If Heaven had a bakery...

I'm pretty sure they would be cranking out these cookies!

I recently switched to whole wheat flour for my breads, but this was my first go at using it for sweet stuff. I fully expected a heavy, dense, gummy cookie, but I am pleasantly surprised! I adapted this recipe from one I found on the Gold Medal flour bag -- if you want actual chocolate chip cookies, you should go with that one instead. These turn out more like the Chewy Chocolate Supremes at Great American Cookie Company.

Slow Cooker Broccoli Soup

Another easy recipe for your handy dandy crock pot -- a great way to use up fresh broccoli on its last leg!

Broccoli Soup
1 Can Cream of Potato Soup
Milk
1 Fresh Broccoli Crown
1/4-inch Slice of Sweet Onion, Chopped
1 Cup Shredded Cheese of Choice (I used 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar and 1/2 C Colby Jack)
1 tsp Black Pepper

Mix potato soup according to directions (1 can of soup + 1 can of milk). Wash and cut broccoli florets into small pieces; add to soup, along with onion. Chop in blender until soup is smooth. Pour into slow cooker and add cheese and pepper. If desired, add small broccoli florets for texture. Cook for 3-4 hours, or until broccoli is soft.

I love this with a grilled turkey sandwich on wheat!

Potato Soup, Slowly Cooked and Slowly Eaten

In addition to my new George Foreman grill, which I'm still trying to master, I've had the ole crock pot out again! It's been a blustery day with a winter weather advisory -- perfect for some potato soup with a side salad.

Slow and Easy Potato Soup (for 2 quart slow cooker)
1 medium size russet potato
1 can cream of potato soup
1 soup can of milk
chopped chives, about 10 stalks
1/4 of a small sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup cheese -- I used the shredded Italian blend because that's what I had
black pepper

Peel potato and cut into chunks; microwave for 5 minutes Pour soup into crock pot, then fill can with milk and add to soup. Add potatoes, onion, chives, and cheese. Cook 4 hours on low, stirring occasionally. Add pepper to taste. Slurp from your bowl or mug of choice.

I enjoyed mine in a Hull handled soup dish, with a grilled chicken side salad.

Bonus: If you'd like some bran muffins for dessert (or breakfast tomorrow) with a nice cup of joe, try this recipe.

I got a new neighbor last week.

I read a book once about a family who moved into an old house. In the attic, their daughter found a dollhouse model of the house. Every time she looked through the windows of the dollhouse, the girl could see into the lives of families who had lived there in the past. When my family moved into an old house a few years ago, I thought of that book and what the house might have looked like through a pair of 1947 eyes. I wondered if they were hiding somewhere peering at me, telling me not to hang that picture there, trying to warn me about the squeaky floorboard in the middle room. But where we once felt like intruders, the house is now full of our own memories and smells. It's our home now.

Hot Cocoa-My-Goodness!

Tonight I did something I've been wanting to do for a long time: I went to the grocery store in my slippers. I was looking for cinnamon apple spice tea, which is healthier than apple cider, but as usual found Food City's tea selection disappointing. Plan B: go home and drink some hot chocolate. It's cold outside! Instead of the dessert-like box variety, I decided to go with something I could make from scratch. (I like to think I could survive without mixes.) How complicated could it be, right? What a decadent little concoction!

Hot Cocoa-My-Goodness!
8 oz. milk -or- 6 oz. water and 2 oz. milk
1 tsp. nutella
1 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
1 heaping tbsp. powdered sugar
peppermint candy

Heat milk or water to almost boiling and pour into large mug. Stir in nutella until completely melted, then add cocoa and powdered sugar. Drop in a peppermint or two and enjoy!

tasty corn chow-der

Ok, I have to admit, corn chowder didn't sound too appetizing at first... But I had some things on hand, and I was craving a creamy soup on this cold and rainy night. I used this recipe for the ingredient list, but my version is much simpler and more table-for-one-or-two appropriate.

Chicken Corn Chowder
1/4 onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 clove garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 can corn, mostly drained
1 can cream of potato soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup (2/3 can) evaporated milk
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cooked and chopped
1-2 cups chicken broth* (or water)

*Note: If you plan ahead, simply boil chicken and reserve the water. To remove the fat, lay plastic wrap on top of the liquid and refrigerate until the fat floats to the top, then peel away the plastic.

