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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Will the recipes ever end?

{BRUSHETTA}

1 baguette, split lengthwise
1/3 cup Italian dressing
3 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Dried basil to taste

Heat broiler. With cut side up, toast bread lightly under broiler. Combine dressing, tomatoes and onion; spoon over toasted bread; sprinkle with cheese and basil. Broil 2-3 minutes until heated through. Cut into 5cm slices. Makes 20 slices.
From: Mom

This is a fast simple one.  I believe it may be a Kraft recipe.  I am thinking that people are getting tired of recipes.  I guess I need to get busy and do some scrap pages.  I am enjoying the fact that I am getting my recipes typed out but perhaps I am boring my huge blog audience. 

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Recipe

{CARRIE’S WONDERFUL SPRING SALAD}

Romaine lettuce
Shredded parmesan
Candied walnuts
Dried cranberries
1 apple
1 pear
Dressing
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp chopped onion
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup oil
1 tbsp poppy seeds

Add all the dressing ingredients together, except oil and poppy seed in a blender. Slowly add oil then poppy seeds. Toss over salad.
From: Dayla Bergh

This is my all time favorite salad.  My wonderful friend Dayla brought it over for us shortly after we had Abi.  That is one of the best gifts ever when someone brings you a meal after you have had a baby.  I have made this salad many many times.  I love it.  The dressing will keep in the fridge but the whole salad mixed together just becomes a big mess if you try and save it. 

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Why am I doing this?

I decided to type out all my recipes so I can hand them down to my daughter and also to make it easier for when people ask for the recipe.  What I need to do is start taking pictures of the food.  Lately I have been using a lot of recipes out of this cookbook my Mom lent me. It is called Eat, Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski.  I am going to put one on here today that I made last night.  I thought it was really good.  It also took me a while to make so we didn't end up eating till 7pm when we usually eat at 5:30pm.  So my hunger probably helped but I also believe it is just a good one. 

{MEXICAN LASAGNA}

1 ½ lbs extra-lean ground chicken
1 cup each diced red onions and diced green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup frozen or canned corn
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cups your favorite tomato pasta sauce
1 cup medium salsa
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
4 large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1 ½ cups packed shredded light old (sharp) cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 cup light sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large, non-stick pot or skillet, cook ground chicken, onions, green pepper, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces of chicken as its cooking. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, salsa, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/3 sauce mixture over bottom of casserole dish. Top with ½ the tortillas, overlapping and cutting them as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, followed by ½ the cheese. Cover cheese with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. Let lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing for easier serving. Top each piece with a dollop of sour cream.
Makes 8 servings
PER SERVING
CAL 319; TOTAL FAT 7.9g; SATURATED FAT 3.7g; PROTEIN 31g; CARBOHYDRATE 30g; FIBER 5.5g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; SODIUM 749mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I of course used ground turkey.  I use ground turkey for a lot of recipes.  I also added a bit more cheese than called for.  I know it is suppose to be a healthy recipe but come on people now.  I love cheese.  I think I could probably be a vegetarian but I would really not be able to handle being a vegan.  I need my cheese.  Since I didn't add my recipe from yesterday I will add that too. 

{PIZZA DOUGH}

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flax meal or ground flaxseed
1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp) Fleischmann’s quick-rising yeast
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup very warm water
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp liquid honey
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tbsp cornmeal
In a medium bowl, combine both flours, flax meal, yeast, and salt. Mix well. Measure warm water in measuring cup, and then stir in olive oil and honey. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Spray another medium bowl with olive oil spray and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, spray a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil spray and dust with cornmeal. When dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to prepared pizza pan. You can top it with your favorite toppings at this point and bake in a 425 degree F oven for about 15 minutes. Or, prick crust in several places with a fork and bake untopped for 6 minutes. Remove crust from oven, top with your favorite sauce and toppings, then slide pizza directly onto middle oven rack and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
Makes 1 12 inch pizza crust
PER SERVING (1/8 CRUST)
CAL 122; TOTAL FAT 2.8g; SATURATED FAT 0.3g; PROTEIN 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 21g; FIBER 2.6g; CHOLESTEROL 0mg; SODIUM 148mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

Also from the same cookbook.  This is a soft pizza dough and it is healthy. 
Are you getting tired of my recipes yet?  Are you wondering if I scrap book anymore?  I got some recent pictures from Winkflash the other day that I need to catch up on with my Project Life.  I am so excited for her new designs and all the new goodies she is going to have.  Yippee

