Lavender Lemonade

If you've been around my blog for long, you know how much I love lavender.
And if you've ever spent time with me in person, you know how I can't resist lemons.
And now my little girl does, too.  It makes me happy :)

So, in my world, there are few things more perfect than the blend of lavender and lemon.

To make the perfect lavender lemonade, you will need:

♥ 1 & 1/2  cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice
♥ 1 & 3/4 cups white sugar
♥ 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
♥ 8 cups of water

To prevent the sugar from settling at the bottom of the pitcher, create a simple syrup.  Slowly stir the sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the culinary lavender to the pot, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Once the simple syrup is cool, strain it to catch the lavender buds, and combine it with the lemon juice and water.

Add some ice and a few slices of lemon, and you have a lovely, refreshing summer drink!

Tomato Gazpacho with Basil Oil

There is a funny, roundabout story to this recipe.  Jesse and I were looking online at the winery where some of our friends will be getting married this summer, and while playing around on their website, we came upon a recipe for Gazpacho.  Jesse's face lit up when he saw it, because apparently, gazpacho is on the Facebook list of 100 foods you have to try before you die.  He and some of his friends are competing with each other to see who can finish the list first, and he is bound and determined to win.  {We've experienced some interesting meals in the last year thanks to this list!}

This is our adaptation of Chalk Hill's recipe.  We paired it down to feed 4 instead of, you know, the whole classy restaurant.

This is a truly glorious recipe.  It's one of the healthiest things you can eat, because it's just fresh, raw vegetables pureed to their smoothest form.  We like it so much that we've made and served it twice this week--once to a couple with very limiting food allergies, and to another couple who follow the Paleo diet.

Gazpacho is the perfect thing for a hot summer day.  It's served cool, so it's light and refreshing.  I love it!

What you'll need:
♥ 8 tomatoes, washed and diced
♥ 1/2 a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and quartered
♥ 1/2 a green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
♥ 1/2 a red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
♥ 1/2 an onion, diced
♥ 4 cloves of garlic
♥ salt and pepper to taste
♥ Sherry vinegar
♥ 1/2 cup olive oil
♥ 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Chop up the tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and onion, and toss them together in a large bowl.  Working in batches, puree the vegetables until you have a smooth puree.  Add salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar to taste.  Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavor to infuse.  This step is worth it!

About an hour before you will serve the gazpacho, take it out of the refrigerator.  Strain it and toss out any bits that collect in the sieve (or take the remnants, toss them with some jalapeno, and turn it into a salsa, like we did).

Stir in 1/4 cup of olive oil to give it a lovely, rich texture, and taste the soup again to see if you need to add more salt, pepper, or vinegar.

Make basil oil by blending the basil leaves with the rest of the olive oil, and drizzle it on the top of the soup just before serving.

Set this on the table with some buttered garlic bread and a grilled chicken salad, and you have yourself a lovely meal!

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

Last year for our anniversary, I made Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake.  This year, Handsome Man and I celebrated a night early at home with this beauty.

(if you're noticing a chocolate/berry trend, there definitely is one!)

Recipe for Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

♥1 pound fresh strawberries
♥ 2 tbsp white sugar
♥ 2  1/2 cups flour
♥ 1/2 cup cocoa powder
♥ 1 tsp baking soda
♥ 1 tsp baking powder
♥ 1/2 tsp salt
♥ 2 cups white sugar
♥ 1 cup butter, softened
♥ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
♥ 2 eggs
♥ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
♥ 1  1/2 cups milk
♥ 3/4 cup brewed coffee
♥ 1 qt heavy whipping cream
♥ 1/4 cup powdered sugar
♥ 2 tbsp white sugar

Preheat the oven to 350* and lightly grease two 9 inch round baking pans.  Hull and slice your strawberries, put them in a bowl and sprinkle 2 tbsp white sugar on them.  Stir them gently and place in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside.  Using your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together.  Slowly add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Mix in dry ingredients until just combined (overmixing will produce a very dense cake).  Turn off the mixer and stir in milk and coffee until the batter is well blended.  Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then remove the pans and allow to cool completely on cooling racks.

