A Fiesta of Recipes

Eating: We have been eating this year, I promise.  I just have not been a prolific blogger.  The predictions for 2013 included trying a new recipe each month.  So far, I have averaged a recipe a month.  In May, there were 2 new recipes.

I have pinned many recipes on Pintrest, mostly when I was PWH (pinning while hungry), but have been poor at trying many of the things I have pinned.  A couple weeks ago, I tried one recipe that I had pinned several months ago: Homemade Enchilada Sauce.  This is one of those things that may fall into the category of "why would you even to bother to make that from scratch?" but it was delicious, I know exactly what was in it and it didn't really take all that long.  The recipe was pinned from a blog called "Gimme Some Oven".  Always love a good pun... 

The color and heat of the enchilada sauce is going to depend on the type of chili powder you use.  I would recommend using half the amount of chili powder and adding more to your taste.  You can always add more, but can never take back what you have already added.  Ours was more brown colored, which was fine with me.  We use Penzey's Chili Powder (regular, not hot.  We are Minnesotans.). I love Penzey's and we are lucky to have a store not too far so we can go in and smell the spices before we buy, but you can order them online or from their catalog too.  I didn't mean to do an advertisement for Penzey's here.  I just really like their spices - they are fresh and there is a huge variety.  We actually made a bigger batch of sauce because our enchilada recipe (taken from the can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce.  No comments on using homemade sauce to make a recipe from the side of a can.  I get that it is weird.)

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
2 T. vegetable or canola oil
2 T. flour
4 T. chili powder (more or less to taste, as I noted above)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. oregano
2 C. chicken broth

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan (no need to consult a medium before doing this...).  Add flour and stir 1 minute (you may recall this is called a "roux").  Stir in the spices.  Gradually stir in broth, whisking continually to remove lumps.  Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick.  Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.  Or use immediately to make your enchiladas.
***
As a bonus, here is the enchilada recipe we use.

Easy Beef Enchiladas
(from Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce can)
1 lb. ground beef
2 10 oz cans enchilada Sauce (or 20 oz of yummy homemade enchilada sauce)
6 oz (1 1/2 C) shredded cheese (we actually only used 1/2 C of cheese - we find the cheese inside the enchiladas to be more than we need or want)
12 count package of flour tortillas for soft tacos (I think they are the 8" size)

Heat oven to 375.  Brown ground beef until thoroughly cooked; drain.  Stir in 3/4 C enchilada sauce and 1 C cheese (this is the cheese we skip).  Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam-side down in lightly greased 13x9x2" baking dish.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with 1/2 C cheese.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
***
We must be on a Mexican food kick.  The other recipe we tried was potato and chorizo tacos.  This is a recipe I first saw in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about a year ago (or more).  It went into the menu database and about once every 3 months, E would say, "What is this recipe?" and I would explain where I got it and that we had not made it because I couldn't find chorizo.  We would discuss that it sounded really good and that we would look for chorizo.  And then 3 months later, the same conversation would occur. 

So finally, in a part of the grocery store I don't usually look at, I found chorizo!  And now we have taste-tested the recipe and are adding it to the regular rotation.  Easy and tasty.  I am not sure what size tortillas they are recommending but it must be super-small ones because it says the recipe makes 12 tacos.  We used 10" tortillas, and doubled the recipe and had 8 tacos.  Unless you are using the really little tortillas, expect 4 tacos.  Chorizo is a cured sausage.  Ours was not in casings and just looked like seasoned ground pork.  Which I guess is what it is.  We did not add the onion but since we like peppers, we chopped and cooked those up in place of the onion.  We did not have green salsa (aka salsa verde) so used regular red stuff.  E snipped some fresh cilantro from the front step.  We skipped the lime, but only because we didn't have any. 