Cook the pepper and onion in the bottom of soup pot on low-medium for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add corn, potato soup, salt and pepper (start with 1/4 tsp each, you can add more later). Stir for a minute and add broth. Chop slightly with an "immersion blender" or in regular blender -- don't puree! You should still have chunks of corn. Return to pot and add chicken (you can do this before blending if you want a smoother soup). Add evaporated milk and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt/pepper/garlic to your liking. Goes well with biscuits or buttered toast.

With leftover ingredients, because you can't buy one fourth of a bell pepper:
bell pepper - slice and freeze to use later
onion - goes in pretty much everything worth eating, so you'll need it soon
evaporated milk - use as coffee creamer
garlic - like onion, it's in almost anything good, so keep it around for awhile

you're welcome!

Hey there, folks! I'm coming to you LIVE from the "Graduate Student Lounge," where I'm joined by a coffee pot, old mini-fridge, and a wall calendar. We also have some office chairs, but I have this thing about old furniture... I kind of think it's gross. Could this have something to do with people I observed using the public couches in the student center at BPC? Probably. Throw on a slipcover and it's fine -- my very own sofa is second-hand -- but I have no idea whose butts sat in these chairs before they were banished here. No, thanks.

pinterest!

Ok, if you don't have pinterest, I want you to stop right now and go sign up. You'll be put on the waiting list for an "invitation," but that process took less than a day for me. So far I've found recipes, daydreams, and incredibly inexpensive home organization ideas!

I am all about home organization. You might not know it if you saw my apartment right now, but I'm trying to get things in place. I've only lived here a year, right? It's never too late to get your life together! By the time I figure out where everything goes, it'll be time for me to move again... sigh... I like to think I'm just practicing so it won't take so long in my next home. Last weekend I tackled my one food cabinet with immovable shelves that are too close together. I realized it took an unreasonable amount of time to locate my Sleepytime tea, so I took a desk drawer organizer (which I got from the Target "1 spot" a few years ago) and sorted all my tea/instant coffee/hot chocolate into a handy caddy. Instead of searching through multiple containers, now I just pull the whole tray out, get what I need, and slide it back onto the shelf. Great solution for a short chick with lousy cabinets! I must give credit to Better Homes and Gardens for this solution and the next.

drawer organizer = beverage tray

Next I tackled the "over the stove" cabinet, where I kept a huddled mass of seasonings and spices. I got tired of taking down every single bottle to find my basil or cinnamon, so I picked up a pack of three pencil trays at Dollar General for $1 (at Dollar Tree they were $1 EACH! gotta watch those bargain stores!). One has "sweet" things, one has "savory," and one has "spicy." Another great idea would be to label each tray, but I can see what's in them anyway. Again, super cheap and simple way to find what I'm looking for in a snap, and without my stepping stool!

pencil trays = spice trays

Today I took a little stroll through Goodwill, which I do frequently, and found a hideous white TV tray with a huge green pumpkin on it (yes, a green pumpkin). Add a little craft paint and some snazzy button/bottle cap magnets, and voila! This will be hanging above my desk tomorrow. This is my first attempt at making something I saw on pinterest, and assuming I can get it to stay on the wall, I think it was a success!

TV tray = magnet board

Next projects: mittens made out of an old sweater, and a necklace rack from a shower curtain rod and hooks. I can hardly wait!

Table for One (or Two): Chicken Pot Pie

If you're like me, you fall prey all too often to the convenience and low price of those Banquet frozen pot pies (although I REFUSE to buy any other frozen dinners, with the exception of occasional Hot Pockets). They say you get what you pay for, and I'm starting to realize you can cook REAL food almost as cheap as the frozen dinner, and much healthier. My favorite recipes use basic ingredients that every single person should have in the pantry, so I'll be well-stocked instead of spending my grocery budget on one meal. Here's just that kind of recipe for homemade single-serving chicken pot pies -- using food you probably already have -- super easy and ready in less than half an hour!