Beat whipping cream until foamy in a large bowl.  Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form.  Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread half of the whipped cream over the top of one.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop the strawberries out of the bowl so that they don't drip pink juice on your beautifully white whipped cream, and layer half of the strawberries onto the cake.  Carefully set the second cake on top, and spread the rest of the whipped cream on it.  Add the rest of the strawberries, and voila!  A beautiful, unique dessert.

Perfect for celebrating an anniversary!

Happy 4th anniversary to the beautiful heart that has loved me, the strong arms that have held me, the man who daily lives out my happily ever after.

I love you, Jesse!

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake

Every year, Handsome Man and I go to the lavender festival near his mom's house.  It's one of my favorite traditions!

 I love the scent of lavender, I love the way it looks, and I love, love, love it when people incorporate it into food.

(We took these maternity pictures last year when I was 6 months pregnant with Kayleigh)

For the past few years, I have tried to plant culinary lavender in our yard so that I could collect it and use it in recipes.  It turns out that I'm apparently too sympathetic for these drought-resistant flowers and always end up drowning them.  After a few failures, Jesse lovingly bought me this tin of culinary lavender last year.  He joked that he was probably saving us money by just buying the tin!

I love it!  

It's perfect for making tea, scenting a room, or making this amazing lemon lavender pound cake.  If there isn't a lavender festival in your area, look for culinary lavender online (this beautiful 1/2 pound of organic culinary lavender from Layla was the best deal I found) or grow it if you're better at resisting the desire to drown water it than I am!

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake  

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp dried lavender

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

zest of one lemon

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2--3/4 cup buttermilk

1.  Create lavender sugar in a food processor by mixing the sugar and lavender on high until it is very fine

2. Cream together butter and lavender sugar until light and fluffy, using a mixer with the paddle attachment.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time.

4.  Add lemon zest and vanilla

5.   Sift together the dry ingredients and add alternately with the buttermilk.


6. Pour into a prepared loaf pan and bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the middle and come out clean.

7.  Let this beauty cool completely before cutting and enjoying.

This is my go-to ladies' tea/bridal shower/brunch recipe, and it is always well-received!  Let me know if you give it a try!

Valentine M&M Bars

Ok, I know Valentine's Day has come and gone....but...

It's still February, and these are really good!

All during the month of February, I collected bags of pink M&Ms because, well, they're pink  :)  But what was I supposed to do with them?  I had such a random assortment of things in my pantry, and wasn't quite sure what to do.

Enter the White Chocolate Chip M&M Cookie Bars!

Cast of Characters
♥ 1/2 cup butter, softened
♥ 3/4 cup sugar
♥ 3/4 cup brown sugar
♥ 2 eggs
♥ 2 tsp vanilla
♥ 1+1/2 cup flour
♥ 1 tsp baking powder
♥ 1/2 tsp salt
♥ 1 cup white
♥ 1+ 3/4 cup M&Ms, divided

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until they're light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in 1 cup of the M&Ms and the white chocolate chips.

Spoon into a greased 9x13, and sprinkle the remaining M&Ms over the top.

Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack, and then cut into yummy bars.

These are super sweet, but they make a nice Valentine treat!



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Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes

Sprinkles Cupcakes is a world famous bakery in Beverly Hills.

So when I found a recipe for their strawberry cupcakes, I had to try it!  I've had many a cupcake in my life, but never before had I made one with fresh strawberries.  In love!

At first, I was a little intimidated.  A recipe from Sprinkles?  With their cupcakes selling at $4 a pop, that must be some crazy-difficult recipe to follow.  Either that, or they put gold dust in the frosting.

Turns out, it's super simple!  And the result is just lovely.

