What's Cooking Monday?

"Waffleized" French Toast

I know, I used to ask what's cooking on Wednesday.  But today is only Monday and this is the only picture I took. I am trying to stay ahead caught up on the December Photo Project, and that is not easy for me right now!  (Careful readers may have noticed that there is currently no December 9th, but it will one day slip in, probably unnoticed.)  Also, I couldn't bear to leave that pitiful picture of John at the top of the page any longer.  So for now we will discuss what I cooked for dinner tonight.  I cook on Mondays, too, after all.

First the set up: we were supposed to spend the entire day skiing on this, the first home school ski day of the winter.  We were unable to do that due to a certain traumatic illness that is improving (and thank you for your sweet concern and prayers!), but is not at all ready for that kind of activity.  So instead we stayed home, except for a doctor visit for the sick child.  And Edwin left for a business trip. It was a bit disappointing for all involved.  I made homemade hot chocolate.  Yum.  And then we had waffleized French toast for dinner.  Cheer them up with food, a recurring theme.

What is waffleized French toast, you ask?  In this case it was French toast made with that chunky cinnamon bread they make in the grocery store bakery, (the stuff that they sometimes {today} put right in the doorway so you can't even get in before you have to pick up some), cooked with the waffle iron.  I promise, this idea came right into my head unassisted.  But I was not totally confident I could do such a thing, so I typed "other uses for waffle irons" right in the Google box, and guess what popped up?  The Waffelizer Blog: 30 Answers to the Question "Will It Waffle?"

How great is that?  Of course my French toast idea was there, and there were a lot of other great ideas that I barely had time to look at.  But you better believe I will go back there soon.  And maybe one day in the near future I will waffle something else and tell you about it here.  Maybe I will even waffle on a Wednesday.

What's Cooking Thursday? Homemade Popsicles

Well, the blog seems to be going all recipes, all the time (or at least once a week).  That is still not my intention, but I have just been too busy to write much.  My commitment to What's Cooking Wednesday seems to be the only thing that brings me back here each week.  And I even missed that yesterday.  Sorry!  I am sure that when winter comes again I will settle back down.

Great news!  Summer has arrived, like it usually does.  It is hard to believe how quickly things change around here.  We had snow the first two days of May, just a month ago, and yet Monday it was 97 degrees.  Tuesday was a scorcher at 103.  Yes, you read that right!  It was hot!  But yesterday we settled back into the 70's and today started out at 50 and won't reach 70.  Easy come, easy go...

Despite my negligence, I did have a recipe for What's Cooking Wednesday this week, so I will call it What's Cooking Thursday this time.  I was inspired by the warm weather to make homemade popsicles for the kiddos, and they turned out well.  This is more of an idea than a recipe, since you could do whatever you want here.  I had absolutely no popsicle-making equipment (molds, sticks, etc.), but they still turned out yummy.  I think I will look into some popsicle molds soon, though, because it would make the whole thing even easier.

Yogurt Pops

Vanilla yogurt, 16 oz (or any flavor)
Frozen orange juice concentrate, about 1/2 can
2 bananas

Blend ingredients together in a blender.  Pour into small paper cups or popsicle molds.  I threw in some whole blueberries just for fun.  If using paper cups, set them on a cookie sheet before filling for easier carrying to the freezer.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Insert popsicle sticks through plastic into the middle of each cup, or cut plastic straws in half and use those, which is what I did.  Freeze for 4-8 hours, or overnight.  Tear off paper cups to serve.

Basically, you can make your favorite smoothie of any variety and freeze it to make popsicles.  Yum! You could also freeze your favorite juice.  These will be healthier and cheaper than most popsicles you could buy.  If you resort to freezing Kool-aid, though, you may as well buy the little freezer pops in the long plastic tubes, which will be much easier and probably just as cheap.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Appetizers with Bacon

After a nice long weekend full of fun with family and friends and the arrival of some warm weather (finally!), I am finding myself shocked today that it is already Wednesday!  But I have been mulling over a recipe, though I am hard-pressed to call it a recipe since it is so very easy.  But this time of year I find that the easier the better around here, just in case I am distracted by the need to be outside in the sunshine.

