Family Fun Night: Making Sushi Together

Ethan was also quite proud of his ginormous spring roll, ha!

We've been talking about making our own sushi for such a long time, and this weekend, we finally made it happen. It was actually quite simple, relatively inexpensive, and it was fun to do together. We tried some Spring rolls as well, but those were somewhat of a miss. I'm going to look up some different fillings for them and try again soon.

I found the Nori seaweed sheets and rice paper in the Asian aisle at Wal-Mart. I was surprised my local grocery store didn't have them, or if they did, I couldn't find them. I found the packaged smoked salmon in near the specialty fish items- it was expensive, but it went a long way.

We made some sticky rice on the stove top (added a bit more water than called for to cook), chopped up avocados, and cut long, thin strips of carrots and cucumbers, like matchsticks, and cut the salmon in thin strips as well. Simply lay the Nori sheets on a paper towel, spritz with clean water, and then place your toppings on 1/3 of the sheet and roll it up. Ethan discovered that it was easiest to form a seal if you put more water on the edge of the Nori sheet before rolling up. Slice and enjoy!

We piled red cabbage, sprouts, Romaine lettuce, shrimp (canned shrimp = GROSS!), avocado and carrots on the dampened rice paper discs, which are really weird but cool, by the way. The directions said to eat them as is or to deep fry them. I sauteed them in coconut oil, and the results were less than stellar. I felt like we had eaten loads of fresh veggies, though, which was awesome. We served lean steak for the main course, and the kids had buttered rolls. It was low-key but lots of fun trying something new together.

Easy Dinner: Pan Fried Maple Pork Chops

Pork chops and applesauce have been a favorite combination since, well, forever. I wanted to find a way to keep the flavor combo but add some more texture to the plate. This cooks up quickly without a million different steps and it's flavorful and delicious, so it's a winner for this Mom. Hope you enjoy!

What You'll Need

4-6 bone-in pork chops

salt & pepper

cinnamon sugar

maple syrup

2 Cortland or McIntosh apples

1/2 large onion, wedged then sliced

extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

*optional rosemary

*optional slivered almonds 

Season each side of pork chop with salt and pepper. Let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, core and cut apples in 1/4 inch slices- sometimes I leave the skin on, other times I peel it, so just do it how you like it

Halve onion, slice in similar fashion to apples; cut wedges in half

Heat butter on med-high in large skillet pan. Cook apple slices for 3-5 minutes; add onion & almonds, if using them. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp maple syrup, stirring gently to coat. Sprinkle 1 tsp cinnamon sugar, stirring more. Cook about 5 minutes more. Remove from pan before getting too soft, and place in a bowl or pie plate while you cook the chops.

I've made this with real maple syrup and with the store stuff - both were good!

Drizzle olive oil in same skillet; add pork chops. Sprinkle some rosemary over each pork chop (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't). The chops I had were very large, so I could only cook two at a time. You want a nice, brown sear on the chop, so don't turn it too quickly; it needs to cook about 6 minutes on each side. The centers were too pink after this "first round," so I flipped them over again and put a cover on the skillet, which was no problem since they had already gotten seared.

When the pork chops are cooked through, it's time to plate. Scoop some of the apples and onion onto the chop, and serve promptly. This pairs well with mashed potatoes or rice, and steamed carrots.

 I know the lighting is pretty bad- it's dark by five here (which is waaay better than when it's dark by four in December!!), and I don't exactly have tons of free time to make dinner ahead just to photograph it...I've got hungry people demanding food, ha!

I'm sure you could use boneless pork as well, but I prefer the bone-in chop for this recipe

So good!

For other quick & easy dinners, check out:

Hearty Crock-Pot Beef Stew

 It's a snow day today and we're making this!

Tangy Pork Loin

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Enjoy!

EASY BASIC QUICHE: FAST PREP & DELICIOUS

I used to think quiches were a little bit complicated and kind of a pain to put together. Not anymore! Making a basic quiche this way is one of the most forgiving, easiest dishes to throw together.

