Hello Dahrlin'

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Recently, I happened across an AMAZING recipe website. I don't know where this has been all my life, but I'm so glad I found it! The site is Six Sisters' Stuff, and with six women sharing recipes and ideas, it moves fast but has awesome content!

I've found approximately six ~~gazillion~~ty-five recipes there that I want to try, but I'm trying to just keep a list and work things in as I am menu planning. This week, we tried a recipe for Cheesy Enchilada Casserole that had me drooling (as a bonus, my husband ADORES Mexican food, and making this recipe would get me out of a weekend trip to our local Mexican restaurant, which has decent but ridiculously oversalted food and leaves me - and anything I was wearing or carrying - smelling like fajitas for the next three days!)

I also liked the recipe because, in keeping with my goal to get back to natural, unprocessed foods, it let me test-drive two other new recipes on my list - this one for homemade Zesty Italian Dressing, and the Wildtree Fiesta Salsa Mix that Angie recently gave me (and no, lest you start to wonder, I'm not getting kickbacks from Wildtree for all these product mentions - more's the pity!) Both the dressing and the salsa were awesome! But on to the casserole...

I've tried other recipes on the theme of "layered Mexican casserole," including my friend Michelle's Tortilla Stacker and Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna. RRay's is pretty good and was my go-to (made with beef) before I found Michelle's. Michelle's recipe is better (and as a bonus, the filling can also be frozen and used for quick burritos or tacos on a weeknight).

This one from Six Sisters is also great, but I think could be improved with a can of green chiles or jalapenos, or even chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You could also use pepper jack cheese instead of the Mexican variety (which I don't find to be very spicy). For my taste, and hubby's, the recipe needs a little more kick, but I wanted to try this one as directed first, partly to see if (as advertised) my toddler would actually eat it (that jury is still out!). So I will make again, but will try one or more of those additions.

Except for making my own salsa, taco seasoning and Italian dressing, using regular-fat-everything and using fresh corn (2 ears) instead of canned, I made this one as directed and can recommend it!

Menu Plan Monday! Week of August 19, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 01:30:00 +0000

It's another week of August here, but I can see the finish line! Fall is my FAVORITE season, and I'm always happy to see summer GO. I know, that sounds strange to many people in other parts of the country or world, but here in the US Southeast, it's too hot for this girl! I look forward to crisp, clear fall days and enjoying being outside again! And because we have looooong summers and short fall and spring seasons, I consider fall to begin on Sept. 1. I don't care what the calendar says!

This week, we are continuing to work on cleaning out our deep-freeze so that it can be defrosted. It's easiest to defrost when we can simply empty, unplug and drag it out the back door of the basement into the sun. It can then defrost and drain, and I can clean it without making a mess in the house. But it is currently FULL of food and we need to eat that first, so here's the plan! Italics indicate a new recipe we haven't tried.

Sunday: Pepper Steak with Brown Rice (I have one package of beef tips languishing in the freezer); Peach Cobbler Cake with vanilla ice cream

Monday: Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Southern Creamed Corn (I always make this on the stovetop and don't bother with the casserole step), Broccoli

Tuesday: Sauteed Salmon with Lemon Butter OR Salmon with Peas in Butter Broth, Onion Roasted Potatoes (I'll either use salmon filets we have frozen, or if the second recipe, some frozen cooked salmon I had been saving to make salmon patties)

Wednesday: Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Chicken and Vegetable Pot Stickers, Lemon-Parsley Noodles

Saturday: Leftovers/out to eat

So what's on your menu this week? This menu is linked to Menu Plan Mondays over at OrgJunkie.com; hop on over to join the fun!

Super Fast Skillet Kielbasa with Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Ah....the flavors (if not yet the weather!) of glorious FALL! This dish is Octoberfest on a plate!

This dish is based on a Taste of Home recipe I have been wanting to try for ages. I finally pulled it out and made it last week, and it was a huge hit with EVERYONE in the house, including my toddler! (Life doesn't get better than that, y'all!) I made enough modifications to the original recipe that I'm going to rewrite the recipe here as I prepared it. I am trying to move away from prepared/processed/canned foods (especially canned "cream of..." soups, which I LOVE but am slowly finding great homemade alternatives for). That said, my energy for the day did not extend to making homemade cream soup LOL, but I tried to "healthy-it-up" everywhere else, and I'll give examples of/brands for how I did that. Best of all, this recipe is a ONE-DISH dinner and cooks in no time! And it is a total freezer/pantry meal at my house, too. Easy to keep all these ingredients on hand!

I hope your family loves this as much as we did! I think it is going to be a permanent fixture in our menu rotation!