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Recipe of the day

{WAFFLES}

Blend of sift together
1 ½ cups pre-sifted flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Combine
2 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup melted butter or margarine

Add liquids to dry ingredients. Beat just until smooth. Heat waffle iron as directed by the manufacturer. Pour batter into hot waffle iron. (About 1 cup of batter for a 9” square iron, and ½ cup for a 7” round iron.) Bake until the waffle stops steaming. Serve hot, with butter and syrup.
Yield: 3-9”waffles or 6-7” waffles.
From: Purity Cookbook

This recipe is from a Canadian cookbook first published in the 60s.  Our waffle iron beeps when the waffles are done so I don't have to watch them.  We had these this morning.  I usually add a tsp of vanilla to the mix.  I like these much better than the mixes you buy in the store.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Recipe of the day

{KEN’S SPICY CURRY CHICKEN}

2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk
2 tbsp green curry paste (I use 1 tbsp)
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
3 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Over medium heat, whisk coconut milk and curry paste together in a large saucepan. Simmer for 5 min. Stir in chicken broth, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, and chicken. Season with fish sauce and basil. Simmer for 10 more minutes, or until chicken is cooked, yet still tender.
Serves 6
From: all recipes.com

I haven't made this one in a while.  It is a great one pot meal.  I only use half of the curry paste because I am a wimp when it comes to hot stuff.  You can use light coconut milk but it turns out runny and just not as rich of course.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Recipe of the day

{BEST EVER MEAT LOAF}

2 eggs
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 slices bread crumbs
1 onion shredded
½ cup grated cheese
1 ½ lb ground beef
Topping
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
1 tbsp mustard

Mix together with the exception of topping. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes then take out of oven and add the topping. Bake for the remaining 15 minutes.
From: My Aunty Adele

This is one of those recipes that I don't even look at anymore.  I don't shred the onion because it makes me to teary eyed.  I just chop it up well.  I usually use a bit more cheese and some garlic powder and seasoning salt.  I also use ground turkey most of the time.  Thanks for stopping in.  Stay classy San Diego.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Recipe of the day and some pages

{GARLIC-HERB MASHED POTATOES}

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
¼ cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese (such as Alouette light)
½ cup fat-free milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes; prick several times with a small knife. Place on a microwave-safe platter. Microwave on HIGH 6 minutes or until tender. Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Add cheese and remaining ingredients, and mash to desired consistency. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ½ cup)

Per serving: CAL 117; FAT 2.2g; PRO 4.1g; CARB 20.6g; FIB 2.8g; CHOL 8mg; IRON 0.7mg; SOD 203mg; CALC 65mg
From: Weight Watchers
Another yummy fast recipe.  I actually don't microwave my potatoes for this one.  I just boil them.  When I do microwave potatoes I wrap them in papertowel and do them 3 minutes then flip them then another 3 minutes. 

Just thought I would add some photos of my recent pages.  Super fast pages.  With all the recipes I have posted people might think this is a recipe blog and not a scrapbooking blog.  The Easter pages are going to go in my Project Life scrap book.  I have ordered more recent pictures from Winkflash but other than that I am caught up for 2010.  Can you believe it?  I am sure you are sick and tired of me talking about Project Life but I have never been caught up before.  Of course I am still way behind on previous years but I am trying not to focus on that.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Recipe of the day

{OVEN FRIED CHICKEN}
3 slices 100% whole wheat bread
2 tbsp barbecue chicken seasoning, divided
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp dried thyme
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup fat-free egg substitute or 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and 6 skinless chicken drumsticks
Olive or canola oil cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Move oven rack to bottom third of oven. Tear bread into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse on and off until bread is reduced to fluffy crumbs. You should have about 1 ½ cups bread crumbs. Transfer bread crumbs to a shallow bowl and add 1 tbsp barbecue chicken seasoning, parmesan cheese, and thyme. Mix well and set aside. In another shallow bowl, mix together flour and remaining barbecue chicken seasoning and set aside. Pour egg substitute into another shallow bowl. Working one chicken piece at a time, roll it first in flour mixture, and then dip it in beaten egg. Shake off excess egg, then coat chicken in seasoned crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. (It can get messy, so hang in there.) Spray chicken pieces with a light coating of cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes, until crumbs are lightly browned and chicken is no longer pink in the center.
Makes 6 servings. One piece of chicken per serving.
PER SERVING: CAL 250; TOTAL FAT 7g; SATURATED FAT 2g; PROTEIN 23g; CARBOHYDRATE 11g; FIBER 1.4g; CHOLESTEROL 113mg; SODIUM 776mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I made this one for dinner tonight. Chad enjoyed it. I am going to try it again with boneless chicken breast.