A few weeks ago I needed a quick but fancy-looking appetizer, so I remembered that one year for New Year's Eve we had a bit of a puff-pastry theme for finger foods to eat all evening long.  The favorite of my family was a bacon and onion tart-like thing, which I will now very creatively call Onion-Bacon Pastry Tart.  Here's the recipe:

Onion-Bacon Pastry Tart
(Makes 48 appetizers)

1 box frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 tub garlic-flavored spreadable cheese, softened (I like Alouette garlic and herb flavor.)
12-16 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 onions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the bacon pieces until just short of crispy; remove bacon to drain on paper towels.  Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and discard.  Cook the onions in the remaining grease until onions are very soft and golden.  Drain the onion on paper towels.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one piece of puff pastry on each pan.  You can opt to just unfold it and leave it as is, which will make a puffier pastry, or you can roll it to make it a bit thinner.  (I have tried both and like it both ways.) Spread half of the cream cheese on each piece of pastry.  This is much easier if the cream cheese is nice and soft before you try it!  Then place half of the bacon and half of the onion on each piece of pastry; it will be easier if you just spread it out with your fingers.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is brown and puffy.  Remove from the oven and cool a bit before cutting into any shape you like (squares, rectangles, or diamonds are the easiest). 

These are good hot or at room temperature.  They can also be made earlier in the day and reheated before serving.

Once you try a single recipe with puff pastry you can imagine a million other things to do with it, so don't be afraid to branch out!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Comforting Mac & Cheese

Well, we've started round two of strep, and I am hoping it won't spread!  But since Edwin happened to be out of town last night and James happened to feel miserable, I decided to make macaroni and cheese.  I can vouch for how yummy this particular mac and cheese recipe is because Edwin actually does like it now and then, and that is saying a lot since he isn't usually fond of what is one of my favorite things (This is probably best for my mid-section!).  James and I on the other hand, love all things mac and cheese, and are even made happy by the old blue box version.  But don't worry, this one is much, much better!

The recipe is from the Rachael Ray Show, which I have never actually watched, and from the Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, which I always try to read or hang onto until I have time to read it.  But I think I was just looking around on the internet when I found this recipe, which you can see here, along with a short video. (The web page seems to load slowly, at least on my computer, but it does come up.)

One nice thing about this recipe is that you can change it around by leaving out or changing the meat (ham works nicely).  It is good without any meat, though my family is so addicted to bacon that they will miss it if I leave it out.  Another great thing is that you can freeze this easily, and you know how I love to make things ahead of time!  It's just warm and comforting, like food should be when your kids are sick.  Nothing fancy.  And though it's not the healthiest thing, at least it is 100% real food, which can't be said about the blue box.

I'll list the ingredients below, but take a look at the web-site for the directions.  Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken-and-Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese by Rachael Ray

6 slices good-quality smoky bacon, such as apple-wood smoked bacon

Salt and pepper

1 pound whole wheat, short-cut pasta

2 pieces skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 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 chopped fresh thyme

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

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

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Chopped flat-leaf parsley or celery greens, for garnish

What's Cooking Wednesday?

What's cooking this Wednesday?  Um, nothing.  Sorry!  Check back next week for something yummy...

Meanwhile, a quick update.  Anna's ballet performances went very well.  She was (is) so beautiful and graceful, and she really had a great time.  I fulfilled a mother's duty by crying afterwards, overwhelmed by seeing my daughter so happy and surrounded by such sweet and loving people.  I cannot say enough good things about the Reign Dance Theater.

We have been enjoying ourselves with Edwin's parents here over the weekend, and his mom will stay here until Friday.  The online classes are done, so we have been celebrating by having a math-only school week and playing the rest of the day.  After lunch today we are going to the Science Museum to see the King Tut exhibit, which can definitely count for school (if we were counting).  Tomorrow we will celebrate James's 12th birthday - Fun!

Hence, no real recipe post today.  But if you have missed any of the other Wednesdays you can always look back:
What's Cooking Wednesday - Better Than Fast Food Chicken "Fajitas"
What's Cooking Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner
What's Cooking Wednesday - Do What You Do Best
What's Cooking Wednesday - Eat the Leftovers
What's Cooking Wednesday - Yummy Kebabs
What's Cooking Wednesday - General Tso's Chicken
What's Cooking Wednesday - Red Velvet Cake with the Super-Special Frosting
What's Cooking Wednesday - King Ranch Chicken Casserole - A Guest Post!
What's Cooking Wednesday - Food Link Round-Up

Wow!  I can't believe there are that many of those.  Enjoy the sunshine! 