Super Fast Skillet Kielbasa with Rice

1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 pound smoked pork kielbasa (I used Applegate Farms Organic)
1 bag Success boil-in-bag whole grain brown rice
5 oz frozen peas (I used Cascadian Farms Organic)
1/2 a square package sliced baby portabello mushrooms (to taste, really)
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, or more to taste (I used Cabot Seriously Sharp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pepper to taste (I didn't find it to need extra salt, but feel free!)

Slice sausage however you prefer; I like quarter-rounds so they are bite size pieces. Chop mushrooms just a bit for similar-size pieces. Heat a large cast-iron skillet (or similar large pan) and add a Tbsp or so of olive oil (or butter). Briefly brown the sausage and mushrooms (this quick step adds an extra depth of flavor). Remove to a plate. Add soup, water and butter to pan and whisk to combine; bring to a boil. Add rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer (stirring OFTEN to prevent sticking) about 18 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Stir in sausage, mushrooms and peas. Add pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes or so until heated through and flavors are blended. Sprinkle cheese over the top and let stand until cheese melts.

I served this with Wildtree Beer Bread, a new (and all-natural) product line my friend Angie graciously shared with me. We LOVED it! The flavors went perfectly together. (Ah, if I'd only been able to add a Sam Adams Octoberfest beer to my meal, but for now, I'll have to settle for the bread LOL!)

This recipe is linked over at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday! Come join the fun!
Hope you enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Another week has flown by! We are still trying some new recipes each week, and so far, ALL have been winners! I'll post the details on these soon.

Meanwhile, I'm getting back into the groove of menu planning, cooking and shopping according to my menu. So far, so good, and I'm pleased that each week the fridge is basically empty, indicating we're no longer wasting as much food as we seem to when I don't practice these habits! YAY!

A new school year began here this week, which is always exciting and makes me sort of shift gears for fall (though our son is not yet school age, knowing school is back in makes me *feel* like life has a different pace). This change of pace has me excited for football season, cooler weather, and my favorite season - FALL!

We'll be trying another new recipe this Sunday, as well as working through our current freezer stash (our deep freeze needs to be defrosted, and it's got to be mostly empty before I can do that!)

Here's the plan! We're eating a lot of broccoli for sides this week, because I forgot to get salad and/or spinach at the store! I'm also trying to move toward whole-foods and all-natural-ingredient recipes, so I will include some notes about these goals below.

Sunday: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Broccoli. Can't wait to try this casserole, as hubby adores Mexican food, and will be using Wildtree Salsa Mix (a new product we haven't tried) and making homemade taco seasoning for this recipe.

Monday: Leftovers for us; will be making Citrus Roast Chicken for my little guy this week. Trying to get away from supermarket rotisserie chicken!

Tuesday: Whole Grain Baked Tilapia, Baby Lima Beans, Crescent Rolls. The tilapia is all-natural and comes from Costco.

Wednesday: Chicken Spaghetti, Broccoli. This is a freezer pleaser for us, but next time I make it I want to try making homemade cream of chicken soup.

Thursday: Pinto Beans and Ham (oh, so yummy and so simple! TWO ingredients! I use organic beans and all-natural ham.), Southern Cornbread

Friday: Weeknight Lasagna Toss, Broccoli

Saturday: Birthday party at friends' house

For more menu inspiration, head over to OrgJunkie!

Menu Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:51:00 +0000

So it's a new week, and I'm doing pretty well lately with menu planning... so, I thought I would now try getting back to blogging my meal plans!

We're making some favorites this week, as well as trying some new things. I will definitely report back on how the new items fare!

Here's the plan:

Monday: Crockpot Cube Steak, Egg Noodles, Green Salad with Kalamata Vinaigrette

Tuesday: Fresh Salmon, Corn on the Cob, Green Salad

Wednesday: Chicken and Biscuit Casserole, Broccoli

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pot Stickers (my new FAVORITE, delicious-all-natural-make-your-own-takeout freezer food!), Brown Rice or Lemon-Parsley Linguine

Saturday: Keilbasa Skillet, Wildtree Beer Bread, Wilted Spinach

Sunday: Leftovers

Check out Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie for more weeknight meal ideas!

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:30:00 +0000

I've been on an Italian kick recently, and as many of you know, Giada de Laurentiis is one of my favorite chefs. I have never made a recipe of hers that didn't turn out, and this was another GDL recipe that's been languishing in my "to try" stack. It's another great weeknight recipe that will definitely be going into our rotation! For me and probably many of you, this is a great pantry meal (and I will explain why in the notes, below).