The most time consuming part is cooking the bacon, if you'd like bacon in the first place. I normally pair this quiche with BLT's for dinner, so yes, bacon is a must. I made this last week in the early afternoon since we had to be at baseball play-offs and the dance recital by 5pm. It's a great make-ahead dish. Slice some tomatoes, shred some lettuce, and toast some bread for the BLT's, and you've got dinner ready in less than five minutes.

I stopped measuring the ingredients years ago, but I'll give you some to refer to, and you can easily make adjustments based on what you like or don't like.

What You'll Need:

4 large eggs

3/4 cup half and half, light cream, or whole milk (or a combination of these)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup shredded swiss cheese

4-5 whole mushrooms, chopped

fresh baby spinach, chopped (thaw first if using frozen)

1/4 medium onion, chopped 

4 slices bacon

salt and pepper to taste

nutmeg, optional

pastry crust*

*I rarely make my own for this recipe, and get a 2-pack deep dish frozen crust

What You'll Do:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

• Whisk together eggs, milk or cream, add salt & pepper; set aside

• Layer cheeses, vegetables & bacon on bottom of pastry crust- this way makes all the difference! No messy, clumpy mixtures to contend with. Carefully pour egg mixture over all, and ingredients magically "float" to the top and throughout; sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

• Bake for about 40 minutes or until eggs look set and crust begins to brown. Lots of time, I end up turning the oven off and simply leaving the quiches in for a while. This is a very forgiving dish!

Serve warm or cool- cold leftovers are great the next day, too, though in this family...not so many leftovers. ;)

I know these photos aren't the greatest, but the day I made these was particularly hectic so I was in rush rush rush mode. Thankfully, that is the exception and not the norm around here!

EASY SUNDAY DINNER IDEAS

Good Saturday morning! The sun is shining and I hear we might even get up into the 30's today. Woot! Last night we had Jonah's birthday party- it was so much fun! What a great group of boys. I thought, however, that I was going to enjoy a quiet and lazy morning today... but then I woke up at four, ended up making blueberry coffeecake, and generally puttered around doing a little of this and that. Until the quiet ended. =)

Today I'm sharing some easy fix 'em & forget 'em recipes, which have come in handy on Sundays. I've gone to church my whole life, and growing up, I remember always coming home to the smell of something delicious after Sunday service. We enjoyed a big, sit-down meal around one o'clock, sometimes with one set of grandparents or the other. It was just a really special time. In our family now, we typically enjoy a larger Sunday evening meal, but since joining an afternoon Bible Study, this hasn't been working out quite so well, as dinner doesn't get eaten (or prepared) until much later into the evening. And that actually feels a little bit stressful, not exactly how I'd like to welcome a brand new week.

Here are some recipes, all of which can be fixed ahead of time, left in the oven with the timer set, and be ready for us when we're back home around noon.So now I'd like to begin this midday tradition with our family. It's certainly easier with colder weather since we're already sort of stuck indoors, but come summertime, I'm sure I'll happily trade in oven-cooked meals for a cold picnic lunch at the beach or mountains.

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

When this dish is the main meal, I add cubed ham.

Veggies: sauteed asparagus (10 min); steamed carrots (8-10 min in microwave)

Sides: cottage cheese; canned or fresh fruit

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

I like to prepare the ingredients sometime on Saturday to save time in the morning.

Sides: rolls or bread for dipping; fruit

Tangy Pork Loin

Truly a fix it and forget it dish- toss a few sweet potatoes into the oven to bake at the same time

Veggies: potatoes/ sweet potatoes

buttered peas & corn (frozen, steamed) or salad

Sides: cottage cheese; applesauce

Slow Cooker Ribs

Veggies: green beans (or green bean casserole); steamed corn

Sides: corn bread or rolls; applesauce; "pink stuff" or cottage cheese

Aw. I came across this photo from a few years ago as I was looking through the files- we'd had my Mom and Dad over for dinner, and then we headed outside to make S'mores since it was such a gorgeous afternoon. Boy oh boy am I looking forward to green grass and cute little sundresses and eating outside again!

