Anna

Conference Nuggets 2018

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It’s that time of year again, folks.  The Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints happened last weekend and here are the nuggets I would like to share with you:

 

  • Our Sunday meeting schedule has been restructured so that we can have a more home-centered, Church supported Gospel study experience.  
  • A renewed emphasis on the name of our church–The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–so that we may better represent who we are and whose Church this is.
  • We live in a remarkably revelatory time in the restored Church.
  • Center yourself in Christ, hold fast to what you already know and wait on further instruction.
  • Keep on the covenant path.
  • Achieve the conversion the Lord expects you to.
  • Establish righteous patterns.
  • Know the WHO and WHY of serving the Lord.
  • If we will make Jesus Christ the center of our lives, everything else will fall into place.
  • Trials happen because this is mortality.
  • Pray to the Father to bring you to someone for Him.
  • Our Heavenly Father knows how to exalt YOU.
  • The Lord requires our help to minister to His flock and gather His sheep.

 

Wow!  And that isn’t all but I didn’t put them all in here.  If you watched the conference, then you have probably noted some of these same nuggets and added more of your own as you felt inspired.

Have a peaceful Sabbath Day…

Chicken Noodle Soup

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I used to love volunteering at my girls’ elementary schools.  Yes plural on schools.  They went to two different ones because we moved in the middle of those years.

One of my favorite places to volunteer was in the school library.  All those books!  And the librarian at their second school became a good friend–before working in the library she was one daughter’s 2nd grade teacher.  She was amazing.

Anyway, one aspect of volunteering in the library was working the Scholastic Book Fairs and, since I had been a bank teller for several years in my single days, I usually worked “register” and did the deposit at the end of the fair.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, when you work at the book fairs you have early access to the books on sale and I would always check them out to see if their were any books that appealed to me.  Cookbooks were a favorite and I still have one called “Rise and Dine America”, full of Bed & Breakfast recipes from across the country.  Perhaps I will share a few at some point.  

Today’s recipe comes from one of those book fair cookbooks, entitled “Is it Soup Yet?”   I haven’t tried very many of these soups but this happens to be the very first recipe in the book and we really like it.  I actually have substituted Thrive Foods for several of the ingredients, and have noted that in the recipe.

It’s Fall y’all, and at some point–not right now because in the South we are still pretty darn warm–you are going to be craving some good old comfort food and that will include soups and stews, so get ready!

Chicken Noodle Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 3 lb. fryer
  2. 3 bay leaves
  3. 6 peppercorns
  4. 7 stalks of celery (I used 3 stalks, then 2 cups of sliced Thrive celery, cut up)
  5. 2 cups chicken broth (I used Thrive Chicken Bouillion)
  6. 1 large onion minced (1.5 cups Thrive Chopped Onion)
  7. 3 carrots, julienne sliced
  8. 1 T. dried parsley (Thrive)
  9. 1/2 lb. thin egg noodles (Thrive)
  10. 1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas (Thrive)
  11. 3 t. salt (Thrive)
  12. 1 t. ground white pepper
  13. 1 t. of your favorite all-purpose seasoning
Instructions
  1. Remove the neck and gizzard pack from the cavity of the chicken.
  2. Place the chicken into a 6 quart stock pot and cover with water. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and 3 stalks of celery, broken in half.
  3. Cook over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken falls off the bone.
  4. Remove the chicken to cool and strain the broth.
  5. Return the liquid to the pot, then add 2 cups of chicken broth, minced onion, 4 stalks of celery minced or Thrive celery slices cut up, carrots, dried parsley, and egg noodles. Cook over high heat until the noodles are soft.
  6. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and add along with the peas to the broth.
  7. Season with salt, white pepper and other seasoning of choice.
  8. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the peas are heated through.
Notes
  1. Original recipe calls for Accent seasoning but I did not include that. I had a packet of Thrive seasoning left from something else and wanted to use it instead. I believe that Accent actually contains MSG, so no.
Adapted from Is It Soup Yet?
Adapted from Is It Soup Yet?
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Pan-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

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Have you ever purchased anything from The Pampered Chef and received a cute little multi-folded “brochure” on how to use the particular item that you ordered?  So, they usually include recipes for you to use with that item.  Somewhere in time, I saved the this recipe to use at some later date.  Much later date, obviously.  

