Kate,

It's approaching 4am on Friday morning and I am wide awake. I have been having a hard time since you left this place Wednesday evening. I try and hold it together because I tell myself "I don't have it bad, I wasn't a dear family member or your loving boyfriend, or even your friend since way back in the day," but when I am alone I just can't help it. I pull out the picture of you and I that I haven't let go of since last night and look at one of the most beautiful, amazing, and strongest persons I know.

I feel like there is so much I need to tell you, so much we haven't had the chance to talk about these past, very rough, two months. So much we haven't got to do together. But then I look back at all the times we did share together and it puts a smile on my face, puts me at ease. We may not have gotten to do it all, but girl we sure had some good times.

When Josh and I starting dating, owe 6 years ago, I not only got the man of my dreams, but one of the bestest friends, and a sister in you. I thank God everyday for bringing you into my life. You have taught me so much about love, life, and faith.

I HATE the word cancer and I hate what it did to you (and many other loved ones), but you never showed anyone you were scared. You have the strongest attitude and faith, no matter what kind of news doctors and scans and tests brought you.

You should see all the people that have come together to celebrate you! To celebrate the fun, loving, strong, and kind friend you were. You have touched so many peoples heart, you should be proud of yourself.

I saw your family tonight. They are doing okay. They miss you terribly, but are at ease that you are not in any more pain and that you don't have to fight the battle that you already won. Cancer may have took you away physical, but you won because of all the memories that were made. The life lessons that you taught people through this ordeal, even though you didn't try to teach anybody anything. You won Kate and that is all that matters.

Well I guess I should go and try and get some sleep. I will talk with you again soon.

Love you forever and always,
Samantha

Also read this beautiful post written by Kate's cousin Jessica.

I am here and so is SUMMER!

Again, I have lost track of time and posting. Life has gotten pretty crazy with work, birthdays, the holiday weekend, and unexpected health problems with a friend (who thank God is making improvements!!!!!!!). So I have a couple recipes for you!

Last week I made these amazing homemade chicken tenders! Got the recipe, but from who else, Rachael Ray!

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders (Rachael Ray with some modifications)

1 bag salted pretzels

Salt and Pepper

2-4 eggs

16 chicken tenders or 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

 

Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine (We don't have a food processor and if you don't I suggest using the blender. I placed mine in a ziploc bag and used a rolling pin, but it left some bigger pieces of pretzel). Transfer to a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

Crack and beat the eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken in the ground pretzels, then the eggs, then the pretzels again.

Pre-heat a large skillet with EVOO, enough to go a quarter-inch up the sides of the skillet (eyeball it), over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken pieces to the hot EVOO. Cook in a single layer, in two batches if necessary, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned. Transfer the finished chicken strips to the oven to keep warm as you cook remaining strips.

Nothing like celebrating memorial day with a cook out!!!

Beer Brats and Burgers 

1 yellow onion

butter (half a stick)

beer

brats

burgers

onion powder

salt and pepper

buns

Brats

Place the butter and yellow onion in the bottom of a kettle (depending on how many brats you have will depended on how big of a kettle you need). Place the brats on top and then cover with beer! (I had eight brats and used four bottles of beer). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 mins (or until the brats are cooked)

Then place on grill!

Burgers\

I added a dash of onion powder, and salt and pepper to each side of the burger and then placed on grill.

Place the buns on the top rack of the grill to warm and toast!

**Make sure the grill is hot, and you used a wire brush to clean it. Also take a paper towel and dip it in some vegetable oil and use your grill tongs to oil the racks on the grill before placing food on grill.

Yes, I did the grilling!

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This weekend Josh and I have been engaged now for two years and hit the 5 month mark to our wedding!!!! We also celebrated Josh's birthday. On Monday night my mom made him a pumpkin pie as she has done since we have started dating and we had a cookout. Last night we celebrated with his family with steaks and a DQ ice cream cake!

Hope everyone has been having this glorious summer weather and has been able to get out and enjoy it! Hopefully be back sooner then later!

Twenty Three!

Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to the best man I know (well besides my dad)!!!! I hope you have the best day Josh! I love you!

Josh and I

Just a FEW of my favorite things!

Over the weekend Josh and I went up to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Upper Michigan. We couldn't have asked for better weather and a more peace time together (besides almost running out of gas in the middle of nowhere!).

