Category: MISC

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I can’t believe how quickly Monday seems to come with each new week. This past week seemed to fly by and I didn’t get everything on my to do list finished. Maybe this week will be more productive. I’m adding a new category this week – Quotable Quotes.  Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
Decent temperatures, unstable air, but dreary and rainy one minute and then sunny and gorgeous the next.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Appointments
  • Shopping
  • Paperwork
  • Sorting and Cleaning

CURRENTLY READING

  • Miss Fortune Mysteries by Jana DeLeon

TELEVISION / DVR

  • Bones 
  • When Calls the Heart
  • the Hallmark movies I taped

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Nothing new this week

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
BREAKFAST
DINNER
DESSERT
MONDAY
Cereal & Fruit
Y.O.Y.O. / C.O.R.N.

TUESDAY
Bran Muffin & Fruit
EXPERIMENT

WEDNESDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
Slow Cook Moo Shu Chicken and Vegetables

THURSDAY
Scrambled Eggs with cheese & Toast
South of the Border Chicken Wings and Salad

FRIDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
Herb Meat Loaf & Gravy with Broccoli

SATURDAY
Halibut & Cabbage Gratin

SUNDAY
Salmon in a Blanket
Pickle Fried Chicken with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

RECIPES in YELLOW = LINKS

SUCCESSFUL RECIPES  FROM LAST WEEK

RECIPE FINDS TO TRY LATER

  • Ultimate Stuffed Artichokes
  • Avocado Egg Rolls
  • Cauliflower Breadsticks
  • Peach Chili Lime Hot Wings

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

  • Mix a small amount of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together until you have a paste.  
  • With a toothbrush scrub the paste into your nails.  
  • Add the remaining paste to enough warm water to cover your fingers and/or toes and let them sit 5-10 minutes.  
  • Rinse off and you have sparkling white nails.

HOMEMAKING TIP
Strong steeped tea makes a great permanent scratch cover for wood furniture.

ON MY MIND
Why is it that you no longer hear ” (insert name here) please pick up your children in the security office?  Not once, but twice while grocery shopping yesterday the same 3 young children (and I mean to young to not be with their parents – like 5 or 6) came racing around corners with racing empty carts bumping into people and almost knocking over an old lady.  When I was a kid these kids wold have been scooped up by a store employee and delivered to management to be picked up by their parents. 

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

  • Quiet time
  • Soft Chewy Cookies
  • Blue Skies with Fluffy white clouds

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
Spring in FULL bloom

Life can only be understood backwards, 
but it must be lived forward. 
~Soren Kierkwgaard

INSPIRATION

Chicken Gumbo & Sweet Chile Buttermilk Herb Dressing

This recipe originally called for okra.  Not even this southern girl likes okra and the best substitution for okra is eggplant, but hubs can’t stand that so I substitute the split peas.

CHICKEN GUMBO
*1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
5 ribs celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 KNORR chicken gel bouillon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dried split peas
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons file’ powder
Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cups water
Brown rice

  • Oil sides of crock pot.
  • Place onions, shallots, tomatoes, garlic and celery on bottom of crock pot.
  • Top with split peas and then chicken.
  • Whisk together water, bouillon gel, thyme, salt, pepper and file’ powder.
  • Pour over Chicken.
  • Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
  • Serve over rice.

*I add these frozen and they work great.

SWEET CHILE BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons freshly chopped chives
1 tablespoon parsley paste
1 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste

  • Using a quart  jar, add all ingredients and shake to mix well.
  • Chill several hours to blend flavors.
  • Shake well and toss with salad.

ELVIS PRESLEY POUND CAKE – BAKING PARTNERS

This month’s baking partner’s challenge is to make pound cake. I made lemon pound cake with an apricot pineapple filling and an orange glaze.

This recipe makes 1 loaf, but if you want to use a Bundt pan, double the recipe.  Make sure this cake bakes in a cold oven,  DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN.

Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 3 1/2 hr (includes cooling)
from Gourmet | September 2005

ELVIS PRESLEY’S FAVORITE POUND CAKE
1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour plus additional for dusting
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 and 1/2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream

  • Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour, line the bottom  of the pan with parchment paper.
  • Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. 
  • Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. 
  • Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. 
  • Scrape down side of bowl, and then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
  • Transfer the batter into pan and tap the pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
  • Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. 
  • Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. 
  • Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. 
  • Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Krab Salad Revisited

One of our favorite spring and summer salads is my homemade Krab Salad and homemade 1000 island dressing.  Every time I make it we seem to add a bit more to it.  This time we added some pickled beets and some great cheese slices as well as some shredded shrimp to the mixture.