Potato and Chorizo Taco
(from "Tacos" by Scott Wilson (Sasquatch Books), as printed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune)
1/2 lb. medium russet or white potatoes, quartered (I used Yukon gold)
1 T. olive oil
1/4 medium white onion, cut in 1/4" wedges (optional) - I did not add this
1/4 lb. Mexican chorizo in bite-size pieces, removed from casing
Corn or flour tortillas
Green salsa, chopped onion and cilantro, lime wedges, for toppings

Put potatoes in a medium-size pot and cover them with water.  Bring the water almost to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, cooking potatoes until barely tender, between 10-15 minutes.  Be sure not to overcook them.  Drain potatoes and put them on a plate to cool, then cut them into 1/2" cubes.  Meanwhile, heat a medium-size pan over medium fire and add the olive oil.  Tilt the pan to coat the bottom and add the onion, cooking until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the chorizo and saute, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes more, until cooked through.  Add the potatoes and stir in gently.  Cook until the potatoes are warmed through, about 5 more minutes.
Serve on warm tortillas, topped with salsa, chopped onion and cilantro, with lime wedges on the side.
***

There you have it.  2 new-to-me recipes, both well-received in our house.

Bon appetit (or however you say "good eating" in Spanish)!

Until we eat again,
Hallie

P.S., Last summer we had began a tradition of Thursday Pizzas and tried out a number of different flavors/toppings.  We are working on a chorizo and potato pizza for this year.  If you are curious about past pizza posts and recipes, just type "pizza" into the search at the upper left-hand corner and all the blog posts in which I mention pizza will come up.  There are a quite a few...  It is the perfect food, in my opinion.

Clean Sweep for a Fresh Start

snow on 4/16/13

Here in the Upper Midwest this year, spring is slow to arrive.  There have been several mis-starts, where it warms up and bulbs in the garden start to push their spikes up to the surface and then it snows 12 inches. It has done it more than once.  Even E, who loves the snow and the cold said, "Enough already!" when it snowed on his birthday in late April. Truly it has been trying for even our hearty Minnesota winter-loving spirits.  But spring is here now.  How do I know?  Is it the first dwarf iris flowering?  The forsythia in its full yellow glory?  The buds on the silver maple?  The wasp hovering above the front steps or the robins hopping about the yard and warbling for their new companions?  It is all those things, but mostly I know it is spring because I saw the street sweepers.

Street sweeper similar to the ones on my street

I get really excited when I see the street sweepers.  Bounce-up-and-down-on-my-toes excited.  Clap-my-hands-and-squeal excited.  It is weird, I know, but the sweepers are such a strong symbol of the new starts, fresh clean slate of spring.  They leave the streets free of the salt and sand of winter, cleaning away the stray dead leaves and other weird stuff that finds its way to the curbs and gutters.  And they kind of remind me of Zambonis, which I also really really like. 

Spring is a time of new beginnings, of fresh starts, of clean slates.  We do spring cleaning of our house, literally and symbolically cleaning out the dust and cobwebs, the stuffy air and the overall grunge of winter.  In celebration of Earth Day, in a tradition taught by my mom (who was green before green was cool), I spent an hour or so picking up trash around my yard and in the city-owned open space next to our house.  Some of the trash, I know, blows out of trash or recycling cans, but a lot of it, I am sorry to say, gets tossed out of cars.  I have been picking up trash in my neighborhood every spring for years now and there is a pattern.  People who smoke Marlboros tend to throw more cigarette packages out.  People who eat at McDonald's and get the huge sodas throw their cups out the window.  And people who drink cheap booze throw out their bottles and cans.  But I digress.  What I am saying is I clean up the junk that the melting snow has revealed.  I filled an entire kitchen garbage bag with trash from a space the size of 2 city lots, plus a grocery bag full of recycling (except for the bottle that had what looked like chewing tobacco juice - I tossed that in the trash because it made me gag.).  Then it is time to start on the garden - trimming some of the shrubs, cutting back the ornamental grass and some of the plants which I had left last fall, and picking up various sticks (and one large limb from our poor ash tree) that had fallen over the long long long winter. 

Not only am I doing physical clean up of the house, yard and neighborhood, but I also start to do a mental clean up in the spring.  I think seeing all the new beginnings and growth outside stirs up a desire in us to grow and bloom ourselves.  The electric green of the grass sprouting, so intense it nearly makes me look away, reminds me that no matter what happened last summer (grass died because I didn't water it, tomatoes rotted on the vine because I just couldn't pick one more tomato), or last fall (never did get those bulbs purchased, let alone planted), I have another chance this year.  Spring is more about new beginnings than the manufactured "new year" when we flip the calendar to January 1st.  I make plans for the garden, work on improvements to the house, think about what I need to change in other aspects of my life.