The past couple of years I really have enjoyed the outdoors...I mean look at this picture, sun setting over Lake Superior! The fresh clean air, the peaceful surroundings, and the beautiful setting have found a place in my heart.

We headed up north to celebrate Josh's 23 birthday (which is a week from Tuesday). It was a great time to catch up on each others thoughts and feelings with everything coming up in our lives. I mentioned above that we almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, but we made it to a small town that had one gas station and guess how much a gallon of gas was...$4.35! Now if I would have gotten gas when I was suppose to we would have only paid $4.01 a gallon! So needless to say this little detour cut out on our hiking time.

Happy Birthday Josh!

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I am totally in love with this book right now. My best friend's older sister wrote this book and it finally came from the printers about 2 weeks ago. This is Kristin's (the author) debut children's book. She has been affected by cancer because both her mother and younger sister are battling it right now so the subject touches her dearly. Plus she has a 3 year old son so what better way to bring light to such a dark subject then to write a children's book!

Kristin takes the scary word cancer and shows us the light to what the word can really mean. The illustrations are unique and creative and the words come from the heart.
 Giveaway: I will be giving away ONE book to someone that leaves a comment! Drawing will be Sunday May 29th.

If you would like to purchase your own book please go here...www.kSimonSays.com
- 25% of the proceeds of this book go Families of Children With Cancer (www.focwc.org)

Disclaimer: I bought my own copy of this book and I bought the copy that I will be giving away.

Late again...

Sorry my recipe is late again. On Tuesday night we had chicken tacos/or fajitas. Yummy and delicious and the chicken is a great substitute for ground beef!

The recipe is super simple. Get some chicken (about a 1/2 pound per person) and cook it up. I suggest to shredded the chicken because having it small chunks like I did causes the tortillas to rip. Once all the chicken is cooked mix in taco or fajita seasoning. Place in tortilla or over some chips and top with your favorite taco toppings!

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The week has flowen by. Started out working all my hours between Monday and Wednesday. Got my feet pampered on Monday. My knees are still sore from Sunday, but with running I think my knees will always be sore! Signed up to do a triathlon with Josh and my Dad this summer in Door County (Josh will swim, my Dad will bike, and I will run!). I also think I added a half marathon to my to-do list this summer and I am also thinking of running another full marathon in September...I am crazy?

Josh and I will be heading up to the UP tonight to do some hiking at Pictured Rocks (on Lake Superior). We then have our church picinic on Sunday so lets cross our fingers that the weekend will be blessed with good weather!

Hope you all had a wonderful week and that you will have a GREAT weekend!

Twenty Six Point Two

I paricipated in the Green Bay Cellcom Marathon this morning. I ran 26.2 miles in 5 hours and 15 seconds. I am over joyed with what I accomplished.

The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing (oh only 40+ mile an hour gusts). I woke up this morning at about 4am listening to the wind howl and wondered what I got myself into. Josh came to pick me up and we sat and froze outside Lambeau Field in anticpation for the race to start. The first part of the race wasn't too bad with the wind because we were changing direction enough so I told myself no walking until mile 16 (which was the start of the Fox River trail and would be a 6 mile battle against the wind) and I didn't walk until then! Oh and I got to run a lap on the field inside Lambeau right before crossing the finish line, how cool is that!?

Had some visitors along the way and boy was I thrilled to have someone cheering me on! Many people made signs to cheer people on and I got a few chuckles out of some of the signs on the course..."If you can read this you are running to slow", "I am so proud of you stranger", "Black toe nails are sexy", "Pain is only temporary, the pride of running a marathon is forever".

Right before mile 16

My lap around Lambeau

Crossing the finish line!!!!

All done

Just some of my support crowd!

My body is very sore right now, but so excited to go get pedicures with a friend tomorrow! Will also be taking the week off of all activities and then will start running again in preparation for the Bellin Run on June 11!

"They will run and not grow weary"

I saw this on a sign the other day and it pretty much as been in my mind since. Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; THEY WILL RUN AND NOT GROW WEARY, they will walk and not be faint."

Tomorrow is the day. I will run my first marathon and let me tell you the last week has been pretty rough on my nerves (I think they are pretty much shot). I  understand it is all a mind game and trust me it is a tough battle. The past few days I have been going between I can't do this and then arguing with myself and saying I can do this. My legs are sore, no wait, my body is sore. I am so looking forward to taking the next week off, but before that happens I have to make it through tomorrow.

