Creating Goodness

Blog Move

2010-03-01T17:20:00.001-08:00

This blog is going to be moved and redone at a new address:

www.gfreegoodness.blogspot.com

Check me out there (but give me time to get it up and running!)!

Chunky Chili (naturally gluten-free)

2010-02-15T17:44:00.001-08:00

I love the meals I can make exactly the same way as I used to and still be able to eat them now. I call them naturally gluten-free, since they naturally come that way without me making any substitutions or changes. This is one of them! A simple, wholesome chunky chili.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (this is one of the few meals that I like to buy a regular old ground beef instead of the extra lean stuff...it gives it a little more flavor)
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can diced green chilis
4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp paprika

Cut up the veggies. Chop the peppers and cut the onion in half. Chop half of it and dice the other half up small.
Cook the ground beef and the diced small onion in a pot over med-med high heat. Drain.
Stir in beans and tomatoes with their liquids.
Add remaining ingredients.
Salt is really important when cooking. It allows the natural flavors of the foods to release and blend together. It enhances the essences of the foods you are cooking it with. Therefore, I think it's really important to pay a little more and get a good salt (this doesn't matter so much when baking, but it does for cooking). Pictured is a pretty decent basic French sea salt I picked up at Williams Sonoma.

Heat all ingredients to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

You can serve this over macaroni noodles and have chili mac, but I think it's so good just topped with some cheese and onions (yes, more onions...) and a little dollop of Daisy :)

Gluten-Free Chicken and Wine Sauce

2010-02-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

One of my (and my family's) favorite dinners is a chicken and white wine sauce over rice. The cream of chicken soup I used in it, however, was not gluten-free. I was given a recipe for a g-f condensed cream of chicken soup mix recipe, though, so I was anxious to try it out. Turns out, it tasted great in my favorite dinner! Not quite the same, but good in its own right. So first here's the recipe for the mix:

2 c nonfat dry milk
3/4 c cornstarch
2 Tbsp dry minced onion (I used onion powder)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c chicken bouillion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
Combine all the ingredients in an air tight container. To use, combine 1/3 c of the mix with 1 1/4 c water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened.
To make the dinner:

Combine mix and water in pan and cook until thickened. Add 1/4 c sour cream and mix. Remove from heat. Add pepper to taste. Stir in 1/4 c white wine (I've found pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc taste best, but I've used riesling too.).
In a skillet, melt 4-5 Tbsp butter or margarine. Cook chicken 2-4 minutes on each side. Pour sauce over chicken, cover, and simmer for 20-24 minutes.
Serve over rice. Also tastes great with green beans.

Rice! Rice! Rice!

2010-02-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

So, being newly gluten-free, rice has become even more of a staple in my diet than it ever was. It's safe for me to eat, versatile, and so good. Imagine my surprise, then, when Bzz Agent sent me two bags of Mahatma rice along with coupons good for almost 40 pounds of rice for free! And let me tell you, it's good rice! The white and the brown rice has a great consistency and a perfect flavor.

Want some coupons? Let me know your address! Oh, and check out Bzz Agent while you're at it, and get some free stuff of your own! I've gotten everything from a pack of gum to a Sonicare toothbrush from them, at no cost to me.

Let the Baking Begin!

2010-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Finally! After my long hiatus and adjustment period to a gluten-free lifestyle, I finally find myself back in the kitchen and I couldn't be happier about it. I met a wonderful new friend (who also has Celiac) and she has been a wealth of knowledge for me. She kindly invited me (and my rugrats) to her house, where she baked for us, made lunch, and showed me all her favorite gluten free products. She also runs a really great website with lots of Celiac and gluten-free info, which you can check out here.

One of the products I am most excited about is Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix. I adapted their chocolate chip cookie recipe and made these bar cookies to take to Susy's preschool party tomorrow. I was surprised first by how much the kids and I liked the dough, and then by how great the cookies are! As Susy said, the look like graham crackers, but they are soft and taste like great chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c Pamela's Baking Mix

Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the Pamela's Mix. Place scoops of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until edges are brown.

These cookies spread out a lot, so leave lots of room in between.

I then cut them into bars and dipped them into melted chocolate candy melts, put them on parchment, and stuck them in the fridge for about 5 minutes until the chocolate was hard.

I found the Pamela's Mix at our Whole Foods, but I think it is available at some grocery stores, specialty food markets, and you can order it online from Amazon.

Changes Are Coming!

2010-01-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

Changes are coming to this website!! I recently was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and have therefore had to change to a completely gluten-free diet. I hope to incorporate some gluten free cooking on here, along with regular recipes I'm sure. Keep watching!

End-Of-The-Year Resolution

2009-11-26T22:42:00.001-08:00

So to me, this makes so much more sense than a New Years Resolution. Wouldn't you rather start a brand new year having already completed your resolution goal? That way, it's like starting fresh with a brand new year, instead of starting the new year in the same predicament you were in the prior year. Does that make sense? Like, wouldn't you rather start a new year as a non-smoker, having kicked the habit during the last months of the prior year? That way, it's a fresh start.

Anyway, my point of all that is, although I have never made a New Years Resolution, this year I'm making an End-Of-The-Year Resolution. Today is Thanksgiving. By Christmas, my goal is to lose 13.5 pounds. That'll take me to a nice even number (I'll tell you what that is when I get there). That's like 3.5 pounds a week. Not impossible. Not easy, either, though, so if you talk to me, ask me how it's going!

What's Your Cause?

2009-11-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

So what is your cause? Everyone has one. Everyone has something they believe in supporting...whether it's breast cancer research, March of Dimes, helping the homeless...everyone has one thing that just touches their heart. Makes them want to open their wallet. Makes them want to donate their time. We're entering the Season of Giving. Who will you be giving to?

