Reclaiming The Home

Sharing

I'm sorry it has been a few days since my last post.  I have been having some intense morning sickness, and haven't been able to be on the computer much.  Thankfully the beloved nurse at my doctor office agreed to call in some anti-nausea medication to help, and we will be picking it up tomorrow, post haste. 

In the mean time I will share some of the lovely meals I've made when I have been able to stomach the smell of cooking, but that I sadly haven't been able to take part in eating the past few days...

First on the menu are Barbecue Wings complete with corn & green beans.  It was incredibly simple to make.  I simply basted the wings (frozen) with BBQ sauce and baked them for an hour at 350*.  Warmed up the veggies, added a little salt and pepper and presto!  A meal that the family loved. :)

The next night I thought I would try something a little more tummy-friendly.  I made a Caesar Pasta Salad with fresh tomatoes, steamed broccoli, one chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks (for the entire salad) and Caesar dressing.  It smelled wonderful and hubby gave it two thumbs up.  Anna loved it as well!

Finally, I made the beloved and esteemed Apple Dumplings that the Pioneer Woman gave a recipe for a couple of weeks ago.   Everyone loved these and I had to make a second batch to send with hubby tomorrow to a work lunch event.  The only thing that we changed in the recipe was to use Squirt instead of Mountain Dew (to cut out all traces of caffeine).  Based on everyone who tried them, we have a total of 12/12 thumbs up!

Now... the things I've actually been able to eat?  Hmm... ice-cold Spaghettios and corn dogs.  So healthy I know, but apparently it is all that the baby wants. LOL.  I am hoping this will change soon.

What are your tricks for an upset tummy?  Any favorite "sick tummy" recipes to share? 

Big News!

Here at Reclaiming the Home big things have been going on behind the scenes.  The needles have been knitting, the sewing machine has been sewing, and bits of craftiness are showing up everywhere around the house, here and there.  Because of my cold, the only cooking that has gone on was done by the infamous Mr. Rose with some buffalo cheese dip that he was quite proud of.  I'll have to ask him for the recipe so that I can share it soon!

The big news though, comes in the form of the new public Reclaiming The Home forum! 

My goal for the forum is to be a community of people who care about their homes and the gentle home arts.  There will be tutorials, resources, and information that will help us all to learn to be better Reclaimers, while providing incentive and motivational games in a fun atmosphere where we share our love of the home with one another. 

It is a place of friendship that welcomes people from all walks of life, where we all get to be ourselves, get to know one other better, support each other, and share our joys as well as our sorrows.  You don't have to be a mother, a wife, or stay at home to enjoy homemaking.

I know you will find real community here, grow friendships, build each other up, learn new things, and just enjoy hanging out at the forum.

If you have a moment, stop on by and take a look. There is so much to be found there and so much more to come, including a big surprise event for all of the forum members that will begin within the week! 

This idea has been in the works for some time, and I am so pleased to say, has finally come to fruition.  So many people were involved in its creation.  A big thank you to Caitlin, Pam, Diane, Audrey, Rachel, Robyn, Danna, and SO many more lovely women who helped to make this part of my dream a reality!

Fresh Air and Green Things

It has been unusually warm here, getting up over 90*F yesterday, and that has left us all wanting to get out and enjoy some of the fresh air before it becomes so hot that our only outside experiences are running from the house to the car in search of air conditioning.   In Oklahoma spring usually lasts about a week before the blistering heat comes in and takes over.  We have been enjoying the pretty weather while it lasts by spending a good portion of our days playing outside in the yard.  The little ones are especially enjoying Spring's brief interlude into our lives, asking for "ou-siiigh?" every chance they get and being reciprocated with a resounding "sure! lets go play!" at nearly every opportunity.

Being outside so much this week has made me want to start the seedlings for the garden.  I'm a little later this year than I usually am, but I'm not too worried.  Autumn lasts just about as long as spring and usually doesn't show up until the end of November, so we probably have a little more time for harvesting at the end of the season than most areas do. 

I'm thinking of starting a paper gardening & sketch journal for this year.  I have some ideas in the works for how I'd want it to look, since I am going to be making it.  I always wonder if others do things like that, or if its one of those "Kristin's dreaming again" things.  Anyone else journal their gardening experiences?

The tale of the Flu, the Hawaiian Chicken, and the Black Forrest Cake

To start out, I want to apologize for having been away for the past week.  I've been feeling a little punk, as my grandma would say.  The flu took hold of me and I haven't hardly made it away from the couch ever since.

