Taking a break for the week...

Hey guys,
I meant to get out the weekly menu yesterday, but while I was making my list out and getting prepared to write the post, my dad called from Vegas telling me that my Great Grandmother Ninny wasn't doing so well and it was just a matter of days until she passed on.  Needless to say with that news, I wasn't in much of a posting spirit and I've been distracted ever since. This evening, I got the call from my dad that she's no longer in pain and with our savior in heaven.

My Great Grandma Ninny was such a wonderful woman who lived a good life. She was 94 years old and beloved by anyone who's ever met her. She had a very welcoming spirit about her and a friend to anyone, no questions asked. I feel quite blessed that she was able to make it to my wedding back in 2003 and that I was there to celebrate with our huge family her 90'th birthday,  and in July 2010, she got to meet my youngest daughter Eden, when we drove to California for our family reunion.

I had some posts scheduled to go out this week, but I'm rescheduling them for next week. Thank you all for understanding and give your loved ones and extra squeeze tonight :)

Love,
Chels

Vanilla-Almond Steamer

The first time I ever drank a steamer was on a Winter Formal night. I was on a double date and after we had danced and laughed the night away, we stopped at a local coffee and dessert hot spot (to this day, I cannot remember the name of the place) to talk and relax before parting ways and going home. At the time, I wasn't much of a coffee drinker. Starbucks was a luxury I didn't get too often, so I wasn't sure what to order. My girlfriend Emily said that she was going to get a steamer. What was a steamer I wondered? So I copied what Emily got - an Almond Steamer.  Oh my goodness, I was in love! Seeing as almond is one of my favorite flavors I couldn't believe I had been so ignorant before!

I remember my very first day of having my driver's license. I told my mom I would pick up breakfast at Starbucks on my way to school and I was eagerly anticipating ordering my almond steamer from Starbucks. I got to my first class with my steamer in hand and took my seat next to Emily. I turned to her and said, "Well, you've got me hooked! I ordered an almond steamer today. Do you remember when you turned me onto it at Winter Formal?" We laughed and ever since then, whenever I do order a steamer, I order it with almond flavoring and I think of Emily.

I'm not sure where Emily is today. We lost contact after I quit working at a bank I was employed at when I got married to Josh and I haven't seen her since - I have looked all over the internet. I'm not only thankful to her wonderful friendship through my high school years, but also for introducing me to an almond steamer.

Vanilla-Almond Steamer

Source: My recipes 

8 cups 1% low-fat milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 ( 3-inch) cinnamon sticks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

ground cinnamon (optional)

ground nutmeg (optional)

Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Add cinnamon sticks to milk mixture, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not Boil!  Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Stir in extracts and place pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Garnish with ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, if desired.

Recipe makes 8 servings

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

I forgot about this recipe! I had buried this recipe in one of my food folders in my email and completely forgotten about it! It wasn't until last week when I decided to go through all of those recipes and pin the ones I liked onto Pinterest that I rediscovered this glorious breakfast concoction and knew that I was going to make it the following week for the girls.

It is now the following week and these pancakes are OUT OF THIS WORLD, MIND-BLOWING, CRAZY DELICIOUS! I have to quote Grace because she is at that age where a lot of the things she says are extremely dramatic and always a hoot, but she said, "Mommy, thank you sooo much for making these pancakes. It's like heaven in my mouth!" LOL! She is so funny! She then proceeded to tell me that she once again has changed her mind about what she wants to be when she grows up. She wants to work at Fred Meyer now (Fred Meyer is one of our chain grocery stores and the one I frequent the most). I asked her why and she said because she likes to scan things. Heehee! I have a feeling that she is enjoying one of Eden's Christmas gifts a little too much!

Josh and I don't use pancake mix that you buy from the store, like, ever! We have a package of some pancake brand in the cupboard. But the only time we ever use that stuff is when we're going on vacation and we're bringing meals with us. Over the past few months we've experimented with different recipes and I think this is one of my favorites. The ricotta gives the pancakes such a fluffy texture, but a richness that you just don't get normally. In a word, it's divine!