Pasta dinner has been eaten, the chip is on, the clothes are all picked out, my pack is all packed with GU, and my bag is all packed. The weather looks like no rain, clouds at the beginning opening up to partly cloudy skies, and wind, oh how I love the wind.

I signed up for this back in January and procrastinated a lot of my training until about two months ago. Along with running I also did Zumba classes two days a week. It has been a rough road and finally the day is here.

My last post I said to come back and see what mile you are. Well I decided to dedicate each mile I am running to someone special in my life.

Mile 1 - My mom. If it wasn't for her I would not be here today to even participate in this.
Mile 2 - My dad. My partner in crime when it comes to stuff like this.
Mile 3 - My brother. We may not get a long most of the time, but he has shown me some support the past few weeks.
Mile 4 - Josh. You will most likely see him later in the list, but he is the one telling me I can do it when I say I can't.
Mile 5 - My future in-laws. Besides my own family they are my second biggest support crowd, even when they tell me I am crazy!
Mile 6-10 - To my wonderful extended family.
Mile 11-17 - To all my wonderful friends (you know who you are). You provide competition to help push me along the way.
Mile 18-20 - To a beautiful mother/daughter pair. This will probably be the toughest part of the run so here is to you! I can't image going through what you two have been through the past 3-4 years. Besides my own mother you two are two of the toughest women I know!
Mile 21-24 - To all my loved ones who are not here today. I still think of you day in and day out and know you will helping me in spirit.
Mile 25 - For myself.
Mile 26 - For God. He granted me enough strength to make it this far so here is to Him.
Mile 26.1-26.2 - Josh and my family. Can't wait to see your faces when I cross the finish line!


Thanks for stopping back and thinking about me! I will post pictures and results tomorrow evening!

Tasteful Tuesday and Mother's Day!

I told my mom that I would come home from work and make dinner. I started out with the idea that I would make some sort of steak, but changed that idea when I came across this: Hawaiian Ribs on a Stick! For one my mom likes ribs and second she LOVES Hawaii. This marinade was great and left the meat so flavorful and juicey!

How delicious does this look?

Recipe for Hawaiian Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup water

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons oil

Make the marinade and marinade the meat for the day or even overnight. Do NOT discharge the marinade once cooking the meat, you will need it to bast the meat while cooking. If cooking on the grill, cook about 20 mins. I flipped mine at 10 minutes and basted. You can also bake the ribs in the oven. This will take about an hour at 400 degrees and you want to pull out and bast every 15 mins. 

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Again, sorry for the delay in the blogpost. I should be back to being on top of this next week! 3 days left until the marathon and I think my nerves are shot. My body is sore and I just can't wait for Sunday to get here so I can just do this. 

Come back on Saturday and read how I prepared for running the marathon and see what mile YOU are!

Tasteful Tuesday and Some Other Thoughts

Monday morning I was watching the Rachael Ray show and she made this, Michigan Mac-Topped Hot Dogs. It is kind of a twist of the chili dog but also has mac and cheese! It was pretty good and had a little kick to it! If you want something new to do with a hot dog you can find the recipe here.

Rachael Ray's Michigan Mac-Topped Hot Dog

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I am sure by now you have heard the news that the terrorist leader who was in charge of the 9/11 attacks is now dead. Don't get me wrong I know he was a bad man and did terrible things all around the world and especially here in the United States, but how much better are we that we are celebrating his death in the streets? What does that teach our young ones? I am not a mother but you can go here and find a mother's dilemma.

This time reminds me of the John Lennon song "Imagine"

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
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Spring is finally in the air!!! I celebrated the beautiful weather with a 20 mile run yesterday and I have the goofy tan lines to prove it!

I just love spring. New growth and new, bright colors instead of the dual, dark ones from a long winter!

Happy Spring!

And it starts!

Yesterday my Dad and I participated in our first event of the season...the Paper Discovery Duathlon down in Neenah, Wisconsin. It turned out to be a beautiful morning minus the strong winds.

Before the race began!

A duathlon is a biking/running event. At this event I ran 2 miles, my Dad biked 19 miles, and then I ran another 2 miles to finish us up. Each duathlon has its own lengths of running and biking. For example last October we participated in the Green Bay Duathlon and I ran 3 miles, Dad biked 39(?), and then I ran 1 mile. Many people also do this event by themselves (not on a relay team).