Hubby liked it too, so much so that he wants it to replace another turkey (meatball) recipe we usually make - he thinks this one is more flavorful. I still like both recipes, because the other one is simply a different flavor profile to me (AND it's a great freezer meal that I can prep ahead and then bake the night of; I haven't tried freezing this mixture yet). But I will definitely be making this again, and recommend it wholeheartedly! And I will update if I do freeze it and let you know how that goes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated (oil-packed) sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.3 pounds ground turkey breast (one package; could also use ground turkey)
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a loaf (or meatloaf) pan as desired (I use olive oil because I don't like cooking spray). Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, milk, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and feta and gently stir to combine; do not overwork meat.

Place mixture into prepared pan. I like the top of my meatloaf to remain a bit lumpy, as this results in nice browning on the top surface. Drizzle top with olive oil and bake about 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through (note that melted cheese may puddle a bit on top, and this is fine). Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes: I served this with my favorite stovetop potatoes, which I think went great with the overall Italian theme of the main dish. They cook in about the same amount of time. You could also add a salad; I was too lazy this time to do so. I love this as a pantry meal, because I usually have all these ingredients (except fresh turkey and fresh parsley) in the house. I keep feta crumbles in my freezer, and I keep sundried tomatoes on hand from Costco (the oil-packed ones keep forever in the fridge, and you can buy them already julienned/chopped, which is a huge time saver!)

The original recipe is here, and I found a lot of reviews suggesting tweaks that sound yummy, but which I haven't yet tried. Many used oats in place of crumbs (something I usually do) and I'll probably try that next time; some also topped with mozzarella or provolone cheese (which sounds heavenly) and which I will probably also try. Lastly, I used a true "meatloaf" pan - one with the tray that lets fat drip below as the meat cooks; this is always handy and I recommend it if you make meatloaf often, but it is by no means required.

I hope you enjoy!

Awesome Ravioli Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:31:00 +0000

Oh, this little neglected blog of mine!

In some ways, I can't believe how long it's been since I was able to post here. But in other ways, I can believe it, and only too well... SO very much has happened in the last year and a half. Rather than one lengthy catch-up post, I will fill you in as I go along. But for now, I want to try to jump back in right where I am! So, I hope some of you will follow along with me, and I hope I can provide you with some yummy, taste-tested new recipes as we roll into a new school year and - my favorite season - fall!

Lately, I have taken on the project of attempting to organize my recipe ~~mess~~ collection. Reviewing that collection has reminded me of how very many recipes I have clipped, saved, bookmarked, etc. to try - so I'm finally trying some new ones! I find recipes all over the place, and this one came from a free Publix magazine about a year ago. We made it last week, and it was DELIGHTFUL. Even the leftovers were excellent, and we liked it so much that I think it may permanently replace lasagna in our dinner rotation. So much faster and EASIER than that dish, but with all the wonderful flavors (and a few even yummier ones) - it's a weeknight wonder (with planned-leftovers, if you wish) and it's earned a new place in my favorites. Best of all, it is flexible AND can be prepared the night before or early in the day. Yum yum!

As mentioned, I tore this out of a magazine, and I have not been able to locate it online to link for you, but I will post the recipe and some pics for you to enjoy. Hope you'll try it, and hope your family loves it as much as we did!

Ravioli Casserole Uses: 9x13 baking dish or casserole pan

Ingredients:

1 (20 oz) package refrigerated cheese, beef or chicken ravioli
1/2, to 3/4 of a (7 oz) jar oil-packed chopped sundried tomatoes, drained
2-3 cups chopped broccoli florets, to taste (frozen and uncooked is fine)
1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1.5 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
8 eggs
2.5 cups milk

Grease pan (I used butter). Arrange ravioli in bottom of pan, and top evenly with tomatoes and broccoli. Combine cheeses and sprinkle these over broccoli. Whisk together milk and eggs (I added a little freshly ground pepper too) and pour over layers. Cover and chill for anywhere from 2-24 hours. Remove from fridge half an hour before baking. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until top is golden and center is firm. Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes: I used cheese ravioli this time because the recipe called for it, but I plan to use a chicken and spinach ravioli next time (one that we find at Costco) and I think it will be even more delicious. I'm a meat lover, so just felt like it needed some meat! But it was also great with the cheese ravioli. If you want it to mimic lasagna as closely as possible, try a beef ravioli and maybe some mozzarella cheese on top...it's a pretty flexible recipe!

Our Little Guy...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:21:00 +0000

Is almost ready to make his entrance! About 7 weeks to go. Here, at 33 weeks, he's measuring 34 weeks and about 5 pounds, 6 oz. I just LOVE his little chubby cheeks!

Happy weekend!

Love, Dahrlin'

Menu Plan, Nursery and Pantry Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:23:00 +0000

Happy weekend!

Another week has flown by, and I am happy to report that our "eating from the pantry and freezer" project went really well this past week. I cooked all the brown rice I had stockpiled in the freezer, we made the pepper steak and the tilapia meals, and instead of making steak at home, we treated ourselves to what will probably be our last "fancy steakhouse" dinner for a while! We had a $20 off coupon (which, since I can't drink at the moment, made for a reasonably cheap date!) and it just sounded yummy on a rainy Friday night.

