tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28342446420964979582024-03-04T22:45:23.272-06:00Wanna Be Chef MystiLoving Life in an Apron!Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-11229915835191872013-02-22T12:13:00.000-06:002013-02-22T12:15:03.227-06:00I recently spent a few minutes remembering the good ole days when cooking was on the top of my list of most enjoyable things to do. Don't get me wrong, I still love to cook but even reading the last post I submitted on this blog, unbelievably almost 2 years ago, its amazing how much my life has changed. I smiled at the fact that although I didn't know it at the time only 3 short days after my last post I found out we were pregnant. The moment my life got flipped upside-down! <br />
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I wouldn't trade that somersault for anything in the world but I have to admit it's sweet nostalgia to go back and remember the days of food blogging, days in the kitchen, and hours mulling over new recipes. <br />
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I put this blog aside initially because the first few months of my pregnancy I couldn't think about food without chunks rising unless it was Wolf Brand Chili, breakfast sausage, or Cheetos. Who's going to read a blog about those?? After the first semester passed I found myself still not too interested in cooking and more time was focused on getting ready for our new family member. Then she arrived and as they all say "time flies" and boy has it. Cooking has come back into the picture on an occasion but its mostly to provide meals for my family and not necessarily for pure enjoyment like it used to be. <br />
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Although bittersweet, it's time for this blog to come to a close for now. Who knows if one day I will pick it back up but for now I feel like closing this door. New things rank at the top of my priority list, new hobbies, and a new person fills my life. <br />
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I hope to be more diligent in blogging on a new subject with a possible/occasional food post here- pandmpace.wordpress.com<br />
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<br />
That's all for now.<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-55810860691362507562011-07-10T19:45:00.000-05:002011-07-10T19:45:23.864-05:00Greek Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXgkQLhKM5iEPQE8LGh8Xc-Zfq1o1t-f8y8wrgN8aaW9PrUDTj0jYElaOQ9r3m1odMSuXQITFXld3kwZiR4izJCHIut7UrNAmg-kxLwisvIPQfiYhBdK4kalHPgGRW03HP6MftIChbEi4/s1600/saladaltphotoshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXgkQLhKM5iEPQE8LGh8Xc-Zfq1o1t-f8y8wrgN8aaW9PrUDTj0jYElaOQ9r3m1odMSuXQITFXld3kwZiR4izJCHIut7UrNAmg-kxLwisvIPQfiYhBdK4kalHPgGRW03HP6MftIChbEi4/s400/saladaltphotoshop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Going to a new place seems to increase your tendency to cook their style of food. Either that or I just wish we were back in Greece so I try my hand at Greek food more often than not! <br />
I had a few Greek salads while we were in Greece, they were not much like the ones you find in America. I'm sure there are those "Americanized" restaurants that you could find your typical salad in but after having an authentic Greek Salad, I'm not sure we know what we are doing when we make salad here. We seem to lack substance and add a lot of "fluff" lettuce! Okay, I'm not going to diss lettuce, because I for one have had some dang good salads with the stuff but you must try a Greek salad at least one time in your life! <br />
With all the WONDERFUL produce that is coming from gardens I have been blessed with tons from my father-in-law, some from friends, and some from the farmers market. All, of course, much better than anything you can buy at a typical grocery store. When your fridge is full of it, you have to find recipes that use it up because I am under the impression that the preserved version isn't quite as good as the fresh! Greek salads are basically a load of veggies tossed together with some good olive oil dressing and what a better time to make a big batch. Not to mention I have discovered that feta doesn't give me lactose intolerant symptoms, I have been in love with it since.<br />
This version of Greek Salad has probably more different veggies than your typical fair however the flavors resemble Greece so much, you will feel like your sitting seaside in Santorini! <br />
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<strong>Greek Salad</strong><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe thanks to me!</span></em><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
for the dressing:<br />
1/4 c kefir<br />
1/4 c olive oil<br />
1 tsp basil<br />
1 tsp oregano<br />
1 tbs lemon juice<br />
1 tbs apple cider vinegar<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
2 tsp Dijon mustard<br />
salt and pepper<br />
for the salad:<br />
1 bunch of asparagus<br />
2 regular sized zucchini and yellow squash<br />
2 decent sized tomatoes<br />
1 purple onion<br />
feta for top<br />
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Directions- <br />
1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.<br />
2. Chop up your veggies into bite sized pieces.<br />
3. Toss together the dressing and veggies.<br />
4. Sprinkle with feta.<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-90697740298896992822011-07-04T18:48:00.000-05:002011-07-04T18:48:43.469-05:00June 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXkIPWSWg5ZExt92Ghpl9p30O3NBcwu2AT3ZIG5qxaU7zdCY293ONjOVm_1JYw5cGqBkhtMlJokhMIKOLwceJl5TNiIZd5gQgmmOjCpo5kEbTl2Gt-hzhn4FWI0gU1lP4RVvsxbXc4Bfb/s1600/_MG_0469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXkIPWSWg5ZExt92Ghpl9p30O3NBcwu2AT3ZIG5qxaU7zdCY293ONjOVm_1JYw5cGqBkhtMlJokhMIKOLwceJl5TNiIZd5gQgmmOjCpo5kEbTl2Gt-hzhn4FWI0gU1lP4RVvsxbXc4Bfb/s320/_MG_0469.JPG" width="320" /></a>For the most part, June was a pretty relaxing month in our house hold. The summer is officially here, and it was marked by my first sun-kissed tan. We are loving our new place along with the peaceful pool that is so close! After such an exciting May, I almost have the temptation to skip June's blog update, all I can think is...boooring! : ) I guess I live for excitement, but being content where God has me is something I feel like God taught me a lot about in June. A book by the name of "Selah" by Nancie Carmichael was something God used to really make me reflect and focus on having times of peace and quite. That it's okay to not be doing something all the time, which my personality drives me towards. I really think that our current culture teaches us that your suppose to be "going, going, going" or you don't amount to much. When in reality that just distracts us from thinking deeply, enjoying peace, and really reflecting on the beautiful grace God gives us day in and day out. Honestly, it didn't take long before I forgot about the lesson and was caught up in being busy again. A friend was so sweet to remind me of how God has season's in our life, those season's are planned by Him, sometimes they are busy, sometimes they are slow, what we do with each season is a reflection of how much we trust God. If we are discontent with a season, we are discontent with God. It's so easy to complain about our circumstances whatever they may be, but knowing that God planned each one of our steps for a purpose really puts things in perspective. Not to mention that those plans are really for His glorification, not ours! That reminder went well with what I had previously learned. What a good friend I have! Really, what a good God I have!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCIUpvIc6OD1LRSioQhWoriRx8e3AEqDXPRImYWMVNINCRhVBo257w0fHKHUlJPctNKD2JyyWuVgSvVa301mRVMtCpQJvd7puIm-gKAlF1gYNdlEGYGvDguas8G_1jM0B7LzsiYxGhyphenhyphenf2/s1600/_MG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCIUpvIc6OD1LRSioQhWoriRx8e3AEqDXPRImYWMVNINCRhVBo257w0fHKHUlJPctNKD2JyyWuVgSvVa301mRVMtCpQJvd7puIm-gKAlF1gYNdlEGYGvDguas8G_1jM0B7LzsiYxGhyphenhyphenf2/s400/_MG_0285.JPG" width="400" /></a>The first week of June P and I were able to accompany a large group of our international students to the Dallas Aquarium. There were loads of things to see, however I must say the smell was not so great. We enjoyed our short visit and was really glad we didn't have to fork over the money for that adventure. <br />
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P has been really getting into taking pictures with our new camera, he spent sometime at our school campus and got some really good shots. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9U4ph7VlwQjYAZF2zRlORmPkJ0yi7D3yNgnjV3fs35JDLDeJOpZensuSLjmNausLw2KgaZUFHP9APwol7zlWFeXNUdbNUQqayJXwZkpo7dFD_MYs4H-G3tkzUQGyeq6mqVyGjLVGWaOhe/s1600/_MG_0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9U4ph7VlwQjYAZF2zRlORmPkJ0yi7D3yNgnjV3fs35JDLDeJOpZensuSLjmNausLw2KgaZUFHP9APwol7zlWFeXNUdbNUQqayJXwZkpo7dFD_MYs4H-G3tkzUQGyeq6mqVyGjLVGWaOhe/s320/_MG_0216.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3Pj3bBYjB91GiHNmu01fEiaxYOZETFanFJsmYMHsNAI6f4fU0TFWKTEbhiiVFq0_zzw7hrNFQz5DiECNGRELoXSkEIsyIip4bEPeQTJTpBwpB9WBkEq4nzuMn46kuN728hd6xQ8VfwmV/s1600/_MG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3Pj3bBYjB91GiHNmu01fEiaxYOZETFanFJsmYMHsNAI6f4fU0TFWKTEbhiiVFq0_zzw7hrNFQz5DiECNGRELoXSkEIsyIip4bEPeQTJTpBwpB9WBkEq4nzuMn46kuN728hd6xQ8VfwmV/s400/_MG_0207.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH5tAbjRRB-fxF5AGW4lycpD5uskisXE6bxZ6Gko29xDfOTodMKVJeOGiacstgCscOWKEAIN99u3Y-5Zbhwh67PFEA7rsM2RG2KXGqmF6tQb_X4LPueG_OMCAK-lIPx4LBMd89H7jKsfc/s1600/_MG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH5tAbjRRB-fxF5AGW4lycpD5uskisXE6bxZ6Gko29xDfOTodMKVJeOGiacstgCscOWKEAIN99u3Y-5Zbhwh67PFEA7rsM2RG2KXGqmF6tQb_X4LPueG_OMCAK-lIPx4LBMd89H7jKsfc/s400/_MG_0229.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The last weekend in June we spent at relatives, it was a whirlwind weekend but we actually got to see MOST of our family in the two days we were down. My Mimi celebrated her 75th birthday, we had a Brazilian dinner with our folks, and P was able to get some homework done for his World Missions class by interviewing an international! <br />
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What a good month to start the summer. It is so quiet around work since most of the students are gone, but what a good time to relax and enjoy the quietness God has blessed us with. <br />
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P and I are saying bye to June and a big fat HELLO to July, excited about what God has orchestrated and amazed that we are apart of His plan!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-80855710080557481812011-06-27T20:01:00.000-05:002011-06-27T20:01:56.029-05:00Double-Take Chocolate Chip Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz7EHQzhrOY6Xkno9ctyVuELmmVExrz4s1qXwmivaiq3WMcgTPm_bJqIZexfXfsFy7P2NNCGm6aaE064EnZT96Fm86b-e6_qr_7mSYk9bsX9WyP5C-Fcn_M8vvcSbGCefdLVy7b4CTQGP/s1600/cookie+alt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz7EHQzhrOY6Xkno9ctyVuELmmVExrz4s1qXwmivaiq3WMcgTPm_bJqIZexfXfsFy7P2NNCGm6aaE064EnZT96Fm86b-e6_qr_7mSYk9bsX9WyP5C-Fcn_M8vvcSbGCefdLVy7b4CTQGP/s1600/cookie+alt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggz7EHQzhrOY6Xkno9ctyVuELmmVExrz4s1qXwmivaiq3WMcgTPm_bJqIZexfXfsFy7P2NNCGm6aaE064EnZT96Fm86b-e6_qr_7mSYk9bsX9WyP5C-Fcn_M8vvcSbGCefdLVy7b4CTQGP/s400/cookie+alt.JPG" width="400" /></a>With more time in the kitchen lately I have been eager to make more than my husband can consume in a decent amount of time. I made these on a whim one week day night, P wanted a dessert, I started baking! However, I think after experience from this recipe, I will start halving my batches. Either that or bringing some to my neighbors...By the second or third night of him indulging in something I am ready to make something new! This batch lasted him more than a week and that's with him having "one-and-a-half servings" on some nights! P seems to think if he does something extra special, or he gets his dessert later than usual he deserves "one-and-a-half servings". It's kind of a joke around our house, I automatically retaliate with a small morsel on his dessert plate! :) I guess that's where he got the idea of the "pose" for this picture. You can't hide a half eaten cookie from me! He makes me smile...<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Double Chocolate Chip Cookies</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from </span><a href="http://fullmeasureofhappiness.com/2011/05/04/double-trouble-chocolate-chip-cookies/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">fulltreasureofhappiness</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 stick butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 C sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 t salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 t vanilla</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/3 C cocoa powder (unsweetened)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large egg</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 C all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 whole-wheat pastry flour)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 t baking soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 C bittersweet chocolate chips (don't tell P but I used vegan carob chips instead! thats all I had!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Directions: </div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa powder, and eggs together until combined. </div><div style="text-align: left;">2.Add the flour, baking soda, and chocolate chips and mix well.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3.Roll out the cookie dough into balls and flatten on an oiled cookie sheet. Leave enough space for the cookies to spread, because they get rather large. I made 18 largish cookies.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4.Bake them for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. They will look like they aren’t done! Let them sit on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes before touching them–that’s where they will finish baking.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-87731543186486593352011-06-18T22:26:00.000-05:002011-06-18T22:26:10.935-05:00Sourdough Banana Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdXxiHMnX4JwhsHVvRLTwxtlVaP4NVAzv-MyUDuOfQXjC5hLcro0w3WPYsvwswgGIwtqq4qto9IhgUl2uyeWpNEgQ8U9T1-F3ZYg0d_nFBzfK1-zxZS0aOwyJ2cVgxtA0Rd96bX7O0_CG/s1600/2sat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdXxiHMnX4JwhsHVvRLTwxtlVaP4NVAzv-MyUDuOfQXjC5hLcro0w3WPYsvwswgGIwtqq4qto9IhgUl2uyeWpNEgQ8U9T1-F3ZYg0d_nFBzfK1-zxZS0aOwyJ2cVgxtA0Rd96bX7O0_CG/s400/2sat.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Believe it or not I have had a "dormant" sourdough starter stashed in my fridge for almost a month! After our recent move and going on vacation, I had totally forgot about my routine weekend sourdough usage. I was rummaging through the fridge when lo and behold my sourdough starter friend yelled at me "did someone forget about me?!" Okay, so he didn't actually talk but I immediately felt bad for the guy since before I had given it so much attention! I was worried that he wouldn't wake up from such a long time of neglect but he proved to be faithful yet again. <br />
