30 Kasım 2012 Cuma

On the down low . . .

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I blogged today, but at my other home, where only the people here on this blog will ever know my secret identity. Anyway, it's short, but feel free to hop over for what it's worth.


Also, I need to tell you that I'm reading something besides Whitney books for the first time in months and it's awesome. The Whitneys were great too. Some were truly exceptional. But there's still a difference between reading a book because it's on my list and reading it because it's on someone else's list. It's kind of like if you ate nothing but chocolate for days, and then you suddenly have a potato chip and suddenly that crisp piece of spud is like a revelation. Neither is inherently better; I'm just rediscovering an appreciation for fiction I've long neglected.


Later this week I'll tell you about some books I think you should read. Because they are good. And they're all different from each other. But still good. But for now, really, you can go check out my other secret identity blog.

Recap!

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I went to the LDS Storymakers conference last weekend. It was as fantastic as usual. I think I like it more and more every year because I have more and more friends to see there when I go. It helped that I was way less stressed than last year about teaching. I taught on how to find your next story idea and I feel like it went well. So yay for that!


And in case anyone didn't already know, I didn't win the Whitney award for romance. However, as it was noted to me, I got nominated for my first two books. Ever. Both of them. And that's not small potatoes. And I actually called who I would lose both the Whitney for Romance and the Best New Novel awards to and I was right. Or maybe the better way to say that is that I called who would win those categories. For all I know, I lost to everyone else in those categories, too. Which means that I must technically have even lost to myself in the romance category. Weird.


But I am not sad. So no pity in the comment trail, okay? I spent an evening with some of my most favorite ladies laughing until I cried and corrupting one of our youth. I wore several fabulous pairs of shoes and I think I placed in the top five of the Whitney evening gown competition (that was only in my head). 


And I'd post a bunch of pictures of stuff except I used my phone to snap them, and it's a little harder to put on my blog than on Facebook. Sorry about that!


But that's okay, because pictures take me a WAY long time to do, and I need all my time because I'm on a tight deadline for next week and I'M GOING TO DIE. Maybe. But probably not. But it's going to be rough. I'm having to hire a babysitter for 7 hours tomorrow so I can work. I hate doing that, but I hate being stressed out about deadlines and therefore cranky to my children even more. So blow it all out in one day it is. 


Anyway, I just want to end on this note: I have a very hard time expressing exactly how much I dislike Cristina Aguilera. It's up somewhere around a lot + infinity. And counting.

I do this because I'm lazy...

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I'm blogging twice in one week. I don't even know who I am anymore.


Oh, wait. Yes, I do: the woman procrastinating a manuscript deadline by blogging. So . . . pretty much the same girl I always was.


But here's why I'm blogging. Today my critique partners were over and I needed to deal with my mostly dry hair while I listened to one of them read. And they were kind of fascinated by my solution. As was I when I learned this solution two weeks ago.


So I'm going to share in the spirit of procrastination being helpful. And since this is a totally spontaneous blog post, I don't have any makeup on in these pictures, so you can judge, but when you judge someone trying to do you a favor, you earn a very special place south of the Heavenly Border.


Anyway . . . headband curls. I stuck my hair in a headband like this. It takes 3 minutes even for the hairstyling-impaired like me:
You just take a section of hair and tuck it up over the hairband. Then you take another one and it add it and keep going. It looks like this from the sides:
And then I left them in for a while. Even ran into the park and received a few admiring and few more puzzled looks. And then I just gently unwound them from the head band and it does this:
And then I just finger brush them, hairspray them, and go.


And for an added bonus, here's YouTube tutorial where a girl with a Russian accent explains it all to you:

Happiest place on earth

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I'm not being metaphorical with that title. I don't really mean my house. I'm talking actual Disneyland today. 


Anyway, we went on Tuesday. And it leads me to a question:


Imagine you're hired to work a job in the park. But it can be ANY job IN the park. What do you pick? And yes, there is ONE right answer. I'm just going to see how many of you get it. Go ahead, name it in the comment trail and defend your choice.

Scarlett O'Hara can kiss my grits

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Lots of little girls in the South are named Scarlett. Having just watched Gone With the Wind and started in on the novel, I can state with total authority that it is a TRAVESTY that they aren't named Melanie instead. My fabulousness aside, I mean.


I love Melanie Wilkes. I loathe Scarlett O'Hara.


What's more, as a Southern-raised woman, I'm not sure I even get her. Anyone want to argue her case for me? Because here's how I see it: she has NO redeeming qualities. 


Even the ones on the surface that seem like redeeming qualities to other Southernors in Scarlett are NOT. Like love of the land, for example. We love our land, yes. And no matter how long I've been gone from Louisiana, it's like invisible roots shoot out the second I step out of the airport and connect me to the place that shaped my spirit. My grandfather owned and worked a good bit of acerage all his life, even until his death in his eighties. I spent countless hours working in the huge gardens my father planted every summer. Loamy, stinky, gorgeous soil. It's what we do. 


But Scarlett . . . I don't know. I don't understand why she loves the land. It's a possession thing, not a connection thing, I think.


And another Southern commandment: she reveres her parents. But when she escapes Atlanta to be taken care of by her mother,  she flips to find out she's dead only because it's now inconvenient for her to lose that source of comfort.


I don't get it. Melanie Wilkes is kind of the awesomest and Scarlett pretty much sucks. When all is said and done and Scarlett's all alone at the end, I kinda don't give a damn, either. 


Discuss.

