2010 Christmas Cards

Very plain, but still happy with the result. Hoping to keep on making Christmas cards every year!

Thai Peanut Chicken

Officially my 25th recipe!! Another goal off the list, but I will continue posting new and yummy recipes!

Ingredients
1 13.5- or 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 chicken legs (thigh-drumstick piece) or two 1- to 1-1/2-pound Cornish game hens, halved
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together coconut milk and peanut butter until nearly smooth. Whisk in broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, curry paste, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Bring just to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a plastic bag, combine flour, salt, and black pepper. If desired, remove skin from chicken. Add chicken pieces, one at a time, to flour mixture, shaking to coat.
3. In a large skillet, cook chicken, half at a time, in hot oil until brown, turning occasionally. Transfer chicken to an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Pour peanut butter mixture over chicken. Cover loosely with foil. Bake for 1 hour for chicken (1-1/2 hours for Cornish hens), occasionally spooning sauce over chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes more or until chicken is very tender.
4. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Skim fat from sauce in dish. Spoon some of the sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with the remaining sauce and hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.

** I decided to use cooked and diced boneless skinless chicken breasts instead, and it turned out yummy, I also used crunchy peanut butter which was a nice extra. Really enjoyed this recipe!

Book # 30 - Little Bee

"We don't want to tell you what happens in this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know enough to buy it , so we will just say this: This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again. The story starts here..."

24.....Recipes!

I am at 24 recipes!! I only need one more new recipe and I will be scratching this goal off my list, help me go out with a bang and send me some really good recipes so I can make the last one memorable.

Sweet Potato & Cumin Soup

Ingredients
100mL (10desertspoons) vegetable oil
2 small onion or 2 leeks
2 heads fennel
10 mL toasted cumin seeds
3 tsp K0sher salt
4.5 lbs. sweet potato
5-6 large carrots
1000mL Vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (400mL) cocunut milk (really makes this soup special)
pepper, pepper, pepper

Directions
1.) Peel, dice, and chop all vegetables. In large pot, heat oil and add leek, fennel, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until softened. Then add potato, carrot, and broth. Bring to boil and let simmer until vegetables are soft.
2.) Puree and add pepper :)
3.) Let cool and serve.

# 49 - Get dressed up and go to a really fancy dinner....

So for our anniversary in June, Ryan bought me a gift package for the spa that included - back massage, facial, pedicure, hair and makeup. I didn't want to use it on any given day, as I didn't want to come home with my hair and makeup all done just to cook dinner and do dishes, so in other words I was saving it up for a special occasion. My birthday was last friday so I decided in advance that this would be a good opportunity; so I took the day off work and off to the spa I went. Since I was going to be all dolled up, I told Ryan that I wanted to go somewhere really fancy for dinner, not just fancy, but really fancy cause I wanted to get a nice dress. He made reservations at the Chateau laurier and Jen and I went on the hunt for dresses. It was beautiful, there were very few people there so we had the restaraunt to ourselves, we weren't overdressed and had a great evening. I had ceaser salad to start, prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies, with a delicious chocolate desert! We went out after and stayed the night in a nice hotel. All in all, a great evening, but so much fun to get dressed up!

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Flipped through a slow cooker recipe book when I came across this recipe. The BBQ sauce contains 3 cups of root beer, which caught my interest. I loved loved loved these sandwhiches, as did the rest of the household!
Ingredients
1 boneless pork rst (approx 2lbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bigger garlic cloves, minced
3 cups root berr, divided
1 bottle chili sauce
coupls shots of hot sauce
approx 8 buns

Directions
1.) Place roast in slow cooker, add onion, garlic, and 1 cup of root beer, cook on low for 8 hours.
2.) In small sauce pan, combine remaining root beer, chili sauce, and hot sauce. Let boil and then turn to a simmer, stirring often until thickened. (approx 20min)
3.) While the sauce is simmering, start shredding the pork. Add sauce to pork and stir, serve on bun :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Somebody at work brought in some hard oatmeal cookies and they were delicious, and they put me in a baking mood. I had never made oatmeal cookies before and found this recipe online for soft oatmeal cookies, and I added the oatmeal chips. Tasted just like the ones my grandma used to make, except she used raisins instead of chocolate.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups quick cooking oats

*raisins and chocolate chips optional, I added approx half a small regular sized bag of chocolate chips, but just use your own judgment.

Directions

1.) In a medium bowl, cream together butter and both sugars. beat in eggs 1 at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour.

2.) Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart from each other. Sprinkle a little sugar on each cookie and press down with fork.