That said, I have been trying to do a little cooking from the Recipe Contest when I've felt well enough to sit up longer than 10 minutes at a time.  I have to say I'm glad that I did!!  The family has thoroughly enjoyed the foods that have  made it to the table, and even in my flu-induced state, I've enjoyed them quite a bit as well!

To start out, we made the completely decadent Black Forrest Cake submitted by Aviva.

Can I just say YUM!?  Oh-ma-goodness.  My hubby and kids have devoured this!!!  There are about 3 pieces left in the fridge that I am certain will be gone by tonight.  If you have never made a Black Forrest Cake before, please please please try it.  It is so good, and really not complicated at all!  Here is the recipe Aviva submitted, copied and pasted from her post:

Black Forest cake (Absolutely my favorite!!!!!~Viv)

Ingredients:
1  chocolate cake mix (Dark chocolate is best)
1 c sweetened condensed milk
1 c cream of coconut (Or Pina Colada Mix)
1 can cherry pie filling
1  (8 ounce) carton whipped topping (Cool Whip, etc)

Instructions:
   1. Mix cake according to package directions and bake in a 9X13 inch pan.
   2. As soon as you remove from the oven, poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.
   3. Pour the sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut over the cake.
   4. Make sure the milk& cream of coconut go down in the holes.
   5. Refrigerate cake for 20-30 minutes.
   6. Remove cake from refrigerator and spread the can of cherry pie filling on top.
   7. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes and then spread the carton of whipped cream over the top of the cake.
   8. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving .

Next, is Hawaiian Chicken, as submitted by Dani.

Let me tell you - this was SO different from anything we've ever tried.  It was SO SO good.  Hubby's eyes got big and you could just tell before he even said anything that this was going to become a new favorite meal!  Once he stopped eating long enough to talk, he told me this was INCREDIBLE.  I have to agree!!  The chicken was tender, juicy, and just a hint of sweet.  We felt so good after eating this meal.  It just seemed healthy and fulfilling.  I would recommend this recipe to ANYONE!

Hawaiian Chicken:

2lbs chicken tenders (boneless skinless)
2 cups all purpose flour (1/2 cup reserved)
2 cups flaked baker's coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp pineapple juice

Makes 6-8 hearty portions
Suggestion: for parties, these are a huge hit! We bake them with pre-soaked bamboo skewers in them (or you can add them after... it's just a bit messier)

Note: I choose to bake these in the oven on Silpat, but you can fry them with some veggie oil if you prefer!

Directions:
Rinse chicken well. With the 1/2 cup reserved flour in a Ziplock bag, coat the pieces lightly. Then dip into a mix of the 2 beaten eggs and pineapple juice combined. Then toss into a mixture of coconut/sugar/flour in a 2nd Ziplock baggie--- press to coat
Bake at 350 deg F on Silpat sheets for about 20-30 minutes

Serve with pineapple salsa, hawaiian fried rice and enjoy!

Something else that has been good for my sickly soul is a warm bowl of stew.   This is super-easy... Just took a package of stew meat (about 1 lb), and browned it lightly on the edges in about 2 Tbs. olive oil.  Throw that in a pot with full cans of corn, peas, and green beans.  Toss in a can of tomato paste, chopped up potatoes, and 1 cup of chopped onion.  Let it simmer for about 3 hours or until the meat is cooked through completely.  This has such a full, rich flavor that isn't overwhelming and just feels so good and cozy from the head to the toes.

I have also been busy *planning* out my creativity.  I recently got about 2000 buttons in the mail and I cant wait to play with them and do something fun and creative, rather than slumping on the couch all day. 

I did manage to get one creative thing done the other night, with the help and prodding of my best friend, Rachel. :)

I totally borrowed the idea from an incredible Flickr member.  You can see her work here: Carambatack's work "Under My Wing." It looks a lot more like her original than I had planned or hoped, but I think part of being sick is having very little originality.  That said, mine will of course be for personal use only.  :)  I just love her style and was trying to find some different ways to use up book pages that I had on hand from an old Nancy Drew book that had fallen apart and this seemed like a perfect project.  I'm hoping to come up with some new (original) designs in the future :)  It was just nice to be a little creative in my Nyquil-induced state.

All that said, I'm about to go (finally) get dressed and start my day.  Never-you-mind that its 2pm... ;)

Dinner, Dessert, and Dates!

I know its only been a couple of days but it feels like its been forever!!  I've been a busy girl :)

To start off, I want to share some of the DELICIOUS goods that I've been whipping up from some of the recipes from our Recipe Contest! 

