Two for Two !!

Two posts in two days who would of thunk?? 

I'm partially blame it on Trevor being away on a work trip.. most of the week actually - he'll be home tomorrow night and then back out for two more days. So, I've had more time on my hands to think & write. I've enjoyed it although I prefer him to be home :) Also I should mention my laptop was not working for awhile then it was sort of working but now it is back in tip top shape!! I feel much more inclined to use it when it's working.

Recommendation.. soy nog -- it is REALLY good! It doesn't actually have egg in it if that happens to gross you out it's just 'spiced' soy milk I put some in my hot chai tea as "creamer".. very, very tasty. 

My asthma & allergies are going nuts with this weird weather we are having.. I'm having lots of trouble breathing -- coughing a lot because of it and blowing my nose an unusual amount for this time of year (esp for not having a cold...) so although I enjoy warmer weather for my respiratory sake I think winter needs to go back to it's normally scheduled program.. cold. 
There I said it. It needs to be cold again -- I'm sure as soon as it is actually cold I'll hate it but I betcha I'll be able to breathe.. I'll like that more. 

Trevor's grammy send us this sweet advent calender which I had been looking for one -- someday I'd like to get one that has mini ornaments in each box and then has a tree with it.. a girl can dream right? 
But for now I'll settle for the awesome one his gram sent us. We also bought an advent countdown calender as well.. I may not love Christmas or at least weeks leading up to Christmas ahem, general public. I do like counting down and celebrating the advent season. 

A dear friend of mine sent me this video last year before advent season.. it really moved Trevor and I.. it's pretty awesome. Check it out! 


 

Although Trevor wasn't here I decided to make chicken pot pie, one of favorite foods! So I thought I'd share the recipe. To be fair this is not a super healthy recipe but its comfort food at its best. & if you're going to have comfort food it better be darn tasty!

So per usual I made some changes to original recipe -- the original is actually Turkey Pot Pie  (which is also quite good) I typically double the recipe so we have leftovers for lunch the next day or maybe even another meal depending on our schedules. I also have become a fan of cast iron cooking in the last couple years some older women introduce to it to me before I got married as a wedding gift & now I'm hooked! So I use my cast iron dutch oven to make it. That is by no mean a requirement of the recipe feel free to use any kind of pan you might have. 

Chicken Pot Pie 

Ingredients

1 container of crescents
   or I often use a bisquick (see note below)
1 egg 
1/2 cup of milk 
 
8 tablespoons butter  

1 small onion 

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, diced 

1 cup green beans, chopped 

1 cup mushrooms, chopped 

6 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

salt & pepper to taste 

4 cup chicken broth 

6 potatoes (or I'd say 1 1/2 to 2 cups) -- cubed 

1 1/1 cups diced chicken cooked (see note below)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk 

Directions 

1. Today I cooked the chicken in my cast iron frying pan browning both sides and since the chicken is being put in the hot for twenty minutes I wasn't too concerned about it fully being done. It will finish cooking in the oven.  I then diced it up after it cooked set it aside. 

2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in dutch oven over medium heat, add onions and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes till beginning to look translucent then add the mushrooms and given those another 2 to 3 minutes as well. Then had celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the veggies are soft and fragrant - about five minutes. 

3. Add chicken brother to veggie mixture and bring to boil. Stir in potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. 

4. In the same pan I used to cook the chicken I melted the remaining amount of butter, 4 tablespoons and added the flour. Let that heat up for a few minutes. In the mean time add your milk to the potato/veggie mixture and let it heat through on high. Add the rue (milk/flour mixture) to the potato/veggie mixture and whisk together. Continue occasionally stirring for about five minutes. It should begin to thicken up. Also add the chicken in anytime during this step. Everything should be well incopperated and about ready to go in the oven. 

--Note: biquick mixture I often use a cup of bisquick, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of milk mix it together to make a thick batter and pour that on top of the chicken pot pie before it goes in the oven. If you do this alternative ending - bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
Tonight I decided to try something new and use some crescents we had - they turned out to be more dumplingish but they were still pretty good. If you do this particular ending - bake in oven for twenty minutes without any topping and then the crescents for the last 10 minutes. 

5. Set oven at 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes until topping is golden brown. 

It is really rather delicious! It makes for excellent leftovers. We always eat ours up within a couple days very rarely does any ever go to waste. Happy Cooking & if you have questions I'm here! :)




 

Am I living in Texas? (& a recipe)

This morning was freakishly warm here in the North East.. It was in the 50's on my way to work this morning and rainy... It reminded me of when I lived in Texas -- that is often how the 'winters' felt there.

Now let me clearly state I am not complaining.. I am not a fan of snow -- but I guess although I may not 'like' it, I have become accustomed to it, being I am from the north -- it happens every year or most every year whether I like it not... it comes with each season -- it is part of it.

