I bought apples in bulk and on sale the other week, which meant I needed to be creative in using them up quickly!  Other than eating them as they were, I made baked apples, and I also made a DELICIOUS apple cinnamon cheesecake.  Seriously, it was heavenly.  I served it to some great friends who were here for a meeting and of course my husband and I enjoyed it as well…for dessert…for breakfast…for snacks…!  Here is the beauty:

And now, for the recipe.  I took it from this site, so take a look at what they did.  

Note: I didn’t use frozen apple juice.  Instead I used cooled apple cider, because it’s what I had!  Also used apple pie spice instead of straight cinnamon.  I also drizzled caramel sauce on it as well.

Let me know if you try it, and if you have any delicious cheesecake recipes to share!

This was both tempting and tasty! 

Monday: Easy Oven Stew, Baguette (See below for stew recipe)

Tuesday: Channa Masala, Naan, Veggies (If you like Indian food you should check out here and here and here!)

Wednesday: Meatballs, Potatoes, Veggies

Thursday: Baked Curried Lentils

Friday: Homemade Pizza (I use my breadmaker, which I LOVE to make the dough!)

Saturday: Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Garlic Bread

Sunday: Peter’s Birthday & Valentine’s Day!!!!!!  We’re actually eating dinner at a friend’s house and so I’ll make him a special meal on the Monday, which you’ll have to wait a week to find out about.  HOWEVER, watch out on Sunday for a special dessert post!!  

Easy Oven Stew: 1 lb. stewing beef, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 pkg. onion soup mix, 1/2 soup can of water, mixed vegetables (I won’t lie, I use frozen veggies as well as a couple of diced potatoes).

Combine all ingredients and bake for 1.5 hours at 350F.  Voila!  It really is easy.  

Stay tuned this week for other such exciting topics as how I organize my personal recipe binder, the full-blown recipe list for my favourite middle-eastern meal, and a potluck hit!

I’m also planning on adding more pictures to the blog posts in the future!  I like visuals, and I’m sure you do too.

Find out what others are eating this week, here.  To see more blogs worth visiting check out here. 

My sister-in-law Rachel sent me a recipe for butter chicken and I was very eager to try it!  But before I did that I made some adjustments to make it a little healthier.  With that in mind, I’d like to share my butter chicken recipe with you! 

Butter Chicken:

1/4 cup butter, 4 chicken breasts in pieces, 1 tbsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. madras curry paste (see below for recipe), 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 can of tomato soup, 1/2 can of coconut milk, 1/2 soup can of milk, 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup cilantro.

Melt butter in a large stove top pot at medium high heat.  If you’re using unsalted butter, you’ll need to add at least 1 tsp., maybe more, of salt.  Add the chicken pieces to the melted butter and toss until no longer pink.  Add garam masala, paprika, cinnamon, sugar, chili powder, madras curry paste and peanut butter.  Stir to coat.  Gradually stir in the tomato soup (check out my homemade recipe!), coconut milk, milk and chicken broth.  Add cilantro.  Bring to a boil while stirring at high heat.  It will look runny.  This is okay!!  Let it simmer for a while, and the flavours will blend, and it will thicken a bit.  Serve it with rice, salad and naan bread.

Madras Curry Paste:

Instead of buying the store-bought kind, I decided to make my own madras curry paste!  It was very easy, and from what I can see, it will last for a loooong time - not only in quantity, but also in shelf-life.  Make sure to store it in the fridge.

1 cup ground coriander, 1/2 cup ground cumin, 1 tbsp. ground black pepper, 1 tbsp. ground turmeric, 1 tbsp. ground black mustard (I used dijon and it seemed fine), 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. salt, 2 tbsp. crushed garlic, 2 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger (I used powdered), 3/4 cup oil, vinegar for mixing.

Combine ground spices and salt in a bowl.  Blend.  Add garlic and ginger and sufficient vinegar to mix to a smooth and thick puree.  You might use upwards of a cup or two for this.  Just add it in small dosages.  Heat oil in a saucepan, and when it’s very hot turn the spice mixture into it and reduce heat.  Stir constantly until spices are cooked and oil separates from spices.  Cool and bottle.

Have you tried butter chicken?  How does your recipe vary? 

This recipe is a finer thing, and it’s frugal with some of the changes I’ve made!

This dessert is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!  It’s heavenly, actually.  And even my husband who doesn’t love chocolate like me, really enjoyed it!  I took the recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and tweaked it a bit.  Here is my version of her recipe:

The Pioneer Woman’s Baked Fudge a la Alison:

2 eggs, 3/4-1 cup sugar (I did more of 3/4), 2 heaping Tbsp. cocoa, 2 Tbsp. flour, 6 Tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, 4 Tbsp. of cherry pie filling, icing sugar.