Yesterday we spent running around trying to get a few more "baby related" items accomplished. We did succeed in finalizing our gift registries (at least for the moment LOL!) and ordered our nursery furniture, which I am super excited about (if only it wasn't on backorder, that would be a bonus!) We also found a 40% off deal for the window treatments we need in our bedroom, so now if we can just settle on fabrics and styles in the next couple weeks, we can get those ordered (and satisfy our need to get a "deal" LOL!). I'm loving the after-holiday deals!

I saw my dr. Friday for our 30 week checkup. All is well with baby and, as of today, we're into single digit weeks on the countdown!! Wahoo!!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet our little guy! Now, we just have to settle on a NAME.

Meanwhile, the pantry menu plan continues for week 2 of this month, as follows:

Saturday: Salmon Patties, Corn, Wilted Spinach
Sunday: White Chicken Chili, Broccoli, Cornbread
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Hamburger Mac and Cheese Toss, Salad
Wednesday: Apricot Pork Chops, Sweet Potato Fries, Kale
Thursday: Chili, Cheese Muffins, Spinach
Friday: Leftovers for hubby; I'll probably be out with girlfriends!!

Everyone stay warm! It's going to be a freezing cold week even here in GA!

Love, Dahrlin'

A New Year's resolution, after all!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:06:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

Okay, I did not plan to make any New Year's resolutions. And I still don't plan to... except this one. Taking some inspiration from my friend Lora, I hereby resolve that in the month of January, we are going to buy as few groceries as possible and eat the food we already have. I did something similar a couple years ago, and it felt great to use up food we've already got on hand (not to mention saving on the grocery bill!), so after reading Lora's post yesterday, I went downstairs to organize my "deep" freezer and realized - we have an embarrassing quantity of food on hand for two people and one spoiled dog!!

A check of our upstairs pantry and freezer revealed similar results. So, just for fun I sat down last night and made a list of all the meals I could think of that I can make (or make if I pick up just one or two other ingredients along the way) with what we already have. Here's the embarrassing part: I came up with 28 meals just off the top of my head. And that's not even counting all the things that we have enough to make two of. I can tell I really fell off the cooking wagon when this pregnancy came along, because that's a new record of stockpiled food for this household.

So I guess the good news is, we're all set for food for the month! The bad news is that, right about the time we whittle down the current supply, the baby will likely arrive and I'll be wondering what in the world I was thinking to use up such a stash of food just weeks before my due date!!!

Actually, if I can make some room in the freezer, I do plan to go ahead and make several freezer meals to have on hand when baby comes, but still... I did waffle for a few minutes about whether to keep some of this stuff on hand. Then I remembered most of it has already been on hand for quite some time, and doesn't need to sit another three months!

So, we're diving in this week to both freezers and the pantry. After more turkey, dressing and assorted leftovers than I could stand (not being such a huge turkey fan to begin with), we're heading back into territory that has more variety, for which I am endlessly grateful! You guys will recognize some of these as old standbys of mine, but I'm keeping it simple this week since the goal is to get back into cooking most every night. Here's what's up this week:

Tuesday: Tilapia with baby lima beans; whole grain rolls

Wednesday: Pepper Steak, brown rice, wilted spinach

Thursday: Tuna Mac, broccoli

Friday: Leftovers; ice cream and fruit crisp for dessert

Saturday: Apricot Pork Chops, Sweet Potatoes, Salad

Sunday: Steaks, mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, green beans

The only things we need to buy for this menu are mushrooms, spinach and salad for hubby (who won't eat raw spinach). Not too bad for my first week of pantry cleanout!

Happy week! What's for dinner at your house?

Love, Dahrlin'

Blueberry Pancakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:00:00 +0000

So I think it's time for a new recipe post around here! And this one was requested by several friends who visited late last summer.

Angie, Jane and Shannon visited in August, and we made these pancakes (just without the blueberries). I promised them I would post the batter recipe that we uesd and I'm sorry it's taken me this long!

This is my favorite pancake recipe, and it's very versatile - you can add most any mixer you like. For this post, I threw in blueberries (hubby and I both love anything blueberry). It takes fewer than five minutes to mix these up, and any extra batter will keep (refrigerated and covered) for several days, so you can get a lot of mileage out of one batch! You can also store the mixed dry ingredients for this recipe in a ziploc bag in your pantry, making these even easier to mix up in the morning.

To make these plain, simply omit the blueberries :-) The yield depends entirely on how big you make each pancake, so I'll just say this makes 4-6 servings. Your mileage may vary!

