Monthly Archives: February 2011

Feb24

risotto comfort

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risotto comfort

Ahhh… comfort food.  Sometimes there is nothing better after a long day at work that comfy clothes and comfy food.  That’s how I felt yesterday when I got home.  So, last night, I set about to make a piping hot bowl of Parmesan Risotto with Mushrooms.  Now – do not worry – it is easy.  Let’s be honest here.  If I can do it, anyone can.

Parmesan Risotto with Mushrooms

  • 4 C. Chicken or Vegetable Stock
  • 3/4 C. white wine
  • 1 1/2 C. risotto rice
  • 1 C. white mushrooms chopped
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1/2 t. chopped garlic
  • 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

In a separate pan, heat 4 C. of stock.  In large pan, heat butter and olive oil.  Add in mushrooms and bottoms (white part) of the scallions diced up, reserving the green portion for later.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Soften. 

Add in rice and gently cook rice for about a minute or so, lightly toasting it in the pan. 

Slowly add in about half of the wine.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed into the rice.  Repeat with the remaining wine. 

Stir in garlic and dijon mustard.

Begin adding the hot stock, about 1/3 C – 1/2 C at a time.  Again, stirring constantly, waiting for liquid to absorb into the rice before adding more.  The entire process can take about 20 minutes. 

Once all of the stock is added and absorbed, remove from heat. 

Add in 1 1/4 cups of the Parmesan and 1/2 of the remaining scallion greens.  Stir. 

Pour into a bowl, topping with remaining cheese and scallions, as well as from fresh black pepper.

Serve and eat and enjoy and relax and breathe.

Feb18

comfort food cookin’

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comfort food cookin’

Last night was a night for a nice comfort food meal… homemade individual chicken pot pies.

This recipe is one that I have been working on and testing over and over again until I finally got it where I am super happy with it. Now, I feel like I can finally share it with others. I hope that if you choose to make that you enjoy it as much as we do!

Comfort Food Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 C. carrots
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1/2 T. chopped garlic
  • 1/4 t. Herbs de Provence
  • dash or two of red pepper flake
  • 3 T. butter
  • 3 T. flour
  • 1/2 C. half and half
  • 1 1/2 C. low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 T. dijon mustard
  • 1 C. frozen peas
  • 1 package with 2 rolls of pre-made pie crust
  • cooking spray

Pre-heat the oven to 425 (or what your pie crust box recommends).

Set your burner to medium heat and warm up a large non-stick saute pan.  Add in 2 T. of olive oil and add in chicken, lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper.  Cook until chicken is almost cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, chop celery, carrots, and onion.

Once the chicken is almost done, add celery, carrots, and onion to pan.  Again season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add in garlic, Herbs de Provence, and red pepper flakes.

While the vegitables are softening and the chicken is finishing, heat a small non-stick saute pan on high heat.  Add in butter and flour.  Melt the butter, stirring in the flour to create a rue. 

Once the rue is done, (perfectly mixed and a light golden color) the chicken and veggie mix should be done.  Increase the heat to medium-high and slide the rue into the pan with the mix.  Gently mix in.  Add in half and half, stir until combined and the mixture begins to thicken. Next mix in the dijon mustard.  Slowly add in half of the chicken stock, stirring until thickened again.  Add the remainder of the stock and again stir and thicken.  Add peas and stir for about 1 more minute.  Turn of the heat and let the mixture sit.

Spray 4 ceramic individual sized baking dishes with cooking spray.  Divide mixture between the 4 and fill them up. 

Grab your pie dough and cover.  Now – we like a lot of crust on the top… so we split the 2 rolls in half and cover each in half.  If, however, you would like less, feel free to use one roll, roll it thinner with a rolling pin, and cut it in 4′s.  It is all up to you!

Once they are covered, be sure to tighten the edges and use a fork to seal it down.  Then, take a knife and pierce the top to let the heat escape.  Since I was doing them for the kids and Matt, I used our initials to make each one personalized.

Place them in the oven and let them cook until the crust is lightly golden brown.  For me, it is usually 16-18 minutes or so…

After they are done, pull them out of the oven and let them cool for about 3 minutes.  For the kids, I put them on a plate just to be safe since they were in a 425 degree oven.  Then, I put them in front of the kids, hand them a fork, and let them dig in.

They cleaned their plates and dinner was fairly quiet.  That usually means I did something right…  or at least not awful!

If you make this, let me know what you think and how it turns out.  And, enjoy.

Feb16

creating on canvas

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creating on canvas

The other night I had fun.  I mean the kind of fun that I have not had in ages.  A creative explosion occurred in my craft room and before I knew it Matt’s telling me it is 11:00 and that he’s going to bed. 

I love those nights when I can totally lose myself in a project and just relax and enjoy that time…  it is priceless and rare and wonderful.