I did two pages last night at the craft night but I just need to add the journaling and then I can post them. Thanks for stopping in.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Craft Night

I get to go to a craft night at a friend's house tonight. I am so excited. I plan on working on some pictures of my daughter. Ha Ha. Do I ever do anything else you ask? Not very often. I should do Cathy Zielske's class about scrapping about me. Anyway. Thank you for checking in.

Recipe of the day

{GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF}

Sauté in a non-stick pan:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, diced
2 cups fresh or 1 can (10 oz) mushrooms, reserve juice
Add and simmer until heated through:
2 cups ground beef, cooked
1 tbsp paprika
1 cup liquid (juice from canned mushrooms plus beef broth to make 1 cup)
Mix together:
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt

Stir into stroganoff. Heat until sauce thickens.
Makes 4 servings
From: Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes by Laura Kalina and Cheryl Christian

I serve this over whole wheat egg noodles. I also make it with ground turkey. Very yummy for a healthy meal.

Another recipe a day late

{CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SOUP}

1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 2 large)
2 tsp minced garlic
4 cups small cauliflower florets
1 ½ cups peeled, cubed sweet potato
1 ½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked brown and wild rice blend
1 cup evaporated 2% milk
½ cup packed shredded light Swiss cheese (2 oz)

Heat butter in a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic. Cook and stir until leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, sweet potato, curry, and cumin. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed soup to pot with remaining soup and mix well. Sir in cooked rice, milk, and Swiss cheese. Heat soup for 1 more minute. Serve hot.
Makes 8 servings
Per Serving: CAL 142 TOTAL FAT 3.7g SATURATED FAT 1.7 g PROTEIN 8g CARBOHYDRATE 20 g FIBER 3g CHOLESTEROL 16mg SODIUM 448 mg
From: Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski

I made this soup for dinner last night. This is my favorite soup. It tastes so good. I have not been able to find light shredded swiss cheese so I just get a block of swiss cheese. I also prep the veggies beforehand. It makes the process a lot easier. I will post another recipe later today. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Recipe of the day

{SWEET POTATO FRIES}

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ¼ pounds), cut lengthwise into thin strips
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl; toss well. Arrange potato in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 475 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, turning once. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about ½ cup).
POINTS VALUE: 2
Per serving: CAL 120; FAT 3.6g; PRO 1.7g; CARB 21g; FIB 3.2g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.7mg; SOD 174 mg; CALC 33mg
From: Weight Watchers

This is a really simple recipe. I usually just use rosemary that I have on hand rather than buying fresh rosemary.

Vacation Photos Done

I started working on my vacation photos on Sept 10 and finished on the 18th. I think that is pretty good for 27 pages and about 128 photos. I planned out what I wanted to do with the with the photos shown in this post. I kept it super simple. I even used the back of the double sided paper which is something I have never done. I did it in steps. First I cut out the photos and mounted them on cardstock or directly onto the pattern paper. Then I added the embellishments and words cut out on the Cricut. Then I went back and added the journalling strips. I know they are not fancy pages but I am so happy to be done our vacation photos.

Recipe of the day a day late

{PEANUT AND SQUASH SOUP}

1 ½ tsp peanut oil
4 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
¾ cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash and next 5 ingredients (through coriander) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and crushed red pepper, stirring well to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
CALORIES: 264; FAT 11.2 g: PROTEIN 11.3 g; CARB 34.6 g; FIBER 6.4 g; CHOL o mg; IRON 2.3 mg; SODIUM 621 mg; CALC 11mg
From: Cooking Light December 2007

Sorry I am late. The computer was occupied when I wanted to use it yesterday. Excuses excuses. I have made this soup a few times. It is very filling and very good. It is good with a dollop of sour cream on top. I steamed the squash first.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Recipe of the day

{CABBAGE CHICKEN SALAD}

1 head shredded cabbage (12 cups)
2 bunches chopped green onions
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey cubed
2 packages Chicken flavored Raman noodles-raw
1 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing:
4 packets artificial sweetener
¼ cup white vinegar (tarragon)
¼ cup salad oil
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 packets broth from noodles

Combine cabbage, onions and chicken in large bowl. Lightly toast almonds and sesame seeds in non-stick pan, sprayed with non-stick spray on med. High heat. Let cool. Add raw noodles to cabbage ix by breaking into small pieces. Add cooled toasted almonds and sesame seeds to salad mix. Mix dressing and add to salad. Chill.
Makes 10 servings-each 2 cup serving equals 5 points. I have always ½ the recipe because it makes a really big salad.
From: Kellie at Weight Watchers.


