tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42204546452180724802024-03-13T00:52:52.552-02:00Temple of AdventureFollow us on a wonderful adventure of life with 3 growing boys, 2 dogs, cooking, home renovations, and whatever else comes our way.kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-36686305948459355742015-12-14T21:31:00.001-02:002015-12-14T21:32:06.787-02:00Amazing Snickerdoodles<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_566f502a264a89a05906509">
I made amazing Snickerdoodles tonight just by tweaking my old recipe. Fool proof! You must try them! These cookies are S.<br />
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Cookie Dough:<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened<br /> 5 TBSP Gentle Sweet <br /> 1/4 tsp xantham gum<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 1 tsp cream of tartar <br /> 1/2 tsp baking soda<br /> 1/8 tsp mineral salt of choice<br /> 1/4 tsp vanilla extract<br /> 1 large egg<br /> 1 1/4 + 1/8 cup almond flour<br /> 2 scoops on plan vanilla whey isolate protein<br /> </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Topping:</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">1 TBSP Gentle Sweet <br /> 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream your butter until whipped smooth. Add your gentle sweet and mix until smooth. Add the xantham gum, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla and the egg and mix until smooth. Add the almond flour and it until fully incorporated. Do the same with the whey powder, blending after each scoop.<br /> In a small bowl, mix the extra gentle sweet with the cinnamon. Then, I used my small pampered chef cookie scoop to scoop even balls of dough. Roll the dough balls in the cinnamon mixture and press the cookies flat with the heel of your hand. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to rack to cool immediately.<br />
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This recipe made exactly 30 cookies using the small pampered chef cookie scoop. I would say between 2 and 4 cookies is a comfortable serving size.<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-68479950866082628122015-06-17T00:33:00.002-02:002015-06-17T00:33:44.884-02:00Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese FrostingThis morning, I was inspired to create in the kitchen so I made myself this breakfast. It was wonderfully delicious and satisfying. I sautéed some baby kale in butter and garlic and topped it with 3 over easy eggs and 4 strips of bacon. It was SOOOOOOOO good!
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After breakfast, I decided I wanted to bake something delicious but healthy to share with the family after dinner. I am not really a cupcake person. I don't really like frosting. I would much rather have a cookie, a warm brownie, a milkshake or sundae, etc. I do love pound cake but, I did not want to wait that long. I used to make an awesome blueberry lemon pound cake before I went grain free and sugar free so I decided to try something along those lines. I used the THM Baking Blend in place of my flour and it worked great. I also didn't want people to say that I put frosting on blueberry muffins so, I made a filling out of the blueberries and it created a layered effect. I put 2 Tbsp of batter in each cupcake liner and then a teaspoon of the filling and then topped it with 2 more Tbsp of batter. Here are my cupcakes with the filling but before I covered them over. I was just going to make a cream cheese frosting with vanilla and stevia but, I had leftover filling and so I just mixed it into the softened cream cheese. It is amazing frosting!
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Here is my finished product. My husband said that he couldn't tell that it was not a junk food cupcake and they were so moist.
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These are an S treat if you follow THM. They are low carb, sugar free, and high protein.
Here is the recipe:<br />
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Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and either grease a 12 muffin pan or use cupcake liners like I did. Prepare the filling by blending everything in the blender until smooth.<br />
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Filling:
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1/4 cup + 1/8 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed (I used Trader Joe's organic wild blueberries)<br />
2 TBSP xylitol (I used Xyla)<br />
2 doonks pure stevia extract (I used NOW Organic Better Stevia)<br />
1 TBSP Butter, melted (I used Kerrygold)<br />
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Blend and set aside. Next, add all your ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.<br />
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Cupcake Batter:<br />
1 cup xylitol (I used Xyla)<br />
1/3 cup butter, melted (I used Kerrygold)<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I used Silk)<br />
6 TBSP carton egg whites or 2 egg whites or 1 egg and 1 TBSP egg whites (I used Just Whites)<br />
2 TBSP lemon juice (bottled or fresh is fine)<br />
1 tsp pure lemon extract (I used McCormack)<br />
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder ( I get a giant one at Sam's Club)<br />
1/4 tsp of sea salt or pink Himalaya salt (I used the pink from Trader Joe's)<br />
2 cups of THM Baking Blend<br />
1/2 cup pureed yellow summer squash (steam it, blend it and measure out 1/2 cup)<br />
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Blend it all until smooth and fill each cupcake liner with 2 level TBSP of batter. Then, put a small dollop of the filling in the center of each cupcake. I used a small iced tea spoon. It was probably no more than 1 tsp measured. Then, top each one off with 2 more level TBSP of the batter. If there is any batter left over, distribute it evenly among the cups. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are golden around the edges and the tops spring back slightly. Mine took the full 30 minutes so just start checking at 20 minutes and bake until golden. They should not be completely golden . . . just on the edges and little peaks. Remove them from the pan to cool on a cooling rack. Let them cool completely. OR . . . if you are impatient like me, place your cooling rack in the freezer for 30 minutes. While they are cooling, make the frosting.<br />
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Frosting:<br />
8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened (I used full fat)<br />
the rest of the blueberry filling (You should have enough left to make a nice lavender frosting)<br />
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Mix by hand or with a mixer and frost the cupcakes. You can always taste and add sweetener to the frosting but mine did not need it. Enjoy!<br />
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***NOTES . . . <br />
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I store them in the fridge because they are so good cold and because of the cream cheese frosting.
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This recipe makes 12 regular sized cupcakes. The nutrition information is based on the exact ingredients I used and the exact measurements.<br />
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Each cupcake has: 168 calories, 14.6g fat, less than 1.9g net carbs and 6.3g protein.kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-13651442796894904822015-06-03T17:35:00.006-02:002015-06-03T17:36:31.421-02:00Accidental Carb-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk and Stracciatella Cookies!!!OK, so last night I was trying out this low carb candy recipe I saw on my newsfeed on Facebook. I didn't save it and I can't remember where it was from but, I ALWAYS change recipes based on what I have in my pantry and what I know to be suitable subs. It was supposed to be orange flavored . . . mine was butterscotch. Anyways, after changing this recipe around on paper, I made it and the candy mixture seized up on me and turned into this clumpy, sticky mess. It tasted good but, I couldn't get it into molds or even spread into a pan. It was like if you wait too long to get the hot Rice Krispie mixture into the pan. My husband was like, "What is that? It looks like baby spit up!" Hey! Thanks for the input, Hon! I could not salvage it, so into the trash it went. BUT . . . the taste reminded me of a cross between marshmallow fluff and sweetened condensed milk with the texture of sweetened condensed milk. So I started over and left out the ingredient that I was sure had caused the awful clumpy mess in the trash. Here is what I got! Beautiful, no? <br />
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Just so you can see how it flows. It is truly a syrup, sticky texture but smooth and delicious!
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Here is what I did:<br />
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I poured 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP boiling water into the single serve cup of my Ninja.<br />
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I added 2 TBSP salted butter and 2 TBSP unsalted butter
I added 1/8 tsp LorAnn Oils butterscotch flavor. If you use regular extracts, use 1/2 tsp. Also, be creative and use whatever flavor you want!!! I give you permission! LOL!
I blended all this together until smooth.<br />
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Then I added 3 TBSP THM Sweet Blend (You may have to convert if you are using a different sweetener. <a href="http://www.trimhealthymama.com/main-home/sweetener-conversion-chart/">They have a conversion chart on the THM website</a>.).<br />
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I also added 1 measured cup of Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate (I used Jay Robb - 3 scoops). Blend until smooth and pour into a covered container and keep it in the fridge. It makes 1 and 1/2 cups. Per TBSP it has 31.7 calories, 1.9g fat, 0 carbs and 3.1g protein
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I used this in my iced coffee this morning. It was delicious! One of the ladies on the THM Facebook page made a pin for the sweetened condensed milk. You can find it <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/275282595949954432/">here</a>.<br />
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So . . . all that to say . . . I used it to make these awesome cookies. I am calling them Stracciatella Cookies because they look like Stracciatella gelato and the flavors are very similar. See . . . doesn't the dough look like Stracciatella gelato???<br />
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I used my Pampered Chef small cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and flattened them with my fingers.<br />
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I baked them at 350 degrees for exactly 8 minutes. They were perfect!
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I love
how perfectly they browned on the bottom.<br />
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Isn't it pretty??? I ground up 1/2 cup of Lilly's Chocolate Chips to make these pretty chocolate flakes throughout.
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Yum
! NOT cake-y at all! They actually have a crispy, buttery outside. They are a great dunking cookie because they are not gooey inside and they soak up you beverage of choice.<br />
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My taste testers loved them!
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So here is the recipe for Stracciatella Cookies.<br />
They are and S treat if you follow THM.<br />
They are low carb, sugar free!<br />
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2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
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Whip until light and airy.<br />
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1/2 cup homemade sweetened condensed milk from above<br />
1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract<br />
1/2 tsp sea salt<br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
2 Tbsp THM Sweet Blend<br />
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Blend until it is all smooth and incorporated.<br />
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1 1/2 cups THM Baking Blend<br />
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Blend until incorporated.
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1/2 cup Lilly's chocolate chip pulsed in the blender to make chocolate dust<br />
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Stir in with a spoon and scoop with a cookie scoop onto your parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten with your fingers and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Enjoy!<br />
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NOTES:
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* My husband said they reminded him of Pecan Sandies. They are buttery and crisp on the outside and porous on the inside making it a great dunking cookie.<br />
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* You can just make these as chocolate chips but, then you can't called them Stracciatella Cookies. LOL!