Cast of Characters:

♥ 1 cup whole strawberries
♥ 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
♥ 1 tsp baking powder
♥ 1/4 tsp salt
♥ 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
♥ 1 tsp vanilla extract
♥ 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
♥ 1 cup sugar
♥ 1 large egg
♥ 2 egg whites

Prep work:
Set out milk, eggs, and butter to allow them to adjust to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350*, line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

Puree:
Wash and hull all of your strawberries.  Place them in a food processor and process until pureed.  Try to resist drinking it.  I know, it's hard.  You will need 1/3 cup of strawberry puree for the cupcakes, and 3 tablespoons for the frosting.  Once you've measured it all out, you can devour what's left :)

Cupcakes:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl, mix milk, 1/3 cup strawberry puree, and vanilla.

Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  Slowly add sugar, and then reduce speed to medium.  Add egg and egg whites.

Lower the speed once again, and slowly add half of the flour mixture.  Pour in strawberry puree mixture, and then blend in the rest of the flour.  Be careful not to over-mix--it will make the cupcakes dense and heavy.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, and put in your oven for 25-30 minutes.  The tops of the cupcakes should be golden brown when you take it out, and you should be able to stick a toothpick in the center of one and pull it out cleanly.  Set the muffin tin on a wire rack and allow the cupcakes to cool thoroughly.

Now for the good stuff...frosting!

For the Frosting, you will need:
♥ 3 T strawberry puree
♥ 2 sticks (one cup) butter, room temperature
♥ 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
♥ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
♥ pinch of salt

In your mixer, beat butter and salt together until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar slowly, beat until well combined.  Stir in vanilla extract and strawberry puree, and watch pure magic unfold.  Again, be careful not to over-mix.  This is the most amazing frosting I've ever had!  And why wouldn't it be?  Butter/sugar is my favorite baking combination!  Add strawberries, and it's pure heaven.

Pure heaven.

Happy homemaking!

♥ Bethany

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Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Fresh cranberries were on sale the other day.  What's a Happy Homemaker to do?

Make cranberry-orange muffins, of course!

What a treat to get to use fresh cranberries, instead of the regular go-to dried cranberries.  This time, fresh was actually cheaper!

I made some yesterday to take to a friend's house.  I wish I had a picture of her 14 month old sitting happily on the kitchen floor with muffin crumbles in his fat little fingers, and berry juice on his cheeks.  He was the picture of absolute bliss.  So cute!

These are so moist and delicious--the perfect way to begin a morning :)

Cast of Characters:

♥ 3/4 cup milk
♥ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
♥ 1 egg
♥ 2 cups all-purpose flour
♥ 1/2 cup sugar
♥ 2 teaspoons baking powder
♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt
♥ 1 cup fresh cranberries (or dried/frozen)
♥ 1 tablespoon zested orange
Makes one dozen delicious muffins (which, as soon as they're out of the oven, doesn't seem enough for 2 people!)

Heat your oven to 400*F.  Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners, or grease the bottoms with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, oil, and the egg.

Beat together until well mixed.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, and mix it all together at once.  The muffins will turn out nice and fluffy if you just mix it together with a spoon until the flour is just moistened.  (That's hard for a KitchenAid addict like me!)

On a cutting board, coarsely chop the cranberries

Fold in the chopped cranberries

And stir until it's all nice and well mixed

Now, just drop it into the muffin mold

Stick it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, and when these little beauties come out, try to at least save a few for when your husband comes home :)

Happy Homemaking!

♥ Bethany

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Crock Pot: Garlic Rosemary Chicken

I had a hankering for something savory today...and was too lazy to make a trip to the grocery store to do anything too adventurous :-)

I looked through my kitchen and saw that I had chicken breasts, potatoes, carrots, garlic, and lots of herbs, including my fresh rosemary plant growing outside.

Voila!

This is so easy, and when Jesse and I came home this afternoon, the house smelled so scrumptious.  Totally worth the 5 minutes of prep I put into this meal :-)



For two people, I used:

♥ 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

♥ 5 minced cloves of garlic

♥ 1/2 stick of butter

♥ 1/2 cup of chicken broth

♥  4 sprigs of rosemary from my plant (or 1T of rosemary flakes)

♥ Sprinkles of parsley, sage, and thyme (it's a Scarborough Fair meal!  Get it?)