Blueberry Pancakes
(Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

2 cups all purpose (not self rising!) flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 or 2 eggs (I use two)
1.5 to 2 cups milk

Combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs into 1.5 cups milk, then gently stir this into the dry ingredients (don't overmix; a few lumps won't hurt anything). Pancakes are a bit like muffins in this respect - stir them gently and as briefly as possible, or you'll have hockey pucks instead of breakfast food!

You want the batter to be pourable, but not so runny that it expands a great deal when poured into the pan. If it seems too thick, add milk a bit at a time. If you are using blueberries, add them last.

Preheat a skillet or griddle to about medium. Ladle batter onto the hot skillet to make whatever size pancakes you wish; generally, they are ready to flip when bubbles pop on the surface and the edges look a bit dry. Keep an eye on the heat as you go through the next batches; sometimes the first batch into the skillet requires higher heat than later ones.

Serve with butter and warmed maple syrup!

Love, Dahrlin'

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:15:00 +0000

The Angel's message still echoes around the world: Fear not- good news! Christ is come!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

We are blessed in so many ways this year, especially with our little man set to arrive in just a couple of months! We're 29 weeks today, and I can't believe how fast it is all flying by. With everything that has been going on with my Dad's health situation, the pregnancy, getting the house ready for the baby and trying to keep up with working full time, we've had a super-busy fall and holiday season. But we did take time to put up our tree, hang our outdoor wreaths and decorate inside a bit. Here are just a couple of pics that I snagged - I haevn't even taken as many photos since I've been pregnant as I usually might. But I'm trying to get back into the swing of it becuase I know we'll take zillions once little guy arrives!

We set up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. After much hemming and hawing ~~and yelling~~ on hubby's part and much ~~yelling~~ insistence on my part (hint: pregnant woman wins!), we ventured to the tree lot to get a real, 7 foot tree. Normally I go for about 9 feet on our trees, because we put them in the great room which has high ceilings. But this year, hubby negotiated for a slightly smaller tree, given my pregnancy and his hernia. I conceded on the height issue, and with some ill grace, he conceded on the "live tree vs. artificial one" issue. I'm just not an artificial tree girl!

Typically, the wrestling of the Christmas tree (off the car, into the house, into the stand, lights on, etc.) requires lots of what hubby dubs "Christmas cheer." Normally I make fun martinis for this occasion, but obviously, that's out for me this year. So we made a peppermint 'tini for hubby,

and I celebrated the occasion with some yummy pomegranate soda. It's a beautiful color and I love it because it's all natural. This stuff comes from Whole Foods and I highly recommend it!

We watched Dickens' Christmas Carol and decorated the tree, and I don't think hubby found it as painful in the end as he thought he would.

(The hanging of the outdoor wreaths, which number 14 all told, was a different story and required a whole different argument...but in the end, we got them up!)

Pixie, meanwhile, supervised from her ever-vigilant position on the couch, whose cushions she is quickly destroying...

And best of all, we saw our first White Christmas in years!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

Love, Dahrlin'

This Little Blog of Mine...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 02:30:00 +0000

...is in desperate need of an update!

Does it help if I have a good excuse?

You see, I have this new man in my life. And I expect to get to meet him in another 15 weeks or so!

I wanted to at least quickly update the blog to explain my lengthy absence. As some of you already know, we were blessed to become pregnant early this summer. We found out on July 5, and are ecstatic to be expecting our son in mid-March! Initially I had quite a bit of trouble with "all day and night" sickness. Thankfully, my OB is very sympathetic and allows me to take nausea meds as needed starting about 12 weeks, which has helped get me back to work mostly full time. I still have trouble overnight and early morning (especially when I try to stop the meds) but it's much more tolerable than it was. So far, so good! We get another high-res ultrasound of our little guy this coming Thursday, and I can't wait to see how much he's grown since the last scan at 18 weeks!

Managing the challenges of pregnancy and trying to hang on to my job have kept me more than busy the last five months, but I am hoping to get back to blogging at least reasonably often, so I can keep you guys updated on how we're doing!

Meanwhile, I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and fall and is enjoying the holiday season! We're putting out the Christmas decorations here as I write this. More updates, pics and recipes to come!

Love, Dahrlin'

A Dog's Life

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:08:00 +0000

Daddy...

Move.Your.Big.FEET!

Love, Pixie

What's on the menu?

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:27:00 +0000

Happy spring!