* If you use salted butter, leave out the sea salt or these cookies will be too salty.kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-72275385886032263652015-05-08T16:45:00.000-02:002015-05-08T16:46:46.619-02:00I am doing a Fuel Cycle and . . . FP Waffles!!!As some of you may know, we have been on THM since July 29, 2013. We slimmed down pretty quickly with no exercise which was very encouraging. We also starting feeling better within the first week. No acid reflux, joint pain, fatigue, etc. Then in January, we felt like we were finally able to add exercise. It was very hard at first but we made it a lifestyle change. Just like we will never go back to eating foods that act as a poison to us, we will never stop having a lifestyle that includes physical fitness and regular exercise.<br />
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I had no clue what my goal weight should be but, I figured I would just see how things progressed and figure it out as I got closer. Well, I am much heavier than I look. By May of 2014, I had shrunk from a tight 16 ( I refused to shop in the plus size department. Like that meant I wasn't plus size! I was squeezing my fat body into the top "regular" sized clothes and trying to convince myself that I was not as big as I was.) down to a comfortable 4 . . . even in designer labels! How could this be? I was at my wedding weight (150 pounds at 5'4") but, I had never been a 4 before! By October of 2014, I had hit my lowest weight or 139 pounds. I wear a size 4 (a 2 in some clothes). I have toned up but, according to the BMI charts, I am just into the healthy range. That is a win but, it makes me feel like my weight is still high for my height. However, how much smaller can I get? Now I just focus on fitness goals. If my weight goes up, then the number goes up! But I know I am healthier and building muscle so weight is just a number. But, it took me a long time to be good with this idea. <br />
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Once I felt like I had hit my goal size/weight, I started to allow myself to have healthy crossover meals every once in a while to maintain where I was and since I was exercising, they were not affecting my weight at all. BUT . . . I got comfortable with healthy crossovers and even though I was still exercising, I was doing more of them than I should. So I decided to reboot myself and do a fuel cycle to get things back on track.<br />
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I love S meals and do them more than E meals. I am one of those that finds that E meals leave me starving an hour later and 2 pounds heavier the next day. I do not do E meals but, I will do E snacks about once a day. It is usually a smoothie, shake or fruit and protein. We also do not eat grains for health reasons so E meals and snacks are more difficult for me. But I still get those E snacks in for a change of fuel. Some times I will just make a light S meal a crossover to get some healthy carbs in.<br />
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I just finished up the first 3 days which are Deep S days. It was harder than I thought it would be. I didn't realize how much I relied on dairy and nuts and seeds. BUT I was deliberate and diligent to make sure I was eating enough and getting enough protein and really making sure to load on the healthy fats. This morning was my first FP day. It felt good to have a waffle this morning! LOL! It was really good. I used this recipe but, I left out the coconut oil and used the THM brand baking blend and added some butterscotch extract to the batter. <a href="http://homeschoolingaadventures.blogspot.com/2014/10/waffle-for-one.html#.VU0AqP50yUl">http://homeschoolingaadventures.blogspot.com/2014/10/waffle-for-one.html#.VU0AqP50yUl</a><br />
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I also don't really like syrup so I made a topping of frozen strawberries, cream cheese and xylitol and blended it until smooth and used it as a dipping sauce. The cream cheese was why I left the coconut oil out of the waffle. It was so good and so worth it and it fell under the confines of FP. I also measured it out so I wouldn't go over on fats. SO GOOD! Here is a picture of my breakfast! YUM!<br />
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For my snack after my workout, I had a shake made with:<br />
1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />
70 grams frozen berry medley<br />
2 TBSP xylitol<br />
Splash of vanilla<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1/2 tsp gluccie<br />
1 scoop of THM approved Vanilla Whey Isolate<br />
Handful of ice cubes<br />
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It was super good! I will update again at the end of the Fuel Cycle and let you know my progress.kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-65594944888456694662015-04-26T21:12:00.001-02:002015-04-26T21:12:10.125-02:00Crispy Grain-free, Sugar-free CookiesMany of you know that grain-free and sugar -free baking can be a little tricky. Nothing bakes quite like wheat flour. Pretty much everything I have made since changing our lifestyle almost 2 years ago has tasted great. The texture has left much to be desired. It is kind of frustrating when you want the edges and bottom of your cookies to be crisp but the middle warm and chewy. I have eaten many a very tasty "cookie" with a spoon off a plate because it was either too crumbly or almost liquid inside. Well, today after much trolling on pinterest and almost 2 years of trial and error, I think I have done it! A cookie that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside! My tribe loved them. Here is a picture of the dough rolled into balls.
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Then I flattened them with the heel of my hand.
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These were halfway through baking.<br />
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These are done. Nice and golden.<br />
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See the bottom! Golden and crisp!<br />
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Here is a cross-section!<br />
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If to follow THM, these are S. <br />
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Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies
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2 cups raw cashews
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Process the cashews in the food processor for a while . . . until it is warm and smooth and turns into cashew butter. Transfer to a bowl and add the following:
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<br />
1/4 cup Nature's Hollow Xylitol Honey
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1 Tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste (be sure it doesn't have sugar in it . . . some brands do. I make my own.)<br />
3/4 tsp maple extract (I use Frontier brand organic.)
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1/4 tsp sea salt
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1 tsp baking soda<br />
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Mix these ingredients with a hand mixer and then add the next ingredient a little at a time until you get a dough that is stick but not gloopy. It may stick to your hands a bit but, it should come together as a solid ball of dough.
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Vanilla Whey Isolate Protein Powder (I used Jay Robb.)
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<br />
Then fold in with your hands whatever mix-ins you like: chopped nuts, sugar-free chocolate chips, etc. I used 1/2 cup of Lilly's Chocolate chips.
Then I used my small Pampered Chef cookie scoop to make dough balls. It was very sticky so every 3 or so scoops, I sprayed my scoop with coconut oil spray. I flattened the dough with the heel of my hand and baked at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until golden.
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Let me know what you think.
kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-4422514008010346722015-03-30T00:59:00.001-02:002015-03-30T00:59:39.884-02:00Pumpkin Blondies!These Pumpkin Blondies were an experiment that turned out very well. They are low carb, high protein and full of good fats. They are grain free, sugar free and nut free too for all of you who have nut allergies. If you follow Trim Healthy Mama, these are an S treat.
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They were so moist, you would never know they were not made with regular wheat flour.
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So, anyway, some of the ladies on Facebook were asking me to post the recipe here to my blog so they can pin it. So here you go, ladies!
Pumpkin Blondies (S)
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar (I used Just Like Brown Sugar but you can use 1 cup of sweetener of choice with 1/2 tsp yakon syrup or black strap molasses)
4 eggs
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup vanilla whey isolate
2/3 cup coconut flour
Handful of on plan chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with coconut oil cooking spray. Mix the first 7 ingredients together until smooth. Add the protein powder and blend until smooth. Then add the coconut flour and blend until smooth. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 18 thick squares.
133 calories, 10.5 grams of fat, 2.9 grams net carbs and 4.5 grams of protein per square
kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-73684204058514020172014-09-15T03:17:00.001-02:002014-09-16T00:26:34.980-02:00Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies!!! YUM!!!I love to lurk on Pinterest and blogs reading and pinning recipes. I also love cookbooks. I collect them and I read them cover to cover. Here's the thing . . . I almost NEVER make the recipe exactly as written. I have been cooking and baking a long time and I know what my family likes and what they don't. I also have learned to substitute ingredients and have found that I sometimes like the sub better than the original. Since July 29, 2013, I have adapted my fair share of recipes to suit our new lifestyle. There is a LOT of material out there on grain free and sugar free recipes but, I have never found one that was perfect for my family as it was. I am always tweaking. This is a recipe that is sort of the love child of a cookie recipe from an old, stained church cookbook and the skills I have learned over the past year or so adapting recipes. I have used this cookbook for as long as I have been able to cook alone. The copyright is 1981! As you can see, it is well used and well loved!<br />
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This is the recipe that I used to make a lot. It was submitted by Ida Ropiecki. Sister Ida was old when I was little but, I remember her being a very sweet lady. She always brought really tasty desserts to church functions. I have never really been a "nut in my dessert items" kind of girl but, these cookies were so good.</div>
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My crew really only ALWAYS wants chocolate chips in EVERYTHING . . . So, here is what I did to get what you see in the picture below. I call them "Chocolate Chip Cheese Cake Cookies" or "C to the 5th"! Sorry! Cheesy teacher humor! Back to the recipe!<br />
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8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened<br />
2 Tbsp salted butter, softened<br />
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter<br />
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I put these in a large bowl and because I am impatient and didn't want to wait for them to soften, I took my cold ingredients and nuked them for 30 seconds in the microwave. I whipped them together with my hand mixer and added:<br />
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1 cup xylitol<br />
1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
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I whipped these until all was incorporated and fluffy . . . maybe a minute. Then I added:<br />
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3 eggs<br />
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I mixed after each egg and as I mixed, the batter got fluffier. Then I added:<br />
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1/4 tsp sea salt (you could add more if you use unsalted butter but, I used salted.)<br />
1/2 tsp xantham gum<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
2/3 cup almond flour<br />
1 scoop (1/3 cup) vanilla whey protein powder (I used Jay Robb.)<br />
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I mixed it all together being careful to get all the almond flour lumps smoothed out. Then I added:<br />
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2 cups sugar free chocolate chips!!! ((GASP!!!))<br />
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I know that's a lot but, my motto is "Go BIG, or Go home!" We went big! I mixed these in with the spatula and stuck the bowl in the fridge while I preheated the oven to 350 degrees. The batter is just that . . . a batter. It is super soft and needs to be chilled or it will spread really quickly. 10 minutes does the trick. I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and used my small Pampered Chef cookie scoop to scoop even balls of batter onto the sheet. I baked for 15 minutes (or until the edges are golden). I let them cool a few minutes on the sheet before I transferred the cookies to the counter to finish cooling. I got exactly 50 cookies from this recipe but, the last 2 cookies were larger than the rest of them. Here is a close up! It looks like a chocolate chip cookie but . . . one bite reveals the lovely taste of cheese cake! What a happy surprise!<br />
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Each cookie has 50 calories, 2.5g fat, 0.6g net carbs and 1.3g protein. If you follow THM, these cookies are S! I ate 3 while I was baking them! Don't you wish your cookie looked just like this?! Go! Make these NOW!!!<br />
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Just a few notes:<br />
* I like 1/3 fat Philly because there is no carrageenan and it has the lowest carbs.<br />
* You could do half chocolate chips and half chopped nuts of some sort but . . . why?<br />
* I wanted these to be soft. They are the consistency of Soft Batch cookies from Keebler. The original cookies are dense and the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of nuts. I cut back on the butter and added an extra egg. I used a total of 1 cup of dry ingredients (2/3 cup almond flour and 1/3 cup whey protein powder). Protein powder (much like coconut flour) will soak up moisture in a recipe. You can always add but, you can't take away, so if you want a denser cookie, go with 1 cup of almond flour and 1 scoop of whey. Mix it and check your consistency. Then, add your extra whey a tablespoon at a time until the batter looks right to you.<br />
ENJOY!!!kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com99tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-91354596605424562202014-09-08T01:21:00.001-02:002014-09-08T01:47:20.244-02:00A New Cookie Recipe aka "I am a Freakin' Genius!!!"Every Sunday night I make a batch of healthy treats to last us the week for lunches and snacks so we don't get off track. I usually make a batch of protein brownies and protein blondies, cut them into squares and wrap them individually. I wanted a change so I was thinking cookies! So, I started rummaging through the cabinets, pantry, fridge and freezer. I found a bunch of partial bags of different nuts in the freezer . . . you know . . . ends of bags that are not enough for any one recipe. So I dumped them into the food processor. I had black walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts. I pulsed until they were finely chopped but not quite "meal" consistency. Then I added maybe 1/2 a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut and a couple of TBSP of dried goji berries. I pulsed again until everything was consistent. I ended up with exactly 2 1/2 cups of this mixture. I set it aside and kept on rummaging.<br />
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I came across this peanut butter in the cabinet that I had bought at Trader Joe's.<br />
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So, in case you haven't noticed already, these are going to be S cookies (if you follow THM). I set aside the peanut butter and got out all the usual cookie ingredients. You know . . . butter, eggs, baking soda, vanilla extract, xylitol, Just Like Brown Sugar, etc. I softened 1/2 a stick of butter in the microwave and added 3/4 cup each xylitol and Just Like Brown Sugar and I mixed it with my hand mixer until it was light and fluffy. Then I added 2 eggs, a pinch of sea salt, 1 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp maple extract and 2 tsp vanilla extract. I blended all of that together until smooth. Then I dumped in 1 cup of my special peanut butter and thought, "Hey! Cinnamon would be good!" So I added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter and blended. Then I tasted it batter and it was pretty darn tasty so I dumped in my 2 1/2 cups of nut mixture that I had made and blended. It was still pretty loose so I added 1/2 cup golden flax meal and mixed. It was still not quite the right cookie dough consistency, so I added another 1/2 cup of golden flax meal. This is what it looked like. Pretty, right?<br />
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Then I
decided to add some chocolate chips because second only to bacon, chocolate makes everything better! So I added 6oz of sugar free chocolate chips. Not that many . . . see? I also used my small cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookies.<br />
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I scooped them onto a parchment lined baking pan and baked in a preheated, 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. I also flattened them a little with the palm of my hand before I put them in the oven so we would not get golf ball cookies.<br />
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They only needed 10 minutes. The edges were slightly golden and the tops were set. I let them cool a couple of minutes on the pan before moving them to the counter.<br />
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They were soft and slightly gooey in the middle with a very light crisp around the edges . . . just like a good homemade cookie should be! They tasted like oatmeal cookies. They were nutty and sweet from the goji berries and coconut shreds but, they weren't chunky because I had processed everything semi-finely before hand. You can see how small the nuts and seeds were in the picture below (after I took a bite). My husband thought they were the old oatmeal cookies I used to make. I must say, they were very good and hard to tell that they weren't a sinful treat!<br />
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I have been trying to come up with a clever name for these cookies and I have decided on . . .<br />
wait for it:
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"SHUT UP!!! THESE ARE HEALTHY COOKIES???"<br />
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Long and obnoxious, I know, but . . . I thought it was a good title since they taste AMAZING and have TONS of protein, fiber, healthy fats and NO JUNK! I also thought it was better than Michael's suggestion of:
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"FREAKIN' AWESOME COOKIES"<br />
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What do you think we should call them? Try them and then let me know!