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I have been trying to provide P with a weekly breakfast the past few weeks, that way he doesn't rely only on the quick, sweet, cereal option. I know my husband, and when it comes to preparing things in the kitchen, if I am not there his mentality is quick, easy, and simple. So during the weekend I prepare a weeks worth of good breakfasts for him including- this yummy bread, kolaches, muffins, and breakfast bars. With the sourdough needing to be revived I decided to add this to the breakfast recipe, which not only used up some of the sourdough but also added good nutrition!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmi6fBSf-602rlvzAOslJ7ryMVt0yT2xQEXXwR0dviEsArWKbzlQTYhh3TuNARCY0HDU5Ud4omsO6c_rlNv57PFVFb0t3g6EwjIIK1TMqwAwAQ0PFkRt8NplVoh-aYHxG4fTxId8siEcc/s1600/1sat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmi6fBSf-602rlvzAOslJ7ryMVt0yT2xQEXXwR0dviEsArWKbzlQTYhh3TuNARCY0HDU5Ud4omsO6c_rlNv57PFVFb0t3g6EwjIIK1TMqwAwAQ0PFkRt8NplVoh-aYHxG4fTxId8siEcc/s400/1sat.JPG" width="397" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Sourdough Banana Bread</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from </span><a href="http://sourdough.com/recipes/sourdough-banana-bread"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sourdough Companion</span></a><br />
Ingredients:<br />
1/3 cup grape seed oil (or other mild flavored oil)<br />
3/4 cup sugar <br />
1 egg <br />
2 cup whole wheat flour <br />
1 teaspoon baking powder <br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda <br />
2 bananas, mashed and over-ripe <br />
1 cup sourdough starter (100% hydration) <br />
1 teaspoon vanilla <br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
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Directions:<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.<br />
2. In large mixing bowl, whisk oil and sugar until blended, then add egg and beat in. Stir in bananas, add sourdough starter, then mix in vanilla, lemon zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon. <br />
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and soda, and mix in wet ingredients. <br />
4. Poor into greased loaf pan and transfer to oven.<br />
5. Bake for 1 hour or until skewer tests clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.<br />
6. Remove from baking tin and cool 2 hours on cake rack before slicing. Stays moist and fresh for several days if wrapped airtight.<br />
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I honestly couldn't stop eating this bread...toasted with a bit of butter (dairy free for me, of course!) was absolutely delish! <br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-31288421724671258962011-06-11T14:38:00.000-05:002011-06-11T14:38:40.314-05:00Chocolate Pie, nuff said.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQFhjkvadvVgpXDPgduIHl-KCdBX9W1u1RS39XpX0DrLxH3jteFMmmrHOSXvWvcTqGqge5iV6x39fgk3UJtLjj4L5STFRjP4f3ohjlDrOe06ik6IdCtxywBH7l4GhEjCL7VwDnw20kxD/s1600/_MG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aQFhjkvadvVgpXDPgduIHl-KCdBX9W1u1RS39XpX0DrLxH3jteFMmmrHOSXvWvcTqGqge5iV6x39fgk3UJtLjj4L5STFRjP4f3ohjlDrOe06ik6IdCtxywBH7l4GhEjCL7VwDnw20kxD/s640/_MG_0161.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek-a-boo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And I quote, "This is the best pie I have ever had." - P <br />
YUP! and that was the pie I made! There have been a package of Newman's Own "oreo's" in our pantry for a while. They were once hidden as to keep a sneaky fellow out, however during the move they somehow got reveled. It didn't take him long before the package was open and I was after him! Those cookies were suppose to be for a special dessert because it isn't just any day I'll splurge on organic oreos! I hadn't come up with my plan for them until forces from the spousal unit made me. With an open package, I had to act quick if I was going to get a chance to make anything before those sneaky hands got to them while I was at work. There's nothing I can do while I'm at work...<br />
Thankfully I came up with something quick and the results were as P said "sooooo worth it!"<br />
<br />
Ever since P's grandma showed up to Thanksgiving dinner with a chocolate pie last year, he has been commenting on how I need to make a pie like that. Chocolate pie always just seems booooring to me so after accidentally loosing the recipe Grawm gave me for her chocolate pie, I had given up on that endeavor. Until I decided to find and tweak one to call my own! I had never made a meringue topping before so I decided to go with that, and with the "oreo's" I made a crust. <br />
<br />
<strong>Chocolate Pie</strong> (the way my husband likes it!)<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-chocolate-pie-10000000833286/">CookingLight</a></span><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 (9- ounce) package Newman's Own Creme Filled Chocolate Cookies<br />
4 tablespoons butter<br />
2 egg whites<br />
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided<br />
3 tablespoons cocoa<br />
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Put cookies in food processor and make a fine crumb texture. Pour 4 Tbs. butter over crumbs and mix more. Line a 9 inch pie pan with crust mixture.<br />
2. Bake piecrust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
3. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. Set aside.<br />
4. Whisk remaining 1 cup sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together egg yolks and milk in a separate bowl.<br />
5. Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar mixture to melted butter, whisking until blended. Gradually whisk in milk mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.<br />
6. Remove from heat. Add chocolate morsels and vanilla, stirring until chocolate is melted. Stir in pecans. Cover and keep warm.<br />
7. Pour hot filling into piecrust. Spread meringue over hot filling, sealing to edge of pastry.<br />
Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.<br />
<br />
While P was taking pictures of the pie, he said "He's just so photogenic!" I think someone fell in love!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pq5uzPEAzVvZQlH64NaQISmIAPcH4ixhATEXSonsivmhxKC983inVZzU3-g9USWJQl1Q42X04MI_xg5gZsdg9xXbcjEjH9tQMc2j9hkdiDVSnAPrML3LxX16HKqdLnzARw8AoVuY-Yub/s1600/_MG_0171a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pq5uzPEAzVvZQlH64NaQISmIAPcH4ixhATEXSonsivmhxKC983inVZzU3-g9USWJQl1Q42X04MI_xg5gZsdg9xXbcjEjH9tQMc2j9hkdiDVSnAPrML3LxX16HKqdLnzARw8AoVuY-Yub/s400/_MG_0171a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-20077766679848590982011-06-04T12:01:00.002-05:002011-06-04T12:02:23.098-05:00Homemade Banana Pudding with "Milla Wafers"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kCpH2zmM8aQfOvAATeFGzmCV3NygT8rmTXLh1KarjaII2tzE1Vo0rDwamfe0RJP3ASfwGPFxhHD3jE0XI4eBZi_tDqWsLts_fP865lOU1Iijp0sVaatNzA4dGlpmeN0Bi9rLCLdlY2bX/s1600/_MG_0075lt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kCpH2zmM8aQfOvAATeFGzmCV3NygT8rmTXLh1KarjaII2tzE1Vo0rDwamfe0RJP3ASfwGPFxhHD3jE0XI4eBZi_tDqWsLts_fP865lOU1Iijp0sVaatNzA4dGlpmeN0Bi9rLCLdlY2bX/s400/_MG_0075lt.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It's been way too long since I have posted an actual food/recipe post. I have still been cooking, don't get me wrong. However, the drive to post about the results of my kitchen play-time has just not been a priority. P and I had a few time-consuming months and the first thing that went was my food blogging. Now that it looks like things are going to settle a bit I was excited to sit down and actually have time to post. <br />
The weekend we got back from Greece was a tad hectic. Since I was so diligent in emptying our perishable food supply as to have nothing go to waste while we were gone, I came home to an urgent need of grocery shopping. I bought a few things but really to keep with our budget, I wasn't able to stock up as much as I really wanted to. I had to rely on the cheaper side of produce, and the first thing I think of when looking for cheap produce is BANANAS! Not that I don't like bananas, I actually absolutely love them whipped into banana ice cream (if you haven't tried that, shame on you!). So for P's needed nightly dessert I decided to come up with something banana flavored, something homemade of course, and after searching just a few minutes I knew what I wanted to make- banana pudding! I don't think I have ever actually made banana pudding. It always intrigues me to come up with an "old-fashion" dessert and make everything in it out of scratch. I proceeded to make my own Milla wafers (I used an "m" in it because they are a "mock" Nilla Wafer- or even "mysti's" Nilla Wafers!) and the vanilla pudding was actually more simple than I thought it would be. Thankfully all of the ingredients in both the cookies and pudding were already in my kitchen. It was meant to be!<br />
<br />
<strong>Banana Pudding</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from a recipe by <a href="http://mywoodenspoon.com/grandmas-homemade-banana-pudding/">TheWoodenSpoon</a></span><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp. Flour<br />
1/2 cup sugar <br />
2 cups milk (organic of course!)<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 Tbs. butter<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
Milla Wafers* (see recipe below)<br />
1 Banana (or more if you like it extra bananay)<br />
Directions:<br />
1. In a saucepan, mix flour & sugar then add eggs and mix well. Start your burner and slowly add milk; a little at a time stirring constantly. Continue stirring until it has thickened. After thick, add butter and vanilla. <br />
2. While the pudding is thickening (make sure you keep an eye on it), line the bottom of a medium sized bowl with cookies on bottom then bananas on top, then line the sides of the bowl with the cookies/bananas to make it look pretty from the side! <br />
3. When the pudding has thickened, poor into your prepared bowl and place in the fridge. It will set up within a few hours and should be ready to dive into! <br />
4. If you save some Milla Wafers (if you make the whole batch below you will have plenty) left over, crumble some on top right before serving. <br />
<br />
<strong>*Milla Wafers</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/10/homemade-nilla-vanilla-wafers.html">SeriousEats</a></span><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened <br />
1/4 teaspoon salt <br />
1 cup sugar (210g)<br />
1 large egg white <br />
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 tablespoon milk<br />
1 1/3 cups AP flour (160g)<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder <br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. With an electric mixer, cream butter, salt, and sugar until light.<br />
2. Beat in egg white until well incorporated, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl to insure that all white has been incorporated.<br />
3. Beat in extract and milk until well incorporated.<br />
4. Whisk together flour and baking powder and add to butter mixture. Mix just to incorporate, scraping down sides and bottom of mixing bowl to insure that all flour has been incorporated.<br />
5. Fit a piping bag with a large, plain pastry tip. Fill bag with about 1/3 of the batter. Holding the filled bag perpendicular to a parchment-lined baking sheet, pipe batter into 1 inch diameter-sized mounds, about 1 inch apart. (The cookies should cover 2 to 3 standard baking sheets. Batter will hold for a while after it is piped, so trays can be baked one or two at a time, as your oven allows.)<br />
6. Bake at 350°F for about 13-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned, rotating trays every 5 minutes or so for even coloring. Cool completely before storing. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for at least a week.<br />
<br />