♥ 4-6 Russet potatoes

♥ 10-20 baby carrots

♥ 1 T olive oil

♥ 1 t Kosher salt

♥ Ground black pepper



Melt the butter and garlic together in a microwave-safe bowl.  Coat both sides of the chicken with this yummy mix, and place in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour the chicken broth over the chicken in the pot, and add the sprigs of rosemary.  In a separate bowl (or ziploc if you're lazy and don't want to wash another bowl!) mix olive oil, quartered potatoes, carrots, kosher salt, and pepper together and pour over the chicken.  Sprinkle everything in the crock pot with the rest of the herbs, turn the crock pot on low, and let it cook for 6-8 hours.

It smells heavenly, and when I get that big of a smile from my Handsome Man, I consider it a great success ♥

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

Oh, be still, my heart.

This is almost too rich to handle.  Definitely not for the faint of heart.

(and, um, definitely not for the lactose-intolerant like me.  Thank God for Lactaid pills!)

But...wow!  Ready to knock some socks off?

This recipe is super easy (and I partially winged it, so anyone can do it!)

I made this to celebrate Jesse and my 3rd wedding anniversary.  It was a big hit :-)

Ready?  Here we go!

Ingredients

♥1 1/2 c. (about 18) finely crushed creme-filled chocolate cookies
♥2 tbsp. butter, melted
♥4 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
♥1 1/4 c. sugar
♥3 eggs
♥1 c. sour cream
♥1 tsp. vanilla
♥1/3 c. seedless raspberry preserves
♥12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate pieces (you will melt 6oz at a time)
♥1 pint raspberries

Preheat your oven to 325* and set your cream cheese out to soften.  While this is going on, get started on your chocolate cookie-crumb crust.

Count out 23 oreos and put 18 of them in a ziplock bag.  The rest are for you :-)

Take a rolling pin and flatten the life out of those cookies.  Add 2 T of  melted butter to the crumbs, and mix well.

Pour the crumbs into a greased springform 9in diameter pan.

Use a fork or the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumbs firmly to the bottom of the pan.  You really want them packed in there so that your crust doesn't crumble when you try to make the first cut!

Now, get started on the cheesecake filling.

Combine 3 of the cream cheese packages with the sugar and mix until it's nice and creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and then the sour cream and vanilla (I had to snap a picture of the top of my Daisy sour cream, because it reminded me of our first anniversary ♥)

Pour the filling into the pan, and get started on the good stuff.

In a double boiler (I just layered a small pot on top of a larger pot of boiling water), melt 6 ounces of chocolate and mix it into the remaining package of cream cheese.  Add the raspberry preserves, and enjoy the rich, chocolatey goodness that fills your kitchen.  Once it's thoroughly mixed, drop the chocolate cream cheese batter by the spoonful on top of the plain cream cheese batter.

Stick that sucker in the oven and put your timer for one hour and twenty minutes.  It will be the longest of your life :-)

When you take it out, gently loosen the sides and let it cool.

Time to work on the chocolate glaze!

Back to the double boiler.  The recipe I was using said to mix the melted chocolate with 1/4 cup of whipping cream.  It didn't work when I tried (maybe you'll have more success), so I mixed the melted chocolate with another 1/3 cup of raspberry preserves.  I liked adding the extra berry flavor to the top, and it made it pretty and smelled delicious.  Quickly, before the chocolate cools, drizzle it over the top of the cheesecake.

Now you can add raspberries to the top, some whipped cream if you're so inclined, and sit back, relax, and enjoy!

♥Bethany

My New Favorite Cookie: Vanilla Chai Spice

Can you tell that I made these for Christmas?  :-)

Vanilla Chai Spice Cookies

♥1 stick unsalted butter, softened
♥1/2 cup sugar
♥1 large egg
♥1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
♥1 3/4 cups flour
♥3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
♥1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cloves
♥1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
♥1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
♥1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and mix well. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just until barely combined. Using your hands, use a kneading motion inside the bowl so that the dough starts to come together. Flour your hands if the dough is sticking to you. Divide into two parts, flatten into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Take out one of the disks and roll out to 1/4" thick on a floured surface. Using a small, scalloped cookie cutter, cut out cookies (I used a miniature Wilton Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out the middle of half the cookies) and bake for 8 minutes, until edges are just slightly golden brown.