Here is the recipe all in one place:<br />
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1/4 cup softened butter<br />
3/4 cup xylitol<br />
3/4 cup Just Like Brown Sugar<br />
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Mix until light and fluffy. Then add:<br />
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2 eggs<br />
1 1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
a pinch of sea salt<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp pure maple extract<br />
2 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
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Blend until smooth and add:<br />
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1 cup peanut butter<br />
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Blend and add:
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2 1/2 cups finely ground nut/coconut/goji mixture<br />
1 cup golden flax seed meal<br />
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Mix well and add in (optional):<br />
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6 oz sugar free chocolate chips<br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on a parchment lined baking pan.
This recipe makes 5 dozen cookies.
Enjoy!kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-59808441332401784032014-09-02T00:09:00.004-02:002014-09-02T00:43:14.489-02:00Labor Day Update and Red Velvet Cake for Breakfast!Happy Labor Day! Today was a lazy day here at The Temple of Adventure. We all slept in and then we pretty much just hung out around the house. It was a nice change from the craziness of the last 2 weeks. So here is my update, I am down a total of 67 pounds and 51.25 inches overall. I still have some areas I want to tone but, I am working on that on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with my trainer. Donna is awesome and I never thought I would be able to do the things that I can do now. It is really amazing. I have pretty much turned over my entire closet including shoes! I actually lost a size in my feet. It is super weird but, the doctor said it was normal for someone who has lost the equivalent of their 9 year old son to lose a shoe size. My rings are all too big and my new summer clothes that I bought at the end of spring are getting looser. I have had to move the seat closer to the steering wheel in the car. I guess my butt used to boost me closer to the wheel! LOL! The numbers make me happy but, all the non-scale victories make me even happier. Because I have been strength training, I have been building muscle (which weighs more than fat) so even though I am smaller, I am heavier than I look. Please, do not go by the BMI chart!!! It doesn't take in consideration things like muscle mass and body type. This is why the non-scale victories are so important. According to the BMI chart, my BMI is 24.6.<br />
The ranges are:<br />
Underweight = 18.4 or less<br />
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9<br />
Overweight = 25–29.9<br />
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater<br />
As you can see, at a BMI of 24.6, I am just barely into the "healthy or normal" weight range. However, I wear a size 4 in jeans and a medium or small top depending on the brand. Do I still have fat on my body? Sure, I do. I still have areas I am working on but, I don't know how realistic it would be for me to lose another 18 pounds. Here is a picture from last Sunday just for fun!
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Here is what you were really waiting for . . . Red Velvet Cake!!!
This is a "Cake in a Mug". It is an S if you are on THM. It is grain/gluten free, sugar free and low carb. This is my cake after it came out of the microwave. I forgot to mention that it is also free of food dyes! Isn't it beautiful?
I didn't make it in a mug. I made it in a small Corningware crock so maybe we should call it "Crock o' Cake"! LOL! OK, I'll stop now. BTW . . . I use this crock when making bread in a mug and it is the perfect size for hamburgers!<br />
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How, you ask, did I get my Red Velvet Cake so pretty and red without food dyes? With Cocoa Cardio! I love it! It has cocoa powder, beet juice extract and hibiscus extract in it. I use it a lot. I used it to make my <a href="http://www.templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2014/03/red-velver-cake-batter-protien-shake.html" target="_blank">Red Velvet Cake Batter Protein Shake</a>. That post has the link where you can purchase it on Amazon.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQWp_3A9FWs/VAUhNa-MYrI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/-5AIPhcOGqQ/s1600/100_2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQWp_3A9FWs/VAUhNa-MYrI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/-5AIPhcOGqQ/s1600/100_2021.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong><u>RED VELVET CAKE</u></strong></div>
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So, here is how I made this:</div>
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I melted 1 TBSP of butter in my crock.</div>
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I added 2 TBSP of full fat sour cream to the melted butter and whisked it together until smooth.</div>
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I added 2 drops of SweetLeaf Vanilla Crème stevia drops.</div>
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(You can use regular stevia and a dash of vanilla extract but, I had this so I used it.)</div>
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I added 1 egg and whisked it all together.</div>
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Then I added the dry ingredients:</div>
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2 TBSP golden flax seed meal</div>
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2 TBSP almond flour</div>
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2 tsp CocoaCardio</div>
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(You can use plain cocoa powder and add red food coloring if you don't have this.)</div>
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1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder</div>
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1 TBSP xylitol (or sweetener of choice)</div>
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a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt</div>
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Whisk all of it together until smooth and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. I made 2 of these for breakfast. One for me and one for Michael. It was so good!</div>
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<strong><u>CREAM CHEESE FROSTING</u></strong></div>
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Oh yeah! I forgot I made a quick frosting!</div>
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This recipe is for 2 cakes so if you are just making one, cut it in half.</div>
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4 oz of full fat cream cheese (softened in the microwave)</div>
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2 drops SweetLeaf Vanilla Crème stevia drops</div>
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(or regular stevia and a few drops of vanilla extract)</div>
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1 heaping TBSP of powdered xylitol (or sweetener of choice)</div>
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Whisk everything together until smooth and put half on one cake and half on the other!</div>
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Isn't it delicious looking?</div>
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MMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! You know you want some!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCyAyMqpTHo/VAUVQbTSbnI/AAAAAAAAA64/ogo0hQl7BdA/s1600/100_2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCyAyMqpTHo/VAUVQbTSbnI/AAAAAAAAA64/ogo0hQl7BdA/s1600/100_2020.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Red Velvet Cake . . . the breakfast of champions!</div>
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BTW . . . this cake with frosting is a FAT BOMB!</div>
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686 calories, 51g fat, 7g net carbs and 20g protein!</div>
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MMMMMM!!!! Diet Food! LOL!</div>
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<!--18--><br />kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-59075910341474142014-07-29T04:39:00.000-02:002014-07-29T04:39:05.212-02:00Marking 1 Year of a New Way of Life!!!This is me. Hi! This was Christmas 2010. This is the fattest picture of me that I could find. I don't really even recognize this girl. She is smiling but . . . I know that she is dying to go home and take off that dress and peel off the Spanx that she is wearing underneath it that have surely left deep, painful, red grooves all over her lumpy, chunky body that she hates. Her hair is frizzy and her skin is blotchy. The smile is hiding A LOT! I went away to college in August of 1994 weighing 130 pounds and wearing a size 6 pants. I came home that Thanksgiving break wearing a size 12 pants! NOT GOOD! So, I made a commitment to exercise and I went vegetarian and I lost weight. This was the beginning of the Yo-Yo dieting that would be the next 19 years of my life. I tried everything. Weight Watchers Points, Deal A Meal, Fit For Life, Tae Bo, Walk Away the Pounds, the 6 Week Body Makeover, Visalus . . . And guess what? They all worked . . . as long as I stuck to it. But who can stick to some of those things all the time. And so the weight would come back and then some. Also, during that time I had a baby, got married, moved to a new state, bought a house, had a second baby, lived on no income for 9 months, had a third baby, started homeschooling, started working at a school, became the administrator of the school, buried my grandmother, bought a new house while still owning the old one, finally sold the old one after 8 months of 2 mortgages . . . LIFE . . . you get the idea. During all this time, I cooked and baked from scratch, I joined a produce co-op. If it was healthy, I did it. Yet here I am at the end of 2010 . . . fat and unhappy and very unhealthy.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FO2NyRiZyMw/U9ckgZGjMqI/AAAAAAAAA5E/YrTWb5ylYFQ/s1600/My+heaviest+weight+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FO2NyRiZyMw/U9ckgZGjMqI/AAAAAAAAA5E/YrTWb5ylYFQ/s1600/My+heaviest+weight+(1).jpg" height="320" width="170" /></a></div>
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SO . . . It is after midnight, which officially makes it July 29, 2014. 1 year ago this very day, my husband and I decided to make a life altering change. In early July of last year, Michael told me that he thought he was having a heart attack and asked me to take him to the ER. He had just turned 38 years old. When we arrived at the ER, they took him back right away and did an EKG. Good news! His heart was perfect! Bad news . . . he was still in pain and they made us wait in chairs for 3 hours before putting us in a room. UGH! Well, when we finally saw the doctor and had blood work and a chest x-ray, we were told he had severe GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) or Acid Reflux. They gave him a GI Cocktail to numb his esophagus and neutralize the acid in his stomach. He began to feel better. Great! The doctor sat there and basically told us that there was nothing that could be done. Michael would have to take Prilosec for the rest of his life. He told us that losing weight might help and it was a good idea because he was overweight but, there was no guarantee that the acid reflux would get better.
I knew that could not be right so . . . after returning home at 3 AM and sleeping in, I started scouring the web for answers from wherever I could find them. In the middle of all of this mess, a friend of my mom's had started changing her eating habits after reading a book called Trim Healthy Mama. My mom had bought the book also and was going to start making some changes and she suggested to me that it might help Michael and me to lose weight and be healthier. So, I ordered the e-book and I read the book in 2 days. I am a freakishly fast reader. I noticed that a lot of what I read in the book lined up with what I had read about healing the GI track and reversing GERD. Interesting! I am also a perfectionist so it was all or nothing for us. So, we jumped in on July 29, 2013 and have not looked back. I started doing this to help my husband and in the process found that it was something that would work for me as well. I lost 7 pounds the first week! Michael was also losing weight and after an initial 2 week course of Prilosec to get it under control, he has not had to take it again. This is a picture of our family from the end of May 2013, right before we started our new way of life. Aren't we cute? Aren't dimpled elbows, kankels and Michelin Man rolls attractive on grown adults? No? Only babies? Yeah, I know . . .<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3h4I5WrOQHU/U9cww_Cj6mI/AAAAAAAAA50/MZGTcQFrQTo/s1600/family+pic+before+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3h4I5WrOQHU/U9cww_Cj6mI/AAAAAAAAA50/MZGTcQFrQTo/s1600/family+pic+before+2.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></a></div>
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Here is another picture . . . just for kicks and giggles. This was July 2012. We were SOOOOOO excited to drive all the way to Columbus, Ohio to see Michael's family and have portraits done with the whole family. We had lost 30 pounds each doing Visalus!!! Look how heavy we still were!!! We can't even get close to each other because our bellies are too big!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzZfSipyFMw/U9cwnmRjfBI/AAAAAAAAA5s/wxfU9EY2Q9E/s1600/Columbus+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzZfSipyFMw/U9cwnmRjfBI/AAAAAAAAA5s/wxfU9EY2Q9E/s1600/Columbus+2012.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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Back to the story . . . we changed our lifestyle and weight melted off even over the holidays! I threw myself into figuring out how to make everything we liked "on plan". We had a ton of success with the scale but, we also had a LOT of NSV (non scale victories). Our middle son, who was a little chunky lost 8 pounds. I was not making the kids eat totally on plan but, it was a happy by-product. Our oldest son was able to come off his ADHD meds after 12 years! Our youngest became less hyper. We had more energy. My husband stopped snoring. I could wake up easier in the morning. I didn't need a nap in the afternoon anymore. I had to buy a WHOLE new wardrobe (including underwear). I had to get rid of some shoes which were mysteriously TOO BIG. I had to have a sales associate bring me a small to the dressing room because the mediums I had grabbed were too big! I can stand in one leg of my old shorts. My husband needed a whole new wardrobe. I have actually reversed tooth decay. My dentist was so happy. I tried on my sweet 16 dress from October 1993 and it fit! I go to the gym and lift weights I never thought I would be able to lift. There are so many more things but, I just can't list everything!
