Pizzas on the Grill!

In honor of Memorial Day weekends spent grilling on the deck, I present to you one of my all-time favorite recipes! This is for an easy homemade pizza crust that you cook completely on the grill! How fun is that for a party?

I can't tell you how many times I have used this recipe. The best part is that all you have to do is chop the pizza toppings and toss them into some bowls. Then everyone can make their own pizza and you have very little to do at your own party. Score!

This recipe makes about six personal-size pizzas. Here's what you will need for ingredients:

2 T. honey
1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees, the hottest tap water)
1 envelope yeast (7 grams, 1/4 oz.)
2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
2-3 cups whole wheat or white flour

Dissolve honey in warm water. Add the yeast and allow it to start bubbling. Add salt and olive oil. Progressively mix in the flour, starting with 2 cups and adding more as you go. (I do not add the full 3 cups, it's usually more like 2-2 1/2). Knead the dough, using a bit more of the flour to keep from sticking. It should look smooth and feel resilient.

Here is my dough right after I put the ingredients together:

Smear some olive oil in a bowl and coat the ball of dough so that it can stay moist. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for a few hours.

Here is my ball of dough after a few hours:

When you are ready to cook, divide the dough into six small balls and just use some flour on a rolling pin to roll them out. Also sprinkle the counter with flour to keep it from sticking. A helpful three-year-old is really crucial at this point:

Heat your grill and scrape it so it's nice and smooth. Do not add the toppings yet! Lay each mini-pizza on the grill over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the bottoms are starting to brown on one side. Remove from the grill and allow people to put their toppings on the already-grilled side. Below, you can see one of our pizzas with the toppings applied, but before it has been fully cooked through.

Put the pizzas back on the grill (raw dough side down) for another 2-3 minutes, until the toppings are melted and the bottom is browned. Here is one of our creations, about to come off the grill:

This is such a fun way to have a party and to involve the guests in the cooking (especially your husband!). Every time we've done this with friends, people have raved about it.

Give it a try sometime. And have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Unique Herbal Iced Tea

Happy Monday!

I found a great recipe for iced tea that I wanted to share. Don't know about you, but regular old iced tea doesn't do much for me. So when I came across this recipe by the Barefoot Contessa, I immediately adapted it to my own tastes. And you all know how I feel about the Barefoot Contessa. (She's my BFF, though she doesn't know it.)

Here is her original recipe:

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
4 cups pure apple juice

Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice.

However, I wanted something that would still be sweet, but not have all the sugar and calories from the apple juice. And then I couldn't find the Red Zinger tea bags, so I had to improvise. Here's what I did instead:

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
4 Celestial Seasonings Cranberry Apple Zinger tea bags
4 cups Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry juice

Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine the tea with the cranberry juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice.

This can just sit in the fridge for drinking every day, but is also fun to serve at a ladies' lunch or baby shower. Now that warm weather is actually here in Colorado, I might actually crave this instead of hot cocoa!

Enjoy!

Tea Time!

Hello ladies!

I've been out of town all weekend, so this will be a short post just to check in and share a few little discoveries I've made recently. We've had weird, winter-like weather out here in Colorado and I've been wanting to be all cozy and warm-by-the-fireplace-ish.

Have you tried Celestial Seasonings Chai Tea? Yum! With a little sugar and cream, it is so perfect on a cold day.

Also wanted to pass along an author who I've recently discovered. Kate Morton wrote "The House at Riverton" and "The Forgotten Garden" and I've just devoured both. They are great stories that kind of unravel a mystery as you go along, but nothing too scary (which is big for me, since I am a pansy about scary stories!). Both have a historical setting and just suck you into the plot right away.

If you're looking for a great way to pass the 20 minutes a day that you probably get to yourself...I highly recommend these things!

Snow Day!

Yesterday at my house, it started to do this:

So I decided to make a big pot of this (recipe follows...oh my gosh, YUM!):

I hung out with my most favorite people in the world (who had just come in from a little romp in the snow!):

And watched as this little guy turned on the charm:

I just love snow days!  