Dad coming into the transition area after his biking (he is behind the guy in the white shirt)

On the last two mile stretch!

All done!

We ended up finishing 19th out of 79 relay teams with a total time of 1 hour 37 minutes and 17 seconds. You did a great job Dad and I am proud to be your duathlon partner! Can't wait for our next event together!!!

And the Week Flew By!

Again this week has seemed to catch my by surprise and it's already Friday. Easter came and went (sometimes I feel that holidays are such a blur when you are running from one place to the other). And then I jumped right into the work week.

For my meal this week I ended up cooking Easter lunch here at home for the family. I made my first turkey! I sure didn't think it could be that simple. I mean all I really did was put it in the pan!

Did you know they have bags you can cook it in too? (A tip from the future Mother-in-law)

All the buzz about the Royal Wedding hit on Monday. No I didn't get up at 5am to see the wedding, but boy did she look beautiful! All I have to say is my own wedding can't come soon enough, especially since we hit the 6 month mark yesterday! I just can Not WAIT! All the little details are starting to come together and I am falling in love with it all.

16 days until I lace up my shoes and run 26.2 miles. I found myself procrastinating with the whole training process, but this week I finally ventured out and did about an 18 mile run. 3 hours of running. Not to mention I did my Zumba class and also tried kickboxing. Please say a little prayer for me on Sunday May 15th, that God grant me to strength and perseverance to finish. (Looking to do a 20 mile run next Wednesday and then I will be all done with my long runs.)

Speaking of running, my Dad and I will be participating in the Paper Discovery Duathlon this Sunday. I will run 2 miles, he will bike about 20 miles, and then I will finish us up and run another 2 miles. Check here Sunday night to see how we did!

Happy Friday and hope you the week didn't catch you by surprise!

Easter.

Between all the commotion of today I just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER! I have home made muffins in the oven, getting ready for church, and making my FIRST turkey today! Lets not look past the real reason we gather with family and friends today. It's not about the Easter bunny, baskets, or eggs. Toys or candy. It is about sacrifice and being thankful for what Christ did for us so long ago. It's about celebration. The celebration that He was right when he told the discliples that on the third day he would rise and join the Father. So just remember what today is really about as you gather with your loved ones and are enjoying delicious food.

HAPPY EASTER!

Late again, Tastefull Tuesday!

Just when I feel caught up in life I realize I am so not. Laundry is to the brim (I am all out of running clothes), my room is a mess, and my select "chores" that I have here at home still have not been done. I didn't get to cook dinner on Monday as I had a women's potluck with some of the people that I reconnected with. I will also be posting the recipe for the dessert that I brought!

So I cooked dinner yesterday. I saw this recipe on the Rachael Ray show last week and it looked yummy yet it was different. It is an India chicken recipe and it wasn't anything spectacular . Not sure if I messed somethingup but it tasted like normal chicken to me! You can find the recipe for that here. It is called Sanjeev Kapoor's Quick Jeera Chicken.

My version of Quick Jeera Chicken

Dessert for Women's Potluck! Does the recipe look formilar Aunt Brenda? :) Got lots of good comments on it!

Toffee Brownie Trifle

1 package brownie mix (13x9 pan)

2 1/2 cups of milk

1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding

1 package (3.4oz) instant white chocolate pudding

1 carton (8oz) whipped topping

2-3 heath bars, chopped (I sometimes just do chocolate chips)

1. prepare and bake brownies according to the package, follow directions for cake-like brownies (13x9). Cool completely.

2. In a mixing bowl beat the milk and pudding mixes on low speed for 2 mins. Fold in the whipped topping. 

3. Cut the brownies into small cubes and place half in a 3qt glass trifle bowl or serving dish. Cover with half of the pudding. Repeat  layers.

4. Sprinkle with chopped candy bars, etc.

5. Refrigerate leftovers

 

Tasteful Tuesday

Sorry the post is late, I got caught up in the nice weather outside! Monday night I made a super simple dinner of chicken teriyaki.

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken (as many breasts you need)

Teriyaki marinade or here is a recipe to make your own

Rice

Veggies

1. Marinade chicken. The bottle of marinade that I had said to marinade for a minimum of 30 mins. I let mine sit for about 5 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken in baking pan. Brush with marinade.
3. Place chicken in oven and bake for 1 hour. After 30 mins pull out of oven and flip chicken and brush with marinade. Bake for the remaining 30 mins.
4. Cook up some rice (follow directions on package)
5. You can also stir fry some veggies up to add to the dish!