CRAB SALAD & HOMEMADE 1000 ISLAND DRESSING
CRAB SALAD
8 ounces Louis Kemp Crab, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup minced red onion
salt and pepper
mayo (about 1/4 cup)
Romaine lettuce
Roma tomatoes, sliced
Snap peas, halved

  • Wash lettuce, peas and tomatoes. Arrange on plate. Salt and pepper.
  • Mix crab, celery, onion, salt and pepper together until well blended using enough mayonnaise for desired consistency.
  • Place a large scoop of crab salad over the romaine mix.
  • Serve over chopped romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and snap peas.
  • Top with dressing.

1000 ISLAND DRESSING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 heaping tablespoon minced red onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

  • In a mini blender blend all ingredients to desired consistency.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER AND MENU PLAN MONDAY

Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. Hubby is still recovering but doing much better and looking forward to the end of the month when he hopefully gets to move around a bit more. 

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
Warm days and chilly nights – just the way I like it NOT.  The past week was quite nice and really pretty.  Woke up this morning to something entirely not like that.  We’re supposed to wet, rainy and cold most the week.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Grocery shopping
  • Errands
  • Paperwork
  • Cooking a few new recipes

BREAKFAST PLATE 
Honey and Oats Granola with yogurt and blueberries with a sliced navel orange.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
BREAKFAST
DINNER
DESSERT
MONDAY
Cereal & Fruit
Y.O.Y.O. / C.O.R.N.
TUESDAY
Bagel & cream cheese
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
WEDNESDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
South of the Border Chicken Wings and Salad
THURSDAY
Scrambled Eggs with cheese & Toast
FRIDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
Chicken Gumbo, Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Chocolate Monkey Bread
SATURDAY
Shirred Eggs & Bacon with Toast
Slow Cooker    Moo Shu Chicken & Veggies
SUNDAY
Meatloaf & Herb Gravy
Recipes in yellow are working links.


SUCCESSFUL RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK

RECIPE FINDS TO TRY LATER

  • Buffalo Chicken & Potatoes
  • Chicken Gumbo
  • South of the Border Chicken Wings
  • Slow Cook Moo Shu Chicken & Veggies
  • Cabbage Gratin
  • Salmon in a Blanket
  • Pickle Fried Chicken

CURRENTLY READING

  • Barbara Freethy Callaways series
  • Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon

TELEVISION / TV

  • When Calls the Heart
  • Hallmark movies
  • Dancing with the Stars
  • DIG
  • BONES

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Nothing this week.

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS
GREEN TEA ICE CUBES – Before you do your make up each day, run an ice cube over your skin and pat dry.  The coolness erases any puffiness and the green tea properties make the skin look more radiant.

  • Brew 2 cups strong green tea and let it steep 10 minutes. 
  • Pour the tea into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight.  

HOMEMAKING TIP
It’s that time of year again when most of bring home more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Along with those fresh fruits and vegetables come fruit flies.  I read somewhere years ago that a small bowl of apple cider vinegar with a drop or two of dish washing soap will attract the fruit flies and trap them in the bowl.

I’ve been doing this for quite a few years and it works every time!

ON MY MIND
How can people be so oblivious, self-centered and just plain rude?  Do they just not care about others?

We went to breakfast the other day to this quaint little town we like and the have the angled parallel parking on main street.  The restaurant wasn’t quite open so we were window shopping.

This 40ish woman comes speeding (way faster than safe) into one of the parking spots, but pulls in straddling the line taking up 2 spots. She has her father with her.  They get out of the car and the old man says something about her parking job.  She claims she can’t see any lines.  Granted the lines do need refreshed, but they are visible.  If she couldn’t see them she shouldn’t have been driving.

They ended up seated near us in the same restaurant (after dad convinced her to fix the parking job). She proceeded to order a double Bloody Mary all the while chatting away about how much smarter she is than all her coworkers and follows up with ANOTHER double Bloody Mary asking the waitress not to be so stingy with the vodka this time.

REALLY? Is it horrible that I was hoping she got a DUI on the way home just to get her off the road before she killed someone?

FAVORITE PHOTO

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

  • Sunny Days
  • Spring Flowers
  • Clean House
  • Spontaneous outing for fun

INSPIRATION

GRILLED PORK CHOPS WITH SOURDOUGH DRESSING & TOMATO GRAVY

Grill or fry pork chops to desired doneness, salt and peppering to taste.

TOMATO GRAVY
1 box POMI’ passata
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 cup water
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes

  • Melt butter in saucepan.

  • Whisk in flour until golden.

  • Add water, whisking until well blended.

  • Add Passatta whisking until combined.

  • Add sun dried tomatoes and simmer 10-15 minutes.


OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut intobite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 cloves garlic, minced

  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Been another long week for us here.  Hubby is still recovering from the surgery he had a few weeks back for a massive shoulder tear that included 3 tendons so I’ve been busy playing nursemaid making sure he does what he is supposed to, but really making sure he doesn’t do what he isn’t supposed to.  He was supposed to stay “immobile” for 6 weeks before beginning physical therapy and we’re coming up on 2 weeks complete. But now dr. says physical therapy won’t begin before June because the tear was so massive.

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday. 

WEATHER OUTSIDE

  • Absolutely beautiful!

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • phone calls & paperwork

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION/DVR

  • DIG
  • American Odessey
  • Daniel Boone
  • Murdoch Mysteries

CRAFTS & PROJECTS

  • Nothing much this week.

MENU PLANS for the WEEK
BREAKFAST
DINNER
DESSERT
MONDAY
Cereal & Fruit
Y.O.Y.O. / C.O.R.N.
TUESDAY
Bagel & cream cheese
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
WEDNESDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
THURSDAY
Scrambled Eggs with cheese & Toast
FRIDAY
Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Oatmeal & Fruit

SUCCESSFUL RECIPES from LAST WEEK

RECIPE FINDS to TRY at a LATER DATE

  • Honey Lime Salmon

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIP
These days I use coconut oil for most cooking that requires any kind of frying. But, coconut oil has wonderful health and beauty uses too.

Every other week I use a small handful of coconut oil and work it through my hair.  I let it sit for 20 minutes before showering, but after I comb it through my hair I rub the remaining oil on my hands across my face.

I started doing this after a bad perm a year ago and my hair is softer and silkier than when I was a young girl and my face is clearer and smoother than a newborn baby.

HOMEMAKING TIP

When I’m making a couple of veggies and want less clean up, I cover the cookie sheet with foil and then make foil dividers.  These Brussels Sprouts were roasted in a balsamic glaze while the asparagus was done in a lemon butter.

FAVORITE PHOTO
Been trying to get my mom to get rid of things for quite some time that don’t fit.  She recently got a bee up her butt and started going through everything and making piles for donation.  Here’s just one of several piles:

ON MY MIND
Tons of things, but nothing specific LOL.

INSPIRATION

APPLE PUMPKIN BRULEE’ TART

This makes 2-4×13 tarts. This is a very versatile recipe that can be made as all pumpkin, or pumpkin banana or apple pumpkin or apple banana pumpkin…

They are both good, but I think I’m partial to the Banana Pumpkin.

APPLE (BANANA) PUMPKIN BRULEE’ TART serves 8+
1 batch of your favorite pie dough
2 cups pumpkin pure’e or 1 cup pumpkin pure’e, 1 ripe banana and 3/4 cup chunky applesauce
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sugar plus caramelizing sugar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Prepare and measure dough to 2-7 x 16 inches pieces.
  • Lay dough over 4 x13 tart pan with removable bottom. DO NOT PUSH INTO PAN – this may crack your crust. Gently lift and lower dough into tart pan careful to form corners.
  • Trim edges flush with pan.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into tart pan. 
  • Place tart pan on cookie sheet.
  • Fill with pie weights and bake 25-30 minutes until begins to brown.
  • Let cool to lukewarm, remove pie weights and parchment paper.
  • Blend together, the pumpkin, eggs, half & half, sugar, salt, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.
  • Pour into tart.
  • Pour custard mixture into tart.
  • Reduce to 325°.
  • Bake tart 30 minutes or until custard is set and starts to puff.
  • Cool 1 hour.
  • Chill at least 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle generously with sugar.
  • Pass flame of kitchen torch over sugar until golden and melting.
  • Let sugar cool until hard.
  • Cut into pieces.

SLOW COOKER CARNITAS

I LOVE carnitas! This is one of the tastiest and easy recipes.  So add some sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, guacamole and add it to your next TEX-MEX gathering.

SLOW COOKER CARNITAS
3-4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into several pieces
1 bottle green taco sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can original Rotel tomatoes
1 can chopped green chiles
Fresh ground Sea Salt and Black Pepper
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 cup water

  • Place onion pieces in bottom of slow cooker.
  • Pour Rotel tomatoes and green chiles over onions.
  • Add pork pieces.
  • GENEROUSLY salt and pepper pork.
  • Whisk together water and taco sauce.
  • Pour taco sauce over top of pork pieces.
  • Cover and cook 6-8 hours on high until meat shreds.
  • Remove from crock pot (reserving 1/2 cup of liquid) and shred all your meat.

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup liquid from crock pot

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • Whisk together the milk and cooking liquid.
  • Place shredded meat on a cookie sheet.
  • Pour liquid over meat shreds.
  • Bake 45 minutes until meat begins to crisp.

Golden Blend tortillas
sour cream
shredded cheese
sliced green onions
guacamole