29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe

Ginger's Apple Pie

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     With all the apples I had last month, I made two  apple pies.  Last year my friend Ginger gave me her mother's pie crust recipe.  For the past five years since I've had celiac disease, I haven't been too satisfied with the pie crusts I've come across.  I've tried a packaged gluten free pie crust, but there are times that I want to make the whole pie from scratch like my grandmother used to do.  When I made this last fall, I changed out the flour with rice, sorghum, and tapioca flour.  One thing I liked about this recipe is I didn't have to put the dough in the refrigerator to chill.  It was as I note in the recipe below just a bit sticky, but I just kept adding  handfuls of  flour onto the bread board and rolling it until it wouldn't stick any more.  This crust is one of the best I've made so far.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know!  When I made it in September, our Polish student said it reminded him of the apple strudel he ate back home.




Ginger’s Mom’s Best Pie Crust  My Gluten Free Version – Makes 2

1.  In medium bowl:  Beat 1 egg, and then add enough milk to make 7/8th of a cup—which is 1 cup minus 2 T. (Make sure all ingredients are cold so pastry will be flaky. 

2.  Mix dry ingredients:  In a bowl measure out 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup sorghum flour, 1 cup of tapioca flour,  1 1/2 t baking powder,  and 1 t salt in a bowl.  Cut in  1 ¼ cups of butter.



3.  Stir in egg and milk mixture.  Be careful you don't work the flour too long. 

4.  Make two balls.  Put on heavily gluten free floured board and roll each of them out into an an 8” circle.  Since I adapted this recipe to gluten free flour, I found this dough a little bit sticky; so keep flouring your board and rolling pin until you get the right consistency.
This rolling pin used to be my grandmother's!

Cut into 4 pieces and one by one place them into a pie plate, seal edges with fingertips.    Bake for 20 minutes at 425 if you are just baking the shell without a filling.




Ginger’s Apple Pie
1.  Prepare apples: Wash apples and peel and cut enough apples for 8 cups of apples.  Put apples in a large glass bowl.
2.  Prepare spices:  In a small dish mix  together  1 t grated orange peel, ½ t salt, 1 cup of brown sugar or ¾ cup agave, 1 t cinnamon, and 2 T rice flour.  Thoroughly coat the apples and then put them  into the crust.   
3. Bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425 and then lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes more. 

Note:  The orange peel in this pie gives the pie a hint of orange, but  if you want a more traditional pie, then my friend Judi makes her apple pies with 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t nutmeg and 1 t vanilla.  She also dots her apples with a bit of butter. 







Other Gluten Free Baked Goodies on This Blog:

Breads & Muffins

Gluten free and Low-fat Banana bread

Beth's Gluten Free Cornbread

Banana Nut muffins

Gluten Free Tremendous Pumpkin Muffins

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins


Cakes:

Gluten Free Apple Cake

Gluten Free Carrot Cake


Crisps & Pies:

Lena's Rhubarb Crunch

Fruit Berry Crisp

Apple Crisp
Ginger's Apple Pie

Cookies:

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

Gluten Free & Low Fat Peppermint Sugar Cookies


Puddings

Baked Coconut Pudding

Lemon Meringue Pie Pudding



Thai Pumpkin Curry

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At a Thai restaurant in Oregon I saw a curry  on the menu that caught my eye.  It was pumpkin curry.It sounded like  an amazing combination, and it was. Our bowl came out brimming with chunks of chicken and pumpkin, slices of red and green peppers, and sprigs of Thai basil  all swimming in a fragrant red curry.  Of course when I got home, I Googled it and found something very close on www.thaitable.com.

PUMPKIN CURRY
1.  Prepare chicken:  Rinse and cut 2 chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.

2.  Prepare vegetables:
(1)  Cube a small pumpkin so you have 3-4 cups.  Steam for about 10 minutes until almost tender.
(2)  Slice 1/2 of an onion.
(3)  Slice 1 green peppers and 1 red pepper into thin slices.
(4)  Snip 4 kaffir lime leaves.
(5)  Rinse 8 sprigs of Thai basil plus enough for a garnish

3.  Prepare curry:
(1)  Put 2 T of coconut oil into a large skillet.
(2)  Add 4 1/2 - 5 T of red curry paste and saute for 30 seconds.
(3)  Add 1 can of regular coconut milk and stir  until blended.
(4)  Then add the chicken pieces and simmer them for 3-4 minutes. 
(5)  Add the pumpkin pieces.
(6)  Then add another 15 oz can of regular coconut milk.
(7)  Mix together 2 T fish sauce, 3 t sugar, 1 1/2 t salt and astir it into the curry.
(8)  Add the onions and the peppers and let them simmer in the curry for 3-4 more minutes.
(9)  Stir in the lime leaves and the basil.
(10)  I usually like a  thicker curry so I mix 2 T of cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water and stir it in until it's the right thickness. 


Thai curries on this blog:


Red Curry Green CurryRose's Chinese Yellow CurryTropical Fish Curry
Salmon & Vegetable CurryMussaman Curry
Chicken Panang Curry
Vegetable Panang CurryBathing Rama (Not a strict curry but uses coconut milk and red curry)
Thai Pumpkin Curry

Other Thai recipes on this blog:
Making Pad Thai With a Thai Student
Thai Chicken Bathing Rama
Pad See Iw
Thai Beef Basil
Thai Fresh Rolls
Thai Chicken Wings

What is the Purpose of the All Things in Romans 8:28?