I have seen a lot of these one pan wonders on Facebook and Pinterest recently and knew that I wanted to prepare this dish.  It smells divine while it’s baking and it is so delicious.  Easy peasy, too.  I even had some leftover rice that I paired with it!  Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Pan-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 2 large unpeeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  2. 1 each medium zucchini, yellow summer squash and red bell pepper, cut into 1-in. pieces
  3. 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
  4. 4 T olive oil, divided
  5. 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  6. 1 t. crushed dried rosemary, divided
  7. 1/2 t. plus 1/8 t. salt divided
  8. 1/8 t. ground black pepper
  9. 1 egg
  10. 1/2 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs
  11. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1/4 lb)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Cut potato slices crosswise in half. Place vegetables into large bowl and toss with 2 T. of the olive oil, garlic, 1/2 t. of the rosemary, 1/2 t. salt and the black pepper; mix well.
  3. Arrange vegetables around the inside of a baking dish--I used the one that is slightly larger than a 9 x 13--leaving an opening in the center for the chicken.
  4. Lightly beat egg in a flat bowl. Combine bread crumbs, remaining rosemary and salt in another flat bowl. Add remaining oil to crumb mixture; mix well.
  5. Dip chicken into egg and then into crumb mixture, coating completely. Place chicken in center of baking dish.
  6. Bake 22-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
Adapted from The Pampered Chef
Adapted from The Pampered Chef
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Caprese Flatbread

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I got a text from my husband today with a link to a recipe. 

Interesting. 

Anyway, I tried it out today and holy moly, y’all–it was absolutely delicious! 

Crispy, buttery but not, healthy magic.

Healthy?  I know you’re thinking this is just craziness, right?

The secret?  Olive oil, not butter.  But it tastes buttery.

And Caprese with the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil.  I can’t talk. 

Caprese Flatbread
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Ingredients
  1. 4 (3/4-inch) slices of sourdough bread, preferably homemade
  2. 3 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzle
  3. 2 T. minced garlic (adjust to taste)
  4. 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  5. 6 -8 fresh basil leaves, or use dried basil, to taste*
  6. 24 fresh mozzarella pearls
  7. sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine oil and minced garlic. Allow to sit for 15 minutes so flavors marinate. Halve the cherry tomatoes and chiffonade the basil.
  2. Brush each slice of bread with the olive oil/garlic mixture and place in a toaster oven on broil or in your conventional oven. Watch carefully and remove when golden brown, brush the other side with the olive oil/garlic mixture and broil that side until golden.
  3. Top each slice of bread with about 6 tomato halves and 6 mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little oil if desired. I also used just a little bit of white balsamic vinegar.
Notes
  1. Original recipe calls for thawed yeast rolls but I had some yummy homemade sourdough bread that I wanted to try with this recipe. I don't know how the yeast rolls were with this recipe, but oh my goodness the sourdough...
  2. Chiffonade. That's a funny word and I didn't think I had ever done that before. But I have. And so have you! Cutting your basil into shreds. I have a garnishing tool that looks like scissors with 5 or 6 blades. Amazing tool and it chiffonades like a beast!
  3. I noticed after posting this that the basil was not listed, and it's not listed in the original recipe from Rhodes Rolls! I am guessing on the amount of fresh or dried basil, so just eyeball it.
Adapted from Rhodes Rolls Recipes
Adapted from Rhodes Rolls Recipes
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Breakfast PLT

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What are some of your favorite cooking shows on TV?  I have several and one of them is Giada at Home . First of all, she lives at the beach and being able to see the ocean from the window behind her is awesome.  Second, she whips up some of the most delicious looking dishes I have ever seen on television and she makes it look so easy.  

Don’t even get me started on the episodes she films in her outdoor kitchen in Italy.  Oh my!

One day I happened on her show and she was in that outdoor Italian kitchen and making items that she likes to prepare for herself and her daughter for breakfast.  Her daughter isn’t much of a breakfast gal, but Giada always manages to make something she is willing to eat.  

Like, who is not going to eat something Giada makes–plus she is the mom.

The Breakfast PLT (Pancetta, Lettuce & Tomato) is one of the coolest looking dishes that I have seen on the show.  It’s a crazy take on the tradition BLT sandwich we all know and love, but this one is served at breakfast.    

I made these this morning before church, and honestly it was so easy to prepare.  I don’t know why I waited so long to share the recipe.  I even bought the pancetta way long ago.  Let me tell you, that “Italian bacon” has a long out-date!  I still have a couple of weeks to use it up.