It's a shame that Josh was already at work when I got around to make these this morning for the girls. I really think he would have loved these. But, the upside of him being at work (and this is the only upside I can think of because I hate when he works, but it's a part of life that I just have to deal with) is that meant more pancakes, more blueberries, and more blueberry sauce for me and the girls!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Source: Two Peas and their Pod

Ingredients:

Blueberry Sauce:

1 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

2-3 TB granulated sugar

2 TB water

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice and cornstarch mixture. Stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Cover to keep warm and set aside. 

Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3TB granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 egg whites

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 TB Canola Oil ( I used vegetable oil)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, and oil. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until the flour disappears. Don't over mix and the batter will be thick.

Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Take about 1/3 cup of pancake batter and drop onto griddle. Cooking for about 2 minutes on the bottom side and flipping when golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 2 more minutes. Continue to use up the batter until gone.  Serve warm with blueberry sauce. 

Weekly Menu 1/23-1/29

I can't believe this is the last full week of January. In some ways it feels like it's dragged on and in other ways I just don't where the month went. Christmas was just here wasn't it and now all the stores are decorated for Valentine's Day.

When I was a kid, the days and months just blurred together in one long stretch. Now that I'm a Wife/Mom...I understand my mom's groans of there not being enough hours in a day.  Even today I woke up fairly early with a plan of how I wanted my day to go and it hasn't gone the way I had planned and many of the things I wanted to get done I haven't even started yet.  The laundry still needs to be folded and put away, and my bathroom needs to be cleaned, and I haven't even touched my Bible Study today. Ugh...and here I am blogging. Laundry, bathroom cleaning, and Bible Study are next on my list of things to do, but I did need to finish the grocery list so that we could go grocery shopping tonight.

Monday

Parmesan Scrambled Eggs and Toast

Quick and easy to make and eat before grocery shopping tonight.

Tuesday

Ground Turkey Taquitos with beans and rice

Wednesday

Crockpot Cauliflower Soup in Bread Bowls

Thursday

(Awana Night)

Herbed Chicken and Tomatoes served over pasta

and glazed baby carrots

Friday

Roasted Garlic Rosemary & Lemon Chicken

with salad and potatoes

Saturday

Cod fish and Chips 

( the chips being Josh's garlic and rosemary fries)

Sunday

Panini's of some kind...not sure, but I've got a few ideas

I'm on snack duty this week for Awana at church. So I'm baking up some cookies for that. I'm planning a yummy breakfast for the girls tomorrow morning. And...my sister has been wanting to make a carrot cake ( I've never ate Carrot Cake before) so we're going to bake that I think this week too. Are you baking up anything fun?

Desserts/ Etc.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

AppleSauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Carrot Cake

Chicken and Dumplings

I have a deep appreciation for all the work that goes into making homemade chicken and dumplings. It's work, but it's the kind of work you give yourself a pat on the back for because it is THAT good!

My only other encounter with this fantastic southern meal is the version I've had at a restaurant called Tad's Chicken and Dumplings. I've been going to this restaurant for years - practically grew up on it - but their Chicken and Dumplings is something I've only ordered once. The chicken was great, but the dumplings lacked flavor. I remember I ended up dumping salt and pepper all over the dumplings to try and boost some flavor out of the dough. It didn't work very well. My food ended up being very salty. 

This Chicken and Dumplings recipe I trusted a lot more. Why? Well, it's just another one of Pioneer Woman's fabulously blogged foods.  She promises flavor...not only in the chicken, but in the dumplings as well...and flavor she delivered. 

I'm not going to lie, this meal is a bit preparation-heavy. My only complaint with Ree's recipe is her Prep/Cook time estimates. Maybe I'm just a slow poke in the kitchen - it could very well be that - or maybe it was because I was trying to follow the recipe off my computer because my printer is out ink. Whatever the reason was, I want to push you into the kitchen and force you to make this meal...but only when you have the time to make it. This is so good, so hearty, so full of flavor, that I can definitely see why this dish is in virtually every Southern Cookbook on the face of the planet.