Not that I am an expert of Banana Pudding but I would have to say this homemade version far exceeds any I have ever tried! P also enjoyed eating the left over Milla Wafers during the week for a sweet snack! :)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-36295429735114140732011-05-30T10:44:00.000-05:002011-05-30T10:44:29.605-05:00What a Marvelous May 2011!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq05lLe1uwxa_4eH_xItYkQxuCIFDK2Sh7r_CeDZVtqumlu-3m6J6hDicto0bGGTWLHzdDB4bPdq6ofW5oWFmIqkAGfAFUM0p84vXAGVhZPBjGuSrbfV-ZOrJEMTqynxtl-7mYjHSv10Ot/s1600/_MG_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq05lLe1uwxa_4eH_xItYkQxuCIFDK2Sh7r_CeDZVtqumlu-3m6J6hDicto0bGGTWLHzdDB4bPdq6ofW5oWFmIqkAGfAFUM0p84vXAGVhZPBjGuSrbfV-ZOrJEMTqynxtl-7mYjHSv10Ot/s400/_MG_0250.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having Fun in Santorini!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">What a great month God blessed us with! As I look back at April's post, I think the saying "April showers bring May flowers" actually had to do with our life's circumstances this year. With a hard month of April, the beautiful flowers of May were well worth the wait! The first week of May we moved our little family to a new home. With lots of help, we were surprisingly able to get it all complete in one weekend!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDiZPI6MUdhTkIDm2-KaoJ8X28VQuVsPIACEgp_LFfl5sHGtja12JfGa5TTc_qkbI-hKDA5hkxXJYgsxPpmX0MaD4PwOT655knNctLUo1KQdYwK9Km_PGAyUMPaLcWl4UwIcuuchoxEsa/s1600/_MG_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDiZPI6MUdhTkIDm2-KaoJ8X28VQuVsPIACEgp_LFfl5sHGtja12JfGa5TTc_qkbI-hKDA5hkxXJYgsxPpmX0MaD4PwOT655knNctLUo1KQdYwK9Km_PGAyUMPaLcWl4UwIcuuchoxEsa/s400/_MG_0031.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our New Home!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Our new abode is much different then our previous one, and we like it very much! The best part, I would have to say is the kitchen! :) I think it's the biggest I've ever had and every day I play in it, I think...wow! I love my kitchen! Kaepo seems to have adjusted pretty quickly. The first few nights he was very alert, but now as I type he is like his normal self, sprawled out and sound asleep. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKULxlmMRnq8c7Z_rwDHdqGwxpChpx2fJyjVv4Zxwxp2hgoab4ZUz-sLtkSjvLJmYDX3qdSdEOpXVQV4sUC6q3RaLGe3z6bK0zsD2-I3He43pM56lDrrkwlSmlrDrUlPeax4Fm9NSaek2/s1600/_MG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYKULxlmMRnq8c7Z_rwDHdqGwxpChpx2fJyjVv4Zxwxp2hgoab4ZUz-sLtkSjvLJmYDX3qdSdEOpXVQV4sUC6q3RaLGe3z6bK0zsD2-I3He43pM56lDrrkwlSmlrDrUlPeax4Fm9NSaek2/s400/_MG_0033.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kitchen! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The same week we moved, P finished up his second semester at DTS. What a proud wife I was to find out that he made ALL A's!! Not only were finals the first week, the second week started summer school which P has bravely decided to take two classes. I also finished up my first semester and look forward to start back up in the fall. </div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9z0sH5f523CI-ehqpThSyP4JcSSAAb8ssrSxtBbRpV1BfD3zfmXn6Lxrg9L1lyu6EHSyXV9lITdQ8Di0EmvMvZktWeWUO5xwIard0xn1Kk5HN5kYBCv5g7kbDrSCQHMj-3xJy8kAzpQO/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9z0sH5f523CI-ehqpThSyP4JcSSAAb8ssrSxtBbRpV1BfD3zfmXn6Lxrg9L1lyu6EHSyXV9lITdQ8Di0EmvMvZktWeWUO5xwIard0xn1Kk5HN5kYBCv5g7kbDrSCQHMj-3xJy8kAzpQO/s400/IMG_0061.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santorini at Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not long (4 days in fact) after we moved to our new place, we left on an (what I like to call) adventure! P and I have been saving up since we first got married to go on a vacation. We decided a couple months back that we were going to make our 5 year anniversary a big one and spend our vacation savings on a real good trip! Our mindset was, this could be the last time we have an opportunity to do something like this for a long time. We chose Greece and looking back, I am so thankful we did! A dream vacation is what it turned out to be and if there was one thing we could change about our trip, we wouldn't. A few bumps in the road only added character and all in all the trip was absolutely glorious! We spent a total of 3 1/2 days in Athens and 3 1/2 days in Santorini. Athens was great for the historical sights and the typical things you are suppose to see when you go to Greece. The streets were crowded, we stumbled upon the changing of the guards at Parliament, and even ate a gyro as we hiked up to the Parthenon. However, Santorini was totally opposite. Every bit of the island was constantly picturesque and that's no exaggeration. It's hard to believe that something could be more beautiful when we were reminded what we have to look forward to in heaven! Every sunset left tears to your eyes, and every where you looked was a breathtaking view. We spent a relaxing time at the black sand beaches, walked around the "hustling" town of Fira, spent an evening in Oia, toured a vineyard, and explored the whole island on a 4-wheeler. The trip home was long one, when we finally got back, we found ourselves longing for the peacefulness of Santorini, or those yummy gyros! We are so very thankful to God that He allowed such an opportunity. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXZUItr1aGyXnfJ0VM6kpY-8nj-sBueR-JqSxBUbBVYujfkDCK_9DzmOBFk2UwEk8jKUMMxl3lHheuagIRmT8W9UvOt8-HcuGIOMyqJ6suOQY3f3BPGnYcyWopZMvUVE2wmrmGA1wgOvu/s1600/_MG_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXZUItr1aGyXnfJ0VM6kpY-8nj-sBueR-JqSxBUbBVYujfkDCK_9DzmOBFk2UwEk8jKUMMxl3lHheuagIRmT8W9UvOt8-HcuGIOMyqJ6suOQY3f3BPGnYcyWopZMvUVE2wmrmGA1wgOvu/s400/_MG_0291.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Main Staple in Greece! GYROS!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Something we both realized and reflected on while we were soaking up too much sun in Kamari was the fact that God had graced us with a vacation not only in a beautiful place, He also gave us a vacation from "baggage" that both of us seem to struggle with back at home. It was so wonderful to leave worries and stresses behind and enjoy the freedom that God gives us. I guess living in a familiar atmosphere there is rut we get into, habits that develop when things are always the same, and not much of a motivation to change. For us, being in an environment that was totally different from what we were used to, allowed for a new perspective, and a refreshing view on how our attitudes and actions can change. </div><br />
Going back to work, I was reminded at what an awesome job I have here at home, you especially know this when you come back from a vacation, like one we went on, and don't have any reservation on going back to work. What a good feeling! <br />
<br />
One other thing that God threw into this month was one of those things that I need reminding of a lot. After hearing and seeing all the damage that has happened through crazy tornado's not to far from home, I had developed an undeniable fear of it happening to us. A bad storm ripped through our area a few nights ago and I found myself shaking like a leaf! P reminded me that the "worse" that could happen would really be the best thing in our case, we would go to heaven! For some reason this didn't comfort me. It wasn't till the storm passed and I was able to evaluate through reflection during a sermon that my fear of the possible tornado was really a fear of death. Death only scares me when I develop the thought that I have not done "good" in God's sight and that could mean I was never saved, which would result in a death I would not want to face. If this were true it would definitely be something to be scared about. But after being reminded of the grace that God has extended through the death of Christ, I am saved not by my works, but by the shedding of Christ's blood. My works and goodness are worth nothing when it comes to my salvation. As the last words of Christ as he died on the cross proclaim, "Paid in full," my debt has been paid! I have no reason to fear! <br />
<br />
God is so good! As I say at the end of every month...P and I are saying bye to May and HELLO to June, looking for God's provision in a number of decisions, and loving that we are apart of His plan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBr6hcLvOlFHbyLkMhTgdeM5dopIErGw0W8IYGfyC5XwKOBVoKeB2k4y7bB4EDFnqx4FQftXaBN8D9Nk13fg9lheRIhXQ-u8uVBp29jmFn2h_xOb7JrlocczvwX2cT0RIWcSKCEKQY69Y/s1600/_MG_0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBr6hcLvOlFHbyLkMhTgdeM5dopIErGw0W8IYGfyC5XwKOBVoKeB2k4y7bB4EDFnqx4FQftXaBN8D9Nk13fg9lheRIhXQ-u8uVBp29jmFn2h_xOb7JrlocczvwX2cT0RIWcSKCEKQY69Y/s400/_MG_0369.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parthenon From Our Hotel Room!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-59982061132597111902011-05-03T20:29:00.000-05:002011-05-03T20:29:07.342-05:00April 2011April showers bring May flowers is not turning out to be true this year. I have already experience three day of May in 2011 and if this is a pre-cursor to how all of May will be, the months must have been put in backwards when God was planning out 2011! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-8N0LWMqOy0md-gX01LvwUw1VBWbIate3p2f9ZG3A6dKn1VT7WCM0zkIH5e84O2Oc9EUjto3OHgTxagzMk1kyoID2U85fHWRkjnj58t7E07TkhvR3PFtrrtigqBtQJxLPJhOQK8mTqHe/s1600/IMG_0001+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-8N0LWMqOy0md-gX01LvwUw1VBWbIate3p2f9ZG3A6dKn1VT7WCM0zkIH5e84O2Oc9EUjto3OHgTxagzMk1kyoID2U85fHWRkjnj58t7E07TkhvR3PFtrrtigqBtQJxLPJhOQK8mTqHe/s320/IMG_0001+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"leave me out of this packing buisness"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>April was a trying time in our little family. We planned coming into this month that by the end of it we would be living in a new place. It is beyond me to think why we make plans. The pattern that we always ignorantly forget is; we make plans, God shows us His plan, and it always seems to be different than what we had in mind. If we aren't example of how stubborn and forgetful humans are, I don't know what is. As I look back through emails to confirm when our "home hunting" began it was mid-March when we first contacted a realtor to show us a condo. Through the end of March and ALL of April there was a consistent battle of us trying to take control and God reminding us that we aren't. He is so patient, I would have given up on us from the start! It wasn't till the last week of April (the week we planned from the beginning to move) that I <em>think </em>our lesson was learned. April was a month not only of trying times but also of gracious teaching by God.<br />
So our bags and boxes are packed, just about ready to move and I can't wait. You would think after how many times we have gone through this process I would get more used to living amongst boxes for a couple of weeks but when it comes down to it, boxes make me a little sick! <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVpw84lFwx570LRCeHOjcRq_EAI5UBybhA3EnDEWK8ifQ3F4dF0x5O3DulpxbejbKdo9Y0j4k7yYJifO4JJZiihQqlaiAHc7_zUsxP-a1Z9kW1iMdge-J1YokUbfcXgJZ-eQ36ecvFnxA/s1600/_MG_0013+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVpw84lFwx570LRCeHOjcRq_EAI5UBybhA3EnDEWK8ifQ3F4dF0x5O3DulpxbejbKdo9Y0j4k7yYJifO4JJZiihQqlaiAHc7_zUsxP-a1Z9kW1iMdge-J1YokUbfcXgJZ-eQ36ecvFnxA/s320/_MG_0013+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">can we say "addicted?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>April brought a new member to our family, and no we are not with child yet! P decided that it was a good time to finally get a SLR and we found a nice lady on craigslist that sold us her "almost new" one for a decent price! After talking about getting one for 2 years now, we finally have one. Ironically, the original intent of the camera was for my use, but in all actuality P has had that thing glued to his hand anytime he isn't studying! I have been haunted by having a camera in my face everywhere I turn! Needless to say, pictures will be better quality from here on out, and hopefully my food/recipe blogs will start back up!<br />
<br />
Speaking of recipes, the adventures with sourdough have now begun. Having a sourdough starter is much like having another member of the family. I feed it regularly, keep it at a good temperature, and even play with it sometimes. I am happy to say that he even produced my first real "sandwich-able" bread without a bread machine! I say that because any time I have attempted to make good soft sandwich bread it has been a failure. Believe me, I live with what seems to be the connoisseur of soft sandwich bread and even he deemed this the best bread I've made!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDM8Ph8HCQRBKBfbc8iCzCHfkRHUzTriMwAWPhpa9NpVUd7OtsvkrPKWaLiK-74MYi5T5KPzrYnfqfmhYNBZnFgQVoznUgdCulqUw8Zpf10xYGS0pPN71ijEyplPqabbPbCb1c11Obmxx/s1600/DSCN2299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDM8Ph8HCQRBKBfbc8iCzCHfkRHUzTriMwAWPhpa9NpVUd7OtsvkrPKWaLiK-74MYi5T5KPzrYnfqfmhYNBZnFgQVoznUgdCulqUw8Zpf10xYGS0pPN71ijEyplPqabbPbCb1c11Obmxx/s320/DSCN2299.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a little bit lop-sided but oh so good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj4Wb4dtqgBdHC5-vgK7-1hsU9Y35kcIojNWkT6YbFd7XuGzbvx5MT221FB1YRqsfP4-zNMknLcUfkGPr8Gi3wgyp_cMK_8gz8aJLwtVHztCfVXxNJqwrAOSOaX4ITr80yLa2eJDRqJU7/s1600/_MG_0013+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYj4Wb4dtqgBdHC5-vgK7-1hsU9Y35kcIojNWkT6YbFd7XuGzbvx5MT221FB1YRqsfP4-zNMknLcUfkGPr8Gi3wgyp_cMK_8gz8aJLwtVHztCfVXxNJqwrAOSOaX4ITr80yLa2eJDRqJU7/s320/_MG_0013+%25285%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Easter was a treat! We spent most of the weekend packing, however we did get to attend the new church we have been trying out, spent some time at the Dallas Farmers Market, got some local honey, and walked a bit around downtown. Most of our extra time has been much the same. Packing, walking around, and enjoying the spring time weather. There are so many beautiful spots here in Dallas to explore.<br />
<br />
All in all, as I look back at the blessings God has allowed in April, my favorite is the realization of how incredibly blessed I am to have the husband I do. Some may say its a coincidence, but I don't believe in those, God's providence has shown me countless times this month the man that He is shaping in my life partner. I sit back and see God's miraculous work through the things He is chiseling, forming, and even sometimes pounding out of my husband. What a blessing it is to be able to see God's work day in and day out. P is finishing up his first year at Dallas Seminary, what a proud wife I am. I am thankful to have a true partner that sticks by me through even the smallest struggles we have experienced lately. <br />
<br />
May already has a lot on its plate and I know it will fly by. I realized just last night that there are times when we pray for "rough times" to pass by quickly but when I stopped to think about that, those are the times that the good really happens, why do we constantly wish them away with the short life we have, it seems like we are constantly wishing our life away. I've decided to stop, enjoy the roses, and the stench...I mean, God makes roses grow in manure doesn't he?! <br />
<br />
We are saying good bye to April and HELLO to May, looking for God's provision in a number of decisions, and loving that we are apart of His plan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPf6gU_RyNKCxNfAn39K2ellEp54dn_AxekX2I6z19wMOO0ff4jMZ0wodCJo-YMswc4Ca8Qp1SrD_B7romTSugAAJHiXdsUnZ0IXOiCwdmeJQLHJKUcOhnRf9DC52bNpEaXalb5lV_76p/s1600/_MG_0034+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPf6gU_RyNKCxNfAn39K2ellEp54dn_AxekX2I6z19wMOO0ff4jMZ0wodCJo-YMswc4Ca8Qp1SrD_B7romTSugAAJHiXdsUnZ0IXOiCwdmeJQLHJKUcOhnRf9DC52bNpEaXalb5lV_76p/s320/_MG_0034+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taking a walk in the park...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-61358335413846797892011-03-31T06:20:00.001-05:002011-03-31T06:20:00.982-05:00March 2011<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwEW_sKsB0r28Tx2Ss95h7sz1a2BY9Wj_D__HP2GULA4k8DMWPmI3c20DfJzSb2LYmqD_dvVvfCPlWYEDCa7fs-ZvrBK7V7P_cpOqzWXYMNoBrF2Wb__RXqha3lWkWtnCxouGryaEs37i/s1600/Spring+in+Dallas+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwEW_sKsB0r28Tx2Ss95h7sz1a2BY9Wj_D__HP2GULA4k8DMWPmI3c20DfJzSb2LYmqD_dvVvfCPlWYEDCa7fs-ZvrBK7V7P_cpOqzWXYMNoBrF2Wb__RXqha3lWkWtnCxouGryaEs37i/s400/Spring+in+Dallas+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">Highland Park Wisterias</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Spring Break and four leaf clovers were hear and now are gone. Honestly as I sit and think of what all went on in the 31 days of March my mind goes blank. I could settle with the "it was good" comment that so many do, however my goal here is to dig deeper so lets hope I can.<br />
