Monday

Whew, what a weekend.


I baked two cakes, one cheesecake, made a pot of chili, a pot of green beans, a pot of meatballs, two lasagnas and a salad.


Thankfully the lasagnas at least had been put together ahead of time or I don't think it all would have gotten done.


We had one side of the family Halloween party and a birthday party on the other side, so between those two things and church, we didn't really stop all weekend. I'm almost glad it's Monday so I can rest tonight. ALMOST, not quite because that whole being back at work thing puts a damper on things. :)


I am looking forward to going home this evening and just making dinner and wearing my PJs around the house. There will be other things I have to do, but nowhere I have to be at a specific time with a bunch of people. So I think that qualifies as resting.


I hope everyone has a fantastic day and lots of safe and fun trick or treating tonight for those who will be going out. I'll be the one with no porch light on.


Not because I'm not welcoming the little costumed kiddos, but because it burned out and we haven't replaced it yet. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I really need to make a honey do list. Maybe I'll do that this afternoon, but then again there is no candy at my house soooo, maybe we shouldn't be in a rush to change the light bulb just yet. HA!


Have fun out there!

Recipe Review - Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

Oh. my. goodness. Peanut butter, chocolate, cheesecake, chocolate... I mean need I say more?

I saw this recipe from Shugary Sweets while cruising Pinterest and knew I had to find an opportunity to try it. It seemed a little over the top, but looked oh so good and doable. Then when I saw Dove chocolates on sale, it was like a sign. I needed to make this recipe.

Since it is football season, gameday seemed like the perfect time to make this yummy dessert to share.

I actually followed the recipe exactly (well except the frosting) and made sure I had all the ingredients for this one. Go me!

I even took pictures all along the way. Double go me!

The recipe looks like a lot and might seem a little overwhelming at first, but it was surprisingly simple and easy to follow. It even turned out really pretty instead of like one of those "nailed it" photos you see. You know the ones I'm talking about.

I read through all of the tips before starting the cake and I felt like they were helpful, although besides making sure your cheesecake has time to chill and set I think you probably could make this alright without reading them as thoroughly as I did.

I started with the peanut butter cheesecake section and Oh.My. The smell that filled my kitchen was almost enough to make me want to start eating things with raw eggs... almost mind you, I'm still firmly in the don't eat raw eggs camp thanks to my momma. (Hi mom!) So the cheesecake batter all made it to the pan without being tested. I mean just look at this yumminess.

Oh so tempting...

Then I remember these

I didn't have the same size cake pans and springform pan as she suggests using so I knew from the start I would have to do some trimming. That turned out to not be difficult at all and resulted in some yummy cheesecake snack pieces. Bonus!

In order to get the parchment paper to stay, which I always seem to have a hard time with, I tucked it around the bottom of the pan and then attached the sides as a way to hold it in. I trimmed off the excess paper underneath and was ready to go. This did take a few tries to get the pan put together right, but I think it made the process of filling it with batter much simpler for me.

I baked the cheesecake the day before I was going to serve this and then I went ahead and baked the cake too. I am a passionate non-coffee lover. I mean like I don't love it or even like it a little, so adding coffee to the batter took some gusto for me but with some encouragement from the coffee drinking hubby I did it. I must say, the original recipe notes were right, you really couldn't taste it in the end. (I neglected to take photos of the cake baking process, boo)

The next day I pulled out the cheesecake and cake layers and went to work assembling. One cake layer, topped with the cheesecake, topped with the other cake layer. I could have stopped there and been pretty happy! HA!

After assembling and centering them all up as best I could I grabbed a serrated knife and went to work trimming down the cheesecake to the same size as the cake layers. I might or might not have tried a few pieces of the cheesecake shavings as I went.. and there may or may not have been noises of yumminess coming from my kitchen table around this time.

After assembling and trimming I whipped up the frosting and grabbed a spatula and an offset spatula to slather on a nice layer all around the cake.

Here is where I varied from the recipe just slightly. I only made a half recipe of frosting.

I know any frosting lovers out there are gasping and your jaws have just dropped. See the thing is, I've never been a fan of massive amounts of frosting. Even this incredibly yummy frosting which I totally licked off the spatula when I was done.

I like it but I don't want it overwhelming everything else and in my experience almost all frosting recipes leave me with way too much for my liking. So there you have it. For us a half recipe was perfect. I generously frosted the cake and still had some left over for decorating. Even after decorating, I'd say a few tablespoons were still leftover.