Enjoy!

Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win Cold Tangerines! You have till Friday!

Friends, Love, and Everything in Between

I have been so MIA besides my Tasteful Tuesday blog posts. I have been telling myself to find the words to write more.

Recently my bedtime book has been Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. I have become very fond of this author and her thoughts on life.She also wrote Bittersweet which I also love. A read a chapter the other night which really opened my eyes to everything happening in my life recently. It touched on the subject of friends and she really hit the true meaning of a true friend.

"Friendship is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways. We were made to represent the love of God in each other's lives, so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God's love for them. Friendship is the opportunity to act on God's behalf in the lives of the people  that we're close to, reminding each other who God is. When we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life. We get to remind one another about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can't always see from where we are."

This weekend was Relay for Life and I am so glad I got to experience and participate with loved ones for loved ones.

We spent Saturday walking in honor of those who lost their battle to cancer, to those fighting their battle with cancer, and to those we survived cancer. Cancer is such a touchy subject. The word is scary because you never know what it will bring. It brings emotions to the surface and it helps show us friendship, love and everything in between.

"True friendship is a sacred, important thing, and it happens when we drop down into that deeper level of who we are, when we cross over into the broken, fragile parts of ourselves."

 Leave a comment of what friendship means to you and a drawing will be done to win this book on Friday, April 15.

Disclaimer: I bought this book and am holding the drawing on my own terms.

Tasteful Tuesday: Germany!

This week I found a delicious yet different meal from Germany followed by a yummy German dessert. Don't ask me how to pronounce the name...

Schweinsrouladen

6 boneless pork chops

2 tablespoons flour 1 onion, minced 4 slices bacon, diced 1/4 cup parsley, minced 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup pineapple, diced 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup beer

1. Cook onions and diced bacon until bacon is crispy.
2.  Pound pork chops until thin. While pounding, work in flour as well as salt and pepper.
3.  When bacon is crispy, add parsley, raisins, and pineapple. Remove from heat.
4.  Spoon bacon mixture onto pork chops, roll up the meat, and fasten with toothpicks or string.
5. Heat butter in a large frying pan with a lid. Brown the rolled pork chops on all sides in butter. Add beer (or chicken, pork, or beef stock) and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
6.  Serve hot.

Apple Cranberry Strudel

6 cups apples, peeled, sliced, tart (Northern Spy, Macintosh, Courtland or Granny Smith)
1/2 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
8 ounces phyllo pastry sheets, thawed (half of a box, found in the frozen desserts section of your grocery store)
2 cups butter, melted
1 cup breadcrumbs, plain, finely crushed 

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, lemon rind, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, flour and walnuts; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 1 1/2 cups butter. In a medium skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter. Stir and cook bread crumbs with butter until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
4. Place one phyllo leaf on a dry kitchen towel and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.
5. Place a second leaf on top of first phyllo leaf, brush with butter and sprinkle with crumb mixture. Repeat until five leaves have been used.
6. Mound approximately 1 cup of the filling in a 3-inch strip along the narrow end of the phyllo, leaving a 2-inch border. Do not mound too thick, as the filling will spill out the ends of the phyllo once rolled up.
7.  Lift towel, using it to roll leaves over apples in a jelly roll fashion.
8. Carefully place strudel on a large cookie sheet with raised sides, allowing space for five more strudels.
9. Brush top of strudel with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
10.  Repeat entire procedure for remaining five strudels.
11.  Bake strudels for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
12. Allow to cool for at least two hours. Cut each strudel into halves or thirds and serve. 

In other cooking news I was in a cupcake contest with Josh's family this past Sunday and tied for second! I made Chocolate Mint Surprise Cupcakes. A vanilla cupcake with mint buttercream filling and dark chocolate ganache frosting topped with Andes mints!

Tasteful Tuesday: Italy

I have always dreamed of going to Italy. The land, the language, the history, and the food just fascinates me. Well, after last week and running around in a "chicken with its head cut off" kind of way I decided to not go all out this week. I made ravioli and let me tell you it was super simple and ready in about 20 mins.