To start off, I made the Ginger Snap Cookies by Dani, our contest winner!

Here's her recipe, copied and pasted from her contest entry!!

Ginger Snap Cookies
These are a mix of like 5 recipes from the net, I didn’t like any one of them on it’s own, so I mixed and matched and this is what happened =)

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar, for dipping

1. In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg.
2. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cloves and salt.
3. Cover and refrigerate *at least* 1 hour.
4. After chilling, heat oven to 375F; Lightly grease cookie sheet.
5. Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls, then dip tops into granulated sugar.
6. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until set (Do not overbake!).
8. Remove from cookie sheet, and cool on wire rack.

Makes about 24 cookies

I followed the recipe to the *T* and they are truly the BEST ginger snap cookies I have ever had!!!!  They were moist, had a WONDERFUL texture, and the flavor is just WOW, so good!  Not over-gingery, but just enough of that ginger taste to make you say MMMMM and crave some more!  After the first batch was done, they were snagged up and eaten before the second batch ever made it out of the oven!

Next, I made the beautiful pizza casserole recipe by Amanda Fuentes.  Here's her recipe cut & pasted from the recipe contest!

Pizza casserole:

1 can pop and bake biscuits
Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
3-4 cups of pasta tossed w/ tomato sauce (or jarred spaghetti sauce)

Spread the biscuits in a casserole dish. Spoon the pasta (I like bowties) and tomato sauce over the biscuits and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 14 minutes. Enjoy!

This is a FABULOUS recipe and one I would have never thought of on my own.  I don't think I would have ever thought to put noodles and biscuits together in one dish, but it was so YUM!

My big suggestion based upon my own experience.... don't make the same mistake that I did and forget to cook the noodles before putting them in the dish! 

I was such a dork and thought they'd cook in the sauce while baking, but NOPE.  Cook the noodles ahead of time, and trust me that this will be one dish you'll have over and over again.  SO SO GOOD. 

In other news... you *MAY* have noticed the new ticker in the left column of the blog.  That's right... I'm going to RENT!!  Not only am I going to RENT but I am going with one of my oldest and best friends, Rachel.  Can life get any sweeter??  I think not!

RENT wont be playing on stage after June of this year, so the fact that Rachel and I get to go see it together is just so meaningful to us.  Its a musical that has touched our hearts and lives and has always been something special for the two of us.  Its inspirational, motivational, moving, and jam-packed with the best music on the face of this earth.  If you haven't seen RENT yet, please please find out if its playing near you and go see it before it is taken off stage!  If you dont get a chance to see it live, at least get the movie - you won't regret it, because after all... there's no day like today!  :)

 

   

Chocolate Cake for Two and a Valentines Giveaway

Valentines Day is upon us and do I have a special gift of love for you all!  My lovely friend Rachel over at Simply Abundant has offered to send these gorgeous vintage valentines to the winner of a drawing here at Reclaiming The Home!

Aren't they absolutely gorgeous?? 

If you're interested in joining in on the fun, and entering your name for the drawing, leave a comment on this post and I will announce a winner 24 hours from now (1pm CST on Valentines Day)! 

For our own valentines celebrations, I have been playing with different ideas for yummy cakes and goodies.  This is one that I whipped up last night, thanks to some prodding and motivation by one very hungry little girl with cake mix in hand.

To make this super-decadent chocolate cake for two I prepared the cake mix as described on the package, and then poured into 4 mini bundt cake pans (it probably could have made 6, no problem).  If you dont have mini bundt cake pans,  cupcake pans will work also for single servings - just fill them halfway with mix so that they dont form a big cusp at the top).  When the cakes were finished baking according to package directions, I flipped them upside down onto dessert plates.  Then I used a little bit of whipped cream in the can, and made a small whipped cream border, and filling in the center cavity.  Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chunks on the whipped cream and called it done. 

For variations you could drizzle melted chocolate, crushed nuts, cherry pie filling, or melted frosting over the top.  You could also top with one marachino cherry or a slice of fresh strawberry for a tasty and colorful touch without much added work.

Enjoy!  And dont forget to comment to be entered for the drawing! :)

homemade gifts, painted toes, and SOS

A certain two year old is getting mighty grown up, and I am loving every minute of it.  She is so girly and so so sweet.  I could just nibble those little toesies but I won't.  She absolutely adores getting her toes painted.  Her daddy usually does it for her, but she insisted I do it today, and well.... who am I to argue with cute toes like that staring me in the face?  She wiggles her toes when she gets them painted, so they're all sorts of silly, but I think that's just part of the awesome fun-ness of being two and having pink painted piggies.