I decided to do a canvas art piece that highlights my word for the year – soar.  So, I got crazy busy and made this little piece.

I videoed it to create a quick tutorial – I had to edit it down, however, so some of the middle  on embellishing it had to be cut. 

 Hopefully the pics and this can get you going on a project for your word of the year.  Thanks for stopping by!

Feb15

yummy (and healthy) snack break

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yummy (and healthy) snack break

Don’t we need that some days? A yummy and healthy snack break? Well, over the weekend I had fun making the boys something other than a granola bar -  out of the package in the snack drawer – and they not only appreciated a “made” snack, but devoured it as well!

Yogurt parfaits are super simple to make and you can do several variations, but this is what we did… a delish strawberry banana version.

Strawberry Banana Yummy Parfait (1 serving)

  • 1 single serve yogurt cup – strawberry – with fruit pieces
  • 1/2 banana sliced
  • 10 almonds – smashed and/or chopped
  • 1/2 c. granola cereal

Mix the granola and almonds together and put to the side.  Then you will create two layers for your parfait.  Put 1/2 of the yogurt into the bottom of the dish, add half of your banana slices and half of your granola and almond mix.  Repeat.  Serve.  Enjoy the smiles.

Quick.  Simple.  Yummy.

Feb9

tuesday night mystery pasta

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tuesday night mystery pasta

Most weekends I have the distinct resolution to get things ready for dinner each and every night of the week.  I either pre-plan or even pre-cook as much as I can.  Nevertheless, by Tuesday night something goes awry and I am scrambling to pull something together.  This week was no different.  Often I make pasta and some sort of sauce on these nights and I am getting quite the variety of sauces under my belt to mix it up for Matt and the kids.

Last night was no different and I was doing that thing where I am venturing into the fridge to make mystery pasta.  This one was one that I have made in the past, but never written down or documented.  So, I grabbed the camera and got to cooking.  Please disregard my accidental shots of the recycling bin next to the stove…  it can be tricky to hold the iPhone and cook at the same time.

Tuesday Night Pasta

  • 1 box large macaroni noodles – cooked almost al dente in salted water – it will continue to cook for a few minutes in the sauce to finish up
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage (optional, but really does add an extra burst of yumminess…)
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups of half & half or heavy cream
  • about 3/4 cup – 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • salt and pepper
  • minced garlic 1-2 cloves
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced

Place ground turkey and Italian sausage in a hot pan coated with olive oil.  Add in onion and garlic, then season with salt and pepper.  Cook until meat is cooked through and onions are soft.  Next add in the tomatoes, half & half, and pasta water.  Bring to a bubble.  Add in most of the Parmesan cheese, reserving a little to top the pasta at the end.  Let sauce continue to bubble until it begins to thicken.  Add pasta and mix together.  Top with remaining cheese and some fresh ground pepper.  Grab a fork and get to eating! 

These noodles actually worked out perfect for the sauce.  The big size held the yummy sauce inside and exploded with the cheesy goodness when mixed with the rest of the sauce items… the tomatoes, cheese, and meat. 

The boys didn’t just say they liked it for the camera, either… they each had a third helping.  That is usually a sign that I did something right.

Hopefully it turns out for you, too, and maybe, just maybe, next Tuesday won’t be such a mystery!

Feb8

my cha projects

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my cha projects

So, a little while ago I shared some close-up shots on my CHA sneak peek of what I had been working on. Now that I have finally gotten home and back into the groove, I was able to get the pics off of my camera to share.

The year we decided to go with a true “window” look for our displays in the booth.  The backgrounds were muted and white – highlighting the brand.  The projects were big and bold – highlighting what the tools empower you to do.  I was blessed to be able to make 3 of the 4 large art projects, as well as all 4 of the smaller, more practical-application projects. 

Here’s what I made…

First was this canvas and then coordinating layout.  I took some of the Fiskars clear stamps and used the large backgrounds.  I stamped gray on tissue and adhered them with Collage Pauge.  Everything built toward the bottom right corner where I shifted to black ink and made a bold, deep explosion on the canvas.  The canvases were all layered and hot glued on to add depth and dimension.  I love this one – in real life the colors and stamped layers just pop off the canvas.

Next was our fabric tree and coordinating bird.  This was to highlight our rotary cutters and scissors.  For this one, I did have some help making the several hundred leaves that I added.  Thank you Jessica!  It was a lot of work to make the leaves, but for me, putting the whole thing together and then staging it in the case was a true labor of love and the result was stunning in person.  It was foam core cut and covered with brown wide corduroy and the leaves were double sided with adhesive and stick pins in the middle.  Foam blocks were added to sections of the back to add extra dimension in the case and the bird was hung from the top of the case with fishing line.

Finally, this one I am the most proud of and the one that I am completely in love with.  The dress form and coordinating card/invitation.