Preheat oven to 325F.  Beat eggs until scrambled, and then beat in sugar until well mixed.  Add cocoa, flour, melted butter and vanilla.  Mix well.  Pour the batter in 4 creme brule-style dishes (I think this is a must!), but if you don’t have them, you can do an 8-inch square glass pan.  Set dishes or pan into a larger pan, filled halfway with water.  Bake for 40-50 mins. or until the upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is set.  A toothpick will NOT come out clean, but it shouldn’t be really runny.  Just don’t let it turn into brownies. 

Now, this is why the ideal dishes are creme brule-style dishes.  You take a heaping Tbsp. of cherry pie filling and put it on top of each of the baked fudge dishes, and sprinkle each with a dash of icing sugar.  Not only does it LOOK amazing, it TASTES amazing!!!  It’s SO easy, but it looks fabulous for company.  Or for a midnight snack for yourself…

If the title makes you feel awkward, you can just go ahead and browse around at another blog post, because this one is going to be about what it says: cloth menstruation pads! 

About a year ago my sister-in-law talked to me about how she uses cloth menstruation pads and how much more economical they are, etc., etc.  She sold me instantly!  As soon as I used up my store-bought stuff I moved on to cloth pads.

TMI?  Too bad.

The average woman uses almost 17,000 tampons or pads in her life.  Isn’t that insane?!?!  I’m just imagining what that looks like…it’s crazy!  The National Women’s Health Network estimates that in the USA over 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons are used once and disposed of every year.  EVERY YEAR!!!  That takes a VERY long time to break down.  And while it’s doing that, it’s releasing toxic chemicals into our precious earth…

Not only is it bad for the environment, but it’s also bad for your wallet!  Click here to calculate how much you spend on disposable pads/tampons. 

Now, to purchase (or make) cloth pads is an investment at first.  I would suggest you keep record of one of your cycles and see what types of pads/tampons you require (light, medium, heavy, wings, no wings, etc.) and how many of each.  Once you know this it will make it easier to purchase the right amount. 

I purchased mine from Lunapads which is an awesome Canadian-based company.  They come in a variety of colours, patterns, styles, and they meet all your needs.  They also sell the diva cup (which I have not used) which is more of a replacement for tampons if you wish to go that route.  You can read their testimonials on the diva cup here. 

To wash the cloth pads, simply soak them after you use them in warm water and soap.  I use regular dish soap.  It’s best to wash them in the washer on gentle/handwash in a mesh laundry bag.  Try not to leave them soaking too long because of bacteria.  But a couple of days hasn’t hurt in my experience.  Put them in a bucket under your sink.

If you’re in a different stage right now and you’re pregnant, then you can also check out lunapad’s nursing pads, baby bath gift set, and their post-partum liner inserts.

If you want to try making your own, Cara @ Health, Home, and Happiness has a tutorial on how to make your own cloth pads.  Take a look!

Any questions?  And no, I don’t get anything out of promoting these people. 

It works for me! 

I promised a review from eating Dum Aloo and Lentils with Scallions, and here it is!  Click on the words to see the original recipes.

Both were DELICIOUS and absolutely passed the husband taste test!  :)  I altered them slightly to fit our needs, so I’ve retyped out the recipes below so you can see exactly how we ate them.

Dum Aloo:  4 medium-sized potatoes cut and sliced into smallish edible chunks, 6-7 tbsp. cooking oil, 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, 1 tsp. ginger powder, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 4 tsp. ground coriander, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp. (or less if desired) of crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. garam masala, 1 cup canned tomatoes with juice, 2/3 cup plain yogurt, 4 tsp. sea salt.

Place cut potatoes into water and bring to a boil.  Boil for approximately 4 mins. until they are tender but nowhere close to falling apart.  They need to remain firm.  Meanwhile, in a frying pan add all of the spices, oil, and onion up to and including the garam masala.  Cook until onions are tender.  Drain potatoes and add to the frying pan.  Add tomatoes, yogurt and sea salt.  Bring to a strong simmer and cook until potatoes are cooked through and edible.  They should still be firm though.  Once this is done, the recipe is complete!

The original recipe asks you to fry the potato slices and then incorporate them into the oil/onion/spice mix.  I didn’t do this as I didn’t see the need to fry them.  It was still delicious and my husband agreed that frying would have been okay but definitely not necessary! 

Lentils with Scallions: 1/2 cup lentils, 1 cup water, 1 tbsp. cooking oil, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. ground mustard, 1 cup green onions, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tbsp. chopped onion, 1 tbsp. cilantro or parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. coriander powder, 1 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. garam masala, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.

Cook the lentils in the cup of water in a small saucepan.  In a frying pan add the oil, spices and onions.  Saute until cooked.  When the lentils are cooked and the water is absorbed add to the frying pan.  Saute all together until flavours are blended and everything is mixed well.

I served both of these together with naan bread on the side!  The naan was great for eating the sauce of the dum aloo.  My husband heartily agreed that we should save these recipes and add them to our ever-growing Indian/Middle Eastern cuisine!  In fact, I’ll be sharing that cuisine with you in a post coming up.  Stay tuned!  These are some of our new favourites.