All this to say . . . we have changed our lives . . . we are never going back. We have learned a lot about ourselves. We have customized THM to fit our lives and our bodies. For example. I found out pretty quickly that E meals did not cut it for me. I tried. I would make this great meal and make sure it was E. I WAS STARVING AN HOUR LATER! AND . . . I would be 2 pounds heavier the next day. So, like Pearl and Serene say in the book, you have to listen to your body. Along the way we learned what foods triggered acid reflux attacks and cut them out. I stuck to S and FP and had great success. My husband however, does better with an E breakfast and an S dinner so that is what he does. We are completely sugar free. We don't eat rice, potatoes, corn, or grains (except oatmeal for Michael). That is what has worked for us. We are happy. We are NEVER hungry. We never feel like we are on a diet. We are more fun now.
So here I am again . . . I have lost 64 pounds and 50+ inches. I have gone from a tight 16 to a 4 in pants and skirts. I have gone from XL shirts to Smalls and Mediums. The dress I am wearing in the picture is an 8. BUT . . . the girl in this picture is not wearing Spanx under it!
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See the difference in the hair and skin and lack of chins? LOL! That is naturally curly and now healthy hair and healthy, radiant skin because I am healthy on the inside.<br />
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So, HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, Honey! Michael has lost 50+ pounds and has gone down in his clothes as well. I am so proud of him. He does not like change so this was not easy for him. However, he likes pain even less than change so . . . Here is a picture of Michael and our boys. That t-shirt was tight on him when he got it. You can really tell a difference. You might have to click on the picture to see it better.<br />
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We are still a work in progress. Neither one of us is were we need to be yet but, we are miles away from where we were a year ago. I hope that our story encourages someone. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We all need to help each other.<br />
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Stay tuned! I plan on posting some of our favorite recipes and fun stuff like that.
kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-58935428337953378932014-03-18T19:55:00.000-02:002014-03-18T19:56:32.870-02:00Red Velvet Cake Batter Protien ShakeSo, it has been a really long time since I posted on my blog. So much has happened since my last post. We sold our home and bought a house in town. It is closer to everything and we really love it. I will have to post pictures soon. We did a lot of work before we moved in and I have a tone of pictures of all of that. We moved in at the end of April so it has almost been a year in our new home. <br />
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Over the summer, we changed our eating habits . . . drastically. I have so far lost 43 pounds and My husband has lost 50. I will post more about our journey soon but, people have been asking me for the recipes for some of the protein shakes I make. The other day I made a Red Velvet Cake Batter Protein Shake that was absolutely amazing. I took inspiration from <a href="http://creativlei.com/2014/cake-batter-frappa/" target="_blank">this shake</a> that I had found on Pintrest. It is very good. I tweaked it a bit and I added <a href="http://www.iherb.com/Madre-Labs-CocoCardio-7-93-oz-225-g/23802" target="_blank">this amazing product</a> to get the cocoa flavor and the red color with out all the bad for you food dyes. So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjRsoly9GG8/UyjAHtuU3nI/AAAAAAAAA00/qF62RUoY7nQ/s1600/red+velvet+shake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SjRsoly9GG8/UyjAHtuU3nI/AAAAAAAAA00/qF62RUoY7nQ/s1600/red+velvet+shake.jpg" height="320" width="147" /></a></div>
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Red Velvet Cake Batter Protein Shake<br />
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Load the following ingredients into your blender and blend well for 30 seconds or so:<br />
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Silk brand as it doesn't contain Carrageenan)<br />
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¼ cup cottage cheese (I use Friendship 1% as it doesn't contain Carrageenan)</div>
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⅛ tsp Celtic sea salt</div>
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¼ tsp baking powder (aluminum free)</div>
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⅛ tsp butter extract</div>
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⅛ tsp pure almond extract</div>
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1 tsp pure vanilla extract</div>
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2 TBSP xylitol (I use NOW Foods brand non-GMO)</div>
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1 scoop Cocoa Cardio</div>
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1/2 tsp Gluccomannan</div>
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Add crushed ice to your blender to the 4 cup line and blend again until it is nice and smooth and slushy.</div>
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Add 1 scoop of a good quality whey protein isolate. I used Jay Robb chocolate protein powder. Blend until all your powder is mixed in and your mixture fluffs up to about the 7 cup line.</div>
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This makes 1 super big serving and is a nice filling breakfast. Sometimes I will split it with my hubby after a workout. Sometimes we split it 4 ways among the kids as a "milkshake" treat. Here are the nutritional facts: 275 calories, 3g fat, 4g net carbs and 36g protein</div>
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It is packed with protein, low fat and low carb. If you are THM, this counts as a Fuel Pull.</div>
kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-724781599240159382012-07-27T01:29:00.000-02:002012-07-27T01:29:44.551-02:00We Are Selling Our House!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IBf-2Mnds-w/UBIJ7xzwOoI/AAAAAAAAAy0/JiKVu15UQnA/s1600/l0314ce43-m0l%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IBf-2Mnds-w/UBIJ7xzwOoI/AAAAAAAAAy0/JiKVu15UQnA/s400/l0314ce43-m0l%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is our home and has been since December 2000. We have made so many wonderful memories in this house.</div>
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Below is one of my favorite pictures of our home . . . in the snow! We don't get a lot of snow here but, it reminds me of when I was growing up. We always had snow every winter in NY.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oxp4vkIoxWc/UBIJbyKs-JI/AAAAAAAAAys/lT068NfHMGo/s1600/DSC05987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oxp4vkIoxWc/UBIJbyKs-JI/AAAAAAAAAys/lT068NfHMGo/s400/DSC05987.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.milorealtync.com/listings.asp?listing_id=1137579011" target="_blank">Click here for the real estate listing for our home.</a><br />
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We are selling our home in order to move into a home closer to town, work, church . . . well . . . everything really. If you know anyone looking to buy, it is move in ready. It has many desireable upgrades and many things are new. Many things we did ourselves and are chronicled here on this blog. Feel free to search the posts to see what was done.<br />
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<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317231">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317230">Some features I would like to
mention:</span></div>
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<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317239">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317238">The roof is new (2009) with architechural
shingles and new tempered glass skylights in the baths and kitchen.</span></div>
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<span>The HVAC was completely replaced with an energy star rated unit
(inside and outside units) in 2008</span></div>
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<div>
<span>Monitored security system</span></div>
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<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317223">
<span id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317222">Home Warranty to cover all systems and
appliances</span></div>
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<div>
<span>New Laminate (hard wood look) floors and baseboards in all the living
areas and kitchen (2010)</span></div>
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<span>Both baths have been remodeled with new sinks, fixtures, paint,
subway tile, floors, lighting, mirrors, toilets</span></div>
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<div>
<span>New lighting, flooring and cabinets in the mudroom/laundry
room</span></div>
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<span>All lighting has been updated throughout the house including outside
fixtures</span></div>
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<span>7 ceiling fans (1 in each of the 4 bedrooms, 1 in the office, one in
the formal living room and 1 in the family room)</span></div>
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<span>Wood burning stacked stone fireplace in family room (can be converted
to gas logs)</span></div>
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<span></span> Kitchen remodeled with glass tile backsplash, Brazilian
granite countertops, new cabinet hardware, lighting, 10 foot long island and new
over the range microwave</div>
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Gas range and either gas or electric dryer hookup</div>
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<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317215">
Water heater was replaced 2007</div>
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<div>
9'x23' front porch and 12'x12' back deck</div>
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<div id="yui_3_2_0_1_134335660127317214">
Asphalt driveway and concrete sidewalk
done in 2007</div>
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<div>
2079 sq ft home on a little over 1 acre</div>
<div>
</div>
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Mount Pleasant Schools (elementary, middle and high school)</div>
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Open concept living areas and kitchen</div>
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The rooms are as follows:</div>
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mud/laundry/utility room</div>
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Family room with fireplace</div>
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kitchen with huge island with seating</div>
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Formal dining room</div>
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Formal living room</div>
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Office</div>
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Master bedroom with master bath and huge walk in closet</div>
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3 other bedrooms and a full bath</div>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-11947346264636618862011-12-04T16:45:00.001-02:002011-12-04T16:45:41.259-02:00Photo Card<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasWTVy2bMWTso&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=115"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0AasWTVy2bMWSA/0AasWTVy2bMWSOwg/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1323024317000/0/" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Classic Damask Frame Christmas</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>Personalize your <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards" style="color: #6666cc;">Christmas card</a> at Shutterfly.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-90964334468663863962010-11-16T23:17:00.007-02:002010-11-17T00:05:01.961-02:00Lots 'O' Chicken Stock<div align="justify">I know it has been forever since I posted to my blog but, I have been super busy. The biggest change is that I am working. Not that I didn't work before . . . what I mean is, I got a job teaching at a new private school. My children are now attending the same school and we are all doing really well. I finally have time to sit down and post something. It has only taken me 3 months!<br /><br />The other day after church, we had a couple over for lunch. I made roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and our guests brought a salad and a dirt cake (which my kids loved!!). I didn't take pictures of that meal but, I make roasted chicken alot so here is a picture from another time I made roasted chicken. YUM!<br /><br /><br /></div><p align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuT1PPIII/AAAAAAAAAr4/DpFVP_5vPPI/s1600/DSC06244.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540322884839219330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuT1PPIII/AAAAAAAAAr4/DpFVP_5vPPI/s320/DSC06244.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I made two 4 pound chickens at one time in my turkey roaster. They cooked while we were at church - 250 degrees for 5 hours. We had the equivalent of 1 whole chicken leftover so, I picked the meat from the bones and made some stock. That's nothing new. I always make stock after I make roasted chicken but, this time was different. It was different because of this beauty!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuVL1OHhI/AAAAAAAAAsA/aMjzXtPQ1Mg/s1600/100_0503.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540322908083985938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuVL1OHhI/AAAAAAAAAsA/aMjzXtPQ1Mg/s320/100_0503.JPG" /></a><br /><br />My mother bought me this wonderfully heavy 22 quart stock pot for my birthday back in October and I broke it in tonight. THANKS, MOM!!! I put all the bones and drippings from my roasted chickens into the pot with a few cloves of garlic, a few onions, a couple of carrots, a couple of celery stalks (with leaves) and a handful of grape tomatoes. I filled it up to within 3 inches of the top with cold water and left it on low heat for a few hours. I then strained the stock. I put the veggies into the blender with some stock, pureed the veggies and added it back into the stock. I measured out 6 cups of stock to make homemade Chicken and Dumplings. I used the leftover chicken meat and made a dough of flour, milk, baking powder and salt for the dumplings. It was delicious! This is what was left after we ate . . . just enough for me for lunch tomorrow! I put a little shredded cheese on it!