Day 312: Thanksgiving Reflections

I guess it's fitting that this year I hosted Thanksgiving since I'm supposed to be keeping track of what I make each day for this blog.  Of course, even though my mother reminded me to take pictures of the food, I didn't get great pictures of each dish!  Most of my recipes came from Tyler Florence.  I used his Maple-Smoked-Bacon Turkey with Cornbread Stuffing, and his Sausage-Chestnut Stuffing (though I used toasted walnuts in place of chestnuts.)  I also made the usuals: mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, requested green bean casserole and sweet potatoes from my mother, and put together a first course of Bourbon-Butternut Squash Bisque followed by a palette-cleansing green salad as a precursor to the main course.  For appetizers I made Goat Cheese & Onion Tartlets and served a shrimp cocktail.  I offered 4 different pies for desserts: my apple pie, pumpkin pie, a pecan pie, and a frozen cranberry pie.  But Thanksgiving is not just about the food, though that's a big part of it! ;)

Today did not feel like Thanksgiving.  It was very different from my Thanksgivings in the past.  But today was one of the best and most tiring days I've had in a while.  It was wonderful!  I woke up and was literally sick--twice.  I was afraid I was coming down with something but when after getting the turkey in the oven I felt fine, we chalked it up to nerves and stress.  After my huge catering jobs that I've done in the past, I can't believe how nervous I got about cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 6 adults.  Just goes to show how much weight this day and dinner actually carries in our society, in my family, in my mind.  haha!

Smoked Bacon Maple Turkey--YUM!

But onto the day...Randy and I practically had a revolving door.  One of the first things we had to be grateful for was our driveway being plowed out by a friend who offered out of the blue to plow it!  All morning, things continued to go smoothly while we prepared for guests.  My parents came for the whole day and it was so nice having them here!  Friends from Randy's work joined us for dinner and conversation afterward.  When they left, friends of ours who are just like family stopped by for dessert.  On their way out, more family from Randy's side came over for (our second round of) dessert!  We made turkey cookies and candies and played a few rounds of "Catchphrase."  I kept looking around and feeling so grateful for our new home, new couch, and the ability to accommodate more people.

So I sit here, on the couch, feet up, and trying to relax.  It's hard, though, with so many things still on my mind to do this weekend.  I'm working on my blog and trying to watch "Blacklist" with my husband, and oh yeah, thinking about writing a catering menu for Tuesday night.  Not to mention that there's laundry sitting in front of me that needs to be divided so I can wash it at my parents' house tomorrow when I arrive there at 5:15 so my mom and I can go shopping!  I am so tired, but I am so happy.  The day we remember to be thankful has come to an end, but of course we know that our actual grateful hearts should never cease.  One of my favorite episodes of Veggie Tales is "Madam Blueberry" where the message is, "A grateful heart is a happy heart."  This is something I could stand to remember all year long, not just today. 

As I was getting Abby ready for bed tonight she asked, "Mom, when is going to be turkey?"  I replied, "You mean, Thanksgiving?  That was today!  It's over!"  But let's not be done giving thanks!

Days 310 & 311: Marinated Pork Tenderloin & Homemade Cinnamon Buns!

Normally I would be crawling back into bed about now (5:45 a.m.) but I have a blog to work on, so here I am--sipping my coffee with peppermint mocha creamer, wrapped in one of my mother's homemade lap quilts (we need more, Mom! ;) ), typing away.  I was up early this morning as I am every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas to make my "famous" homemade cinnamon buns.  I come from a very tradition-oriented family, so naturally, when Randy and I got married, I wanted to create a few traditions that would be just ours, but that would carry on for a long time.  I'm sure more will unfold as our kids become more active participants in our family, but one tradition I started right away was making homemade cinnamon buns every year on Thanksgiving morning and then again on Christmas morning.  Since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I kind of need the oven for the turkey tomorrow, so we're having cinnamon buns a day early.  We can let it slide. ;)  It's a pretty labor-intensive job; not difficult, just a lot to do--making these buns.  It involves starting the night before, at least 1 hour and 30 minutes before you plan to go to bed, and involves you waking up early the next morning to form the buns and let them rise yet again.  But it's worth it!  It's oh, so worth it!  I'll get into the details of this recipe later.  First, let me tell you about our delicious pork dinner we had last night!