Both were tasty and tempting! 

Monday: Dum Aloo (Potato Curry) and Lentils with Scallions (NEW!  I’ll post a review tomorrow!)

Tuesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies 

Wednesday: White bean pasta sauce, Pasta, Veggies (I read about using white beans to make a pasta sauce, but alas, I cannot find that blog…so if it’s you, add a link!  Otherwise, I’m making it up and I’ll let you know specifics later.)

Thursday: Beef Stir-fry, Rice Noodles, Veggies, using up last week’s best ever peanut sauce!

Friday: Quesadilla Torte (See below!)

Saturday: Sausage, Scalloped Potatoes, Veggies

Sunday: Leftovers

Quesadilla Torte: 1 onion chopped, 1 pepper chopped, 15 oz. cooked beans (I use pinto and black beans), 1 cup frozen corn, 1 3/4 cups shredded cheese, 5 tortillas, 1 1/2 cups salsa

Cook onions and pepper until soft.  Drain and rinse beans and add to pan with onions/peppers.  Add 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Cook on low for 5 mins. until beans are heated through and water absorbed.  Mix in corn.  Place 1 tortilla in a spring form pan.  Spread with 1/3 mixture, 1/3 salsa, 1/3 cheese.  Repeat these layers until complete.  Cut final tortilla in "pie slices."  Place on top in original shape.  Brush with oil; sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 400F for 20-25 mins. until crisp.  Let cool remove side of pan and serve in wedges.  Delicious with sour cream and salsa. 

What are you eating this week? 

About a year ago I realized I was using many cotton balls to remove make-up and put on other facial products.  I was using at least 5 a day, and that was a bit of a waste!  I thought about how I could reduce that, and so baby wash cloths entered the scene!  

Instead of using cotton balls, I now use the baby wash cloths cut into 4ths.  I bought a normal package at a pharmacy and I cut each cloth into 4 pieces.  I keep them in a little basket under my sink.  I use one to remove eye make-up, or one to put on toner or other such products.  I am now using 1 or 2 a day, and because I am washing them they are much more earth-friendly!  

One tip I would recommend is that as you use them rinse them well under the tap so that any make-up residue is cleaned out of them prior to washing them.  This will reduce staining and allow them to last longer.

Do you use cotton balls?  If not, what do you use? 

Saving the environment is a finer thing for me!  This is also linked to Follow Me Fridays.

I asked my husband which of his favourites he wanted me to post, and he chose this recipe!  It’s a family favourite of his from growing up, and it’s one that I have changed a tad here and there. 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash:

1 lb. ground beef, 1 red pepper chopped, 1 green pepper chopped, 1 onion chopped, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 large spaghetti squash, salt and pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, bread cubes or croutons, grated cheese.

Cut the squash in half and cover inside with butter.  Put squash in over for 60 mins. at 350F.  Meanwhile, fry ground beef, onions, peppers, and season to taste with spices.  Stir in cheese, tomatoes, and bread.  Remove squash from oven.  Loosen the cooked squash with a fork.  You can then either remove all squash and mix with the meat/bread mixture and put back into squash.  Or you can just loosen the squash and put the meat/bread mixture on top.  Either way, bake at 350F for 30 mins.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Continue to bake until cheese is melted.

Since we’ve been married (3.5 years!), we’ve lived away from friends and family.  We’ve also moved 2 times in those 3.5 years, and have lived in 4 different provinces (don’t try to do the math!).  SO, we have lot of people to connect with.

I’m not sure what the telephone plans are like where you live, but I know where we live and with the amount we make, it’s expensive.  If you’re paying for internet, and cable and all that good stuff (which we’re not!) on top of that, then you have even more to pay!

But you still want to talk to friends and family.  I hear ya.  I really do.  Enter: iChat and Skype.

Both of these are great because not only can they help you connect with loved ones, but they are FREE!  

If you are mac lovers like we are, the iChat is a feature that automatically comes on your computer.  Our laptop has a built in webcam which is brilliant, and very helpful.  When you’re signed into iChat you can see if someone is online (green), if they’re idle (yellow) or offline (red).  If you have a mac, you can use iChat.  As far as I know, if you don’t have a mac, you’re out of luck.  But hold on, I’ll get to you PC-lovers soon!  For those of you with a mac,   

Then there’s Skype.  Skype is very similar to iChat.  You can download Skype to your computer by clicking here, and it will prompt you to choose what you need.  Follow its instructions.  With Skype you can type-chat to others, you can voice-chat, and you can video-chat!  For more info on how to find friends or family, go here.  You can make calls from your computer to a land-line or mobile phone, but that costs you money.  To call computer to computer is free.  Something you need to watch out for on skype is people who are not on your list "calling" you.  Sometimes sketchy phone calls will try to come through.  Simply disconnect the call, and don’t answer it and you’ll have no problems.  Now, if you want to talk to people you don’t know, that’s your prerogative…

Of course, you can sit around waiting for people to come online, or you can make "dates" to meet up with people so that you know they’ll be online.  This has been especially helpful for people I know who have significant others in other parts of the country or world.  