Ingredients (all of which I always have on hand):
1 can Campbell's chicken noodle soup - any variety, I used reduced sodium ($1)
2 Tbsp. flour (always good to have around)
vegetables of your choice - I used frozen mixed veggies (98 cents for a bag at WalMart)
4 Grands frozen mini buttermilk biscuits, or 2 regular-size frozen biscuits (approx. $3/bag)
Optional: 2 chicken strips or 1 breast, boiled and chunked (frozen chicken is about $6/bag)

Directions:
If you want the extra chicken, boil it just until tender while you prepare the rest of the recipe, then cut into small pieces. Mix soup with no more than 1/2 can of water and divide between 2 5-inch ramekins. Add vegetables (as much as you like) and 1 Tbsp. flour to each dish, stir, then microwave for 1 minute. Add boiled chicken and stir around a little more. Top each pie with 2 frozen biscuits and bake at 375 until biscuits are done. Note: The biscuits tend to not get done on the bottom, so it may be better to cook them for a couple of minutes before you put them on top of the pies, or cook for a few minutes and then split them.

If you're only cooking for 1, leave the biscuits off one of the pies keep it in the refrigerator for the next day, so all you have to do is add the biscuits and bake. Eating the same thing two days in a row will not kill you, I promise.

Total cost of all ingredients if you don't have anything, plus $4 ramekins from Big Lots: approximately $10 - $15. That's about the same as buying ten frozen pot pies, plus you can use the ingredients for other meals!

Thrifty? I think so. Delicious? Absolutely.

I made a happy plate!

cheers! lemonberry pucker

Ok, this one is super simple, but sometimes I forget that a smoothie doesn't have to be complicated to be 100% delicious! On such a beautiful, sunny day, I decided to end the first week of October with one last taste of summer. I promise this is twice as good as Sonic or McDonald's (and MUCH better for you).

Lemonberry Pucker (careful now... teehee)

1 cup frozen strawberries
8 oz sugar-free lemonade
     (I like store-brand Crystal Light)
1 cup ice cubes
     (even better if you make them with lemonade!)

Dump it all in, blend it up nice and smooth, and pucker up! Delightful!

cheers! frozen hazelmint mocha

I have this milkshake mix, one of those that comes in the canister on the health food aisle, and I'm having a blast figuring out ways to "shake things up" (pun completely intended)! Be expecting several more posts with easy drink recipes. You can use any soy/whey protein, slimfast, or whatever nutritional drink mix you have. My grandmother swears by JuicePlus.

frozen hazelmint mocha

1 scoop chocolate shake mix
6-8 oz. milk or cold water
1 serving instant coffee granules - I use nescafe sticks, they have a coupon right now!
       *if you don't have instant coffee, substitute cold coffee for liquids
1 cup ice cubes
1 heaping spoonful nutella
1 piece hard or soft peppermint candy

Dissolve coffee granules in liquid. Pour half into blender, add shake mix, then add remaining liquid. Blend on low to dissolve, then add nutella, peppermint, and ice cubes. Blend on low, increasing speed as ingredients combine until ice is crushed to desired consistency. Top it off with a squirt of whipped cream or a soft peppermint stick.


Drink to your health!

Can you believe this is packed with protein?

Table for One: Tangy Chicken with Shriveled Veggies

I just love a good, wholesome, home-cooked meal! Tonight's menu for one: Tangy Chicken Strips, Shriveled Veggies, and Homestyle Green Beans. This is a simple meal using things I always always always have on hand. It can be dinner for two by simply doubling the amounts, of course.

палачинка (palachinka)

but you know them as... CREPES! In Europe you often hear these pieces of heaven called "pancakes," but don't be fooled -- you'll have a hard time finding "American" pancakes swimming in butter and maple syrup.

your weekend

Another list for you. (Sorry, I know I haven't been blogging very creatively, but it's the simple things that have really been bringing me joy lately!) So I want you to make sure you make time for some things this weekend, ok?

Coffee should not come from a paper cup. Pour yourself some fresh, home-brewed java (or hot drink of your choice) and sit very still with the warm cup between your hands. Gaze into it, ponder, breathe.

Journals should not be replaced by blogs! There is no substitute for seeing your most private thoughts and feelings in ink. Use your favorite pen (mine is a purple RSVP); your journal is worth it.