Dijon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ever since I gave birth to my daughter, Abby, about 3 years ago, I haven't liked pork very much.  This is the one taste that seems to have taken a permanent change since pregnancy.  But Randy loves it, I can tolerate it, and it's an affordable meat, so I still make it on occasion.  This is an easy recipe that turns out a very flavorful meat and can feed a lot of people!  I got the recipe (or I should say, the list of ingredients--who knows if it's still exactly the same) from a friend of mine a few years ago and I enjoy making it on a semi-regular basis ever since.  

1 pork tenderloin (the one I bought from the store this time was actually 2 smaller pieces of meat rolled into 1 package--I'd never seen it like that before)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
2 TB dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 TB fresh chopped rosemary
salt, pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients from the olive oil to adding a dash of salt and pepper.  Place the tenderloin into a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade in with it.  Seal the bag and then massage the meat a little from outside the bag, trying to get the marinade to cover the whole piece of meat and penetrate it as much as possible.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to a day.  When you're ready to roast it, preheat the oven to 400*.  Place the tenderloin on a rack on top of a roasting pan.  Roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or  until cooked through.  Let the meat rest for 5 minutes when out of the oven.  Slice and serve.
I served this meat with "cheesy" rice, as Abby calls it, and green beans.

Homemade Cinnamon Buns
These are almost sinful.  I used to think it was such a treat to have the Pillsbury cinnamon buns.  HA! HA!  Not even close to how good these sticky buns are!  If you're not afraid of a little work, you must try this recipe!!!  

Dough:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup melted butter (plus more for the bowl)*
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 TB cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter (plus more for the pan)*
chopped pecans (optional)
Glaze:
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup melted butter*
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon

*I always use UNsalted butter--in all my recipes!!!  I wasn't sure if I had mentioned that, yet! :)

Begin the night before you want to serve these.  Combine the water and milk in a small saucpan and warm over low heat until it is about 100* F.  (You can test it by putting your finger in--it should just feel warm, not very hot.)  Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the liquid.  Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, and egg yolk.  When the yeast is ready, you can pour the butter mixture into the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Wash out your bowl and then coat it with soft butter.  Roll the dough in the bowl so it is covered with butter.  Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Lightly knead the dough again to let out any excess air.  Recover, and let the dough "proof" in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
To form the rolls, the morning you want to serve, start by buttering a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling, and make sure the butter is soft and spreadable.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface.  Try to form a 10 x 18-inch rectangle with the dough.  Spread the softened butter across the dough, getting as close to the edges as possible.  Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter.  Sprinkle on chopped pecans if desired. 

Tightly roll the dough into a cylinder.  Brush the outside edge with water so it will stick to the rest of the dough and form a nice seam.  Cut off the ends of the cylinder, so there are smooth edges and you can see the filling inside.  Carefully divide the cylinder into 12 sections, cutting with a knife. 

Place the 12 sections in the prepared baking pan with room between them to rise more.  Cover and set aside to let double in size, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Before...

...After they've risen about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Bake the buns until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the sugar, condensed milk, butter, and lemon juice to make a smooth, loose icing.  Add the vanilla and cinnamon.  Drizzle the icing over the warm buns.  Sprinkle again with chopped pecans if desired.  Serve.  Eat.  Nap. :)

This, right here.  This is worth getting out of bed for!