This long drawn-out winter, combined with the stress of changes and the unknown at work, as well as the stress of "you will work until the work is done" pressure, has got me in a bit of a funk.  That is part of the reason I have not blogged in nearly a month.  I am stuck in a rut cooking-wise, though full of good ideas (darn Pintrest!).  I have been reading my book club selections and an occasional Newbery winner, but not much more and not very quickly.  I am leaving the travel plans to E (and he is doing a great job with the research and planning there, I must say) and unfortunately, not taking the time for creativity.  Recently, when doing some of my spring cleaning, I found this quote.  A friend gave me the quote several years ago because she said it reminded her of me.  I hand wrote it on a cheerful little piece of pink flowered paper and laminated it.  For a long time it lived in my planner where I could see it every day.  I need to put it back there, to remind myself. 

Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.  Then youth will be delightful, old age will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.  -- Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)

Go, now, and sweep off your front step, sit in the sun with your favorite cold beverage, and read a book.  It is a new day, a new season, a time of new life.  Live it as best you can.  And if it doesn't go how you wish, start again tomorrow with new hope.

Until we sweep again,
Hallie

P.S., Another post to think about re-reading: Comfort Foods

Upside Down and Fried

Eating: One of predictions for 2013 involved trying a new recipe each month.  February flew by with a plan, but the new recipe did not happen.  In March, I made 2 new things and am just now telling you about them in April.  I am feeling a bit over-extended lately, a little turned upside-down and fried.  Just like my 2 recipes.

The plan for February was to try the Five-Ingredient Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe from my Weight Watchers Weekly dated January 27-February 2.  This is the little 12 page magazine-y thing they hand out when I weigh in and go to the meetings.  Then while waiting for the meeting to start, I page through and check out the tips, ideas and recipes.  I should tell you that the meeting I have been going to is at 5pm and the WW center is next door to Dominoes Pizza so I do spend a fair amount of the meeting thinking about food.  I actually think about food a lot of the day, whether or not I am going to Weight Watchers.  Here is the recipe and my photos of the process.  It was simple and tasty.  The recipe as written says serves 10 and is 4 PointsPlus per serving.  Because it is easier to cut into 8 than it is in 10, we made it 8 servings for 5 PointsPlus per serving.  You could make it 4 servings for 10 points each or eat it all and count 40 points.  Whatever you do is between you and your tracker. 

The recipe said to use a "round 9" flameproof aluminum pan" which I thought was too many adjectives to describe a pan.  And I didn't know if mine was flameproof so I used my oven-safe frying pan that happens to be about 9" across, round and flameproof.  It worked splendidly. E and I agreed this cake would be best served slightly warm. 

Five-Ingredient Pineapple Upside-Down Cake


the five ingredients

1/4 C. unsalted butter, divided
1/4 C. packed light brown sugar
3/4 lb. canned pineapple rings in juice, 1/4 C. juice reserved
1 large egg
1/4 lb. vanilla cake mix, about 1 scant cup (FYI, a cake mix is about a pound which means from one box, you can make this 4 times.  For a total of 160 points, which is more than I care to eat in a day.)

Preheat oven to 375. 


Melt 2 T. butter in round 9" flameproof aluminum pan (or similar) over medium-low heat (make sure to cover entire pan bottom); sprinkle sugar over top.  Carefully place pineapple rings in a single layer in bottom of pan (use 7 rings).  Increase heat to medium-high and cook until pineapple caramelizes (isn't that just a yummy word??), flipping once, about 2 minutes per side; remove pan from heat.


mmmmm... caramelizing

Melt remaining 2 T. butter on stovetop or in microwave.  In medium-size bowl (or whatever you melted the butter in), beat egg with the melted butter.  Add cake mix and reserved pineapple juice; combine well. 


pour the batter and then bake

Pour batter over pineapple; bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.  Allow cake to cool for about 15-20 minutes; when still warm, loosen sides with a knife (f needed - my pan was non-stick so I didn't) and invert cake onto a serving plate.  Slice and serve. 