Please go to the store, buy the ingredients and run home and make this meal. If your weather is anything like ours (cold, wet, and windy) then this is the perfect dish to warm you up from head to toe!

Chicken and Dumplings

Source: Pioneer Woman

2 TB Butter

2 TB Olive Oil

1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 whole cut up chicken (fryer chicken)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 whole medium onion, finely diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp tumeric ( I didn't have any on hand, so I used curry)

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup heavy cream

Dumplings:

1-1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal

1 TB (heaping) Baking Powder

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1-1/2 cup Half in Half

Salt as Needed

Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both  sides in flour.

Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate. 

In the same pot, add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in the chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add the browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes. 

While Chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add in half in half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside. 

Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks and remove the chicken from the bone, shred, and add back into the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.  

Chicken Curry

This is Chicken Curry or sometimes called Chicken Divon. This is not the Chicken Curry I grew up eating, but this is my husband's family's version. This is just one more reason I am so glad I married into this family - this meal is incredibly delicious!

Josh loves this meal and I really don't make it enough for him. Not sure why...probably has something to do with the fact that I love trying out new recipes all the time, and I forget a lot about the yummy family favorites.

But here it is, and I'm going to show you how you can make it for your family. Oh, just one more thing. Kids love this meal. Not sure why, because there is broccoli in it and I know a lot kids don't like green foods, but my girls never fail to clean their plates when I make it. It's just so warm and creamy with the perfect amount of crunch.

You're going to start with boneless, skinless chicken breast. I cut it up into bite size pieces and sprinkle a little bit of salt and a bit more pepper over the chicken and cook it up in a skillet with a bit of evoo.  For my family, I used two chicken breasts. But more is always better!

While the chicken is cooking, in a large pot, you're going to want to start your broccoli. I didn't get a picture of this part, because I accidentally dropped a bunch of it on my kitchen floor and got a tad bit frazzled. But I used frozen, chopped broccoli, and followed the cooking instructions on the back of the bag until it was cooked. 

While the chicken and broccoli are cooking, get a medium sized bowl - this is where you are going to make your yummy sauce. It's just cream of chicken, mayo, lemon juice, and curry. Mix it together until it's all combined and set it aside. 

When the broccoli and chicken are done cooking, grease a 9x13 baking dish and pour in the chopped broccoli. Layered on top of that is the cooked chicken.

Evenly pour the chicken curry sauce over the chicken and broccoli until everything is coated.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, bread crumbs, toasted slivered almonds, and cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle the crunchy topping over the curry sauce and then place in a 350 degree oven and bake for an hour.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

Chicken Curry

Source: Rief Family Recipes

Serves: 12

2 10 oz Pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (cooked)

2-3 cups cooked chicken breast

1 cup mayonaise

2 cans cream of chicken soup

4 TB lemon juice

1/2 tsp curry

2 TB melted butter or margarine

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

package toasted slivered almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Place broccoli (cooked until tender) in greased 9x13 baking dish. Layer chicken over broccoli. 

Mix together mayonnaise, chicken soup, lemon juice, and curry and pour over chicken and broccoli. 

Mix together butter/margarine, bread crumbs, cheese, and almonds. Spoon over top of curry sauce.  

Bake for 50 min. - 1 hour. 

Serve over rice.  

Weekly Menu 1/16/12-1/22/12

This was a surprisingly very busy weekend for us. It was not planned out to be a busy one, but it just kind of happened.  Saturday was really the only day we had stuff planned out for. We all had dentist appointments and my girls are cavity free ( can I get a Whoop Whoop) and to reward them, we took them to go see Beauty and the Beast 3D; which they loved of course!
But our big news is, Josh and I got a new car! A "New to Us" SUV actually. We didn't go into the weekend with car shopping on our mind. We new that eventually we would need to buy a new car. The one I was driving, was on borrowed time. But we didn't expect it to happen this fast. I wanted/needed something that would eventually fit our family that wants to grow, whether that be a mini van or suv I just wanted more space for passengers. What we ended up getting was an SUV, a beautiful blue Volvo XC-90.  What I really like about this car is that is a no fuss no frills SUV. It has all the features I appreciate without being to complicated or over the top. And the best part...it seats 7 people!!!! I love that!