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I believe in God's sovereignty.  When I'm baffled by circumstances or even bewildered by some events, God's sovereignty has held onto me.  That's probably why Romans 8:28  has through the years become one of my favorite verses.  This last week I read a Roman's Life Study that covered this verse.  I have read this portion many times, and it always strengthens my heart: 
The intercession in Romans 8:26-27 causes all things to work together  (v. 28).  The Greek word translated "all things" means all matters, all persons, all things, all in all.  God the Father is sovereign and He arranges everything.  ... He causes all things, all matters and all persons to work together for our good.  ... God has determined our destiny beforehand, and this destiny can never be fulfilled without the divine arrangement which causes all things to work together for us.  Our destiny is to be conformed to the image of the firstborn Son of God [Romans 8:29].  We are not yet fully in the image of the firstborn Son of God, but God the Father is planning, molding, and performing by causing all things to work together for good (Romans Life Study, Page 250). 
I've also heard it said that the good in this verse is not according to our definition of good, but God's. Earlier in message 20 it talked  about how has sovereignly arranged where we were born, who are family is, and so many details of our life so that we can grow into full sonship.  Here's the part from that message that has always touched me:
He is our Father, and everything is under His arrangement.  He can do nothing wrong.  Everything He does for us is excellent and wonderful, although to our feeling it may be not good... I say once again that, according to our feelings, our environment may be a suffering, but actually it is a blessing; it is God's sovereign provision.  Everything we need for our growth in life has been sovereignly provided by God.  Everything is all right.  ...This is not a pain or a suffering to me; it is God's arrangement.  This is a blessing that I may grow into full sonship (Page 244-245).
Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Romans:
Life Study of Romans:  Romans is the Gospel of God
How Did God Call Abraham?
What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?
The Mouse Trap Gospel in Romans 8:3
What is the Purpose of the All Things in Romans 8:28?
Last year I started re-reading the Life Studies of the New Testament. If you click on the Life Study tab, you can find other titles that may interest you.

For Mushroom Lover's: Mushroom Pâté

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Mushroom Pâté
New Creative Cuisine Copyright 1993

4 tbsp butter
3/4 pound brown mushrooms, sliced I used baby bellas
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of dried thyme
5 tbsp butter, diced
5 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet sherry
ground black pepper
pinch of sugar

Melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme. When brown and soft, reduce heat to low and add diced butter and remaining ingredients except sugar. Stir until melted, them remove from heat, Add sugar, cool slightly, then purée, leaving mixture somewhat chunky. Pot, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
_________________________________

It's hard to make brown food (besides chocolate) look appetizing but to be fair I think my photograph is just as good, maybe even better, than the one in the cookbook. This recipe isn't about looks, it's about taste. If you love mushrooms, I think you will love this rich spread. It's a great make-ahead recipe too.

I'm not sure how often mushroom pâté is still being made but it's been around for a while. I've seen recipes for it in several (mostly older) cookbooks. I know I've had one that I copied from a library book in my Ugly Binder since the 1990s. Oh, that poor recipe has been waiting for so many years to be made and it got trumped by this one since  it was the first mushroom recipe I saw after I bought baby bella mushrooms in Costco on whim.

I know this had a lot of butter but I'm sure some of you have been known to put something on top of a block of cream cheese and serve it. Is this much different? The butter is really the only 'bad' ingredient. The rest is pretty low in carbs but of course it's best served on some sort of carb.

I'm pleased to be starting the year with a recipe I loved.

This blog is not dead. It's just in a coma.

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I missed my seven year blogiversary last month. Seven years of trying new recipes and I still can't cook! I knew I was not a 'natural' when it comes to cooking but I thought that with a lot of practice that I would see more successes than failures. And I was, when I was cooking regularly, but it seems that it didn't take long for me to lose whatever skills I had picked up these past seven years. Lately I feel like I'm a worse cook than when I started!

I have left ingredients behind, I have made the wrong call and added the 'wrong' ingredient (a few white chocolate chips were all it took to turn my son's nose away from one batch of chocolate chip brownies), I've overcooked and undercooked things. Even recipes I've made several times before are not turning out right (Dan's disaster of a birthday cake!) I can't even make a salad for myself that hits the mark. I can't make anything that doesn't come out of a box or package that my kids will eat, and sometimes I can't even get the packaged stuff right.

So it's been hard to revive my desire to blog. Blogging certainly hasn't been replaced with anything - I still have the time to do it (I have more time than ever to do it). I was still buying cookbooks until recently when I decided that madness has to stop, at least until I start using them again. Will that happen? I honestly don't know.

28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba

9/18/09 Back to the Beginning...the balsamic that started it all!

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What's for dinner tonight? Chicken Breasts with Creamy Balsamic Gravy and Chestnut Stovetop Stuffing.

YUMM-O...this was definitely one of the best recipes yet! I recreated the recipe that started it all tonight and, once again, it was a winner! The gravy is so delicious and the leeks are just "oniony" enough...I just made up a word! The chicken browned perfectly thanks to the tip I got from Julia Child...you must fully dry the chicken before you put it in the pan otherwise it won't brown. Also, never crowd the pan! :)

Once again, I couldn't find chestnuts anywhere! I checked 3 different grocery stores, but still no luck. So, I used toasted, chopped macadamia nuts again. I think it tasted great, but I would love to see how the stuffing tastes with the chestnuts too.