At the beginning of the month we were excited when my parents and sister's family came up for a wedding that just so happened to be a mile (if that!) from our apartment. Needless to say we got to see them all and very close! At one point all 6 adults, 3 children, and 3 dogs were in our <span style="font-size: xx-small;">small </span><span style="font-size: small;">one-bedroom apartment, something I didn't think could actually happen! Their visit was great, a relaxing much needed time with family. </span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7XXJLDxXx1Ksyu59JGYQtvYBY-JmyhMZmvd2JdVnGp86JsDfU6AhZAFk6GM6zClAVvmmQIET1UqRHlgJE73zMqOy4Oiy_LHdpf1Fh45EAooOX-xIhRzcAlFLIc8UFix8or8rtsPlwm0a/s1600/Spring+in+Dallas+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7XXJLDxXx1Ksyu59JGYQtvYBY-JmyhMZmvd2JdVnGp86JsDfU6AhZAFk6GM6zClAVvmmQIET1UqRHlgJE73zMqOy4Oiy_LHdpf1Fh45EAooOX-xIhRzcAlFLIc8UFix8or8rtsPlwm0a/s320/Spring+in+Dallas+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">Dallas Arboretum</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am happy to report that the health issues I spoke of in my last months report have subsided and I am incredibly awed (if that's a word?!) at how God really provided despite my lack of faith. Through encouragement, prayer, and some good de-stressing techniques things are really looking up. Thanks so much for those that prayed, I am thankful that God chooses to show Himself faithful despite my ignorance and distrust in Him.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCG_JhmWmI48G25Z1xg4QvSwNSktwArvNU7wh477Zra-aeAy4D5jGORcazUAEs0vHOpaZRt3HrPXpVoiAySHChMZSlpx2BfQjmK0dYtai2gwui3U30dFhkJ4NZK_wYme8d7K51xLQeYmn/s1600/Spring+in+Dallas+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCG_JhmWmI48G25Z1xg4QvSwNSktwArvNU7wh477Zra-aeAy4D5jGORcazUAEs0vHOpaZRt3HrPXpVoiAySHChMZSlpx2BfQjmK0dYtai2gwui3U30dFhkJ4NZK_wYme8d7K51xLQeYmn/s320/Spring+in+Dallas+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">Benches at the Arboretum!</div></td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After a long Saturday of training for the CARES program that I mentioned last month, Patrick and I have decided that it may not be a good time to pursue this commitment. Although final decisions have not been made, we are praying about it and seeing that it might be better to focus on school and other time-consuming commitments that we have already signed up for! The program really seems to be good and have honorable motives so if anyone would be interested in something like this we would definitely promote it. That being said, P and I have been slowly looking for a new place to live here in Dallas as we will embark that adventure at the end of April. It will be here before we know it!<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Throughout most of March I have been reading a book that was given to me called "Creative Counterpart" by Linda Dillow. A pattern seems to be forming, once I feel like I have read enough books on my role as a wife, God really shows me and lays a book like this in my hands. It has really been such a good reminder and I must say it has strengthened our marriage ten-fold through big hurdles and small details. I now realize how important these reminders are because I tend to forget a lot! It wouldn't surprise me one bit if God needs to remind me of my role my entire life!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1MqNtAJT8Z9BPhRHE5LKgrT9czQZMcYDUl4b18O1lp-7RpAcYvIviK7Id4Ngqx4Ilw5wCx21EFlXeJOUtellM6njU6OprkCcs_60L97uziDsoUsr8iHQNDh8_rBGCdi_LxtT3-puBy0g/s1600/Spring+in+Dallas+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1MqNtAJT8Z9BPhRHE5LKgrT9czQZMcYDUl4b18O1lp-7RpAcYvIviK7Id4Ngqx4Ilw5wCx21EFlXeJOUtellM6njU6OprkCcs_60L97uziDsoUsr8iHQNDh8_rBGCdi_LxtT3-puBy0g/s320/Spring+in+Dallas+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">Beautiful Tulips!</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, Spring is here and the warm weather consistently pulls through, Kaepo got his "summer haircut" early this year and I think he is appreciative. There are beautiful blooms all over town and I was able to visit the Dallas Arboretum this last week, it was like walking around in Hawaii, amazing smells and vibrant colors. God continues to be faithful through seasons, and creative through nature. He is so good! Well, as I always say- We are saying good bye to March and HELLO to the Easter month April, looking for God's provision in a number of decisions, and loving that we are apart of His plan.</div><br />
<br />
<div align="right"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-91077602913709236092011-03-05T07:59:00.000-06:002011-03-05T07:59:50.304-06:00Spinach Mushroom Farfalle with "Feta"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg1QP3UKownnjVZQHWjv9Ya8ecaJv_BrrpNu-o8IcaGQ2fcMNKsdap3ypAgRFfIvsV1qd51mPvsGiZbtSdXLSdztk1hRXGAc9uYOUKT99YhHY_jC6JW67BgjpWN9wkKI_dDsgE8gsDMZe/s1600/blog+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJg1QP3UKownnjVZQHWjv9Ya8ecaJv_BrrpNu-o8IcaGQ2fcMNKsdap3ypAgRFfIvsV1qd51mPvsGiZbtSdXLSdztk1hRXGAc9uYOUKT99YhHY_jC6JW67BgjpWN9wkKI_dDsgE8gsDMZe/s400/blog+004.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dinner alone isn't always that bad. On Tuesday's and Thursday's P doesn't get home until 6:45pm, way too late for dinner if your me, so I usually prepare dinner, eat by myself, and have it ready for him when he gets home from Greek class! This past Thursday I got an email from the library that said the book I reserved almost 2 months ago was ready for me to pick up. Honestly I thought they had forgotten about me and my reservation must have gotten lost in the system, but after receiving the email I couldn't wait to stop by on my way home from work to pick it up. The book is by a blogger that I have followed for about 3 years. I really love her style of cooking, the ingredients she uses, (although sometimes they are way too expensive!) and her style of blog. When I found out she published a book, it took a matter of moments before I put it on reserve at our library. The book holds up to her blog, fresh looking, beautiful pictures, and all-natural recipes. As I sat down to my "thrown together" pasta, I thought, now this isn't too bad. If I have to have dinner alone, this is what I would want to enjoy with it. So here is to a good recipe and a good cookbook. Ironically, the recipe doesn't come from the cook book, as I made it up myself. But here is the book if you are interested- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Cooking-Delicious-Incorporate/dp/1587612755/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299333312&sr=8-1">Super Natural Cooking</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and the recipe-</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Spinach Mushroom Farfalle with "Feta"</strong></div>Ingredients:<br />
8 oz Whole Wheat Farfalle<br />
4 oz Mushrooms (I used white but I imagine any Italian style would work!)<br />
2 C Fresh Spinach<br />
1 Small Yellow Onion sliced thin<br />
6 oz Extra Hard Tofu<br />
2 Tbs Olive Oil<br />
1 Tbs Italian Seasoning<br />
1/2 Tbs Garlic Powder<br />
Ground Fresh Pepper<br />
Salt to taste (I used about 2 tsp)<br />
1/4 C Red Wine Vinegar<br />
2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast (optional- just adds a cheesy taste)<br />
*of course for those that can eat cheese by all means USE FETA!<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. The night before mix together Olive Oil, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar and Nutritional Yeast if using. Then crumble up the tofu and marinate it in the mixture for at least 6 hours. The longer you marinate, the more the tofu can soak up the flavor!<br />
2. When your ready to make the dish, boil the pasta according to package directions. While your pasta is boiling, saute the onions in a large sauce pan, until almost soft and then throw in sliced mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are slightly brown. <br />
3. When pasta is done, poor cook pasta in with the onions and mushrooms and add spinach. Once the spinach has just begun to wilt, poor the tofu/marinate mixture on top and toss till everything is warm. <br />
4. Sit down with your sweetheart or a good cookbook and ENJOY!<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-63535491987874220622011-02-27T10:21:00.001-06:002011-02-27T10:39:02.392-06:00February 2011<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdhtw8dHXHAtR6_ObgvrU2yV6I8ihAQIRRgXs9Z8TK5Wht7PG5Q9U6t9zil4BZIL3y865FMl9RTvDoiaGs-EX7IFiBUeVhgLK7JvjfwZZGuDnEDkIMAPf2BCDQph-ZAoqVyelH0-5qIIQ/s1600/tasty+travels+612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdhtw8dHXHAtR6_ObgvrU2yV6I8ihAQIRRgXs9Z8TK5Wht7PG5Q9U6t9zil4BZIL3y865FMl9RTvDoiaGs-EX7IFiBUeVhgLK7JvjfwZZGuDnEDkIMAPf2BCDQph-ZAoqVyelH0-5qIIQ/s400/tasty+travels+612.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">February, oh February where did you go? This month seemed to be (in my books) hardly there! We spent the first 2 weeks barely able to leave the apartment and the last two weeks trying to play catch up. I know this month is shorter from the rest but really?! It seemed more like a week! The short valentine month brought snow, and <strong>lots</strong> of it for us Texans. Not only was it a record breaking snow fall, (i think?) it was the most snow I have ever seen fall in my life (all 27 years of it), the most consecutive days our seminary has closed due to weather, and the largest planned rolling blackouts it the history of Texas! It would prove to be a unique month in my book. Needless to say, the temperatures rising to the 70's consistently was a nice finish to the month and I was happier than "peach pie" to wear shorts around our apartment!! It feels like Spring is here and I pray that it stays!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyqugaHhh_j3KeRsEiwrrsy9dQuY6oL5OHJ7iUazXYAS3u5sac8m49QujzdEneLCBEpl4hvq1TH_OHaJZ6sVAXCYTlAqKwVbvI7u11fISzxO7zwpQQdl2JkiS51zSUJeEE_eYW2G2OnYX/s1600/tasty+travels+631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyqugaHhh_j3KeRsEiwrrsy9dQuY6oL5OHJ7iUazXYAS3u5sac8m49QujzdEneLCBEpl4hvq1TH_OHaJZ6sVAXCYTlAqKwVbvI7u11fISzxO7zwpQQdl2JkiS51zSUJeEE_eYW2G2OnYX/s320/tasty+travels+631.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Other than the remarkable weather, and to go with a record breaking month, I was able for the first time, that I can remember, not passing out when my blood was taken! After suffering from pain for the past 2 months I decided to finally go to the doctor in hopes that she would;</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1. confirm what was ailing me, </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2. give me medicine, and </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. assure me that would be the cure. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ironically this routine is what I dislike about doctors: ailment, medicine, bye. Well, I got what I have always asked for, a real explanation (one I DID NOT want to hear), and a follow up plan (which did not include taking medicine). Leaving the doctor emotional, it took my sweet husband and a substantial amount of praying to realize the blessing that came from the lady in the white coat. Although it frustrates me beyond belief, my "ailment" is not something medicine will fix in a few short days, it's something I am going to have to trust God, lean on others, and slowly work on. I have a muscle problem that is said to be linked to psychosomatic issues. I came home feeling defeated, knowing at that time, there was NOTHING I could do about it because it's all in my head. Well, I was right, there isn't anything I can do, besides trust in God that this be something He wants to alleviate from me. I am thankful that its not a serious condition, just something that has been annoying for a while! If your willing, please pray, not only for my trust in God through this time, but my humility to seek help. Both of which goes completely against my current character, unfortunately. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xapo8M3tDGPu-b2CVUcCUzlmG5ROz1jfJO56HsP7A-Qgi3pWQU-bAl4F1mhzpYnPrgsQ0FgDVVYFqw25My3UmqfayMe1Z7LCyGrWDtuA66M8m9zCh1ypyzlpt7zSKfnSehgjKSFejRad/s1600/tasty+travels+640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Xapo8M3tDGPu-b2CVUcCUzlmG5ROz1jfJO56HsP7A-Qgi3pWQU-bAl4F1mhzpYnPrgsQ0FgDVVYFqw25My3UmqfayMe1Z7LCyGrWDtuA66M8m9zCh1ypyzlpt7zSKfnSehgjKSFejRad/s320/tasty+travels+640.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Aside from all that craziness, Patrick and I have really enjoyed watching a fun TV series on Netflix called Psych! It has been our "past-time" this month and we have both had fun keeping up with it together! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We were able to visit family mid-February for my mom's birthday and also got to see family from Colorado which happens too little.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Patrick and I have also been accepted to a program called Apartment Life to be a CARES team. We start our training in 2 weeks and hope to be moved into a new apartment soon after. For those that are unfamiliar with the program you can check it out here- <a href="http://www.cares.org/">http://www.cares.org/</a>. We hope this can be a ministry opportunity for both of us together while we are here in Dallas. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ8xTJH0vmyoim_AlT3x6kQZmbyp3XtBUzfNTy2V1psyrOwCQBDhmvmjNhgXfEU5wc7yZTM9xDz-4NVbp0QkG7C2QyOO5OROvbFfPB2PJazKSHC8VM34KCP4tU858poOSb836Gf42u0sQ/s1600/tasty+travels+613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ8xTJH0vmyoim_AlT3x6kQZmbyp3XtBUzfNTy2V1psyrOwCQBDhmvmjNhgXfEU5wc7yZTM9xDz-4NVbp0QkG7C2QyOO5OROvbFfPB2PJazKSHC8VM34KCP4tU858poOSb836Gf42u0sQ/s320/tasty+travels+613.jpg" width="320" /></a>As I said in the last month update, we have been praying for the possibility to go to Africa and as of now it looks more like Patrick will be going without me. :( I am indeed saddened by this decision but know that this opportunity will be sooo good for Patrick as it will allow him to fulfill a required internship, not to mention see if this could be something we want to pursue post-graduation. I am truly excited for this opportunity weather I get to go or not! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9edLoFDhbYPMnTFopaMdYBOyIYpRxi1Aq8vvF3Oy4kQq32DyghK7gagp8fEOa8wWx6wusoh6f7R9B-659YsagWEg5JTqWuQJBy0Y65qB771nAKMjqSH8wp5hXnOaZ01Pw5YhHM10-mhLx/s1600/tasty+travels+609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9edLoFDhbYPMnTFopaMdYBOyIYpRxi1Aq8vvF3Oy4kQq32DyghK7gagp8fEOa8wWx6wusoh6f7R9B-659YsagWEg5JTqWuQJBy0Y65qB771nAKMjqSH8wp5hXnOaZ01Pw5YhHM10-mhLx/s320/tasty+travels+609.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I guess thats all for this month....As I said last month- We are saying good bye to February and HELLO to March, looking for God's provision in a number of decisions, and loving that we are apart of His plan.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WC5pCxtKZe0iBsFmwBBk9BTXcL3IX2k5YAb7V5Zg22XiPYZ5MSGyplMfY5dgyJZP5wklpgxclVRGp5WcBPSIJ6ytjGLyA1UpfyaoopNF6a5OE4sMP9jhZ0w9Eaox7rW0Ybd5fMlEEkSL/s1600/tasty+travels+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WC5pCxtKZe0iBsFmwBBk9BTXcL3IX2k5YAb7V5Zg22XiPYZ5MSGyplMfY5dgyJZP5wklpgxclVRGp5WcBPSIJ6ytjGLyA1UpfyaoopNF6a5OE4sMP9jhZ0w9Eaox7rW0Ybd5fMlEEkSL/s400/tasty+travels+600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-57013007062905381102011-02-18T14:05:00.000-06:002011-02-18T14:05:40.561-06:00An Ode to The Cast Iron Skillet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMrt1b5bDnwzeHiFT0qAd_nlgywgNze1AwuU_7k1J05H8O8l0o37OXM5gGVZEKwSexAmCdf1ogxcqlkduFjktzVd6E63cwQY75Pz2JZOXZIbP76rVbkEkg5ciR3676KUkfWhTLOr8R6tV/s1600/tasty+travels+642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMrt1b5bDnwzeHiFT0qAd_nlgywgNze1AwuU_7k1J05H8O8l0o37OXM5gGVZEKwSexAmCdf1ogxcqlkduFjktzVd6E63cwQY75Pz2JZOXZIbP76rVbkEkg5ciR3676KUkfWhTLOr8R6tV/s400/tasty+travels+642.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I was tempted to deny my desire to blog about kitchen utensil but when it comes down to it, I just can't help myself. The Cast Iron Skillet. On Christmas I received, as what most thought- a simple, archaic kitchen devise to add to my growing kitchen utensil collection. But let me let you in on a little secret. The cast iron skillet is amazing. My first real one ever and from reading about them, it could very well last me my whole life...and then my daughter's (no that's not a hint), and her daughter's WHOLE life. Not only inexpensive, the cast iron skillet is a smart buy for those that want something that will last a long time. In fact, the longer you use it, the better it gets! :) How could you pass up using something that promises that? I have been reading research on how the Teflon in non-stick pans is harmful and surprised at how often they suggest you replace them due to the non-stick coating wearing off. The chemical found in the non-stick substance is called polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. It has been tested that the chemicals used to make PTFE are extremely toxic. DuPont owns the trade mark of Teflon which is what the non-stick surface in pans is called. <br />
Although DuPont responded to harmful effects of PTFE, "Teflon pans are safe so long as you don’t heat them above 500 degrees or use them in the broiler." The also said that you should not heat your non-stick pan empty- with obvious good reason. "In a test, the EWG placed three different PTFE-lined pans on three different stoves (electric and gas) and turned the burners on high. After five minutes, all three pans reached temperatures between 664 and 774 degrees."<br />
<br />
After reading MUCH more on the subject, I decided to stay on the safe side and go back to what usually works; go back to the basics. It seems like all these "easy, quick methods" are doing us more harm than good. <br />
<br />
Since receiving The Cast Iron Skillet, I have almost made it a decoration on my stove top, I use it so much!<br />
Two recipes that I have recently made with it are; a healthy version of C<a href="http://www.easybakingtips.com/cornbread-muffins.html">ornbread</a>, and Martha Stewart's <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/skillet-baked-chocolate-chip-cookie">Skillet Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie</a>! Both with <em>high</em> reviews! :)<br />
<br />
For more Information on PTFE refer to <a href="http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/natural-health/natural-home/health-hazards/teflon">Revolution Health</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-38173093249363462942011-02-11T12:18:00.000-06:002011-02-11T12:18:39.823-06:00Oatmeal Apple Sauce Muffins- Soaked Grains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw69trFeQ10Jy9K9AjEjpMsHow95PnGyN0tWEXA0XuWjRwTZgQPmBoqqVETlcSeU81ZUfi-2b1u3quSWbCR76YMZj1VlVPOpTLvUdJJEgYEYefH03vjLNTtDOWl20deMUjmTwrgLmX43b/s1600/tasty+travels+616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw69trFeQ10Jy9K9AjEjpMsHow95PnGyN0tWEXA0XuWjRwTZgQPmBoqqVETlcSeU81ZUfi-2b1u3quSWbCR76YMZj1VlVPOpTLvUdJJEgYEYefH03vjLNTtDOWl20deMUjmTwrgLmX43b/s400/tasty+travels+616.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I should call these muffins "Snow Muffins" because while I was making them it was snowing outside! :) Due to 4 inclimate weather days, I got a fair amount of cooking in! I have also spent a good time learning about soaking grains which has been a new lesson for me and I hope to incorporate it in my regular baking/cooking. It all started with a friend asking my opinion on the whole ordeal. I knew that it was a subject that had crossed my mind before, as I have soaked oatmeal in the past. When I went on a search to get her answers is when I found how much I really did not know! Since there was quite a bit of time to do research,(due to the snow!) I felt like I am somewhat versed on the subject and find it only suiting to follow through on a few recipes to see the immediate results that come from soaking. Although, I can't see how the benefits of soaking is doing IN my body immediately, knowing there has been research done comforts the cockles of my little heart! :) <br />
<blockquote>"Unfortunately, whole grains contain phytic acid in the bran of the grain which combines with key minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc and prevents their absorption in the intestinal tract. This makes it more difficult to digest properly. Soaking, fermenting, or sprouting the grain before cooking or baking will neutralize the phytic acid, releasing these nutrients for absorption.<br />
This process allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to not only neutralize the phytic acid, but also to break down complex starches, irritating tannins and difficult-to-digest proteins, including gluten. For many, this may lessen their sensitivity or allergic reactions to particular grains. Everyone will benefit, nevertheless, from the release of nutrients and greater ease of digestion."</blockquote>This is a good short version of what I learned about soaking your grains! If you are interested in learning more I found a really good source of information through a new blogger that I have just added to my favorites bar! She not only has good healthy recipes but she also believes similar values as me. I am already blessed by her knowledge! <a href="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/04/whole-grains-grinding-soaking.html">Passionate Homemaking</a><br />
<br />
As for the recipe;<br />
<br />
<strong>Oatmeal Apple Sauce Muffins</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from: <a href="http://passthesushi.com/applesauce-oatmeal-muffins">Pass the Sushi</a></span><br />
<br />
Ingredients: <br />
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)<br />
1 cup reduced-fat milk<br />
1 tbs of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce<br />
1 egg <br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup agave nectar<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon <br />
Nuts or raisins (optional)<br />
<br />
Preparation: <br />
1. Soaking- Combine the oats, flour, milk (i used almond milk) and lemon juice in a bowl. It's better to combined the oats and flour in one bowl then the milk and lemon juice in another. Let the milk mixture sit for a bit (basically like your making buttermilk) and then combine the two! <br />
2. You will let this mixture sit for 12-24 hours on your counter (or I put it in my pantry to get it out of the way!) with lid on bowl. <br />
3. When your ready to cook- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.<br />
4. Combine the applesauce, agave, and egg, and mix until combined in one bowl.<br />
5. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients.<br />
6. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The add all of it to the flour/oat mixture, combining just until all is moist. There may be a few oaty lumps but that is okay!<br />
7. Add nuts or raisins, if desired. **Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough!** I added dried cranberries and loved the tartness!<br />
8. Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups. <br />
9. Bake in preheated oven for 20–25 minutes.<br />
<br />
I hope everyone is staying warm, and eating good! :)<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-76720488860930935772011-02-04T05:33:00.001-06:002011-02-04T05:33:00.296-06:00Mexican Potato Bake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtDy9OGvzUUCh8g3WVR9RW34WckEB8YW-x9ZhQGVjvjuH79bQnEEBu6tQn4qBtCxLMIchvv5wxM_pakiwynRj-1duQgJO2awd4RuNvQp8aA31kAgF30fMfy_-QQ9k2A_gZsd9ZRyRR3cY/s1600/blog+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtDy9OGvzUUCh8g3WVR9RW34WckEB8YW-x9ZhQGVjvjuH79bQnEEBu6tQn4qBtCxLMIchvv5wxM_pakiwynRj-1duQgJO2awd4RuNvQp8aA31kAgF30fMfy_-QQ9k2A_gZsd9ZRyRR3cY/s400/blog+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">*notice the handy dandy toaster oven?!</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Why do potatoes always get such a bad wrap? No matter who you talk to if you mention potatoes as a healthy food they think your crazy. I'm here to advocate for my friend "the spud." Not only has he provided countless meals for my husband and I, he has always been faithful in being less expensive and readily available! Sadly potatoes are known to be unhealthy because a majority of people eat them as french fries, potato chips, or massively loaded baked potatoes. Leave it up to us to make something that is actually really good for you into a typical grease fest. YUCK! To much surprise, the potato actually packs a healthy punch of vitamin b6, fiber, and much more! For those who are interested, Vitamin B6 is necessary for the creation of many neurotransmitters including serotonin-which makes you happy :), melatonin- helps you sleep :)zzz, and epinephrine- helps you respond to stress : O ! When you get all happy and eat a potato, make sure you eat the skin as well (after washing of course!) That skin contains concentrated amounts of fiber which we all know helps with cardiovascular and digestive health! More than that, recent research has shown that the skin on potatoes rivals the phytochemicals found in broccoli, spinach, and brussle sprouts, with over 60 phytochemicals and vitamins woohoo!! More on potatoes health benefits check out this website!! <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48">POTATOES!</a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After strolling through Kroger the other day i spotted a sale on yellow potatoes which we like more because the skin is more manageable to eat! I also had a big craving for Mexican food (when do I not?!) so the potatoes and my love for Mexican came together in a self-created dish I call- Mexican Potato Bake! Here is one recipe that you can incorporate the healthy potato with healthy toppings to make a great meal! Wow I sound like a potato commercial don't I???</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Mexican Potato Bake</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ingredients-</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 1/2 lbs of yellow potatoes (carefully washed)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">garlic powder</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">cumin</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">salt</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">pepper</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">chili powder</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">olive oil spray</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">salsa</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">avocado (or guacamole if you don't feel like smashing it yourself)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">yogurt</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">ground chicken or turkey</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">low fat cheese (or veggie cheese if your lactose intolerant!)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Directions-</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1. Slice the potatoes in 1/2 inch slices and arrange slices on a olive oil sprayed baking sheet.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2. Sprinkle the potatoes with all the spices until they look happy and colorful!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3. Bake in a 350 degree oven until soft and a little brown.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">4. While baking, cook your ground meat on stove until fully cooked and towards the end sprinkle in more of the same spices you put on the potatoes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">5. Pull potatoes out of oven, turn up oven to broil, top potatoes with your choice of toppings and broil for about 3-5 minutes!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Topping Ideas:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I topped P's with wholly queso (found in the natural refrigerated section), the ground meat, salsa, and a bit of yogurt.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I topped mine with veggie cheese, salsa, veggie ground meat, and guacamole. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">*I would recommend not putting the guac or yogurt on until after all toppings have been heated! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One last interesting fact of the friendly spud- The Potato has been Grown in Space!! In 1995, potato plants were taken into space with the space shuttle Columbia. This marked the first time any food was ever grown in space.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-10894586495725687952011-01-29T09:03:00.000-06:002011-01-29T09:03:11.014-06:00January 2011 <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzaxEVK6LNc4nXqLXTAJn4ZuRCLoBF85hHzu2tgWwDXEoCacD1AeEn1NgVrxz7v2LfaMtjGmjEQkEfi_WzrwGNfIXBQCDpP9YFswiTPd-mXjh02X_umtiVLDZRCHWIQKzP8vYyo497NXU/s1600/holding_hands21230739878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzaxEVK6LNc4nXqLXTAJn4ZuRCLoBF85hHzu2tgWwDXEoCacD1AeEn1NgVrxz7v2LfaMtjGmjEQkEfi_WzrwGNfIXBQCDpP9YFswiTPd-mXjh02X_umtiVLDZRCHWIQKzP8vYyo497NXU/s400/holding_hands21230739878.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*picture courtesy of </span><a href="http://deepwellbridge.wordpress.com/2010/05/07/i-have-two-questions-for-romance-part-i/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Deep Well Bridge</span></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> The first month of 2011 is almost gone and I am pleased at the outcome. As I had said in a previous post, I hope to keep up with evaluating things that are going on with me and my family on a regular basis. I do this in hopes to be more aware of God's grace and my need for continual growth. P started his second semester at DTS while I started my first. I couldn't be happier with the way God has allowed a decision, by my husband, be such a BIG part of my own life. Honestly, if there were one thing I could suggest (since we are only 5 years experienced at this whole marriage thing) as a benefit to unity in a marriage, it would be to totally involve yourself in your spouses endeavors. It hurts to see marriages split by one delving heavily in a life changing experience when the other is headed another way or doesn't care to partake in that experience along side. God has allowed me to really enjoy and take delight in my husbands (now our!) adventures and I am so thankful!<br />
This semester brings for me, BE 101! It has been brought to my attention that students and professors at DTS speak of classes not by their actual name but by the registration code. Strange, I know, but I have followed suit, seeing as the other night someone asked me what I was taking and all I could get out (forgetting the actual name of the class) was BE 101! For those that don't know, that is code for Bible Study Methods. Nothing major or profound has come out of my studies, although it is nice to be getting back into the study habits and learning a deeper/accurate way of studying the Bible. <br />
Not only did January bring a new adventure in starting school, I also felt like God has shown me, who am I kidding?, he is still showing me! to be content and even joyful in the situations He has allowed. We have experienced a few "highs" and "lows," making the month seem rather "roller-coasterish" but through those times I have been thankfully reminded that He chooses and allows those things to happen. By me submitting (only in attitude and reaction, considering I don't have much of a choice otherwise) to His sovereign will and knowing that He is good and has His best in mind, I am free to accept, with peace, whatever He allows. I find it humorous that every time something goes "wrong" or opposite of what we feel should happen we react like someone wronged us or we should deserve better. Our frustration turns into anger and bitterness when the situation gets "worse". Selfish desires and a selfish mindset is what I feel like causes these reactions. We get caught up in our own world so much that we forget that this world is not about us, shocking, I know! I am by no means in a state of extreme hardship but I found that even the simplest frustration's or "hick-ups" would cause a complaining, ungrateful attitude, which obviously came from my heart. My prayer is that God will continue to show me His sovereignty, my selfishness, and allow for joy in the midst of trials and unforeseen circumstances! A joy that comes from delighting in Him and knowing that the God I serve is trustworthy.<br />
<br />
Other January excitement included- <br />
1. Getting a new (to us!) washer and dryer!!!! We went a whole month without a dryer and it definitely was one of those trial times! I am soooooo grateful for our new purchase!<br />
2. P picking up a few more side jobs- God is providing!!! :)<br />
3. Reconnecting with our small group this month, which was great. After a long break over the Christmas holidays, I realized how much that part of our life is beneficial. <br />
4. Buying kale for the first time! See last post for news on that!<br />
5. A decision to try new foods which allowed for not only my first kale buy but also my first tempeh experience. I think I'm sold on both!<br />
6. A visit from a friend that we hadn't seen in a long time. She stayed for the weekend and it was so nice to catch up and enjoy her and her daughter! :)<br />
7. Being presented with the possibility of going to Africa this summer! A big prayer but, to our surprise God has been reminding us, in interesting ways, left and right.<br />
<br />
We are saying good bye to January and HELLO to February, looking for God's provision in a number of decisions, and loving that we are apart of His plan.<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-90721403626507267822011-01-21T06:12:00.000-06:002011-01-21T06:12:39.712-06:00Kale and Butternut Squash Salad <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="324" id="il_fi" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/12981/11_2007/ws-ss-emk-blo.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture thanks to <a href="http://www.fitsugar.com/Eat-Kale-Leafy-Greens-Honor-St-Pattys-Day-175042">FitSugar</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know that it is common for me to start a blog with "believe it or not" but I can't say it any other way! Believe it or not, I have never (until now of course) tried Kale. I am baffled myself...each time I try a recipe or food that continually comes up in blogs I read or people I talk with for the first time, my initial reaction is, "why am I just now trying this??" Kale has been a newly recognized food (at least as far as I can tell) that I plan on incorporating as much to my diet as financially feasible. It was on sale this past week at one of my favorite groceries and I finally decided, what the heck! With no recipe in mind, I gave my creative side a chance to experiment. I am beyond pleased with the results and as I type this in the morning, I cannot wait until I can indulge yet again on this creation for lunch! </div>I was recommended a really awesome book, " <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Healthiest-Foods-Essential-Eating/dp/0976918544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295611452&sr=8-1">The World's Healthiest Foods</a>" by someone I recently met. The book is rather big and expensive so naturally I decided to rent it from the library (for free!) before deciding if it would be worth the investment. I have since decided that this book is chock-full of fascinating information!! I really enjoy looking up the different foods it highlights as I sit to eat them...learning of all the benefits the foods being ingested are doing for my body! woohoo! Not only does it go through each foods health benefits but it also lets you know the most nutritious way of cooking the particular food. <br />
Kale (as the feature of this blog post) is upheld as having the most concentrated source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin of all foods. I know, mumbo jumbo to those that unaware of what these carotenoids do! Basically they <br />
<blockquote>"act like sunglasses, filtering ultraviolet light and preventing damage to the eyes from excessive exposure to it. Studies have shown the protective effect of these nutrients against the risk of cataracts. In one study, people who had a diet history of eating lutein-rich foods like Kale had a 50% lower risk for new cataracts." -quote from "The Worlds Healthiest Foods"</blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>I am one that suffers from poor eye sight and have the potential for cataracts. Thankfully, the last time I went to the eye doc. they said my eyes had improved...I owed it all to my carrot consumption. I guess next time we will see if I can pay tribute to Kale! :) <br />
<br />
<strong>Kale and Butternut Squash Salad</strong><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
bunch of kale<br />
medium sized butternut squash<br />
a tablespoon or so of olive oil<br />
salt<br />
roasted pumpkin seeds<br />
apple juice sweetened dried cranberries<br />
1 avocado diced<br />
<a href="http://wannabechefmysti.blogspot.com/2010/08/creamy-balsamic-dressing.html">creamy balsamic dressing</a> (click on name to direct you to recipe)<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Dice butternut squash and toss with a bit of olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast squash in oven for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. <br />
2. Rinse and slice kale into strips. When butternut squash is just about done toss the kale in the oven for the last 5 minutes or so to soften it up a bit. The longer you put it in the softer it will get, you want it to still be lettuce like for this recipe so don't overcook.<br />
3. Place slightly cooked kale, roasted butternut squash in a bowl and toss with dressing.<br />
4. Plate kale mixture and top with avocado, a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">I honestly couldn't get enough of this salad. It was simple, tasty, and nutritious. I could go on about the health benefits of the other ingredients but I guess that will be on another post! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And now about the shirt- ummm...who wouldn't want an awesome shirt like that?!?! I love it! ...and it was much better than the sad picture I attempted to take. :) </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-68337067305703278942011-01-15T07:47:00.000-06:002011-01-15T07:47:09.279-06:00Roasted Tomato, White Bean, and Barley Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinApv7oDNGOMfcqVYCmv1_hWrCvZvoNQDTO-JOFAaT2R3cmtLXgz-YpflUD0hZm6v4IYQXEHkLzcL1lpSZBqqmDtaPdiZnefBv8z6MAOcpcgAr1iG9idBZnq88PYuT6B1Z1sEmSXqZyplj/s1600/tasty+travels+598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinApv7oDNGOMfcqVYCmv1_hWrCvZvoNQDTO-JOFAaT2R3cmtLXgz-YpflUD0hZm6v4IYQXEHkLzcL1lpSZBqqmDtaPdiZnefBv8z6MAOcpcgAr1iG9idBZnq88PYuT6B1Z1sEmSXqZyplj/s400/tasty+travels+598.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>For those of you who are unaware, it has been stinkin' cold in Dallas the past- WAY TOO LONG! Our week started off with snow- beautiful, white, crisp, light, glowing, (i can't say enough) snow. As I walked into work on Monday morning, my breath escaped me as I stopped in awe of God's beauty through something so seemingly simple yet when really thought about, extremely complex. I don't see snow often but when I do, I am always reminded of how creative God is. I love it. <br />
The day went on and "the white stuff" went away...the rest of the week? Cold enough too snow but nothing produced. Freezing, stinking FREEZING weather. Don't worry, this post isn't a complaining post, I'm only informing you to set up the scene for the imperative recipe that was ironically schedule to be made almost a month ago! : ) <br />
Roasted Tomato, White Bean, and Barley Soup. I couldn't tell you if this soup was truly good because as I oooed and awed over it my mind couldn't get past the warmth it made my body feel to really decide whether or not the soup actually tasted good! Thankfully my husband was able to get past the warmth and compliment me on how good it was. <br />
<br />
<strong>Roasted Tomato, White Bean, and Barley Soup </strong><br />
(especially good for those biting cold winter days)<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 cup pearl barley cooked in 3 cups water for about 50 minutes <br />
1 medium onion, peeled and diced<br />
2 medium carrots, trimmed and diced<br />
2 stalks celery, diced<br />
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced<br />
2 cups diced fire roasted tomatoes (1 15-ounce can) (I used Muir Glen- Fire Roasted with Green Chilies)<br />
4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock<br />
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (I'm sure would be fine without if you don't want to buy just for this recipe!)<br />
2 cups cooked white beans, <br />
1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />
salt, pepper<br />
1/2 cup chopped parsley<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Cook the barley and set aside.<br />
2. Heat a little bit of oil in a roomy, thick-bottomed soup pot, add the onions and sauté on medium-high heat 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and sauté another 3-4 minutes.<br />
3. Add the tomatoes, nutritional yeast and 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock and bring just to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer half an hour or until the vegetables are fully tender.<br />
4. Add the beans and barley and simmer 4-5 minutes. (The short time is imperative unless you want thick, non-soupy soup- the barley soaks up all that broth if cooked too long)<br />
5. Just before serving, stir in the parsley, reserving a tablespoon for the garnish. Yields six <strong>generous</strong> servings. <br />
*Recipe originally from <a href="http://macrochef.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/a-soup-for-all-seasons-roasted-tomato-barley-and-white-bean/">Macro Chef</a> but tweaked quite a bit!<br />
<br />
As we sat and ate the first serving of this soup, I pulled out my laptop to look up the health benefits of barley. I was extremely surprised at the fiber content in barley!! It passes up oatmeal, raspberries, rye (the commonly known fibrous foods) check out the chart below on grams per serving. The website i found this on is so informative, if your interested to know more about the health benefits of barley (or ANY FOOD) check it out- <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127">WHFoods</a><br />
<br />
Oatmeal, 1 cup 3.98g<br />
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 2g <br />