And if you have children, it’s a great way for grandparents who don’t live nearby to see the kiddies grow!  My parents love to see my niece and nephew on the webcam and weekly spend time on iChat chatting to them.  

Have you tried either iChat or Skype?  How do you find them?  Do you have another way of keeping in contact with loved ones through the virtual world? 

*And no, I don’t get anything out of this for promoting the products.  But I’m still sharing.  

It works for me! 

As a part of my book list for 2010, I have read "Major Eva of Calcutta."  I am a pastor with The Salvation Army, and we have a long and rich tradition of working in other countries around the world.  One of the countries that interests me most currently is India, and so I have a few books on my list that are about Salvationists (those who are apart of The Salvation Army Church) in India.  "Major Eva of Calcutta" is one of them!

This book is really short, and thus it was simple to finish within a few hours!  I read it in an afternoon.  It was light and didn’t require too much brain power.  It spoke of her history growing up and then focused mostly on her life in Calcutta as she worked in a children’s home, and how she dealt with the many social issues of class, gender, and poverty.  It was moving on many occasions as she spoke about the children as her own.  She served in India for 27 years as a single woman, and worked tirelessly, giving all of her extra money to the care for the children or building.  

The book continued right on until her passing, and included a few comments by friends who knew her well.  She seemed to be a remarkable woman with lots of determination, patience, and perseverance!  

If you are interested in stories of people’s faith and how they have served God in a foreign country, then this book might interest you!

On a completely unrelated note, while reading one of my book list books last night, I decided to indulge in a tasty treat…I had a baked apple.  I made one for me and for my husband, and we both agree that they were delicious!!  Here’s the recipe:

Baked Apples:

2 apples, 2 heaping tbsp. of brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I used almonds), 1/2 cup raisins, 2 tsp. butter, 3/4 cup boiling water.

Core out the apples, but don’t cut all the way through!  Make it like a deep hole that stops short of hitting the bottom.  Mix up the brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts and raisins and pack it into the apples.  Top each apple with a tsp. of butter, and then place them in a loaf pan and fill the pan with the boiling water.  The water should be about an inch high.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 mins. and enjoy warm!  It would be great with a side of vanilla ice cream, but we didn’t have any.  

This was definitely tempting and delicious while reading a good book! 

So last week a few meals didn’t happen.  Why?  Because I realized that we had WAY too many leftovers and instead of making new meals I decided to clean out our freezer a bit!

Monday: Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Tuesday: Thai Peanut Noodles

Wednesday: Fish, Quinoa, Veggies

Thursday: Perogies, Veggies

Friday: Pumpkin Soup, Veggies, Bread

Saturday: Chili (from my freezer!)

Sunday: Turkey Soup (from freezer!)

Coming up this week: my first of many book reviews, a fave recipe for spaghetti squash, and some economical and "green" ways I use for make-up and make-up removal!  Stay tuned!

What are you cooking this week?

I like reading…in fact, I love it!  I often read mostly fictional books, and I can’t even count how many I read each year.  But this year I plan on making an intentional list of books - both fictional and non-fictional - that I want to read.  I am posting them here so you can see them, and so that I can keep myself accountable!  If it’s crossed out, then I’ve already read it!  Some are fictional, some are not, but either way, here is my list in no particular order:

1. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

2. Anne of Green Gables (all 8 in the series) by Lucy Maud Montgomery

3. The Bible (self-explanatory and on-going!)

4. The Pioneer Woman’s Cookbook

5. From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg

6. Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne

7. Major Eva of Calcutta by Effie Patey (Read the review here)

8. In Darkest England and the Way Out by William Booth

9. By Love Compelled by Solveig Smith

10. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

11. Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

12. Burnout: The Cost of Caring by Christina Maslach

13. When Necessary Use Words by Mike Pilavachi

14. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

15. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

16. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

17. To the Ends of the Earth… by Burton E. Pedlar

18. The 21 Most Effective Prayers of the Bible by Dave Earley 

As I read books I’ll update the post and keep you up-to-date with where I’m at!  Having books to read is definitely a finer thing in life!

If you plan on having a party, or taking something to a potluck, you should definitely make this surprise layer dip!!  It is AMAZING.  It always gets completely finished off, and it’s not hard to make!  It’s one of our favourite recipes.

Check back on Thursdays for more favourite recipes, and check the category on the right labeled "favourite recipes"! 

Surprise Layer Dip:

1 block cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt), 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 jar cocktail sauce, 1 can small shrimp (optional), chopped green onion, diced tomato, shredded cheese.

With mixer, cream together sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese until smooth.  Spread onto round flat baking pan or pie plate.  Spread the jar of cocktail sauce over cream cheese mixture, and place shrimp (optional) on top.  Cover with cheese.  Top with green onions and tomatoes.  Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Check out more recipes here.  Enjoy! 