Breakfast PLT
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Ingredients
  1. 1 T. whole-grain mustard
  2. 1/4 cup water
  3. 1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese (original recipe calls for 4 oz. fresh goat cheese at room temperature)
  4. 4 mini bagels, split
  5. 2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
  6. 8 thin slices pancetta
  7. 8 small eggs, room temperature (original recipe says quail eggs)
  8. kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  9. 2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  10. 1 cup baby arugula (or romaine or butter lettuce would be good)
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the mustard and 1/4 cup water to a simmer. Whisk in the cottage or goat cheese until combined. Set aside; it will thicken as it cools.
  2. Toast the bagels until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
  3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 t. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 slices of the pancetta and cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain the pancetta on paper towels. Repeat with remaining pancetta.
  4. Heat the remaining 1 t. of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs, into the pan. If using small eggs, two at a time works. Quail eggs, 4 at a time. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 2-3 minutes. If you are not using quail eggs you will need to "train" your egg whites so that they won't be too big for the PLT. I just use my spatula and try to corral the whites closer to the yolk. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining eggs.
  5. To build the PLT: Spread each bagel half with 1 T. of the cheese sauce. Layer with a slice of pancetta, slice of tomato, and some arugula. Top with the fried egg and a grind of freshly ground black pepper. Serve.
Notes
  1. This makes 8 servings and that is fine if you are serving other foods along with these. If not, this would be more like 4 servings--2 per person.
Adapted from Giada at Home
Adapted from Giada at Home
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

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It was one of those days when I felt the urge to serve breakfast for supper.  

And so I did.  

Fortunately, I was watching Pioneer Woman while ironing a million white shirts earlier in the day and she was preparing a brunch which looked mighty delicious. I went to the Food Network site and found her show…and this recipe.

Now, she was prepping for a brunch with friends for “the next day” and so she put the recipe together, covered it, and then put it in the fridge overnight.  I didn’t do that, but I did have it in the fridge for about 4 or 5 hours, so it still worked.

It was delicious and it is gone now.  We ate it up pretty quickly.

 

Due to technical difficulties today, we are using the older format for our recipe.  

 

Ingredients:

1 16-oz. bag frozen tater tots
Butter for your baking dish
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. spicy bulk breakfast sausage (I used 1 cup Thrive)
1 medium onion, finely diced (who wants to do that?  I used Thrive)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. cayenne 
4 large eggs
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I used Mexican blend, on hand)
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (I used regular jack, on hand)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1.  Line up the tater tots in a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
  2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and onion and cook, breaking the sausage up with a wooden spoon , until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. OR…do what I did and use Thrive foods.  Scoop 2 cups of Sausage Crumbles and about 1/4 cup of already refreshed Thrive chopped onion.  Toast up for a few minutes–seriously, like 4 minutes– in the olive oil.
  3. Set meat aside and let cool a little, then sprinkle over tots.
  4. In a large bowl, mix the milk, half-and-half, seasoned salt, cayenne, eggs, bell peppers and half of each cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the tots/sausage mixture, then top with the rest of the cheeses.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or until you need to cook it.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Bake, covered, for about 25 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese is brown and bubbly and the casserole is cooked through–about 20-35 minutes.
  7. Cut into squares and serve with sliced tomatoes, grapes or other appropriate sides.

 

SOURCE:  Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman on FoodNetwork.

 

 

Fresh Basil

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Have you ever grown your own fresh Basil? There is something so fulfilling and productive about going outside and picking your own food.  This is the closest I have gotten to doing that in over a decade.

We had fresh Caprese Salad the other night for supper–one of our favorite summer dishes. Oh my goodness, it smelled so fresh and tasted so delicious.  

Not quite sure how my Basil fared the hail storm yesterday.  We will just have to wait and see…

 

 

Sew, Have You Tried This?

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Guess what is better than straight pins for laying out and cutting a pattern?  WASHERS!!  For real.  

Way back in time, like maybe 2000, I was asked to help make costumes for a regional youth dance festival that our church was putting on as part of their annual Youth Conference.  The lady in charge had us meet at the stake center to lay out and cut the pattern pieces that we would then take home and sew.

The costumes were very simple, but the coolest thing about this experience was that I learned a great sewing trick that I continue to use to this day.  Get you some 2-inch stainless (I think) washers.  The middle hole is about 7/8 inch.  I have about 20 or so in a little plastic container that I found at home somewhere.

