Cooking Again!

Well.... if you read my last post, then it said I was going to take J out to dinner tonight. But I decided to cook. Now here's a crazy story!! I get that way sometimes!!
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I have been following a website called the World's Healthiest Foods. The food of the week is Kale. I have never had kale, so I thought I would try it. So then I googled Kale recipes. I found this recipe called Peasant-Style Potato and Kale Soup. It sounded easy and good, so I printed it off. After work today, I stopped by the store and picked up the ingredients. Everything was pretty standard except for the chorizo and kale. I found chorizo. I have never cooked chorizo so I really didn't know what I was buying. It was the only package I could find, so I bought it. Then I went to the produce department and started searching for kale. No where to be found!! The recipe mentioned you could use collard greens, so that's what I bought.
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I will probably never make this recipe again because prep time was too long. Peeling, cutting, chopping!!! The recipe said to cut the chorizo in half lengthwise and slice. When I cut the chorizo lengthwise, it started gushing out of the package. There was no slicing it!! I also cut the collard greens to big. It was too hard to eat with a spoon. Overall it was good and tasty, just not the best soup I have ever eaten!! But it had healthy collard greens in it!!!! That should count for something!!

Menu Planning Monday

Menu Planning Monday??

Well..... today is Monday.....I should attempt to plan something.
But, I think this will be the week I will just go with the flow.
P took me out to dinner tonight.
Tomorrow, I will probably take J out to dinner.
Wednesday night, I will eat at church.
Thursday, I have dinner-out plans again.
Friday, I am headed to my Scrapbooking Retreat!!!

So..........it doesn't look like much cookin' going on in the Palmer household this week.
You know....some weeks are like that. And it is OK!! I have enough in my life to stress me out; I don't need to stress out about cooking.

So... folks.... see ya next week for hopefully a Home-cooked meal!!

Friday's Favorite Five

Well, its time for FF5! It is a really good exercise to partake in because by Friday afternoon, I have a bit of a negative attitude! So making myself sit down and find 5 good things help set my heart and mind straight!!

* Fridays are always my fav because I meet my peeps at Starbucks. A Grande Caramel Macchiato always starts the day out right!!

*An awesome parent conference with the mom of an amazing young lady who is working hard and it it paying off.

*Yummy leftover Chili Mac for lunch. I definitely will be making that recipe again!!

*An absolutely beautiful day to spend outside at recess. It could only be better if we could have an hour for recess!!

*Meeting my BFF in Ft. Worth for dinner tonight! I wonder where we will go???

Already in a better mood. :)

Week 4 - Recipe

Week 4
Chili Pasta with Beans (Chili Mac)

This weeks recipe is SUPER easy!! It is a one-skillet meal. It is much more flavorful than one of those box meals.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. (I used olive oil, because that's what I have and that's what I like!! I also added a clove of garlic minced, because I like garlic!!)
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Add 3/4 cup of chopped onion (I used one small onion and chopped it with my Pampered Chep chopper)
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Add 3/4 pound of ground sirloin. (I used a whole pound. Jordan and I like our meat)
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Cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble.
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Stir in 4 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Cook 1 minute
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Stir in 2 cups of water and 6 ounces of uncooked wagon wheel-shaped pasta.
1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained (I couldn't find this in the grocery store, so I used a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and then a seperate small can of green chilis)
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
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Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done.




















Then I decided to try Bok Choy with the Chili Mac. I have been reading a website about Heathly Foods. The food of the week this week is Bok choy. I stirfried/ steamed it in a skillet.

I heated some olive oil, soy sauce and a clove of garlic in the pan. Add the chopped up Bok Choy and then added a cup of water. I just let it cook until the bok choy was tender. Yummy!!

I had planned on making corn bread muffins, but we had some french bread left over and I served that.

It was a quick and easy meal.

And Jordan called it a KEEPER!!!!

Next Week - Shrimp and Broccoli Fried Rice with Toasted Almonds!!! Wow that sounds fancy!!!! I hope I can make it!!!!

Menu Planning Monday

Last year I tried Menu Planning Monday. I really liked it and it saved us money from eating out. I would come home from work and knew what I was cooking for dinner that night. But then I discovered Facebook and stopped blogging all together. The new year has opened up my blogging juices. My menu planning will look a bit different this year because my scheduled is completely different this year.On Sunday evening, I like to look at the week ahead and know what to expect. This year; who knows what to expect?!?!? So my menu planning has been simplified. I pick about 3 meals I would like to make for the week. I make them whenever it is convenient!