Much like seasons of life -- you may not like certain parts but it comes with it, you grow use to it accompanying certain things -- it creates the season. It is the season.

It doesn't feel like winter. If it's not going to feel like winter or BE winter. 
I want summer !!! 

That being said I am getting down from my soap/rant box. :o) 

My real reason for writing today is to share a recipe I had a request or two for.. Yesterday Trevor and I decorated for Christmas -- I made him listen (he was quite willing) to my spotify Christmas list.. for the most part he liked the list I created for him and our Christmas decorating festivities. 

 Christmas 2012

 our living room all done up

We decorated for awhile got mostly everything done just in time for Trevor to watch the steelers game... oh did I ever mentioned I married a very big steelers fan (not to mention his family...) they live and breath black and gold... for someone like myself not growing up in quite the same culture, it's interesting. At least I played sports all through middle school and high school so I get sports.. I suppose some of it has worn off on me as well. 

So while he watched the game I made us egg rolls for dinner (& leftovers). He even helped -- he brought the laptop out to the kitchen and between every couple plays he helped me get stuff ready. He's a keeper.

These are one our favorite things to freeze and reheat.. they are so filling and tasty. This is the original recipe but naturally I've made changes.. Are you surprised?

More Awesome Egg Rolls 
 
Ingredients 

1.5 cups broccoli slaw (usually I use a package)
**note: this original recipe calls for cabbage but we find we like the broccoli slaw better it gives it a little more texture and flavor plus its pretty nutritious!)

1 carrot, shredded 
 
1/4 cup finely diced onion 

1 celery stalk, diced 

1 can of water chestnuts, diced 
**(optional if you have them on hand)  

1 cup diced chicken (you can use shrimp, pork or just go meatless if you'd like) 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 
** (we use tamari you can use amino acids I'm sure as well)  

1/8 garlic powder 

1/8 ground ginger 

black pepper to taste 

1 egg, beaten

cornstarch 

20 egg roll wrappers 

Oil for frying (I use a olive oil & veg. oil mixture)

Directions

Step 1 
In a large bowl, mix together broccoli slaw, carrots, celery, and onion. Stir in chicken, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger and black pepper.
Pour beaten egg into a skillet placed over medium heat; scramble egg ensuring its finely crumbled. Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, mix, and allow to sit 10 minutes.

Step 2 
Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.

Place 2 or 3 tablespoons (I use a cookie scoop) of the chicken/slaw mixture into the center of an egg roll skin. Place square egg roll wrapper with the tips pointing up, roll the bottom corner half way up and make egg roll wrapper like a tube tuck the left and right side of the wrapper on top of the tube and continue to roll. Dip a finger into the water and cornstarch mixture and take the top corner that you just put the cornstarch mixture on and seal the tube with. (this may not make any sense, it doesn't really matter how to wrap just as long it is wrapped and there aren't any tears - otherwise you may have some leakage when you go to fry.) -- bad news bears. 
Step 3
Pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, and heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). I fry mine in my cast iron pan - I find that warming the pan up on high for a few minutes with the oil and then turning it down the medium is about the right heat. Sprinkle some water on the oil if it sizzles you're in business! Carefully place egg rolls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. It takes about 3 - 4 minutes per batch. This process is fairly quick so don't walk away, these need to be attended to. Remove and place on paper towels  these suckers need some grease sucked out of them-- I put them in the oven on warm to keep them hot. 


Soooo hopefully this wasn't all too confusing -- it may look a bit overwhelming but once you make these once they are SO easy! If you have questions leave a comment, e-mail me, fb me -- I'm here. 

Happy Cooking!!

PSU -- TDAY -- SOUP

Do you ever feel life is moving at the speed of light? Lately that's how life has been for us -- our calender has just been extremely full -- which sometimes is good, sometimes bad. Thankfully in this instance it was very good.

I was super sick 2.5 weeks ago with a chest cold that had me down and out for a full week -- I simply worked and slept. (thankfully Trevor was traveling all week so I just slept) By the weekend of the first week I was doing better. We had plans with friends (& tickets) to go see Penn State football play and hang out with some of wonderful friends. We really enjoyed the weekend & by the end of the weekend I was doing MUCH better perhaps it was all the friend time :o)

We went tailgating, watched the football game, made bread, had late night chats, took a not so brisk but chilly walk, walked around downtown, hit up wegmans (my fav!!), & goodwill! We took in all that happy valley had to offer - it was fantastic.

"Friends are a blessing from God..."

So last week my 'sickness' was still lingering but I was hobbling along still coughing, sneezing, & blowing my nose :) My parents were coming for thanksgiving to visit -- we were super excited to see them but apartment was not... it needed to love & attention.. so we spent the next two days after we came back cleaning and getting ready for their arrival. Of course we were both working too. I actually had to work on thanksgiving day but only for four hours (holiday pay baby!) so I didn't mind.