Cardamom Cream
♥1 stick unsalted butter, softened
♥1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
♥1 teaspoon vanilla extract
♥1 teaspoon cardamom
♥1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
♥1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until soft and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with plain tip about 1/2" in diameter (or, if you don't have one, just use a zip-loc bag and cut a corner off like I did). Ice in a side to side motion to get the pattern--I loved the way it made my trees look!   Sandwich cream in between two cookies.

These cookies are very rich, so the smaller you cut them out, the better.  Of course, my Handsome Man didn't complain about the large ones I made!

The Perfect Day for Stew

Oh, little dutch oven, so bright and cherry red...I was thinking about you all day!

It was so cold and drizzly today...I didn't even want to leave the house this morning.

Afternoon inspiration told me just what I wanted to do with you...

Something yummy!

Something perfect for a cold, rainy night!

Stew!

♥ 3 lbs. chuck or rump, cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes

♥ 1 cup of sliced onion

♥ 2 beef bouillon cubes in 4 cups of water

♥1 tbsp. parsley flakes or fresh, cut up

♥1 clove garlic, minced

♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt

♥ 1/2 teaspoon pepper

♥ 1/4 teaspoon thyme

♥ 1 bay leaf

♥1 cup of corn

♥ 6 potatoes (quartered)

♥ 6 carrots, peeled and sliced

♥ 2 tbsp. flour

♥ 2 cups of Bisquick

♥2/3 cup of milk



In a hot dutch oven, brown beef cubes well on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onion and saute until tender. Return beef to pan. Add parsley, garlic, salt & pepper, bay leaf, thyme, and bouillon cube mixture.  Add a little bit of red wine, if you want to!

Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Add vegetables and simmer covered for about 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, skim off fat. Mix flour with about 1/4 cup of the broth from the stew. Stir into beef mixture. Simmer about 10 more minutes until slightly thickened.

To mix the dumplings, pour 2 cups of Bisquick into a small bowl.  Add 2/3 cup of milk, and stir until well mixed. Spoon by the tablespoon all over the top of stew and let cook about 10 more minutes until dumplings are cooked.

The perfect rainy night dinner!

Can't wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow :-)



Happy Homemaking!

♥ Beth

Jalapeño Jelly

One of the ladies at work today brought in the yummiest treat!  She made jalapeño jelly at home and brought it in with stone ground wheat crackers and cream cheese spread.  It wasn't the healthiest thing in the world, but it tasted just wonderful!

I haven't gotten to try the recipe myself, but I wanted to save it so that I don't forget it (and I figured I'd share it with you!)

♥ 1 large green bell pepper
♥12 jalapeno peppers

♥1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

♥1 pinch salt

♥4 1/4 cups granulated sugar

♥4 ounces liquid pectin

♥4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
 
1.Combine the green bell pepper and 12 jalapeno peppers in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. This can be done in batches, if the peppers do not fit.


2.Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through at least 2 layers of cheesecloth, and discard pulp. You should have about 1 cup of liquid.

3.Return the liquid to the saucepan, and stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down), boil for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.

4.Stir in the remaining jalapeno peppers, and ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in a hot water bath. Refrigerate jelly after seal is broken.





If you get to try it before I do, make sure you tell me about it!
 
 
 
 
P.S. Along with the jalapeno jelly, she also set out a platter of tomato slices soaked in balsamic vinegar.  Balsamic tomatoes on top of cream cheese crackers?  Who know that would be so tasty?!?
Give that one a try, too!

Happy Homemaking!
♥ Bethany

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

I have a new baby.

She's a gorgeous apple-red dutch oven, and I'm in love.

It was a birthday present from Momma B.  I'm so excited!

I made gumbo a few weeks ago and learned that it's not very easy to make a perfect roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot.  (In fact, it's very easy to make a perfectly scorched roux in a thin-bottomed metal pot.)