Week of January 18, 2010

• Chili Mac, steamed Bok choy, corn bread muffins (Chili Mac will be my blogged recipe from my new cookbook. Stay tuned for that recipe!! I have also been checking out a new website called The World's Healthiest Foods. http://www.whfoods.org/ Bok choy is this week's FOOD OF THE WEEK. I am trying to incorporate new and healthy foods into my diet each week. Last week was Winter Squash.)
• Homemade pepperoni pizza, tossed salad
• Grilled chicken breast, corn, tossed salad

Friday's Favorite Five

Starbucks - Nonfat-Sugar-free Vanilla Latte

Three day weekend - Woo Hoo!!

Hanging out with my best friend

Mexican Food for dinner - Fajitas!!

Dr. Pepper - I haven't had one in two weeks!!

Week 3 Recipe

This week I made

Double-Mushroom Pizza.

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Shopping for this recipe was quite the experience. I found the pizza crust fairly easy. The button mushrooms and portobello mushrooms were effortless, except I have never bought portobello mushrooms before. I had seen them before, but this was a first to buy them. I bought fresh thyme and fresh garlic. After the Pampered Chef party, I was motivated to use fresh garlic and use my PC garlic press! ;) Then my search took me to the tomatoes. The recipe called for plum tomatoes. But I found no plum tomatoes. I settled on Roma tomatoes. When I got home, my BFF Google help explain that Roma tomatoes is a variety of plum tomatoes. So I did good! Next I explored the store for Asiago cheese. I examined every cheese section of Albertson's. First of all, I really had no idea what I was looking for! So I came to the conclusion that I was going to have to ask for help. The nice lady in the deli department at least knew what I was looking for. She knew they carried it. But she wasn't for sure where it was housed. After a few minutes of searching, she found exactly was I was needing!! YAY!!!

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

*Place 1 (10 oz) thin pizza crust (such as Boboli) on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove crust from oven (do not turn oven off); set crust aside.

*Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray; add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add 1 (8 oz) package of pre-sliced button mushrooms and 1 (6 0z) package of pre-sliced portobello mushrooms, chopped (Used that trusty Pampered Chef chopper) to pan. Saute 8 minutes or until moisture evaporates. (It took about 15 minutes for the moisture to evaporate, and that was because I was rushing it!!)

*Stir in 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme. Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl.

* Add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to pan and reduce heat to medium. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced to pan. Cook for 45 seconds.

*Combine 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.

*Add 3 tablespoons of Asiago cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to pan. Stir until cheese melts.

*Spread sauce over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Top evenly with mushroom mixture, 1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced (Pampered Chef Slicer!!), and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

*Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

*Cut pizza into 8 wedges. Serving size is 2 wedges.

Next Week - Chili Pasta with Beans (otherwise known as Chili Mac!)

Papaya

Jordan and I are becoming more adventurous lately. So yesterday while we were shopping at Sam’s, we decided we wanted to try a papaya. The papaya is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya. It is native to the tropics of the Americas, and was cultivated in Mexico. It is often called a "paw paw" or a "big melon". Well, that was all and good, but we had no idea how to choose a ripe one!! So we asked my Dad, who happens to know everything! He said, “Yellow the better!” So we selected a yellow papaya!! The lady at the checkout counter confirmed our selection. She said, “This is a good one.”

Now the daunting task of cutting the papaya!! How do I do that?

Google to the rescue!!
· Place the papaya on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the papaya in half lengthwise. If your papaya is ripe, this should be easy to do.
· Open up the papaya and separate it into two sections.

· Using a large spoon, scrape out the seeds. The easiest way to do this is to hold the papaya over the garbage can (or a bowl, if you plan to use the seeds), and scrape downward. Try not to cut too deeply with your spoon, or you may lose quite a bit of the fruit. Note: papaya seeds have a peppery flavor to them, and can be used for salad dressings and other purposes, if desired (I chose not to use the seeds. I am NOT that adventurous yet!!)
· Peel the Papaya. Cut into chunks.
· Squeeze a little lime juice over the papaya (about 1 Tbsp) - this brings out the tropical flavor of the fruit. Or combine your fresh papaya with other fruit in a fresh fruit salad.

I tried it w/o the lime juice. Wasn't impressed. Tried it with the lime juice. YUM!!! YUM!!!