Making the ganache was a new experience for me, but it was so simple and really cool to see it all melt together after whisking it. It poured so smoothly over the chilled cake too. I have a feeling I will be making this ganache again for other recipes.

 

After the ganache was set I did a little decorating. I don't have a decorating bag so for that part I just used a quart sized zipper storage bag with the corner cut off.

Overall I would give this recipe 5 stars. Surprisingly easy (Multiple steps but they're easy to follow) and very yummy. My only complaint was I wish the cake had not dried out quite so much after being in the fridge. My solution was to pop each piece in the microwave for about 7-10 seconds before eating. That made it a little better to me.

If you think you can't make desserts that look like this I encourage you to give this one a try. If I can do it, you can do it!

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of salt (kosher or sea salt)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

CAKE
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled (or use 1 cup milk instead of 1/2 cup each)
1/2 cup milk

FROSTING
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2.5 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

GANACHE
15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES (about 4 oz)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dove Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate PROMISES for garnish

Directions

CHEESECAKE:

Preheat oven to 325. Fill a shallow pan with about 1 inch of water and place on bottom rack of oven.

Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (see above for how I did mine).

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add peanut butter, salt, and eggs. Beat well

Beat in sour cream and heavy cream, scraping sides as needed. Allow to mix on high for two minutes until thick and creamy and try to refrain from eating it.

Pour into prepared springform pan and place in bottom 2/3 of oven (just above pan with water). Bake for 45 minutes then turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for additional 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate in pan until ready to assemble. Or you can remove from pan and freeze for later use (Thaw in fridge if frozen

CHOCOLATE CAKE:
Spray two 9 inch (or 8 inch if you're like me) pans with baking spray (or grease and flour). Set aside and preheat oven to 350.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In measuring cup combine cooled coffee with milk (or use 1 cup of milk instead of using coffee at all). Set aside. 

In large bowl beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes with electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly alternate adding dry ingredients and coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).

Once all ingredients added, beat mixture for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Divide cake batter into two pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool about 10 minutes in pan. Invert onto wire rack and cool completely. And again try not to eat them right then and there. mmm warm cake.

FROSTING:
Beat butter for about 3 minutes with electric mixer until pale in color, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 
Add in peanut butter, sugar and milk. Beat additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy and well blended.
Frost cake with generous layer, reserving a little for decorating. 
Refrigerate frosted cake while making ganache. 

GANACHE:
Unwrap 15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES and place in microwave safe glass bowl. Add cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir then heat for additional 30 seconds. Use a whisk to quickly stir until smooth.
Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:
On cake plate, place one layer of chocolate cake. Add cheesecake on top, then top with second layer of chocolate cake. (If you were like me and had different size pans, get out your serrated knife and commence to carving away the yummy pieces of extra cheesecake until the edges of all three layers are the same size. Be sure to have a container on hand to store them for snacks later!)
Spread frosting on sides and top of cake in thick layer and refrigerate while preparing ganache.
Pour cooled ganache over center of cake and smooth out to edges, allowing to drip down sides of cake.
Use reserved frosting to pipe swirl or other decorations on top and around bottom of cake. If you don't have decorating tools on hand just use a small plastic food storage bag with the corner cut off.
Use unwrapped Chocolate/Peanut Butter PROMISES to decorate if desired.
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Enjoy!

What's Up Wednesday - 10/26/16

Today it is time for What's Up Wednesday with Mix and Match Mama, The Larson Lingo and Sheaffer Told Me To. Thanks ladies for hosting a fun link up!


1. What we’re eating this week
Monday was a late dinner night so we ate Mexican chicken, beans and veggies. Other nights will be some kind of ground beef, more chicken and probably some fish or more chicken. It's a bit of a crazy week, so we're just doing the best we can to get something on the table, BUT I am putting my new meal planning idea into action starting next week so hopefully I'll be a bit more organized then!

2. What I’m reminiscing about
Nothing really at the moment. I'm just enjoying the fall.  

3. What I’m loving
Cooler weather! YAY! We're still having some days in the mid to upper 80s but we've also had a few where highs were only upper 60s and low 70s so it has actually felt like fall.

4. What we’ve been up to
We traveled to the beach for a wedding. It was a short weekend, but some much needed time away. I've been working on my window art project, trying out new recipes, getting ready for fall family gatherings. I  just finished helping with a charity golf tournament. We've had a lot going on this month! Then there is the usual work and life routine too.