"P" is for Pumpkin

You know that task you put off for a little while and then it gets increasingly hard to take the time to do it the more you put it off?  Like cleaning the refrigerator.  Every week I say I need to clean the refrigerator, but it has to be the day before I go grocery shopping, when the fridge is least full.  Then I keep forgetting and putting it off further.  Then the task seems even more daunting as the weeks pass.  (I am happy to say that I did clean my fridge Saturday night!  It was part of my pre-Thanksgiving task list and I wanted to do it before I lay a towel and the turkey on the bottom shelf to defrost.  I just reminded you to defrost your turkey.  You're welcome.)  Or organizing the top of my bureau--THAT'S something that just gets harder to do the more I put it off!  Or, of course, sitting down to work on this blog.  I'm simultaneously trying to set up my new website, which has been put on hold for quite some time, now, so keeping up this old blog just gets less appealing as time goes on; especially since I just get further behind on my daily recipe log!  In a recent post, "Letting Go of 'Supermom'", I simply listed some of the links to the recipes I used in the days captured in that post, which is what I think I'll do here, also.  As I looked back at my menu from the past 2 weeks, I realized that none of the recipes were new to the blog.  I've been researching new recipes to serve on Thanksgiving, so it's just easier if dinner is something I don't have to think about as much.  That's what good ol' stand-bys are for, right?  Randy worked late a few nights.  He went out one night, I went out another night, we both were out still another night.  The recipes I did use, though, I'll be sure to link to the bottom of this post.

Now, on to the point of this post.  The long-awaited pumpkin post.  I wanted to get this done before Thanksgiving and was hoping it would actually be sooner than this, but here we are.  At least I can cross it off my list when it's done!  Actually, I don't think I even wrote it on my pre-Thanksgiving list.  But I AM the type to write something on my list just to cross it off.  But I bet you already knew that.  So anyway, here's a collection of some pumpkin recipes to help carry you through the rest of autumn or to look forward to using next year if you're already onto your peppermint mocha lattes and baking sugar cookies.
 
Pumpkin Butterscotch Mini-Muffins
I got this recipe from a friend last year.  Randy calls these "crack-muffins" because they're so addicting and since they're mini, you feel like you can eat a whole bunch!  The nickname is fitting because just like a drug-addict may show signs of aggression during withdrawal, Randy can get pretty upset when he sees me making them and discovers that they're not actually for him.  I find it a little amusing.  Is that wrong?  ;)

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

6 oz butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.  Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, numeg, baking soda, baking powder, and slat into a large bowl.  Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl.  Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture.  Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the mini-muffin pan.  Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes.  (If you want to use regular size muffin tins, you will have to increase your bake time.  Try 25 minutes and then just keep them in there until a toothpick comes out clean.)

 

Pumpkin Belgian Waffles 
I can't say enough about these waffles!  I made them once on an experimental whim and have made them weekly since!  I don't think I or anyone in my family will ever get tired of this goodness...

2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
2 TB sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 TB butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat the waffle iron.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.  Add the vanilla, butter, milk, and pumpkin and stir.  Mix in the flour mixture and whisk just until blended, but don't overmix.  In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold in the egg whites to the rest of the batter.  Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and ladle the batter into the waffle iron as usual.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately with fruit garnish.

Pumpkin Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups canned pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 325*.  Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.  Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Or until a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

These are always a huge hit, no matter when I make them!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350*.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the flour mixture until just moistened (do not overmix). Drop mounds of the dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. If soft, chill for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie 
I love this pie, by Bobby Flay.  The graham cracker crust makes this the perfect pumpkin pie!  The recipe for filling actually makes more filling than needed but that's not really a problem--just eat it out of the bowl! ;)


1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly warm
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and pulse until combined; it should feel like wet sand, and just come together.  Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, using your finger tips or the flat bottom of a glass. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and sides of the pan.  Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is light brown and firm to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.  Whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugars in a large bowl. Add the butter, pumpkin, cream, spices, salt and vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Strain the mixture into a bowl.  Pour the strained mixture into the baked pie crust and bake until almost set, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, if preferred.

Pumpkin Scones

So, I haven't quite perfected this recipe yet!  I like the way my one batch came out, but I didn't LOVE it--they weren't quite Starbucks-worthy yet, so I have to keep working on it.  But if you don't want to wait for my recipe to "publish" here are some tips: 1) Take your favorite scone recipe and swap out the cream/milk for pumpkin puree (in part or in whole).  2) Make an icing out of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.  3) Melt butterscotch chips and drizzle on top!

Links to recipes from the past 2 weeks:

chicken tetrazzini (and mocha brownies), whiskey-cream rib-eye steaks, tortellini soup, shrimp penne with tomato-cream sauce, roasted chicken

Day 294: Chicken Tetrazzini and Mocha Brownies

We have life group every Sunday night and I feel so lucky to be a part of this group!  We always have such a wonderful time and each week is full of lots of laughs!  Of course, since I'm (yet again) a week behind in my posts, I'm actually writing about the week before last Sunday's gathering.  We had a "fellowship feast" and we all brought something to contribute to dinner. I made a chicken tetrazzini and mocha brownies.  Yum yum!