So now onto the menu, almost! We have had some very wintery weather lately. Lot's of snow that has become a lot of wet slush and rain. We just keep getting a dusting but then it rains and it's gone. So with that, I had plans for today to make a Carrot Cake with my cute sister who also happens to help me out a lot in the kitchen. But, because of the weather, we've pushed the cake baking back to next week.

Monday

Josh had to make Taquitos for a potluck at work and he made extras for us.

Tuesday

Chicken and Dumplings

Wednesday

Asian Turkey Burgers with Spicy Lime Mayo and Homemade French Fries

Thursday

Cheese Enchiladas with beans and rice

Friday

Homemade Pizza- Hawaiian and Roasted Red Pepper with Balsamic Glaze

Saturday

We're taking the girls to Bulwinkles for pizza and games

Sunday

Roasted Butternut Penne- This has been on the menu for a few weeks now, lol!

Desserts/Etc

Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean it's to late to make some wintery Chocolate Chip Peppermint Crunch Cookies.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

The Ultimate Appetizer: Southwest Wontons

One day in November, I got into one of my moods. Chels occasionally refers to them as expensive moods, because that has a tendency to be how they end...with the spending of half our grocery budget at the local market. Thankfully, most of the time I just work with what I have in the house. In fact, normally it doesn't get too far out of hand unless there's a grill involved - which is pretty much every night during the summer. Also thankfully, I usually end up buying things we can use in later meals, so I'm actually contributing to the grocery shopping in a way...or at least that's what I tell myself.

Anyhow, on this particular day, I felt like getting out of my comfort zone. I've long been a diehard fan of P.F. Chang's crab wontons, and I've been getting comfortable with cooking and frying things in oil of late (too comfortable, and I have the burns to prove it!), so my mind was, I think, understandably set on one idea - I needed to make wontons. However, as any reader of Catz is undoubtedly aware, Chels and I have two great passions when it comes to food ethnicities, and they are Latin and Italian. We enjoy "American" (whatever that is), Chinese, Japanese, Thai, German and even a little Indian from time to time, but nothing tops the aforementioned two. I had a difficult time picturing an Italian wonton (not that that will stop me from trying to dream one up), so I decided to scour the internet for a southwest, fresh Mex or authentically Latin wonton recipe (is that possible?). I found Kevin & Amanda's Crispy Southwestern Wontons.

Unfortunately, this was one of my first efforts with wontons, and picture taking was a definitely secondary priority. We'll try to take some prettier pics here at some point. In fact, the day I took these pictures was simply an "experiment with extra vegetable oil" day, and I was playing with a recipe I made up in an attempt to mimic CPK's Avocado Club Egg Rolls. They were quite delicious, as a matter of fact - I will try to blog them soon. As for the wontons, I've made them three times now, and the primary change I've made from Amanda's treatment on her site is that I leave out the chicken. I find them to be lighter and more pleasing as an appetizer when their only filling is vegetables. Bizarre coming from me, the proverbial meatetarian? Ah, how little you know me...

The most important piece of this recipe is finding the right wonton wrappers. Albertson's carries a brand called Nasoya, and I found them to be absolutely exemplary. Once suitable wonton wrappers have been located, the rest is a breeze.

Begin by heating a bit of olive oil (a tablespoon is the general measurement, but there's really no need to measure) in a medium size pan over medium-low heat. Add to that about a quarter cup of raw diced onions, and sauté them until they're soft and just barely browned. On top of the onions, add in a quarter to a half cup of diced red or green bell pepper (red is prettier, but I found the flavor satisfactory both ways). Stir the mixture around every so often while it cooks for another three to five minutes, and then add a couple of cloves of minced garlic. Cook this mixture for only one minute, and then add in about a third cup of frozen corn and the same of black beans. Continue to stir this mixture about a bit in the pan, just until it is heated through. Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a medium sized bowl, and you're ready to move on.