Breast Cancer research is a cause that touches my heart deeply. My mom is in a 14-year battle with this disease. That means I was 12 when she was diagnosed. That means I don't remember much of life without it being a part of it. I've felt the ups and downs, the uncertainty, the fear that this disease brings to all affected by it. That also means that I open my wallet and give my time to help this worthy cause.

However, that's not my cause. That's not what grabs my heartstrings and yanks to the point where I can no longer do nothing. And really, I don't have a cause, I have two. The first is donating blood. I believe every healthy person should be willing to step up and donate, if not on a regular basis at least once in a while. I've watched my mom receive blood transfusions during her fight with the aforementioned disease, and I've seen the immediate effects of that 10 minute, slightly uncomfortable time someone else used to donate their own blood.

But, that's not the cause I wanted to talk about tonight. That's not what is currently on my mind. It's almost Christmastime. And I am so excited for it. The look of my kids opening their presents, the wonder in their eyes as we talk about the magic of Santa, the awe in their voices as I try to explain the real miracle and they question me about baby Jesus and His Father. I love this time of year. But what if you weren't able to give your kids presents? What if you weren't able to provide the big Christmas brunch and the turkey dinner? What if you were barely able to give them a piece of bread to eat and a pair of used tennis shoes to wear when the shoes they have been wearing for years are so worn out and painful to even put on? What's it like to be hungry? More than that, what's it like to watch your children be hungry?

Samaritan's Purse is an organization started by Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham. It is an international charity that helps many people in many nations throughout the year. My favorite part of Samaritan's Purse, however, is their Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is simple, really. It doesn't cost much, and it doesn't take much work. All you have to do is fill a shoe box with gifts for a child in an underprivileged country. Coloring books and crayons. Dolls. Toothbrushes. Candies. Matchbox Cars. Books. Then drop it off during their annual collection week, and it will be sent to a child who needs it. Check out more details here: Operation Christmas Child.

Why is this "my cause", you might ask? Well, let me tell you! When I was 18, I went on a trip to Honduras to help build a medical clinic. When I was there, I was asked to come back and teach at a small school there. So I went home after my week-long trip, told my mom I was moving to Honduras, and just three months later I got on a plane by myself and moved to a third-world country where I knew no one other than the people I met during my one prior week there. It was just after Christmas, 2000. Shortly after arriving there, I assisted a church in an event to help the local children. They told me it was Operation Christmas Child and I'd be handing out presents to children who had never gotten a present in their lives. And from then on, I was hooked. Seeing a child in a tv commercial or in a picture is one thing. Seeing a poor, dirty, malnourished child in person receive their first doll, their first toothbrush, their first piece of chocolate is amazing. And heart-wrenching. And it is so much more so now that I am a mom myself. So I urge you, if you can, take the time and spend the money and help make a moment for a far away child that they will never forget. Check out the website, read the list of approved items, and look up a donation center. Drop-off week this year is Nov. 16-23. You may not get to see the face of that child opening their one and only Christmas present, but try to imagine it.

"Non"-chiladas

2009-11-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

When my mom first gave me this recipe, I thought, "Eh, I don't like enchiladas so much." But then I read the recipe, and although it was called enchiladas, they are so not traditional enchiladas. There is no enchilada sauce, which is what I really don't like. In fact, it's a strange combination of things you may not expect in Mexican food. So we've since had a lot of fun thinking up new names for this recipe. I decided to go with Non-chiladas, but we also tossed around Enchilitos (enchiladas + burritos) and more (if you've got a good one, let me know!). Don't let the ingredients gross you out...my family LOVES this recipe. In fact, my 5 year old ate three servings tonight!

Non-chiladas
8 soft taco size flour tortillas or 6 burrito size flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream (Daisy Light is by far the superior sour cream out there!)
1 c Pace medium picante salsa
2 tsp chili powder
1 lb ground beef, cooked
2 3/4 c shredded cojack or Mexican blend cheese
toppings

Mix together soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder.
Stir 1 1/2 c of the mixture in a separate bowl with the cooked ground beef and 3/4 c of the cheese. Divide the beef mixture among the tortillas.

Roll up the tortillas and place them seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish.

Spread the remaining sauce over the top making sure to cover all exposed tortillas so they don't harden in the oven. Cover the top with the rest of the shredded cheese.

Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

My Skin Experiment

2009-11-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

I always felt so thankful. I made it through high school, through adolescence, through puberty, being able to count the number of zits I ever had on one hand. People always told me how great my skin was. I didn't wear foundation or concealer; I had no use for it. I barely wore powder.

That all came to a crashing end when I had kids. In fact, that all ended with my first pregnancy, way back in 2003. Women always talk about how great their skin looked while they were pregnant, how they had a "glow". Well, true to my apparent form of having backward medical issues (can we say too LOW cholesterol?), my skin took a crazy turn for the worse when I got pregnant. In addition to acne issues, I also got that lovely "mask of pregnancy". It has never recovered. In fact, it's worse lately than it ever has been and I have no idea why.

So, I took to wearing foundation and concealer to hide it, and I've tried all the products...Proactiv and more. My last step before seeing a dermatologist is to go one week with no makeup on what-so-ever, and going back to the very basic skin care I used as a teenager.

I'm three days into it. The first day was a day I didn't have anywhere to go. The second day, yesterday, I did have places to go. So, I sucked it up, put on some mascara, and left the rest of my face bare. I think this was the first time in my adult life I left the house this way. I felt self-conscious and uncomfortable, but I quickly got over it. And the weirdest thing happened.

I think my least favorite thing about Seattle is the unfriendliness of people. No one says excuse me, no ones makes eye contact and smiles or says hello, no one even waves when you let their car in front of yours. It's very strange. Very very different than when we lived in Oklahoma, and even noticeably different from across the state in Spokane.