There really isn't a recipe for this unless you make your own spaghetti sauce or want to venture and make your own ravioli and you can find that recipe here. I went to the frozen food section and found a bag of ravioli. They have beef, cheese, italian sausage, etc. so pick what you would like. Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Make sure to heat up the spaghetti sauce. And if you would like to add meat to the sauce make sure to brown/cook it before mixing with the sauce. Also allow time for the meat and sauce to simmer before serving. Add some delicious garlic toast and your meal is complete!

Stay tuned, next week we are venturing to Germany!

Tasteful Tuesday: France

So to continue our tour through Europe last night we made a stop in France. Boy is french cooking a lot of work. I feel that I burned more calories making the meal then I received eating the meal. I was so excited to have the food made that I forgot to take a picture before diving in. I made a delicious french chicken recipe followed by crepes with pear filling. One hint if you want to know if the recipe is french, it contains wine!

Ingredients

1 Chicken (3 lb / 1.4 kg) 1 Onion Carrots 1 oz butter (25 g) 2 tb flour 3 cups chicken bouillon or stock 1 cup dry white wine 1 parsley sprigs 1/2 lb mushrooms 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup whipping cream Lemon juice Salt, black pepper

Chicken Fricassee Recipe (serve 6)
Step 1: In a casserole or skillet, cook the carrots and onion in butter for 5 minutes over moderate heat. Cut the chiken in about 10 pieces. Add the cut-up chicken in the skillet. Turn it every minute for 4 minutes until slightly golden yellow.
Step 2: Lower heat, cover and cook very slowly. Turn the chicken once while cooking.
Step 3: Add salt, pepper and flour on both sides of the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 4 to 5 minutes. And turn the chicken once during the process.
Step 4: Remove from heat. Boil the bouillon/stock and pour in over the chicken. Add the wine, parsley and just enough bouillon/stock or water to cover the chicken. Bring to the simmer. Cover and maintain for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Cook the mushrooms in butter with a drop of lemon juice. Retrieve the cooking juice of both the mushrooms and chicken. Simmer the cooking juice in a casserole for 3 minutes. Remove the fat from it. Then raise heat and boil, stir it well until the sauce reduces itself, enough to get 2 1/2 cups from it.
Step 6: Blend the egg yolks and cream. While beating it, add the sauce very slowly. Pour the sauce in the casserole again and cook at medium to high heat. Stir the sauce all the way. Boil for 1 minute. Add a drop of lemon juice and salt & pepper.
Step 7: Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetabbles. Heat the chicken fricassee if needed. Add butter before serving.

Basic Crepe Batter Recipe:

Pâte à Crèpes… Thin, light, and luscious!
This recipe is home base for all your fantastic crepe creations! Simple to make, and wonderful to eat!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (for about 15 crepes):
2 cups Flour
2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
4 Eggs
2 tbsp. Butter (melted)
Pinch of Salt
1/2 Vanilla Stalk or Few Drops Vanilla Extract (optional)
Vegetable Oil (for pan)

How to Prepare Batter:

1. Sift flour and mix with salt in a bowl.
2. Make a well and pour in eggs. Stir well.
3. Slowly pour in milk while stirring. Keep stirring batter until small bubbles form on the surface.
4. Stir in Butter.
Voilà!

NB The batter does not need to stand before using it. However, if you do let it stand, you will most likely want to add 1 tbsp. of water before cooking with it. General rule of thumb: if it seems thicker than cream, add a little more water, and/or a little more milk.

How to Prepare Crepes:

1. Pour a little vegetable oil on a folded paper towel, and wipe the pan evenly. Keep paper towel at hand while preparing crepes, in case you want to give it another wipe.
2. Pour in 2 - 3 tbsp. of batter and quickly move pan around, so that batter spreads evenly, covering the whole surface with a thin layer.
3. Let cook for about 1 minute. Then, flip with a metal spatula, and cook other side for about 30 seconds.

Repeat these steps until you are out of batter, stacking cooked crepes on a plate. Yum!

Variations:

Prefer whole wheat flour? No problem. You can substitute the white flour with your own favorite!

Serving Ideas:

Traditionally, a crepe is lightly topped, and then folded into quarters. Meaning, fold in half, and then fold in half again.

If you prefer, you can also top your crepe and then roll it up like a tortilla.

Of course, when you are using thicker fillings, you will probably just want to fold the crepe in half once.