I love this chicken dish.  When Randy and I first met, we dated for a little while and ate together quite a bit.  I soon learned about his love of broccoli, pasta, and white sauces.  He ordered chicken and broccoli alfredo pretty much everywhere we went.  Well, Randy and I ended up taking some "time off" from dating and at the time, neither one of us imagined we'd ever end up married!  One day, I was watching Giada de Laurentis on the Food Network, back when her show was "Everyday Italian."  She made this dish and I instantly thought of Randy.  I actually went to my computer right away and printed the recipe so I'd have it on the off chance that we ever hung out again, much less I'd cook for him.  Of course we know how the story goes, we did end up getting married.  While we were engaged, I made this dish for him for the first time and he loved it!  It then became his signature birthday dinner for a few years.

Chicken Tetrazzini
This is the original recipe, which calls for linguine for the pasta.  I prefer to use penne or some shorter pasta because it makes for easier division of portions.  I also use only half an onion rather than a whole. :)  Also, you can easily make this recipe up ahead of time and stick it in the refrigerator until you need it.  Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before putting it in the oven.

9 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 ounces linguine

3/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Mocha Brownies
OK. Can Ree Drummond get any better than this???

Four 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2 sticks butter

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 

Icing:

2 sticks butter, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
For the brownie batter: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, being careful not to let it burn. Set it aside to cool slightly.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour to the bowl and mix just until combined; do not over mix.
Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan. Spread it to even out the surface. Bake until the center is no longer soft, 40 to 45 minutes. Set the brownies aside to cool completely before icing.
For the icing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Mix until slightly combined, then add 1/2 cup of the coffee. Whip until the icing is light and fluffy. If the icing is overly thick, add 1/4 cup more coffee. It should be very light and fluffy.
Ice the cooled brownies, spreading the icing on thick. Refrigerate until the icing is firm, and then slice the brownies into squares.

Days 292 & 293: Whiskey Cream Rib-Eye & Rosemary Cream Scalloped Potatoes

I am happy to say that the wallpaper has all been removed from that awful "wallpaper room!"  I returned the rented steamer just this morning (Monday).  We completed the wallpaper removal on Saturday and as a reward for ourselves, Randy and I had an in-home date night.  What was on the menu?  Well we started our night with some good, old-fashioned whiskey sours accompanied by veggie sticks and homemade herb dip.  I grilled up some rib-eye steaks on my grill pan and whisked some whiskey cream sauce to smother them with.  In the oven, I had rosemary cream scalloped potatoes making the house smell absolutely glorious.  And the movie?  DJango Unchained.  We never saw it when it hit theaters and shortly thereafter.  Lucky for us, Randy's brother, Eric, allows us access to his Netflix account!  It was a great couch date!  Here are the recipes:

Whiskey Sours
Using fresh lemons and lime and homemade simple syrup really does make a difference in how cocktails taste!

3/4 cup whiskey
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (4 limes)
2/3 cup simple syrup
maraschino cherries

To make the simple syrup, simply boil 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water together on the stove until the sugar dissolves.  Chill before using.
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for about 30 seconds.  Pour into glasses with ice and garnish with 1-2 cherries.

Herb Dip
Once you've made 1 creamy herb dip, you've made them all.  Have fun playing with different herbs and flavors and just keep your base the same!
 

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 TB chopped dill
salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  You may also use a food processor if you prefer.  You may serve the dip at room temperature or chilled.

Rib-Eye Steaks with Whiskey Cream Sauce

This is how we stir the cream sauce.

This recipe, along with the potatoes, are more from my kindred cooking spirit, Ree Drummond: aka, the Pioneer Woman.  They were both super scrumptious!  Investing in a good quality steak is well worth it, too!

