18
Oct

I Love, Love, Love Fall

Today was one of the most beautiful Fall days we have had all season.  The skies were clear, the leaves were all shades of red, orange and yellow and there was just an overall feeling of Fall in the air.  Ahhhh, my favorite time of year!

Now with two kiddies it is very important to me to start coming up with some family traditions of our own.  I can remember back to my childhood and I cherish the traditions that my family had.  Last year we started the tradition of apple picking with my in-laws and I think today a new tradition has begun.

Today we went on the “Autumn Drive” – 12 farms open up a long one stretch of road and sell antiques, crafts, pumpkins, squash, mums, food-goods, pottery.  It was a gorgeous drive along country roads and it was so nice to spend a leisurely afternoon just gazing at all the Fall goodies they had to offer.

So, I ask you, what are your Fall family traditions?  Apple picking, pumpkin patches, autumn drives, corn mazes?  If you have not incorporated any Fall traditions into your family yet, don’t worry, we still have a month and a half to go, so get out there and takes a fresh breath of Fall – you’ll be very glad you did!!

16
Oct

Fun With Leftovers!

Ok, so it was Monday night and my family had just left after coming into town for my daughter, Matilda’s baptism, and I was thinking………what are we going to have for dinner?  We had many leftovers in our fridge after having company stay with us and having just had a big baptism party.

Like I said in one of my previous posts, I am really trying to be better about not wasting food so I had to figure out how to use up all of these little bits of leftovers.  We had 1.5 bowls of Taos Taco Soup left, about 1/6 of a roast chicken (Crock-Pot Chicken ) and a big tupperware full of mashed potatoes.  So here’s what I came up with – Southwestern Shepherds Pie!

Ingredients:
Leftover Taos Taco Soup
1/6 Roasted Chicken (shredded)
3 cups homemade mashed potatoes
2 chopped green onions
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Garnish – Chile powder, Sour Cream, Cilantro, and Tortilla Chips

Mix shredded chicken with remaining Taos Taco Soup and spread into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  Mix mashed potatoes and green onions together and spread on top of Taos Taco Soup.  Sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes and sprinkle chile powder (for a bit of extra flavor and to make it look pretty).  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, a sprinkle of cilantro and a few tortilla chips.

Yipee for not wasting any food and for coming up with a new recipe!!!  Enjoy!

14
Oct

The Five Love Languages

The Five Love Languages
How to Express Heartfeld Commitment to Your Mate
by Gary Chapman
“At the heart of mankind’s existence is the desire to be intimate and to be loved by another.  Marriage is designed to meet that need for intimacy and love.”
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is a book I think everyone should read – whether you are currently in a relationship or not.  People express and receive love in different ways.  The emotional love language that you speak might be entirely different from the one your spouse speaks.  If you cannot learn to speak each others language then you cannot communicate your love for one another effectively.  By speaking the wrong language to your spouse, your spouse will not realized that you have expressed love at all.
The way people like to express and/or receive love can be broken down into five love languages:
  1. Words of Affirmation
  2. Quality Time
  3. Receiving Gifts
  4. Acts of Service
  5. Physical Touch
Perhaps your husband needs to hear encouraging words, but you feel cooking a nice dinner will cheer him up.  When he still feels down, you’re puzzled.  Or, maybe your wife craves time with you – time away from the children and television.  The flowers you gave her just don’t communicate that you care.
Now speaking your partners language may not be entirely comfortable for you; however, if it is what makes your partner feel he/or she is loved and cared for, then it is important for us to make the effort to speak their language as much as possible.  When an action doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a greater expression of love.
Not only can the love languages be specific to showing love to our significant other or spouse, but it can also be very effective in showing our children that they are loved.  Observe your children, do they thrive on words of affirmation?  Or do you see them sparkle when they get to spend quality one-on-one time with you?  Perhaps they are a child that craves physical touch – such as lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses.  Whatever their language may be, it is our job as parents to learn their language and shout it from the roof top!!  Wouldn’t you hate to find out that your child grew up, not feeling that love and adoration simply because you did not take the time to learn he/or she’s language?  I know I would, I am a committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.
I found this book to be incredibly insightful into how we send and receive love to and from our partner.  And as I pulled this book out to refresh my memory about the five languages, I too have realize that I need to make a continuous, conscious effort to speak my husbands love language and fill up his “love tank” as much as possible.  When you read the book, The Five Love Languages, you’ll learn to speak and understand the unique languages of love and effectively express your love as well as feel truly loved in return.