We've been doing pretty well lately with menu planning. The planning part, anyway, if not the execution ;-) My primary goal has been to eat more fresh food. More fruit, veggies, salad, etc. And organics where possible. I'm also trying to eat seasonally and really focus on recipes that bring together a lot of nutrients. To make that a reality, I've been working with a couple of new strategies. Are you guys familiar with the YOU doctors (Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen)? I've enjoyed their books, and one thing in particular has stuck with me. Maybe because it goes against my usual thought process, but I've found it really does work:

"Automate" one meal per day. They say that, particularly if you're trying to lose weight, actually removing some choices and decisions (like what to eat for lunch every day) can make things easier. Eat that same meal (with some minor tweaks) every day. They say its fine from a nutritional standpoint, and for me, once I got past the concern over lack of variety, this has worked wonders, both for my wallet and helping me eliminate lots of fast food drive-by lunchtime disasters.

They say it can be any meal you choose, but for me the hardest one is always lunch. I'm also trying to eliminate all processed foods, so I've been making turkey and guacamole pitas for lunch every day. Some days I also take a salad (with homemade dressing). This setup is surprisingly enjoyable five days a week, and I feel good about my lunch choices again. I also get an extra serving of veggies in by lunch time if I eat the salad, so I'm working on that (even though I'm not really a salad lover). I'm all about the salad toppings and dressing rather than the greens, so I change those up each week. Baby steps!

Hubby and I are also working out at least 5 days a week, which makes dinner a bit of a challenge (I get home at 6:30, then work out). So we're learning what works and what doesn't, and the whole freezer meal thing has been a Godsend. It's about time for another day of freezer meal prep, so I will share some favorite freezer recipes you guys might enjoy as well!

Here's the plan for the week:

Sunday: Grilled salmon with chimichurri, Italian potato salad, sauteed asparagus. Also, make a batch of Sausage, Bean and Kale ragout (this is great for switching up lunch during the week, and a quick dinner with garlic toast or cheese muffins)

Monday: A new one to try - Cider vinegar chicken, smashed potatoes, cucumber and watercress salad

Tuesday: Leftovers or freezer pleasers!

Wednesday: Whitefish with artichokes, salad, cheesy olive bread

Thursday: Chicken raguout, noodles (tossed with any leftover chimichurri), garlic butter green beans

Friday: Grilled Balsamic BBQ chicken, corn with lime butter, and sweet potatoes

Saturday: Burgers, roasted rosemary potatoes, lemon butter broccoli

So, what's on your table this week?

Love, Dahrlin'

Thought for the Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:45:00 +0000

So, I was doing my Bible study this morning and came across this:

"A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands, the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

Wow. So much to think about packed into such a small line of text!

Recently, as I mentioned in this post, my mind has been on my priorities and behaviors, and what changes I may need to make to them. I know that we all have the same 24 hours each day, and I just haven't felt like I've been maximizing my time and putting it toward the right things lately. Often it feels like I let the "tyrrany of the urgent" dictate what I do and when, with everything else (planned or not) seeming to fall by the wayside. We've been making some changes around the house over the last year or so to work on that, and with more energy over the last few months, but it's slow going sometimes :-)

So how about you guys? What thoughts do you have on the verse above? What changes, if any, have you made recently that you feel good about?

Love, Dahrlin'

New Organizational Tool #1

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:40:00 +0000

First, a huge thanks to ALL who shared thoughts, publicly and backchannel, encouraging and praying and sending virtual hugs after my mini-meltdown a couple weeks ago!

While I'm working on sorting out the mess over here, I recently found this amazing site, which is helping me immensely with conquering my Sticky Note Syndrome. (This is the one where, if you're at all like me, you have piles of sticky notes and shreds of paper reminding you to do things that you really intend to do, just as soon as you locate the relevant sticky note, which is item #1 on the list of things to do that you also can't find...and which notes eventually become one more thing to sort out!) The program is called Evernote, and there is an app for the iPhone or iPod Touch if you've got those. If you don't, the website is totally free and it ROCKS. Check it out! You won't be sorry!

Love, Dahrlin'

Laughed my...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:20:00 +0000

...you know what off! And I needed a laugh!

Seriously.

Watch NOW. You won't regret it!

Thanks Angie for sharing!

Love and happy weekend!

Dahrlin'

It's Time for a Change Around Here

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:41:00 +0000

Can I be real for a few minutes? Really real? Ever feel so overwhelmed you don't even know where to start?

[This will be a bit lengthy, so if you're in the mood please grab a nice cup of coffee and come on in to my virtual kitchen. All set?]