My parents came Wednesday afternoon and stayed until Sunday. It was really great having them visit and having a full apartment. We spent thanksgiving with Trevor's Dads family and my parents -- we ended up with the turkey bones and made some awesome meals out of them, boy we lucked out :o) Turkey leftover soup anyone? or Turkey bisquits and gravy? yum!

We shopped, made food, ate, did some more shopping, boys played games, talked & overall had a grand ole time. I'll admit I was a bit cranky at times I was still feeling a little down and out sickness wise..

I'm happy to report that aside from a lingering cough which might have more to do with my asthma and the cold front coming through --- I am feeling MUCH better. Thankfully.. now if the cough would dispensary all together I would be one happy girl.


This is quite a loaded post but I wanted to throw a recipe out there that I made yesterday that was really good! Black Bean Chicken Soup.. As some of you know I'm not very good at following recipes to a T -- I like to adjust to what I think would better or what we might like better. The black bean soup was a good recipe but we needed some more protein than just black beans. So I added slow cooker Mexican chicken to it. Instead of doing the black bean soup on the stove for the duration of its life I was started it on the stove and then mixed it into the slow cooker chicken I had shredded and had been warming for awhile. 

I highly recommend this soup it was really tasty & easy too.  So in short I followed the black bean soup & then added the black bean soup to the slow cooker Mexican chicken and let it simmer for awhile in the slow cooker. I skipped the lime too -- I didn't have any. It was would of probably been good though.

Happy slurping! I could live on soup!

In an attempt to write more often..

In an attempt to write more often..
I got my laptop up and running -- yay!

Trevor's traveling to where I grew up -- wish I could be there with him
He is working across from where I played soccer as a 3rd grader.
so many memories where he is.
I'm glad he's able to see it --
It's a beautiful place to be - though I miss him
at least he's somewhere I love.

I am on my third cup of green tea with lemon
I was busy taking care of Trevor over the weekend
he's was terribly sick -- & the goodness of his heart
he decided to share his sickness with me
we share everything, apparently.

hopefully I can scare it away with all my
emergenc packets, green tea, tylenol, &  lots of sleep
-- i love sleep..

I've begun doing 'thankfulness' days on facebook
it was been refreshing to intentionally be thankful.

funny story...

So funny story to tell ya'll..

I recently was given a wonderful Autumn Pork Stew recipe by a friend on facebook (miss sarah)-- lemme tell ya, it's fabulous! I made it a few weeks ago and Trevor and I LOVED it! I highly recommend this dish -- don't let this story change your mind. 

finished product - Autumn Pork Stew

Today before work I decided to make it again. I started prepare everything, cutting up the vegetables and pork. I began cutting & I was off to the races everything was going smoothly. I was trying to follow the recipe closely (which if you know my cooking/baking habits isn't like me) but it was really good last time and I wanted to make it the same way.

I'm half way through preparing this stew and I get to the spice section. I distinctly remember using a certain spice in the recipe last time because I almost bought a 8 dollar container of it, but then thought better of it. I looked down at the recipe it seems I thought tarragon was turmeric. How that happened is beyond me. I discovered the first time I was making this dish, thinking I was suppose to be using turmeric that curry powder had turmeric in it & that was already in my spice rack. So that what I went ahead and used. 

So I used curry powder instead of tarragon.. it still turned out great - So take your pick when you make the recipe -- go traditional or a little crazy. 

Traditional -- Autumn Pork Stew 

or a little crazy 
  
Autumn Pork Stew 
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs pork for stew
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 small onions, chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
1 32-oz carton chicken broth
1 12-oz bottle beer (rye ipa this time)
4 carrots, scraped and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large turnip (about 8 oz), peeled and chopped
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or turmeric) 
3 whole cloves (I used allspice) - (1 teaspoon allspice)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth or water
1 sweet potato (about 8 oz), peeled and chopped
fresh ground pepper to taste

The rest of the recipe follows instructions from the original recipe   

nom nom

 

Contentment

What a whirl wind of a few days it has been -- more like weeks.

Last week I headed to Hershey, PA to spend the night and time with one of my best friends, Stevie Jean. It worked out that she was a good place to stop for the night and got to hang out with her, her husband, and their adorable dog Zola! In the morning (Wenesday) I met my mom & dad in Wilkes Barre, PA and Mom and I made our way up to Utica, NY.