Friday Favorite Five

1. Starbucks with my friends. I think it was two years ago, Diana Cantu invited me to Starbucks on Friday morning before school. I thought she was CRAZY!!! How in the world was I going to get up early enough (especially on a FRIDAY) to meet her at Starbucks before school????? Needless to say, the tradition has stuck! Diana moved away about a year and a half ago, and the gang with a few newbies meets every Friday morning for coffee before school starts. Obviously, it is one of my FAVES!!! I look forward to Fridays now because I get to enjoy a cup of java with my friends. It makes Fridays more bearable.

2. Pampered Chef party at Sarah's!! I love to party with Sarah!! That girl knows how to PARTY!!

3. I got my rebate check from Sprint!!! I love rebate checks because they always seem to surprise me. I forget that I mailed them in, and then one day a check appears in the mailbox!!

4. I got to leave work 30 minutes early. (I know! Simple Pleasures!!)

5. I have a new Potato Soup Recipe!! At the Pampered Chef Party, we enjoyed Potato Soup!! It was yummy and is made in the microwave. Jordan absolutely loves Potato Soup, and now I can make it in the microwave in a lot less time and a lot less mess!!

Week 2 Recipe

I got a new cookbook for Christmas. It is called COOKING LIGHT - ANNUAL RECIPES 2010.Last week, I made the first recipe. It was Smothered Steak Burgers. They were very good and EASY!!!!! So recently watching Julie and Julia, I thought I might try blogging these new recipes! I am not quite so energetic as Julie, so I will try a new recipe a week! I thought that was an attainable goal!!************************************************************************************

Week 2
Red Beans and Rice

Salad

Garlic Bread Sticks

Before you start anything cook the rice. My rice takes about 30 minutes so I wanted it done by the time I finished the Red Beans and Rice.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add 6 oz of chicken andouille sausage, chopped. (I doubled the meat for this recipe, because Jordan and I are carnivores. We like our meat!!)
• Add 8 oz of pre-chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix to pan. (I found this in the frozen section. It is my new BFF. It was so EASY!)
• Saute 4 minutes.
  

• Add 1 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
• Add 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
• Add 2 garlic cloves, minced. ( I used dried garlic.)
• Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Partially mash 1 (15-oz) can of red beans, rinsed and drained. Add to pan.
• Add 1/4 cup of water.
• Add 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, un-drained. (I bought the diced tomatoes with jalapenos. Jordan and I like our food SPICY!!!)
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened.

• Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.
• Serve over rice
• Serving size is about 3/4 cup of rice and 3/4 cup of bean mixture.
• Serve with a tossed salad and garlic breadsticks.

Jordan said it was a keeper!! That's what he says when he really likes it and wants me to make it again sometime!!
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Next week: DOUBLE - MUSHROOM PIZZA!

Funerals and Weddings

There is one thing funerals and weddings have in common.....they bring family together. My Aunt Agnes passed away Sunday, December 27. She fought a long, hard battle with cancer. It started as breast cancer and then eventually spread through out her body. But she was a fighter and fought to the very last day.

Tuesday, my mom, dad and I piled in the car and started our 13 hr trek to Indianapolis. Oh, I forgot, three chihuahuas went with us as well. It had been at least 5 years since I took a road trip with mom and dad. We enjoyed the week spent together up in Indiana. My life has been so busy lately, it was nice to spend so much time with my mom and dad. Also seeing my cousins grieve the loss of their mother, caused me to appreciate even more the time spent with my parents.

Agnes was married to my mom's brother Bill.

Here is a picture of Bill with his sister (my mom) and younger brother.

I enjoyed spending time with my numerous cousins. Some of them I was meeting for the very first time. I enjoyed the big family breakfasts, everyone sitting around the table drinking coffee and reminiscing about old times. I only hope that surrounding my family during this loss helped them through their grieving process.

I Met One Goal....I Am On A Roll!!

So I made a goal to read one book during my Christmas Holiday.

My goal was not only to read one book, but to finish it!!! I did it!!

(36 Hours in the car definitely helped!! LOL)

I read same kind of differnt As me.

by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent.

It is a story about a modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together. It is a true story, which makes it even more amazing. The other thing I liked about it was much of

the story takes place right in downtown Ft. Worth.

It is an inspirational story. It is a story of faith and the renewing power of forgiveness.

It is also a great story of the changing power of unconditional love.

I laughed. I cried.

Amazing Book!!!!!