One pot chicken Paprika Stew

Today my 2 year old got his leg cast off. He cried and shook the entire time they were cutting it off. He clung to me. He didn't try to run away, he just held tight. I never thought I would learn so much from a kid. Isn't this what we are supposed to do when life gets scary? Cling to the cross, hold on, have faith, draw strength from Christ, trust, bear the suffering and pain?

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

The list goes on and on!  So many verses encouraging one to have faith, stay strong and trust!  I need to read these more often!  Scratch that - I need to write them on cards and leave them around my house!  

Back to my 2 year old, because who am I kidding...I am totally "That mom" who talks about her kids all the time...sorry, not sorry :)  Cute story alert!

Whenever I make a smoothie my toddler gets scared of the loud blender, so he insists on sitting on the sofa in another room.  I was about to make my smoothie so I put him on the sofa and my baby on the ground to wiggle around.  As soon as I started the blender my baby started crying - which he usually doesn't do!  I turned the blender off and look into the other room - my toddler had gotten down from the sofa and was right next to the baby.  I heard him say "Wrong Henry? Okay, okay.  Scared blender.  Hold hand." Then he leaned over him and kissed his little nose.  Melted my Momma heart : )  I'll have to remember these moments later in life when they are wrestling and punching each other : )

This stew comes together pretty quickly and is delicious!  I rarely have leftovers!  I made it for a Sunday family dinner recently and it was devoured!  Always a good sign!

One Pot Chicken Paprika Stew

• 
  
• 3 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp Paprika
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb potatoes cut into dice sized pieces, I peeled mine, but that is optional
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1 1/3 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup white wine

1. In a Ziploc bag, combine paprika, salt and pepper. Mix together and add chicken lightly shaking until pieces are evenly coated.  I did this a few hours ahead of time and let it sit in my fridge, but you can just move on to the next step if you don't want to let the chicken marinate a bit.
2. In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken a few pieces at a time and cook until brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat the process until all the chicken has been browned.
3. Add the garlic and onion to the frying pan, stirring for about 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Gently whisk the flour into the wine. Gradually pour into the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock; stir. Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil.
5. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low, simmering until the chicken and vegetables are cooked. Cook for about 30 minutes. Right before serving, stir the chicken and vegetables; taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over rice, quinoa or fresh greens.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

White Bean Carrot and Kale Soup

I was gifted an Instant Pot last Christmas by my in-laws.  I had high hopes of using it right away, but getting pregnant took away my desire to cook for a while.  For the last 2 months I have been using it constantly!  I actually have a freezer with tons of soups and stews in it now for when baby arrives soon and I won't want to cook again.  I made this in the instant pot, but I'm including a stove top version as well.

Tomatoes unfortunately give me heartburn, so it is hard to find soup recipes that don't call for tomatoes.  If anyone has a soup or stew recipe without tomatoes let me know!

White Bean Carrot and Kale Soup

1.5 pounds fresh navy beans or 1 pound dried white beans (rinsed and soaked according to bag instructions)*
1 TBS olive oil
2 slices of bacon chopped (or some ham or sausage chopped up) *
1 large onion chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
4-6 large carrots chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
6 cups chicken broth for fresh beans or 8 cups for dried beans*
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
As much cleaned and chopped Kale as you want!  I used about one bunch (Can also use fresh or frozen spinach here)

Instant Pot instructions:

Set pot to "Saute" function.  Add oil to pan and saute bacon or other meat until browned and cooked.  Add onions, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes stirring every once in a while.  Add beans, broth and spices to pot and stir to combine.  Seal lid and set to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes for fresh beans and 25 minutes for dried beans.  Force release after 5 minutes.  Set to "saute" setting again and add Kale, cook until Kale is tender.  Add more salt to taste depending upon your taste.

