It's A Cold Front

 White Chili - recipe passed on to me from my friend and neighbor. {Thanks Tammy!} Recipe posted below.

I turned our heat on today. {Yay!!!} Although it's hard to say this, it was officially too cold for me in the house.  I like it knippy.  I like to wear sweaters and turtlenecks and heap a lot of blankets on our bed at night.  Why I've lived where I've lived the past few years is a good question.  One I've asked God only a few times. :-)

I am relishing these crisp days while we have them and celebrating by cooping up in my house with my kids, 

...eating creamy fattening soups and chilis, baking whenever we have a worthy occasion that calls for it {which means whenever I'm in the mood for cookie dough}...

 Shiloh's idea of "2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet". :-)

...watching movies at night with Steven after the kids have gone to bed, dates with my man at Starbucks on Wednesday nights {and maybe we do window shop at TJ Maxx for fun...he's a good man I tell ya}, 

 

...walks around Wal Mart just for fun and walks in our neighborhood with the kids all bundled up tight, sewing and painting in my new favorite room {Should I post a reveal date to make sure I get it complete?}, and wiping runny noses...

Keller eating grass outside - pre haircut and nose wipe.  My husband says this is a gross photo, but you moms know what real mothering is like and I just wanted you to know we've got it going on over here too. :-)  Embrace it!

But right now it's naptime.  The laundry's going, I've got wheat bread in my new-to-me bread machine {and it's all I can do not to rip that loaf out and get a bite before it's done}, and Keller's climbing up on my lap, because he thinks he's too good to sleep when the girls sleep. ;-)  Life is calm and good.

My friend passed this recipe on to me last winter when we first moved here.   It was so good, that I froze several batches ahead for easy postpartum meals.  So nice to pull this out of the freezer, warm on the stove, add the dairy products, and have a warm and hearty meal within minutes. 

~ White Chili ~

ingredients:

1 lb. chicken cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil {or you can substitute olive or canola for a healthier option}

2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can chicken broth

1 can chopped green chiles

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream (or milk)

Directions:

Sautee` chicken, onion,, and garlic powder in oil until not pink.  Add everything but creams.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  

{This is where you can freeze the chili.  Simply cool it a little, pour into a gallon zip lock and store in the freezer.}  

Remove from heat, stir in creams.  Serve immediately.

I normally do not buy chips...EVER...we could get addicted...but I passed these in the grocery store and they called my name. Corn chips + white chili = amazing!!!

Happy Fall!!!

I know I keep saying that, but seriously.  I'm so glad it's here. :-)

P.S. And my friend won second place at her church chili cook-off with this recipe.  Woot Woot!!!!!!

Blueberry Lemon Bars

You may have noticed I like blueberries.  They're a staple around here.  

We buy this huge bag from Sam's and the girls and I love them!

If anyone finds my missing pear, let me know.  I won't say who I think it is, but if someone checked out the teethmarks on my other pears, they could take a pretty good guess too.

Back to blueberries, I made these delicious bars for Shiloh's birthday brunch back in August.  They're a fresh mildly sweet dessert and would also make a great addition to breakfast.  {Do not ask me how many of these I've had for my actual breakfast this week.}    These bars make me think of Summer with the lemon and blueberry combination.  

My 2 cents worth on this recipe:  These are delicious fresh, but do not seem to hold up well after that.  I suggest keeping these in the fridge after you initially serve them or split the recipe in half and put in a square 8x8 if you won't be needing a whole 9x13-inch pan of these bars.  

Your thighs will thank you.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
zest of two lemons
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, salt, lemon zest and baking powder.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla together until combined.

4. Use pastry cutter or your food processor (see not below for alternative method) to blend the flour mixture with the butter and egg/vanilla mixture.  Dough will be crumbly.  Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.  {I wished I would have done more like 2/3'rds  on the bottom.}

5. In another bowl, stir together 1/2 sugar and cornstarch.  Gently mix in the blueberries.  Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust.  Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. {I think I should have baked mine for a little longer, so do not go by the color of mine in my photos.}  Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Note: If you do not have a pastry cutter or a food processor, simply freeze your butter and use a box grated to grate the butter into the flour mixture. Use two forks or your fingers to fully incorporate.

Here's a few photos of my process...

Sprayed my parchment paper with vegetable oil non-stick cooking spray...

I have absolutely no idea if this is how you get lemon peel, but this is exactly what I do.  {This is where TV and the cooking channel would come in handy I suppose.}

Ignore my crummy thumb.  I always think one day I'll stop doing so many rough projects that involve getting my hands tore up.  Who thinks that'll ever happen?

Again, I improvise the whole butter-in-flour-mixture-thing because I do not have a pastry cutter.  Something tells me if I did a quick search on ebay, the tool would only cost me a few bucks.  But I'm a cheapo and a creature of habit so I cut my butter into the flour mixture with 2 knives.  Steak knives to be exact.  Read the note above if you want a better method. :-)

Poured half of the mixture into my parchment lined pan and patted down gently...

When I mix the frozen blueberries with cornstarch it makes this awesome reaction that would be fit for a science experiment with the kiddos...

I layered those antioxidant-filled-berries over the sugar-infested-flour-layer in my pan...

and poured the rest of my flour on top...

Baked in the oven and cut up into bars they look like this...

ENJOY!!!

It's naptime y'all and I'm digging deep into a slipcover project.  Wish me luck!!!

Just Life & Some Cookies To Go With It

Life.
It happens.
Every single day.

Whether we're ready for it or not, it keeps coming at us one day at a time.

The clocks keep ticking, second after second, until another day is done.