Words are powerful. "Many a truth is said in jest," right? So why not skip the jest and make it clear that you're not kidding? Give someone a compliment, and say it like you mean it.

Get out of the house. Even if it's raining, like it will be here... That's what umbrellas are for. You won't melt if you get a little sprinkled. Go for a walk.

Do something you're good at. Maybe you're only good at drawing stick figures or plunking out a melody line or folding your shirts exactly the right way so they fit perfectly in the drawer. Do it and enjoy it!

Eating is not a standing activity. In Japan, you get to lay on the floor! I ate far too many meals off my kitchen counter this week, right before I rushed out the door. Try sitting at the table, or on your sofa, or front porch. It doesn't matter where, as long as you use a fork (or chopsticks) and you're not on your feet.

Laughter is the best medicine, so take a good dose. I was having a rough day Tuesday, but then something funny happened and once I got started, I couldn't stop laughing. Day improved 100%. Let it out! Do whatever it takes to get a good chuckle! (If you're like me, you have to laugh at your jokes because nobody else does.)

Jesus wants to hear from you. Tell Him anything and everything. Trust me, I'm not being cheesy here. I'm telling you seriously that God likes it when you tell Him how much you love acoustic music, when you thank Him specifically for whatever you're eating, for dogwood blooms, for anything. Ask Him when He's going to send "the one" along, and confess that you really don't get along with that lady you work with. He already knows, anyway, and if you can't be yourself with Him, when can you? If you don't do anything else this weekend, do this. Talk, really talk, with God.

Try it!

dinner party for 2

Basil Chicken Strips:

• 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or worcestershire sauce (=6 packs from the Subway condiments)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

In a large resealable plastic bag, add chicken and flour. Seal bag; toss to coat.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the chicken; saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and basil; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Yield: 2 servings. (from tasteofhome.com)

Green Beans: 

Cover 2 cups frozen green beans (the kind that look fresh, but aren't) with water; microwave until tender. Coat with just a tiny bit of olive oil, then add black pepper, garlic salt, and basil to taste. Toss in a hot frying pan for a couple of minutes until they look good enough to eat.

Rice-A-Roni:

Follow the directions on the box. It takes 30 minutes to cook, so you should start this first.

Dessert: Warm brownies served with your ice cream of choice (personal fav - Edy's Slow Churned Limited Edition Samoa)

Does this annoy you?

Hospitality: Welcome your dinner guest into your home, your kitchen, and your life with open arms. Take full advantage of this golden opportunity to give someone a casual, comfortable, and delicious look at the home life of a person who knows God. If you are in the habit of praising and thanking God for providing the meal, please do so, and don't forget to thank Him for your guest, as well!

Transparency: This requires some vulnerability, but is essential to a successful dinner party for 2. Don't be ashamed to mention an old flame, to admit you still cry about that lost loved one, or to confess that bad language doesn't always offend you... it's just annoying. This does not necessarily mean showing off your bunions or confessing a deep, dark secret. Just share enough to let them know they're not alone in being human. Bottom line: Make it clear that it's ok to be who you are.

Goodnights: How do you politely get a person out of your house? Wait for a pause in conversation, then ask about his/her plans for the next day or few days. Yawn, then conveniently mention that you must get up early the next morning. If your guest doesn't take a hint, thank him/her for sharing a meal with you, and slowly move toward the door. Thanks for coming, goodnight!

from the yellow kitchen

  While I was in Romania a couple of years ago, I kind of developed this distaste for mixes. While I do appreciate the value of a few minutes saved, I realized that summer that I only knew how to cook/bake things that involved "just adding water." I added "cook something from scratch" to my to-do list, and now I'm hooked.

  This weekend I got in a hurry and baked some of those 10/$10 brownies, and I might as well have been chewing a piece of chocolate beef jerky. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Let me confess that I still use my instant pancake mix (I only cook pancakes when I'm in a hurry, anyway), but I wanted to share two recipes that have become staples in Apt. E.

Blueberry Muffins
(I like to buy blueberries when they're on markdown and keep them in the freezer. Then I can throw them in a smoothie or pancakes whenever I feel like it!)
Ovaltine Holiday Brownies