Last week I wanted to make a quick and delicious meal using lentils, but not the kind I usually make.  I’m a fan of sloppy lentils and masoor daal, but I wanted something different to add to my repertoire.  I came across a baked lentils recipe, and I basically just took the notion and ran with it!  Here is what I came up with:

Baked Curried Lentils:

2.5 cups of lentils, 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth (I used broth), 1-2 cups of minced vegetables (I used zucchini, green onion and red pepper b/c that’s what I had on hand!  It also included nice colour into the mix.), 2 tbsp. of coconut oil, 2 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. of cumin, 1 and 2 tbsp. of curry, 2.5 cups of shredded cheese.

Cover 2.5 cups of lentils in water or chicken broth with the 2 tbsp. of curry and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and they’re soft.  Meanwhile, in a frying pan, saute minced vegetables in coconut oil.  Add the minced garlic, cumin, and 1 tbsp. of curry, and cook until all veggies are soft.  Mix veggies in with the cooked lentils, and stir.  Add 2 cups of shredded cheese to the mixture, and stir until cheese is melted through.  Pour the entire mixture into a 2 qt. casserole dish, and sprinkle freshly ground pepper over the top, and cover with another layer of cheese.  Bake in a 350F oven for 20 mins. or until warmed right through.  Serve with freshly baked bread, or a salad.

It works for me!

So yesterday in my menu planner I posted that we would be trying "California Chicken" on Monday night.  Which we did!  I have made my own adjustments to it, and I have a few more I’d like to try the next time.  So, with all that in mind, and due to my current changes and future changes I decided to rename the recipe "West Coast Enchiladas" since I live on the west coast, they were originally inspired from California, and I’m adding a hint of Mexico next time!  I think it’s appropriate.  ;)  Here we go…

West Coast Enchiladas: 

Ingredients: 4 tbsp. butter, 4 tbsp. flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 2 cups milk, 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded, 1.5 cups of assorted finely chopped veggies (I used garlic, red pepper, green onion and olives), 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tbsp. chili powder, 2 cups shredded cheese, 6 tortillas (I used 3 spinach and 3 tomato for colour!), 1 cup salsa, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley. 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the flour mixture all at once.  Whisk until it’s mixed well.  Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Slowly stir in milk, whisking constantly and heating to a boil.  Meanwhile, saute veggies, 1 tbsp. chili powder and 1 tbsp. oil in a pan until softened.  When sauce is thickened, set aside.  Put a tbsp. of sauce on each tortilla, followed by salsa (divided amongst all tortillas), chicken, veggies, and cheese.  Roll up, and place in 9x13 pan.  Follow the same process for each tortilla, rotating the colours if you’re using spinach/tomato wraps like me.  Once all the wraps are in the dish, cover with the remaining white sauce, cover with a layer of cheese, and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper, and parsley if you desire.  

Bake uncovered at 350F for 20-25 mins.

The things I added for the future time is the chili powder and salsa.  My husband and I agreed that they needed a bit of a kick inside the tortillas, and that those two things would do the trick!  You can try it without if you like things a little more bland.  They’re really filling, and we were both stuffed with one enchilada each.  Also, to cook the chicken I simply put two skinless, boneless chicken thighs in the crockpot with an inch of water and some garlic, salt and pepper and let it cook on low for most of the day.  It was moist, shredded and ready to go when I got home, which made this even easier!  Voila! 

See what else is tempting people on this Tuesday! 

Monday: Chicken California (NEW recipe involving creamy goodness, and tortillas!  It’s a sort of enchilada-type dish…I’ll post it if I like it!)

Tuesday: Thai Noodles (NEW!  See below)

Wednesday: Ribs w/ veggies, mashed potatoes

Thursday: Pasta w/ white garlic sauce, lentils and veggies, and Cheesey Pepper Bread (recipe TBA!).

Friday: Pumpkin Soup w/ Cheesey Pepper Bread.

Saturday: Homemade Meatballs, Baked Potato Slices, Veggies

Sunday: Leftovers

Thai Noodles: 1/2 cup. chicken broth, 3 tbsp. peanut butter, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 1/2 tbsp. honey, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp. ginger, 2-3 cloves of garlic minced, noodles, chopped green onions, cilantro, peanuts.

Cook noodles in salted water.  Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir until it’s smooth, and then remove from heat.  Toss the noodles with the sauce, top with sauteed veggies (I used peppers, onions, etc.) and then sprinkle with green onions, cilantro and peanuts.  Serve!

Another goal this week is to assure that we eat fresh fruit with our lunches and fresh veggies with our dinner.  This will include pears, peaches, oranges, carrots, cucumber, snap peas, etc. 

What are you cooking this week? 

Well.  I had heard a bunch of reviews on the movie Julie & Julia from fellow bloggers, as well as friends in real life!  Many people had told me I should see it because I would like it!  I didn’t really know the premise of it, but in faith, I went to the movie store, and bought it.  That’s right - I bought it even without watching it first! 