Another reason it was so great to be in my house were the yummy smells coming from my kitchen!  I found a recipe for Cincinnati-style chili in Cooking Light magazine, and since I am a displaced person who misses Cincinnati's Skyline Chili greatly, I had to make it.  I am so glad I did!  Even if you have a regular chili recipe that you love, the spices in this one make it a unique addition to your repertoire, something totally different than the traditional chili flavors.  I highly recommend it!

Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:

cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (although I used ground turkey and it was great)

1 1/2 cups diced onions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons garam masala (an Indian spice I found in my local grocery store spice aisle)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used Muir Glen fire roasted)

2 (15.5 ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained

1 (15.5 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained

Directions:

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Coat with cooking spray.  Add ground beef or turkey to pan with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble.  Transfer beef to a small bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and recoat pan with more cooking spray.  Add onions and cook for 4 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly.  Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, canola oil, and the next 4 ingredients (through nutmeg).  Cook one minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly.  Add tomato paste and cook one minute.  Add 1 cup water, red wine vinegar, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Then add ground beef and the drained kidney beans.  Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  (We always find that if you can let the dish sit overnight the flavors are even better the next day!)

To serve, top with more chopped onions, drained kidney beans, or shredded cheese.  For this Cincinnati girl, it tasted almost like a Skyline Chili 3-Way, oh yeah!

And because some of us (ah...me!) are battling the post-baby weight, I am going to include some nutritional information, in case anyone else wants to see how this dish stacks up.  Serving size is 1 1/4 cup per person, and each serving is 276 calories, 6 grams of fat and 9.1 grams of fiber.  Not bad!

Have a great weekend!

Roasted Lemon Chicken with Croutons

I know, I know.  Why am I still here?  But this baby has decided to take his/her sweet time, so I am still plugging away.  It's nice to have a little more time to get some things done, but I am ready to get on with the show!

A few nights ago I had a craving for this dish.  It is super-easy to make, and has such a "wow" factor, that I had to share.  Plus it makes your house smell amazing.  Of course, it's another one from my favorite girl, Ina Garten, i.e. the Barefoot Contessa.

I have made this for guests many times, and everyone goes crazy for it!  The reason?  See those bread cubes underneath the chicken?  My husband and I almost get into a sword fight (more of a fork fight, actually) over those.  Every time.  After you roast the chicken and toast the bread cubes, you put the chicken on top of the bread and carve it.  The bread soaks up all the juices, along with some yummy onions that have been caramelizing with the chicken in the oven.  It is absolute heaven!

This is seriously one of our favorite all-time meals.  Now that I am writing about it, I want to go back and make it again right now!  I hope you give it a try!

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 cups (3/4-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette from the bakery section of your grocery store)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out.  Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers.  Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan.  Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper.  Place the lemons inside the chicken.  Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.  Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot.  Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Place the croutons on a serving platter.  Place the whole chicken on top of the croutons and slice it, letting all the pan juices and onions distribute over the croutons.  Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

Be prepared to fight everyone off for the croutons.  Just saying.

Oh, and another side note.  Once, my husband mistook one of the roasted lemons for a crouton.  It was not good.  He wants me to warn you so you don't make the same mistake!  :)

Have I Mentioned My Friend Ina?

Last night we had something so yummy, I just had to share with you!  First of all, I don't think I've talked about my absolute obsession with the Barefoot Contessa, otherwise known as Ina Garten.  

In my house, she's known just as Ina, even though she wouldn't know me from a hole in the wall.  But I have every one of her cookbooks, and I love to watch her on the Food Network because she has amazing decorating taste, and her show is filmed at her house.  I adore her simple but elegant style, and her food...well, I use her recipes probably 90% of the time that I entertain.  You just can't go wrong with her!