5. What I’m dreading
As much as I love the weather getting cooler, I'm dreading when it goes past that cool point straight to cold and icy feeling. Brrrrr

6. What I’m working on
Window project, cooking, meal planning... pretty much same as my answer to the what we've been up to section.

7. What I’m excited about

My new cookbook meal planning idea! I'm super pumped about this. I've been trying to figure out a meal planning plan that would work for us, and I think this one might just do the trick. Plus it feeds my love of cookbooks. Bonus!

Fall! I love the fall weather, the soups, chili, sweaters, sweatshirts. Plus it's the start of the holiday season, which is always my favorite time of year. 


8. What I’m watching/reading

Football, lots and lots of football. Reading my Bible as always, but not much else at the moment.


9. What I’m listening to

Nothing in particular.

10. What I’m wearing

Layers. Lots and lots of layers. It gets chilly in the morning, but I'm usually sweating by the middle of the day, then it's chilly again or it's not and I just keep right on sweating. Gotta love the south.

11. What I’m doing this weekend
We have a big family costume party with lots of food and craziness. Then I'll be recovering from eating all that food and listening to all the craziness. HA! Then of course there is football :)


12. What I’m looking forward to next month

Wow it's hard to believe next month is November already! Where has this year gone? I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending that special time with family. Eating all the delicious food you only get during the holiday season. I think Thanksgiving may very well be my favorite holiday of all. No pressure for gift giving, just quality time with family and friends and great food!

13. What else is new
Mmmm not much that I can think of at the moment. :)

Bonus question: What is your favorite Halloween memory/picture/tradition?
I didn't have to think about this long at all. Even though I'm really not a Halloween person. (It just never has been my thing, but I do love the fall.) For a number of years now we get together with my sister and her family at our parents house and have a pumpkin carving night. We've done it since my husband and I were dating and it is always lots of fun. We get together and eat and then make a big, fat mess carving up some pumpkins on their dining room table. Then we take pictures with our pumpkins and take them home to decorate our porches. Fun times. :)

Window Project Update

I told you a while back about this new project I was starting.


Well since then I've made a little progress just working on it in the evenings or on the weekends when I have a few minutes. I decided to do a fall theme. I sanded down the rough edges and some bad spots, then put a fresh coat of white paint on the window frame. I let that dry and then I painted on the outline of the design I decided on, a pumpkin with some leaves and the words "Give Thanks" written above it.

You can't tell a lot from the photos. The shadows and the fact that it is glass kind of messes with the eyes.

Funny story. I thought I'd be all exact and try to measure letter spacing exactly and all that jazz. Yeah, that was a bit of a mess. I actually ended up cleaning off what I did and then free handing it, just spot checking the sizes as I went and making minor adjustments as needed. Turned out way better that way. Reminded me that I really need to just learn to let go sometimes. lol

Then I started painting in the various objects. I need to get some orange paint so I can keep going. Hopefully I will have this all done this week and get it sealed.

I used acrylic paint because that is what I had on hand and I don't plan on this being an outdoor decoration really. Hopefully I can seal it and it will work just fine. If not, it's a learning experience and I can do it over I suppose! :)

 

Cookbook Meal Planning

Today I am so excited about my new meal planning idea!

I seem to constantly be trying to figure out what to make for dinner. (Like millions of other people right!?)  The first title I had for this post was "The Saga of Meal Planning". I'm always saying that I need to meal plan in advance, do more freezer cooking, etc. I just never quite seem to get it done. I mean I have shining moments here and there, but for the most part I just seem to fail miserably at it and I'm scrambling to figure out what to cook each night.

At the same time, I am a cookbook lover. I mean I have a lot of them, like a whole lot. A few I've bought myself over the years, some I inherited from family, but the majority of them have been gifts because my family knows how much I love cookbooks. I started getting them probably as a teenager, or in college, and I get super excited about each one I receive.

I love looking through them and seeing all the delicious possibilities I could make. And while I have gotten use out of them (a good bit out of some) I never use them quite as much as I'd like. There are still TONS of yummy recipes waiting for me to give them their turn in my kitchen.


Then Pinterest came along and I started gathering tons of recipes there too which left my cookbooks even more neglected. I love Pinterest for finding recipes and all sorts of other things, but I'm really not a fan of having my nose stuck to my phone searching through the internet which in our neck of the woods is spotty at best and often frustrating. Doing this as you need to be getting dinner going is even more frustrating.


So, while these cookbooks sit around waiting to get some love, we make the same old standbys for dinner over and over again. Sigh.