However, and maybe it was some random coincidence, but when I took the kids to the grocery store, bare face and all, not one but two people went out of their way to be friendly and chat. Maybe they both happened to be from out of town. Maybe they were both drunk. Who knows, but the only difference I came up with was the fact that I was wearing no makeup. I know, it makes no sense. Whatever.

Anyway, so far my skin for the most part looks and feels good. I still have the one main trouble area and it is not getting any better, though. In fact, it's painful. I'm hoping that in the next 4 days it will clear itself up, but if not, I'm for sure shaking things up and getting a referral to see the dermatologist. Anybody have any other suggestions??!

Spinach Ricotta Manicotti

2009-11-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

This is one of my absolute favorite dinners. A go-to recipe. An easy recipe. A recipe that I know my kids will eat, my husband will eat, and no one will complain. I found it on a box of noodles a long time ago while browsing at the store, and bought the noodles simply to try the recipe. It is SO good. It's actually intended to make in jumbo shells, which I did here, but I often use manicotti noodles, so in our house we call it Spinach Ricotta Manicotti.

16 jumbo shells or 12 manicotti noodles, prepared as directed on package

1 lb frozen chopped spinach (or you could use fresh)

1 Tbsp chopped onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 beaten egg

2/3 c Ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 recipe of tomato sauce (if not making homemade sauce, I think Prego is the next best thing!)

Thaw the spinach in a pan with a little water. When thawed, drain well, squeezing to remove the excess water. Cook onion in olive oil in a skilled until tender. Add spinach and heat through.

In a bowl, combine cheeses, egg, and nutemg. Stir in the spinach and onion mixture. Pour 1/3 of your sauce in a 9x13 baking dish. Stuff the cooked shells or manicotti with the filling and lay out in the sauce. Cover with the rest of the sauce, being sure to cover the exposed noodles so they don't get hard while baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Honey Soy Pork Tenderloin

2009-10-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is a pork tenderloin. I had never cooked one until today. In fact, I don't think I had ever seen one until I bought this at Trader Joe's a couple days ago. And really, it doesn't look very great.
But it was!!! And it was so easy. The husband and I practically tripped over each other trying to get seconds. So here's what I did.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Unwrap the pork tenderloin and place it in a roasting pan. When roasting, you always want to place the roast with the fattest side up, so all the juice and flavors from the fat layer permeate the rest of the meat. Salt and pepper the top of the tenderloin. Put it in the oven for 20 minutes.
While the tenderloin is cooking its first 20 minutes, whip up a little sauce. I used 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp honey, and 1/2 to 1 tsp Grey Poupon Country Dijon mustard.

After the first 20 minutes, brush the sauce on the tenderloin and return to the oven. It will take another 15-30 minutes to fully cook, depending on the weight of your meat. Keep brushing the sauce on periodically when you check the meat until the sauce is gone and/or the meat is fully cooked.

Remove from oven and slice!

I actually made this this afternoon since I had a prior engagement this evening (more on that later), and it was excellent when it came out of the oven and just as good reheated this evening.

Oh, and my pork really wasn't pink inside...it just looks it for some reason in this picture. It was, in fact, very moist and juicy and full of flavor.

**Just to pat myself on the back a little bit - those Trail Mix Muffins I made a few days ago won this week's Paula Deen Get Cookin' challenge! Wo-hoo! Go here to check out Paula Deen's site, her weekly contests, and of course my muffins :)

Welcome Back, Old Friend

2009-10-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

So I realize that most of this blog has to do with baking and cooking. However, I wanted to let you know that I am now committed to getting myself back in shape. While I don't feel like I need to "lose weight", I do feel like I need to get healthier. As you all know, I quit drinking or consuming all caffeine (except for the little bit contained in chocolate of course). Turns out, the caffeine had been masking a very large iron deficiency, by fooling me into thinking I had energy. Once all the caffeine was gone, it was very evident I had NO energy what-so-ever. After some blood tests and doctors visits, it was revealed that my iron level that should be between 50-100 was 7. And on top of that, I also am lacking in vitamin D and have too low cholesterol. I know, who has these problems? Well, me apparently.

So, after a couple weeks on iron supplements, vitamin D supplements, and fish oil (for the too-low cholesterol), my energy level feels as though it is (very slowly) returning.

My husband has been (not so) subtly telling me I should exercise. And after swallowing my pride (and my anger that Hmpf. How dare he tell me I need to work out!!? Is he calling me fat?!!), I realized that although my energy level is not what it should be yet, and I usually feel like napping instead of moving, exercise could possibly help that, and at the very least it can't hurt.

So, I went back to my old favorite. My tried and true kick-your-butt, get in shape power yoga dvds. And thank God for Baron Baptiste. If you haven't heard of him, or haven't done his workouts, you are totally missing out. I was in the best shape of my life when I did 30-45 minutes of his yoga a day. And so I say, welcome back, old friend!

Honduran Tres Leches Cake

2009-10-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this cake is actually Honduran, but the first time I tasted it I lived in Honduras, so it will always be connected in my mind. I had no idea what to expect when I first tried this cake, and was so surprised. It's so different from any other cake I've had, and SO good. Tres leches in Spanish means "three milks", and this cake is definitely full of three milks.

Tres Leches Cake
1 yellow cake mix cake, prepared as directed on box (I used a Betty Crocker yellow cake mix)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 c whole milk
1 pint heavy cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
Maraschino cherries

Prepare the cake mix as directed (usually with water, oil, and eggs), and bake in a 9x13 pan. Remove from oven, and immediately prick holes in the cake using a toothpick or wooden skewer about every half inch.
Combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk in a pitcher, large measuring cup, or anything that is easy to pour out of. Stir it well. Pour the three milks over the cake very slowly, a little at a time, evenly distributing it over the cake. If poured slow enough, the cake will absorb all of the milk.
Cool the cake at room temperature 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Whip the cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks and frost the cake. Decorate with maraschino cherries. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

So good!

