Becca

Keeping it Simple at Christmas

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Christmas time! Oh what a wonderful time of year. But why does it seem that our list of “To-Do’s” gets larger and we seemed more rushed to get the decorations up, the presents bought and wrapped, the certain foods made, the cookies delivered, etc, etc?
I am really trying to keep things simple in my life and to let go of what is superficial and, in the grand scheme of things, unimportant.
I love seeing beautifully decorated houses down to the table runner and goblets on the perfectly set table. Or the mantle decked out with all manner of color coordinated candles and ribbons and pine garland. I have dreams of buying and even making my own decorations to beautify my home during the holiday season. However, I am learning to give up on what I feel are society’s expectations of me as a home maker during the holidays. I have mismatched Christmas decorations that are mostly gifts from when I was a teacher. 
One thing I have done, is sewn handmade stockings for each member of my family. However, I still have some finishing touches to add to them, as well as my own stocking to make. A few Christmases have passed and I still don’t have mine made. I am to a point where I am okay if another year passes and it is not made. 
We recently returned from a trip to Hawaii. It was lovely. It was relaxing. It was calming. I know that Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, but I am feeling more calm and less stressed about getting “everything” done that I feel needs to be done. I am safe home with my children around me and that is what is most important to me!
While we were gone, I had my sister help make sure that Eve did her homeschooling. Everyday, Eve has a journal entry to fill in. Here is one that she did while I was gone. I was so happy and so touched when I read what she wrote and saw the picture that she drew. For a 6 year old girl whose Christmas list keeps growing, it was a bit surprising that she didn’t talk about the presents or the advent calendar or the tree or the decorations or Santa. 
Because really the meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We are blessed to have the knowledge of our Savior and to have this time to reflect on the gift Heavenly Father has given us. 

“When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ Spirit. It will block out all the distractions around us which can diminish Christmas and swallow up its true meaning.” -Thomas S. Monson

So, let us take a deep breath, don’t worry about having the perfect decorations, don’t rush around like a mad person trying to buy presents or cook gourmet food. Let us stop, slow down, simplify, and cut out the worldly distractions. Let us celebrate the Spirit of Christ this Christmas season.

Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato-Basil Sauce

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I found this recipe a year or two ago and have it pinned as one of my favorites. It is rich and delicious. One thing I did differently is that I added some of the drippings from the pan I cooked the chicken in. I de-glazed the pan with a bit of water and poured that into my sauce.

4 chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onions, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 shallot, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (in package, NOT oil packed)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook in pan until thermometer reads 162 degrees or so (chicken will continue cooking after being removed from the pan.) Remove chicken from pan and set aside, keeping covered.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and shallots, cook 1-2 minutes, just until soft. Add sun dried tomatoes; stir.

With a whisk in hand, add flour and stir. Pour in chicken broth and whisk constantly to remove any lumps.
Add cream; whisk.
Continue whisking for 3-4 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.  Take off heat and let sit; it will

continue to thicken
Add fresh basil to sauce and give it a good stir.

Serve the chicken and sauce with your choice of pasta.

Source

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

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This recipe comes from my friend’s sister of The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie
She basically has it down to a science and it always turns out wonderfully!

Ingredients:
4 c water (room temperature)
8-10 C. (2 lbs 10 oz) whole wheat flour
2 T instant yeast
1/2 c (2 oz) gluten
1/2 c brown sugar
4 t salt
1/4 c vegetable oil

In a large mixer combine the water and whole wheat flour. Blend for 3-4 minutes. It will be sticky. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. I often mix the flour and water the night before and finish the bread in the morning.

Add the remaining ingredients and knead 2-3 minutes.  It should be cleaning the sides of the bowl by this point.  If it isn’t, add 2 T wheat flour at a time until it does.
Knead another five minutes and touch test the dough.  Squeeze the top quickly with a few finger tips. The dough should not stick to them. Add flour or water 1-2 tablespoons at a time to get the correct look and feel. Knead an additional 5 minutes.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Punch down dough, knead for a minute or so and then cover tightly again and let rise an additional 45-60 minutes until dough triples in size. 

Grease 3 loaf pans with cooking spray. Punch down dough and separate into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long, skinny rectangle, making sure to remove any air pockets, roll each rectangle tightly and pinch bottom and side seams to create a loaf shape. Place in greased loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 30-45 minutes. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover loaves and let rise 15 mins more, or until the oven is preheated. Bake 40 minutes. 

Remove immediately from pans and place on a cooling rack. You can eat it warm or cool down to slice and freeze it. 


Savory Mushroom Sage Stuffing

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This is my family’s stuffing recipe. I don’t actually stuff my turkey. I use this recipe and make a big 9×13 inch pan of this stuff. The bread gets slightly crispy on top and the mushrooms and onions and celery are soft. It is really simple, but one of my all time favorite things to eat!

Ingredients:
14-16 slices hearty white bread (I use Grandma Sycamore’s white bread)
2 sticks butter
7-8 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, diced
16-20 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp. rubbed sage
S & P to taste
1 1/2-2 Cups chicken broth

Directions:
1. Using a serrated knife, cut the bread slices into small cubes. Lay the cubes out on a baking sheet. Dry them out in an oven set to 170 degrees over the course of a few hours or overnight. You want them to be completely dry and crunchy.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onions. Saute til just tender. Add the sage and S & P to taste. Add the sliced mushrooms, cook til mushrooms begin to soften.
3. In a large bowl, place the dried bread cubes. Add the warm mushroom mixture. Stir a bit. Then, add about 1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth-depending on how moist you want your stuffing.
4. Place the stuffing in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil. Cover with foil and cook for about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top becomes slightly crispy and golden.