Stove Top Instructions:

Add oil to large stockpot and saute bacon or other meat over medium/high heat until browned and cooked.  Add onions, celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes stirring every once in a while.  Add beans, broth and spices to pot and stir to combine.  Cook over medium/high heat for 30 minutes for fresh beans and 40-50 minutes for dried beans.  Add more liquid if getting too thick and beans aren't cooked yet. 
Cook until beans are tender.  Add Kale to pot and cook until Kale is tender - about 5-10 minutes.  Add more salt to taste depending upon your taste.

*Our local grocery store sells frozen fresh beans - I prefer these to dried beans - taste better to me :)

*  Depending upon the temperature you cook this soup at you may need to add more broth or water if soup is too thick for your liking.

*  You can also make this vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Carolina Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

I am willing to bet money that most American families still have leftover thanksgiving turkey in their fridges.  Turkey is like this weird miracle bird that no matter how much you eat - THERE IS STILL MORE TURKEY LEFT!  So crazy!  If Jesus had fed the crowds with rolls and turkey instead of loaves and fishes there would still be turkey in those baskets today!  True story.

In other news...I GOT MARRIED!  We are recovering from the wedding chaos et all and are trying to settle into our new home and our new lives.  God is good.  I have a whole laundry list of recipes to post - hopefully one day I will get around to them. : )

CarolinaTurkey and Sausage Gumbo

adapted from a Food and wine recipe

1. 3 tablespoons vegetable  oil
2. 3 tablespoons flour
3. 2 onions, chopped
4. 2 ribs celery, chopped small
5. 1 green bell pepper, chopped
6. 1 10-18 ounce package frozen sliced okra
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
9. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10. 2 teaspoons salt
11. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
12. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
13. 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 15-ounce can)
14. 6 cups chicken stock (broth)
15. 1/2 pound smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
16. 1 pound leftover turkey chopped up (you can also use chicken here if you want! )
17. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until starting to brown, about 4-8 minutes - whisk continuously and make sure it doesn't burn!  Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
18. Stir in the broth and the smoked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
19. Serve gumbo over rice.
20. 

Stewed Lamb Tangine

If I were the post it leaving kind of person this is what I put on my post its around the office:

Please replace the toilet paper when the roll is empty.  I realize the holder looks complicated, but really all you have to do is pinch the two tabs in!

I swear every time I go into the restroom at work the toilet paper holder is empty.  Pretty sure this means no females in the office know how to work the toilet paper holder!

For heavens sake - someone eat the last doughnut!

Nobody wants to be the person who snags the last doughnut in the box...so instead the doughnut sits in the box for days until somebody decides to throw it away.

Please check your stack of papers before leaving the copier to make sure you aren't taking anyone else's copies!

I swear I print things all the time, get up immediately to get it, and it is gone when I get to the printer - so I go back to my desk hit reprint...and low and behold when I return my original copy is sitting right there...

There are four trashcans located in the conference room, please see that your empty bottles and cans make it into them.

After a meeting I go into the conference rooms and there are empty cans and bottles all over the table!  It drives me bananas that people are adults and haven't learned the skill of throwing things away yet - ahhh!


Such a slow week at work - I find myself really dwelling on these minute little things.  Hopefully work will pick back up for me soon!  In the meantime I am going to share with you this yummy recipe for Lamb Tangine.  Don't let the fancy words scare you : )  A few years back I visited my friend from high school in Boston, and when I arrived at her home after a long plane ride she had a delicious pot of chicken and chickpea Moroccan stew waiting for us - so yummy.  I was thinking about that recently and decided it would also taste good made with lamb - and lo and behold it is an actual dish.  I was uber apprehensive about trying out a weird ethnic dish - they never seem to work out for me - but this one was a winner!  I adapted this recipe from Epicurious.com, made it a little bit simpler to follow and execute.

"Tangine" is actually a kind of pot that looks like this: 

Wikipedia definition coming up....

"Moroccan tajine dishes are slow-cooked savory stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry, or fish together with vegetables or fruit.^[4] Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used.^[5] Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tajine. The sweet and sour combination is common in tajine dishes like lamb with dates and spices. Tajines are served with couscous or bread. Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tajine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is very practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available."