What's Cooking Wednesday - Food Link Round-Up

I've mentioned this is quite the busy week for our family, so I will now use that as my excuse to do an easy version of What's Cooking Wednesday.  I have been collecting links to interesting recipes over the past couple of months; today I will share them.  If you have seen any great food links lately, please feel free to share them in the comments!

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies - Look at the picture and you will see why I really want to try this!
http://proverbs14verse1.blogspot.com/2011/04/these-are-simply-amazing.html

Salmon with Basil Romesco Sauce, Spaghetti with Cheese and Black Pepper, and Poppy Seed and Mandarin Orange Salad - I want to try this because I need to eat more fish, I love all things spaghetti, and I love complete menus.  Not to mention I love the lady who writes Wednesday Grace.
http://wednesdaygrace.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/im-a-foodie/

Muffin Mondays - I have no idea how I stumbled across this blog, but it was probably from a link in one of the other blogs I read.  This lady posts a new muffin recipe every Monday, and lots of them look good to me.  Another thing I like about it is how similar the recipes are; it makes me feel like I can branch out and make any kind of muffin by just modifying the thing I already know.  I made the Heavenly Vanilla Muffins and they were very good and filling.  The one I plan to try next is Whole Wheat Banana Muffins.
http://happyindolevalley.blogspot.com/search/label/muffin%20mondays

And now two from Macheesmo, another food blog I am not sure how I found.  I do enjoy it, though, and often talk abut Mr. Macheesmo when discussing cooking or my new iron skillet.

More about Kabobs - Has anyone noticed I can not settle on the way to spell this food?  But you know how I love them!
http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/05/the-kabob-job/

Chile Relleno Burrito - This looks so good, and it looks very versatile too!
http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/05/chile-relleno-burrito/

I hope you click and cook this week!  Enjoy!

What's Cooking Wednesday - King Ranch Chicken Casserole - A Guest Post!

I must admit that I am so excited about this, my first "guest post."  It makes me feel like a real blogger!  When I asked for ideas on Facebook yesterday for What's Cooking Wednesday, my friend Julie chimed in with a suggestion.  Then she graciously agreed to write a guest post about her recipe, King Ranch Chicken Casserole.

I met Julie at the University of Montevallo, where we were in the same sorority.  I remember her as being fun-loving and hilarious, and found out that she is still that way, in addition to being a loving Christian wife and mother, after meeting back up with her on Facebook a couple of years ago.  We recently (not as recently now, but compared to the almost 20 years that went by before that, pretty recent) had the pleasure of getting our families together for one short meal, which was really fun.  After a stint of moving around, she is now settled in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Tim, and their three sweet daughters. Daughters who, by the way, give her so many hilarious stories that Julie could easily write her own blog!  Her cheery way of dealing with whatever life throws her way is enjoyable and refreshing to hear about.  And she has a special talent for making animals out of food!

And now, What's Cooking Wednesday, a guest post by my friend Julie!

We lived in San Antonio, Texas for six years. One of the many things I love about the city is the wonderful food.  My Texas friend, who is actually from El Salvador, introduced me to  King Ranch Chicken Casserole (KRCC).  It's an easy and versatile dish to prepare; it freezes well, and you can make any number of variations to suit your tastes.  During our time in San Antonio, I had many versions of KRCC at work functions, church potlucks, Bible study/small group dinners, San Antonio Spurs Championship parties, etc.   This recipe makes a lot, I usually cook half and freeze the other half for a night we need a quick dinner.

Read on for the recipe!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Red Velvet Cake with the Super-Special Frosting

It's birthday season at my house! John turned 10 last Saturday, Daniel will turn 8 on Friday, and then in another three weeks or so James will turn 12. So I have been thinking about birthday cakes. Almost every birthday cake we have had through the years has been homemade. I usually let the birthday child choose what type of cake he wants. Occasionally, I have actually decorated cakes, like the famous Pooh or Bob the Builder cakes of the past, or the baseball, soccer, race car varieties with some plastic figures stuck on top. Now that I think about it, this week could be my last chance to make the figure eight race car track cake that is just right for a boy's eighth birthday! Hmmm...But most often there is just a yummy cake with candles, which our children have always been happy with, thankfully!