2 rib-eye steaks
1 small onion, diced
5 TB butter
1/4 cup of whiskey
1/4 cup beef stock
salt, pepper
1/4 cup cream

Cook the onions in a couple tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.  When they are brown, turn off the heat and add the whiskey.  Turn the heat back on once the whiskey evaporates and set it to medium.  Pour in the beef stock and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk in another tablespoon of butter.  Let the mixtrue bubble for about 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low.  Pour in the cream.  Whisk and add more cream if necessary.  Let the sauce simmer on low while the steaks are cooked.
Melt the last of the butter in another skillet on medium-high and season the steaks liberally with salt and pepper.  Add the steaks to the skillet and cook them for about 2 minutes on each side for a medium-rare steak.  Pour the sauce of the cooked steaks and serve.

Creamy Rosemary Potatoes
Umm... YUM!!!

1/2 stick of butter
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
5-6 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
salt, pepper
2 TB minced fresh rosemary
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 TB minced chives

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.  In a bowl, let the potatoes soak in half a cup of both the half-and-half and heavy cream.
In a large skillet, cook the onion and garlic over low heat.  Add the cream cheese and stir while cooking until smooth.   Add the rest of the half-and-half and cream.  Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and stir.
Pour the potatoes into the baking dish and pour the cream cheese mixture on top.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 1 hour.  Garnish with the chopped chives.

We are ready!

Letting Go of "Supermom" (Days 282-291)

If I had my way, I'd sleep for a week.  Seriously.  When did my life get so darn crazy?  And how long will it last?  These are the questions I keep asking myself... everyday.  I've been cooking up a storm lately and my kitchen can't seem to keep up with the chaos.  There's always another dish to wash.  There are a million "little things" that have to do with our renovations that still need to get done, which is driving me crazy.  Things are misplaced.  Rooms are not organized the way I want them to be because we're still finishing projects and waiting on furniture.  The "wallpaper room" happens to have another coat of wallpaper UNDER the purple paint that was UNDER the top coat of wallpaper and I've just about had it with this room!  We've emptied most of the belongings from this room into our bedroom while we work.  So our used-to-be-quiet-and-calm-bedroom-retreat is now a room of loud disorganization that we can hardly walk through.  There's ironing to do, food to be prepared, cleaning, organizing, schooling, and the list goes on.  I haven't mentioned it yet, but I also started working part-time for our church recently which is wonderful and a huge answered prayer, but can also be added to the list.  Part of me wants to crawl into bed and hide from it all.  But the other part of me is too excited to sleep... new adventures are starting, my head is spinning with ideas and creativity.  We're jumping into the holiday season and I'm loving it!  But there's also the responsibility of the holidays.  The Christmas shopping and, oh yeah, I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time!  Yikes.  I better lie down.  But I won't, because if I do, I'll most certainly fall asleep and not wake up for a month--and I don't have time for that!

They wanted to help... no, really!

I can't seem to say "no" to things--except to help when it's offered.  Anyone else have this problem?  I need to learn to say "no" to a few more requests made of me and "yes" to a few more offers of assistance.  I've been trying to achieve this "supermom" status that I keep failing at.  I often write a list of things I need to do on Monday and then I'm lucky if they all get done by Thursday.  How discouraging is that?  Based on that math, I'm disappointing myself and feeling like a failure everyday until Thursday.  Then I feel like a failure because Thursday's list didn't get done.  So what's the solution?  I need to keep my lists in order to stay sane, and I do TRY to spread my items out across the week, but my lists just need to be smaller.  Or I need to put less pressure on myself.  Or how about I need to focus more on God rather than my list.

Helping me "vacuum" in his pretty pink dress. ;)

We all have "idols" in our life--things we put before God.  But God is a jealous god and wants to come before my lists and organizational desires in life.  Which is hard to do for me because I have even planned out my "perfect" quiet time with the Lord and if I can't achieve it just the way I want on a given day, I just don't do it.  Awful.  Who would've thought that a desire for neatness and organization and (ahem) "perfection" could be an idol???  ;)  In this era, it's easy to blame social media for moms beating themselves up all the time.  And maybe there is a part of the internet to blame.  But I believe that mostly, it's my own fault for not putting God first in my life and not fully relying on Him.  If I was truly at peace with who and how God made me, social media would have no hold on me.  Cute ideas I see on pinterest or facebook wouldn't make me feel worse about myself.  They'd have no power to.  I see good things on social media sites also.  Just today I shared a status put up by a gospel singer that was an excellent reminder for me.  It's a verse from Galatians, "Now do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the one I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."  Galatians 1:10