The finished cake - Delicious!

The second "recipe" we made in March was my first-ever attempt at fried rice.  One day we had Honey-Hoisin Pork Tenderloin and brown rice.  The next day, the leftovers were combined with a little soy sauce, some ginger, and a whole pile of veggies (we used pea pods, julienned carrots, and water chestnuts) but no eggs (someone doesn't like eggs and I can live without them in my fried rice also).  It was very good and quite filling.  I don't really have a recipe other than chop it all up and cook in the wok until it looks hot and done.  I had a picture of it to show you, but cannot locate the device with which I took the picture.  Dang. It looked really good.  When I find it, I will post.

Until we eat again,
Hallie

P.S., I am not doing the A-Z Challenge this year due to aforementioned feelings of over-extended, frazzled and fried.  I invite you to check out the challenge and browse a few of the blogs who are participating. 

My First Book Report of 2013

Reading: Why, yes, I have been reading this year.  No, I have not told you about anything I have read yet.  Here is my first book report this year.

When someone asks me what my favorite book is, or what the best book that we have read in book club, I instantly answer, "Life of Pi, by Yann Martel".  I have done this ever since we read it 8 years ago, or whenever it was.  Funny thing, though.  I had not re-read this book, not even re-opened it, until this year.  I am not sure what took me so long.  I even started to wonder if it really was as great as I told myself and everyone else.  I started to feel guilty that I was recommending this book to dozens of people and maybe it was really crap.  So I re-read it and fell in love all over again.  There is so much in this book, and not just because it is rather thick.  There is an action-adventure/survival story.  There is a terrific wealth of discussion on animal nature and the best-written defense of zoos that I have ever heard.  There is a hearty embrace of religions of all types.  There is a likable hero, tragedy and loss, a realistically told struggle to survive, and a bit of a fable and fairy tale.  One friend to whom I had recommended the book sometime last fall was reading it recently and had only read about a quarter of it but already wanted to buy her own copy (she is borrowing the book from another friend of ours) so that she could highlight and underline.  As I discussed the book with her, I was tempted to go back and read it yet again.  She is seeing another whole layer to it that I did not - that all the author's observations on animal nature could be read as a commentary on human nature, a reminder that we, too, are animals, though we tend to put ourselves on a higher plain.  I may never be done reading this book.  And I recommend it to you as well. If you read it, or have already read it, I would love to discuss with you anytime.  I realize I have not given an actual plot summary.  This is from the back of the book: "Pi Patel, a God-loving boy and the son of a zookeeper, has a fervent love of stories and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam.  When Pi is sixteen, his family and their zoo animals emigrate from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship.  Alas, the ship sinks - and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger.  Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi.  Can Pi and the tiger find their way to land?  Can Pi's fear, knowledge and cunning keep him alive until they do?"

February book club we discussed Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer.  You may have seen the movie.  I had not, so I read the book.  I am glad I did.  This was another journey and adventure story, non-fiction this time.  At the outbreak of World War II, the author (an Austrian) is in a British internment camp in India.  He escapes and the book details his trek across the Himalayas to Tibet, where he spends - you guessed it - seven years.  Obviously he survives the ordeal in the remote parts of the mountains (he wrote the book, right?), though he and his fellow escapee find danger, hunger and hindrances of all kinds around every corner.  They have no real map and are some of the first foreigners to the little secluded land of Tibet.  I enjoyed the journey, though found it a bit too detailed at times and was anxious for them to finally get to Tibet.  I loved learning about Tibet, the Dalai Lama (and trying to remember what I had learned about the Dalai Lama in college) as well as the people and traditions.  The book ended as the Chinese invaded, so I would like to continue learning more about what it has been like in Tibet since that time. 