The absolute favorite cake, the one most-often chosen by birthday children and adults in my family, and the go-to cake for our Christmas Eve feast is the Red Velvet Cake, made from Edwin's mom, Gail's recipe. Here is what Gail had to say about it:

The recipe was one of Grandma Helen’s. I think she pulled it out of a women’s magazine (Home & Garden, probably). The first I remember it was a Christmas when I was 10 or so. It was the most beautiful cake I had ever seen…and tasted pretty good, too. She was always trying out new recipes on us. Some made the cut and some didn’t. Obviously, the red velvet cake did. Many people make a similar cake now, but they always use the cream cheese frosting…not as good as the other, I think, but easier.

The cake may be a fairly standard recipe for red velvet cake, but the ICING! This is what makes all the difference. Like Gail said, most people frost red velvet cake with a cream cheese frosting. But our family heirloom cake is topped with a yummy, creamy icing that has no cream cheese, but plenty of milk, butter, and sugar. It is smooth and creamy, and holds up very well in the refrigerator (or on the garage workbench if it happens to be Christmas in Minnesota and there is no room in the refrigerator!). Actually, I believe this cake is better a couple of days after you make it, which makes it perfect for making ahead of time (Something I love to do with most things, but hardly ever seem to do with this cake. But we always think it tastes better on day 2 or 3, if it lasts that long!). 

Read on for the recipe!

What's Cooking Wednesday - General Tso's Chicken

Saturday night I cooked something I have wanted to try at home for a long time, General Tso's Chicken.  Edwin and I always order it from our favorite little Chinese place near our house, and that worked out great when we used to send the kids to bed early and split one order as a sort of stay home date night.  Then one day we actually let our kids eat some of our beloved "Chinese food," and they discovered how good it is.  Now the $11 cheap date has turned into $40+ of take out.  It's no wonder Edwin started suggesting I look for a recipe for that delicious General Tso's!

Well, I have looked around for what might have been years, but I have never tried any of the recipes I found.  Then last week I received the May issue of Food and Wine magazine, and guess what recipe I saw?  General Tso's Chicken (click the link for the recipe), and I decided the time had finally come.  It was definitely worth the wait.  And it was even better than our cherished takeout.

I followed the recipe almost exactly (I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, because I just like white meat better.), though I did triple it.  We had two guests plus our family, and I wish I had quadrupled the recipe.  We ate every.single.bite.  It was very tasty, even though it was not as spicy as we are used to.  I will definitely add  a lot more of the Chinese chile-garlic sauce the next time.  YUM. Enough said.

By the way, each Wednesday I have been linking up with Raising Homemakers.  Be sure to browse through the many homemaking blog posts there.  I found some good blogs by browsing through the links there!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Yummy Kebabs

Well, it is not my intention for this to become a recipe blog.  But those seven days in a week really fly by, so it's already that time again!  I hope to post later in the week about our trip to the Twins' Home Opener and all the other things that have been going on, but for now let's see what's cooking!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that it really is OK to cook the same things again and again when you have company, especially if your company is usually different.  I branched out and tried something sort of new last Sunday, since it was one of the the first weekends the weather has been nice enough to grill outside.  This is a momentous occasion for us, believe me! 

I've made kebabs before, and there are many things to love about them, not the least of which is the endless variety of options for pleasing your crowd.  You can use chicken, steak, pork tenderloin, sausage, shrimp, or even a sturdy fish, and a million combinations of vegetables and fruits to go with the meat.  You can even leave out the meat altogether.  This time I made chicken kebabs with onions, green and red bell peppers, and zucchini.  I tried new recipes for the "flavoring pastes," from my cookbook called Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson.  I'll post the two I used below, but the book is worth having.  It has many terrific recipes for all kinds of gatherings.  To me, the cookbook's name implies that it contains recipes for a crowd, though it turns out that Ms. Anderson's definition of a crowd is 6 to 8 people, which is more like my everyday life.  Still, the recipes are easy enough to double or triple if your crowd is larger than hers!  I doubled the flavoring paste recipes for our relatively small crowd of 9 last Sunday.

To help get most of the food preparation done ahead of time, I cut up the chicken the night before, then made the flavoring pastes and cut up the veggies before church.  Putting the kebabs together is messy business with the raw meat, so I prefer to get that done before the company arrives.  Some might think it is a fun group activity, though!