Right after we finished her mini pedicure, the mailman brought me some amazing goodness!   My dear, dear friend Robyn sent me some awesome birthday presents - a Priority flat rate box stuffed full!  Here are just a FEW of the goodies she put in there for me!

Let me tell you, there was so much more, but for the sake of those of you on dial-up I'll just tell you - the package was FABULOUS! :)   Thank you Robyn!  You're such a sweetheart!  I had so much fun going through everything, and the girls and I spent the afternoon batting the balloons around the apartment together... at least until Anna crashed on the couch for her afternoon nap and Abbi got distracted with a movie  :)   Thank you, my friend :)

In other news, I sat down tonight and made out the grocery list for all of the recipes from the Recipe Contest!   As I was on my way out the door  to go shopping I realized that I didn't have my wallet in my purse.  We looked *EVERYWHERE*.  I mean ev-e-ry-where.  Not one stone left unturned. 

Under the couch - *check*
Peek in the laundry - *check*
Look in the fridge? - *check*
In every possible hidden crack in the car?  - *check*
Inbetween kids' mattresses - *check*

Its probably someplace obvious.

I had to call and cancel my cards and will be ordering a new license and all of that soon.   :(   Poo.  That said, I will have to wait to go shopping until this weekend when hubby can go with me and use his card.  I'll start making the recipes then.   I'm so so sorry for the delay - I am craving them.  Big time.

Since I couldn't get to the store tonight, we had a staple dinner for most any Army family.  Sh!t on a Shingle (also known as SOS).  Its basically beef & gravy over toast.  It may not look delicious (or sound so, by the name), but it REALLY is comfort food, SOOOO tasty, and cheap to boot.  I used *THIS RECIPE* just to make sure I was getting proportions right.  I hadn't ever tried it with worcestershire sauce before - it was a nice addition!  If you get a chance, give it a try!  Its also GREAT for breakfast using sausage instead of chipped beef or hamburger.  (note: chipped beef is the "traditional" way of fixing SOS, but that's mostly because it can be dehydrated and rehydrated easily.  I prefer the taste and texture of hamburger or turkey burger, but you can use whatever strikes your fancy! - ENJOY!)

Dinner Challenge! BBQ Chicken & Potato Skins

So.... I tried. 

The dinner challenge has been a real challenge lately.  My 2yo daughter (purposely) poured oil all over the oven while I was in the restroom one afternoon.  So - I have had to wait to cook anything until I could thoroughly clean the oven.  Having felt under the weather this past weekend, that didn't get done until today.  As a result we have done our part to keep Quiznos and Little Caesars Pizza in business.

Tonight though... Tonight I cooked.  And well... This picture stinks.  But - hopefully you'll get the idea.  Ignore the freakish coloring.  No clue.  Honestly it wasn't pinkish-blue when we ate it hehe.

The barbecue chicken is VERY easy to make... its just chicken tenders (or really any cut of chicken you like) brushed with your favorite BBQ sauce and baked at 350*F for 1 hour. 

The potato skins are pretty easy also - bake your potato until its soft inside, cut in half and scoop out the middle.  Top with cheese, bacon bits, scallions, or whatever you like on your potatoes!  We added a nice dollop of sour cream after baking!

Green beans are warmed up straight out of the can (in the spirit of using what I have!). 

Hubby gave the dinner 2 big thumbs up and asked that we eat home cooked food forever and never eat out again (hehe).  We'll have to let Quiznos down easy I think.  Looks like hubby is going to have to compete with two little chickies for those potatoes though, I think!

Sometimes its the simple meals that just make you feel like *home*

Dinner Challenge! Southern Sausage Apple Bake

Over at the Sommer Designs blog, she has posted a 5 night Dinner Challenge! I’m going to take her up on it starting Friday night! I’ll be sure to post photos and recipes here.

Are you up for the challenge? If so, post here, and be sure to link us up (and on Sommer’s blog too!) when you do post your dinners! Photos are optional! Yum!

To start out, gather your ingredients.  You'll need:

~4 apples
~1 Tbs olive oil (not pictured)
~1 pkg of kielbasa (or any similar type sausage - turkey kielbasa works great and is low fat)
~2 pkg of cornbread mix (we used Martha White this time, but have also loved the Jiffy Mixes and they are also SO cheap!!)
~1 cup milk (can substitute for water if needed)

The first thing you'll want to do is peel your apples.  Be sure to keep your peels & your cores to make potpourri later (i'll post a pic & instructions at the end of this post!)