I have only made this cake once before, and this was the first time my kids got to have any. they gobbled it up and asked for seconds...they loved it!

Trail Mix Muffins

2009-10-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

I changed up my favorite blueberry muffin recipe tonight and made some "Trail Mix Muffins." Except they're not really trail mix-ey. I always think of trail mix as having peanuts and fake m&ms, and I really really don't like trail mix. But, I couldn't come up with a better name, so Trail Mix Muffins it is. I bought some walnut pieces and dried cranberry and pomegrantes the other day, and I thought they would make excellent muffins together. And they do!!
Trail Mix Muffins

1/2 c butter or margarine
1 1/4 c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c buttermilk *
nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, or whatever else you like in Trail Mix
2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tin with Pam or other nonstick baking spray (or use paper liners). In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, and salt. Stir in eggs one at a time. In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir just until mixed. Fold in nuts/fruits/other items. Fill muffin cups almost to the tops, and sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar on top. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.

* I don't ever have buttermilk and never remember to buy it, so I make my own. To make one cup buttermilk, pour 1 Tbsp white vinegar into a 1 cup measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with regular milk (whole milk preferably).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Buckeyes

2009-10-12T20:09:00.001-07:00

As any Ohioan knows, buckeyes are poisonous. But, these ones aren't and they taste incredible! They're a fancy little peanut butter cup that's easy and fun to make, pretty to look at, and yummy!

Peanut Butter Buckeyes
21 oz creamy peanut butter
18 oz powdered sugar
1/3 c melted butter
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 Tbsp shortening
Mix together peanut butter and melted butter, then mix in the powdered sugar. Refrigerate until firm. Roll refrigerated peanut butter into balls 1/2 - 1 inch in diameter. Return to refrigerator until set up and firm. The colder they are, the easier they are to work with (approx. 2-3 hours at least). Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler over medium heat, whisking until smooth. Insert a toothpick into balls and dip into chocolate, covering the balls so they look like a buckeye. Put the chocolate covered peanut butter balls on waxed paper and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened and set.

These candies look super cute in a little candy dish or crystal bowl,

or wrapped up to give as gifts!

Strawberry Banana Mini Tarts with Fresh Whipped Cream

2009-10-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

You may remember the raspberry mini tarts I made a while ago. I changed it up and did strawberry-banana this time, and they were awesome! I used 40 of the mini phyllo cups (sold in the freezer section). Thaw them (it only takes 10-15 minutes or so), put a small layer of cream cheese on the bottom, and then a small piece of banana and a small piece of strawberry.

Next you will top with the glace, which will keep the banana from turning brown by keeping it from the air.

To make homemade whipped cream, I used a stand mixer, but you can use a handheld mixer or even a whisk. Beat on medium the heavy whipping cream (either pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized works fine). When soft peaks start to form, add in 2 Tbsp powdered sugar for every cup of cream you are whipping. Continue beating on medium speed until heavy peaks form. It looks like this.

I then used a mini-size ice cream scooper to place a scoop of the whipped cream on top of the glace and garnished with another slice of strawberry.

Here's the glace recipe:

Mashed strawberries to make 1 cup

1/2 banana mashed

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 cup water

Mix the corn starch and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly mix in the mashed fruit and water. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

If you have extra whipped cream and don't want to waste it, you can freeze it! Put spoonfuls on waxed paper and place them in the freezer for about an hour until they are frozen. Remove them from the waxed paper and put them into a Ziploc bag. They are good for about 2 weeks, and are great to put on ice cream, in hot chocolate, or on whatever else you want some whipped cream.

Fall Favorites - Zucchini Bread

2009-10-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

Oh fall baking, how I love you! Today I made one of my favorites from when I was a kid, zucchini bread. I changed up the recipe a little, and the only thing that would have made it even better is if I had had some walnuts to add to the bread, but it was still awesome.

Zucchini Bread

2 c sugar

1 c olive oil

3 eggs

3 c flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 c shredded zucchini

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 c chopped walnuts (if desired)

Mix all ingredients in the order listed. Bake in two floured and greased loaf pans at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Quick breads make great gifts, too!

Zucchini and other squashes are freezable. I have bags of measured shredded zucchini and squash in Ziploc bags in my freezer right now. It makes for a quick way to enjoy a favorite bread or other treat when zucchini is not in season.

Honey Parmesan Chicken Poppers

2009-10-06T18:46:00.001-07:00

I changed up a recipe that I love tonight, just to try something new, and loved it even more! I made honey parmesan chicken poppers, and they were excellent, and a great kid-friendly dinner.

Honey Parmesan Chicken Poppers
1 lb chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 - 1 tsp minced garlic

First heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the bread crumbs in the oil until lightly browned. Remove to a medium bowl and mix with the parmesan cheese. Add the second Tbsp oil to the skillet, heat, and add the chicken, honey, and garlic. Cook 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Mix the chicken into the bowl with the bread crumbs and parmesan.

Perfect as a healthy chicken nugget to serve your kids!

(The original recipe calls for dijon mustard instead of the honey, which is amazing, but my kids won't eat it that way. Try out both and let me know what you think!)

Super Easy Goat Cheese Honey Bruschetta

2009-10-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

It may not sound like it all goes together, but I assure you it tastes awesome. And it is SO EASY!