My southern Mother-in-law knew that a girl needs a real dutch oven to make a real gumbo, so that was my birthday present from her this year.  I'm going to have many pics to upload from my wonderful 24th birthday!  Check here to find them soon :-)

I was so excited to have a dutch oven that I wanted to find a simple yummy recipe to try it out.
Pot roast was always a special meal during my childhood, so I decided to try my hand at it.  The dutch oven made it so moist and flavorful!  This recipe is the simplest thing in the world.  If you don't have a dutch oven, try doing this in a slow cooker.


♥2.5 pound beef chuck pot roast (about 8 inches long by 2 inches thick)

♥1 packet of Lipton Beef and Onion powdered soup mix (adds such simple,yummy flavor!)

♥4-6 small russet potatoes

♥ two or three hanfuls ofbaby carrots (about 6 ounces)

♥1 cup water

♥pinch of salt

♥pinch of pepper

The most important part to making a pot roast is to sear in all of the juices before you get started.  Turn the stove on to medium-high heat and sear each side for 4-6 minutes.  It should come out a light brown, caramelly color.

Once the roast is nicely browned, remove from heat and season the top and sides with salt and pepper.  Mix the onion soup mix with 1 cup of water, and pour it around (not on top of) the roast.  Put it back on the stove and get it up to a simmer for two hours.  Put your ear next to the pot to listen for a gentle simmering sound.  Make sure it's not too hot--it will dry the poor thing out!

Ten minutes before the two-hour timer goes off, cut up your potatoes.  There shouldn't be any pieces thicker than 1.5 inches.  Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and leave it alone for another hour.

I told you this was easy, didn't I?  :-)

Dinner is all set and ready once you turn that burner off an hour later.  Serve with some salad, some bread rolls, and a homey dessert, and you've got yourself one of the easiest crowd pleasers you could come up with!

Enjoy :-)

Chicken Fajitas

This is a new favorite in the Brubaker household.   I made it a few weeks ago when I had leftover bell peppers and onions (I was so proud of figuring out how to use them without having to go to the store to buy anything else!!!) and we made it again when Kim was here.  It's such an easy recipe, and as long as you have all of the spices in your cupboard already, this meal is a cinch!

♥ 1 teaspoon pure chile powder

♥ 1 teaspoon kosher salt

♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

♥ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

♥ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

♥ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

♥ 1/4 cup water

♥ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

♥ 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips

♥ 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips

♥ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

♥ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
 
Use a ziplock to combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.


Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

Serve with tortillas, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else sounds good, and enjoy!
 
It's so yummy, I'm going to eat the leftovers for lunch!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Happy Birthday, Handsome Man!

I figured this would be the perfect way to begin your special day. 
 I love you!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

♥  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

♥ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

♥ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

♥ 3/4 teaspoon salt

♥ 1 1/4 cups milk

♥ 1/4 cup vegetable oil

♥ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

♥ 1 rounded cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Whisk together all ingredients except chips until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with additional oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and sprinkle each pancake with about 1 1/2 teaspoons chips. Cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

 

(These would be a lot more ideal to make if I owned a griddle, but for now, it's pancakes on the stir-fry pan!)

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Funny side note, at one point, I burned a pancake pretty badly and was mourning over it.  "Why is it that burned chocolate chips smell like burned hot dogs?" I cried.

Jesse's eyes got wide with excitement and he clapped his hands together, "Because they love me!!!"

Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts

This one had me drooling as soon as I thought about it.  Yum!

Easiest thing in the world...just chop up some cilantro, zest a lime, mince up some garlic, throw it in a zip lock bag with 2 chicken breasts, olive oil, and salt and pepper, let it marinade, and presto!  So easy.

Well, don't forget to cook it, either.

Here are the easy steps for this yummy recipe!

♥  2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat


♥  2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

♥  Zest and juice of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating)

♥  1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

♥  Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

♥  1 clove of garlic, minced

I poked the chicken breasts with a fork before putting it in the marinade so that it would really soak up the flavor.  It worked really well.  Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together, throw it in the ziplock bag, press all of the air out of the bag so that the juice surrounds the chicken, and let it marinade for 4-6 hours.