Stewed Lamb Tangine

1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
5 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS olive oil
3 pounds cubed lamb shoulder
Kosher salt and pepper to season
1 large onion, diced
5 tsp Ras-el-hanout spice blend* recipe to follow - use whole recipe
1 TBS chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
fresh cilantro

Place chick peas, 2 cloves of garlic, and cinnamon into a small saucepan.  Add water just to cover.  Boil and reduce heat to low, and set aside.

Heat oil in large pot.  Season lamb with salt and pepper.  
Working in batches, brown lamb over medium high heat on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Add onion to pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, Ras-el-hanout, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and lamb with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender, about 45 minutes on a higher heat or over a lower heat 1 hour 30 minutes.  Stir in chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Add apricots and cook for 5-10 minutes.  Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over.  I didn't have couscous, so I just used rice...use whatever you have!

Ras-el-hanout spice blend

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds or 3/4 tsp ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds or 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup (Instant Pot version too)

I rarely eat at Olive Garden, but when I do - I order Zuppa Toscana.

Isn't that such a fun name to say?  "Zuppa Toscana" this translates into "Tuscany Soup"

The cold weather is finally here.  It arrived last night.  I got home from work and all I wanted to do was make soup.  So I made the world's fastest chicken soup...seriously...it was fast.  Now I want to plan my weekly schedule around when I can make soup.  Soup is good, it is true, and it is beautiful.  I think I love the cold weather solely because I get to make and eat more soup.

I try not to eat dairy, and some of my people don't eat dairy either - so I made this dairy free by using coconut milk instead of heavy cream/milk.  If you love dairy and can eat it by all means use heavy cream/milk/ or half and half.

Zuppa Toscana

1 pound ground Italian Sausage, chicken or pork*

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*

4 slices bacon chopped (optional)

1 large onion, diced

1 TBS minced garlic

64 ounces chicken broth

8 small red potatoes sliced in half, then sliced thin

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 Large bunch of Kale - cleaned, stems removed, and chopped

In large stock pot cook the Italian sausage and chili flakes until browned and no longer pink.  Remove from pan, drain, and set aside.  Cook the bacon in the same pan until crisp.  Drain off some of the fat - not all of it!  Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes of medium/high heat - stirring every once in a while.

Pour the broth over the bacon/onion bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes and boil until tender.  Reduce heat and add in the coconut milk and sausage.  Add the Kale and cook for a few minutes.  I like my kale crisp so I only cook it for a minute or 2.

*If you can't find ground sausage you can also use Italian sausage links cut up into slices.
*If you like your soup spicier add up to 1 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Updated Instant Pot Version (2/1/19)

Turn instant pot on to saute mode.  Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered.  Remove from pan. If you aren't using bacon just add a TBS of olive oil instead.  Add sausage and saute for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes.  Then add the meat back in, the potatoes and the broth.  Stir.  Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.  When done wait for 5 minutes before releasing the pressure.  Add in the kale and the coconut milk and stir until kale is to desired tenderness.  

Compliments and a bowl of Chicken Buckwheat Noodle Soup

Is it just me or do compliments mean so much more coming from a man?  My Mom, my sisters, my cousins, my aunts, and my girlfriends could sit there all day telling me I was beautiful and I still wouldn't believe it.  On the other hand, my Dad, my brothers, my uncles, my cousins, or my guy friends could tell me I am beautiful once and I completely believe them and immediately sign up for a beauty pageant.  Why is it that as women the words men say mean so much to us?  The kind and genuine compliments that men have paid me over the years have always stayed in my mind, and I treasure them all.

One of my favorite compliments was when I arrived at a formal dance in college, and one of my guy friends looked at me in awe and said, "Precious, seriously precious - that is the only word to describe how you look."  Aww, come on...what girl wouldn't remember that compliment.  Of course when he first said it all I could imagine was Gollum from Lord of the Rings speaking about his ring - so I was slightly confused, but quickly got over it when I realized he was not being sarcastic.