Once you have your apples peeled, you'll want to slice them into thin slices.  Put them in a pot that has been drizzled with olive oil, over medium heat on the stovetop.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.

While your apples are simmering, slice your sausage into 1/4 inch slices, and preheat your oven to 400*F.

In a medium bowl, mix your cornbread mixes with the milk, stirring well. (note: 2 year olds think this is the best part)

Once your apples are done, you'll want to pour them (and their juices) in a 9x13" baking pan.  Add in the sausage and distribute evenly throughout the pan.  Pour the cornbread mixture over top, gently spreading around with a spatula or back of a spoon.

Place entire thing in the oven, and cook for 20 minutes (or until top is lightly golden) at 400*F.

Makes 6 hearty servings!  (and always gets rave reviews around here!) :)

Now... to make the potpourri!  Use your apple peels and cores (dont worry about seeds, etc, its all fine).  Put them all into a pan, sprinkle with cloves (crushed or whole are both fine), and about 1/2 cup water.  Put on simmer, and enjoy!

WIP's, Trades, and Treasures

Quilting is one of my favorite crafts. 

I have been quite obsessed lately with the beautiful images I've found all across Flickr, and have been busy creating bits and pieces for the girls' bedroom based on some of that wonderful inspiration!

Here's a quick peek at a quilting piece (or is that pieces!) that I'm working on for some extra girly decor... Completed photos will appear later this week!! :)  I'm also working on putting together some kits (not all girly), along with in-depth tutorials for everyone from advanced to beginners. :)  Lots of fun ahead!

As a part of this quilting binge I've been on, I decided to visit our local quilt shop, The Quilting Bee.  I got some GORGEOUS quilting thread.  I know... you're thinking "its thread.  get over it..." but seriously!!! Its gorgeous :)  I cant wait to have an excuse to use it.  If I could get this thread anywhere else in town, I would... but for now, its my only source.

I also came away with a LOVELY bunch of fabric scraps.  The Quilting Bee offers a huge bin of fabric scraps that patrons can browse through and fill a plastic baggie as full as they can for the whopping cost of $5.  While that may not be the best deal as far as yardage is concerned, it is PERFECT for small quilts, accents, trims, etc.  Its the virtual Whitman's Sampler of the fabric world.  Swoon!

After leaving The Quilting Bee, I decided to go to JoAnn's for the bulk of my fabric shopping.  I am on a "stash diet" (*ahem* scraps don't count), except for items that are for other people.  I am making a quilt for my dear friend Debra, and needed to get some fabrics to make it work exactly the way I'm hoping....  These were what spoke to me as I waded through the aisles and aisles of beautiful fabrics...

Outside of the crafty part of my world, and back into the real-life homemaking part of my world, I thought I'd share one of my tips/tricks that helps me out a LOT day-to-day.  I try to make our own "fast food" so that we don't go out to eat very much.  I focus on easy items unless I'm feeling particularly creative and happen to have a chunk of time on my hands.  Tonight, I decided to whip up a classic that my mom used to make for my brother and I when we were kids.  Sandwich-in-a-bowl.  YUP! 

I know, I know... not the most appetizing photo on the planet.  But trust me.  YUM!  I snapped this straight out of the fridge in a rush to get back to blogging (I'm on a roll tonight!). 

Basically, I just made chicken salad sandwiches.  You can use any type of sandwich you like - ham and cheese, PB&J, Tuna, whatever strikes your fancy. Then you just slice it into little finger-sandwiches and layer them in a Tupperware container or bowl.  When you get the hungries, just reach in and grab a couple!  They make a much healthier snack than potato chips, are easy to pack for a snack-on-the-road, and even work in a pinch for a rushed dinner if you throw in a piece of fruit or a salad.  Instant hit!

I also like to sneak in some fruits & veggies in these sandwiches since my kids LOVE to eat sammies but dont like their produce quite as much.  For this particular sandwich I included finely chopped apples.  I also like to include chopped up grapes, but didn't have any this time around!  They add just a bit of a crunch (but have the same color as the chicken, so it doesn't stand out) and add just a hint of sweet, which works wonderfully with the salty chicken & mayo!  Yum!

If you want to try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & let me know what you think!!

Chicken Salad:

~1 Lg. can of chicken
~2 Tbs. light mayonaise
~2 Tbs. dijon mustard
~1 Tbs sweet pickle relish
~1/2 apple, chopped finely
~1/2 cup chopped grapes (optional - and yes - its VERY good!!)

Mix well and you're done :)  yummy!