God doesn't care what my time with Him "looks" like, as long as it's real time with Him!  I have someone in my life who wants me just the way He made me--He doesn't need a fresh cup of coffee, my floors to be clean, fresh baked muffins, a nice-smelling house, a diaper change, or the perfect crayon box and coloring book.  He just needs me.  And He's the person I probably spend the least amount of time with in my day.  He's always with me, of course, but I'm not spending real, quality time with Him.  My prayer is to become more intentional about my time with the Lord, and I'm determined to not let it become just another item on my list.  And hopefully by focusing more on Him, I'll focus less on my list and therefore a lot less on my "shortcomings."

Yardwork in a pretty white dress.  See, I do accept help sometimes!

These past 10 days have been a mish-mash of dinners.  Randy's work schedule and some renovation stuff have prevented us from eating dinner at home every night.  I haven't even taken a picture of food since my broccoli cheddar soup night (10 days ago!).  I'm working on a new post dedicated to pumpkin-flavored baked goods, which is not ready yet.  So allow me to expose my weakness and say that I can't specifically account for all the meals we've had recently.  I know we've gone out, and when we've eaten at home, we've had "repeat" meals.  But at the bottom of this post, I'll include links to some of the recipes of the meals we have eaten recently that I've already blogged about in the past.

If you're like me or could relate to my ramblings, will you join me in letting go of the "supermom" status we're trying to achieve?  Seriously, because I'll probably need an accountability partner for this one! ~ Bethany

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

This past week's meals included (but were not limited to):
spaghetti & meatballs, meatloaf, chicken taco rice, broccoli cheddar soup

Day 281: Mmmm, Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

It's that time of year--time to break out the soup recipes!  We've been blessed with such a beautiful and seasonal autumn so far this year, I think!  It's been hard for me to know what days will be better soup days--like today I think we got close to 70 degrees!  I'll take it.  I love walking outside in autumn and just feeling comfortable.  And my kids can play at the parks and playgrounds even longer into the season which is a huge bonus!  Every other day my daughter asks me if we can build a snowman or when it's going to snow.  On the opposite days she asks why the lake is closed.  haha!  At least she's getting some good, well-rounding experiences.  Here's a recipe that's sure to warm you up this winter while you're missing the lake...

Day 281: Broccoli & Cheddar Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

Homemade Bread Bowls
2 TB sugar
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 - 4 cups of bread flour
1 egg white + water for egg wash

In a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, dissolve the sugar and yeast into the warm water and let stand for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the milk, oil, salt, and eggs.  Mix on low.  Slowly start to add the flour, pacing yourself and letting the dough come together between scoops.  Make sure you don't add too much flour.  Knead with the hook about 8 minutes until it comes together and isn't too sticky.  Place the dough in a large bowl coated with butter and turn the dough to cover it on all sides with the butter.  Let rise, covered with a damp cloth, for about 1 hour.
After an hour, punch the dough down and divide into 4 or 5 sections.  Form round balls and then mounds onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cover again and let rise another 45 minutes.
Whisk together the egg white and water and brush over the mounds of dough.  Bake at 425* for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting off the tops and middle.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This was the first time I made this soup and Randy fell in the love with it.  He had thirds and brought it to work with him the next day.  The kids even devoured it.  I was never liked the broccoli/cheese combo as a kid, but I have to say, this soup rocks!  The recipe is from my kindred spirit, Ree Drummond--aka: The Pioneer Woman.  Her original recipe is for 10 servings, so I cut it in half.  Here's my version:
2 heads of broccoli, chopped

olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place the broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake at 375* for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown.
Melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions.  Cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour on top and cook until the flour is absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the milk and half-and-half.  Add the broccoli and season with the nutmeg, salt, and lots of pepper.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.  Stir in the cheese and allow it to melt.  Taste to test for seasonings.  You can serve the soup as is, blend it a little with an immersion blender or potato masher, or blend it completely in a blender in batches.  I just mashed the broccoli up a bit.