Photo courtesy of www.barefootcontessa.com

OK, have I convinced you enough?  Let's move on to what I had for dinner last night.  Chicken pot pie.  I know, it sounds very boring and bland, but this chicken pot pie, due largely to the crust with the generous sprinkle of sea salt and pepper, is just so flavorful.  I practically inhaled it, and that is even with a baby pressing on every available organ in my body.  I barely had any room, but I made room for this!

So if you are in the mood for some comfort food this month, or feeling a little down about the lack of fun reasons to get in the kitchen since you're done making Christmas cookies, try this.  You'll thank me!  (Or actually, you should thank my BFF, Ina!)

For the filling:
6 split chicken breasts (enough for 4-6 cups of cooked, cubed chicken)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
2 cups medium-diced potatoes, blanched for 2 minutes (just do this with the carrots)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

2 Tablespoons sherry (optional)

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas, parsley and sherry, if using. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4-8 ovenproof bowls (this depends on the size of your bowls...I got 8 servings out of this recipe).  Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

P.S. I made a few notes and adjustments to this recipe based on my experience and preferences, but for the original, you can find it on the Food Network website.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

OK girls, this is serious.  I went to a party last weekend and I told my friend I would bring something sweet.  This was the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe, because usually around the holidays I feel like I need to stick to "the old standbys" that my family loves.  I know you know what I mean!

But since this was a party, I felt like I could branch out and try a new cookie.  I am SO glad I did!  These are called Homemade Oreo Cookies, and I probably don't need to say much more to get your attention!  But just in case...

...don't they look amazing?  They remind me of those Little Debbie cakes from when we were kids, but they really do taste more like a homemade Oreo.  I dare you to try these and not eat the whole batch!

I found these at one of my favorite cooking blogs, Smitten Kitchen.  Go over there and check out her other amazing recipes!

Homemade Oreo Cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

5. To assemble the cookies, use a knife to spread the cream onto the flat part of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream.  You could also do this with a pastry bag if you are feeling really fancy.  Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

6. Try not to eat every single cookie before your family knows you made them!

Horseradish Meatloaf

OK, I have a confession to make.  Do you want to know the number one thing that I have eaten during this pregnancy?  Mashed potatoes.  The way my mom makes them, with nothing but potatoes,  butter, cream, salt and pepper.  I have eaten them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they were the perfect bland food when I was nauseous in those early days.  Now I just eat them because it is cold and I want comfort food.

That being said, I am always on the lookout for recipes to make alongside the mashed potatoes.  Excuses, really.  We don't eat a lot of Chinese or Mexican food around my house anymore.  Why?  Because mashed potatoes don't go with tacos.  

Nevertheless, this recipe I am sharing is meatloaf, but not your boring old meatloaf, because it has horseradish in it.  Not too much, just enough to keep it interesting.  I have given this recipe to many of my girlfriends with kids, who say that their kids all love it.  (Although, I would recommend serving it first without the sauce to your kids.  It's much spicier with the sauce.)  My husband loves it.  I love it too, but mostly because it's a vehicle for my mashed potatoes. 

Horseradish Meatloaf

For the meatloaf:
2 pounds ground beef (I've tried this with ground turkey or chicken too, it's just as good!)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T. horseradish
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. salt
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. mustard powder or Old Bay seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 t. dried parsley)

For the sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. horseradish
2 t. spicy brown mustard
1/2 t. mustard powder or Old Bay seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix all meatloaf ingredients together well (Although messy, it’s easiest to do this with your hands). Press meat mixture into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or form into a freestanding loaf in the center of a baking sheet.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Spoon half of the sauce mixture on top of the meatloaf. Place meatloaf in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 50 minutes.
After 50 minutes, remove meatloaf from oven, spoon remaining sauce over the top and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.

My husband would like me to add that you can't really have too much of the sauce.  He loves it!  If you make extra, you can either spoon it onto the meatloaf or serve it on the side.  Whatever your family doesn't eat, just send my way so my husband can bathe in it!

Let me know if you try it!  