Goat Cheese Honey Bruschetta
Bruschetta or French bread (I used untoasted French bread)
Chavrie basil and garlic goat cheese
Roma tomatoes, sliced and diced
Fresh basil
Honey

Spread the goat cheese on the bruschetta (or bread). Top with sliced and diced tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and drizzle with honey. Serve chilled. SO good!!

Halloween...Hooray!

2009-10-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's only October 2nd. And Halloween isn't until October 31st. But in our house, Halloween is a whole month. I absolutely love it. I love this whole season, as a matter of fact. My oldest girl's birthday is in mid-September, and from planning her party through the end of the year, I so enjoy the baking and the colors and the smells and the sounds and the seasons and the holidays. So today, I started cookie season in our house with some Halloween cut-outs. The recipe I use has been passed down from my grandma to my mom to me. And it's the best. So sshhh. I'll share it with you.

Cut-Out Cookies
3/4 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Cream shortening and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, blend together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into sugar mixture.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Roll out 1/4 of the dough at a time, cut, and place on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until set but not brown (6-8 minutes) at 375 degrees.

I figured I'd start with witches hats, pumpkins, and houses. I just bought some new Halloween cookie cutters (skull, gravestone, and cat) and can't wait to use them, so I'll be making some more cookies soon.
Let the cookies cool completely, and then frost and decorate.

I usually use a basic confectioner's sugar icing on these, but this time I used chocolate frosting for the hats and orange fondant for the pumpkins (haven't done the houses yet).

So, happy Halloween-Season, and welcome to Fall Baking!!!

Fifty Dollar Food Week - Dinner #3

2009-10-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the husband's birthday, so I dug through the freezer to see what I could come up with. I pulled out some short ribs yesterday to let them thaw and began developing a recipe to use with what I had on hand. I decided to call it Beef Short Ribs di Chianti, and it turned out to be really good!
So here are the ribs. I actually used two packages this size, as there isn't a whole lot of meat once you cut off the fat and bone.
First thing to do was sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper and sear them on all sides quickly in about 2 Tbsp oil over med-high heat. Take them out of the pot and put them in a bowl. Then they look like this.

Cut up some onion and carrot.

Mix the onion and carrot into the oil and drippings in the pot where you seared the ribs. Cook and stir frequently for about 8 minutes, until the veggies start to get soft. Add garlic, flour (2 Tbsp), basil, and thyme, and stir for one minute. Stir in 2 cups of Chianti red wine and two cups of beef broth; stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a can of diced tomatoes with the juice and a bay leaf.

Pour the sauce over the ribs in a 9x13 pan (all my sauce didn't fit in the pan - just make sure the ribs are covered). Cover the pan with foil tightly and put it in an oven at 325 degrees for about 2 hours. Turn heat up to 350 and cook for another 15 minutes or so.

I also made some more of the same soft boiled potatoes with butter, salt, garlic powder, basil, and thme, and these noodles courtesy of Pasta Roni, which are a huge hit in our house every time I make them.

It was all VERY good...I highly recommend this rib recipe!

The Three Little Bears

2009-09-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

We ran out of bread. I only had one package of yeast left. One package of yeast is enough to make one loaf of bread, but I felt like trying something different. Instead of bread braids, like I usually do when I want something different, I thought I'd try bread bears. Not so useful to make, say, a sandwich, but oh so cute! You could do this with any kind of bread dough, even store bought frozen dough if you're not keen to make it yourself but still want some cute little edible bears. You could do cinnamon-raisin bread with raisin eyes (my oldest doesn't like cinnamon and I don't like raisins, so it wouldn't go over so well here). You could do chocolate chips. Oh I have so many ideas! In fact, you could do any other animal you want. How fun!
Anyway, I just used Betty Crocker's basic crusty white bread recipe again, except I made half the recipe since I had just one package of yeast. This made three bears.

And as I said before, one of my favorite things is punching down the dough. And no, my sweater sleeve is not touching the dough, although it does look like it in the picture. And no, that's not a mole on my finger...it's food coloring from an earlier baking project today that I'm hoping to share with you tomorrow.
After punching down the dough, you can shape your bears. Or pigs. Or elephants. Or whatever your little heart desires. Ooh, you could even make hearts!

The bears then have to sit in a warm spot and double in size...about 30 minutes.

I then baked them at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, took them out, drew eyes with a food marker, and voila! Three little bears!

So cute! Be careful when shaping the bears though...all the cracks that show in the dough show ten-fold after it's baked.

Add a honey bear, and you have a cute breakfast for your cubs.

Oh, and by the way, we ate Dinner #3 of our Fifty Dollar Food Week tonight, but it was just leftovers, so no new pictures. I'll have some tomorrow, though; tomorrow is hubby's birthday, so I'm making a good one!

Fifty Dollar Food Week - Dinner #2

2009-09-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

So, on the menu tonight was Rock Cornish Game Hens, herb garlic potatoes, and farmer's market fresh corn on the cob. If you've never made game hens, they're really very good! You can stuff them like you would a turkey, but I usually don't. I only buy them when they are on sale, though, since they go on sale so often, so I had a few left in my freezer. Two hens feed my family of four.

The first thing I did this afternoon was pull out my basil. I like to buy fresh basil at the farmer's market, or at the grocery store if it's off-season. It's really very inexpensive. The best way to store fresh basil for any length of time is simply in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. When you need some, all you have to do is pull it out, break off a few leaves, and then chop them up.
Next, I took my thawed game hens, ran them under cold water to rinse the leftover juice and whatever else off the outside and the inside, and then patted them dry with a paper towel.

Kind of looks like a little headless chicken baby, doesn't it!?

I mixed my chopped basil with some olive oil and lemon pepper and brushed it on the hens.