Whole wheat spaghetti, 1 cup 6.3g <br />
Brown rice, 1 cup 3.5g<br />
<strong>Barley, 1 cup 13.6g</strong> <br />
Buckwheat, 1 cup 4.54g <br />
Rye, 1/3 cup 8.22g<br />
Corn, 1 cup 4.6g<br />
Apple, 1 medium with skin 5.0g <br />
Banana, 1 medium 4.0g <br />
Blueberries, 1 cup 3.92g <br />
Orange, 1 large 4.42g <br />
Pear, 1 large 5.02g <br />
Prunes, 1/4 cup 3.02g <br />
Strawberries, 1 cup 3.82g <br />
Raspberries, 1 cup 8.36g <br />
<br />
Of course, Patricks only comment to this is- "Great, we are going to the symphony tonight and I just ate a bowl full of the fartiest food out there!"<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-46630953816852327072011-01-07T17:09:00.000-06:002011-01-07T17:09:47.017-06:00Toaster Oven Happiness!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94SoF8A1moB1uSQVckt5j3V_bQgPCD2Hvvx_6FdsjOW9qewlX1mrU-ruVJ8gQCILIlpNQ4Vldk6iZHwBortWvB3iaoQMUNlUEfTtODS56cpjATKOF42uaHxzG9DyOVpfqbQnZKFig3FUF/s1600/tasty+travels+588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94SoF8A1moB1uSQVckt5j3V_bQgPCD2Hvvx_6FdsjOW9qewlX1mrU-ruVJ8gQCILIlpNQ4Vldk6iZHwBortWvB3iaoQMUNlUEfTtODS56cpjATKOF42uaHxzG9DyOVpfqbQnZKFig3FUF/s400/tasty+travels+588.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It has been a while since I have posted about a kitchen appliance. Since the new addition of a special one a few weeks ago, my desire for such a post has increased more and more! To my surprise Christmas brought more kitchen accessories than expected. Lavished with new pots, dishes, handy baking items, even grape seed oil, without a doubt I would deem my Christmas; a "kitchen spoiling," and I loved every bit of it! One special addition to our kitchen was a toaster oven! For over a year now I have commented on how much I wanted to switch from microwaving to toaster ovening (if you can call it that). There have been so many times I have pulled something out of the microwave and thought, that totally ruined my well-prepared meal, what a shame. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Although I have yet to figure out all the wonders of the handy dandy toaster oven, I am already impressed. You can tell just by the smile that crosses my face when I glance his way as I enter my kitchen. Call me a dork, good kitchen appliances make me a happy girl. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My desire for using a toaster oven came from reading so much information on what microwaves do to your food nutritionally not to mention what the altered, zapped "food" does IN your body. You may think it's a little much for me to be that paranoid, but after reading studies and watching You-Tubes...I'd at least prefer to use it less.</div><br />
Not only have I committed to using the microwave less as a new years "resolution" (i put that word in quotes because I am still unsure if it is the correct word to use in many cases), I have also decided to revamp and tidy up my blogging. Hopefully, since sometimes plans don't go my way, I will blog more recipes with an emphasis on the nutritional benefits of a particular ingredient in the dish. Learning more about goals have given me a desire to have a more focused idea of the blogging that happens here. So, here's hoping! I also have a desire to express the things God is doing in my life through experiences, and teachings He allows. That being said, once a month I plan on posting about what He is doing in the life He's given me. I really hope that this all comes to fruition, I guess we will have to see!<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-82135918954551688662010-12-30T17:03:00.002-06:002010-12-30T17:03:00.493-06:00Oreo Cheesecake Squares<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh_xFvU5tHk_p6pMbe3QdqIG5RgPkvarahoYO4h-JAV4VBhxrJiFU44BXdLDojwvylAdbefYEXVO9chufYR3kMOB_rtlrW_atAVvDDkfvdIeFQTsnhahYWg1qIplSi20gLl-skGXFqLlv/s1600/tasty+travels+572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjh_xFvU5tHk_p6pMbe3QdqIG5RgPkvarahoYO4h-JAV4VBhxrJiFU44BXdLDojwvylAdbefYEXVO9chufYR3kMOB_rtlrW_atAVvDDkfvdIeFQTsnhahYWg1qIplSi20gLl-skGXFqLlv/s400/tasty+travels+572.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>How about one more post for 2010? <br />
<br />
To celebrate P finishing his first semester I wanted to make him a special treat (or all of his treats special?!). Since he loves oreo's and I had cream cheese that needed to be used (which is what drives most of my cooking adventures) I made Oreo Cheesecake Squares! <br />
These went great with our Christmas date night. <br />
Every year P and I have a special date night for our Christmas present to each other. This year we did something different and I think both of us enjoyed it so much that we may make a tradition of it! We actually went out and bought a good/different meat and the rule was that we were not going to be overly concerned about how much it cost (even though we both knew we had to choose something within reason!) and I wasn't going to use coupons to get it! haha We also both chose the side we wanted and a salad! I made the sides and P grilled. It was absolutely divine!!! I chose Mahi-Mahi with butternut squash and P had a Rib-Eye and mac & cheese. The greatest part was that we had enough to make it into two meals :). There are times it is nice to go out for a dinner and be served but really, to be completely satisfied, I would prefer to make it myself and get what I really want...call me crazy. <br />
Back to the cheesecake though, the recipe turned out great and it was rather simple. It made me smile when p came in to gander at what was being cooked and when he was told...he stayed to watch! Here is the recipe if you want to give it a go- <br />
<br />
<strong>Oreo Cheesecake Squares </strong><br />
Ingredients: <br />
For the crust: <br />
23 Oreo cookies (although I used an organic kind similar to oreos) <br />
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted <br />
<br />
For the cheesecake: <br />
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature <br />
6 tbsp. sugar <br />
6 tbsp. sour cream, at room temperature (I used yogurt here bc that's what I had) <br />
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract <br />
1/4 tsp. salt <br />
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk <br />
12 Oreo cookies (see above) <br />
<br />
Directions: <br />
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 X 8 baking dish with foil. <br />
2. To make the crust, place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Process, pulsing, until the cookies are finely ground. <br />
3. Add in the m elted butter and pulse until the cookie crumbs are moistened. <br />
4. Transfer the moisture to the prepared baking pan and press the crumbs into an even layer over the bottom of the pan. <br />
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside and prepare the filing while maintaining the oven temp. <br />
<br />
To make the filling; <br />
1. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. <br />
2. mix in the sugar until well combined. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat in the egg and egg yolk on medium speed until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the chopped cookies with a rubber spatula. <br />
3. Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, smoothing top with a spatula. Bake for about 40 minutes until the cheesecake is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center. <br />
4. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool about 1 hour to room temp. <br />
5. Cover the pan and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours. <br />
6. When ready to serve, lift cheesecake out by the foil and cut into squares. Make sure you store this in the fridge IF there is leftovers! :) <br />
<br />
Recipe by: Annies-Eats.com<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-26314292504980952372010-12-24T05:14:00.036-06:002010-12-24T05:14:00.193-06:00Fluffy Homemade "Mallows"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMvlgMQA4yLoIjCnT5Xs7YgVlfWSgFY7QCP2tpUQfw1xZF1Kg5-_hdwLTzB9T0iJf85SGQ2NSx_nAeRFUUdPZT2B9NoPzKry9GTuYbv8zCn_nrfaDjXrW28mdaDq63lRVzHd3pLeotEyK/s1600/tasty+travels+577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMvlgMQA4yLoIjCnT5Xs7YgVlfWSgFY7QCP2tpUQfw1xZF1Kg5-_hdwLTzB9T0iJf85SGQ2NSx_nAeRFUUdPZT2B9NoPzKry9GTuYbv8zCn_nrfaDjXrW28mdaDq63lRVzHd3pLeotEyK/s400/tasty+travels+577.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Merry Christmas Eve!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't believe it has taken me so long to make these. It's always the recipes that you make a mental note more than a million times to make, that turn out so darn good! Finally, after probably over a year, I got around to making homemade marshmallows. Whatever possessed me to, I will never know, but the other morning I was going through my usual routine of gandering at recipes and found one for cane syrup.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, now that I'm recollecting, the reason that I have been so hesitant to make marshmallows is that EVERY recipe I come across for them involves corn syrup. As I pass the bottles of corn syrup at the grocery store the thought crosses my mind to get it, but my body won't follow through and actually pick the stink'n bottle up. Something about corn syrup (high fructose or not) repulses me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, back the story, I found a recipe for cane syrup which can be used as a replacement of corn syrup! A light bulb went on and I quickly found a recipe for marshmallows and got to work, (at 5am mind you) by 9am I had marshmallows! The homemade cane syrup wasn't the easiest thing to make, especially since my (you would think) handy dandy Pampered Chef candy thermometer was failing on me...I still think it was by the grace of God that the second batch actually turned out enough to make the marshmallows. And when the marshmallows turned out, I was SUPER excited!! They are just like what I said in the title "fluffy" and "mallowy". I am most certain that a small rodent would mistake it for a nice comfy pillow if he were to come across them! haha</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If your adventurous...here is the recipe for the mallows...and if your REAL adventurous follow this link for the <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/pantry-staples-diy-cane-sugar-syrup-131934">cane syrup</a> recipe! Merry Christmas!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Fluffy Homemade Mallows</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar</div>3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin<br />
1 cup cold water, divided<br />
2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)<br />
1/2 cup light corn syrup <-- As I said above, I used cane syrup!<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe <br />
even some food coloring for tinting)<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
1. Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.<br />
2. In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold cold water, and let stand to soften.<br />
3. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.<br />
4.With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. <br />
5. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.<br />
6. Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) 7. Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.<br />
<br />
recipe by: <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/06/springy-fluffy-marshmallows/">smitten kitchen</a>, originally from Gourmet<div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-33179733730112121542010-12-19T08:53:00.008-06:002010-12-19T16:59:37.593-06:00Grace Continually Received...<div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">This specific post is unlike any other I have offered. Yesterday my amazing husband officially completed his first semester at Dallas Seminary. My eyes well up with tears as I sit and type this. I don't think I can express how proud I am of the amount of work, thought, dedication, and time he has devoted to even just one semester. And all that only by God's grace. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">We both knew starting this past fall that we (I say both him and I because really it affects both of us!) would experience a life change for the next 4 1/2 to 5 years, but the amount of grace that God has extended in only this first semester is more than we expected in his entire school career. </span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">It would be false of me to say that the journey so far has not been hard. I look back over the last few months and think of the struggles God has allowed through jobs (or lack there of), arguments, late nights (or early mornings), uncomfortable environments, new places, and "home" sickness. But, when I honestly recollect the struggles ... they all pale in comparison to the amount of grace and love we have experienced since starting this adventure.<br />We have heard and know that the life we are living is uncommon, not favored, or sometimes rejected. I guess that's what you choose when you choose to follow the will of God. </span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552433709571587570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFAEDbOhd1cGthltLAAvxUQ12gomJ-gCky6DgJD05lgTb-XCf2X20TPbygmo9hS1vDdnI9l4nQPMBE0BphzkLbRPcxyubwomatcQAhwcbDNDXvFAyiTHcAXaj9gtayVTc74mOpnT7ONly/s400/tasty+travels+437.jpg" /> </span><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">P off to his first day of school! </span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Here it is, the end of 2010 and most would look back and contemplate what they have accomplished. In reality what should be thought of is the amount of grace you have received, and what have you done with it. If there is one thing that I have been blessed to learn this past year it would be self accomplishments are nonexistent. We can accomplish or receive <strong>nothing</strong> with out the grace of God.</span></p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I thank Him for the grace of;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1. My job at Dallas Seminary- the high calling of being apart of furthering God's Kingdom through a school that sends countless missionaries into the world in one way or the other.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. My husband- we have learned so much this past year together, I still question why God allowed him as my life-time partner.