Grind some black peppercorns over the top of the mixture, and add in about a quarter cup of cheddar cheese and another quarter cup of monterey jack. Finally, drop in a couple of teaspoons of dry ranch dressing and stir to mix. That's your filling.

Now, you can clean out your skillet and use it for this next bit, or you can use a slightly larger one. I used a flat-bottomed pan with high sides, as it seemed to give me room for a few more wontons at a time. Either way, pour in between a quarter inch and half an inch of vegetable oil (not a big fan of canola, personally), and allow it to heat for several minutes over medium heat. If you're using a gas stovetop, you'll probably want to reduce this to medium low once the oil is heated.

As to the wonton wrappers themselves, you'll need a small bowl of water to dip your fingertips in. Nice and ceremonial, isn't it? Spoon just about a teaspoon of the mixture you made into the center of each wonton, and then wet two sides of each one by dipping your fingertip in the water and running it along the edges. Seal the wonton by folding it over and pressing the wet edges together with the dry ones. If you get a good brand, you really won't have to worry much at all about the wontons ripping. I'm also not the greatest at getting all of the excess air out of the wonton when sealing it, but you ought to give it a shot just the same!

Once your wontons are stuffed, sealed and ready for delivery, set them in the heated oil. They'll take a minute or less per side once the oil is hot, and they burn quickly, so keep a close eye on the action in the pan. A light golden brown is perfect, but a deeper brown is quite edible as well. At this point, I preheat the oven to 170 degrees, take a cookie sheet, cover it with paper towels and place a cooling rack on it. This gives you something to set the wontons on when they come out of the pan, drains them of any excess oil, and keeps them warm until you're ready to serve.

That's it! The wontons are done, and trust me when I tell you this is an appetizer that will please adults and children alike. I would confidently serve these at any gathering...as long as they were paired with my simplest of dipping sauces. This is the touch that takes these tasty little morsels over the top, so don't miss it. Mix three or four tablespoons of mayonnaise with three or four tablespoons of barbecue sauce, and you're good to go - as long as you use the right barbecue sauce! To achieve the proper taste, pick up a chipotle honey barbecue sauce - preferably Sweet Baby Ray's, if you have access to such a wonderful product. The chipotle flavor adds a marvelous tang to the entire affair, while the honey keeps it nice and sweet. You absolutely will not believe how good this simple sauce is until you try it. So try it.

Enjoy!

Southwest Wontons

Adapted from Kevin & Amanda

1 TB Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced bell pepper ( any variety)

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup frozen corn kernals

1/4 cup canned black beans, drained

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

2 TB ( 1/2 pkg) dry ranch dressing

24 wonton wrappers

vegetable oil for frying

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees. 

Heat olive oil up in a pan in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until soft, then add in your diced bell pepper, and stir it around every so often for about 3-5 minutes. Add in  your garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Then add in your corn and black beans, stir until heated through, and turn off burner. Add the contents of the skillet into a medium sized bowl.

Sprinkle pepper over veggie mixture and toss in your cheeses along with the dry ranch dressing and give it a good stir until everything is combined. 

Clean out your skillet or use a bigger one pour in a quarter -half an inch of vegetable oil and allow it to heat up over medium heat. 

For the wonton wrappers, lay tout a few at a time on your cutting board and grab a small bowl of waters for dipping your fingers in.  Spoon about a tsp of the mixture onto the center of each wonton wrapper and wet two sides of each wrapper with your fingers, folding and sealing the wet sides of the wrappers to meet with the dry sides of the wrapper, the shape your going for is a triangle. 

Once the wontons are stuffed, set them in the heated oil and cook for about 1 minute on each side or until you have a light golden brown color on each side of the wonton. 

Remove the wontons and place them on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet with a paper bowl on the bottom of the sheet to absorb any excess oil that drips. Place the sheet in the oven, to keep warm while you continue frying your wontons, and are ready to serve. 