And guess what I am in the mood for now?  :)

Heaven in a Bowl, or The Best Soup You'll Ever Eat

A big thanks to a few girls who have given me awards lately!  The first is from Carrie of Carrie's Little World.

And the next is from Amy of WhisperWood Cottage:

A huge thank you to both of these ladies for thinking I have anything to contribute to the blogging world!  And, since both awards ask me to list some things that I am thankful for, I thought it would be a great time to share with you something that makes me very, very happy:

This, friends, is the best soup you will ever eat.  I am not kidding.  I have been searching for a tomato soup recipe for years and years (really!) and had yet to find something that would rival my childhood favorite, Campbell's Tomato Soup...until this soup came along.  It is rich and creamy, with a subtle tomato flavor.  It is perfect to serve it to guests if I want, but I can also dip a grilled cheese sandwich in there on a Tuesday night and feel right at home.  Did I mention how much I love this soup?

I will give credit where credit is due and tell you that I originally got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  That woman has never steered me wrong and I have loved all her recipes.  But in this case, her recipe makes the soup rather chunky, and I am a firm believer that tomato soup should be perfectly smooth and creamy.  So the recipe I am sharing with you below is with my adjustments, but be sure to visit The Pioneer Woman if you want the original.  You won't be sorry!

Heaven In a Bowl, or The Best Soup You'll Ever Eat

6 T. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 (46 oz.) bottle of tomato juice

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 T. chicken base (you'll find it near the bullion cubes)

3 T. sugar

1 cup cooking sherry

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Saute the onions in the butter until they are translucent.  Let cool slightly.  Add sauteed onions and cans of diced tomatoes to a food processor or blender and blend together until smooth.  Put mixture back into soup pan.  Add tomato juice, chicken base and sugar.  Bring to a near boil, then turn off heat.  Add in sherry and cream and stir.  Turn heat back on low.  Add parsley and basil.  Let all the flavors cook and blend together, making sure not to scorch the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

How easy is that?  YUM!  :)

P.S. I wanted to say a big thank you for your comments yesterday about the house next door.  I felt so supported and was so blessed that so many of you said a prayer for me.  It's so humbling!  The latest is that we placed our offer, but are competing with another buyer who also put in an offer yesterday.  So it's a waiting game, unfortunately, and since our offer is contingent upon us selling our house, the odds aren't in our favor.  I was pretty bummed yesterday and of course shed some tears, but let's wait and see what God does.  If this doesn't work, I do believe it's because there's something better out there.  I will keep you posted!

Candy Corn Cookies

It's still Fall, and although it is seriously hard to resist the adorable Christmas decorations that are popping up everywhere, I am determined to hold out.  Now, don't ask me if I have listened to Christmas music already, because that's a whole different story!  (And yes, I have.  Just a little bit.  Barely enough to count.)

Last week I hosted our monthly book club and it was a great chance to whip up some fall cookies.  However, I wanted to have a pretty little platter to put the cookies on, and alas, I never registered for one when I got married.  But, I had seen how people created cake platters out of a candlestick and a simple plate (I am sorry, I can't remember where I saw this idea, but it has been floating around!).  Here is what I was able to figure out with a $2 glass plate and 88 cent candlestick from Big Lots (along with some super glue):

How cute did it turn out?  It is not perfect, but when you put little cookies on top, no one is looking for the imperfections!  I shamelessly used Tidy Mom's idea to create candy corn cookies, and I think they turned out so well, along with my pumpkin cookies!

All my Halloween decorations and BOO pumpkins have been put away until next year, but I think these simple fall cookies would be charming through Thanksgiving.  And wait till you see what I did last Thanksgiving with a turkey cookie cutter!  We can hold out, girls!  We don't need to put up the Christmas lights just yet!