The next 3 books I read went pretty quickly.  If you recall, one of my "predictions" for 2013 was that I would be reading some of the Newbery Medal winners.  I decided to start with 1971, the year I was born, and read the winners from within my lifetime. 
1971 - Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars - I read this in just over a day.  Simple story of Sarah, a 14-year-old girl (I think that is how old she was), with the usual complaints of a 14-year-old.  Then one day her mentally-challenged non-verbal younger brother, Charlie, (the book uses the term "mentally retarded" - it was the term we used then) is missing.  As Sarah searches for Charlie, joined by her sworn enemy Joe, she learns something about herself, her family and what is really important.  Apparently this book was also made into an ABC Afterschool Special called "Sarah's Summer of the Swans."  I don't remember watching this particular special, but there are others I recall well.  Also, I remember reading another book by this same author when I was in sixth grade.  It was called Pinballs or The Pinballs and was about a group of kids who all had special needs of some sort.  I don't remember much more about that book but found it interesting that when I saw the author's name, I thought, "Oh.  I think that is who wrote Pinballs."  And sixth grade was a long time ago...
1972 - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien - this one took me a bit longer to read.  I wasn't sure I was going to like it, considering it was about a "widowed" mouse, her children and a group of very special rats.  I ended up loving it and by the end was cheering for the mice and rats, wishing for their survival.  And that is very weird for me.  If there are 2 things I cannot stand, it is rats and mice.  Give me snakes, bugs, spiders, lizards, or anything else (except bats which are really just flying mice), but keep mice and rats (and their cousins gerbils and hamsters) away from me.  I watch a certain scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies with my hands over my ears and my eyes closed tight until I am told by someone trustworthy that the scene is over.  Anyway, the book is about this mouse family and a group of super-intelligent rats who help her when her youngest son is ill and her home is in danger of being destroyed by a plow.  You will need to read the story to find out how the rats got so smart and why they help a lowly field mouse. 
1973 - Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George - I finished this one up right before leaving on vacation.  It is the story of a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl in Alaska. She has run away from her husband in Barrow, Alaska (at the very tippy top of Alaska) and is heading for San Francisco where her penpal lives.  She has to use what she has learned about the "old ways" of her people and about the unforgiving landscape of the tundra in order to survive.  She is adopted by a pack of wolves, but autumn is coming so she must continue on.  Very interesting story for many reasons.  The conflicts of "wild" vs. "civilization", the old ways vs. the ways of the whites, and of nature vs. Man (or in this case, girl).  The natural history lessons of the dynamics of a wolf pack and of life on the tundra.  The social commentary about how the native peoples were "civilized" by sending them to school.  Another good book and excellent survival story.

Well, E just saw this post and commented "Holy words, Batman!" so I guess that is enough for this blog post.  Stay tuned for another book report and a recap of our cruise to the Bahamas.  Ahh.... sunshine!

Until we read again,
Hallie

Predictions for 2013

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you may know that I make new year's predictions rather than resolutions.  If you did not know that or forgot, and want to know why, you can read about it here.  If you already know why, read on for this year's predictions.

Predictions for 2013:
Reading: I will read at least 2 books each month to include book club selections and a bunch of Newbery medal and honor books.

Eating: I will try at least one new recipe a month and blog about the recipe, good or bad.  Sources for trial recipes include back issues of magazines, Weight Watchers, Pintrest, and my recipe box.

Creating: I will knit a sweater.

I will learn to play the bass (holdover prediction from last year.  This time I mean it and am trimming my nails right away to show my commitment!)

I will scrapbook more, including family and friends in my scrapbooking time. 

I will write more often.  This will include at least 2 blog entries a month and perhaps one month-long daily challenge (A-Z or one of my own creation).  I will also do creative free-writing exercises at least once a week. 

Weeding: I will plan, plant, nurture and grow 2 vegetable raised beds again, and try new things to trouble-shoot the peppers.

I will get the "stump garden" hard scape in and at least move the plants that are there, if not get most/all the plants in place.

Travel : I will visit at least 2 national parks. 

I will spend several summer and fall nights in the camper.


Oh, and one more prediction:  I will look back at these predictions in 6 months and see how I am doing with them!

What are your predictions or resolutions this year?  How are they going so far?

Until we eat, read, create or weed again,
Hallie 

A New Year, A New Post

Everywhere I look lately, I see "A New Year, A New You!" Am I new?  I feel like I am a little late to the party.  All the "new year" stuff and reflection on the old year seems to happen while I am too busy to reflect.  And hopefully you have not missed me terribly in my nearly 2 month absence.  The end of the year is a busy time at work and in life.  Moving on now... What is new with me? 