My roux didn't exactly "roux" enough either...still working on my gravy techniques. ;) I had to add a little more flour than the recipe called for, but the gravy came out great. I definitely need to get a plastic whisk so I can use it in my non-stick pans and skillets. I've heard that you shouldn't use the wire whisk on a non-stick surface because it scrapes off the non-stick finish and can be toxic if ingested. I think, if I had used a whisk on the gravy, it would've turned out better. I had to use a wooden spoon so I wouldn't scrape the pan. The gravy ends up too lumpy with a wooden spoon, but I bet it would be much creamier with a whisk. Live and learn! :)

Prav said that this meal needs to go on his "list"...meaning his list of favorite Rachael Ray meals. I completely agree. This dish looks like a mini-Thanksgiving meal, but costs a fraction of the money and takes a fraction of the time to prepare. Now, if only I could learn to use my knives. I'm still only chopping and cutting with a steak knife...LOL!

9/19/09...Heaven in a Pot pie!

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What's for dinner tonight? Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Oh, heaven!!! There's nothing I love more than a good chicken pot pie! I have been known to even be jealous of the hospital food on Sunday nights because Duke serves their version of chicken pot pies. The little hint of Dijon mustard and dill made the gravy sooooo good. This is the perfect comfort food and it's great for entertaining. Plus, it was very simple! I had to alter the recipe for Prav because he doesn't like peas. So, I made some of the pies without the peas for him and he loved them! Prav spends his Saturdays watching Penn State football and this was the perfect hand-held meal for him! I'm adding this to my favorites list!

Lastly, I had no trouble making the roux for the gravy tonight!!! Yay! I think I'm getting a little better at making gravy from butter and flour. No more Gravy Master or Heinz jarred gravy for me! :)

PS- I just realized that most of my clothing is getting big on me and I've dropped a dress size. When I weighed myself this morning, I was down 13 lbs...wow! Thanks, Rach...you're better than Jenny Craig!!! LOL

9/20/09 No matter how you make it...jerk is just so good!

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What's for dinner tonight? Jerk Chicken Burgers with Mango Salsa

I like Jerk Chicken and I like Mango Salsa...so what could be better than combining the two in a low-fat burger? Nothing!

This meal was so quick and simple! The burger tasted just like jerk chicken and the mango salsa was the perfect compliment to the meal. Jerk chicken always makes me think about my wedding day because we will be serving delicious jerk chicken and lemon pepper mahi-mahi.

I didn't have any cucumber in the house for the salsa so I added tomato as a substitute...a very good choice! I added a little cheddar cheese to the burger too...also a good choice. I decided not to serve the burger with spicy chips as Rachael suggests. Instead, I served the burgers with corn on the cob. The burgers had just the right amount of heat to them too. This was a really good meal! When I came home from work, Prav told me that he ate leftovers for lunch today and was too busy to stop working and have dinner tonight. The poor guy is working on a Sunday (well, actually we both are). Once I started cooking the burgers, Prav's office door creaked open and, there he was, asking me what I was cooking. He said it smelled so good he had to take a look. Well, a look led to a taste, which led to us sitting down for a nice dinner together...yay! I guess the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach, haha.

9/21/09 Breakfast for Dinner

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What's for dinner tonight? Fancy Almond Crusted French Toast

Since I have my hours all backwards from working rotating shifts at the hospital, I decided to make breakfast for dinner. This recipe took ordinary French toast and made it into a fancy treat!

Of course, nothing ever goes as planned with me in the kitchen. I didn't have almonds for the "almond crust," so I used crushed up pecans which I seasoned and toasted. As a crust, the nuts burned in the pan and I had to waste 2 perfectly good slices of challah bread! I decided not to coat the bread in the nuts before cooking it. Instead, I sprinkled the chopped up nuts on top of the bread just before serving it.

Tomorrow is a big day and I'm exhausted...off to bed I go!

9/24/09 Very French and Cheesy!

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What's for dinner tonight? French Onion Soup with Cheesy Croutons

There's nothing my man loves better than a bowl of French Onion Soup! He will order French Onion Soup from any restaurant regardless of what the quality might be! I've seen Prav order this soup at Subway, Panera Bread, Quiznos, and 7-11, etc. There's nothing wrong with these establishments, mind you; I'm just making a point here...he will order this dish from anywhere!

So, Rach made French Onion Soup on the show today and I made it for dinner tonight. I hate chopping onions more than anything and this recipe calls for slicing up 6 whole onions! Ugh... I took a tip from Rachael and it seemed to help. Rachael said on the show today that one of her viewers wears goggles while chopping up onions to avoid having burning, stinging eyes. Well, I don't have goggles, but I do have sunglasses! Yep, I wore my sunglasses while chopping up the huge pile of onions! And, guess what...it worked!

I don't think my onions caramelized properly. The onions are supposed to brown up in the pot and mine didn't. I even cooked the onions for 45 minutes instead of 30 as the recipe instructed. Oh well. The soup still tasted great. Rach adds Worcestershire sauce to the onion broth and I think it tastes even better that way! The cheesy croutons are made with Gruyere cheese which, thankfully, I now know how to pronounce and use! Rachael uses smaller croutons as opposed to one big floating crouton which makes eating the bread much easier.

All and all, I think the soup was tasty and Prav finished a big bowl of it tonight. However, I think I need to figure out why my onions never browned up. Hmmm...a mystery for now.

27 Kasım 2012 Salı

9/29/09 About the missing dates on my blog...

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So, you may be wondering what happened to some of the missing dates on my blog...good question! Some of the dates that are missing contain information that cannot be posted due to the confidentiality agreements I signed with the Rachael Ray Show. Since the show airs tomorrow, you can expect that I will post the missing blogs shortly after (if I'm allowed to, lol). Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement!