Succulent Cinnamon Pear! (Filling for crepe)

Crèpes aux Poires Fondantes… Delicious crepes that will melt in your mouth!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

You Need:

8 crepes ( click here for batter instructions)
4 Pears (peeled and cut into slices or cubes)
2 Cinnamon Sticks (or powder)
3/4 cup Dry White Wine
1 tbsp. Butter
Vanilla Ice-Cream
Whipped Cream (optional)

Sauté pears in white wine with cinnamon over a medium-high flame. When most of the liquid has disappeared and the pears are cooked, stir in butter. Spread crepes onto individual plates and cover one half of each crepe with pears. Fold over other half. Top with vanilla ice-cream and if you want, a little cinnamon powder and whipped cream. Serve right away! Voilà!

Stop by next week and see what we cooked up from Italy! Bon appetit!!

Thoughts

Thoughts. I have had many thoughts running through my brain lately. So many that when I lay in bed at night I try to piece the day together between running here and there, working, and doing this and that. Thoughts of a wedding coming up (225 days to be exact), thoughts of my future since everybody keeps asking what I am going to do next, thoughts of family, thoughts of a friend who is going through an extremely hard time right now, and being Catholic, thoughts on lent and the meaning of it all.

Lent is an important time for Catholics. It is a time for exactly what this post is all about. It is time to reflex, to ask for forgiveness, and most of all to experience what Jesus Christ did for us. We don't eat meat on Fridays (or Ash Wednesday), we are expected to fast, we are expected to give up something like He gave up for 40 days and nights. All of this, such a small price, for what He did about 2000 years ago for us.

This lent I decided that I was going to give up buying myself material items (excluding groceries and toiletries). I already have all the material things I need and more. But as I watch a friend struggle (you wouldn't know she is struggling because she has such a positive attitude) I keep asking myself what else can I give. What can I give so that in return she is given just a little break? Don't get my wrong, I am not seconding guessing my faith, I know that God chose a path for everyone and He chose this path for her because he knew she could handle it. But I just have so much and I am so blessed and it has me asking the question "what else can I give?"

At church on Sunday I received this:

Turtle Bread

I received this from a second grader who will be receiving first communion in May and in returned I promised to pray for him and the steps that he will take in his religious life starting with the step of first communion.

So please tonight, Sunday at church, Easter at church, or whenever you get around to it will you send up a few extras prayers. A prayer for my friend to be given more strength and to help her and many others around her to see the light in all this darkness. And a prayer for this little boy that he will continue to follow the light of God.

Tasteful Tuesday: Welcome to Ireland!

This Monday I started the "Tour of Europe". I decided that for the next few weeks I will explore and make traditional meals from some European countries. Just a way to branch out and try something new!

So this week in honor of St. Patrick's Day (on Thursday) I made a dish that you would find in Ireland. No, not corned beef and cabbage. I made Dublin Coddle and Irish Strawberry Bread for dessert. When looking at Irish recipes I found that many are simple and do not include a lot of ingredients. So here it is...

Dublin Coddle

1 1/2 pints of water (2 cups in 1 pint)

8 think slices of ham cut into chunks

8 pork sausages

2 large onions peeled and sliced

1 1/2 lbs of potatoes peeled and sliced

salt and pepper

2 heaped tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1. Bring the water to the biol in a saucepan, then add the ham and sausages and cook for 5 mins. Drain well and reserve the cooking liquids for later.

2. Set oven to 300 degrees

3. Place potatoes and onion in pan (I also added carrots)

4. Place the ham, sausages, and chopped parsley in pan and pour over just enough cooking liquid to cover (I did use it all) and cover with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper (parchment paper will do) and cover with lid (or foil) and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the liquid is greatly reduced and the vegetables cooked but not mushy

*Adding some Guinness to the Coddle will give it an extra kick!

Strawberry Bread

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Add eggs and oil and mix well. Stir in strawberries and mix again (will not be runny!)

3. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake 1 hour until golden brown on top.

4. Cool in pan 10 mins before turning out onto wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

 Leave a comment if you have a recipe or suggestion for a meal. Maybe you went to Europe and had a to-die-for meal, well let me know what it was!

 I hope you enjoyed this little visit to Ireland and stay tuned because next week we will be visiting France!

 

Tasteful Tuesday

This recipe is great for dinner parties and a great way to wow your guests! Tell them they are having Mac 'n' Cheese and then pull this out of the oven!

Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese

I got this recipe from the "Rachael Ray" magazine and let me tell you this is gourmet Mac 'n' Cheese (nothing like kraft!) It took about 45mins to 1 hour to throw all this together and it was so delicious!