Or my Papa, God bless his amazing soul, every time I would see him he would make sure to tell me I was beautiful and such a dear soul...and people wondered at why women loved him so much : )  Just saying, when he passed on he was surrounded by 6 women and one man.  Things were as they should be, and he left this world surrounded by women!  Nice job Papa!

Or just today when I met an older gentlemen who has been in business with my Dad for a while.  I told him I was my Dad's daughter, and couldn't he tell because I looked like him?  And he said "well you don't have to shave your face that's for sure! You are far too beautiful and perfect just the way you are!"  Awww...so sweet...and not creepy.  Seriously, sometimes guys really do cross the line and just become creepy.  Let me tell you, for every 1 sincere and appreciated comment I get from men, I get 1 creepy comment.  Don't guys know that when you say nice things like "You are such a sweet heart and will make some man a very happy husband one day" is soooooooo much better then hearing "You are a pretty little thing....you must keep real busy on the weekends."  Really?  On what planet does a woman want to hear that?  I have also found that for the most part the men who pay the nice compliments are the ones that are happily married...seems like they have figured out the secret to making women happy!

I wonder if we take to heart what men say about us more seriously then what fellow women say because women understand this weird sense of insecurity we all have about things in our life.  So since they can understand where we are coming from we feel like they are just saying all these "empty sounding" words in an attempt to set at ease all these insecurities they can relate to.  On the other hand, when a man tells us something and we know that he has no idea how insecure we feel - he is just saying it from a somehow more honest, straight forward, and believable place - then somehow we believe it is true too.

Oh how fickle we are!  I wonder if men feel the same way about this as women do.  Like if a man tells another man "you sure are good at grilling man" it doesn't mean as much compared to if a woman told him the exact same thing. : )

Some feminist thinking women might think that by saying these things I am giving men too much power over my life, but really it isn't that complex and twisted.  By taking a compliment to heart I don't feel as if we are giving men power - we are instead allowing them to be the protectors and guardians of our hearts that they were meant to be.

So if you are one of those few and rare men that read my blog go ahead and pay a woman in your life a genuine compliment today.  You don't have to necessarily tell her she is beautiful - because trust me telling a not so beautiful feeling woman she is beautiful might cause more pain than happiness - don't ask - it will never make sense.  Instead compliment her on something else - maybe her attitude, her care for others, her willingness to help someone, her laughter, her talent, or even her ability to keep the kitchen table clean...seriously!  When you notice the little things, it makes our hearts so much more full!

Ladies - you in turn should compliment the men in your life on something.  Maybe they always hold the door for you, or maybe they help out with household chores without being asked, or maybe they are just really good listeners.  Tell them.  Then go make this soup, listen to this song and eat your heart out!

Dagny

Chicken and Buckwheat Noodle Soup

There is something to be said for the power of a good bowl of chicken soup.  It is such a perfect meal, and so soothing to my weary soul.

In large stockpot stir together the following and partially cook through over medium high heat about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cubed

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground oregano

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 TBS Lemon juice

1TBS Olive Oil

Remove chicken pieces from the pan and set aside.  Add to the pan:

1 large onion sliced

4 large carrots chopped large

Saute 4-5 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pan and add the following:

6-8 cups chicken broth

1 box frozen spinach

1 handful buckwheat soba noodles, broken in half

pinch of chili pepper flakes

Bring to a boil and cook just until noodles are tender.  Add more salt if you like or more chili pepper flakes.

Resolutions, making healthy choices, street fights, and BLACK BEANS

At Mass this past Sunday the deacon made a good point during his homily.  He said that unlike a wish, a resolution requires a plan and an action.  How easy it is to say you are going to do something...to promise yourself you are going to get healthy this year.  If you truly are going to make resolutions then don't just say them.  Make a plan, and follow that plan with your actions.  Don't just say "I am going to be healthy", say "I am going to exercise 3x a week, incorporate more vegetables into my diet, and limit sweets to weekends alone."  It is so much easier to achieve our goals if we have an action plan to obtaining them...just like it is easier to get where you are going if you have a map.