9/29/09 My very first pot roast...

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What's for dinner tonight? Weeknight Pot Roast with Horseradish Buttered Bread

Confession...I have NEVER made a pot roast or a stew in my life! However, I absolutely love pot roast and stewed meat with veggies. And, what could be bad about gravy and bread...nothing, that's what!

Tonight, I attempted to make my very first pot roast. Rachael calls this a "Weeknight" pot roast because you don't have to slow cook it (at least that's what I assume was the logic behind the name). I still haven't braved the crock pot slow cooker yet, but I fully plan to before this challenge ends! Throughout the movie, "Julie and Julia," Julie Powell keeps mentioning that she has to, "bone a whole duck" by the end of the year. That was her obstacle and maybe the crock pot is mine, haha.

So, the pot roast was delicious. I am definitely more comfortable making gravy from roux and really love doing it now! My veggies were tender and the London Broil was perfectly medium rare. Prav and I both agreed, this was one of our favorite meals. We've been eating late at night recently because I am back to working night shifts. I can't wait to take my leftovers to work with me. This is such comfort food and I am LOVING it! The horseradish and butter spread over the crusty bread is the perfect addition to the meal!

This meal only took me 45 minutes to make too! I'm getting better with my time, but I am still making a huge mess in the kitchen, LOL. Everyone keeps asking me if Prav does the dishes and cleans up. My answer to everyone is this: Prav is an amazing eater, taste tester, and an incredibly dedicated spouse.

Maybe part of my challenge will be to learn to love cleaning...NOT! I don't like to clean, but I love my fiance and I know how hard he works. He deserves all of the best things I can give him. Plus, my floor is covered with salt because I throw a little over my left shoulder for luck whenever I cook (just like Rach). Since I am doing this intentionally, I feel responsible for cleaning it up. I guess I forget that Rachael has a crew to clean up her set and I am stuck doing it myself. Oh well!

Oh, I almost forgot, the News & Observer has written an article about my appearance on the Rachael Ray Show. You can check out the article at: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/tv/duke-nurse-to-appear-on-the-rachael-ray-show

Enjoy!

9/30/09 My small screen debut!!!...diet inspiration, LOL

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I think my face is going to explode from blushing so much!

Prav and I spent an hour watching the Rachael Ray Show in bed together. We absolutely LOVED supernanny, Jo Frost's segment! We didn't actually get to meet her while we were in NYC, but we did see her sitting in her green room with her "people." I wish we had the opportunity to chat with her. She just seems like such an amazing, down-to-earth person.

I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed after seeing Prav and myself on TV with Rach! I can tell I was nervous. :) Also, I think I'll be looking through the "figure friendly" RR recipes for awhile! The camera really does add 10 lbs...and there were like 5 cameras on me (50 lbs??? LOL). Ugh...the wedding is less than 3 months away. Thank you, Rachael, I think I've found my motivation to work harder to be healthier. :)

I hope everyone enjoyed the show. We definitely enjoyed filming with Rachael Ray and her crew! I have to say, the producers of the RR Show were/are some of the nicest people I have ever met! A special thanks to Amy, Jill, & Liliana!!! I feel so lucky to have met these women and to have them supporting me through this endeavor.

I feel very fortunate to have had this amazing experience. Prav and I both feel that being on the RR Show is a memory we will cherish forever. And, yes, I am using my new knives and spoons everyday!!!

Florida Fun!

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Prav and I had so much fun in Florida! I attended my bridal shower and got some great RR cooking tools! My friends and family gave me plastic whisks, food warmers (awesome for entertaining) and a new set of RR cooking knives! Yay! While in Florida, my mom and stepdad enjoyed the benefits of this challenge. I was their personal chef! I made South Beach inspired burgers for them (how appropriate, right?) and pigskin paninis. I am working on my knife skills now that I have a few sets of knives that are actually meant for cooking with and not cutting steak with, lol. :)

Here are the recipes from the last 2 weeks:
Oct 13...Ragin' Cajun Chili
Oct 12...South Beach inspired burgers
Oct 11...Pigskin Paninis (for game day, of course)
Oct 10...Pretzel-crusted chicken & zucchini strips with honey mustard dipping sauce
Oct 9...Super-sized healthy breakfast sandwich
Oct 8...Double chicken dumpling soup
Oct 7...Spanish Chicken and Rice (very cost-conscious meal...love it)
Oct 6...Oven glazed apple lemon chicken with cordon bleu potatoes (a favorite!)
Oct 5...Thai lettuce cups
Oct 4...No fry stir fry
Oct 3...Crispy Chicken Sticks (so easy!!!)

Playing Blog Catchup!!!

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I know, I know...I've been MIA for awhile, but I promise I've been cooking and have the pictures to prove it, LOL! I haven't posted on my blog in awhile because I have decided not to post the daily blogs separately, but rather to post them as an entire month so that the blog is easier to read. I will still post the daily blogs and the pics of the food, however, I will be posting them in a calendar format...For example, October will be one post with 31 sections (one for each day). The pictures will be posted chronologically on the left hand column of my blog, as they are now. I was told by a "professional" blogger that this will make my blog easier to read. I will post the food photos daily and the blogs will probably be posted weekly or bi-weekly under the month they coincide with.

For now, I'll give you a brief update...I've been in Florida for a few days and have whipped up some yummy meals in between traveling, wedding planning, and attending my bridal shower! This challenge is getting tougher, but I'm still dedicated and have been learning sooooo much!