Ooh, look!! Twins ;)

I shucked some corn on the cob, peeled some potatoes, and left those to wait until about 20 minutes before the hens were done.

To cook the hens:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put the hens on a rack in a baking or roasting pan and place in the oven breast side up.

Two hens usually take around 1 hr 15 mins. When you have 15 minutes left on the timer, crank the heat up to 400 and the skin will brown and crisp nicely.

I soft boiled the potatoes tonight, melted a little butter over the tops, and then seasoned them with some sea salt, thyme, garlic powder, and basil. They were VERY good! Nothing beats a good Idaho potato.

As I said before, I happen to have a lot of meat in the freezer right now. There's no way I could be making these dishes on $50 a week if I had to purchase all the meat too. I do try to stock up when freeze-able things are on sale, like the game hens, chicken, and sometimes even salmon or other fish. As soon as the meat from our cow runs out, I will be back to buying beef at the grocery store for a little while, and that will drain my budget quickly.

"Martian"-mallows

2009-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I took a little trip to the Sweet Factory. Mmmm. I picked up some goodies to make some alien popcorn balls ("Martian"-mallows). This morning, we made them. So cute!
I'll share the popcorn ball recipe at the end, with the changes I made so it is not SO sticky. The faster it dries and sets, the easier it is to decorate.

Let's take a closer look. Marshmallow eyes (with pupils drawn on with a food marker), green apple licorice antennae, and gummy grapefruit slices for feet!

The kids, however, couldn't wait for decorating, so they ate all their pieces separately :)

Popcorn balls:

3/4 c light corn syrup

1/4 c margarine

2 tsp cold water (if you are using the typical food coloring liquid, replace water with food coloring. If using gel, still use water also)

2 5/8 c powdered sugar

1/2 c marshmallows

Heat all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted and blended, stir in approx. 2 bags of plain, popped popcorn.

Decorate! You can use extra sticky goo scraped off the pan to glue on decorations.

Fifty Dollar Food Week - Dinner #1

2009-09-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was supposed to be the first Eating Through the Pantry day. And it was. But I have nothing to say about it. We literally ate mac and cheese and whatever else we could grab all day. Today, however, I did my weekly shopping and cooked and it's all working really well so far.

First, the shopping. The girls and I went to Fred Meyer with list in hand, and I came in under budget! I spent $47.90 on food for the week. Wo-hoo!

Today, I had an actual dinner planned. Stir-fry is always easy, and I can almost always find stuff to put in it. Yesterday, I took out about 2 pounds of the little beef we have left from the cow we bought this year and put it in a marinade in a Ziploc bag. I usually use homemade marinades, but this time I had a bottle of Soyaki marinade from Trader Joe's sitting in the pantry that I wanted to try, so I used that. Tonight, I pulled out what I wanted to put in the stir-fry: mini green peppers, sweet peppers, onion, and carrots.
Slice it all up and put it in a bowl, and then pour some of the marinade on it to allow there to be enough sauce when it cooks.

Drain your meat. Don't rinse it, but you don't want to cook it in the marinade it has been sitting in overnight (that's why you put more on the veggies).

Put the meat in a bowl with the veggies.

Get water boiling for rice, or whatever you will serve the stir-fry with. This time I used orzo since I didn't have enough rice left for all of us, and I didn't realize it until after I got home from the store. (Click here to find out more about orzo...I love it.)

Heat some olive oil in your skillet, and once it's hot, pour in the veggies and meat. Cook just until the meat is seared and the veggies start to release their juices (about 6 minutes, give or take depending on how much you are cooking and how big your skillet is).

Serve over rice, orzo, classic noodles, etc. YUM.

After I ate dinner tonight, I realized the Soyaki marinade is very very similar to a pepper steak marinade I make, so if you don't live by a Trader Joe's and want the recipe, let me know!

And just a sneak peak...we're making some fun treats tomorrow that involve these:

I'll be sure to show you when they're done!

Eating Through the Pantry, Day 2

2009-09-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

We didn't exactly eat from our pantry today, since it was college football Saturday (which involved pizza for the hubby and his friends), and I took the girls to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in 3D (which involved movie theatre food for us). But, I did make some preparations for the coming week's small food budget and plans to eat from home. So, I'll plan on Sunday-Saturday, $50 food budget. I have some peppers, onions, and corn on the cob in the fridge still, and tonight I baked bread. There's nothing funnier to me than rising bread dough. For some reason it makes me laugh, and the recipe direction to "punch down" the dough always makes me giggle too.
But, there's nothing better than the smell of baking bread and the taste of homemade bread. I didn't do anything fancy or season the bread, since this is going to have to be it bread-wise this week, for sandwiches, etc. I figured a good, classic, crusty white bread would be best. I use a basic recipe for the good ol' Betty Crocker Cookbook and then change it up with whatever I add to the bread. I may make a seasoned bread braid later in the week to go with dinner one night, since I only have one package of yeast left (and it expires next month). Bread is so amazingly simple, yet it takes so long to make because of the rising, and forming loaves, and rising again, and then the baking time.

I've got a few meals planned for the week, and with a trip to a good grocery store or a farmer's market I'll have vegetables and fruit for around $25. That leaves me $25 for milk, eggs, some snacks, and a few other odds and ends for the meals planned for the week. I'll update how I do, hopefully nightly, with what we ate that day and how much I've spent at the store.

Eating Through the Pantry, Day 1

2009-09-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

It's near the end of the month. As any other military families know, we get paid on the 1st and the 15th. Therefore, that paycheck on the 15th sometimes has to stretch close to three weeks before we get paid again. However, a good portion of my monthly food/entertainment/other budget is made up of the check that comes every month from the people renting our house in Spokane. It's due the 1st of the month also. So, these last few days of the month are sometimes tight on money, especially since this month consisted of my oldest daughter's birthday and party, too.