Well, I recently had an idea that would help me address not one but both of these dilemmas! I pulled out a few of my favorite cookbooks one afternoon when I had a few minutes to spare and started looking for inspiration for dinners. While I was thumbing through, seeing once again all the great possibilities there were for getting me out of my dinnertime rut, a light bulb went off!


So here it is. (Drumroll please!) My cookbook meal planning plan. (Did that sentence even make sense?)


I'm going to take a few minutes to sit down and go through a cookbook. I'll make a note of the recipe titles and page numbers that look particularly interesting (and doable easy for weeknight dinners). Then each week I'll go over that list and pick out a few for dinner the next week. I'll go to the page numbers and make a list of ingredients to purchase at the grocery store, make a plan for food prep, and viola menu plan for the week and I finally make use of my cookbooks!


As I make it through one cookbook I'll start with another. Or perhaps I'll end up adding the list for each cookbook as I have the time and just choose recipes across all of them whether I've finished the first list or not. I'm still working out the details, but hey I have a starting point!

Of course I'm sure we will still make some of the standbys and favorites, but this will at least give me something new and different on a couple of nights each week. I plan to mark new favorites we find along the way too. That way we can put them in the "rotation" or if we find out something is not really our thing, we can make note of that too. But at least we'll have tried it!


I have tried for a long time to come up with a way of menu planning that works for me, so I am hoping this one does the trick. Plus bonus it will help me finally make better use of all my cookbooks! Then I won't have to feel so guilty for seeing new cookbooks in the store and wanting them too. I can stop seeing them and having to tell myself "No, no, no, you have shelves full already that you don't use. You can't buy yourself another cookbook!"


I'll let you know how it goes and what new favorites we find. I'm so excited to have a plan that I feel like I can actually do. It really is the little things in life! :)

Recipe Review - Old Time Ice Cream

A while back I bought one of those inexpensive little ice cream freezers... and by a while back I mean over a year ago and by inexpensive I mean off brand and dirt cheap. This isn't one of the nice ones like my sister (who usually makes the ice cream for family gatherings) has, but I thought it was worth a try for a starter.


I kept meaning to try it but for the longest there wasn't room in the freezer to store the bowl. After recently inheriting a deep freeze I finally had room. So the other day we wanted some ice cream but were trying to stick to the budget so I didn't want to buy any and I thought it would be the perfect time to try it out. I already had all of the ingredients at home for this recipe I found online. It looked promising and creamy in this photo so we gave it a whirl.

I will say that I wasn't sure the little freezer was going to be able to make it at first but I also didn't refrigerate the mixture for anywhere near as long as the machine instructions suggested. It said four hours and I did maybe 30 minutes. Finally after about 35 minutes of churning it started looking like ice cream. Good thing too since the machine instructions also said not to run it for over 40 minutes. Next time I'll try it the way it suggests. This time I was too far into the process when I read that part, so we just went with it.

Overall this recipe tasted pretty good but like most other homemade ice creams I've tried it leaves something to be desired in the consistency department if you, like me, are a fan of creamy ice cream. It wasn't super icy but it also wasn't very creamy. Very soft serve like when we first made it, then it hardened after being stored in the freezer for a day or so. (I neglected to take any photos before it was all gone - I'll get the hang of that one of these days) It did soften back up nicely as we dipped it out and let it warm up a little bit, but still not what I would classify as creamy. I'll keep trying and let you know if I find one that meets my expectations in the creaminess factor.

At this point I don't think my love for Blue Bell is in any danger. Ahhh Blue Bell, such a wonderful indulgence.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. At this point I put it in the refrigerator for a while to get nice and cold. Then later we turned the ice cream freezer on and poured in the mixture (a very messy task it turns out, at least for us and this particular machine). Freeze according to your machines instructions. After ice cream is ready transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

You could add some extras in toward the last five minutes or so of the churning process too but we just went with vanilla this time.

Overall I give it 4 stars for ease and taste. I'm still looking for that last star on creaminess though. :)

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I don't make chicken pot pies very often. There just seems to be so much crust and sauce involved, and we usually try to keep our meals fairly healthy and balanced so I try not to go there too often. I like almost all things in moderation though, so don't get me wrong... I like a good chicken pot pie complete with flaky crust and creamy filling. There is no judgment of a good pot pie here!

So every once in a while when a nice hot chicken pot pie sounds like a great idea for dinner and I always seem to be scrambling around to find a recipe I want to use. This time I decided to make my own and write it down so next time I'll have it.