Enjoy with dipping sauces: Ranch is delicious, or make a camp sauce out of Mayo and a Chipolte Honey BBQ Sauce. 

Serve, Enjoy, and Dream about them later! :)

Mini Turkey Pot Pies

On Christmas Eve, Josh and I brined a turkey and it was the most amazing turkey I have ever tasted. I was thrilled when we had turkey meat leftovers and I knew just wanted I wanted to make with them. A Turkey Pot Pie, but not just any pot pie; a pot pie made in my cute ramekins. Ramekins are such an incredible smart invention. So cute and tiny- but full of power to create meals that will have you oohing and awing as if it were a newborn baby! Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme...but, if we're being honest here...the oohing and awing was exactly what I did when my little mini's popped out of the oven! Yes, I'm ridiculous!

Do you see how cute that little bundle of joy is. Do you see??

Pot pies are one of my husbands favorite meals. Also one of my dad's favorite meals! I remember eating the frozen kind and not caring to much for them as a little kid. But there is nothing frozen or pre-made about this pot pie.

I even went the extra mile and made my pie crust from scratch-which turned out perfectly if I do say so myself. I even had enough pie dough leftover to freeze. (I hate wasting!) But, if you are short on time, because this meal is a bit involved, buying the pre-made crusts in the store isn't a big deal either. In fact, I toyed with the idea of buying the pre made crust myself because of time management purposes. But in the end, I decided to make my own, because making my own pie crusts is something I want to continually get better at and I knew I would be silently kicking myself if I hadn't. I have a bit of a guilt complex, haha!

If you haven't yet played with ramekins, I highly suggest you do. You can do so many things with them. I found all of mine at Ross for super cheap and they are AWESOME! For this recipe, you'll be cutting out 12 dough circles. Six of the circles go inside the ramekin and the other six go on top of the food filled little dish. But for the six that go on top, I would find a bowl slightly larger than the ramekin because otherwise I think the circles are to small to successfully cover the pot pie filling. I used my larger ramekins for the tops and it was perfect.

You could easily opt the turkey out for chicken too and it would still be delicious. Anything is delicious in a mini pot pie, I mean let's be honest here!

Mini Turkey Pot Pies

Source: Simple Comfort Food

3-4 cups cooked turkey breast, cut into cubes

2 sheets of pie crust

4 TB unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, thinly diced

3 carrots, cleaned & skinned, thinly diced

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 TB fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 egg, beaten for brushing on top of pie crust

kosher salt

ramekins

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Gently roll out pie crust and lightly flour them. Take a ramekin and press into the dough, gently cutting into it. Repeat this process with sheets of pie dough until you have 12 pie dough circles for your 6 ramekins. Lightly butter the inside of the ramekins and take a pie dough circle and place inside the ramekin, pressing to form the shape of the ramekin. Reserve the remaining six pie dough circles. 

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove them after the 8 minutes and allow to cool. 

For the filling, add butter to a large pot and slowly melt it. Add in your onions, celery, and carrots and allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring on occasion. Add in your flour, and stir for another couple of minutes. Whisk in your milk and continue to whisk until smooth. Stir in the chicken stock and sherry. Bring to a low heat and cook down for another 10 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken at this point. Then stir in the thyme, parsley, peas, turkey, and salt & pepper. You need to taste it after you season it until it's seasoned the way you want it. 

Fill each ramekin to the top with the turkey mixture and top each ramekin with the larger pie dough circle. Seal the top of the pie dough by pinching down the edges. Brush the beaten egg onto the top of each ramekin and sprinkle with kosher salt. 

Place the ramekins back in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. 

Plate and dinner is served!

Weekly Menu 1/9/12-1/15/12

Today, (Tuesday) is actually Josh's birthday and we've been doing some fun celebrating over the weekend. We had his family over to the house on Saturday for one of Josh's favorite dinners, Oriental Chicken Salad and Texas Sheet Cake which came out almost like Josh's mom's. Josh's mom always makes the cake, and I thought it was high time for me to tackle it. The cake itself turned out great, but the frosting...well it just tasted a little too powdered sugary for me. The recipe card I have states a box of powdered sugar. I didn't even know there were boxes of powdered sugar, I always grab the bags...and there were no directions for measuring. Just a box. So I threw in a whole huge bag of powdered sugar. LOL, the frosting was good...a little thick for the cake I made, but still edible. I'm going to make the cake again in the next week or so and get the precise measurement because I just can't make a mistake like that again.