From Thursday until Saturday -- I learned the fine art of canning from the one and only canning master my grandfather! We had a lot fun. Not only do I now know to can - I also am a proud owner of a pressure canner/cooker. We canned whole tomatos, tomato sauce, pickles, zucchini salsa, pepper relish, and froze green beans. So many tasty and wonderful things & such a sweet time we had. I learned more about my family heritage, had many good laughs, and memorable times. I am so glad I was able to go. Once in a lifetime kind of trip -- I live so far away & took so many trips when up there when I was growing up but now that I'm an "adult" (weird) trips are further and further apart, it makes me sad. But so thankful for the time I did have and am still having.

However -- my poor husband had to stay home and work - He is such a hard worker, I am so thankful for him and all the traveling he does for us. He was home all last week - but Monday on my way back home - was on his way away - on a job.

So as you see it's been 10 long days apart -- very long days. This is actually the longest time we've spent apart since we got married two years ago. We really miss each other but reunion will be all the sweeter. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.. Tomorrow he comes home!!

The next couple weeks will be a little crazy though work is a little crazy and I will be getting a lot of extra hours for a few weeks - & trevor is traveling again next week. He's leaving Tuesday coming back Wednesday night then leaving again on Thursdays for a 7 day job - we just found out. It's a bummer.

But we keep reminding ourselves that God is our strength and hope. His grace is sufficient. After all the traveling for Trevor - we are going to (near) corning, NY to celebrate one of my other best friends marriage, Margaret! woohoo! Then another wedding of one of Trevors cousins the weekend after in Pittsburgh. Woo, I am tired after typing all that and thinking about everything going on the next few weeks.

Then most likely fall will be upon us.. where did summer go?? I am not ready for this fall business, I love fall just as much as the next person but I really love the summer. I love flip flop wearing, no jacket, shorts, it's so warm out - I can hardly stand it - but I love it!! Fall is great just feels like summer flew by. Check back with me in a few weeks - perhaps by then I will be ready for pumpkins, apple pie, apple cider, apples, and all sorts of other fall things.  m a y b e

regardless we have so much to be thankful for -- in the end that's all that matters - We have each other - and God provides all that we need perhaps not want but def need :) 

fatal mistake

I made a fatal mistake this afternoon.. although I had received plenty of sleep the last night, I took a nap.. a very long nap mind you. I was celebrating you see - my parents are coming to visit tomorrow & I have 4 or so days off of work. So, I thought it only to be appropriate to take a nap -- and beat the heat. It was a lovely nap - but now I am WIDE AWAKE !!

Summer has been so lovely. We have done more traveling and visiting friends/family than ever. It's been so great to see everyone. It recharges my batteries each time we get to go see friends or family. As I mentioned before my parents are coming tomorrow, so we are pretty excited about that too!

In a few weeks, I am going up to Utica, NY the place of my birth and home of grandpa to visit and can tomatoes and anything else we can think of! My mom and I are taking a little mother - daughter trip up there to spend with him.. I don't get up there nearly as often as I use to, I live so far away. I usually only end up seeing my grandpa once a year.. that's not enough!

As many of you know, I want a dog. I really, really want a dog -- we have yet to live somewhere that allows dogs.. what's up with that?? Well, I do this to myself but I downloaded an app on my phone to look at dogs to adopt -- naturally I fall in love with all of them. but I am head over heels for this fella, Otto!
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/20774957
 
He's a lab/beagle mix - & I want to rescue him so bad! I even considered sneaking him into our apartment - but that's probably not a good idea. Be praying our landlord might have a place opening up that will let us have a dog and maybe if Otto isn't adopted yet we can get him!! I mean comeon doesn't he look like a cool dog?

Also my dear friend Margaret is getting married at the end of August - I am in the wedding - which is an honor and super exciting! I'm really excited for this wedding - it's in New York -- but in the country.. it's going to be a lot of fun -- I am told there will be dancing (naturally), but also fireworks! Excited to celebrate with everyone esp Margaret and Jesse!

Our garden is doing really well despite how hot it's been - my tomatoes are really starting to explode and the peppers too! We may have more than we know what to do with soon, but not yet. Much of our gardening this year was a experiment - some succeeded and others failed. Such as the cucumbers and zucchini, we picked the wrong size pot and they just won't grow - they keep blossoming and then rotting off - it's a bummer but we learned a lot from it! Someday we will have land and hopefully have a big ole garden but for now we are 'urban gardeners' with our container gardens. I love all our fresh herbs. So, we did a lot of things right and a few things wrong. I love talking to people about it, and learning what we can do better. One of my best friends Stevie is a garden expert (at least compared to me) and Margaret is too - so I love getting their take on things and learning what's best practices.

Phillip Phillips has a song out called Home -- and I'm totally digging it - it has a Mumford and sons/switchfoot acoustic feel to it. I've never been into American Idol but if this song reflects his quality he was a good choice!

welp, perhaps I should try to sleep - my madre and padre will be here tomorrow afternoonish.