Oh, and best news of all...my fabulous bridesmaid, Jody, bought me the plastic whisks I have been dying to cook with!!! Oh my gravy! I'm going to be whisking up lots of yummy sauces and gravies soon!!!

26 Kasım 2012 Pazartesi

Football snack dip

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Sometimes I just get hungry for this dip.
So I cut the recipe down and just make a fourth of it. It's just enough for us on a Sunday afternoon with a few chips for a snack while watching football..Ok. Ok....so I'm not watching football. Brent is.
I'm on the computer pinning things onto my boards on Pinterest, as usual.
But both these things take energy.... so we need a snack!


Dried Beef Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened8 oz. sour cream1 jar dried beef, torn in pieces2 tbs. minced onion ( I use more)2 tbsp. milksalt and pepper to tasteslivered almonds for toppingpaprika
Mix and spread in a pie pan. Sprinkle almonds and paprika on top and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Serve with crackers or chips.

Sausage O'Patties

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Cook Time: 14 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 small Idaho potato, peeled
1 small onion, coarsely chopped, about 1/3 cup
3/4 pound ground pork
A few sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan


Directions

Grate the potato onto a cutting board, salt it, then transfer to a paper towel lined bowl or plate to drain.

Place potato, onion, pork, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper in the food processor and pulse grind to form a sausage mixture. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. When oil is hot, form 8 potato-sausage patties 3 inches wide, 1/2-inch thick, and set into skillet. Cook patties 6 to 7 minutes on each side until they are deeply golden brown in color.
From: foodnetwork.com

Vicki's Favorite Chicken with Grapes, Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

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Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 1/2 pound asparagus
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stripped from 6 to 7 sprigs
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, eyeball it
2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup white wine, eyeball it
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (available on soup aisle in paper boxes), divided
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grainy, stone-ground mustard
1 1/2 cups, about 1/2 pound, seedless red grapes, halved
2 cups couscous


Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.


Trim tough ends of asparagus and save for soup. Place asparagus in a large bowl and toss with about 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and roast 10 to 12 minutes until the asparagus is tender and crispy at the tips.


Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper then dredge the tenders in flour and add it to the pan. Cook chicken 7 to 8 minutes until browned. Add wine and scrape up browned bits as wine cooks down and bubbles, 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet. Combine cream and mustard and add to stock. Add grapes to the pan and turn chicken and grapes to coat and combine with the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over low heat.


Bring remaining 2 cups chicken stock and remaining tablespoon of fresh thyme to a boil in a small pot. Add couscous. Put a tight fitting lid on pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.


Serve tenders and grapes on couscous alongside asparagus.

From: foodnetwork.com

For Mushroom Lover's: Mushroom Pâté

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Mushroom Pâté
New Creative Cuisine Copyright 1993

4 tbsp butter
3/4 pound brown mushrooms, sliced I used baby bellas
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of dried thyme
5 tbsp butter, diced
5 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet sherry
ground black pepper
pinch of sugar

Melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme. When brown and soft, reduce heat to low and add diced butter and remaining ingredients except sugar. Stir until melted, them remove from heat, Add sugar, cool slightly, then purée, leaving mixture somewhat chunky. Pot, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
_________________________________

It's hard to make brown food (besides chocolate) look appetizing but to be fair I think my photograph is just as good, maybe even better, than the one in the cookbook. This recipe isn't about looks, it's about taste. If you love mushrooms, I think you will love this rich spread. It's a great make-ahead recipe too.

I'm not sure how often mushroom pâté is still being made but it's been around for a while. I've seen recipes for it in several (mostly older) cookbooks. I know I've had one that I copied from a library book in my Ugly Binder since the 1990s. Oh, that poor recipe has been waiting for so many years to be made and it got trumped by this one since  it was the first mushroom recipe I saw after I bought baby bella mushrooms in Costco on whim.

I know this had a lot of butter but I'm sure some of you have been known to put something on top of a block of cream cheese and serve it. Is this much different? The butter is really the only 'bad' ingredient. The rest is pretty low in carbs but of course it's best served on some sort of carb.

I'm pleased to be starting the year with a recipe I loved.

This blog is not dead. It's just in a coma.

To contact us Click HERE
I missed my seven year blogiversary last month. Seven years of trying new recipes and I still can't cook! I knew I was not a 'natural' when it comes to cooking but I thought that with a lot of practice that I would see more successes than failures. And I was, when I was cooking regularly, but it seems that it didn't take long for me to lose whatever skills I had picked up these past seven years. Lately I feel like I'm a worse cook than when I started!

I have left ingredients behind, I have made the wrong call and added the 'wrong' ingredient (a few white chocolate chips were all it took to turn my son's nose away from one batch of chocolate chip brownies), I've overcooked and undercooked things. Even recipes I've made several times before are not turning out right (Dan's disaster of a birthday cake!) I can't even make a salad for myself that hits the mark. I can't make anything that doesn't come out of a box or package that my kids will eat, and sometimes I can't even get the packaged stuff right.

So it's been hard to revive my desire to blog. Blogging certainly hasn't been replaced with anything - I still have the time to do it (I have more time than ever to do it). I was still buying cookbooks until recently when I decided that madness has to stop, at least until I start using them again. Will that happen? I honestly don't know.