So how are your weeks going? Aside from celebrating the greatness of my hubby today, this weekend we have dentist appointments. UGH! It's been a year since we've been and I know I have a cavity or two. I know this because they told me a year ago I did. But since then we've moved and we really don't want to drive 25 miles to that dental office when we have one right down the street. I'm nervous, this is Eden's 1st appointment, so I'm hoping it goes well for all of us. But I told the girls if they both walk away without cavities, we'll take them to go see Beauty and the Beast in 3D! I'm not so much a 3D person. I end up getting a headache about 25 minutes into the movies, same with IMAX. But I'm willing to suck it up for the girls.

Also, school and Awana start back up this week. I'm feeling a tad bit like Super Mom because I had school going at about 9:45am and Grace was finished at 10:50am, which was perfect because their "Papa" took the girls to Salem to go see their daddy at lunch.  Which meant, I got to go to gym while it was still light out an I worked my butt off there for an hour and I'm feeling the exertion now. I'm feeeellling verrry sleeepy! But, that also meant, I got all the ingredients for Josh's special birthday dinner tonight :)

Monday

Chicken Curry or Chicken Divon (whatever you want to call it) with rice and a side salad. 

Tuesday

Tomato and Thyme Cod with potatoes ( not sure how I'll serve those yet, I'm thinking rosemary) and steamed broccoli.

Wednesday

Egg in the Nest

Thursday

(Awana Night)

Chicken Curry leftovers

Friday

Roasted Butternut Squash Baked Penne- it was on the menu last week I think and it never happened. 

Saturday

Tuna Casserole with a fruit salad

Sunday

Maybe Pizza...

I'm taking a break from baking this week until I can actually form a grocery list and have time to figure out what to make. Plus, we still have birthday cake :)

"Pot Pie" Chicken Noodle Soup: Crazy Cooking Challenge

Crazy Cooking Challenge #5

Chicken Noodle Soup

The last cooking challenge was so much fun! I hope you all got a chance to take a look at all the different Fudge recipes that all those talented bloggers posted. I know I had no idea that so many different styles and flavors of fudge existed!

But onto this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge, Chicken Noodle Soup! I happen to love "Homemade Soup" in almost every variety, but there is something about Chicken Noodle Soup that just kind of makes you feel like home; as in the home you grew up in as a child. Whenever one of us in my family was sick, my mom always made us a pot of her special soups.  

I found the recipe I wanted to try right away and the night I made it ended up being the most perfect night to try it out because my husband had just got done spending close to 4 hours outside in 32 degree temps and was feeling cold and drab when he finally did come inside. Now, my husband is a huge "pot pie" fan but not so much of a soup fan, so when I read that this soup was like  chicken pot pie in a bowl...I knew my dear hubby would have no trouble enjoying this soup. Sure enough, he didn't; he helped himself to two bowlfuls.

What's great about this soup is that it's creamy without being heavy, and flavorful without hitting you upside the head. The only thing missing, was the crust of the pie on top, but if you, like I did, add rolls to go along with the soup, you'll find that the missing pie crust is not really missed at all. 

"Pot Pie" Chicken Noodle Soup

Source: The Faux Martha

1 TB olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, sliced

3/4 tsp thyme

1 TB fresh parsley (I used dried, it was all I had on hand)

1 bay leaf

2 quarts chicken stock

1/2 cup half n half

2 TB cornstarch

8 oz fusilli pasta

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken ( I boiled 2 breasts and then shredded it)

1/2 cup peas, frozen

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add in onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf and sauté for about 6 minutes, until the vegetable are softened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Add chicken stock and half in half. Bring to a boil. 