So this year don't just make your resolutions, PLAN and ACT your resolutions. : )

I must say we already had a rocky start to 2012.  My siblings and I were playing tennis on New Year's day when we saw a group of a about 10 kids (16-18yr old) break into a fight.  At first we thought they were just joking as they threw out a slew of insults and horrible things at each other.  Then we saw one kid holding what looked like a bat in his hand, and then the punches started.  I did what any normal adult would do and started screaming at them to cut it out and stop acting like animals...yes, I know, I am so helpful in crisis situations : )

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year...a mini colander ornament...LOVE!

My family reacted very quickly and we all changed into our super hero costumes.  My brother Gunnar took off in a dead sprint towards the boys...there was a tennis court and pool in between us and them...I have never seen him run that fast.  I continued screaming like a mad banshee woman shouting out commands to the people standing around...Nick..."GO GET DAD", Mimi..."SAVE THE CHILDREN"...please note that on the other court there was a group of 3 - 14 year old boys...Mimi directed them to safety. : )  Then I also broke into a sprint...which in all honesty was more like an old person learning to use their walker for the first time...very fast in my head, very slow motion in reality.  Then for some reason I released my tiny dog from her leash thinking she would do what...yeah, not sure about that...I realized how dumb that was and started chasing the dog instead.

When my tiny slow legs finally got to the scene my brother had both guys on the ground.  He had the guy on top in a headlock.  He just sat on top of them both not saying anything, just holding them down.  Keep in mind my brother is a solid 5'6 and these guys were much bigger then him.  He just sat there holding them down while everyone was screaming.  This is where I whipped out my super powers and starred the boy in the headlock deep into his eyes and bloody face.  He sat there looking up at me as I yelled,  "DON'T DO THIS...IT IS NOT WORTH IT...YOU ARE BETTER THEN THIS."  I swear I saw the demons jump out of those boys as my exorcism totally worked.

The boys stood up ran to their cars and left with their groupies, and maniac girlfriends.  Before they sped off I yelled very loudly that we saw their faces, had their license plate numbers, and called the cops...really smart to show them all my cards.  I quickly jumped out of the way realizing that there was a good chance they would just hit us with their cars if they wanted or they might have guns.  Smart move Dagny, real smart.  The kids sped off and my Dad showed up on the scene, he jumped into his car with my sister and followed them down a dead end street.

Now there are 4 things that really bothered me about this whole thing.

1.  That is was happening right next to our home.  The crime rate has shot out the roof in our neighborhood, and it ticks me off that the neighborhood association won't do anything about it.  We used to pay for a cop to patrol around the neighborhood, but they got rid of that a few years back.

2.  That these kids looked like decent kids, and that they resorted to violence to solving their issues.  Why has this become so acceptable?  Plus, the language and words they were using, were empty and made no sense...use your words for good ding dongs!

3.  Then the whole time this fight was happening one of the maniac girls was filming on her camera.  No doubt that video was on facebook within minutes of happening...really, really?  How sad is that.

4.  Now the thing that really makes me mad is that we called the cops and they never came.  Not only did we call them once but we called them 3 times and they told us it wasn't an emergency.  Granted that the fight stopped, but my Dad had managed to follow all the kids find out their names and where they lived...plus he got 2 of the kids to get into his car and they spilled all the info on the other people involved.  Maybe to some people it was just a lame fight...but to me it was people being a danger to themselves and to my neighborhood, and to my family.  There was blood, there were pipes in their hands, and come to find out these kids had criminal records.  At least show up and scare the kids.

To end a long story we spent most of the day waiting around for the cops.  It is nice to know our tax dollars are helping pay to make our streets so safe.  It is also comforting to know that if a bigger emergency happened the cops would be so swift to respond.  Thanks, thanks for that.