</p><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuVRznqlI/AAAAAAAAAsI/YVkDS3xaKR4/s1600/100_0504.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540322909687884370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuVRznqlI/AAAAAAAAAsI/YVkDS3xaKR4/s320/100_0504.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br />Including the 6 cups I used for tonight's dinner, I made 49 cups of chicken stock!!! That's a little more than 3 gallons! I measured it all out into containers in recipe sized portions. I just hope I have enought room in my freezer for all of it. I will be using some of it fairly soon. I will use some on Thanksgiving for my stuffing and for basting the turkey.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuV4bo5RI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/3avMbz8CMt0/s1600/100_0505.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540322920056284434" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TOMuV4bo5RI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/3avMbz8CMt0/s320/100_0505.JPG" /></a> <p align="justify">I plan on posting more often now that we are used to our new routine. If not sooner, I will post all of my Thanksgiving recipes.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-56597747198897813052010-07-10T00:55:00.005-02:002010-07-10T02:05:04.531-02:00A Week in Food . . . Well The Highlights Anyway<div align="justify">So the past couple of weeks have been really busy but I thought that I would post a "best of" of what I cooked for you to see.<br /><br />First, we had a Wednesday night potluck at church last week and I made this pasta salad.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfizj4dkWI/AAAAAAAAArI/kieWgvgu0Ig/s1600/100_0031.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107646034874722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfizj4dkWI/AAAAAAAAArI/kieWgvgu0Ig/s320/100_0031.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />So, I boiled a pound of elbows in salted water until done and drained them. Then I added a batch of roasted tomatoes like the ones I made <a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-house-smell-like-pizza.html">HERE</a>. Next, I added a 15 oz portion of cooked cannelini beans (drained and rinsed if using canned). Then I added 3 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves and tossed so the heat from the tomatoes and pasta would wilt the leaves a little. I then added a little grated cheese. This can be served hot as a pasta dinner or room temperature as a salad. It was well received by everyone who tried it.<br /><br />On July 2nd, our middle boy, Jeremy, celebrated his 9th birthday. Instead of making treat bags loaded with candy, we opted for these homemade goodies as our party favors. Kids and parents really liked these . . . ALOT!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfizGhfhJI/AAAAAAAAArA/19b5ZgLnHJU/s1600/100_0138.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107638153905298" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfizGhfhJI/AAAAAAAAArA/19b5ZgLnHJU/s320/100_0138.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I prepared Rice Krispie Treats according to the recipe on the box but, I added 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter. Then I divided the mixture into 24 equal sized balls. (HI, GINA!!!) I stuck toothpicks in the the balls (HI, AGAIN!!!)and dipped them into melted chocolate and then into rainbow sprinkles (UH OH!!!). I let them chill in the refrigerator on a baking sheet. We wrapped them in green party bags and gave them to all who attended the party.<br /><br />On July 4th, we had another potluck after church but, it was at the park so I decided to bring fruit salad, Pumpkin Gingerbread, Zucchini Pie and Loaded Mashed Potato Pie to share with our church family. (Sorry, I did not take pictures of the fruit salad or the gingerbread.) There was alot of good stuff at the picnic including red velvet cupcakes (MMMMMM!!!!) and chicken curry (YUMMMMM!!!!). We ate our weight in food that day. This is a picture of the mashed potato filling. I had some leftover mashed potatoes and just doctored them up with dill weed, pepper, sour cream, cream cheese, shredded fiesta blend cheese and real bacon bits. I tasted it and adjusted the seasonings. Then I added 3 eggs so it would set as it baked.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiXHEmZhI/AAAAAAAAAq4/fstW-8U_aNg/s1600/100_0135.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107157264819730" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiXHEmZhI/AAAAAAAAAq4/fstW-8U_aNg/s320/100_0135.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I poured it into a greased pie plate and topped with more cheese.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiWo4VflI/AAAAAAAAAqw/un9sKSNXTP4/s1600/100_0136.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107149160316498" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiWo4VflI/AAAAAAAAAqw/un9sKSNXTP4/s320/100_0136.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I baked both pies together in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until set. The pie on the top rack is a zucchini pie.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiWeeECGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/9DLk0y2PIwA/s1600/100_0137.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107146365765730" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiWeeECGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/9DLk0y2PIwA/s320/100_0137.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />This is something we ate alot in the summer when I was growing up and zucchini was in abundance. All you do, is mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl until fully combined and then pour it into a greased pie plate and bake as directed above.<br /><br />3 1/2 cups finely chopped or shredded zucchini<br />1 onion finely chopped<br />4 eggs<br />1/2 cup oil<br />1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese<br />3 tsp dried parsley or 3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley<br />1/2 tsp pepper<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1 cup flour<br /><br />This is what it looks like when it is done. It is light and delicious.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiVwuZ94I/AAAAAAAAAqg/uciJejQYPZ4/s1600/100_0139.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107134086281090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiVwuZ94I/AAAAAAAAAqg/uciJejQYPZ4/s320/100_0139.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />This potato pie was also delicious but . . . not so light.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiVYhLLNI/AAAAAAAAAqY/xPqUE7GnFvA/s1600/100_0140.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492107127588334802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TDfiVYhLLNI/AAAAAAAAAqY/xPqUE7GnFvA/s320/100_0140.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Although I failed to photograph it, the Pumpkin Gingerbread was devoured and several people asked me for the recipe.<br /><br />15 oz can of solid pack pumpkin<br />4 eggs<br />3/4 cup vanilla yogurt<br />1 cup packed brown sugar<br />2 cup sugar<br />1 cup vegetable oil<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />1 1/2 tsp salt<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />3 1/2 cups flour<br /><br />Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until completely incorporated. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for 50 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. Do the toothpick test and bake until done.<br /><br />I went to an antique store with my friend Sarah today. I will post pictures of our adventure tomorrow.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-10866408553215996442010-06-30T00:24:00.006-02:002010-06-30T02:09:26.656-02:00Mexican Dinner From Leftovers and Crazy Hair Day!<div align="justify">Tonight we had a wonderful Mexican inspired meal made from leftovers and freezer/pantry staples. On Sunday night, I made some chicken thighs in the oven and had 2 leftover. I picked all the meat from the bones and shredded it up for Chicken Quesadillas. I was going to grill some veggies to add to the quesadillas but Michael was working late and I didn't want to deal with complaints about veggies so, I steamed one of the zucchinis from my friend Tanya's garden pureed it. I mixed it into the shredded chicken and tasted it. It needed something else.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/09/homemade-salsa-from-gardens-bounty.html"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488388750853514018" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsfXvfoyI/AAAAAAAAAqI/tiWZaP_SsZc/s320/100_0022.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I had a little bit of homemade salsa left in the refrigerator so I add a couple of tablespoons to the chicken and stirred. That was just what it needed. The <a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/09/homemade-salsa-from-gardens-bounty.html"><strong>Salsa Recipe</strong> </a>can be found here.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsezKWvNI/AAAAAAAAAqA/4W8WuMZXwsY/s1600/100_0023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488388741034065106" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsezKWvNI/AAAAAAAAAqA/4W8WuMZXwsY/s320/100_0023.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Next, I laid out 6 soft taco sized flour tortillas and topped each with a thick slice of Colby-Jack Cheese.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsem8sApI/AAAAAAAAAp4/01J7u7VZ_YI/s1600/100_0024.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488388737755513490" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsem8sApI/AAAAAAAAAp4/01J7u7VZ_YI/s320/100_0024.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Then, I evenly divided the chicken mixture between the 6 tortillas.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqseE3RVjI/AAAAAAAAApw/rLeF9P6Wq7E/s1600/100_0025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488388728605988402" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqseE3RVjI/AAAAAAAAApw/rLeF9P6Wq7E/s320/100_0025.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />We like things really cheesy and I noticed that my entire tortilla was not covered in cheese so I added an extra slice of cheese to each tortilla. I broke each one into 4 equal strips and framed the chicken to achieve full cheese coverage.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrskfYBpI/AAAAAAAAApo/lstMy1C85MU/s1600/100_0026.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488387878102238866" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrskfYBpI/AAAAAAAAApo/lstMy1C85MU/s320/100_0026.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I then covered each one with another tortilla. It was then that I realized that there were only 4 tortillas left in the bag so I made 2 cheese only quesadillas. I set them all aside and preheat the oven to 350 degrees and started on my side dish.<br /><br />I pulled a bag of red beans out of the freezer. I usually make 2 pounds of dried beans at a time and then measure them out into can sized portions for recipes. Black beans and red beans can always be found in my freezer. These beans were prepared in the crock pot with a ham bone and other seasonings.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrr6m1SYI/AAAAAAAAApg/2nVmExSR49U/s1600/100_0027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488387866859227522" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrr6m1SYI/AAAAAAAAApg/2nVmExSR49U/s320/100_0027.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I also prepared 1 cup of regular white rice and added it to the reheated beans. My boys love red beans and rice as a side but will also eat it topped with cheese for lunch or as a burrito filling.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrrgYm04I/AAAAAAAAApY/BfOq1ZZ39v4/s1600/100_0028.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488387859820237698" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrrgYm04I/AAAAAAAAApY/BfOq1ZZ39v4/s320/100_0028.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />While the rice was cooking, I heated the quesadillas until the cheese was melted and then let them sit for 5 minutes cool a little before I cut them into quarters. The cheese only ones are stacked at the top of the picture. The rest of the platter was chicken and veggie quesadillas.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrrGxiWdI/AAAAAAAAApQ/rgBrYHoytKw/s1600/100_0029.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488387852945480146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrrGxiWdI/AAAAAAAAApQ/rgBrYHoytKw/s320/100_0029.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Mmmm! A Mexican dinner that everyone ate without complaints! We had about half the rice and beans leftover and 7 wedges of quesadilla. I know what we are having for lunch tomorrow.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrqvsHx-I/AAAAAAAAApI/lc8OYU2VSvQ/s1600/100_0030.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488387846748751842" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqrqvsHx-I/AAAAAAAAApI/lc8OYU2VSvQ/s320/100_0030.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />This baby ate without complaining or trying to walk around the table! YAY! Today was crazy hair day so he has red hair glue in his hair. He kept checking his hair all day giving me updates like, "Yup, Mom! My hair is still red!" Thanks, Judah! I was really worried about that!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsfjYNzXI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/Kl-7uTr10Nk/s1600/100_0021.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488388753977101682" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCqsfjYNzXI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/Kl-7uTr10Nk/s320/100_0021.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Tomorrow night we have a cookout at church but, I will post more on Thursday night as our mealtime adventures continue.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-5969247552131570662010-06-28T23:50:00.007-02:002010-06-29T01:38:21.804-02:00The London Broil and Happy Birthday, Michael!<div align="justify">Yesterday, I showed you my Top Round Roast and how I prepped it to become a London Broil. Well, tonight we had this lovely steak with some basic buttery mashed potatoes. I preheated the oven to broil and set my roast on the counter to bring it up to room temperature. Then I broiled it for 4 minutes per side and let it rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes to redistribute the juices. I then sliced it at a 45 degree angle going against the grain of the meat. It came out perfect!