I don't really like using the canned cream soups. I prefer to make it from scratch. It's really simple with just some butter, flour, chicken broth and/or milk and salt, pepper, etc.

From there I just added in canned veggies for ease, chicken and a few other things. This recipe turned out very well except I think the onions were a little strong for my taste. Next time I might decrease the amount or just leave them out altogether.

I started with this super easy perfect pie crust from Pioneer Woman. I just love Pioneer Woman. I started reading her blog way back in the beginning when there were only two sections, Confessions and Pioneer Woman Cooks. Before she had even finished the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels series of posts. I can't believe how long ago that was now...but I digress!

I've been using this pie crust for years but since I don't use it very often, I always seem to forget just how simple it is to make.

I had boiled the chicken the night before while making dinner so I would have a head start. I just took about a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut them up and brought them to a boil then let them cook over low heat until done. When I took them out the next night to make the chicken pot pie I pulled any larger pieces apart to make sure I had good bite sized pieces throughout.

I also made the pie crust the night before and stored it in the freezer, pulling it out a little while before dinner to thaw. I pulled it out maybe 30 minutes before since the instructions say thaw for 20 minutes, but I wish I'd done it a little sooner so it would have been easier to work with.

In a medium sized sauce pan I melted about 2 Tbsp of butter. Then stirred in about 3 Tbsp of AP flour and let it cook for several minutes to start making my roux.

Then I slowly added in about 1.5 cups of chicken broth, stirring until smooth. I let this cook until thick and bubbly. I think I also added about 1/2 a cup of milk, but I didn't write that down so I wouldn't swear to it. Oops.

I added about 1/4 of a medium sized onion, diced. Some garlic powder, because I still have no fresh garlic on hand, and stirred that around letting it cook for several minutes.

Then I added 2 cans of mixed vegetables and the previously cooked, cubed chicken, about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. I let this all heat up and get bubbly while I worked on the pie crusts.

In a standard glass pie pan I took one of the crusts that I had thawed and rolled out and lined the bottom, tucking in any edges.

The I filled the crust with the chicken filling and topped with a second pie crust.

I used one recipe to make both crusts. PW notes that you can get three thinner crusts or two generous. I've always gone with two, but I think next time I might take a walk on the wild side and divide it into thirds. Making a batch of several pie crusts to go in the freezer is on my to do list. I hope you enjoy this simple dinner. At least now I'll know where to go for a recipe when I'm ready to bake one of these.

Ingredients
1 perfect pie crust divided into two halves (or thirds and save a third for later use)
About 2 cups or 1 lb cooked, cubed chicken
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
~1.5 cups chicken broth
~1/2 cup milk
1/4 medium onion diced (or less if you want less onion flavor)
2 cans of mixed vegetables drained (you could also use the equivalent amount of frozen or fresh)
Garlic to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions
Roll out pie crust into a top and bottom crust following instructions in recipe.
In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter.
Stir in flour and let it cook for several minutes until smooth and lightly browned, stirring constantly.
Slowly add chicken broth (and milk if using), stirring until thick, bubbly, and smooth.
Add onion, garlic and any other seasonings, stir and cook for several minutes.
Add vegetables and chicken along with salt and pepper.
Let mixture simmer while you line pie pan with crusts.
Line bottom of pie pan with one crust, tucking in edges as needed.
Pour chicken mixture into pie crust and top with second pie crust, again tucking in edges as needed.
Bake on about 375 until crust is golden brown. (I placed a baking sheet under mine to catch any drips but it actually didn't spill over this time!)
Serve and enjoy!

Family Time

I'm back! We had a fun little weekend trip to go to a family member's wedding on the beach. We actually came back Sunday night but work on Monday came really early. Followed by an afternoon of grocery shopping, catching up on laundry and cooking dinner. So no time to check in here.

Even though we didn't get any time off work it was nice to get away for even just a short weekend trip. The weather was a little chilly if you were out by the water and the sky was cloudy, but it was so nice overall. Who knew so many people went to the beach in October though?! Did you know? I sure didn't. Well, ok I mean I did, but I was surprised by how many non-snow bird types we saw. I can see why though, it's still nice and it's not too crowded either.

A few brave souls were in the chilly pool but mostly the hot tub was full all the time. We never got in but we did enjoy laying out by the pool and on the beach. The sun was out a little but not all the time. I suppose it would have been harder to leave if it had been sunny and warm the whole time, at least that's what I kept telling myself.