This has nothing to do with being healthy, it was just an epic story and interesting start to 2012.  So....make healthy choices, don't beat each other up, use your words for good, and make these beans for supper.

the end.

Simple Black Beans

2 cups dried black beans

2 TBS lemon juice

Cover beans with at least 3 inches water over the beans...add lemon juice. Soak overnight or at least 8-12 hours.

Next day: Drain and rinse black beans, and set aside.

Coat the bottom of large heated soup pot with about 1 TBS olive oil. Over medium heat saute the following about 3-4 minutes:

1 large onion (diced)

1 TBS garlic (chopped)

1 whole jalapeno (I used 1/2 of a roasted hatch pepper instead)

Then add the beans back into the pan. Stir with veggies. Cover with the following:

8 cups liquid (I used a 1/2 and 1/2 combination of water and chicken broth)

You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water. Bring to a boil and cook until beans are tender...this ended up being about 45 minutes over a medium heat. Stir the beans every once in a while. If the liquid seems to be evaporated too much add some more. You don't want the beans to stick to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. Once tender add salt (I used a tsp.) and remove the jalapeno with tongs...or give it to someone who likes hot food as an early Christmas present. Once cooked you can do so many things with them:

1. eat them with rice

2. eat them with a tortilla and some cheese

3. eat them with some chips

4. eat them with some salad

5. make them into refried beans

6. put them in soup

7. mix them with chicken apple sausage and call it a meal

8. dress them up and take them out

Flopsy looking pretty fly in her new winter vest

If you have a big enough pot you can double this recipe. Freeze the extra and take out for a quick weeknight meal.

On the topic of salting beans before or after cooking them:

Experts have been arguing about this fact for centuries now. Pretty sure Helen of Troy had something to do with this issue. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have cooked many a pot of beans and have decided that it is better to salt the beans AFTER they have been cooked. I find that salting them before makes them mushier and they do not hold their shape as well...so basically if you salt your beans before cooking them you will end up with mashed beans whether you like it or not.

"To each their own I say,

cook your beans in your special way,

and that is all I have to say."

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

I taught Rudolph everything he knows : )

Roasted Harvest Butternut Squash and Kale soup

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

~John Donne

I love when someone holds the door for me.  It reminds me that kindness, manners, and generosity still exist.  I love when I hold the door for someone, I feel like I am reminding the world that kind gestures still exist and matter.

All kindness aside, there is also an element of awkwardness present in the "door holding protocol".  Every time I walk through a door I check behind me to see if someone is following through behind me.  Here enters the awkwardness.  There is a person, but they are not super close to the door, but clearly headed to the door...do you a) ignore them, and decide they are too far away and let the door close...or b) hold the door and wait looking like a crazy person, and the person you are holding the door for feels sorry for holding you up and they speed up their pace.

What do you do?  Are you a door holding person?  Are you a guy?  If you are a guy and you don't hold the door, don't tell me, because I might have to lecture you on chivalry...it is not dead...hold the doors...it is a good thing to do...and make this soup, it is also a good thing to do.
I visited my sister and her husband in MA last year and they made a pumpkin soup with kale for dinner one night.  It was delicious and when I was faced with butternut squash and kale I decided to play around with the concept.  I was very pleased with the end result, and highly recommend making this healthy soup for dinner this week.  I made mine with chicken broth, but you could also use vegetable broth and make this a vegetarian meatless dish.  This is the perfect soup to make before a night of trick or treating, or to enjoy while the snow is falling down around you.
 

Roasted Harvest Butternut squash and Kale soup

adapted from simply recipes

2 butternut squashes, peeled, seeded, and cut into small/medium chunks

4 medium carrots, peeled, cut into chunks

2 large tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, cut into 8 pieces

6 cloves garlic, peel on

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 bunch of Kale, washed and chopped finely

1 can Northern White beans, rinsed and drained

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.  Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

2 Pick out squash and carrots and set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in food processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 6 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Serves six.