And before you know it, October of 2011 is here and it just hits like a ton of bricks.  Life will NOT slow down.

For us, October has entailed getting this 2-yr-old potty trained...

...and although we're not quite there yet, it feels like the jet is finally lifting off the runway with this little family of ours.

 And I sigh a sigh of bliss at night whenever I think of the new stages we're entering.

This little guy has gotten 2 teeth in and went from not crawling until the end of his seventh month to pulling up on anything and everything and getting into waaay too much trouble with his newfound abilities...all in one week.

To say this mamma underestimated him, would be...well...an understatement.

His favorite pastime is crawling at my feet all day and whining until I pick him up, as if he hasn't been held ALL morning.  But seriously, how can you resist this?

If there was an award for mastering the most household activities one-handed, I would win.  No question.  Steven says I spoil him, and I am officially at the point where I agree with him.


Anybody know how to wean an 8-month-old off of being held all day?  If you say, "cry it out", I will invite you over to hear his version of "crying-it-out" and let you be the judge of whether a mother could stay sane after a day of hearing that.  But really, any advice would be appreciated.

We also had an out-of-town guest this weekend...

He is {so far} the only one from SC who will brave Oklahoma to come see us.  Will you be next??? :-)

We had a beautiful drizzly evening one night to dine outside at PF Changs...

While friends graciously watched our girls so we could enjoy some adult conversation with the little king.

Thanks so much for coming out here to see us Troy!  We missed you Jenny!  We'll all meet up in Seattle next. :-)

And because the motivation of an out-of-town-guest gets my nesting juices going again...

There's a little sneak peak {if you will} of the room I've been working on, with a little help from my Emma girl. :-)

And, not that I should be, but I've been baking like a wild banshee again.  I like how my friend says, "Fall is my chubby season."  I'm thinking I'll adopt that motto.  There's just too many creamy soup recipes and pumpkin desserts out there, not to.

These Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are the perfect all-around cookie for fall.  They're light.  They're a crowd pleaser.  They freeze well.  They are fun to roll with your kiddos.  And...you probably have all the ingredients already on hand.  

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

For the cookies...

2 sticks butter (1 cup), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Rolling sugar...

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into liquid mixture a little at a time until incorporated.

Cover dough with plastic and chill at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). Mix rolling sugar in a small bowl. Use a small or medium cookie scoop (1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp.) to scoop out dough and roll into balls. Use your hands to roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and make sure they’re coated really well. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Use a glass with a flat bottom to dip in sugar and flatten the balls.

Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 14 minutes, or until they are slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes or so, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies.

And now, I must get back into cleaning mode.  Too much baking and crafting...not enough cleaning will lead to a Monday of trying desperately to get back into the swing of things.  That's me today.  Boring laundry here I come!

Laundry Detergent: Easy Tutorial

While I'm wrapping things up in the Laundry Room, I'm going to share my new favorite way to save money.  I really think you'll like it too.

 Homemade Laundry Detergent!

I've seen people talk about doing this, but I just assumed it was one extra hassle.  One extra hassle this mommy didn't have time to mess with.  It probably wouldn't make my clothes smell any cleaner than they were when they went in, it probably wouldn't really save me money...are you picking up that I'm a skeptic by now?  "Realist" is what I like to tell Steven. :-)

But the realist in me finally realized we were going through Gain Laundry Detergent like nobodies business around here.  Between me painting up a storm, the girls getting grass stains from playing outside, Keller being a natural born spitter, and all the other normal messes from a family of 5, we were going through loads of laundry like an Oklahoma fire takes over a dry field: rapid fire.

But this is so easy y'all and saves definite pennies - I'm hooked for good.

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 ~ Laundry Detergent ~

You'll need:

:: 1 cup Borax - 

{found in the Detergent aisle of Wal Mart}

:: 1 cup Baking Soda

:: 1 bar of ivory soap - grated

Simply grate your bar of soap like you would a block of cheese...

Mix in your Borax...

Mix in your baking soda...

Mix it all together...

Store in an airtight container...

And you're done!

The directions I had from The Stirring Place said you only need 1 - 2 tablespoons of the detergent per load.  But I don't think they had any kind of idea who they were dealing with.  So, I like to put 3 tablespoons in my washer as the water is going in.  That way it'll dissolve and not get clumpy in my clothes.  Then, I put my messy clothes in.

P.S. I did double the recipe since we go through laundry so fast.

So far, it's working great for our family!

Fall Apple Cake

What is fall without a little fall baking?!  

I couldn't justify making this cake, in all its sweet-tasting glory, without having someone to share it with.   I decided a dessert night with friends was waaay past due.  I doubled the original recipe and it fit nicely into a 9x13-inch pan.  I also doubled it for you below in case you're thinking a dessert night spent with friends sounds as appealing to you as it did to me.  

The cake turned out super moist and the glazy top was just spectacular!   

So here's to cooler weather and to friendship!

.....................................................................................................................................................

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

For the Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 eggs

1 cup canola oil - I used vegetable

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups finely chopped apples

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional) - I didn't use any

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

6 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

For the Cake:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13-inch pan with butter and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs with a hand mixer til light in color and foamy.  Add the oil and vanilla and beat well. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Stir with a whisk to mix everything together.  Stir in the flour mixture with a spoon and continue stirring the batter til the flour disappears.  Add the apples and nuts (if using) and stir to mix them into the batter.  Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place the hot cake on a wire cooling rack. While it's still hot, prepare the glaze.

For the glaze: Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes.  

Spoon the hot glaze over the still hot-from-the-oven cake. Let the glazed cake cool completely before serving straight from the pan.