Quick & Easy Dinner: Tangy Pork Loin

Ugh. Has this been a rough season of colds, flu bugs, back spasms (seriously!), and fevers in our household. Thankfully, we're normally very healthy, but we've been hit by our share of mack trucks so to speak for the past couple of months. And with the temperatures rarely venturing beyond 7 degrees since December...yeah... is it summer yet? Pleeeeaaase!?!?!

In other news, I've been reading lots of fashion blogs lately. Not the high-end Vogue kind of fashion, more the normal but nice, everyday kind. While I would not call myself a high maintenance kind of gal by any stretch of the imagination, I do like to look my best, as most of my friends do too. But sometimes it's hard to find the right balance of what's appropriate and cute versus what just, well, isn't. Is the length too short, the neckline too low, the fit too tight...? I want what I wear to honor the Lord first and foremost, and I believe that dressing more modestly also honors my husband. But I also want to be stylish and modern, not frumpy or hidden beneath a moo moo (is that even spelled correctly, because even the word looks unattractive).

Moving on. Not sure why I launched into the fashion dilemma for this post. Must be he Nyquil talking.

I don't know about you, but thinking about meal prep and shopping lists- much less actually making meals-  when I'm sick seems somewhat torturous. I have to note that my husband is VERY helpful and completely competent in this area, but that's kind of my job. Although my boys are pretty great in the kitchen, too! Here Jonah is earning culinary arts credit, I mean, making yummy yeast rolls.

This guy, on the other hand, not so helpful. Please don't judge me. I am fully aware how gross that must look. In my defense, I was nearly done and he is just so cute and...okay, I don't really have any defense.  I digress. Again. (Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew Recipe)

Here is one fabulous dinner that doesn't require measuring, tricky ingredients or prep, helping hands (or paws) or even any thinking. Win win.

Easy Prep Tangy Pork Loin with Baked Potatoes

1-2 lb pork loin

olive oil

rosemary, optional

salt and pepper

French's mustard

Dijon mustard

flour

potatoes ** / ***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After washing and pricking potatoes, place on top rack to bake.

Place pork loin in baking dish, make a few narrow cuts/slashes in top, and sprinkle salt, pepper & rosemary over top; drizzle with olive oil. Next, coat pork with a dusting of flour. Squirt mustards over top. 

  With a spoon or pastry brush, spread across top.

Pop in the oven and completely forget about it for the next hour or so.

**Instead of baking potatoes, you could quarter them and place them in the baking dish alongside the pork loin- be sure to drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. (When I'm this sick, fooling around with knives and slippery potatoes isn't such a great idea...)

***You can also bake nutrient-rich sweet potatoes, though I wouldn't recommend quartering them and baking alongside the pork loin.

After an hour or so, I check on the potatoes and the pork. Sometimes they're ready within a few minutes, and other times, like last night, they require another twenty minutes. I made some deeper slices in the pork loin so the insides would cook evenly at this point- don't do this too early or the pork will dry out.

Voila

No, sorry, I don't have a pretty picture with the baked potatoes- or even a pretty plated picture of the entire meal- but I think we all know what a nice baked potato and steamed spinach look like. Pop some organic baby spinach in the microwave or into a steamer, and you've got a satisfying, nutritious meal with very little prep...no thinking required!  =)

I have a few other good and easy dishes like this that have saved me on more than one occasion. And there's always take-out, because sometimes...a girl just needs some take-out.

I was writing this yesterday but never finished. Oops. I'm happy to report that I feel halfway decent this morning! Happy Wednesday! (HA, my kids just informed me that it's actually Thursday...baby steps...)

Oh, and one last thing: things are getting springy and summery in the shop...here's a little post about it.

COMFORT FOOD: STOVETOP HOMEMADE MACARONI AND CHEESE

This post could have been alternately titled: It's Cold Out and I'm Bored and Freezing So I May As Well Cook Something Else in My Nice Warm Kitchen. Catchy, right?