Inspiration in a bowl of dumpling soup

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."
~Mother Teresa
The master chef tasting his creation.

Dinner is served.

Do you inspire people? On a day to day basis I don't think I inspire many people, but recently I feel like I have. What a great feeling knowing that you encouraged or motivated someone to do something good. My two encounters with inspiration came from the two little people in my family. Leave it to the little people to do or say things that make you happy : ), darn them and their innocent comments.

My first encounter with inspiration came from my niece. My poor niece...I used to bake with her a lot more, but I started getting so many paying customers that I had to exclude her from most of my baking adventures. I try to make time at least once a week to make something with her, but that isn't enough for her. She is probably one of the only seven year old kids that knows how to work a kitchen aid mixer, a food processor, saute onions, and make eggs. She is very quickly working her way up to Sous Chef status is this house... sorry Mimi : ) Anyway, I was filling an order the other day while she sat at the table drawing away like she always does. She looked up and said, "I want to be like you when I grow up." I said, "Oh yeah, why?" She said, "I want to make things and sell them to people, and get money from them." What a cutie. She then disappeared upstairs for a few hours to work on a secret project. When she finally came down stairs she showed us 3-4 paper crowns she had colored, cut out, and taped together. She proudly told us that she was going to take them to school and sell them to the kids. She gets that salesmen attitude from her Daddy who happens to be an incredible salesman! Bless her heart! Inspired creativity, check.

My second encounter with inspiration came from the baby of the family, my 14 year old brother Nick. Being the runt of the litter he has 6 older siblings with strong personalities that he has to compete with. I have often asked him to help cook or bake, but he has never really shown an interest. I was determined to teach him how to cook, it is such an important life skill that he really does need to know. I bought him a cookbook for kids for Christmas, which he responded to by saying, "I am not a kid." So he grabbed a sharpie, blacked out the word "kids", and inserted the word "teenagers." Somehow that made it an okay cookbook and he would maybe consider it...wow, the power of a sharpie, I had no idea it could do that. : ) I told him to go through the book and pick out a few recipes we could try out and I would get all the ingredients we needed to make it happen. He liked that idea. Our schedules were conflicting so we couldn't nail down any times that worked for both of us. So he got home from school as I was leaving and started making the recipe on his own. He didn't think he could do it, but he did, and it was awesome. So awesome that I am posting the recipe for everyone else to try as well. Inspired someone to cook, check.

So, have you inspired anyone in your life? Even though I only inspired them to be creative, and to cook it felt like a whole lot more. So get out there and share what you are good at with someone! I know what you are all thinking, "what happy pill is she on?", or "maybe she stole that sharpie from Nick", but no...that is the power of inspiration my friends...go get you some. : )

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams

Turkey Dumpling Soup
adapted from Kitchen for Kids by Jennifer Low

2-3 Green Onions, sliced into disks
6 oz uncooked ground turkey,chicken, or pork
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic
Salt and Pepper
1 large egg white
32 wonton wrappers (one package)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 eggs, whisked lightly

Mix together in a medium bowl the green onions, meat, soy sauce, oil, garlic, salt and pepper until combined. In separate small bowl whisk the egg white and set aside. Lay a single row of wonton wrappers flat on a tray and place a rounded tsp of meat filling in the middle of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush or your finger brush the edges of the wonton wrapper with egg white. Place an additional wrapper on top of those and press together around the edges until sealed shut. Continue this process until all the dumplings are assembled.

Bring broth to a simmer. Place the dumplings in the broth 5 or 6 at a time and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from broth and set aside. Continue cooking until all the dumplings are cooked. Remove all the dumplings from the broth and while whisking slowly pour the 2 whisked eggs into the broth. Serve in bowls and place 3-4 wontons in bowl and spoon broth over them. Top with sliced green onions.

"Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others."
~Saint Augustine