P.S. I had someone ask me how I made the cake stand.  It was so easy!  I got some super glue (anything that says it is good to use on glass).  I turned the glass plate upside down, found the exact center with a ruler, and then put glue in that spot.  Then I turned the candlestick upside down too, and stuck it to the plate.  That's it!  I gave it a full 24 hours to dry without moving it, and made sure that I cleaned up any drips before they dried.  I wouldn't run this thing through the dishwasher or anything, but it seems pretty sturdy for holding little cookies and cakes!  

Works For Me Wednesday: Organizing Recipes

Today's "Works For Me Wednesday" post is something that has really changed the way that I cook.  For a few years, I have been a monthly subscriber to Cooking Light magazine.  I would faithfully read each issue and dog-ear the pages for things that sounded good.  However, pretty soon, I started a nice little collection of magazines like this:

The clutter was bad enough, but the most annoying part is that I never even used any of the recipes that sounded so good.  It was daunting when I was looking for a new recipe to try that night to even glance at that huge stack of magazines!  Then one day I got all fancy-schmancy and decided to get organized:

I tore out the recipes I had been tagging for years, found a notebook and some plastic sleeves, and arranged the pages according to appetizers, main dishes, vegetables, desserts, etc.

I know it seems like a very basic idea.  (Hey!  Look at me!  I put recipes in a binder!)  But it has made a huge difference in our family's cooking.  I actually use the recipes in the book now and it takes me just a few minutes to glance through and find something I want.  In the old days, I may have spent 20 minutes paging through magazine after magazine (if I even cracked them open), with my toddler pulling on my leg the whole time.  And you all know how much fun that can be!

This works so well for me that I am planning to put together a similar book for all my decorating ideas, torn out of various magazines and catalogs.  Can you imagine having a huge binder with ideas for every room in your house, seasons, holidays, and craft projects, to pull out whenever you are looking for something new?  I am such a design geek that that I am really whooped up by this!  

This definitely works for me!

Taco Soup

Phew!  That's about it.  I am wiped out.  We just got back from a mini-camping trip with Nina (her first!) and I am exhausted!  We only went for one night, about ten miles down the highway to a local campsite.  Nina did alright, but between her flailing around in her sleep (how many elbows to the face can one mama take?), hourly train drive-bys, Nina's constant wakings because of all the weird noises and the 5:30 wake-up call, we are done!  I was planning something a little more fancy for today's post, but girls, I got nothin!

Instead I thought I would share the recipe for one of my favorite stews, because, coincidentally, we had it for lunch today when we got back from our sleepless-night-in-the-woods.  With the fall weather on the way, and the crisp and cool air, this Taco Soup is so good!  If you like Mexican food, this will be a big hit in your house!  Plus, it seems to get better as it bubbles away on the stove, so you really can't mess it up.

I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!  I will be back on Tuesday with some more projects that were supposed to get done this week...

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cubed or shredded

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans (28 oz. each) diced tomatoes, liquid included (I use Muir Glen fire roasted...adds a little kick!)

2 cans (15 oz. each) chicken stock (or more if you prefer a soup rather than a thick stew)

1 (8 oz.) block cheddar cheese, cubed (I use 2% cheese and it takes a little longer to melt but tastes great!)

1 packet dry ranch dressing

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1/2 Tablespoons salt

5-10 dashes of Tabasco sauce

Cook the chicken on the stove or the grill, if you are feeling really fancy.  Let cool and dice or shred into bite-sized pieces.  Saute the diced onion in a large soup pan until soft and translucent, 5-10 minutes.  Add all the other ingredients, including chicken, leaving the cheese until last.  Simmer 1-2 hours until cheese cubes melt and the flavors blend together.  Check for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and Tabasco as desired.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Yum!

Serves: 8.

Organizing Spices

**Updated at the bottom with additional information!

Today I am linking to Shannon from Rocks In My Dryer, who hosts a weekly "Works-For-Me-Wednesday" feature where people share tips that have made their lives easier.  Shannon's blog was one of the first I found when I was a new mama.  I can remember being up in the middle of the night with my newborn, reading her old posts on parenting and life with tears rolling down my cheeks.  I wrote an email to thank her, and she wrote me right back with the sweetest message.  So I guess I will always have a special little place for her in my bloggy heart!