 Grilled Chicken and Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese

6 slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as applewood-smoked

Salt and pepper

1 pound whole wheat short-cut pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and very thinly sliced

2 rounded tablespoons flour

1/2 cup cloudy apple cider or chicken stock

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded

Chopped flat leaf parsley or celery greens, for garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or on a rack placed over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Chop and reserve. Switch on the broiler and position the rack in the center of the oven.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than the instructions indicate, or until just shy of al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is working, heat a grill pan or cast iron griddle over medium-high heat. Drizzle the chicken with EVOO to coat lightly, then season evenly with the paprika, salt and pepper. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a cutting board and halve the pieces lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

While the chicken cooks, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until light golden and very soft, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in the cider (or stock), then the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheeses until melted.

Add the chicken, bacon and sauce to the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Broil until bubbling and browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with the parsley (or celery greens).

I am sure you can mix of the cheeses and I did not use fresh Thyme so I only added 1 tablespoon and it was still very strong. I hope you enjoy and let me know how impressed your guests were!

Tasteful Tuesday: Slowcooker Style!

This Monday I decided to find a slowcooker recipe for all those busy bodies out there! It actually turned out to be a great Monday to do it on as I was quite busy myself and ended up not being home for dinner! This recipe was delicious.

Apple Glazed Pork Roast

Pork Loin Roast (Your desired weight, mine was 3lb and it was plenty for 5)

6 Apples 

1/4 Cup Apple Juice

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon 

1. Rub Roast with Salt and Pepper

2. Brown pork roast in broiler to remove excess fat. (I did not do this step)

3. Core and quarter apples and place in the bottom of the crock pot.

4. Place roast on top of apples

5. Combine apple juice, brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Spoon over top of roast, moistening it well.

6. Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours

*I did add a bag of carrots to the crock pot.

A couple tips that I found online when using a slow cooker are:

• Only fill the crockpot one half to two thirds full. The foods will not cook properly if the appliance is filled to the brim. If the food and liquid level is lower, the foods will cook too quickly.
• Foods cooked on the bottom of the slow cooker cook faster and will be moister because they are immersed in the simmering liquid.
• Remove skin from poultry, and trim excess fat from meats. Fats will melt with long cooking times, and will add an unpleasant texture to the finished dish. Fatty foods will also cook too quickly.
• You can thicken the juices and concentrate flavors by removing the lid and cooking on HIGH for the last half hour of cooking time.
• Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Use cheaper cuts of meat - not only do you save money, but these meats work better in the slow cooker. Cheaper cuts of meat have less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking. Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.
• Follow the layering instructions carefully. Vegetables do not cook as quickly as meat, so they should be placed in the bottom of the appliance.(Notice in the picture I did not follow this step and the carrots were not done!)
• Don't lift the lid to stir, especially if you are cooking on the low setting. Each time you lift the lid, enough heat will escape that the cooking time should be extended by 20 minutes to half an hour. To check progress without lifting the lid, spin the cover until the condensation falls off. Then it's easy to see inside.

8 Months

Josh and I

In 8 months Josh and I will be saying our I Do's from this exact spot! Better attire though! Happy 8 months till one of the best days of my life Josh!

Confirmed!

Today my not so little little brother got confirmed! Sponsored by the one and only Josh!

Josh and Nathaniel (John)

I am so proud of you Nathaniel for making this adult decision to be confirmed! Congratulations on your confirmation!!!!

BFF's

You know how back in elementary and middle school you had that one person who you considered your BFF (best friend forever). You each had the heart necklace that was split in half, one part saying best and the other saying friends. Well I was blessed with more then one BFF. A heart necklace couldn't break into enough pieces to give each one of them one. They each are special in their own way and each have taught me something different about life.

Missing a few special people!

You know someone is special when they know your strengths AND your weaknesses. When you can tell them how you really feel about a situation and you know it won't ruin your friendship. When they know your deepest darkest secrets and still that does not scare them away. When you all go to separate colleges but still manage to be friends after 4.5 years. When one is in need of strength you help provide that. When one needs ears to listen you sit patiently and listen to what they have to get off their chest. When you don't need to sugar coat an explanation because they already understand. When they ask you your opinion you give them YOUR opinion, you don't worry about hurting their feelings. And when you just love each other because that is what BFF's do!

So who are your special people?