So I decided it's a good time to "eat through the pantry." Use up all the leftover things in the pantry, and the freezer, and the refrigerator. We buy beef from a natural farm near us once a year, but as the kids get bigger, the beef is not lasting as long. In fact, we're almost out. But, it's fun seeing what I can scrounge up and create for meals. Today was fairly easy. We had cereal for breakfast, scrambled eggs and avocado for lunch for me, peanut butter and jelly for the girls, and hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes and corn for dinner. However, I used up the last of the bread and potatoes today. I do make homemade bread quite often, so I think that will have to be a task to tackle tomorrow. I really love creating new bread flavors, so I'll post some pictures and recipes when I get it done (I don't use a bread machine, so it's rather time consuming).

As I look, though, we really have a lot of stuff. I'm going to budget just $50 for food this coming week, and spend that on just fresh produce and milk, and a few extras to make meals out of what we have stored up. I'll let you know how it goes.

Look around...I bet you have more in your pantry and freezer than you thought you did. Comment if you come up with any good new recipes out of leftover odds and ends!

Homemade Raspberry Compote

2009-09-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

I had some raspberries laying around and thought they would be excellent on pancakes, so I decided to try out a homemade raspberry "compote". It was so easy, and SO good! I'll share the recipe so you can try it too...it works with any berries. I've done both raspberry and strawberry.
Mash enough berries to make 3/4 - 1 cup.
Mix together in saucepan: 3/4 c sugar and 2 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
Slowly stir in 1/3 - 1/2 c water and mashed berries
Heat on stove over medium, stirring constantly, untilthe mixture boils and thickens. Continue boiling for one minute and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Addiction.

2009-09-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Addiction. That's such a strong word. A word dripping with emotion, with grief, with pain. Who do you see first? The strung-out junkie surrounded by tournaquets and dirty needles slumped over on a concrete floor? Or the fat, old, bald, redneck man sitting in his worn-out easy chair, yelling, his kids and wife cowering in fear. Or maybe it's the middle-aged housewife relaxing in a hospital bed who had gotten and little too depressed and a little too bored and took to popping pills. I'm no stranger to addiction - well, personally I guess I am; I smoked cigarettes for 5 years and quit the day I got tired of it, never looking back. I was lucky, I guess. I've seen friends and family fight addictions of all kinds, and none of it was pretty.
I'm telling you about this so I can admit to my one true addition (and no, it's not my computer as my husband likes to say). You witnessed me giving up soda a few days ago, and I did that full well knowing I am addicted to caffeine. But I kept my safety net, my coffee I could have every morning and whenever else the urge crept in. However, I decided in order to keep it real, I had to be honest with myself too. Giving up soda was fine, but it wasn't accomplishing my goal...making myself healthier. And being dependent on anything isn't healthy. So I decided that once I ran out off coffee, I would be done with that, too.
Today was that day. Now let me tell you, I've had caffeine headaches before, when I went too long after waking up to make my coffee or I didn't drink my soda before nighttime, and they are excruciating. So I knew what I was in for today. I had hoped, however, that it wouldn't be so bad since I had done it step by step...soda one day, coffee a few days later. I couldn't have been more wrong.
I woke up slightly before 6:00am with my kids (God's little joke on me...two kids that are morning people and a mom who is not...haha). It hit me about 15 minutes later as I looked at my Senseo that today was the day. I thought quickly about loading the kids int he car and going in search of caffeine, but I decided to stick with it. Ugh. Ok, I thought, I could do this. No big deal. I'd just keep us busy and I wouldn't even think about it. By 10:00am I was laying on the couch wondering when the headache was going to let up. By 11:00am I had moved with a bag of frozen shredded zucchini on my head to the cool floor of my dark and quiet bathroom upstairs. By 11:30 the puking began and by 1:30pm I had thrown up everything I had put in my stomach in the last day and then some. Did I mention my husband was out of town and totally unreachable today? So, I crawled (literally) down the stairs to lay on the couch at least in the vicinity of my children, who had managed to find some Ritz crackers and bologna to feed themselves. I lay there alternating between shivering and shaking with cold under a blanket (it's 90 degrees today and we don't have A/C) and kicking the blankets off sweating. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I was really sick, that it wasn't caffeine withdrawal alone that was doing this. But it was. And I have so much respect for people who are brave enough to face withdrawal from real drugs. I can only imagine how much worse it must be.
Finally, I woke up and thought, I can see again! I stood up, and although my head pounded, it was bearable. Oh thank God. The worst was over. It was 3:00pm, and I was finally able to keep down some water and some animal crackers.
And now, we are sitting at McDonalds, my thank you to my girls for being so patient and understanding today. And I'm able to eat (and drink lemonade, not Diet Coke or one of those heavenly Vanilla Iced Coffees). I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.
I tell you allt his mainly to keep myself accountable, to continue to refrain from using caffeine, my "drug" of choice. But also to keep my promise from the beginning of this blog, to choose to be healthier. What can you do to make yourself and your life healthier today?

Bless you, Ingvar Kamprad*

2009-09-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today my daughters and I took our first journey 25 minutes south to the (extremely large and intimidating) IKEA store. Why, you might ask? Well, aside from being promised excellent Swedish food (and it was excellent. So excellent, in fact, that we had not just one meal there, but both breakfast and lunch), my daughters have a slight problem going on in their bedroom. And by slight I mean extremely, extremely large. Most problems could be solved with a garbage bag. Papers and crayons all over? Throw them away. Broken toys all over? Throw them away. But this? This cannot be thrown away. My first love (and I mean way back, before my parents allowed me to drink caffeinated, sugar-free, diet soda drinks) was books. I love love love books. Or, more correct, I love reading. Anything. Books, magazines, the back of a cereal box, anything. And somehow, my daughters love these things too. They are genius I tell you. Ages 5 and 2 and reading!! Not really, but they do LOVE books. Their love of books, however, has outgrown their bookshelf and the space that they have in their bedroom in the townhouse that we are currently renting for the next 10 months or so. Take a look:
I can't believe I'm even admitting to anything in my house looking like that, but it does. And even when I put all the books nice and neatly on the shelves, there is not nearly enough room. It still leaves piles on the floor, and the girls are unable (or unwilling) to put the books back into the higher up shelves correctly.