This recipe is from the Weight Watchers leader here in Pullman. I have made this many times. It is very good. I have never found the tarragon vinegar and just use white wine or regular vinegar.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Promises Promises

I like to pretend that I have a huge blog audience. Almost as big as Ali Edwards. I know how crazy I sound. So here are some pictures of my Project Life that I promised a while back. This one is done. I know I keep on saying how easy this is but it is because it is true. A 7 photo LO with journalling done.
For this one I cut out "friends" on the Cricut. I am keeping the theme the same. I use the real dial size on the Cricut the Plantin cartridge and try and keep the size at 1 1/4. I took a whole lotta photos of my daughter's gymnastic recital but I managed to get them all in on these two pages. Those pictures would have sat around forever before. 16 photos on the two pages and I did some journalling about the recital. I also did some labels that I pasted onto the photos. Another page done. In the Project Life kit she includes some double sided pattern paper. The bottom sections on the page dividers is some of the paper that I cut up. This page is the start of the process. I decide which photos I want to put on the page and then cut them up. Then I will decide which journalling cards and paper to put in the empty slots. On the photos on the bottom I will mount it on some of the pattern paper that comes with the kit. This page is almost done. I have a note in the top left pocket about a correction I want to make. So far I have journalled on every single day. It gets to be a lot of journalling but I liked that day in the life concept. Some of the journalling I paste on the back of a card or picture and put "journalling on the back". Here is another page in progress. Some pages have more jouralling and some have more pictures. It just depends on the photos I take. I don't plan it. I am very pleased with this project and would highly recommend it. I am sure if you have been reading you get that point already. Another in progress page. A completed page with some letters cut out on the Cricut. You can see the month dividers that come in the kit on the left side of the page-they are transparent. Another finished page. This one is a work in progress. I am going to cut something out on the cricut and you can see my journalling strips that I need to glue on. Finished. Finished.

Recipes

I haven't been very good about updating my blog. I have been scrapping. My envelope system has worked very well and I am close to being done all our vacation photos. I will post that soon. I know I said I would post my Project Life stuff soon too so I will add some of those today. I am trying to type out all my favorite recipes and so I thought since I am typing them out why not post them also that way I can post a recipe a day. This recipe is from Becky Higgins and it is so good. If you want to make it lower fat you can use fat free cream cheese and fat free crescent rolls and fat free mushroom soup. If you want to make it fat full then add feta and chopped up bacon to the mix that you wrap in the crescent rolls. So good. Either way these things are good. You should check out her blog for other great recipes. So far I have only made these from her blog but there are others I want to try.


{CHICKEN PILLOWS}

2-3 pieces of cooked chicken breasts, diced
(or 2 cans of chicken if you’re in a pinch for time)
8 oz. cream cheese
Salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
6 crescent rolls
stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk

Combine first 3 ingredients. Add a spoonful of mixture on crescent roll. Wrap around and pinch the edges. Dip in melted butter and then roll in stuffing mix. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce (combine soup and milk in saucepan over low heat until smooth and creamy).
From: Becky Higgins’s blog

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I think I have discovered an easier way

So this is what I am doing with my summer vacation photos. I have divided them into days and put each day in a separate envelope. Then using my sketch ebook from Ella I found sketches for all my photos. I wrote some on sticky notes and some right on the envelopes. How fast is that going to be?
I am going to put these vacation pages right in my Project Life book. Here is July 4th. I have 22 pictures from that day-4 easy layouts ready to go. I am trying to make this as easy as possible. I will put some pictures of my Project Life up her shortly. I have taken some pictures of that process also. Not counting my vacation photos I am caught up to July with my photos from this year. It is blowing my mind.

I wish I could have a full day of uninterupted scrapping

This paper is so detailed and pretty but it is a challenge for me. I feel like I can only work in the space were there are no flowers or swirls. But how can you not use this paper? Just look at it. I added my own special touch which is not that visible in the photos. Moving on.
The cards-which I usually struggle with. I just never feel like they are good enough. Get over yourself.