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 15 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs -- beaten
1 cup strawberry puree -- about 2 cups sliced berries
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh strawberries -- chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9" loaf pans with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients.
In a seperate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir gently to combine.
Stir in nuts and strawberry pieces.
Bake in two 9" loaf pans for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely for best flavor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 293 Calories; 10g Fat (29.6% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 47g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 50mg Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
The best jambalaya!
This is good stuff. Jambalaya is actually an incredibly easy dish to make. You can make it as spicy as you like by adding more heat, or taking some out. It's important to use chicken, shrimp, and the chorizo. The flavors combine incredibly to make a fabulous one dish meal. Serve it up with a slab of cornbread and you've got yourself a meal fit for royalty.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Jambalaya
Recipe By :Emeril
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta & Rice
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
12 medium shrimp -- peeled and deveined
4 ounces chicken -- diced
1 tablespoon Emeril's essence
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion -- chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1/4 cup celery -- chopped
2 tablespoons garlic -- minced
1/2 cup tomatoes -- chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces chorizo -- sliced
Combine shrimp, chicken, and essence. Marinate for 1 hour, turning occassionally.
Heat oil on med. high heat. Cook onion, pepper, and celery for 3 minutes.
Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, worchestershire, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in rice and stock, reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbsliquid and becomes tender.
Add chicken, shrimp, and chorizo. Cook until meat is cooked, about 10 minutes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 447 Calories; 24g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 2144mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Jambalaya
Recipe By :Emeril
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta & Rice
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
12 medium shrimp -- peeled and deveined
4 ounces chicken -- diced
1 tablespoon Emeril's essence
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion -- chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper -- chopped
1/4 cup celery -- chopped
2 tablespoons garlic -- minced
1/2 cup tomatoes -- chopped
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces chorizo -- sliced
Combine shrimp, chicken, and essence. Marinate for 1 hour, turning occassionally.
Heat oil on med. high heat. Cook onion, pepper, and celery for 3 minutes.
Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, worchestershire, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in rice and stock, reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbsliquid and becomes tender.
Add chicken, shrimp, and chorizo. Cook until meat is cooked, about 10 minutes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 447 Calories; 24g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 2144mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Just a few more Pix
Despite my red puffy eyes, I will post just a few more pictures from our vacation. Now I'm going to have to take more pictures in order to most some more. The Zander pictures are from that state park near Birmingham again. Zander really didn't want to be on the grass at first. It took him a while to get used to it. Of course, now I can't get him off the grass and into the house. The picture of Abigail is in our pool in Florida. We spent almost 2 whole days in the pool. She just loved it. If you look closely at the picture, you can see me in the upper right corner with a blob on me. Yeah, that's Zander. He hated the water- but it put him to sleep VERY quickly. Of course that meant a loooong nap in the pool. But it was fun anyway. I think he warmed up to the pool by the end.
Friday, April 22, 2005
No Cookies
Sorry for the lack of posts here lately. I've been a little busy. This morning I am expecting a realtor to come through the house with our landlord's widow. I don't want her to think we live like pigs, so I've been scrambling to clean it up. Although, lately I think we have been living like pigs. The last two weeks we all got to experience a lovely stomach virus. This week the kids and I have pinkeye. Let me tell you. Pinkeye is soooo un-fun. My eyes feel like someone is rubbing sandpaper all over them. Add to that the occassional bouts of tearing- (we are talking rivers for like 10 minutes) and the fact that when we wake up in the morning we all have to go through a careful 10 minute process of de-crusting our eyes so that we can open them. Ugh. Plus it's hard to see. My eyes are like half open. SO for whom it may concern- sorry NO COOKIES. If I make cookies- by golly I DESERVE to eat the whole batch myself. :-)
Friday, April 15, 2005
Recipe for the day
This is a great recipe for Vegetable enchiladas. Mmmm. Enchiladas, to me, are the ultimate comfort food. I could eat them anytime. If you can wrap it in a tortillas and smother it in sauce it's an enchilada- and sooo good. I just shared this recipe with someone else, which of course reminded me of it, and I thought I would share it here. It is perfect for using up the mounds of zucchini everyone ends up with at harvest time, but it's really good at anytime. It looks more complicated than it is, so try them!