Getting a little stir crazy up in here, that's all. It is so, so cold, and there hasn't been much sunshine this winter, so I think it's making us me a tad grumpy. It's just for a season, it's just for a season...

Anyhoo. Thought I'd share this yummy and quick lunch with you. It's versatile, cooks up super quick, and of course is delicious! If you thought convenience involved a little packet of powder, think again. This is an absolutely perfect comfort food for little time and effort, and with real ingredients.

 Here's what you need:

1/2 box/bag of pasta

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup milk

1/2 - 3/4 cup cheese, either Cheddar or American, or a combination of the two

Here's what you do:

First, cook pasta according to directions in a small to medium sized saucepan. Use whatever pasta you like- I prefer bow tie or elbow. Drain cooked pasta in a colander and let sit while you make the cheese sauce.

In the same saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Of course you don't actually have to use the same saucepan, but it does make for quick, no-mess meal prep. Next, stir in flour; then milk. Don't worry about little clumps- they will work themselves out as the sauce heats up. (You can easily do this in the microwave as well, but I'm on a sort of anti-nuke kick. We shall see if it lasts.)

While milk mixture heats up, cube the cheese (or simply tear the American in several pieces), then carefully drop into milk mixture. Keep heat low and stir every minute or so until the cheese melts and sauce thickens. Add a dash salt and pepper. This entire process takes five minutes or less. Be careful not to let the mixture scald or burn on the bottom, though. At this point, give it a little taste and decide if you'd like to add more cheese or if you like it just the way it is. You cannot go wrong!

Now you're ready to add the cooked pasta back to the saucepan. Gently stir the noodles into the sauce, coating everything evenly. That's it! No chemicals, no unnecessary ingredients or preservatives, no artificial powders...just good stuff. And love.  =)

I whip this up and pack it for the kiddos' lunches several times a month. Not one complaint yet, I tell you.

You can also add different types of cheeses to the sauce, but I do have to caution you to avoid bleu cheese at ALL COSTS because your meal will taste like...and let's pretend I'm whispering this in your ear so as not to offend...vomit. 

I kid you not.

Happy Cooking!

Cinco de Mayo: Easy Chicken Quesadillas

I really cannot believe that we're already into May this year! I need everything to just slooooow down a little. Anyhoo. Way back when I was a college student and contemplating living abroad in Spain for an entire year, the one thing that always brought my plans to a screeching halt pause was this: the prospect of eating nothing but spicy food. I've never been a fan of spicy food, Tex-Mex or other- it just never agrees with me. Sad, right? Well, come to find out that my fears were unfounded, Spanish cuisine is not spicy, and I loved the food. And now, even spicier fare is growing on me. A little. ;)

This quick and easy Chicken Quesadilla has become a staple in our dinner rotation, so I thought I'd share it in honor of Cinco de Mayo today. Enjoy! 

You'll Need:

package of burrito-sized tortillas

jar of salsa

mayo

1 boiled or cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

1 bag "pizza blend" shredded cheese

 sour cream, optional

You can bake these in the oven or brown them in a frying pan on the stove top.

Or do both, like I do, because I've got lots of hungry people after me, people. =)

I use the smaller burritto size tortilla in order to fit 2 nicely on the cookie pan, but you can use whatever size you want. Next, lightly coat one tortilla with mayo, sprinkle on some shredded cheese (enough to cover the tortilla), add the chicken, salsa (I use mild...of course!), and add more shredded cheese on top of the salsa. The cheese on top and bottom help keep the quesadilla together when it melts, which makes it much easier to turn over/flip.

Once the cheese is added, place the second tortilla on top. Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until browned; Carefully flip the quesadilla over to brown on the other side. You can also cook these in a frying pan on medium heat, flipping once when ready. (You don't need to spray the pan.)

They are quick and easy, and fantastic!

We serve them hot with a dollop of sour cream, but they taste great cold, too.