14
Oct

Entertaining a Crowd

I love entertaining.  It is so wonderful to be able to welcome people into your home and serve them delicious food and drink.  Our house right now is not ideal for entertaining large crowds, but we can manage to host a pretty good medium-sized party.  My husband (who is an avid winemaker and homebrewer) always has the drink part covered and I am left to make sure we have an awesome meal!

This past weekend was my baby girl, Matilda Jane’s baptism into the Catholic faith.  We had about sixteen close family and friends attend the ceremony and luncheon at our home following her baptism.  For our Matida’s baptism, I decided it would be best to make food that could all be prepared ahead of time since we would be heading straight from the church to the party.  I don’t like being in the kitchen preparing food when my guests are over because it doesn’t allow me enough time to mingle and truly host.  If I am going to throw a party, I would like to make sure I get to attend it as well.

When planning your menu for your guests it is important to think about the type of event you are hosting, the number of people attending, and the types of food your guests would enjoy.  If it is a smaller group, then perhaps you will choose to do a plated meal, if a larger crowed, then generally buffet style is the way to go.  Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of hosting an event!

Here is the menu I decided on for my Matilda’s baptsim –  Chicken Salad on Croissants, Ruthie’s Spinach Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, Apple Spice Bread, and Cake (which was provided by my in-laws).  My husband complimented these food choices with his own home-brewed beer, as well as a special beer called “Matilda” (fitting, right?), wine and champagne.

Entertaining Tip:  When having a party of six or more, always answer the door with a drink in your hand.  This will let you guests know that it is going to be a festive, relaxed time from the start!

Here are some of my recipes for entertaining a crowd:

Ruthie’s Spinach Salad
Dressing
3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad
8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing–combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad–combine all ingredients–toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Note:  This salad is WONDERFUL!  It is a perfect balance of sweet and savory.  Also, in this case, the salad is best slightly overdressed.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Easy summer salad. Great side dish to take to picnics or bbq’s.

Cook time: 20 Minutes
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients
* 1/3 cup of olive oil
* 1/2 cup of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes
* 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon of capers
* 2 cloves of garlic chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
* 1 lb of fussili pasta
* 1 1/2- 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
* 8 ounces of braided, marinated mozzarella chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. I use one from Trader Joes that has a good kick to it.
* 1 cup of packed fresh basil leaves
* 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
* 1/2 cup of minced, pitted black olives

Directions
* Blend first 6 ingredients in a processor until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.
* Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender but firm to bite.
* Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.  Add dressing to hot pasta and toss to coat.
* Add chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives.
* Toss well, cover and chill for an hour.  Bring to room temp before serving.  Can be made 6 hours ahead.


Chicken Salad
Ingredients
1 whole rotisserie chicken
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Debone entire chicken and shred.  Combine chicken, mayo, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve on fresh croissants.  Makes 18 croissant sandwiches.  

10
Oct

Spruce It Up!

Have you ever wanted to spruce up your house, but didn’t have the funds to get it done?  Well for around $4 you can update your house in no time and the secret is spray paint!!

Many newer homes come with basic builders fixtures consisting of those, not so elegant looking, brass fixtures.  Well that is not a problem if you have spray paint.  There is absolutely no priming or sanding involved – you just shake the can and spray away.

We did not have a light fixture in our dining room and my in-laws offered us this shiny brass one.  We were VERY thankful to have been given the chandelier, but it wasn’t exactly our style and my in-laws were going to toss it if we didn’t take it.  So, I went to Home Depot and bought a can of Rustoleum spray paint in a darker brown tone and simply sprayed the entire chandelier.  I then purchased little silk, cream colored lamp shades to cover the light bulbs and I’ll say it looks pretty darn good (if I do say so myself).

Here is the chandelier that I repainted for our dining room.

I was recently at Goodwill and I saw they had tons of brass lamps that were pretty ugly on their own, but they had wonderful shapes and would look totally gorgeous painted dark brown, black or white and they were only $2.99 – $3.99.  Unfortunately I have no places in my home that currently needs a new lamp, but if you are in search of one, I highly recommend heading over to your local Goodwill!

I had some left-over spray paint from the chandelier project so I painted this brass lamp and now it is good as new!!  As you can see, all you need is $4 and a little time and you can transform any room in your home.  So get out there and get yourself some spray paint!!