Orange Rosemary Paste, from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson, p. 59

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons brown sugar

Jamaican Jerk-Style Paste, from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson, p. 59

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons hot red pepper sauce
1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate

The directions for both pastes are basically the same:
Heat oil and spices in a small pan over medium-high heat until they start to sizzle.  Add remaining ingredients, and simmer until mixture reduces to a thick paste.  (If you are impatient like I am, you will not wait until it resembles a paste; I found it was still yummy even though it wasn't exactly as thick as paste.)  Mix the paste with the kebab ingredients (Cut the meat into larger chunks than the veggies for even cooking.), then thread onto skewers and grill.

I cut up more veggies than I needed for the kebabs by mistake, so I threw the leftover veggies into a little aluminum foil packet and cooked them on the grill, too.  It turned out really well!  Just be careful to cook the veggies long enough to feel good about the raw meat juices they had been mixed with earlier!

I served the kebabs with yellow rice with green peas, a green salad, and some ancient grain bread.  Simple and nutritious, and it looked beautiful on the plates!  We had a store bought angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert, along with some ice cream since Cub had a buy one ice cream get TWO free special.  The flavoring pastes made a huge difference in the taste of the kebabs!  I am sure we will be re-using these recipes this spring and summer!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Do What You Do Best

I've heard a lot of people talk about ways to make hospitality easier, and one of the best suggestions I have heard is to pick out one or two menus and stick to them for a while.  Pick out a main dish, some sides, a bread, a few appetizers (or just little munchies), and a dessert that your family likes to eat and you know how (and can afford) to make.  Then just make that every time you have guests. 

We like to have lots of different people in our home over a period of time, and they probably do not realize that we served the same thing at our house last Sunday after church, too.  Even if they do (I am sort of letting the cat out of the bag here!), does it really matter?  The main point is that being hospitable does not have to be stressful.  It can be fun for the guests and the cook, if the cook is relaxed and knows she can manage this meal for a crowd.  It gets easier every time you put it together.

I do not always stick to this plan.  I have gotten more and more used to cooking ahead for a crowd over time, so I now have quite a few of these options available to me when I need them.  It seems they go by season: in the summer I like to (have Edwin) grill hamburgers or kebabs, with some cold side dishes; in winter we lean towards heavier things like roast beef, brisket, or lasagna.  As long as your family likes it they will not care if they see it over and over again.  And you will know just what to buy at the grocery store.

Here's what I've been cooking lately:

• Beef brisket, with a semi-homemade BBQ sauce (Sam's sells them big & cheap.)
• Hash brown potato casserole: 32 ounce bag of frozen hashbrowns mixed with 16 ounces of sour cream, 2 cups of shredded cheese, chopped onions, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 stick melted butter, & yes, the dreaded cream-o-chicken soup.  Top it with crushed crackers, cornflakes, or whatever you like and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  Edwin's mom made this famous for us and I will not mess with the recipe, though you could do a homemade substitute for the soup if you want.
• Baked beans: Have I mentioned we do most of our entertaining on Sundays?  This is the day we can really enjoy feasting and forget most of our dietary requirements of the week.  This is why we have things like potato casserole and baked beans. Yum.  I learned the baked bean thing from my mom, watching her dump in lots of stuff along with good-ole canned pork-n-beans.  It's impossible to measure; I just know what it is supposed to look like (color).  I pick out the disgusting pork blobs but leave the juice in the beans, then add ketchup, brown sugar, chopped onions, a little mustard, and sometimes BBQ sauce.  If you top it with a few bacon slices you get many extra bonus points!  Cook it in the oven with the potatoes, till it is thickened and bubbling.
• A big green salad, or cut up raw veggies: This helps with the guilt feelings associated with the above combination of food!
• Rolls or buns in case people want sandwiches, or just to be eaten on the side.

This menu really lends itself to making ahead; though as long as the meat is cooked on Saturday I can whip up the rest on Sunday morning before church.  Even though it is ready to eat, it is still nice to have some munchies sitting around while the guests arrive and get settled.  I usually cut up some peppers or carrots and have hummus, along with some crackers.  We might add some chips & dip or salsa to that or some popcorn.  Just something easy so we (this is really my issue) do not starve before the food gets on the table.  When we grill food in the summer it is even more important to have something substantial to eat as it takes a while to cook 15-20 burgers!