So anyway, my trip to IKEA to find a solution. It failed. I found lots of shelves that were too tall, or shelves that weren't tall enough, or shelves that wouldn't hold enough, or shelves that cost more than I budgeted for my impromptu trip today. So, the solution to my book battle will have to wait. At least another week or so until the rent check from the folks renting our house out in Spokane comes in :)

To satisfy my urge to organize that was rearing its ugly head this morning, I decided a few little improvements would have to suffice. IKEA has a lot of great little things, so I managed to pick up a lazy Susan to dress up our dining room table (flowers or some sort of new centerpiece to come soon and then I'll post a pic), and among other things this cute little wine rack to straighten up the bottles:
I can feel another IKEA trip coming on soon, though, since I can't bare to walk into the girls' room and look at the book mess.

*the founder of IKEA

Mini Pies and a New Twist on an Old Favorite

2009-09-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I bought a 1/2 flat of raspberries at a local farmer's market, and when I got home I realized that the ones on the bottom didn't look quite as good as the ones on the top, and I needed to use them quickly! So, I took my recipe for a strawberry glace pie and made it with raspberries instead. It was SO good!

So today we're going to a friend's house for dinner, and I thought I'd make a raspberry pie again, but this time mini pies. It was super easy to make, and they turned out really cute! I always make homemade pie dough too, but the frozen phyllo cups

looked so perfect for this I couldn't pass them up.
The "glace" for the pie is just smooshed raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water heated in a saucepan until it boils and thickens. That then has to cool while you put the pies together. A phyllo cup, a little cream cheese on the bottom, a raspberry, and then the cooled "glace" and whipped cream on top! So simple and cute!

My next project today comes from my friend Mandy over at Gourmet Mom On-The-Go. I am not a fan of sushi and neither are my kids, but we are fans of peanut butter and jelly, and these were too cute to pass up! Cut the crusts off bread, and then roll the slices out flat with a rolling pin...the flatter they are the better they seem to work. Spread peanut butter and jelly on about 3/4 of the bread then roll it up. As you roll, the pb&j squishes out on the part of the bread that was left empty. Then, cut the rolls (I got four sushi rolls to a slice of bread).

And, voila! PB&J Sushi! Thanks Mandy!

Dear John Letter

2009-09-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Dear John (AKA Diet Mt. Dew),
We have had a beautiful relationship. I loved you with all of my heart. In fact, I still do. Or at least as much of my heart as is reserved for caffeinated, sugar-free diet soda drinks. However, the relationship has run its course and it is time for us to part. I’m not saying we will never see each other again, but it can’t be on a regular basis. You can’t live in my house anymore.

You have helped me in so many ways. You’ve given me a burst of energy when the day drags on. You’ve quenched my thirst like no other. You’ve made me smile. But it hasn’t been all good times. You’ve damaged my teeth with your biting acidity. You’ve worsened my already bad reflux disease. You’ve caused my energy to crash when you’re not around when I need you. Not to mention the amount of money I’ve thrown away on you; you’ve never been a cheap date!

And so, today, I bid you adieu and I wish you well. Be kind to the next woman you’re with. Perhaps I will see you at Quiznos, and perhaps we will be destined for a one-night stand in the future.
Goodbye,
Linda

And with that, I say goodbye to my constant companion, Diet Mt. Dew. I spent my last $1.49 on a 20 ounce today, and nursed it slowly to savor the taste one last time. I can't say I will give up caffeine, because I have no intention of quitting my two cups of Senseo coffee every morning upon waking, but I am shaking it up tonight, making my first choice to create goodness for myself by making myself healthier. No more soda! Oh, it pains me to say that, but it really is for the best. I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm also going to buy a scale soon. I don't care so much about the number as I do about how I feel, how my clothes fit, and if I'm healthy, but I'm curious. I'm also curious as to how my lack of diet soda (I was drinking probably equal to 2-6 cans a day) will affect my weight.

This blog is about many things, and making myself healthier (and hopefully inspiring someone else to do the same) is just one of them...will you join me on my quest to be healthy, happy, and have fun?

The Beginning

2009-09-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

So here it is, finally up and running, Creating Goodness. I have so many thoughts and plans and goals for this website, but mostly I hope it helps people, in one way or another. I plan to tell you all about two of my favorite things (and one of my not-so-favorite things)...baking, making, and shaking.

Baking speaks for itself, but will also encompass cooking, grilling, and anything else done with food in the kitchen. I absolutely love creating new things to eat, from decorated desserts to three course meals.

Making deals with anything not covered in the other two categories, such as making things cleaner, making things organized, making things cheaper, making things happier, and then of course actually making things (crafts, etc).

Shaking (my least favorite of the three) involves exercise and healthy choices and shaking things up to make life better. I don't diet, nor could I if I ever tried (no willpower maybe, but more likely just a love of food), so exercise is REALLY important for me, and I haven't been doing it as often as I should. So you'll hear about all the ways I plan on shaking things up.

Hope you'll join me here, comment a lot, suggest anything, spread the word, and enjoy! I've got lots of fun stuff in store, some related to the Seattle area and some just good for everyone!