* Exported from MasterCook *
Vegetable Enchiladas
Recipe By :Marge Poore
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Basic Cooked Tomatillo Sauce (see notes)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium white onion -- chopped
2 medium zucchini -- coarsely shredded
1 cup corn kernels
1 red bell pepper -- finely chopped
3 Tablespoons sour cream -- or Mexican crema
2 Tablespoons cilantro -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt -- or to taste
freshly ground pepper -- to taste
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas -- 6 or 7 inch
1 cup manchego cheese -- shredded (I use monterey jack)
2 green onions -- thinly sliced crosswise
Prepare the sauce. Cover and keep warm. Preheat oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until it starts to brown. Add the zucchini, corn, and red peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp tender- about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 TBS vegetable oil until it shimmers. Using tongs, dip tortillas one at a time into the hot oil to soften. Drain on paper towels and stack on a plate. Cover to keep them soft and warm.
To assemble the enchiladas, put 1 tortilla on a plate and sppon aout 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the lower third of the tortilla. Roll up into a cylinder and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled, rolled, and placed side by side in the dish. Pour the cooked tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hetaed through. Serve immediately.
Source:
"1,000 Mexican Recipes"
Yield:
"2 pieces"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 290 Calories; 14g Fat (41.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 229mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.
Serving Ideas : Next time I will add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the filling.
This is also made simpler with Pace's new tomatillo cooking sauce. Not quite as good, but an adequate substitute.
NOTES : Cooked Tomatillo Sauce:
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and quartered.
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican variety preferred)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup canned fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
salt to taste
Combine everything except broth and salt in a blender. Blend to a smooth puree. Pour into a saucepan with the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit and is completely cooked. About 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. The sauce is ready to use or can be refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for 3 months.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Vegetable Enchiladas
Recipe By :Marge Poore
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Basic Cooked Tomatillo Sauce (see notes)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium white onion -- chopped
2 medium zucchini -- coarsely shredded
1 cup corn kernels
1 red bell pepper -- finely chopped
3 Tablespoons sour cream -- or Mexican crema
2 Tablespoons cilantro -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt -- or to taste
freshly ground pepper -- to taste
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas -- 6 or 7 inch
1 cup manchego cheese -- shredded (I use monterey jack)
2 green onions -- thinly sliced crosswise
Prepare the sauce. Cover and keep warm. Preheat oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion until it starts to brown. Add the zucchini, corn, and red peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp tender- about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat 2 TBS vegetable oil until it shimmers. Using tongs, dip tortillas one at a time into the hot oil to soften. Drain on paper towels and stack on a plate. Cover to keep them soft and warm.
To assemble the enchiladas, put 1 tortilla on a plate and sppon aout 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the lower third of the tortilla. Roll up into a cylinder and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled, rolled, and placed side by side in the dish. Pour the cooked tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hetaed through. Serve immediately.
Source:
"1,000 Mexican Recipes"
Yield:
"2 pieces"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 290 Calories; 14g Fat (41.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 229mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.
Serving Ideas : Next time I will add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the filling.
This is also made simpler with Pace's new tomatillo cooking sauce. Not quite as good, but an adequate substitute.
NOTES : Cooked Tomatillo Sauce:
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and quartered.
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican variety preferred)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup canned fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
salt to taste
Combine everything except broth and salt in a blender. Blend to a smooth puree. Pour into a saucepan with the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit and is completely cooked. About 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. The sauce is ready to use or can be refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for 3 months.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Episode 3!!!