I was NOT disappointed!!!  I LOVED the movie.  If you’ve seen it, and you’ve read my blog, or you know anything about me, then you’ll understand why I love it.  Julie Powell, in the movie, suggests that the reason she loves cooking is because it takes her away from all the issues of her day job.  I would have to agree.  My job has so many variables, and although I can suggest many things to many people about how to change their lives, it’s ultimately up to them to do it.  I have no control.  But in the kitchen…if I combine a certain set of ingredients, I KNOW, that 98% of the time it will produce what I want it to produce.  It’s an amazing feeling, and it’s one that receives instant gratification when you eat something!  The kitchen is a comfort place for me, and I identify with both Julie and Julia in this movie. 

It’s well worth seeing if you’re anything like me!    Let me know if you like it!

There is SO much devastation in Haiti.  We can’t even fully understand what the people are going through.  As you think of it, please pray for all those in that country who live there, who work there, and those around the world who are affected by the loss.

If you would like to donate, please donate through The Salvation Army.  Not only am I a pastor with them, but they are the largest Army in the world without weapons!  We fight with a different kind.  :)  

To support The Salvation Army’s relief effort in Haiti, you can call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) or go here.  Donors should specify their gift to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund.  

You can see what some other people and even more are saying about all this too and how blessed we are. 

This is a recipe I have included in various meal planners, and it’s one that my husband loves!  It’s pretty simple, but it’s delicious and flavourful, so I wanted to share it with you as a part of one of my favourite recipes!

Come back each Thursday to see some of my favourite recipes posted!  You can access more in my category "Favourite Recipes" (creative title, eh??) 

Quebecois Chicken:

2 lbs. chicken pieces, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 garlic cloves minced, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. black pepper.

Combine all ingredients and mix with chicken.  Bake in the oven at 350F for 1 hour covered, and uncover for the last 15 mins.  OR cook in the slow cooker from 6-8 hour son low or 3-4 hours on high.  OR barbeque on medium-high heat until the middle of the meat is white.  Turn frequently.  Serves 4.

I enjoy this over pasta or rice.  Pour the sauce onto the starch, and it’s delicious!  Add some veggies and you’re good to go! 

I don’t know about you, but I reallllllly dislike using canned condensed soups because they’re so high in sodium and msg!  About a year ago I came across this recipe for condensed cream soups which has worked fabulously for me for the past year.  I wouldn’t go back to a can any day! 

But recently I’ve needed condensed tomato soup for recipes such as butter chicken (which I’ll share soon!!), and I just didn’t want to give in to buying it in the store just for the recipe.  I figure there MUST be a homemade way to do it. 

Here is a recipe I came across on one of the many discussion boards I searched:

Condensed Tomato Soup: 2 cups water, 4 tbsp. corn starch, 3 tbsp. butter, 2 small cans of tomato paste (read the label!), season with salt and pepper.  You can also add a little garlic salt if you desire. 

In a small sauce pan mix the water and cornstarch until they’re well blended.  Heat to a boil until it’s thickened, stirring constantly.  Stir in the butter and tomato paste and blend again with a whisk.  It should end up nice and thick and just the way you need it for its condensed state!

For the past 9 months I have been dealing with a physical ailment that has had me at the doctor’s, had me scared, worried, and concerned.  Now, before you all stress, I was given the all-clear, and so I really had nothing to worry about.  But I did.  Because I didn’t trust, or have faith, or believe.  Recently I had personally been struggling with the fact that it consumed a lot of my sub-conscious thoughts. 

I spent time in serious prayer last night talking to God, and I not only confessed of my fears, and my worry, but I spoke to God about all the miracles I had read in the Bible, and had seen through those I know.  I know God is all-powerful, and He can do all things.  So why was I so hung up on something that didn’t need to be?  I prayed that this morning God would give me a new sense of peace and healing.  And that I would be completely, 100% healthy. 

I am blessed to report that this morning I am healed from this physical ailment.  Now, perhaps it was simply my mind keeping me "unhealthy", or perhaps the ailment was really still there.  Either way, I don’t care.  God is good, and He has given me the miracle I prayed for.  I wanted to share it with you, because I serve a God that cares, and that is incredible, and who does what no one else can do.  Trust in Him.  Believe in Him.  Even if you don’t, He believes in you.

So, how do you like the blog re-design?!  My fabulous husband worked long and hard on it for me!!  That picture was taken downtown here where we live, and it was taken on…Jan. 9th.  I know.  For those of you covered in snow, and suffering with freezing temperatures, you’re jealous.  But just remember: not all of Canada is cold!!  The part I live in looks like this all winter.   

You’ll notice that all of my categories, links, archives, and more are on the right column!  Now instead of just seeing what some of my posts were in certain categories, you can now search for a post you remember in the past, or check out the posts from a particular month!  Some of you were asking for this, so here it is!  If you find a broken link, or anything strange, please let me know!