Now that we're back I'm already trying to figure out how and where I can go somewhere again. :)

Am I the only one who comes back from a trip and immediately starts thinking about where can I go next? Even if it's a long time away, just knowing that I'm going to get some time off and go somewhere fun or relaxing is a nice mental escape when the days get long and tiring. It's something to look forward to and I think that is good for your well-being.

Those are my deep thoughts for the day. I hope everyone has something fun to look forward to in the near future. If not, get busy coming up with something! :) It doesn't even have to cost anything. There are lots of parks and fun things to do nearby if you just look around. Just decide it's worth it to take some time for relaxing and family and then make some plans, even if it's just a day trip or an afternoon. You'll be glad you did.

Weeknight Risotto

I am always looking for new dinner ideas. I get tired of making the same things all of the time, but as much as I love cooking I need simple, easy and quick on weeknights. These yummy meatballs are some we've been making for a while now. They are based off of this original recipe I found on Pinterest. I tweak a little bit, mainly based off what I do and don't normally have on hand in my kitchen. They are not your plain ordinary meatballs, but they are still simple enough to whip up in a short amount of time.


This time around I wanted to try something new and attempt some risotto to go along with them. I've made a ground beef risotto recipe a few times, but I had never attempted any other version so this was an experiment of sorts. I looked up the ground beef version I had made before along with searching a couple of other homemade risotto recipes and then made some adjustments and gave it a whirl.


First I added the butter to a high sided pan and heated it up over med-high heat. At this point I would have added fresh chopped garlic and onion, but I'm overdue a trip to the farmer's market so there was none on hand. Instead I added some black pepper and garlic powder and stirred it around. (FYI the lighting in my kitchen is not the greatest, so unreliable photo quality below. BOO!)

Then I added the rice in and cooked it, constantly stirring, for several minutes.

Then I slowly added the chicken broth stirring constantly. I brought this mixture to a boil and then lowered the heat to a simmer and covered. At this point I turned it over to the hubby who had already taken a shower so that I could go get cleaned up myself. I left him with the instructions to let it simmer for around 10 minutes or until the liquid was absorbed. I also told him to add a little more broth if needed but I don't think it was necessary.

Once the liquid was absorbed he added in the parmesan cheese and stirred.

Overall I would say it turned out pretty good, a little tougher than I would have liked so next time I will probably cook it just a little longer. There was also the fact that the hubby and I switched places so we could get dinner cooked and both get showered and not be eating at 10pm... so I can't tell you exactly what went on when I wasn't in the kitchen and how long it actually cooked. As far as I know it was around 10 minutes. In the end I think I will definitely be adding this to the list of side dishes we make so over the next few times we should get it down a little better. :) 

Weeknight Risotto


Ingredients
1 cup rice (We used extra long grain. I think it could be better with other kinds but it worked)
~ 1 Tbsp butter
Ground black pepper
~1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 garlic cloves chopped
*Onion if you have it
2.5 - 3 cups of broth (I used chicken but you could use beef too)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese


I recommend having all your ingredients ready to go when you start.


*I would have added some onion or onion powder/minced onion in, but I'm due a trip to the store or farmer's market so right now I have none.


Directions
Heat pan over med-high heat add butter and let it melt.


Stir in garlic, onion, pepper (get crazy and add some other seasonings if you wish). If you're using the real thing let it cook for several minutes. If you're using powdered spices like I had to this time you really just want to stir it in and then move to the rice.


Add rice, stir and cook for several minutes.


Add broth in slowly and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for around 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. (Note: some, probably most, risotto recipes I saw advise you to add in broth a little at a time and wait until it is absorbed to add some more. While that is probably the true way to make risotto, this is weeknight {read: shortcut} risotto so I went with the one recipe that did it this way)


Remove from heat and stir in cheese.


Serve and enjoy!

Cleaning House

I really don't like dirt. I mean I like dirt outside where it belongs, I like playing in the dirt, but I really don't like dirt in my house. Or grime, or dust. Even when we go on vacation, I'm that person that takes along cleaning supplies. Go ahead and shake your head, but it's true. I relax much better in a clean environment. I really have to make myself stop at a surface cleaning when we travel and resist the urge to scrub off the spots and stains I just know would come up with some elbow grease.

Don't get me wrong, my house is not spotless by any stretch, but I do have to keep some things done or I am not a happy camper.