<br /><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJtjA8LI/AAAAAAAAAoI/rfndoo9hgrI/s1600/100_0003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488007947726418098" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJtjA8LI/AAAAAAAAAoI/rfndoo9hgrI/s320/100_0003.JPG" /><br /><p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I boiled the remaining marinade and served it on the side but, I didn't think that it really needed anything extra. Since it was his birthday, we gave my husband the "You Are Special" plate tonight. Dinner is served on this plate to the birthday person, a special guest, someone who has done a good job or has been extra kind, someone who needs cheering up, or just because. I try to rotate it to keep it fair. You can buy a plate like this but, I made mine at the local Pottery Pad. I painted the words and the detail on it and Caleb painted the middle blue with white dots (about 8 or 9 years ago). The Pottery Pad glazed and fired it for me.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJNisffI/AAAAAAAAAoA/TpCIx5D0QGM/s1600/100_0006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488007939135143410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJNisffI/AAAAAAAAAoA/TpCIx5D0QGM/s320/100_0006.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here is the birthday boy taking his first bite of London Broil.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJ6ZpSzI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/0XovItqZBjU/s1600/100_0007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488007951176780594" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSJ6ZpSzI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/0XovItqZBjU/s320/100_0007.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here he is being all dorky and dramatic.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSKefqYII/AAAAAAAAAoY/yknuGBPXbm0/s1600/100_0008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488007960865693826" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSKefqYII/AAAAAAAAAoY/yknuGBPXbm0/s320/100_0008.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />We pause here to insert my husband's theme song. I hope you enjoy! When he calls my cell phone, this is the song that plays.<br /><br /><embed id=VideoPlayback src=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=1384277706451157121&hl=en&fs=true style=width:400px;height:326px allowFullScreen=true allowScriptAccess=always type=application/x-shockwave-flash> </embed><br /><br />This is what happens when you set a plate of tasty meat on a table of carnivores. Notice Michael's plate is also empty.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSIsh-pMI/AAAAAAAAAn4/07lNZNwK98I/s1600/100_0009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488007930273768642" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClSIsh-pMI/AAAAAAAAAn4/07lNZNwK98I/s320/100_0009.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here is the birthday boy after he has eaten too much. His words: "It was totally worth it!!!" Do you like the shirt that I got him for Father's Day? It says, "I may be left handed but, I am always right!" We'll let him think that for now.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJNGaSdI/AAAAAAAAAog/GSLtfH-CisY/s1600/100_0010.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488010138039765458" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJNGaSdI/AAAAAAAAAog/GSLtfH-CisY/s320/100_0010.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I was planning on making a chocolate butter cake with a layer of sweetened peanut butter in between the cake layers and chocolate butter cream frosting. However, we are on our umpteenth consecutive day of temperature about 457,000 degrees so I was not baking and heating up the house. We went to Bruster's for ice cream. I love this picture of Caleb and Judah! They are so cute! I wish Jeremy was in it but, he was spending the night at his friend's house.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJuC-hCI/AAAAAAAAAoo/lEnTJZfOod0/s1600/100_0011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488010146883732514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJuC-hCI/AAAAAAAAAoo/lEnTJZfOod0/s320/100_0011.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Pay no attention to the 13 year old wearing an old man hat. He thinks he is Indiana Jones. I wouldn't care except that he is wearing it with black basketball shorts (with paint on them) and a Super Mario Galaxy t-shirt. Oh Well!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUKuXSj0I/AAAAAAAAApA/AtwmM4qsm1Q/s1600/100_0015.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488010164148801346" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUKuXSj0I/AAAAAAAAApA/AtwmM4qsm1Q/s320/100_0015.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />This child is a mess with Cotton Candy Explosion ice cream running down his chin. Don't let that angelic face fool you. He makes me very tired.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUKavE8GI/AAAAAAAAAo4/SWDnXLg1Pe4/s1600/100_0013.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488010158879862882" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUKavE8GI/AAAAAAAAAo4/SWDnXLg1Pe4/s320/100_0013.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here is the birthday boy again. He was very excited because they had his favorite flavor today . . . Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye! YUM!!! I also had some Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye as well as a scoop of Banana Chocolate Chip. My day is complete.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJ02wgJI/AAAAAAAAAow/g5vPIANVIWk/s1600/100_0012.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488010148711530642" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TClUJ02wgJI/AAAAAAAAAow/g5vPIANVIWk/s320/100_0012.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />SO . . . Happy 35th Birthday, Honey! I love you!!!<br /><br />Tomorrow, I will be making quesadillas with the leftover chicken from yesterday and the fresh veggies from my friend, Tanya's garden. Stay tuned!!! </p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-24570757586559292842010-06-27T22:11:00.005-02:002010-06-27T23:06:31.510-02:00The Chicken Was Awesome BUT . . . Where's The Beef?<div align="justify">So yesterday I talked about my trip to Sam's Club and the awesome deal I got on chicken. The chicken thighs soaked in the sweet sauce all night. I cooked 6 chicken thighs at 400 degrees for 35 minutes just like the recipe said to do. It was delicious and I served them with fresh sliced peaches and homemade rolls that a sweet lady from church made for us. Thanks, Nora! We have 2 pieces leftover that I am shredding for Tuesday's chicken quesadillas. Here are the 2 that are left after we had dinner.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpWvhjPtI/AAAAAAAAAno/S0lM5eQdyUU/s1600/DSC06394.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487611247897820882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpWvhjPtI/AAAAAAAAAno/S0lM5eQdyUU/s320/DSC06394.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />And this is the picture from Food Network's site of Robin Miller's chicken. Mine didn't brown like hers. Maybe she put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes or something. OR Maybe the orange marmalade would have browned better than my peach preserves? Who knows? Anyway, They were still sticky and delicious and I will make it again (with my changes of course).<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfqGYvMZFI/AAAAAAAAAnw/lVx_RR5C-F8/s1600/rm0301_roasted_chicken1_lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487612066414748754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfqGYvMZFI/AAAAAAAAAnw/lVx_RR5C-F8/s320/rm0301_roasted_chicken1_lg.jpg" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />What I failed to mention yesterday was that I also scored some awesome deals on beef. I got a 4+ pound pack of short ribs REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE which I promptly repackaged and put into the freezer. I also got 2 chuck roasts (which I wrapped and froze) and 2 top round roasts for London Broil. My husband is a Midwest boy who loves his meat and potatoes so we are having London Broil tomorrow for his birthday dinner.<br /><br />London Broil (despite what some may think) is not a cut of meat but actually a method of cooking. The cut of meat that people are really getting when they asked the butcher for London Broil is Top Round Roast (cut at least 2 inches thick and weighing 5-6 pounds). Now that that's out of the way . . . Top Round can be tough and London Broil is a relatively quick cooking method so you need to tenderize the roast. I pounded the roast using the spiked side of a meat mallet for about a minute or 2 per side. Then I sprinkled on a nice layer of Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt. I bought this once when I was out of seasoned salt because it has no MSG and we like it on everything. We even sprinkle it on popcorn and use it as table salt. Now I won't buy anything else. I also sprinkled on a layer of Pampered Chef's Greek Rub. This stuff is delicious. It has lemon peel and oregano in it. So I sprinkled both on a side and then pressed it with my hand into the meat. I flipped the meat and repeated the process. Here is a picture of my tools.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpWYUDXJI/AAAAAAAAAng/f9QLCGh5Lp4/s1600/DSC06400.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487611241667189906" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpWYUDXJI/AAAAAAAAAng/f9QLCGh5Lp4/s320/DSC06400.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here is the roast seasoned in a Zip Loc bag. I was not done yet. I had tenderized with a mallet and salt but I still needed a marinade to keep the meat moist and juicy and tenderize it some more with an acid.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpGeZEgqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/w8lhwzz92cM/s1600/DSC06395.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487610968420942498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpGeZEgqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/w8lhwzz92cM/s320/DSC06395.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here are the ingredients that I used to make a flavorful marinade that would also tenderize the meat:<br /><br />1/2 cup olive oil<br />1/4 cup lemon juice<br />1/4 cup red wine vinegar<br />1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (you could use soy sauce if don't have Bragg's)<br />a few generous dashes of Worcestershire sauce<br />about a Tablespoon of minced garlic<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpF_6HhEI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/G3bXN9kS-P4/s1600/DSC06396.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487610960238052418" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpF_6HhEI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/G3bXN9kS-P4/s320/DSC06396.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I stirred the ingredients all together in the measuring cup and tasted to see if it needed anything else. I thought it tasted great.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpFUuSmjI/AAAAAAAAAnI/fL8x_zozXA8/s1600/DSC06398.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487610948645722674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpFUuSmjI/AAAAAAAAAnI/fL8x_zozXA8/s320/DSC06398.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I poured the marinade over the roast in the bag, pressed all the air out and sealed it. It is sitting in the refrigerator overnight and tomorrow, I will broil it in the broiler of my oven for 4 minutes per side for Medium rare.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpEyTdXxI/AAAAAAAAAnA/iB-_6_xeaCI/s1600/DSC06399.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487610939406376722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpEyTdXxI/AAAAAAAAAnA/iB-_6_xeaCI/s320/DSC06399.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I plan to serve the steak with potatoes of some sort . . . mashed, sliced and fried, twice baked . . . I haven't decided yet. We'll also have a spinach salad and probably some form of chocolate dessert (his favorite).<br /><br />Yesterday, I went to pick up my oldest son from his friend's house and his mom handed me a bag of produce from her garden. I will probably grill these and serve them with the leftover chicken on Tuesday in the quesadillas. Thanks, Tanya! Aren't they pretty?<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpESZiJ5I/AAAAAAAAAm4/Hcdn-TUVy6c/s1600/DSC06401.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487610930841921426" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCfpESZiJ5I/AAAAAAAAAm4/Hcdn-TUVy6c/s320/DSC06401.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I will let you know how the birthday dinner goes. Stay tuned . . . </p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-42534455867203895762010-06-26T23:52:00.004-02:002010-06-27T01:02:25.157-02:00Chicken, Pickles, Frogs and GOOBERS!!!<div align="justify">Well, I am back! So many things have happened since my last post. I will be sure to post pictures later this week of vacations and graduations and other happenings around here. For now, I want to share about my awesome trip to Sam's Club. I hit the jackpot of "Reduced For Quick Sale" Meats yesterday! Today, I processed it all. I purchased 12 large chicken leg quarters for about 8 dollars. They were so large, I didn't realize they were leg quarters until I got home. I thought they were breasts. I guess I didn't read the package because I was blinded by the bright sticker that said "REDUCED"! Pardon my fuzzy picture, my camera is dying.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavq157GRI/AAAAAAAAAlo/Pc2X7_XAKVM/s1600/DSC06383.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266346556922130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavq157GRI/AAAAAAAAAlo/Pc2X7_XAKVM/s320/DSC06383.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />First, I separated the drumsticks from the thighs and packed all 12 drumsticks together for a dinner (with planned leftovers). I will probably either fry them or baste them in BBQ sauce and grill them. YUM! For now, they are in the freezer. I then peeled the skin off the thighs and removed some of the large fat pockets. I put 6 thighs each into 2 gallon sized freezer bags and one went right into the freezer. The other bag was bathed in a marinade using these ingredients below and <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/roasted-chicken-with-smokey-orange-sauce-recipe/index.html">THIS</a> Robin Miller recipe as a starting point. Of course, I changed it. I don't think that I have ever followed a recipe to the letter.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrLWhytI/AAAAAAAAAlw/ZL_1QIVeGT8/s1600/DSC06384.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266352314043090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrLWhytI/AAAAAAAAAlw/ZL_1QIVeGT8/s320/DSC06384.