Most of my entertaining is casual, because we are just casual people.  But you could also come up with a meal that is fancy that you pull out on special occasions.  (My Christmas Eve feast is getting easier to do now that I have stuck to mainly the same dishes for a few years.)  Having a plan, like in most areas of life, will make entertaining easier no matter what the occasion.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace...
I  Peter 4:8-10

What's Cooking Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner

Wow!  Wednesday again already!  Last Wednesday I took James to the doctor for pneumonia.  Since then I've gone back with four out of five kids and I may need to take one of them back today.  So I have been in the high-maintenance parenting mode that involves lots of medicine and TLC while dealing with children that are less-than-content and really pretty miserable. 

Enter Breakfast for Dinner.  Who can be too sad when there are waffles for dinner?  I do know that food can not fix everything, but it is a good tool a mom can use to give comfort and cheer now and then.  So last night we had blueberry waffles, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and fruit salad for dinner.  The sickies ate and were merry.  They forgot for a moment that today we will be stuck inside at home again, with no ballet or piano, no trip to the library.  The highlight of the day may be looking out the window and watching it snow (but it's the wrong time of year for that to be too exciting).

Another good use for Breakfast For Dinner is when I have a grocery crisis, since these ingredients are usually on-hand.  I always have eggs, and breakfast meats have nice, long expiration dates so they are easy to keep on hand.  Waffles, pancakes, or biscuits can be made out of pantry items, and if I have some fresh fruit, that's a bonus.

My sweet children gave me a very nice waffle iron for my birthday recently, so we have been experimenting with waffles a lot lately.  Last night's blueberry waffles came from a mix, and though they were indeed blueberry, they were not nearly as tasty as the plain waffles I have been making with the Bisquick recipe.  (Watch out for trans fat in Bisquick!  Look at the label.  I buy the Heart Smart version, or the grocery store or ALDI brand which do not have trans fat.)  But I would rather leave the Bisquick behind and use only ingredients I can pronounce.  So here are some healthier (?) waffle recipes I will try in the near future.

• Pumpkin Pancakes, from the Raising Homemakers blog - I made these tasty pancakes and they were a huge hit.  I love the idea of adding vegetables to a pancake or waffle and getting away with it!  I need to research exactly how to change a pancake recipe to a waffle recipe.  I am fairly sure it involves using a bit less liquid (milk) and adding some vegetable oil.  The oil may not be needed since this recipe already has melted butter in it.  (If you double the recipe you can just use a can of packed pumpkin.)
• Blueberry Waffles - without the mix.  I will try this next time we want blueberry waffles.  This recipe has blueberries and blueberry yogurt.
• Whole Grain Waffles - Some version of this, with whole wheat flour, will most-likely become my basic waffle recipe.  We are used to the taste of whole wheat and really have no business eating too much white flour.

Another food-related thought for today: I just discovered a web-site called E-mealz.  It is a service that plans a seven meal menu that feeds four to six people based on the specials and sales at a specific grocery store.  It seems to be a southern thing, based on the grocery stores they use, but they have Wal-Mart and ALDI on the list, so I may give it a try.  I don't know if I am the kind of person who can stick to a plan like that, but I think it would be nice to go on auto-pilot for dinner plans for a while.  I'll definitely write about it later if I try it!

What's Cooking Wednesday - Better Than Fast Food Chicken "Fajitas"

Monday night Edwin was out of town, so I felt a bit "off the hook" as far as dinner went.  Still, there were six people who needed to eat, so I wasn't really off the hook.  I considered fast food for a few minutes, but had plenty of reasons to think better of it.  I needed to go to the grocery store anyway, so I hatched the plan for the super-easy chicken "fajitas."

I bought a rotisserie chicken, which is what caused me to put the word fajitas in quotes; real fajitas involve some grilled meat.  The key to this plan working for me is that without my husband (and with a Pi Day dessert) I decided we could survive with only one chicken.  We have grown into a 2 or 3 chicken family, which makes the grocery store rotisserie chickens quite pricey!  But if you are a smaller crew or your budget allows, the rotisserie chicken can save a meal now & then.

Here's how to do it:  Heat some olive oil in a skillet or stir fry pan (I like to do this on medium-high heat as long as I am there to pay attention to it.) while slicing up a large onion.  Add the onion to the hot oil once it is ready and stir it around a bit while you slice up a bell pepper or two.  Throw those in and stir them often. 