Today I am sharing with you about something that works for me in the kitchen.  I used to have a cupboard all cluttered up with spices of varying sizes and shapes, and I could never find what I was looking for when I needed it.  I got this idea to put all my spices in jars of the same size, all labeled and organized.  Below, you can see the results:

Some of you will call me Type A (and you would be right!) but this has made a world of difference to my sanity.  I shopped around online for a place that sold these little tins, printed the name of each spice onto clear address labels (in a cute font, of course!) and there you go!  It saves me some time when I am cooking, but it is also secretly pleasing to this organizing junkie to see neat little rows of spices every time I open my cupboard!

Works for me!  (And I am sincerely sorry to those of you who this does not work for!  I know this is a pretty boring post if you are not a Type A chick like me!)

**To answer a few questions:

I found these tins a few years ago and the name of the company escapes me.  But I did a quick Google search for "spice tins" or "spice containers" and came up with this website.  I know there are others out there.  You buy them in bulk.  I think I had about 100 of them when I started!  The name of the font I used for the labels is Cezanne.  Lastly, yes I admit it, the spices are in alphabetical order!  Yikes, I need help! 

 

Rain and Dr. Seuss Cupcakes

Since Saturday, I've been wanting to share with you some photos from Nina's 2nd birthday party, but honestly, this is the first day I haven't felt completely exhausted by it!  Why, you ask?  Well, we had been planning to host the party in the backyard, complete with wading pools, a slip-and-slide, sprinklers, water balloons, squirt guns, and grilling out for the adults (24 of them) and kids (12 of them).  Guess what we woke up to on Saturday morning?  I bet you already know...50 degrees and rainy!  So it was on to Plan B.

My husband decided that we would have the party in the garage.  Classy, right?  We bought finger paints, lots of other little goodies for indoor play, and borrowed an inflatable bouncy house from our favorite neighbors.  It worked.  But it has taken me days to find all the lollipop sticky spots and leftover ground-up potato chips in my house, because, inevitably, despite our best attempts to keep the mess in the garage, you all know where everyone ended up.  The kitchen!  (Oh, and don't you love the above photo of all the dads just shoveling food in, hovering over the table as if it might try to escape?)

On to my good news: the cupcakes.  I found this amazing food coloring at Michaels, and it is so much better than the stuff they sell at the grocery store!  It comes in such a variety of colors and is easy to use.  (If you click on the link above you can see all the colors they offer.)  Check out my cupcakes below!

I thought the cupcakes looked like they could have been from a Dr. Seuss book or something.  Lots of fun colors!  And to make the swirls and dots in the icing I just used a plastic baggie with the corner snipped off and squeezed the icing through...no complicated pastry bags necessary! 

As for Nina, she never even knew that the party wasn't exactly in it's original form.  And once the cupcakes made their appearance, she was in heaven.  She even took a moment to share some of her green icing with daddy!  Who cares if she was in the garage?

Fresh Banana Bread!

Good morning!  We're getting a jump on the weekend with a yummy breakfast.  I just found this banana bread recipe, and I am in love!  It's from Cooking Light magazine, so I don't feel so bad about eating two slices for breakfast!  The bread is mild and sweet, and the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gives it a wonderful flavor with the bananas.  I usually add a side of fruit and some hot tea or coffee.  Nina loves it too.  Looking forward to this breakfast has gotten me out of bed a few mornings this week when I just didn't feel like it!

So, I will leave you with this recipe and hope that you have a wonderful weekend!  I'll be back bright and early Monday morning!

Healthy Banana Bread

from Cooking Light 

1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 (6-ounce) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt

3/4 cup ripe mashed bananas (about 1 1/2 bananas)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until well blended (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.  Add flour mixture and yogurt alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Fold in bananas and vanilla.  Pour batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.  

Yield: 10 servings (204 calories each serving)