We all say that periodically, and the statement has become cliche. But I'm talking about the kind of sheer fear and desperation that is really paralyzing. That terrible feeling that things, important things where you won't get a do-over, are falling through the cracks while you're busy putting out the latest fire. The fact that your list of things to do only keeps growing, and you never seem to cross anything off as accomplished. The nights where you have to work late (again) and, in your mind's eye, see all the things you had planned to accomplish that evening sliding away (again). The birthdays and occasions dear to family and friends that you miss (again) or are woefully late for, so late that you're embarrassed to even bring it up by the time you get around to it 8 weeks later. And the worst part is, you know the date, and you had it on your calendar weeks ahead to buy a card, or you even HAVE a card in the huge pile-of-cards you keep for just such occasions...but you don't get around to it. (Did I mention you even have stamps on hand? No excuses left here.) The bigger things, like the stress of loved ones dealing with chronic illness that you can't control or really help with. Big decisions to be made there. The smaller things, like the years where you didn't even get Christmas cards out and, as a result, feel even more out of touch and disconnected. The times where you look around the house and don't even know where to begin, while in your head tumble visions of all the things you'd like to do, if you could just find time. The meals you could make if you had half a chance of getting home in time. The workouts you forcibly make time for, but the weight doesn't come off (probably because your stress level is sky-high). The coupons that you've collected that would save you money, if you'd had time in the last 8 weeks to go through them. The time you'd like to be able to relax and spend with friends and family and really feel "present" in the moment, instead of spending those moments mentally trying to get a grip on your schedule, your life, even your sanity. The constant stress (which shouldn't be stressful, but is) of trying (and failing) to get pregnant. The devastating irony of hearing about a friend's 18 year old who is pregnant, and doesn't want to be. And then the days where you just throw up your hands and want to go to bed and forget about it all.

That, my friends, is pretty much how life has gone around here for the last few months. I'm not throwing all that out there to ask for your sympathy. We all have the same sorts of challenges with our lives, priorities and time. Many of you deal with all these things and more, plus kids...My challenges are nothing unusual. But I'm tired of feeling like a victim of my own procrastination, which is a large part of my scheduling, timing and stress issues. So, I'm inviting you to come along with me as I get my act together, one step at a time. I'm committed to sharing with you guys how things are going, the victories and the challenges, and I hope you'll follow along with this little journey! I'm going to be making some changes (more life related and less blog related, but you'll get to see some of it here) and I want to share with you guys what works and what doesn't work for me, in case it will help someone else! Please feel free to share any ideas or suggestions you have, as well as what works for you. And let me know I'm not alone. Ready?

So first things first. For me, it all begins with Christ. He's the beginning, middle, and end of why I was put on this planet. When that fact doesn't take center stage in all areas of my life, everything else will, by definition, be out of balance. Like a wheel without a center, nothing will turn correctly if it's not centered and stabilized properly. So you're going to see that I will try to get back to basics in my faith, resting in His grace, trusting in His provision and control over my life and circumstances, and RELAXING into His care. Easier said than done, certainly. But He's promised that I am not meant to carry all this myself, and He will be there in each moment of my life. Thank you, Lord, that you don't leave us to carry things alone! Thank you that I can bring you my messes, and you don't yell at me, you just say "we'll work on this together."

Next, because my out-of-control schedule and procrastination is the root of many evils in my life, you're going to see my attempts to simplify things and focus on what really matters. Another cliche, but that's because it's a home truth. How much stress could we collectively get rid of if we'd just say no to the unimportant things, and yes to those that matter? I for one get that backwards a lot, and it's costing me. In my relationships (both friends and family). In my health (hard to lose weight with stress hormones I can practically feel constantly flowing through my body!) Along with simplifying is going to come...

Decluttering. We're going to get this house finished (several random projects lingering from the move...4 years ago. Go ahead, laugh! It's all I can do at this point!) We're gonna get it organized and cleaned up and get rid of all the things that make me feel guilty just looking at them. Unfinished projects, things I bought and don't use, time and money wasters, junk I've kept for years and don't really know why I still have. For me Flylady is a huge help in this area. She's already helped me, in the last five years or so, to make big steps in this area, but there are certain things I keep falling off the wagon with. Mail still piles up, paper clutter is everywhere, sticky notes are everywhere (though this is getting better with Evernote, something you'll hear more about soon!), half-read books are everywhere, recipes and coupons are everywhere. I'm tired of the chaos!! And lastly, I'm going to work on the e-clutter, which (ironically) multiplies faster than the other types of clutter, and somehow makes me feel even more out of control of things. I actually shudder when I see "you have 5,403 emails in your inbox." And "you have 3,452 unread items in Google Reader." Emails I want to respond to get lost in the 10 or so "special offers," spam and other junk that flows freely through my inbox each day. Posts I want to read and respond to slide away each day. And like most people, I've got several inboxes, one of life's little ironies (exactly how many ways do we need for people to reach us?) So please share anything that works for you, and I will do the same.