Also, as a part of the categories, I have added "Favourite Recipes".  There are already a few in there, but as I post specific blogs with single recipes that I absolutely love, they’ll be added into that category, so you can easily access all of my favourite recipes!  I’ll be working on regularly adding to that one on Thursdays, so keep your eyes open!! 

Now onto the Monday Dinner Menu Planner! 

Monday: Butter Chicken w/ Rice, Veggies (I have a recipe I’m trying, so I’ll post it later!)
Tuesday: Chickpea & Rosemary Soup
Wednesday: Brown Rice & Black Bean Casserole
Thursday: Mulligatawny Spicy Soup
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Pasta with Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Sunday: Leftovers 

What are you cooking this week?

I don’t know if you’re like me, but if you are, you either have some fruit in your fridge that is on the verge of being too gross to eat, and possibly some other fruit in jars or in your freezer from some bulk shopping in the summer or produced in your garden!

Whatever the case, this past week I had a bag of pears that were about to get gross and I have about 3 bags of frozen plums in my freezer.  Earlier this week on a very rainy and gray day I decided to do some more baking and put away some desserts in my freezer to take to friends, or potlucks, or to eat myself!  I thought I’d share the two recipes I used:

Pear Crisp:

6 ripe pears, peeled, cored & sliced, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 3/4 cup flour (I split this between white and whole wheat), 1/2 cup butter softened, 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Place pears in a greased 2 qt. baking dish.  Toss pears with lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In a bowl, combine flour and butter until mixture resemble crumbs.  Add oats and brown sugar.  Stir well; sprinkle over pears.  Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 20-25 mins. or until browned and pears are tender.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream!  I baked mine for about 20 mins. and then cooled them off and tossed them in the freezer for a later date.  I’ll just have to warm them in the oven when the time comes. 

Plum Cake:

2 cups fresh plums halved, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 4 tsp. lemon juice, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Arrange plum halves in the bottom of a greased 9" pan.  Sprinkle with half of lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar.  Cream butter, 1 cup sugar and 2 tbsp. lemon juice.  Beat in eggs.  Mix in flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Bake for 45 mins. or until cake pulls away slightly from sides of pan.  Again, I cooked this for about the alloted time and then let them cool and popped them in the freezer for a later date.

What ways are you using up fruits in your house?  Any tasty baked goods you can share?  

Since it’s the New Year, it’s the perfect time to go through your old stuff and do a good purge!  Back in the day "Boxing Day" was actually meant for boxing up all of your old toys or items that were replaced through Christmas gifts.  You boxed them up and took them to the thrift store or delivered them to families who needed them.  I think we’ve gotten away from that (sadly), but there’s still time!   Why not sort through your closet now?!

Every few months my husband and I re-evaluate our "worldly goods" and consider items to be purged.  We did this a week ago on New Year’s Eve, and it felt great!  It can be hard to part with items, but you need to consider the fact that we don’t need to hold onto tangible items to remind us of the person who gave it to us.  If you’re that sad about it, take a picture with you and the item and spend some time remembering how special they are to you and the thought behind the gift.

When going through our clothes, we like to consider how often we wear something.  When I looked at a few items from the summer that I was unsure about, I kept them, because it’s hard to determine if you’ll wear it when it’s out of season.  So you can leave those items until the season approaches and re-evaluate them at that time.  But if it’s winter and you haven’t touched your blue sweater and you don’t forsee wearing it anytime soon, you might as well toss it.  Someone else can get better use out of it!  

Also, consider how many pieces of the same style of item you have.  For example, do you own 12 pairs of jeans?  The reality is that you gravitate to one or two pairs most often anyway, so pair it down.  I would say you really only need 2 or 3 at the most, but a good rule of thumb is to cut the amount in half.  So if you currently have 12 pairs, considering going down to 6.  

You could also try colour co-ordinating your closet, at least temporarily.  If you colour co-ordinate your t-shirts and find out that you have 10 black shirts, you might want to consider how many you really need in that colour.  It will show you what you have too much of!

This also goes for organizing your closet by "type" of clothing (i.e. pants together, long-sleeved shirts together, dresses together, etc.).  It will show you what you own too much of (do you have 15 dresses and yet never have the occasion to wear them?!) and what you lack (perhaps only one nice sweater and you really need another).  

Regardless of how you do your sort, consider how blessed you are by even being able to sort your clothing, and then share that blessing with someone else!  Perhaps you know someone your size who could use a "new" wardrobe.  

Happy sorting!  Take before and after pics and post them on your blog and link back here! 

I have updated my links section to reflect some other blogs/resources that I have been following for a while.  You should skip on over to see them!  To give you a brief run-down, here is what they are:

Food Resources: Crock pot Cooking - this is a FABULOUS resource if you love your crock pot!  Steph used her crock pot for an entire year for every meal, and so she has a wealth of recipes.  She continues to post new ones, and you can easily see on the left-hand side the recipes she made on the corresponding day in the previous year.  It’s well worth checking out.