3.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

4.) Enjoy :)

#76 - Carve a Pumpkin for Halloween

So Jen and I literally dragged our boyfriends to go get our pumpkins to carve. We didn't even go to a real pumpkin patch, we went to a house that had a field of pumpkins in front of the house and let not-so-shy Jen ask the owners if we could pay them and pick out some pumpkins in their field. When we got back, Jen and I cut our traditional pumpkins together, and we finished Ryan and Kenny carved their not so traditional pumpkins. So much fun!!!

Turkey Bacon Soup

I got this little magazine of all soup recipes by Company's Coming, and they all look so delicious. I made the Turkey Bacon Soup recipe first and it was amazing! Very comfort food like. It was supposed to be more like a soup, however mine turned out more like a stew and it was still delicious. Very easy to make, and taste great leftover. Picture doesn't do it justice. Next recipe from the soup magazine I want to try is spicy sweet potato!!

Ingredients

5 slices bacon, diced

1/2 lb lean ground turkey

2 1/2 cups sliced fresh white mushrooms (I diced mine fine)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

5 cups turkey or chicken stock

3 cups chopped, unpeeled red potatoes

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper (I am a pepper lover and add a lot more)

1/2 cup frozen kernel corn

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp dijon mustard

3/4 cup skim evaporated milk

Directions

1.) Cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel and set aside to cool. Heat 1 tbsp. of bacon drippings in saucepan on medium and add turkey. Cook turkey until no longer pink.

2.) Add next 5 ingredients, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring often, until vegetables are softened. (after this step I transferred everything to a pot but I doubled the recipe)

3.) Add next 5 ingredients. Stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer covered for 15 to 20 min, stirring occasionally until potato tender.

4.) Add corn and bacon, stir.

5.) Combine mustard and flour in small bowl. Stir in evaporated milk until smooth. Slowly stir into soup. Heat and stir on medium heat for about 5 min or until boiling and slightly thickened. Makes about 9 cups.

Book #29, again?

I am setting down The Shack as I find it to be boring and have been reading it FOREVER!! Starting to read this book this aft:

"Is the life you're living all you imagined?

Have you ever asked yourself, "What if??" Here, four women face the decisions of their lifetimes in this stirring and unforgettable novel of love, loss, friendship, and family.

Anna Geneva, a Chicago attorney coping with the death of a cherished friend, returns to her "speck on the map" hometown of Haven to finally come to terms with her mother, the man she left behind, and the road she did not take.

Cami Drayton, Anna's dearest friend from high school, is coming home too, forced by circumstance to move in with her alcoholic father . . . and to confront a dark family secret.

Maeve, Anna's mother, never left Haven, firmly rooted there by her sadness over her abandonment by the husband she desperately loved and the hope that someday he will return to her.

And Amy Rickart—thin, beautiful, and striving for perfection—faces a future with the perfect man . . . but is haunted by the memory of what she used to be.

Kristina Riggle's The Life You've Imagined takes a provocative look at the choices we make—and the courage we must have to change."

Maple Balsamic Salmon

Ryan's birthday was on October 25th and we had my mom and Greg over for dinner on Monday. My mom loves new recipes, and I am always looking for something to please Greg ;). Found this recipe on Kraft Canada, and it was simple as can be, and tasted awesome :)

Ingredients

3 tbsp. Kraft Balsamic dressing

2 tbsp. maple syrup

4 1/2 tsp. dijon grainy mustard

2 tsp. soya sauce

4 skinless salmon fillets

Directions

1.) Mix first 4 ingredients; pour over fish in shallow baking dish. Turn to evenly coat fish and let marinate in refrigerator for 30 min.

2.) Heat oven to 450, take fish out and put on foiled cookie sheet. Pour the remaining marinade into pot.

3.) Bake fish 8 to 10 min or until flakey. Bring the marinade to a boil and let simmer on medium, stirring often (for about 2 to 3 minutes or until thick). Pour over fish.

*I suggest doubling the marinade

*To garnish, sprinkle fresh minced chives over salmon

...

I have clearly been neglecting my blog as of lately :( My dearly beloved grandma passed away at the end of September, and then we put an offer on a house (which meant we had to fix our house up for sale {ie. painting doors/trim/and a lot of decluttering) but we ended up not getting the house :(. I've also been working like crazy and am working on knitting a christmas stocking :) But I have made a couple of new recipes, and will be posting them momentarily!!