And while I'm on this subject, technology (which is supposed to help us, right? ;-) is getting more overwhelming by the day. Does anyone else feel assaulted, from about 7 different directions, by electronic correspondence that it seems we're expected to keep up with minute-by-minute? It's great to have all these ways of keeping in touch, and don't get me wrong. I love hearing from friends and family any time. But lately it seems that it's just out of control. Between work email, work phone calls and voicemail, cell phone calls, text messages, picture mail, home phone calls, facebook postings, facebook messages, facebook chat, twitter, and regular old email (plus friendly-fire 'spam' from companies I really do want to hear from, just not six of them each day...) Then of course there are our blogs to post to, friends' blogs to read, contests and giveaways that are fun to join in, and oh yeah I should read a couple news headlines at least once a day...I have a hunch I'm not the only one feeling this way. Or if I am, please lie to me, okay? ;-) LOL!

If you're still reading, you probably know just where I'm coming from! Thanks for hanging in there. So...all of this is just to say, I refuse to give up or give in. With God's help and a LOT of support and love from my family and friends, I plan to get my act together and get a better attitude.

Just as soon as I have breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day, I hear!

So please speak up, let me know I'm not alone and you still love me, LOL! I need affirmation and I want to hear what works for you guys.

Love and hugs!

Dahrlin'

This week's menu...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:58:00 +0000

I’m trying to get back into my menu planning groove! I’ve been doing my plans each week, but just haven’t had much blogging time. So here’s this week’s plan to get me started again. I will link any recipes that are on the web and if you see one you want that isn’t linked, just ask!

Monday: We’re starting off with leftovers this week, because we cooked two big meals over the weekend. So for tonight, it’s steak with mushrooms, parsley mashed potatoes, whiskey glazed carrots, and peas.

Tuesday: Salmon patties (yum!), noodles, green salad

Wednesday: Salisbury Steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes (question: how does 6 medium red potatoes make boatloads of mashed potatoes?), broccoli

Thursday: Lemon Chicken Scallopine, marinara, noodles, green salad or broccoli with lemon zest

Friday: Leftovers or my favorite fish with limas

Saturday: Dinner with friends

Sunday: Not sure yet. Something new and fun!

So what’s on your menu this week?

Love, Dahrlin’

My Little Athlete

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:39:00 +0000

Have I mentioned, this dog makes me laugh at least twice a day?

Munchkin really loved the recent snows. She had a blast chasing snowballs, and the snow was almost as tall as she is!

Happy Friday! For more Foto Fun visit Candid Carrie's!

Love, Dahrlin'

Sweet Potato Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:34:00 +0000

(Reposting this - blogger's date function is way off lately when I try to schedule posts!)

I am always on the lookout for really simple, yummy recipes. So when my friend Cara mentioned "sweet potato fries" I instantly thought of two things. First, they sounded awesome (I love sweet potatoes!) and second, they sounded quick and easy for a weeknight side dish.

Cara kindly shared her recipe, and we tried it. It has taken me approximately 1,001 days (okay, maybe not quite) to get it posted, but I definitely want to share this with you guys! Fast, easy, and healthy - these are perfect for any night of the week!

Here are Cara's directions, and the fries came out perfectly!

Preheat oven to 450. Slice up the sweet potatoes in wedges or sticks. A little thicker is better, in my opinion, they get a little too brown on the ends if they're too thin or skinny. I put the potatoes in a ziploc bag and toss them with one tablespoon of olive oil per potato, making sure to coat each fry very well. Arrange the potatoes on a cookie sheet. Make sure they don't touch or overlap, as this will make them mushy. Sprinkle sea salt on the potatoes. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Turn halfway through.

My only notes are to use a nonstick baking pan, and I flipped mine every ten minutes to prevent sticking. I also lowered the heat to about 425 because my oven is famous for scorching food at higher temps. The second time I made them I cut them a little thinner and they were done in about 20 minutes.

Enjoy! And thanks so much to Cara!

Love, Dahrlin'

And the winner is...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:01:00 +0000

Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway! I'm planning to host a couple more, so there will be new chances to win around here!

The winner of the copy of French Women For All Seasons, as selected by random.org, was:

Min: 1
Max: 25
Result:
13

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Comment #13 was from Jane at Jumpin' in the Jungle!

Jane, I think I still have your addy but please email it to me just so I'm sure.

Thanks and happy weekend all!

Love, Dahrlin'

The Shortest Day of the Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0000

A Winter's Sunrise...from my back deck.

Happy New Year, All! Be sure to visit Candid Carrie for Foto Finish Fiesta Friday!

Love, Dahrlin'

Who Else Didn't Know...

noreply@blogger.com (Angela) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:00:00 +0000

That you can polish copper with a lemon and some salt?

I was stunned - and glad to know I can do this without harsh and scary-looking chemical concoctions... I love my copper pot, but it was in serious need of a scrubbing. This took all of two minutes. YAY!

For more kitchen tips and a lot of great recipes, check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed with Grace!