Take it out of the fridge, add the lime juice ot the bag, and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

I served it with Mexican rice, chips, and salsa.  Jesse said it was a winner, and that's all I need :-)

Blackened Salmon

Just sharing our dinner tonight!  Yum!

We really liked how the blackened chicken turned out, so we were curious to see what something similar would taste like with salmon.  It got two thumbs up!

Serves 4.

♥2 tablespoons ground paprika

♥1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

♥1 tablespoon onion powder

♥2 teaspoons salt

♥1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

♥1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

♥1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

♥1/4 teaspoon dried basil

♥1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

♥4 salmon fillets, skin and bones removed

♥1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1.In a small bowl, mix paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil and oregano.

2.Brush salmon fillets on both sides with 1/4 cup butter, and sprinkle evenly with the cayenne pepper mixture. Drizzle one side of each fillet with 1/2 remaining butter.

3.In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, cook salmon, butter side down, until blackened, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn fillets, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue cooking until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.
 
We served it with brown rice and corn tonight.  Yumm!

Blackened Grilled Chicken

Our Memorial Day's feast!

We had a great dinner tonight of grilled blackened chicken (compliments of my handsome barbequer), garden-fresh lettuce (from our neighbor) and my homegrown tomatoes, biscuits, and corn on the cob.  So yummy! 

Here's our newest recipe--Jesse says it easily earns an A+

Bring out your good old charcoal grill--this one deserves it!

♥ 4 chicken breasts
♥ 1 tablespoon paprika
♥ 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
♥ 1 tsp ground black pepper
♥ 1 tsp sugar
♥ 1 tsp garlic powder
♥ 1 tsp onion powder
♥ 1 tsp fajita seasoning
♥ olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub olive oil on both sides of chicken breasts, and then rub the spice mixture all over each piece of chicken.  Let chicken sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes to soak in all the spicy yumminess.  It only takes about 6-7 of grilling on each side to get the outside of the chicken nice and black.  Yum Yum!

Cranberry Chicken

I found this simple recipe tonight when I was looking for something quick and easy to make with the chicken I had on hand.  It's always exciting to find a recipe that only calls for ingredients that you already have in your house!  This one is so easy, and barely uses anything.

Jesse kept commenting on how our house smelled like Thanksgiving as it was cooking.  Yum yum!



Ingredients


1 Tablespoon cooking oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (cut horizontally through the breast to make it thinner/easier to cook)

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins are always in our house--they were one of the first reasons we clicked!)

1/2 cup apple juice*

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine cranberries, apple juice and chicken stock in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a gallon-sized plastic bag with zip top, mix flour, salt and pepper. Toss chicken breasts into bag and shake well until each breast is coated evenly with flour.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot add chicken and cook for 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Pour soaked cranberries with juice and stock into the hot pan, reduce heat to low and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in mustard and add chicken back into pan.

Cook for another 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and sauce has thickened. Serve chicken with sauce atop.
 
 
*Jesse and I don't have apple juice in the house tonight, so we substituted it for Martinelli's apple cider.  It worked really well!  Now I'm curious what it tastes like with apple juice and if I'd still like it my way better :-)
 
Let me know if you try it!

Chicken Marsala

This is a Jesse and Bethany Brubaker family favorite :)  We had it last night, and I realized the recipe wasn't up here!  Let me know if you try it...it's yummy!

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup marsala wine
1 cup sliced mushrooms

In a large skillet, melt butter.
while butter is melting, combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Cut chicken into long strips.
Dip each piece of chicken in milk first, then dredge in flour and add to skillet.
Sauté chicken in butter over medium heat until browned.  Add more butter as needed (no one said this recipe is healthy!)
Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm on a plate..
Add mushrooms to skillet and sauté until cooked.
Add marsala, stirring to get brown bits off sides of pan.
Stir frequently until sauce has thickened.
Return chicken to pan, mix, and serve atop linguine.