I am also known among my family to be the one to call when something is in need of a deep cleaning. I have often said after tackling one of these projects "I really should have taken a before photo of that". So now whenever I tackle something extra dingy I try to take a photo before I get started and then an after one. Just for fun. Does anyone else do this for fun? Anyone? I'm going to pretend at least one of you said yes and move right along.

It may be a bit quirky, but I just love seeing something all sparkly and clean after being so... not sparkly and clean and knowing that my hard work made it happen.

Before

This was a disgusting handle on the shower door when we moved in. I took it off the door and gave it a thorough cleaning and ahh...

After

Photos like these just make me feel all happy and peaceful inside. Maybe that's the answer to some of the world's problems, we should just get the involved parties together and clean something. Goodness knows there is a lot in this world that needs cleaning. Those are my deep thoughts for the day. If you need me I'll be over here. I feel the need to go clean something now.

Reclaimed Wood Decor

Today I'm sharing a little project that I made out of scraps really. We had some small leftover scrap pieces from the hubby's larger projects (wooden crosses, state frames) so I (not liking for things to go to waste) gathered them up and started thinking of what I could make with them.

I got a lesson on how to use a miter saw (look at me learning how to use power tools!) and went to work cutting all the pieces the same length to fit on another piece of scrap wood I'd gathered up. I figured out the arrangement I wanted from the weathered looking pieces. Then I nailed it on the back piece of wood with a nail gun - a very small nail gun.

It took me a little while to figure out exactly what I wanted to make once I put the base of wood together, but then I got this idea. The first three words were relatively easy to paint. I actually painted them by hand without a stencil. I was quite proud of myself for that one! I just took some measurements and gave myself a little guide for spacing.

The state name took a little more effort to find what kind of font I wanted and then figure out how to best make it happen. I painted on one version which I didn't like and then removed it, a process in itself.

I ended up printing off the font I wanted and using some transfer paper to give me a bit of a starting point with the outlines before painting it in by hand.... with a toothpick. Yes, you read that right. The word Alabama was painted by hand, with a toothpick. Don't ask me how I thought to do that, it must have been the Lord whispering in my ear, but even the smallest paint brush I had on hand would not have worked with some of these little lines on the extremely rough reclaimed wood. Taking the toothpick I was able to gently dot it on and spread a little bit at a time. It was tedious and took some time and concentration, but somehow it worked and I ended up with this.

I was quite happy with it in the end as just a fun little project out of scraps!

Spinach and Feta Meatballs

These Spinach and Feta Meatballs are based off a recipe I originally found via Pinterest a while back. We tweak them just a little bit. They are easy to whip up and are a nice change from your average meatball. Plus added bonus you get some veggies in them.

Next Thursday I'll be posting the easy weeknight risotto we made to go with these last week.

I start with a pound of beef. We've used turkey before too but beef seems to turn out moister. You could use any ground meat you have on hand though and I think they would turn out just fine.


This is one of those recipes that has been very forgiving when we different things on hand. For the spinach I have done everything from using less just because I didn't have enough on hand to throwing in the fresh spinach leaves without steaming first because I just didn't want to take the time or energy to do it. I will say that the consistency does seem to be better if you steam it. I usually just put it in a bowl with a little water, cover and pop it in the microwave until it is slightly steamed. Then drain the water off and throw it in. You could also use frozen spinach thawed and drained.



Ingredients

1 (5oz.) bag fresh spinach, steamed, drained, and cooled

1 lb. ground beef (or chicken, turkey, etc.)

¾ cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 Tablespoons chicken broth (can sub water)

⅛ cup dried cranberries (I really like these so I add some extra sometimes - we've also used less)

2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 small onion: VERY finely diced or equivalent onion powder

1 teaspoon oregano

¾ cup Feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Gently mix all ingredients together until well combined. Then roll into balls or use a scooper to form balls and place on the baking sheet. (We cover with foil for easy clean up)

You can place meatballs in the fridge to get cool before placing in the oven like the original recipe suggests, but often I go ahead and put them straight in.

I cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (this will depend on size of your meatballs). If you can rotate halfway through the cooking time go for it, most of the time I don't. :)

A state of mind

I'm excited to share this little project. I think it is one of my favorite recent creations from my talented husband. I'm not sure how or where he comes up with these ideas but they always amaze me with the level of thought, time, and attention to detail he puts into them.

He used some of the same reclaimed wood from a historic house in the area as he did for these rustic wooden crosses. This time he also used some reclaimed timbers to give it a heavy duty, rustic frame. It has what I guess you would call a shadow box effect where he built a frame, painted a black back drop which he mounted at the back of the timbers and then took the pieces of reclaimed lath with their various appearances and put them together in a pattern he liked across the front of the frame.