8
Oct

The Creative Family

“In dwelling, live close to the ground.  In thinking, keep it to the simple.  In conflict, be fair and generous.  In governing, don’t try to control.  In work, do what you enjoy.  In family life, be completely present.” Tao Te Ching

This is a quote from the book The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.  This is a wonderful book for families in regards to how to encourage imagination and nurture family connections with in our home life.

It is so important for us to be truly present in our family life.  So often we think of the list of things we need to get done – chores around the house, bills that need to be paid, meals that need to be cooked and we are so focused on the future that we forget about the present.  But do we take enough time each day to savor the precious, fleeting moments we have with our family?  Personally, I need to be better about this, but I do try to make a concious effort several times a day to check myself to see if I am truly present with my girls and my husband.

One of the ways I find helps me to connect to my daughter is through our bedtime ritual.  We do not have a drawn out bedtime routine like some families do, we simply can’t at this time with having a newborn as well.  But we do try to make our short ritual a meaningful one.

My daughter gets her PJ’s on.  I pick her up and give her a big hug and put her in her crib.  Then I lay three blankets on her as she counts each one…..”1, 2, 3″ she says.  Then I kneel down by her head, look in her eyes and say our prayers……”Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels guide me through the night, wake me with the morning light – God bless Mommy, Daddy, Savannah, baby Matilda and all the rest of our family and friends”.  Then I tell her all the wonderful things that she did that day.  Even if it’s been one of those crazy filled days full of tears and tantrums, I always try to end the day on a positive note full of love.  I want her to drift off into dreamland feeling loved and adored (as she truly is).  After we finish, I tell her I love her, give her a kiss and leave the room – I look back before I close the door and she always pops her head up, looks at me and flashes a smile that has love written all over it.

It is in these rituals we create within our families that are the memories our children will take with them into adulthood.  So I ask you, what rituals have you started that bring you better connected with your family members?  And if you can’t think of any, then perhaps it is time to start developing those rituals, living in the moment, and connecting with the most important people in your life; your family.

Click here to find out more information on the book, The Creative Family

7
Oct

I LOVE Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa): Lentil and Sausage Soup Recipe




When I think of Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) there are so many things that I admire about her life; her amazing career, her incredible creative talent, her loving relationship with her husband Jeffrey, her great friends, her beautiful home, her well-maintained garden and I could go on and on………
So I thought I would share a few recipes of hers that I thought you might enjoy trying the next time you are having a dinner party or are looking for some entertaining food ideas.








LENTIL & SAUSAGE SOUP

Makes 4 Quarts: Serves 8-10



Ingredients:

1 pound green lentils

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 cups diced yellow onion (3 large)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 ½  teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium diced celery (6 stalks)
5 cups medium diced carrots (4 carrots)
3 quarts (15 cups) chicken stock
¼ cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender.  Add the celery and carrots and sauté for another 10 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender.  Check the seasonings.  Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. 

Served drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan. 
GRILLED HERB SHRIMP W/MANGO SALSA

Serves 6

 Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¼ cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), peeled (tails left on) and deveined
Mango Salsa (recipe follows)

Instructions:

Combine the garlic, onion, parsley, basil, mustards, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Add the shrimp and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals, and brush the grilled rack with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking.  Skewer the shrimp.  Grill the shrimp for 1 ½ minutes on each side.  Serve with mango salsa.                       


MANGO SALSA
Makes 2 Cups
Ingredients:
2 tbl. spoons olive oil
1 ½ cups diced yellow onion
2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
2 ripe mangos
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

Saute the olive oil, onions, and ginger in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the mangos; reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.  Add the orange juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and jalpenos; cook for 10 more minutes, or until the orange juice is reduced, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the head and add the mint.  Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. 
SPINACH IN PUFF PASTRY

Serves 8 – 12 
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (or Swiss)
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs, plain or seasoned
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the butter in a sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl.  Add the onion mixture, scallions, Gruyere, Parmesan, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and pine nuts.  Mix well.

Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet line with parchment paper.  Spread out the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border.  Brush the border with the egg wash.  Roll out the second piece of puff pastry on a floured board until it’s an inch larger in each direction.  Place the second sheet of pastry over the spinach and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork.  Brush the top with egg wash but don’t let it drip down the sides or the pastry won’t rise.  Make three small slits in the pastry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry in lightly browned.  Transfer the a cutting board and serve hot.

 Notes:

  • Defrost puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.  Be sure it’s still cold when you bake it.
  • To toast pine nuts, place in a dry sauté pan over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

This can be assembled a day in advance, refrigerated, and baked before serving.
***If you like any of these recipes, check out Barefoot Contessa on Food Network or  Ina’s website.