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />The original recipe called for orange marmalade which makes me want to gag so, I substituted peach preserves. I doubled the amount of soy sauce and added a teaspoon of ground ginger. I mixed all 4 ingredients in a bowl until smooth and then poured it all over the chicken thighs in the bag. Don't they look happy in their sticky bath? I bet they will be delicious tomorrow after church when we eat them for lunch! Right now, they are marinating in the refrigerator overnight and tomorrow I will bake them for 35 minutes at 400 degrees just like the recipe says to.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrY4iutI/AAAAAAAAAl4/nm3SuIPOQCI/s1600/DSC06386.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266355946371794" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrY4iutI/AAAAAAAAAl4/nm3SuIPOQCI/s320/DSC06386.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />On to the next cooking project of the day. These monstrous beauties are supposed to be pickling cucumbers. They are ginormous! They came from my mother's garden and she asked me to make pickles with them. They are far too fat to leave whole so I decided on sandwich slices. You may only need one slice to cover your whole burger with one of these pickles.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrvF1EYI/AAAAAAAAAmA/DV_pTGEm2W0/s1600/DSC06387.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266361907679618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavrvF1EYI/AAAAAAAAAmA/DV_pTGEm2W0/s320/DSC06387.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here are the ingredients I use to make some awesome garlic dills very similar to Claussen Pickles. In case you can't read the labels in the picture (have I mentioned that my camera is dying?), there is minced garlic, salt, vinegar, dill seed (not weed), and Mixed peppercorns (pink, green, white and black).<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavsAPrzWI/AAAAAAAAAmI/3h0LHslYCvY/s1600/DSC06388.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266366512418146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCavsAPrzWI/AAAAAAAAAmI/3h0LHslYCvY/s320/DSC06388.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />The cucumbers were so big that each one filled its own quart sized Mason Jar. I even had to gently fold the larger rounds to get them in the mouth of the jars. So, I loaded each jar with cucumber slices, 1 Tbsp of dill seed, 1/2 Tbsp of Peppercorns and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic. You could use 3 whole peeled cloves of garlic per jar but, I was out of fresh garlic so I used the jar stuff.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawewg0myI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/ofBO5Y724Wg/s1600/DSC06389.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267238462659362" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawewg0myI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/ofBO5Y724Wg/s320/DSC06389.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />While I was filling the jars, the brine was coming to a boil on the stove top. The brine was 8 cups of water, 4 cups of vinegar and 1/2 cup of salt.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawfUNUIAI/AAAAAAAAAmY/PPylFfQJgXE/s1600/DSC06391.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267248044515330" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawfUNUIAI/AAAAAAAAAmY/PPylFfQJgXE/s320/DSC06391.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Once it was up to a rolling boil and all the salt had dissolved, I carefully topped each jar off with the brine. I then sealed the jars and let them sit on the counter until they reached room temperature. Then they went into the refrigerator to brine for at least a week but 2 weeks is better. If you can wait that long!!!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawftTCnUI/AAAAAAAAAmg/qY0pK6pgPpw/s1600/DSC06392.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267254779419970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawftTCnUI/AAAAAAAAAmg/qY0pK6pgPpw/s320/DSC06392.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />In unrelated news, these creatures decided to hang out on the glass sliding door last night. For at least 20 minutes, they didn't move. I thought for sure the frog was going to eat the moth but he never did. We all got bored and walked away.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawf3TO0lI/AAAAAAAAAmo/Yh9rbKcigVk/s1600/DSC06378.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267257464574546" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawf3TO0lI/AAAAAAAAAmo/Yh9rbKcigVk/s320/DSC06378.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />In other unrelated news . . . this child is a GOOBER!!! He is wearing an undershirt (inside out I might add), goggles, a cowboy hat (backwards), dog tags and he is holding an Indiana Jones whip. He is just as adorable as can be but . . . I am not quite sure what this whole ensemble is all about. He went outside to dig in the red Carolina clay barefooted and dressed like this. Not the backyard . . . the front yard . . . so all the neighbors could see him and wonder what in the world goes on in our house. Strange but I love him!<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawgMXxsPI/AAAAAAAAAmw/9IjQ2cwG-QU/s1600/DSC06380.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267263120781554" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/TCawgMXxsPI/AAAAAAAAAmw/9IjQ2cwG-QU/s320/DSC06380.JPG" /></a> </p><p align="justify">Stay tuned for picture from our trips to the Creation Museum and the Smokey Mountains. I also have pictures from the above GOOBER'S graduation. I will do my best to get them all posted this coming week.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-58064526302715799072010-05-17T00:18:00.002-02:002010-05-17T00:53:09.369-02:00Homemade Soft Pretzels<div align="justify">I am a salty food person. When I am craving a snack, I usually end up wanting something salty like: beef jerky, nuts, pretzels, Tostitos Hint of Lime . . . you get the picture. Yesterday, I was in the mood for some soft pretzels so I decided to make some but I thought it might be fun to make the dough with beer instead of water and to add some honey for a hint of sweetness. They came out really good. I was impressed. However, I think next time I will cut the yeast by half because the beer made the dough rise much more than it would have with water. They rose so much that all the holes closed up so that they look like knotted rolls instead of pretzels. They were still delicious. Take a look. The recipe follows the picture.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S_CntCfb_hI/AAAAAAAAAlg/bnjrxiBb0Wk/s1600/p_00113.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472057939459833362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S_CntCfb_hI/AAAAAAAAAlg/bnjrxiBb0Wk/s320/p_00113.jpg" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />1 cup room temperature beer<br />1 Tbsp unsalted butter<br />2 Tbsp honey<br />1 tsp kosher salt<br />2 3/4 cups flour<br />1 tsp instant yeast<br /><br />Mix all the ingredients together in the either the bowl of a stand mixer or in the pan of the bread machine. If you use the stand mixer, knead for about 10 minutes. If you use the bread machine, like I did, set it on the dough setting and walk away. When the bread machine beeps, your dough has already risen. If you use the mixer, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place.<br /><br />Turn the dough out on a floured surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Grease 2 baking sheets or baking stones and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the pieces into 12 inch long ropes and shape into pretzels. Beat 1 egg and brush on the pretzels and sprinkle with kosher or pretzel salt. Bake 8 pretzels per sheet for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with cheese sauce. YUM!<br /><br />SO there you have it! Soft Pretzels!<br /><br />Today after church, we went out with friends for lunch and I had 1 one of these for dessert. So good!<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S_Cns_pUA3I/AAAAAAAAAlY/e0Ll0PDQDvI/s1600/p_00114.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472057938695947122" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S_Cns_pUA3I/AAAAAAAAAlY/e0Ll0PDQDvI/s320/p_00114.jpg" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I have made cannoli cream before many times but, I do not have a frying tube so I cannot make the shells myself. If I ever get one, I will have to have a wider door installed on my house because I will make them ALL THE TIME!!! Probably a good thing that I don't have one.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-39440369647356814922010-05-13T22:58:00.011-02:002010-05-14T00:46:00.207-02:00Strawberry Picking 2010 and a Delicious Meal<div align="justify">Yesterday, we went strawberry picking with a group of our homeschool friends. It was a gorgeous, breezy day and the berries were sweet and perfect.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxyME03EI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/oML059sk06w/s1600/DSC06235.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470943123141352514" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxyME03EI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/oML059sk06w/s320/DSC06235.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />I just love the little white blossoms on the strawberry plant.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxxpC7LTI/AAAAAAAAAlI/Imi2B7DOIFQ/s1600/DSC06236.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470943113738136882" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxxpC7LTI/AAAAAAAAAlI/Imi2B7DOIFQ/s320/DSC06236.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />This is a 1 gallon bucket full of lovely ripe strawberries. We took home 4 of these buckets filled to overflowing.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxxYldB_I/AAAAAAAAAlA/q35oFoZyRLY/s1600/DSC06238.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470943109319559154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxxYldB_I/AAAAAAAAAlA/q35oFoZyRLY/s320/DSC06238.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Judah stayed home from Pre-K so he could join us. He did pretty well. I didn't find any under ripened or rotten strawberries in his bucket.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxw8P6aCI/AAAAAAAAAk4/f6zgPZRywwE/s1600/DSC06239.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470943101713016866" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxw8P6aCI/AAAAAAAAAk4/f6zgPZRywwE/s320/DSC06239.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Later that evening, we went out for BBQ for dinner. Judah wanted to ride this ride before dinner and was told that he could ride it after dinner if he behaved and ate all his dinner. He didn't like that answer . . . so he pouted. Isn't he cute? Don't you want to have 12 just like him someday?<br /><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxwp3Z5gI/AAAAAAAAAkw/ER4Wuhxr46E/s1600/DSC06240.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470943096778384898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxwp3Z5gI/AAAAAAAAAkw/ER4Wuhxr46E/s320/DSC06240.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />The boy knows how to hold a grudge, ladies and gentleman. I apologize for my husband . . . I am still trying to figure out what happened to him.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSzlalII/AAAAAAAAAko/jzR-a9PXst4/s1600/DSC06241.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470942583991211138" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSzlalII/AAAAAAAAAko/jzR-a9PXst4/s320/DSC06241.JPG" /> </a><p align="justify"><br /><br />Judah did get to ride the ride after dinner and then we went home. When we got home, I made Freezer Jam using about 2 gallons of strawberries. We have 8 large jars in the freezer, 1 in the refrigerator and I have given 2 away. I just used the recipe on the back of the packet of Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin (found in the spice/baking isle). It is so delicious!<br /><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSrVIO3I/AAAAAAAAAkg/mWoAn7c-8uM/s1600/DSC06248.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand; T: center" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470942581775416178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSrVIO3I/AAAAAAAAAkg/mWoAn7c-8uM/s320/DSC06248.JPG" /></a></p><br /><br />Tonight, for dinner, I made these yummy buttery dinner rolls and some homemade cinnamon honey butter. The rolls came out so good and were the perfect vehicle for the jam and/or honey butter.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSeWGaMI/AAAAAAAAAkY/vwkjpuGNEvs/s1600/DSC06242.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470942578289830082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxSeWGaMI/AAAAAAAAAkY/vwkjpuGNEvs/s320/DSC06242.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />Here is the recipe for the rolls. I made mine using the bread machine but you could certainly mix and knead by hand.<br /><br />1 cup warm milk (no hotter than 110 degrees F.)<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened<br />2 eggs, beaten<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt<br />4 cups bread flour<br />2 teaspoons instant yeast<br /><br />Place all the ingredients into the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. I listed the ingredients in the order that I loaded them into the machine. Most bread machines have a dough only cycle that does all the the mixing, kneading and rising for you. Set the machine on the dough cycle and walk away. Mine takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 24 equal portions. Shape the dough into balls and arrange in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan. I used two 8 inch cake pans. Cover the pans with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled. I set mine on top of the stove while the oven was on and they doubled in 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.<br /><br />Mmmmm! So good with the honey butter. <a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-harvest-soup.html">You can find the recipe in this post</a>.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxR-TKUbI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/RKiKlpSGEcM/s1600/DSC06243.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470942569687568818" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxR-TKUbI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/RKiKlpSGEcM/s320/DSC06243.JPG" /> </a><p align="justify"><br /><br />Although it was tempting to just have rolls, butter and jam for dinner, I did make this lovely roasted chicken and a baby spinach and carrot salad to round out the meal. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the salad.<br /><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxRQgRZ3I/AAAAAAAAAkI/6jpxbsjEh5o/s1600/DSC06244.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470942557394528114" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-yxRQgRZ3I/AAAAAAAAAkI/6jpxbsjEh5o/s320/DSC06244.