Friends: Melissa Frye - a dear friend of mine is now blogging again!  It’s her New Year’s resolution to blog more frequently, so stop by and encourage her with your comments.  She is witty and thought-provoking and I know you’ll enjoy reading what she writes from her heart.

Blogs I check out once in a while: Inspired Homemaking - Emily is a lovely blogger from Cincinnati who blogs about healthy recipes, green living and other such topics!  I have enjoyed her blog for months now and wanted to share it all with you!  She updates quite frequently and I’m sure she’d appreciate you stopping by and not only enjoying her blog but commenting too!  

Enjoy checking out these new blogs, and don’t forget…commenting on my blog encourages me too.  :) 

And…..we’re back!

Now that the holidays are over I’m looking forward to more organization…more normal meals…and less junk food!  I think my stomach is crying out at me for all the random food I fed it during that crazy season.  

Stay tuned for more blog posts throughout the week including how to minimize your closet!

Here’s this week’s menu: 

Monday: Out for dinner

Tuesday: Baked lentil curry (NEW!  See below!)

Wednesday: Meatballs, rice and veggies

Thursday: Something with blackbeans…any suggestions??  Leave a recipe in the comment section!

Friday: Creamy Quinoa Primavera (NEW!)

Saturday: Chili and homemade bread

Sunday: Leftovers 

Baked Lentil Curry:

1 tbsp. olive oil, 2 large onions chopped, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tbsp. curry powder, 5 cups chicken broth, 1 lb. lentils, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1-2 cups of finely chopped fruits, vegetables and nuts (i.e. pears, apples, raisins, carrots, almonds, etc.).

Heat oil in 5-6 quart pan over high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring, until onions are tinged with brown (about 8 mins.).  Stir in curry powder.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, sort and discard debris from lentils.  Rinse lentils, drain, and add to broth.  Cover and simmer until lentils are tender to bite (30-35 mins.).  If mixture is soupy, boil uncovered until liquid is just below surface of lentils; stir often.  At the same time, saute fruits/veggies together in a frying pan with a 1 tbsp. of oil to soften them.  Pour lentils into a bowl and mix with sauteed fruits/veggies.  Then pour the combination into a shallow 2.5-3 quart casserole dish.  Bake, covered, in a 350F oven until lentils absorb most of the liquid (about 30 mins.).  Uncover and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until cheese melts.  Makes 8-10 servings. 

I find that New Year’s resolutions are a bit problematic.  You set yourself up to do all of these great ambitious things, and then when you don’t accomplish them, you feel like a failure.  I’ve never been too keen on New Year’s resolutions, but I suppose I’ve had some basic goals that I set in the New Year.  I don’t think I do it necessarily as a "New Year’s" thing, but at the same time January 1st always brings with it a sense of freshness and new beginnings.  

In celebrating last night with my husband, we had a casual evening watching a movie, playing cards and eating lots of junk.  As a part of that we discussed some of our hopes and dreams for 2010.  Of course, we can’t predict everything, but we did commit to continue to spend lots of time together, making sure it’s a priority for us.  Our ministry can sometimes get in the way and we can lose sight of our own needs.  We also discussed our next vacation which we hope will be India.  And we talked about some practical goals for staying focused on God in this New Year.

Do you have New Year’s resolutions or goals?  

May God pour out His blessings on you in 2010! 

I made a delicious spiced orange juice for my cookie swap last week which was a great change from the usual apple cider!  I plan to make it again over the Christmas holidays for a family gathering I’m hosting.  This is what I did:

Make two cans of frozen orange juice as per the instructions on the can directly in the crockpot.

Add 2 tbsp. of mulling spice.

Cover and simmer on low for several hours!  Voila!

It’s VERY easy.  If you don’t have a pre-made mulling spice mix like I do (mine is with whole ingredients that you need to strain either before serving, or as you pour each cup), here is a simple homemade mulling spice mix:

1 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. dried ground orange peel (opt.), 1 tsp. ground allspice, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg.  Use about 1/2 a cup or more.  Taste to see how much you need!

Toward the end, right before you serve it to guests, slice up an orange including the peel and let it float in the juice.  It looks pretty and adds a little extra orange zest!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

A popular cookie for my husband growing up was Speculaas cookies.  They’re the traditional cookies for St. Nikolaus Day!  I made them last weekend for a cookie exchange, which was lots of fun!

Here is the recipe:

3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. baking power, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1 cup butter softened, 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sliced almonds (opt).

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour with spices, baking power and salt.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and mix well.  Stir in by hand half of the flour mixture and then add the remaining flour and almonds.  Knead with your hands.  Chill the dough overnight.  Preheat the oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets.  Flatten the dough with your hands, roll it out if necessary.  The typical speculaas cookie is made with a windmill cookie cutter, but if you don’t have one, just use whatever shape you like best.  I used a star!  Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.  Keep checking.  It depends on your oven as to how long it takes!  Store in the fridge.  Could be frozen as well until ready to eat!

Watch next week for a delicious spiced orange juice recipe…!  Perfect for entertaining!