The trailer for Episode 3 is now available at Starwars.com Go there and see it. George Lucas has been heard saying that this episode is not for kids. There's a lot of ground to cover in this last installment- including the extinction of the Jedi. Should be fun! Hopefully we're headed to the midnight showing on May 18. Yippee!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Interesting fun
For some really interesting reading, go to the top of the web page and click on the little square that says "next blog". I haven't gotten the same blog twice. And while many of them are in a foreign language, there are some interesting ones, and even a few that compelled me to pray for that individual. There are also more poignant ones dedicated to loved ones that are over seas. Anyway, it's kind of fun to just click away and see what the world has to say. Give it a try.
Pictures from "The Farm"
These pictures are from a state park just outside Birmingham, Alabama. It was a very nice park, and one of the features there was "the farm". It was nothing like something you would see in Wisconsin. The animals didn't seem as well cared for as they should have been. But the kids thought it was neat, and it was a welcome break in the middle of a day of driving. Alabama was a really neat state, we definitely want to go back and visit someday. The people there are almost freakishly nice. Southern Hospitality at its finest there.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Pondering the Pillsbury Bake Off
So the Pillsbury Bake Off is accepting entries now thru the middle of May for next year's bake off. The grand prize is 1 million dollors, plus all the fancy GE kitchen appliances you could need. The i million is paid out at 50,000 a year for 20 years. I could handle that. It would be like working full time for not working. Anyway, I'm not sure if what I have come up with is good enough or not. I will do more testing and share it to get some feedback. In the mean time though, here is a great banana cake recipe. It originally was in an issue of Cooking Light, but I changed it a little to suit my tastes, without compromising the nutrition info. Enjoy it! Oh, and I don't sprinkle with pecans and coconut.
Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake:
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup bananas -- mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk
Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup cream cheese with pineapple -- ¥
3 Tablespoons milk, 1% lowfat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Remaining ingredients:
2 tablespoons pecans, dry-roasted -- finely chopped
2 tablespoons coconut, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar, oil, 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, egg whites, and egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add mashed banana; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed until smooth.
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup icing, and top with other cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 195 Calories; 7g Fat (30.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 102mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cake:
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup bananas -- mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk
Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup cream cheese with pineapple -- ¥
3 Tablespoons milk, 1% lowfat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Remaining ingredients:
2 tablespoons pecans, dry-roasted -- finely chopped
2 tablespoons coconut, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar, oil, 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, egg whites, and egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add mashed banana; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed until smooth.
6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup icing, and top with other cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 195 Calories; 7g Fat (30.3% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 16mg Cholesterol; 102mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Friday, April 8, 2005
Let's go to the beach!
Here are some more pictures from our recent vacation. This was from our trip to the ocean. Of course the day we went it was only 75 degrees or so, very cloudy, and threatening storms. But we were determined to dip our toes in the water. It was soooo cold. Andy managed to only go in up to his knees, but Abigail and Mommy had a great time playing in the waves. Of course, princess Zander was terrified of the whole experience. Wouldn't go near the water, didn't like the sand at first, but he did like the birds.
Thursday, April 7, 2005
Since this is a blog about me and my passions in life, I thought I'd share a little recipe for the most awesome cookies on the planet. They are Mocha Truffle Cookies, and they literally melt in your mouth. The best part? They are practically foolproof to make- Lizzie could make them and not screw them up! I got them from a friend on a bulletin board where I frequent. Please make them, enjoy them, and share them. Just make sure you have the recipe handy- everyone will want a copy!
Mocha Truffle Cookies
Serving Size: 36
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour, all-purpose
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Melt butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Add instant coffee and blend well. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Add sugars, eggs, and vanilla to coffee mixture. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
Yield: 3 dozen
posted on CL BB by Missindi
Mocha Truffle Cookies
Serving Size: 36
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour, all-purpose
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Melt butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Add instant coffee and blend well. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Add sugars, eggs, and vanilla to coffee mixture. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
Yield: 3 dozen
posted on CL BB by Missindi
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
So here's a small sampling...
Here's a small sampling of the joy of Disney. The kids both had a blast, as well as Mom and Dad. We are all looking forward to going back in a few years when Zander is old enough to ride more of the rides. It really was a magic experience.
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