25 Kasım 2012 Pazar

Life Study of Romans: Romans is the Gospel of God

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    Have you ever heard  that Romans is the gospel of God?  It's actually in the very first verse of this book, listen:   "Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,"   Once again the footnotes in The Recovery Version of the New Testament help to explain the significance of this:
...The gospel of God, as the subject of this book, concerns Christ as the Spirit living within the believers after His resurrection.  This is higher and more subjective than what was presented in the Gospels, which concern Christ only in the flesh as He lived among His disciples after His incarnation but before His death and resurrection.  This book, however, reveals that Christ has resurrected and has become the life-giving Spirit (8:9-10).  He is no longer merely the Christ outside the believers, but He is now the Christ within them.  Hence, the gospel in this book is the gospel of the One who is now indwelling His believers as their subjective Savior.  
How I understand this so far is the book of Romans shows us the scope of God's salvation which includes not only Christ's redemption and our regeneration but sanctification, transformation, conformation, glorification, and living as members in the Body of Christ!.  I really liked this paragraph:  
Paul opens the book of Romans in the way he does because Romans has a goal.  This goal is to produce many sons of God.  This goal of producing the many sons of God requires redemption, the imparting of life, and the living by this life.  As fallen man and sinners, we need redemption, we need the divine life, and we need to live by the divine life that we may be regenerated, transformed, and fully glorified as sons of God.  Eventually, we all shall be the sons of God in full (Romans Life Study, Page 21)
In the first few chapters of Romans you really see that in God's eyes all men are sinners (Romans 3:23), but in Romans 8:29 you see God's plan is to take these very sinners and conform them to the image of His Son.  And I just checked the last verse of the book of Romans, and it gives God all the glory for doing such a marvelous work!
  "To the only wise God through Jesus Christ to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."   Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Romans:

Life Study of Romans: Romans is the Gospel of God

How Did God Call Abraham?

What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?


Last year I started re-reading the Life Studies of the New Testament. If you click on the  Life Study tab, you can find other titles that may interest you.

Gluten Free Oven Fried Fish Sticks

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    Sometimes I crave fish and chips.   I grew up on the California coast, and one of our favorite things to do as a family was to spend the day at  Newport Beach and then grab some some fish and chips for dinner.  It took me awhile when I went gluten free to find a decent recipe for fish and chips. I'll share that another time.  Anyway when I don't want to hassle with making a gluten free batter and frying some fish, this oven baked version is the next best thing. And guess what, I found it on the back of a box of Albers Cornmeal!  I just added some Organic No Salt Seasoning from Costco.  Last week  we made these with some oven fries and some cole slaw.   With the extra fish sticks we had, we made some great fish sandwiches.  


GLUTEN FREE OVEN FRIED FISH STICKS
1.  Prepare fish:  Rinse 2 lbs of cod and cut into serving pieces or into fish sticks

2.  Combine liquid ingredients:   Whisk together 2 eggs and 2 T water/milk

3.  Dry ingredients:  In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of gluten free cornmeal, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 t salt, 1 1/4 t paprika, 3/4 t garlic powder, 3/4 t pepper, and 1 t no-salt seasoning.

4.  Coat the fish:
(1)  Dip the fish in the egg mixture.
(2)  Then dip the fish into the cornmeal/flour mixture.
(3)  Place the fish in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
(4)  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until it flakes with a fork.




List of Other Fish Recipes on this Blog:
Our Best Gluten Free Recipes for Grilling Salmon
Salmon & Vegetable Curry
Tropical Shrimp Curry
Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish with Stir Fried Bok Choy

Fantastic Mahi & Vegetable Stir Fry
Make Your Own Sushi!
Rachel Ray's Recipe for the Best Fish Tacos  - My-Oh Mahi That's a Good Fish Taco!
Oven Fried Fish Sticks

Terrific Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

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Every fall I like to make pumpkin pancakes, especially on Thanksgiving morning.  This week I looked up a gluten free version, and we found out it's better than my old one.  In my old recipe I had to whip up the egg whites and fold them into the batter.   I was glad to find this recipe a little less complicated. The extra cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice makes these pancakes very fragrant as well as flavorful!  My house smelled wonderful, and for me during the fall the smells of baking make the cold weather and rain a little more bearable.  I found this recipe on a site I visited for the first time--About Gluten Free Cooking. It's definitely a keeper!! 


GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN PANCAKES
1.  Prepare liquid ingredients:  In a large bowl  whisk together  3 eggs, 1 cup of prepared pumpkin,
2 T apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 cups coconut milk/milk, and 1 t vanilla. 

2.  Mix together dry ingredients:  In a medium bowl stir together 2/3 cup rice flour, 2/3 cup sorghum flour, 2/3 cup tapioca flour, 4 T sugar, 1/2 t salt, 2 t baking powder, 1 t baking soda, 1 1/2 t cinnamon, and 1 t allspice or pumpkin pie spice.

3. Combine ingredients:  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg/milk mixture and stir until well mixed.

4.  Cooking pancakes:  Put 1 T of coconut oil onto a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet.  I used milk because I was almost out of coconut milk, and so I found the pancake batter a bit runny, but they set up quickly.  I used my pancake turner to round them out and keep them from running into each other before they set up.  Cook until bubbles form on the top, check, and then flip over and cook another minute or two.   Add extra oil as needed.  Stack pancakes on a platter and put foil over the top to keep them warm. 

  

These pancakes are delicious served with with plain yogurt, applesauce, and maple syrup.

We had this with the hash brown egg casserole that is on the breakfast list below and some homemade applesauce.  So good!