I am back at Weight Watchers.  Just a couple pounds to go and I am a back at goal weight and can reclaim my Lifetime member status and go back to swigging vast bottles of wine, eating cheesecake with every meal and sprinkling bacon generously on every entree.  Or not.  I am not a spokesperson for WW (I will leave that to Jennifer What's-her-name and Jessica Who's-she-again). It is just something that works for me. It makes sense in my brain.  I only tell you this to give you fair warning that there may be a bit more focus on weight-friendly meals and snacks in the upcoming weeks.  And since I now understand the new PointsPlus program and have access to the tools again, I can offer my calculation of PointsPlus values, for those of you who care.

I am back at a company I last worked for in December 1999, a company I did not expect myself to work for again.  The division I work in was purchased by this company, so I was part of a large (6000 person) package deal.  The job is the same and so far, so is everything else, except my e-mail address and the name of the company signing my paycheck.  It will be an interesting few months (or years) as the transition continues.  That's all I am saying about that.

We have a beautiful almost-complete new bathroom at our house.  A few smaller projects to finish up in there, but is 90% functional and I love how it turned out. Earlier today I was happily (!) scrubbing the new toilet and new tub.  When was the last time I happily scrubbed anything?  I think my favorite part about the room is the radiant heat in the floor.  Or maybe the tile.  Or the lights.  The tub?  The dual flush toilet?  The gleaming new vanity and sink? Oh, never mind.  I love it all.

I am participating in the Buttoned Up Boot camp which is a 30 day program to help "kick chaos to the curb".  Day 12 and so far, so good.  Today, I took 3 large boxes and 4 full grocery bags full of donations to the library and Goodwill.  One of the things was a Sing and Snore Ernie (not sure why I had a Sing and Snore Ernie, but anyway...).  When Ernie sits up, he proclaims, "I feel great!"  When he lies down and you squeeze his hand, that is when he does the singing and snoring.  He really is quite cute.  (Do I need to go back to Goodwill and buy him back??) So I was driving down the road, with Ernie in a grocery bag in the passenger seat, and every time I stopped, started or otherwise made the truck jostle, Ernie said, "I feel great!"  The first few times, I chuckled and said, "That's great, Ernie!"  By about the 10th time, I was getting a little annoyed and stopped responding.  By about the 20th time, I was grumbling, "Who asked you, Ernie?"  When I got to Goodwill, I warned the kid working there that Ernie was in one of the bags and kept talking.  Fortunately, he seemed to know what I meant and just laughed and thanked me for the warning.

The one other new thing is that I have quit one of my book clubs.  There were lots of reasons for this so it was something that needed to be done.  And now it has been and I don't know that anyone is sad about it.  It was the Friday night dinner book club (formerly Saturday morning breakfast club), in case you are keeping score at home.  We are starting year 17 of the Sunday night book club, I believe (is that right?  If we started in 1997... yes, I think that is right).  We are reading Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer.  And then I am watching the movie, because Brad Pitt is in it and I think he is scrumptious.

Now on to the 2012 predictions in review.  If you recall, last January I made predictions for the then-new year.  You can read the whole post here if you don't remember why I make predictions.  How did I do?  Results are after each prediction below, posted in bold.