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. Family- for their love and support in more that one way!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4. Friends- old ones that still encourage and new ones that are eager to engage!</span><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">5. Most of all; my salvation- I don't think I will ever fully grasp what I have through the salvation God has extended to me.</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552433124732896498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00NNA52Eogyl7G73rzUkeZW7ZOpBspfgRuVuaBa1SoTP3H3wLFg3mvmXGCl-zSVK6pwYhj_KiDSUrYuTXsImIfp-pjlI736bA9lIfby9Dx_6QGB6DO8UToETLCweXz6_nNOVXt-rUg5EJ/s400/Picture.jpg" />Fun times with friends!!</span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I say good bye to 2010 and laugh at the crazy things that have happened; Kaepo learning the difference between growl and bark, our fun trip the the emergency room when I almost cut off my finger, the three...no seven jobs that I have had, and two moves (which may be an all time low for us!).</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Somewhat speechless, I take a deep breath and face 2011 with the comfort of knowing whatever happens, my God is in control of each and every situation. I look forward to being a student at DTS (yes I am doing it too!) starting in January, encouraging my husband through his career as graduate student, and to move as little as possible !! : )</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I hope and pray that every one's Christmas and New Year's is full of the realization of God's goodness and grace! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552435388638132482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGbZNXenGbCKypO9ZpPQbcQmC8MVV-kHND8b2XLeJgylNK3o_J7A7H4ojZIudgduxnRTWdQWYWi3vIyeRAUL7zl351Kfr0Z_T85pP2J7nbNetYBBYiCVOE3y_BmAwiuy8CORMKpNGPa2g/s400/tasty+travels+559.jpg" /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-76579835695280736702010-12-10T19:52:00.005-06:002010-12-10T20:14:51.459-06:00Freshly Ground Peanut Butter!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-P1pfOoJBMQ-VJBntJoIMAb89yTeKU60EI9xBMihyphenhyphen4GXnub6sONf7m_6lGCsjPW0ol5YeCiCI9_Qgjk0byEQE_HXwt4OlQv6YWSANzOFtvQhCXWfu4chiLTxvcOnGW7kAigrJHzitlpxe/s1600/tasty+travels+561.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549240812619776098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-P1pfOoJBMQ-VJBntJoIMAb89yTeKU60EI9xBMihyphenhyphen4GXnub6sONf7m_6lGCsjPW0ol5YeCiCI9_Qgjk0byEQE_HXwt4OlQv6YWSANzOFtvQhCXWfu4chiLTxvcOnGW7kAigrJHzitlpxe/s400/tasty+travels+561.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Christmas treat testing is actually coming to a close!! I only have one more week until the bake-a-thon happens. Crazy. This next recipe is not really a recipe...but I am love with the end result. A few years ago my Mimi let me borrow her heavy duty, major, mumbo jumbo, juicer. You would think that juicing yummy fruits and veggies would be the most "fruitful" thing that resulted from my borrowing but, no. The only thing that I really use it for (which is actually quite often) is peanut butter!! We have had the pleasure of fresh ground peanut butter for a few years and I don't think that there is any possible way to turn back. It baffles me to think that people actually consider the store bought (I wont mention any brands) kind, peanut butter! Its a crying shame!! </div><br /><div>A few days ago I decided to do a fun taste test. I prepared 4 different kinds of peanut butter after grinding a big batch and had them ready for P when he got home that evening from babysitting. Yes, my husband babysits! :) (you got to do what you go to do right?) </div><br /><div>Each bowl had a different colored toothpick that I strategically labeled on my dry erase board. </div><br /><div>Green = Maple Peanut Butter </div><br /><div>Red = Cinnamon Peanut Butter</div><br /><div>Yellow = Coffee Peanut Butter</div><br /><div>Blue = Spicy Peanut Butter</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I was so pleased when my husband came home and was really excited about doing the taste testing. After the round of tests, of course one weighed out to be the best and the bowl was then devoured! haha That's when I decided this particular flavor would be given as gifts! Now who wouldn't want gourmet freshly ground peanut butter as a gift??</div><div></div><br /><div>You might be wondering which flavor won...I think I may keep it a secret till I pass them out at Christmas! :) I must say thought, none of the flavors were rejected!! Peanut butter rains supreme in our house!</div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-71355713781594041262010-12-06T18:43:00.003-06:002010-12-06T19:48:46.846-06:00Ginger Snaps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VFkPXcJQWFpJHMJnaWuPrgWlvez-OWA-UUJS4AlnhtZxF3W0kGtFfZjNwhVufHGrVnbVoIbgpWVQwxeHD3vODIKZ-z7XE_9_g4BUiPItaCHMJpz0rsiaY9GQlF384-gh3DzjfA3cBpwq/s1600/tasty+travels+565.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547735102359189474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VFkPXcJQWFpJHMJnaWuPrgWlvez-OWA-UUJS4AlnhtZxF3W0kGtFfZjNwhVufHGrVnbVoIbgpWVQwxeHD3vODIKZ-z7XE_9_g4BUiPItaCHMJpz0rsiaY9GQlF384-gh3DzjfA3cBpwq/s400/tasty+travels+565.jpg" /></a><br /><div>What a novel idea...a recipe for ginger snaps that actually SNAP! For a while now I have perused through tons of ginger "snap" recipes that proudly claim to be soft cookies. What is this world coming to?? Soft ginger snaps? Well, I am pleased to say that I have finally found a recipe that provides the snap in ginger snaps. This has been the first Christmas treat I have made this year that has been hard for me to stop eating. I really really liked them. Seeing as most people prefer the soft cookie (my husband included) I figured that bringing them to a potluck would be a sneaky way for me to make a batch and end up with most of them at the end of the night! :) Well, sadly I was mistaken. None came home, but without a doubt I will be making these again! If your looking for genuine ginger snaps, here is your recipe!</div><div> </div><div><strong>Ginger Snaps</strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div>Ingredients:</div><div> </div><div>1/4 C unsalted butter at room temp.</div><div>3/4 C + 2 tbs granulated sugar plus some for coating!</div><div>1 large egg beaten</div><div>1/4 C molasses</div><div>1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar</div><div>1/2 tsp pure vanilla</div><div>2 C + 2 tbs all purpose flour</div><div>1/2 tbs baking soda</div><div>1/4 tsp salt</div><div>1 tsp ground ginger</div><div>1 tsp cinnamon</div><div>1/4 tsp cloves</div><div>1/4 tsp cardamom</div><div>1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper</div><div> </div><div>Directions:</div><div>1. Heat oven to 375, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Lower to medium and add eggs, molasses, vinegar and vanilla.</div><div>2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and pepper. </div><div>3. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until incorporated. </div><div>4. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap and chill for about an hour. </div><div>5. Slice each log into disks, 1/2 inch thick and dredge in a bowl of sugar to coat.</div><div>6. Place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake until crinkly around edges, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes before transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Or if you are in my freezing apartment they will be ready to store after 5 minutes out of the oven!! :)</div><div> </div><div>Christmas giving rating-</div><div>1. wowza taste- man oh man, I have already said it...but these are GOOD! I would give it a 9.5 (just cause nothing is perfect!) but P rated them an 8.</div><div>2. packability- GREAT! they definitely stack well and stay in good shape through the boxing process. 9.5</div><div>3. cuteness?- well, they look like gingersnaps...I guess there have been cuter treats so I will give this a 7. </div><div>4. expense- I am going to go with an 8 on this and that's because I am picky about my ingredients. These cookies were almost completely organic from what I had in my pantry which was awesome! I'm convinced however that if you are making them from non organic ingredients...they are pretty dang inexpensive!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834244642096497958.post-63009555209402655972010-11-28T10:58:00.004-06:002010-11-29T08:54:59.221-06:00Pumpkin Spice Granola<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDZC-EG2-NCII24b0UZLxeBn1jihRaOX9zPI4PobkB1BZ2mVAhDlXYS4fEFBYSIqNDh3ntQle92Y463sV1Z_hI7IO7sANj_Ol93vRD1zYFdllInMWp0aAO3fwZVZTC7NfrpJKxCjmC84a/s1600/tasty+travels+526.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544984114348718226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDZC-EG2-NCII24b0UZLxeBn1jihRaOX9zPI4PobkB1BZ2mVAhDlXYS4fEFBYSIqNDh3ntQle92Y463sV1Z_hI7IO7sANj_Ol93vRD1zYFdllInMWp0aAO3fwZVZTC7NfrpJKxCjmC84a/s400/tasty+travels+526.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div>I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day! P and I had a really good visit with our families and ate enough to last us for the week so we have planned a week long fast! HA just joking. One thing that I realized just last night was, now that Thanksgiving is over, the pumpkin season is officially over :(. It really made me want to cry as I took town my three sweet pumpkins that were part of my "fall decorations". P and I were both excited to finally pull out the Christmas lights and officially start the season...but after seeing the those sweet guys perched up my shelf I had second thoughts about ending the pumpkin season...<br />As an ode to my sweet orange friends....<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544983340505973170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8BpaofKkY37QSd2McJmi4f0cu9bOghRLrgwL6UU0gvv2fODWYutuyu4PGN6nHzjGIVWybUF3oTcGzvRMUb-pq1jef0lhSZ3FYrucpqiihLmoXAn6-FZxlucFv4I9sprUQ8HWB-CvPwSl/s400/tasty+travels+535.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">God made your season fall</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">My most favorite of all!</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">If I had my way, you'd be here all year</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">But, His plan was to make you special and dear.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">To those who notice His blessings above</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">It's evident that your made special with His sweet love.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Although your bitter, I know you as sweet</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Those who could care less see you as a simple treat.</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">Your orange glow is contagious when eaten so much<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">I must say- You are truly a work of God's creative touch.<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Here is a also a good recipe that I will undoubtedly use throughout the entire year. I have toyed with the possibilities of making a batch or two to share with friends and families over the holidays as well!<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><strong>Pumpkin Spice Granola</strong></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Ingredients:</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">2 C puffed rice</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">1 1/2 C Oats (not instant)</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">1/2 C nuts (I used pumpkin seeds and cashews but I'm sure pecans or walnuts would be just as good!)</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">2 tsp pumpkin spice</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">3 Tbs pumpkin puree</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">3 Tbs apple sauce</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">2 Tbs coconut oil (melted)</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">2 Tbs agave nectar (or 3 depending on how sweet you like your granola)</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">1 tsp vanilla<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Directions:</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. On a baking sheet spread the oats and any nuts that are not already roasted. Bake for about 10 minutes or until everything is nice and toasty. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">2. While the oats and nuts are toasting, mix together the spice, puree, oil, apple sauce, agave, and vanilla. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">3. In a large bowl combine first the toasted oat mix with the puffed rice. Then poor the liquid ingredients and mix well. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">4. Spread mixture on the baking sheet you used to toast your oats and put back in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the granola is starting to crisp and look toasted. It will get crunchier after it cools off after you take in out of the oven. </div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">For Christmas giving sake I will rate this recipe-</div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Taste- does the fact that I have made at LEAST 5 batches of this stuff for snacking on tell you anything??</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Packability- Can't get any easier than putting it in a bag or jar and closing. I give it a 10 in this area.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Cuteness- well, its not the best, but seeing as the packaging is so versatile, you could really make it look cute with how you present it! I say 8.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Cost- Not really bad considering how much the different ingredients make. I would suggest buying from the "bulk" section at the grocery for most of the ingredients. The fact that all of the ingredients are super healthy says a lot for how much your paying. I'm sure you could get away with cheaper (less healthy) alternatives.</div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">[URL=http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=550331][IMG]http://prodegebanners.sitegrip.com/images/swagbucks-468x60.jpg[/IMG][/URL]</div>Wanna Be Chef Mysti!http://www.blogger.com/profile/18024589484840128479noreply@blogger.com1