Other breakfast recipes on this blog:


Pancakes

Gluten Free Blueberry Pancakes

Banana Split Pancakes

Gluten Free Crepes

Gluten Free Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

Gluten Free Banana Fritters

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes





Egg Dishes

Eggs with Sweet Potatoes & Spinach

Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Baked Zucchini Frittata

Cereals

Homemade & Low-Fat Peanut Coconut Granola


Breakfast Muffins

Banana Nut Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

For Mushroom Lover's: Mushroom Pâté

To contact us Click HERE

Mushroom Pâté
New Creative Cuisine Copyright 1993

4 tbsp butter
3/4 pound brown mushrooms, sliced I used baby bellas
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of dried thyme
5 tbsp butter, diced
5 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet sherry
ground black pepper
pinch of sugar

Melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme. When brown and soft, reduce heat to low and add diced butter and remaining ingredients except sugar. Stir until melted, them remove from heat, Add sugar, cool slightly, then purée, leaving mixture somewhat chunky. Pot, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
_________________________________

It's hard to make brown food (besides chocolate) look appetizing but to be fair I think my photograph is just as good, maybe even better, than the one in the cookbook. This recipe isn't about looks, it's about taste. If you love mushrooms, I think you will love this rich spread. It's a great make-ahead recipe too.

I'm not sure how often mushroom pâté is still being made but it's been around for a while. I've seen recipes for it in several (mostly older) cookbooks. I know I've had one that I copied from a library book in my Ugly Binder since the 1990s. Oh, that poor recipe has been waiting for so many years to be made and it got trumped by this one since  it was the first mushroom recipe I saw after I bought baby bella mushrooms in Costco on whim.

I know this had a lot of butter but I'm sure some of you have been known to put something on top of a block of cream cheese and serve it. Is this much different? The butter is really the only 'bad' ingredient. The rest is pretty low in carbs but of course it's best served on some sort of carb.

I'm pleased to be starting the year with a recipe I loved.

This blog is not dead. It's just in a coma.

To contact us Click HERE
I missed my seven year blogiversary last month. Seven years of trying new recipes and I still can't cook! I knew I was not a 'natural' when it comes to cooking but I thought that with a lot of practice that I would see more successes than failures. And I was, when I was cooking regularly, but it seems that it didn't take long for me to lose whatever skills I had picked up these past seven years. Lately I feel like I'm a worse cook than when I started!

I have left ingredients behind, I have made the wrong call and added the 'wrong' ingredient (a few white chocolate chips were all it took to turn my son's nose away from one batch of chocolate chip brownies), I've overcooked and undercooked things. Even recipes I've made several times before are not turning out right (Dan's disaster of a birthday cake!) I can't even make a salad for myself that hits the mark. I can't make anything that doesn't come out of a box or package that my kids will eat, and sometimes I can't even get the packaged stuff right.

So it's been hard to revive my desire to blog. Blogging certainly hasn't been replaced with anything - I still have the time to do it (I have more time than ever to do it). I was still buying cookbooks until recently when I decided that madness has to stop, at least until I start using them again. Will that happen? I honestly don't know.

24 Kasım 2012 Cumartesi

Life Study of Romans: How Did God Call Abraham?

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       What happens to a sinner to make him want to become a son of God?  That question popped into my mind this week while reading some Life Studies of Romans that talked about the story of Abraham given in Romans 4.   I have always found the story of Abraham remarkable.  Some Bible scholars say that Abraham was born about 350 years after the flood in which the Bible tells us only 8 people from Noah’s family survived.  You would think that all of Noah’s grandkids and great grandkids would all be walking closely with God after that happened.  But that wasn't the case.  It surprised me when I read in Halley’s Bible Handbook that the tower of Babel was built about 100 years after the flood!  What Witness Lee shares about this historical event was eye opening to me:             
At Babel people built the tower of Babel.  Names of idols were written on this tower, meaning that the whole created race had turned to idolatry.  Thus Paul says the human race had exchanged God for idols (1:23, 25).  Paul wrote Romans 1 according to the history narrated in Genesis (Romans Life Study, Page 65-66). 


 To think that the entire created race had turned away from God is appalling.  At that time on the earth not one person was loving and serving the one true God. 
       At this point God came to Abraham and called him.  The Bibles tells us he was living in a town called Ur, which I saw in Halley's Bible Handbook was on the Euphrates River near the Persian Gulf.  Halley’s states that the main idols the people in Ur worshipped were the moon, stars, fire and the forces of nature.  So here’s Abraham living in a land where everyone worships idols, and even he is an idol worshipper.  How does God get him to drop his idol worship and turn back to the one true God?   He appears to him!    Witness Lee points out that we see this in record Stephen gives in Acts 7:3:  And he said, Men, brothers and fathers, listen.  The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran and said to him, Come out from your land and from your relatives and come into the land which I will show you.
      This appearing isn't just an ordinary appearing--something happens when God appears to people.  I really like the way Witness Lee describes it:   “The living God spontaneously transfuses Himself into the called one. As a result, he is attracted by God and to God.  Unconsciously, some element, some essence of the living God is transfused into him, and He reacts to God by believing in Him.  This reaction is faith.  … Therefore faith does not originate with us, it comes from God (Romans Life Study, Page 78).   So God has a way to make sinners sons of God.  He just appears and transfuses His believing element into them! It amazes me that God can't be stopped; He always finds a way to fulfill His purpose!             

Other Blogs on the Life Studies of Romans:

Life Study of Romans: Romans is the Gospel of God

How Did God Call Abraham?

What is Sanctification in the Book of Romans?



Last year I started re-reading the Life Studies of the New Testament. If you click on the Life Study tab, you can find other titles that may interest you.