In a small bowl, add cornstarch with equal parts water. Stir until smooth. Add to soup, stir. 

Add the noodles and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. 

Fold in chicken and peas and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes, until heated through. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Garnish with parsley and serve with rolls.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

We have a tradition of watching The Polar Express the evening we set up and decorate our Christmas tree. And every year, my husband has perfect timing, because when the scene of the waiters serving Hot Hot Hot, Hot Chocolate comes on the screen, Josh walks in with 4 cups of deliciously made hot chocolate for us to enjoy for the rest of the movie.

As much as I love hot chocolate, I love cookies even more. So why not make Hot Chocolate Cookies? It combines two of my favorite indulgences in the holiday season.

Cookies for me serves a multiple of purposes. I love snacking on them occasionally throughout the day, packing cookies as desserts for Josh's lunches, and sharing them with my family and friends. This particular batch of cookies didn't last long in our household. It was so hard keeping our hands out of the cookie jar and it was a sad sad day when we realized they were gone. :( I might just have to make another batch very soon, they are that good!

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Source: Kitchen Trial and Error

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 pkg hot chocolate mix (not sugar free)

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips; semi-sweet, white chocolate, or milk chocolate- whatever floats your boat

In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, hot chocolate mix, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time, until incorporated. 

Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart. 

Bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling completely. 

This recipe is linked to:

Comfy in the Kitchen's Feasting in Fellowship Friday, Alli n Son's Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweet as Sugar Cookies' Sweets for a Saturday

Toffee & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

It seems as though all I have to do is bake something sweet and I instantly become "The Best Mom in the World," in my kids eyes.  Thankfully the gamble I took the other day paid off and didn't lose me that beloved title. I actually came up with a recipe of my own, which is something that rarely happens, especially with baking!

Introducing: Toffee & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My inspiration behind this was the 2 overly ripe bananas that were beyond eating off the peel (and I possibly could not sanction throwing them away) and the fact that I'm still on the search for a Banana Bread that tickles my fancy.  I wanted to make a banana bread that was a little playful though. So after searching through my cupboards, I found Toffee bits, mini chocolate chips, and semi-sweet chocolate chips which ended up being a match made in heaven with my bananas. It got the approval of my husband and my kids, which in my book, makes it a winner!

Toffee & Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (about 2 ripe bananas) mashed bananas

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

2/3 cup toffee chips

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add bananas, milk, and vanilla extract.

Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix well. Mix in mini chocolate chips and toffee chips. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Evenly distribute the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the batter and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the bread.

Weekly Menu 1/2/12

Happy 2012 everybody! Did you all have a fabulous New Years Eve? I'm hoping this new year finds you all in good health with a multitude of blessings!

The hubby and I just hung out at home and had a movie night. We watched Mr. Popper's Penguins with the kids, then they went to bed and then we watched a few movies up until midnight when we popped the cork on our bottle of champagne, watched as the neighbors lit off fireworks, shared a couple of kisses and then finished our movie ( Midnight in Paris, very cute) and went to bed. It was a perfect evening!

Since Josh had today off, we went grocery shopping this afternoon and figured out the menu for the week. It wasn't until right before we left for the store when I realized that there are a lot of pasta dishes on our menu this week. This was completely by accident, lol! Oh well, it's that time of year I guess to satisfy your hunger with warm, filling, and comforting meals.

Monday

Nacho's with ground turkey

Tuesday

Tuna Casserole with a fruit salad

Wednesday

Spaghetti Carbonara with garlic bread and salad

Thursday

Chicken Curry with rice

Friday

Roasted Butternut Baked Penne

Saturday

Not sure, we're probably going to celebrate Josh's b-day early

Sunday

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

Desserts and more

Tonight or tomorrow I'll make some cookies for my husband's lunch. I haven't decided on which kind yet.  But I'm leaning toward these Chocolate Chip Peppermint Crunch Cookies, but without the candy canes because I don't have any, Oops!  

Well I guess that about covers it! I hope you all have a fabulous 1st week of the 2012!