#74 - Go to Gatineau Park

I haven't been to Gatineau Park in probably 10 years, and today I finally convinced Ryan to come with me. The weather has been so rainy lately, and today the sun was shining, and the leaves changing are just beautiful. We did an 8km walk, and a lot of walking uphill ;) It was good for Jacky, he is passed out infront of the stove right now. Hopefully come winter I will go snowshoeing or cross country skiing there.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
•6 green bell peppers
•1 tablespoons butter
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1/2 cup chopped onion
•1/2 cup chopped celery
•1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
•1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
•1 clove garlic, crushed
•1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
•1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
•2 teaspoons salt, divided
•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
•1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
•1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
•shredded mild Cheddar cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional

Directions
Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Chop edible part of tops and set aside. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. If desired, top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.
Recipe for stuffed peppers serves 6.

I quite enjoyed this meal, very very filling, easy and good for the winter :)I think it would be good with cheese mixed in with the mixture before putting the mixture in the pepper. I used just pork and it still tasted yummy. You can use just beef, or mix the beef with pork.

Book 29

"Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in this midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrevelant THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless quiestion, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!"

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

9 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. pepper

1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup dry wine

1/3 cup all purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

12 oz. linguine

1 1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup fresh italian parsley leaves

1 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup. italian bread crumbs

Directions

1.) Put 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in large frying pan on med/high heat

2.) Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper over chicken. Put chicken in hot frying pan and cook approx. 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

3.) Remove chicken and let cool on plate. Add another tbsp of butter and olive oil to the same frying pan, and add mushrooms. Cook for approx. 12 min, or until mushrooms are golden. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and saute until onion is transparent. While the mushroom mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 450 degrees and shred chicken into bite size peices into a large mixing bowl. Also, start to boil the water and cook the noodles as directed.

4.) Add the wine to the mushroom mixture and cook until most of wine has evaporated. Then add the mushroom mixture to the large bowl with the chicken. Strain the linguine, and add to mushroom mixture as well.

5.) Melt 3 tbsp. butter and add flour. Whisk together and then add whole milk, whipping cream, chicken broth, nutmed, and the remaining salt and pepper. Whisk together, turn element to high until sauce is boiling. Simmer uncovered, whisking often until thick and bubbly.

6.) Add the sauce to the mushroom mixture. Stir in well, and then add peas and fresh parsley.

7.) Put the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs and cheese and crumble on top. Dob the remaining 3 tbsp. of butter on top of the breading.

8.) Cook in oven for approx. 25 minutes or until bubbling around edge, and breading has browned.

* very good, and easy to make! But be warned, this recipe makes A LARGE amount. I was feeding 3 adults, and still have enough for another full dinner (will be putting the leftovers in the freezer for a quick dinner one day) Another good part of this recipe, you crack a bottle of wine for such a small amount, you mine as well drink the wrest of it!! :) Enjoy....

Book 28

Book 27

I always like to read reviews before I read a book, even if I have already purchased a book and this one has amazing reviews everywhere I go!

"Echo O'Connell knows that summer hold its secrets. They are whispered in the rustling trees, in the lush scent of lilacs, in the flurry of the mayflies batting against the screen door, and in the restless spirits that seem to clamor in the scant breezes on hot evenings. It is in the summer that she returns home to Canadaigua, to confront these spirits, both living and not, and to share a secret with her first love, grant Shongo - a secret that will forever change the loves of many people in the town and put to rest the mysterious disappearance of a little boy more that a decade earlier.

Grant, a descendant of the Seneca Indians who call this place "the chosen spot" has also come back to face his past. After a broken marriage, he has moved into his childhood home, a lake house that has withstood happiness and tragedy. he knows the spirits of the past must be dealt with - that of the little boy who disappeared all those years ago; the boy's sister who never overcame the loss; and the love Grant still has for Echo. But before the healing must come the forgiveness..."

Pork Tenderloin Tornados with Soya Sauce

PORK TENDERLOIN TORNADOS WITH SOYA SAUCE

Ingredients

3 pounds pork tenderloin
1 piece of bacon for each serving of tenderloin
1 cup soya sauce
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1.) Cut pork tenderloin into 1” pieces

2.) Mix all other ingredients excluding bacon, and pour over pork and let marinade for 1 hour

3.) Wrap bacon around individual pork pieces and fasten with toothpick

4.) Cook on BBQ

Birthday card for my lil sis!

Poem 29 {Quote}

"Life is to short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance; take it. If it changes your life; let it. Nobody said that it would be easy, they just said that it would be worth it."

Another Wedding Card

Book # 25

"Tess Jarvis has always been one to wing it, but she's fast realizing that her bank of blag is running out of funds. At 28, is it time to grow up? Maybe having a baby with your best friend isn't the best way to start."

Poem 28 {Quote}

"I believe that everything happens for a reason, people change so you can learn to let things go wrong, so you can appreciate them when they go right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good thing fall apart so better things fall together"

-unknown

Poem 27 {Quote}

"It's not how well you can weather the storm, it's how well you dance in the rain."

-unknown