As soon as I saw our new spring and summer punches, (the ones I used are summer and are not out just quite yet – but they are coming!)  I was inspired and knew what I was going to make for this display.  The bodice is all punched paper sea shells out of beautiful shades of Bazzill Bling paper and the skirt is made from watercolor paper painted with Perfect Pearls then border punched.  This was hanging in my cube for more than 6 weeks waiting to go to the show because I worked on it until it was done because I was so exited to do this project.  It just fit with the theme so perfectly!  I am still giddy about this one (which doesn’t happen often for me – I am too hypercritical of my own work to normally be satisfied with anything…)

I know these pictures are not the best, but with the lighting at the show and in the cases, it was hard to get stellar shots.  I just wanted to be able to share with you at least a sense of what I got to do and what I got to create for this show.

Thanks for stopping to look…  I truly do appreciate it!

Feb5

let them eat crepes

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let them eat crepes

I know, I know.  It is supposed to be cake.  Well, we did not have cake for breakfast today.  Instead, we had crepes.

The boys love crepes and it is an easy breakfast that they can help with. 

I created a little video about how I make them, along with Jacob helping me, that you can watch below.  I am also including my recipe and some filling ideas for you.

Now, bear with me – this was my first attempt to really video in the kitchen.  After editing and watching this, I am aware that we might need to be a bit better with the camera next time.  You’ll at least get the idea of what I am doing…

Enjoy!

Crepe Batter

  • 2 1/2 T. melted butter
  • 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 C. + 2 T. white all-purpose flour
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C. milk
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1/4 t. salt

Mix all of your ingredients together in the blender.  Blend well for about 1 minute.  Stop and scrape the sides of the blender.  Blend one more time for 30-45 seconds.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the batter to rest.  I try to do it the night before and let it sit overnight.  I find that works best.  If you can’t, you need to go at least 30-45 minutes in the morning for best results.

If you are making a savory crepe, feel free to take the vanilla out of the resipe, as it makes for a sweeter crepe.  You can also use more white flour if you prefer that to whole wheat.  If you choose to go the other route and go all whole wheat, just know that it tends to be a bit of a drier crepe with this recipe, so you might need to add a tad more butter to help with that.

Lingonberry Filling – an easy twist on Swedish Pancakes

  • 4 T. Lingonberry Preserves
  • 1/2 t. vanilla
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon

Warm through either on the stove or in the microwave.  Place in the crepes with toasted and warm almond pieces.  Roll and serve.

Banana and Chocolate Filling

  • 2 bananas chopped
  • mini chocolate chips

Cut bananas and place several pieces and about 1 t. of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, along with toasted almond pieces again, and roll. 

Other great ideas for filling include fresh blueberries and strawberries when in season, as well as cinamon apples and whipped cream.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Feb4

being a “real” housewife…

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being a “real” housewife…

Now, I am the first one to admit it – I have a true obsession for watching bad reality tv, including the Real Housewives series on Bravo.  I enjoy the drama, the look inside the lifestyle, and the fashions.  I really do love it.  Even more than that, I love the live after show with Andy Cohen, who is just a tad too cute.

Now, while I enjoy this, in my mind and my life it is extremely far from real.  I am guessing for most of us, the below photos and story are a tad  more “real”  and a little closer to home than what we see as real on tv.

 

This past week – literally 7 days – I was away for work at the Craft and Hobby Trade Show in Los Angeles.  It was a great trip, but it was working long days.  This was not a break from work or vacation by any stretch.  When you spend time in the trade show booth all day, attend work dinners, and still have your regular load to work on before and after the show closes each day, you often wonder when you will sleep.  This was one of those trips.

While I was gone, Matt functioned as a single dad and was single-handedly taking care of the kids.  It was rough on all of us – the kids especially.  Travelling like that is never fun by day 4…  all you want is a home cooked meal and your own bed.

Now – I am not complaining about my job – DON’T GET ME WRONG…  I love what I do, but the reality is I work hard for long hours at a time.  I love what it…  it can just be exhausting at times.

So when I come home, unlike my favorite shows there is no nanny, maid, or worker to do the jobs at hand.  It is still me.  So when I got home and saw the piles above, along with what I brought home from a week away, I knew what I would be doing this weekend. 

Laundry. 

I love most of the different tasks that are necessary in life.

Cooking

Making the bed.

Vacuuming.

I, however, cannot stand laundry.  It is that pile that never ends.  As soon as you are done, the basket is full again and you are off on the next round.  It is never done. 

So, here is where I am going…  If I ever in my life become a “real” housewife, the first item on my docket is to employ someone, anyone, to do the laundry.  Job one. 

And, while we are at it, if they could clean the toilets and floors around them (I have 3 boys living in this house), that would be a bonus, but I don’t want to be greedy.

Just sayin’…

Now, I am off to start my Friday night in style.  Time to wash the towels.