If you prefer more heat, use a medium or hot salsa. You can also toss in some black olives, beans...whatever you like! Happy eating!

We'll be having these scrumptious Homemade Brownies with Cream Cheese Topping for dessert. IF there's any left by the time dinner rolls around...

And if you're looking for lunches that go beyond PB&J, I've got you covered. Click here for the post.

Best Homemade Rolls Recipe & a House Anniversary

Today is by far the coldest day we've had yet this fall, one of those perfect Beef Stew kinds of days. With rolls!  Delicious, homemade, melt-in-your-mouth rolls. And I've finally gotten around to sharing the recipe!

Best EASY Homemade Yeast Rolls

1 1/4 cup very warm but not hot water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp dry, active yeast (or 2 packets)
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sugar (more or less)

In large bowl, gently mix the ingredients and let sit about 15 minutes to proof.

Next, add the following & stir together with a sturdy wooden spoon:
(You can use the dough hook on your mixer but it only takes a few moments and a little muscle to stir the dough by hand.)

1 egg
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour (you can use bread flour too)
1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
dash salt

Sprinkle additional flour onto your kneading surface and turn out dough; knead until smooth and elastic- sometimes this takes several minutes, but little helpers don't seem to mind. =)

I use a small plastic square and slice off pieces to shape into the rolls- keep the ball of dough flat in your hand and gently turn under the sides, pinching them in place on the underside. Place each roll in a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish/pan. Have a smaller (8 x 8 or 9 x 9) dish ready to go as well because sometimes you'll have enough dough to make extra rolls. This is a wonderful problem to have!  ;)

Let rolls rest & finish rising in pan for about 10 minutes while oven preheats to 400 degrees. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Easy and delicious! These rolls pair fabulously with my Hearty Slow-Cooker Beef Stew.

This recipe was slightly adapted from this one.

Tomorrow marks our one-year anniversary of owning this house! I remember so clearly that I lugged over the Crock-pot, the veggies and meat already prepped, a tube of chocolate chip refrigerated cookie dough & a baking sheet, and all the utensils we would need in order to eat our very first meal in our new home the day we closed. It would be another three weeks before Move In day, but it was a special night for us.

Lots of times I get so annoyed with myself for not having this or that finished, but we've worked really hard throughout the year to make this place feel like home. And it finally does! Here are some pictures of the changes we've made:

 more info about the kitchen here

 we recently painted the island a contrasting color &

finished off the {disgusting} toe kick under the cabinets- that's a post for later

 more on this small powder room here

 our master bedroom

 our family room

 our home office space (adjacent to my sewing studio) - neither blogged about yet

 our dining room

 the rock garden on a slope

 redoing the foundation garden - left side

foundation garden (with a new rock wall) - right side

I just spent 10 minutes looking for a post for either of these gardens...and nothing!

I'll put one together when it's grey and freezing and I'm dreaming of getting my hands in the dirt

I haven't shared any of our kids' bedrooms because, well, I'm busy and haven't bothered had the time. I'm still deciding what to do in the bathroom upstairs, but I painted the walls (and heater!) and am so smitten with the color! Just gorgeous! We were about to buy a vanity, sink and all the powder room hoopla when the garage door went and broke. As in, broke. Can't open or close, and thankfully the glass windows didn't shatter into a million zillion pieces. Anyhoo, that gets replaced Monday, so the ugly bathroom stuff stays put for now.

Have a good weekend!

linking up here 
&
 

Hearty Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Fall is in the air.

It's awesome!

Do you know what's even awesome-er?

The smell of steaming hot beef stew wafting through the house at the end of a busy busy day!

I'll share the recipe I adapted from my beloved BHG wedding-gift cookbook.

Aw, just looking at the picture above has me feeling nostalgic and a little sad...

That's my kitchen.

I really do miss my kitchen.

It's hard not having your own space, particularly your own kitchen.

But dry those tears everyone because- insert drum roll please- we finally found a house!!!!!

I'll share more on that later. Let's get back to the stew.