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />It was all very delicious! The entire chicken breast as well as part of a thigh were leftover. I shredded them meat and out it in the fridge for use later in the week. The bones and some veggies and seasonings are simmering in the crockpot for some homemade chicken stock. We still have a gallon of strawberries to finish off so maybe, we'll have smoothies for breakfast.</p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-91598419764403613382010-05-06T16:43:00.003-02:002010-05-06T16:59:58.327-02:00A New Treasure<div align="justify">Today, after I dropped the boys off at the Boys and Girls Club for Homeschool field day, my good friend <a href="http://kylejarettandme.blogspot.com/">Amy</a> and I went to a new antique and designer mall here in our town. All I can say is WOW!!!</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Please forgive my crappy photos . . . I took them with my phone. <br /><br /></div><p align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOCccWb7I/AAAAAAAAAh4/dQt6wpY0dRU/s1600/p_00115.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468229807715545010" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOCccWb7I/AAAAAAAAAh4/dQt6wpY0dRU/s320/p_00115.jpg" /></a> </p><p align="justify">This used to be an old textile mill and it is being coverted into this awesome treasure warehouse of all things pretty. I was on a mission to find tea cups for a Mother's Day tea that I am attending on Saturday so I didn't have the time to truly shop but, I will be going back.<br /></p><div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOB9_BOHI/AAAAAAAAAhw/Sh_94WKsU60/s1600/p_00114.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468229799539456114" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOB9_BOHI/AAAAAAAAAhw/Sh_94WKsU60/s320/p_00114.jpg" /></a> </div><div align="justify">This sweet table was one thing that caught my eye. Of course, in my house, those balls would be getting chucked all over the place. I love the blues and browns and that chunky candle holder.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOBZ7US9I/AAAAAAAAAho/4viSUlN_lUo/s1600/p_00113.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468229789860252626" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S-MOBZ7US9I/AAAAAAAAAho/4viSUlN_lUo/s320/p_00113.jpg" /></a><br />Here is a close up of another sweet planter pot. I know of at least <a href="http://www.thenester.com/">one sweet friend </a>who would love this place. *SIGH!!!* I must go back and really search. They had everything from fabric to furniture and everything in between. Who wants to go with me?<br /><br /><br /></div>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-72731971823779391722010-04-27T13:57:00.009-02:002011-02-01T13:49:20.212-02:00Semi-Freezer Cooking: Bolognese Sauce (or Tacos!!!)<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">There are some nights when I just need a quick meal but I don't want to serve a less than healthy meal like processed foods. So my solution is to "process" whole foods myself at home and have things in the freezer that can be ready in 20 minutes or less. I am a planner so a lot of times I will plan to use one of my "processed" foods ahead of time. For example, Wednesdays are really busy for us with produce co-op and PE class at the YMCA for the kids and then church in the evenings. I don't want to have to eat out or go through a drive thru so a lot of Wednesdays we will have pasta. Growing up Italian in Brooklyn, NY, it was actually a sin (in my family and the greater neighborhood even) to serve jar sauce unless you had canned it yourself over the summer (which we did). SO, I came up with this recipe which actually makes 7-8 packets of meat sauce base for that slow cooked Bolognese Sauce in 20 minutes. I have served it to my grandmother and I am still alive! LOL! This recipe is also an awesome way to sneak lots of veggie into those picky eaters.<br /><br /></span></div><p align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cJ3Wf04VI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/x0W1lCiuneA/s1600/DSC06224.JPG"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464847519373910354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cJ3Wf04VI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/x0W1lCiuneA/s320/DSC06224.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Kristi's Bolognese Base<br /><br />5 pounds ground meats of choice<br />4 onions<br />5 ribs of celery with leaves<br />5 cloves of garlic (or more . . . we like a lot of garlic)<br />2 zucchini<br />16 oz mushrooms<br />4 carrots<br />1 large Sam's Club sized can of diced tomatoes<br />12 oz tomato paste<br />1/2 cup fresh minced flat leaf parsley<br />1 Tbsp salt<br />1 Tbsp dried oregano<br />1 Tbsp dried basil<br />1 tsp pepper<br /><br />Process all of the fresh veggies in the food processor until they are very small bits. Set aside. In a LARGE pot, cook your meat in batches so it browns and doesn't boil and turn gray. Remove the meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cook the veggies in the meat grease in batches until soft. Remove the veggies to a bowl and discard remaining grease. Using the same pot, return the meat to the pot and add the tomato paste. Cook over high heat and stir until paste is melted and starts to bubble and turn a rusty reddish-brown color. Add your veggies and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Stir well and add your seasonings. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cook uncovered for at least 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Let it cool and transfer to freezer bags or containers of your choice in 3 cup portions. It will be the consistency of a thick ground beef chili. Freeze until ready to use. This recipe usually yields 7-8 packets of sauce base. Please ignore the 6 inches of snow in my freezer. I need to defrost it. I usually stack the bags like this for maximum storage space. I do the same with dried beans that I have prepared.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cVY82GszI/AAAAAAAAAhY/pQ5n6o6t1U0/s1600/DSC06228.JPG"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464860191231488818" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cVY82GszI/AAAAAAAAAhY/pQ5n6o6t1U0/s320/DSC06228.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />When I am ready to make the sauce, I usually set a packet of sauce base on the counter in the morning.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cVZacpfyI/AAAAAAAAAhg/7o5k_1H5hdo/s1600/DSC06229.JPG"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464860199177781026" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S9cVZacpfyI/AAAAAAAAAhg/7o5k_1H5hdo/s320/DSC06229.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />By dinner time it is mostly defrosted and slides right out of the bag and into a medium sauce pan. Then I add a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce and 2 tsp Italian seasoning. Simmer over low heat while your pasta is cooking. If you want to make it a true Bolognese Sauce, stir 1 cup of milk or cream into the sauce about 2 minutes before removing from the heat. It is fine as a meat sauce but the cream just adds more flavor and richness. Serve your sauce over your favorite pasta (we had penne).<br /><br />NOTE: You can use just beef in this recipe but, I usually use a mixture of beef, pork, veal, sausage, turkey or whatever I have on hand to add up to 5 pounds of meat. You can also add more or different veggies. This is my basic recipe but I have used bell peppers and eggplant in it before with good results. I try to use whatever is in season.<br /><br />ANOTHER NOTE: You can use the fully prepared sauce to put together a lasagna or baked ziti or in any recipe you would use a meat sauce.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">LAST NOTE (I PROMISE): You can use the packet of sauce as a taco meat by omitting the 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning and adding an envelope of taco seasoning (or the equivalent of homemade taco seasoning) and 1/3 cup of water. Simmer together in a pan and serve as you would for tacos, burritos, whatever you like.</span></p><p align="justify">I am Linking up with </p><p align="justify">Jen @ <a href="http://beautyandbedlam.com/when-did-you-learn-to-cook/">Balancing Beauty and Bedlam</a></p><p align="justify">Lisa @ <a href="http://blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com/2010/04/tempt-my-tummy-tuesdaytexas-golden.html">Blessed with Grace</a></p><p align="justify">Cole @ <a href="http://allthesmallstuff-cole.blogspot.com/2010/04/tuesday-at-table-honey-wheat-pancakes.html">All the Small Stuff</a></p><p align="justify">Gayle @ <a href="http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/04/grocery-cart-challenge-recipe-swap_29.html">The Grocery Cart Challenge</a></p>kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-59080076508812782552010-04-08T22:48:00.003-02:002010-04-08T23:38:48.473-02:00Homemade Granola . . . I May Never Buy Commercial Cereal Again!<div align="justify">My family loves granola . . . in any form. Their favorite form is the granola bar which I began making at the end of last year. I researched several different recipes to come up with a mixture my kids would like. Jeremy, the undisputed king of granola bars, loves the recipe that I came up with and lets me know when we are running out so I can make more.<br /><br />My favorite form of granola is as a cold cereal with milk and it is so expensive in the stores so I decided to make my own. Hey, I am all about making things myself. Here at the Temple house, we make all of our own soaps (<em><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/10/use-what-you-have-homemade-hand-soap.html"><span style="color:#99ffff;">body and hand soap</span></a></em>, <em><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/10/eureka-no-more-clumps-in-laundry-soap.html"><span style="color:#99ffff;">laundry detergent</span></a></em>, dishwasher detergent, dish washing liquid, shampoo, conditioner, household cleaners) <em><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-harvest-soup.html"><span style="color:#99ffff;">breads</span></a></em>, <em><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2010/01/baking-day.html"><span style="color:#99ffff;">granola bars</span></a></em>, <em><a href="http://templeofadventure.blogspot.com/2009/09/making-house-smell-like-pizza.html"><span style="color:#99ffff;">sauces</span></a></em>, spice mixes, stocks, etc. If I had a juicer . . .<br /><br />Anyway, back to the granola. After reading several recipes and methods, I concocted my own version of what I thought I would like best and it is fat free (except for the fat the occurs naturally in the nuts). I call it Greatest Hits Granola. I like to make it at night after everyone is in bed so it can cool overnight.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Mix the following together in a large bowl:<br />3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)<br />1 cup slivered or sliced almonds<br />1 cup roughly chopped cashews<br />1 cup crispy rice cereal<br /><br />In a small sauce pan, combine the following ingredients and heat over low heat until the brown sugar is dissolved. You do not need to bring this to a boil:<br />1/4 cup brown sugar<br />1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey<br />1/4 cup applesauce (not chunky, I used homemade apple sauce)<br />1/4 cup mashed ripe banana<br />1 Tbsp cinnamon<br />1tsp vanilla<br />3/4 tsp salt<br /><br />Pour the liquid mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and mix to coat evenly. Divide the mixture between 2 sheet pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until evenly browned. Here is a picture of the 2 sheets baking. Every time I took them out to stir them, I rotated which rack they were on just so they would brown evenly.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756EwQGq6I/AAAAAAAAAhI/3UnhK0GjZl8/s1600/DSC06109.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457934020510133154" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756EwQGq6I/AAAAAAAAAhI/3UnhK0GjZl8/s320/DSC06109.JPG" /> <p align="justify"></a><br /><br />When it is done baking, turn off the oven and prop the door open and leave the granola in the oven to cool on the sheet pans over night. In the morning, transfer the granola to an airtight storage container. See my new counter tops? I will be posting the whole story complete with pictures soon.<br /><br /></p><div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756EtbbG6I/AAAAAAAAAhA/I0eq9Nh_Qk0/s1600/DSC06111.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457934019752303522" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756EtbbG6I/AAAAAAAAAhA/I0eq9Nh_Qk0/s320/DSC06111.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Then you can add in 1 cup or more of whatever you like (raisins, craisins, dried apples, dried apricots, mini chocolate chips, etc.). As you can see here, I added freeze dried apples and dried cranberries. See that lovely jug of milk in the picture? I just started buying our milk directly from the dairy. It is raw, full fat milk with the cream on top. You have to shake it before using unless you want to pour the cream off for another use. It is delicious and I have not had any problems digesting it as I have in the past with dairy products. I am beginning to think that pastuerization kills a nutrient in the milk that aids in digestion. It is illegal for raw milk to be sold in North Carolina for human consumption so, I cross the border to South Carolina to get it straight from the cow at Tucker Adkins Dairy.</div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756Eee3_sI/AAAAAAAAAg4/ayyEyF-oifY/s1600/DSC06112.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457934015740247746" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756Eee3_sI/AAAAAAAAAg4/ayyEyF-oifY/s320/DSC06112.JPG" /></a><br />Mmmmmmmm!!! Yummy Granola and Creamy Raw Milk!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756D1z51pI/AAAAAAAAAgw/rtWSjac4Uds/s1600/DSC06113.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457934004822595218" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7cX_mjfrn5I/S756D1z51pI/AAAAAAAAAgw/rtWSjac4Uds/s320/DSC06113.JPG" /></a><br />I hope you are inspired to try this granola. I know if you do, you will be hooked!kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4220454645218072480.post-83141981609170650582010-04-03T02:00:00.003-02:002010-04-03T02:05:27.432-02:00Grateful For His SacrificeThis song says all that I feel today as Resurrection Sunday approaches.<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d9_kjdcA9Pc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d9_kjdcA9Pc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />May you all enjoy the freedom and peace that His sacrifice gives us.<br /><br />Happy Easter!kristi_templehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00769371491210141794noreply@blogger.com0