Remove the skin from the chicken (Do not eat the skin of the rotisserie chicken, especially if you are just standing there picking at it.  Throw it away. It is not worth the fat and calories.  If you want to roast your own chicken and do something to the skin that is worth it, then eat the skin.  But for this, forget it!).  Pull off the meat from the chicken any way you can - I usually just use my clean hands or two forks - and cut/rip/pull it into reasonably-sized pieces.  Throw it into the pan with the veggies, but sprinkle it pretty heavily with cumin before stirring it.  Let it heat up, and you're done.  If it seems dry (mine did), pour in some apple juice, chicken broth (if you have an open container of that in the fridge), or white wine (ditto the open container).  Really you could just add some water, but the apple juice made me feel so much more chef-ish, so I went with that.

Heat some tortillas, grate some cheese (better yet, have the kids do this while you are doing the rest), and serve with avocado slices, salsa, sour cream, and whatever else you can find that sounds good.  Yum!  If I were a real food blogger I would have taken a photo.  Maybe next time!

Here's a more real-looking ingredients list, for those of you who work that way...

Better Than Fast Food Chicken "Fajitas"  (Served 4 big and 2 little hungry people, with not a bite left over)

1 Rotisserie Chicken (or enough left-over cooked chicken for your family)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 large onions
1-2 bell peppers, any color
Cumin, about 1/2-1 tablespoon, or more to taste
Tortillas, cheese, salsa, avocados, sour cream, etc. for toppings

What's Coming Up...

My old friend Jill (who is not old since she is as old as me, but is a friend from long ago) has a blog called Jumpin' In, and each Wednesday she shares a recipe in a post she calls "What's Cooking Wednesday."  This week I plan to join her and begin to post a recipe or two each Wednesday.  I hope this will encourage me to post something here at least once a week, so my blog will not be lonely as it sometimes is.  Time will tell!

Also, last week I thought that my 100th blog post was coming up so I began to feel pressure about what to write for such a monumental occasion!  Then I noticed that several posts that were being counted were drafts and revisions, making the 100th post a little further removed.  But it's coming.  No clues as to if it will be worth reading!  But I am planning a little report from my statistics page, which I only very recently realized I had.

Lastly, what's coming up is a perfectly normal school week, for which I am thankful.  Decent weather, in the form of 30's, 40's, and maybe even 50 degrees (!) is in the forecast.  I am hoping to take my first four mile run this week; I have never run farther than 3.5 miles, so we'll see.  I am amazed once again at the blessings God has given us, especially in the wake of the great devastation in Japan, and the hard things going on even in the lives of our friends.  There is much to pray for, as always.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

There's a first time for everything, and this is my first time to participate in a blog link up.  (Though, in reality, I guess the December Photo Project is that sort of thing too.)  If you want to participate, or just get some awesome cookie recipes, hop on over to the Raising Olives blog.

Here's my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe, slightly adapted from a cook book that, if you are from Alabama, you will know as the "Yellow Phone Company Cookbook."  The kids love to open this book to this page because it has a note  from about 19 years ago slid in the book there, telling Edwin where to find things and what to do so he could bake these cookies a long time ago.  I think someone was coming to visit and he was going to be finished with classes before me.  Fun times!

Oatmeal Cookies 
 *Believe me, if you have anything close to a large family you will want to double or triple this!

1 c shortening      
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
1.5 c flour
3 c oatmeal
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped nuts (optional)
1 c chocolate chips (optional)

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs. Add flour, salt, and soda (I never pre-sift these - just mix well!).  Add vanilla.  After this point, you may need to stir by hand, depending on the size and strength of your mixer.  Add the oatmeal, nuts, and chocolate chips and mix well.  You could form the dough into a log and refrigerate over night or wrap well and freeze for later, treating them like slice and bake cookies.  Or just cook them now without chilling in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the cookie size.

Enjoy!  And please leave a good cookie recipe in the comments or join the 4 Moms cookie exchange link-up!

Cooking Up a Storm

Over the last month or so we have been trying to eat better for several reasons, not the least of which is that we are trying to diagnose some possible food sensitivities in one of the kids.  So we've been avoiding all things dairy and soy.  Most of us are still eating stand-alone dairy products, but anything prepared for the whole family is now milk- and soy-free, unless you count rice milk or almond milk as milk! 

As it turns out, every packaged food in the universe has either milk or soy, or both.  So this has pointed out to me just how much of that stuff we used to eat. I would have said it was not that much, but now that I have been forced to read every label I have noticed that is simply not true.   Even the foods I would not consider to be junk are full of junk.  I could not find a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread that does not have soy of some type; the few that do not, have milk.  Most have both.