Then he took a template he made of the state and used it to trace the outline onto the wood he had joined together to make the front of the piece. Then he cut it by hand. Every.single.curve. Twice actually, once for the template and once for the piece itself. I told him he could have left off some of the tiny little turns and dips and no one would have noticed, but he wanted it to be as detailed as possible. I was impressed he was able to cut all those tiny little areas and that he cared enough to do so. If you look closely you can see all the little squiggly lines here.

 

So far he has finished three different states, so only 47 more to go! HA! He also has some ideas about variations on this same design that he could do. Different shapes and colors, like a nautical themed cutout with pastels and white, team colors for sports fans, different types of wood and framing. There are lots of possibilities. (I've thought of quite a few myself I could have him make.)

   

It's kind of nice to almost always see something I like and think to myself, "oh he could make that". Of course that means I wait a while on it sometimes, but it's worth it. :)

You Are Enough

It seems to be a constant battle sometimes. I know we all deal with it to some extent. The thoughts the enemy constantly throws at us that we're not enough or we're too much. Disguised in many different ways but it always seems to boil down to one of those two things.

I can't tell you how many times I've had memories come to mind out of left field, something I did twenty years ago, a time I wasn't as nice as I should have been to someone or just the dumb things you do and say as a kid, teenager, or last month. Then I immediately feel like hiding my face, pulling the covers over my head or just jumping in a hole, and there is no one around! No one knows the thought going through my head. It isn't related to anything I'm doing at that moment or where I am. Yet the shame and guilt hits you like a ton of bricks without any warning. It's not like these are major offenses either, I mean I don't have a criminal record and I was always a "good kid". I never did anything major, but I'm a human. An unkind word, an immature action, a wrong way of thinking, or just a plain old embarrassing moment where I was momentarily a dumb blonde. You know one of those "how could I have been so dumb?" or "how did I not see that?".

Maybe I'm the only one who ever experiences this blast from the past phenomenon, but I know everyone has to deal with attacks like this in some way or another. Maybe you deal with a constant nagging that your not good enough as a mom or your too much in some other way. Whatever it is the enemy will try to find a way to convince us that we are not good enough or we're too much to handle. I feel the pressure all the time. Like I'm failing and not doing a good enough job of running a home, being a good wife, keeping up with family or friends. Thinking I should have a better career or else have started a family by now and be super mom. I know in my heart that all of these things are not true, that through Jesus and what he did for us all I have been made the righteousness of God and am made perfect and complete in Him (2 Corin. 5:21). But boy does the enemy not want us to live like that. If he can keep us mired down in the "what ifs" and "I'm not good enough"s he can keep us from accomplishing the great things that God has planned.

I've been thinking a lot the last few days about the scripture that talks about fighting the good fight of faith (I Tim. 6:12). I've heard others say before, a good fight is one that you win. I know I've already won because of Jesus but there is a daily battle of the mind to keep it focused on what God says about me instead of what the world or guilt and shame says about me. I've been so blessed by the amount of teachings and music on God's grace in recent years. Having spent many years in an environment that was so much about works and doing the right thing, being constantly reminded of God's grace has been refreshing. It's freeing to be reminded that it isn't about us, which is what the devil would love for us to think. It's about Jesus and what He did for us and dying on the cross as us, in our place. Because He was and is more than enough we don't have to succumb to the feelings of guilt and shame. He already bore them all and set us free! We just have to believe it and walk in it. That is where I think sometimes the hardest part of the fight of faith is, to resist those thoughts and feelings and replace them with what God says about us. Thankfully that's why He gave us His Word, sometimes I just have to repeat a scripture over and over again to myself to remind me of who I am in Him. I'm thankful to have that "sword of the spirit, which is the word of God) (Eph. 6:17). It wins the fight every time.

I just wanted to remind myself and anyone else reading this that just because those thoughts and feelings come don't give in to them. We've got to fight the good fight and instead of letting those thoughts stay, focus on what God says about us that we've been made righteous in Him, our sins have been washed away and there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We are enough in Him because He is enough. He took care of it all so we could cast our cares on Him. I tend to think and feel that I need to do everything myself so trying to let go and let God can be a struggle, but it's one I'm getting better at day by day. I pray this post will be encouraging to someone and that you'll continue fighting that good fight and realizing that Jesus already won it for you too.