• I will read at least 3 books each month, a combination of challenging/thought-provoking books, comforting re-reads of old favorites, and as-of-yet undiscovered new favorites. I read 44 books total, most of which I blogged about and which were a good mix of the different types. 
• I will make at least one new recipe each month to expand my menu options, enhance my culinary skills, and explore new techniques and cuisines.  I did pretty well with this, though I will admit I forgot to keep track of the new recipes.  There is still room for growth on the enhancement of culinary skills and the exploration of new techniques and cuisines, but I did much better with the veggies in the CSA this year and tried a number of new things related to that.
• I will make Christmas gifts. (This will involve gifts for at least 10 people and since what I am thinking of doing involves 2 for each one, I best get started on this prediction soon! Also included in this prediction is "I will spend more time knitting.") If this had been a resolution instead of a prediction, I would have received a "fail".  I only made a couple of gifts for Christmas and it was not at all what I had been thinking of.  I did, however, spend some time knitting and will post some of those things in later blog entry.
• I will learn to play the bass.  I started out okay on this one, but then lost it somewhere along the way.  Will need to pick it back up again.
• I will spend more time scrap booking. (The March retreat weekend is already planned. I predict at least 4 other dedicated days of scrapping throughout the year will occur, with family and with friends, at my house and at Archivers or other locations.)  Well, maybe 2 other days besides the retreat - once with my mom and sister and once working with E on a calendar for him.  At least I think that was in 2012...
• I will write more often, to include this blog, my journal and free-writing exercises. I predicted the blog part, but other writing, not so much.  Maybe in 2013...
• I will plan, plant, nurture and grow 2 raised vegetable beds.  With the help of E, this was a success.  Well, the peppers not so much, and there was the trouble with the corn, but everything else did well.
• I will participate in at least one plant swap.  The May city swap.  I didn't plan a fall swap.
• I will plan the "stump garden". The stump garden has been all drawn out.  Maybe I didn't do it myself, but I contributed my ideas and helped with the beginnings of the planting. 
• I will start and continue my garden journal.  Errrr... Where is that thing, again?
• I will visit at least one city I have never been to before. This was a cheater prediction because I had already been to one city (Phoenix) that I had never been by the time I made the prediction, but we did also have our trip to Colorado which involved many places I had never been. 
• I will spend at least one night in the Hermitage cabin at Amnicon.  Nope, didn't happen.  Maybe this year.  I do so love those little cabins.

That is probably enough for you to read for today.  Look for 2013 predictions soon.  I also plan to blog my top reads of 2012 and post pictures of some of my favorite knitty and crafty gifts given.

Until we eat again,
Hallie

Recipes for a Pampered Chef party

Eating: The other day, I hosted a Pampered Chef party, the first one in 4 years.  I had a terrific turnout with a really fun bunch of friends.  Since it was around lunchtime and the recipe demonstrated was a salad, I decided to supplement with some additional food.  I like to feed people, what can I say?  I think I inherited it from my grandma.  Many people asked for recipes so here they are.

Thai Chicken Salad - This was the recipe demonstrated.  I somehow did not get a copy of the recipe so this is what I remember it being - one of the party attendees who received the recipe can correct where I am wrong.  Also, the consultant said something about serving the chicken part with rice for a meal - not sure if that is just the chicken or with some of the veggies or what.  I really liked this salad and am happy to have enough of everything that I can make it again!
Chop 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts into about 1" cubes.  Cook in skillet with a little olive oil until no longer pink. 
Pour 3/4 C. creamy poppyseed dressing into a small bowl or measuring cup.  Grate 1" of fresh gingerroot (can leave the skin on) - squeeze the juice from the ginger into the dressing.  Add 3 cloves of garlic, pressed.  Stir.  Pour just enough of dressing mix onto chicken in pan (about 1/4 C) and toss to coat. 
Chop one small bunch of fresh basil and about 1/4 C. peanuts together (in the Manual Foodprocessor, if you have one).  Stir that in with chicken.
In a large bowl, combine a 6-8oz bag baby spinach, one 8-10oz bag of brocolli slaw, 1/2 red pepper diced, and 1/2 medium cucumber sliced and halved.  Add in the chicken mixture.  Pour on remaining dressing mix and toss all together. 

Chicken Rice Soup - I won't post my chicken soup recipe again - you can read it here.  This time I added some cooked brown rice, frozen peas, and sliced zucchini.  I made the stock and cooked the chicken the night before, then put all the ingredients in the crock pot and heated it for lunch.  It was not my best soup effort ever - stock was weak and soup overall kind of bland.  Sorry, for those who ate it - I can do better.  I also apologize for the coffee - I had trouble with the new grinder and ended up with brown slightly coffee-flavored water.