6
Oct

The Big Rig(atoni)

Dinner time always seems to be crazy at my house – with bed-times and a newborns’ feeding schedule – it’s hard to know if the timing will be just right for me to start dinner.  I LOVE making dinners that can be done ahead of time. That way I can find a chunk of time during my day to get it assembled and then simply turn on the oven in the evening and I have a wonderful homemade dinner waiting for my hubby when he walks in the door.

I don’t know about you, but my husband is always looking for meat at dinner time (I myself could probably be a vegetarian and never miss the meat).  It doesn’t matter how great something tastes – he is always looking for the meat.  So I came up with this recipe with my husband in mind:

The Big Rig(atoni)
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 lb. hot italian sausage (5 links)
1 teaspoon. chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. rigatoni pasta
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions:
Fill pot with water and bring to a boil – cook rigatoni according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet.  Add hot italian sausage and saute until cooked through.  Remove sausage from pan and slice (1/2 inch slices).

Return sliced italian sausage to pan (do NOT remove oil from pan – this gives it tons of flavor).  Saute sausage until nicely golden (scrape up all the good bites from the bottom of the pan), add garlic and cook for 3 mins.  Then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs (oregano, thyme, basil), salt and heavy cream – bring to a boil.  Allow the sauce to thicken (about 5-8 mins.).  Once thickened, toss sauce with cooked pasta and place in a 9×13 glass baking dish (I recommend spraying the baking dish with olive oil spray so pasta does not stick).  Top with mozzarella cheese.


Bake at 375 degrees for 20 mins. or until heated through.


Additional Info:  Can be assembled a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to bake (adjust baking time accordingly).

I love this olive oil cooking spray from Trader Joe’s:

6
Oct

I LOVE Sewing!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE sewing!!  I have to say it again, I LOVE sewing!  There is something so satisfying about handmaking something that you envision.  I got my first sewing machine only just a year ago (a birthday present from my wonderful Mom and loving hubby).  I read the manual and off to town I went and have never looked back.

I had minimal instruction from my Grandma Peggy and my Mom, but really taught myself.

The creative possibilities are endless with this small machine.  Here are just a few of my projects that I have  completed with my good friend, the sewing machine:

One of my first sewing projects: Burp Clothes (below)

Quilt and Pictures for my daughter Savannah’s Big Girl Room

Pillows for my daughter Savannah’s Room

Cute Girls Top (below)
Back of Top (below)
Another Girls Top with Matching Hair Accessory

Savannah’s Halloween Costume (2008)
Nursing Cover
Nursing Cover (back)
Dress
Coat
Fall Dress with matching Bloomer

So as you can see, the sewing machine is a wonderful tool!  Have you ever thought about getting a sewing machine and giving it a whirl?  It’s really not as hard as it looks and the personal satisfaction it will bring you is well worth the effort!!

6
Oct

Semi-Homemade

I was searching my cupboards, freezer and fridge this past week trying to think of something for dinner with what little we had on hand.  I’ve been trying to be really good lately about using what we already have and grocery shopping less.  


Isn’t it amazing how much a trip to the store adds up?  And I always feel so bad when I waste food or have fresh food go bad.  So I’ve been trying to buy a lot of frozen and can goods to remedy this problem.

So here’s what I came up with – Fiesta Green Chile Burrito Bake.  I remembered seeing a similar idea to this semi-homemade recipe in my Real Simple magazine several months ago.


Preheat oven 375 degrees. Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 oz. package shredded cheese
4 oz. chopped green chile
Frozen Family Pack Bean and Cheese burritos (I used El Monterey)
Chile powder – for garnish

Saute garlic in olive oil until soft.  Then add butter and flour (making a roux) – cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add 2 cups milk, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Once the mixture begins to thicken, add 6 oz. cheese and green chile.


Lay frozen burritos in a single layer in a 9 x 11 glass baking dish.  Pour cheesy green chile mixture on top of burritos.  Sprinkle 2 oz. cheese and chile powder on top.  





Bake for 45 mins. or until heated through.




Additional notes:  

1) Would be delish with sour cream and green onions on top.  Also great to serve with Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice (Santa Fe Style) and tortilla chips.
2) I also added frozen tri-color bell peppers (from Trader Joe’s) on top.
3) To make the dish even easier (I didn’t have it on hand at the time) but you could forgo making the roux (butter, flour, garlic and olive oil) and adding the milk by just using a can of cream of chicken soup instead – thin with some water, then add cheese and green chile.