 

It is so great to lay these washers (sometimes you might want to stack 2 of them together) right on top of the pattern piece.  It saves a lot of time/fingers/stress.  

Fresh Lemonade Syrup

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Ever had a craving for some homemade, fresh lemonade?  I was craving recently and decided to do something about it.  

There is NOTHING like homemade lemonade.  Honestly, you can’t buy that taste.  All the others out there are too tart/too sweet/too processed and don’t even taste like lemonade–more like…I don’t even have the words to describe that, but you know what I’m talking about.  

Now if you want to grab something on-the-fly, Chick-fil-A has the best lemonade from a fast food restaurant that I have ever had.  But if you have less than 30 minutes at home, make it yourself.

The recipe today has been taped into my Brew Family Cookbook for DECADES and I have never used it.  Really. And I think I cut it out of an old “Make A Mix” Cookbook. 

Try a cold glass of this (you could put a wet glass mug in the freezer and let it frost!) and go sit out on your deck under the river birch tree.  Ahhh….

Fresh Lemonade Syrup
Yields 3
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Ingredients
  1. 9 lemons*
  2. 1 cup water
  3. 2 cups sugar
  4. 1/8 t. salt
Instructions
  1. Cut lemons in half crosswise; juice lemons to yield 1 3/4 cups of juice.
  2. Reserve 2 juiced lemon halves and cut into quarters.
  3. Put lemon juice in a 1-quart container and set aside.
  4. In a small pan, combine quartered lemon halves, sugar, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and cool (I poured the mixture into a glass container and placed it in the fridge to cool quickly).
  6. Stir cooled sugar mixture into lemon juice.
  7. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Notes
  1. To make fresh lemonade, pour 1/4 cup of lemonade syrup into a glass, add 3/4 cup (or more) iced or carbonated water; stir. Serve NOW!! Then, turn around and do it again. Seriously, you won't believe how tasty and refreshing this is. I will never buy a mix again.
  2. *My lemons were just average size and only yielded 1 1/2 cups of juice. I would suggest using large lemons.
Adapted from Make A Mix Cookbook
Adapted from Make A Mix Cookbook
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Super Moist All Bran Muffins

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Have you ever had a really moist, delicious bran muffin somewhere and then they don’t serve them anymore?  Back in the late 90’s, I think, McDonald’s was trying to offer more healthy options at breakfast.  You know, because how many Egg McMuffins can you really take?

My favorite thing was their bran muffin.  It came in it’s own little cellophane pouch so they could warm it for you if you preferred.  And then, just like that, they weren’t serving them anymore.  I haven’t been able to find a replacement for lo these many years.

Last week I was determined to Google and find a good recipe and this is the first one I found.  It is moist and delicious and, HELLO, has apple butter in it. Come on, don’t tell me you aren’t drooling over it right now.

I am also excited to use up my supply of cute cupcake papers that I just HAD to buy.  But since I have no kids at home, I haven’t been asked to make any cupcakes for school stuff, ya know?  No bake sales, no fundraisers, no kids’ birthdays at school…

 

Super Moist All Bran Muffins
Yields 18
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 c. all-bran cereal
  2. 1/2 c. boiling water
  3. 1/4 c. canola oil
  4. 1 egg
  5. 3/4 c. sugar
  6. 1 c. buttermilk
  7. 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  8. 1 1/4 t. baking soda
  9. 1/2 t. salt
  10. 3/4 c. apple butter
  11. 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
  12. 1/2 c. chopped pecans
  13. 1/2 c. golden raisins
  14. Honey to drizzle
Instructions
  1. Preheat convection oven to 375 degrees F (regular oven--400).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, pour boiling water over 1/2 cup of the bran cereal, mix in oil , then set aside.
  3. In another bowl mix egg, sugar and buttermilk.
  4. Add sifted flour, soda, salt and remaining dry cup of bran to the wet bran mixture, then add wet buttermilk mixture and stir.
  5. Stir in apple butter, nuts and raisins. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and scoop batter into each. My batch made 18.
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes (16-18 non-convection).
  8. Drizzle honey on top of muffins.
  9. Transfer muffins to wire racks to cool.
Notes
  1. Original recipe notes that in lieu of cupcake liners you can grease the muffin pan or stoneware. I didn't know you could grease stoneware...
Adapted from Kevin is Cooking
Adapted from Kevin is Cooking
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/