Taffy Apple Pizza - This recipe goes back to the days when I was selling Pampered Chef, around 2002/2003.  I made this recipe at all my first shows.  Easy and yummy, it is "old school Pampered Chef".  It helps to let the cookie dough and the cream cheese soften at room temperature.
Spread the contents of one tube (18oz) of sugar cookie dough onto pizza stone with a rolling pin until you have a 14" circle.  Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes.  Carefully loosen cookie from stone using a serrated bread knife.  Cool completely.
Combine one 8oz package cream cheese, 1/2 C packed brown sugar, 1/4 C creamy peanut butter and 1/4 tsp vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread mixture evenly over the cookie.
Peel, core and slice 2 medium apples (the recipe says "Granny Smith" apples but that is mainly because they work the best with the Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer.  Any good crisp apples will work - I used Gala.)  Arrange apples evenly over cream cheese mixture.
Heat 1/4 C caramel ice cream topping in microwave on High for 30-45 seconds, or until warm.  Drizzle over apples.  Top with 1/2 C peanuts, chopped.  Cut into wedges with pizza cutter and serve.


Reading: I am nearly done with the book for Sunday bookclub (which will meet Saturday this week for our annual potluck), The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang.  It is the memoir of a Hmong woman and her family who comes to Minnesota from Laos (by way of Thailand) in the mid 80s as refugees.  She tells the story of her family's escape from Laos, about life in the refugee camp where she was born and lived the first 6 years of her life ("camp" makes it sound like a better place than it was), how they came to Minnesota with virtually nothing but a debt to pay for their flights to the US.  She ties in a lot of cultural information along with the story of the family's struggle to adapt, to learn the language, to find work and raise their children.  I really am enjoying this book.

I am also almost done with Winnie the Pooh - just one more chapter/story.  I have to finish it by the end of the night tomorrow to meet my 2012 prediction of reading 3 books per month.  Wouldn't want to miss that predicition in the first month.  That would be like a new year's resolution then!

Well, off to read.  I'll have a new recipe for you next time, and promise it is easy, tasty, and gives you another option for what to do with chicken. 

Until we eat again,
Hallie

Predictions for a new year

A new year, some new plans.  I don't want a new me (I kind of like the current me) but am open to opportunities for improvement and growth. A family I worked for right after college made new year's "predictions" instead of resolutions and did this together as a family.  I liked this idea so much that I did it for a number of years.  I kept the predictions in my journal and then at the end of the year reflected on them.  The first year I did predictions (the year I worked for the people who introduced me to the idea), one of my predictions was something to the effect that "I predict I will not be working here anymore" and then made that come true.  Predictions work as goals, dreams, plans and inspirations.  They are strong "I will" statements.  I am going to try them out again. 

Some of my favorites from past years: I will learn to knit a Norwegian sweater. (I not only learned how but made 2 of them that year and another a few years later). 
I will keep in touch better with people she cares about and forget those who cause pain and emotional drain.
I will be more outgoing and ask out more interesting men. (Took a couple years but finally met and asked out my favorite one!)
I will control my finances better, save more, and spend less at Target.  (Makes me laugh, this one.  Especially when Target's tagline became "save more, spend less" or whatever it is.  And I still need to spend less at Target...)

This year's predictions:
Reading: I will read at least 3 books each month, a combination of challenging/though-provoking books, comforting re-reads of old favorites, and as-of-yet undiscovered new favorites.

Eating:  I will make at least one new recipe each month to expand my menu options, enhance my culinary skills, and explore new techniques and cuisines.
Creating: I will make Christmas gifts.  (This will involve gifts for at least 10 people and since what I am thinking of doing involves 2 for each one, I best get started on this prediction soon!  Also included in this prediction is "I will spend more time knitting.")
I will learn to play the bass.

I will spend more time scrapbooking.  (The March retreat weekend is already planned.  I predict at least 4 other dedicated days of scrapping throughout the year will occur, with family and with friends, at my house and at Archivers or other locations.)

I will write more often, to include this blog, my journal and free-writing exercises. 

Weeding: I will plan, plant, nurture and grow 2 raised vegetable beds.

I will participate in at least one plant swap.

I will plan the "stump garden".

I will start and continue my garden journal.

Travel : I will visit at least one city I have never been to before. 

I will spend at least one night in the Hermitage cabin at Amnicon.


That is probably enough sharing of my predictions.  What are some of yours?