Red Curry and Ginger Pork Loin

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So, I like to cook with pork. It is so versatile and lends itself well to different flavors. I decided to make up a curry and ginger marinade and sauce. It is slightly sweet with a definite kick due to the curry.

Ingredients:
1/4 C. oil
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar2 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger

2 lbs. meat. I used pork, but it would be great with chicken or beef. 

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Place meat in a large zip top bag. Pour marinade over the top. If you have a meat injector, you could also inject some of the marinade into the meat. Let marinate in the fridge for an hour or two.
Heat up your grill over med high to high heat. Oil your grill grate. Remove meat from marinade and place on grill. Let sit for a few minutes, then turn. Continue cooking pork until an instant read thermometer registers between 145 and 160 degrees F. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes.

For extra sauce cook the following in a small sauce pan:
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. red curry paste
1/3 c. water
juice of 1 lime.
Heat til just boiling, then simmer for 5 mins or so. 

Love and Concern for All God’s Children

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Today, we had a wonderful lesson at church about having love and concern for all God’s children
Here are some of my favorite excerpts
 
“I believe it is our solemn duty to love one another, to believe in each other, to have faith in each other, that it is our duty to overlook the faults and the failings of each other, and not to magnify them in our own eyes nor before the eyes of the world. There should be no faultfinding, no back-biting, no evil speaking, one against another, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We should be true to each other and to every principle of our religion and not be envious one of another. We should not be jealous one of another, nor angry with each other, and there should not arise in our hearts a feeling that we will not forgive one another our trespasses. There should be no feeling in the hearts of the children of God of unforgiveness against any man, no matter who he may be. …

… We ought not to harbor feelings one against another, but have a feeling of forgiveness and of brotherly love and sisterly love, one for another. Let each one of us remember his or her own individual failings and weaknesses and endeavor to correct them. We have not reached a condition of perfection yet, it is hardly to be expected that we will in this life, and yet, through the aid of the Holy Ghost, it is possible for us to stand united together seeing eye to eye and overcoming our sins and imperfections. If we will do this, respecting all the commandments of the Lord, we shall be a power in the world for good; we shall overwhelm and overcome all evil, all opposition to the truth, and bring to pass righteousness upon the face of the earth. For the Gospel will be spread and the people in the world will feel the influence which will be shed forth from the people of Zion, and they will be inclined more to repent of their sins and to receive the truth.”

“In other words, all that has been revealed for the salvation of man from the beginning to our own time is circumscribed, included in, and a part of these two great laws. If we love the Lord with all the heart, with all the soul, and with all the mind, and our neighbors as ourselves, then there is nothing more to be desired. Then we will be in harmony with the total of sacred law. If we were willing to live in harmony with these two great commandments—and we must do so eventually if we are worthy to live in the presence of God—then wickedness, jealousy, ambition, covetousness, bloodshed, and all sin of every nature would be banished from the earth. Then would come a day of eternal peace and happiness. What a glorious day that would be! We have been endowed with sufficient reason to know that such a state is most desirable and would establish among men the Fatherhood of God and the perfect brotherhood of man.”

I could not put it better. As one woman said during our lesson today, “LIFE IS HARD, LET’S HOLD HANDS!”

I love that. We all need to show more love, more concern, more kindness to everyone. Those in and out of our faith, those that we agree with and those we disagree with. The world needs more love!
Let’s try to be more Christlike and love all of God’s children.

Pulled BBQ Chicken

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My neighbor told me this recipe over the phone. Super easy and satisfying.

Pulled BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot
Ingredients:
3-4 Frozen chicken breasts
1 onion
smoked paprika
garlic powder
a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce- I used Stubbs original

Directions:
Slice up the onion and place on the bottom of your crock pot. Lay the chicken breasts over the onions. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and garlic powder. Pour some of the BBQ sauce over the top of it all. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken with a fork and add more BBQ sauce as needed.

Serve on rolls with lettuce or wrapped in a tortilla with blue cheese cole slaw.

Mediterranean Inspired Orzo Salad

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 So, in April I went to Utah to surprise my sister for her 30th Birthday. Her husband then surprised us all by taking us by limousine to The Roof Restaurant at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City. They had a salad there that was made with Israeli couscous and was full of Mediterranean flavors. I was determined to re-create it at home. I searched high and low for Israeli couscous, but when I turned up empty handed, I decided to just use orzo past, which I love.
It is a simple pasta salad using my Greek Style Vinaigrette.

Ingredients: 
1 C. orzo pasta
1/3 C. pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped (about 10 olives)
1/3 C. crumbled feta cheese
1-2 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill
Salt and Pepper if needed 
Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. 
Chop Kalamata olives
Chop dill
Place orzo in a bowl, add olives, feta cheese, dill and dressing. Toss to coat. Adjust dressing or S&P according to taste. 
You could easily add whatever other ingredients you want. Chopped spinach, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts would be great additions. 
And, if you are lucky enough, you could try it with Israeli couscous. 

 

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

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I know that there have been a few different versions of enchiladas posted on the Mormon Mavens blog, but this is my version and it is also one of my favorite freezer meals. I usually make 3 or 4 pans at a time and freeze a couple.
This recipe is a take on my mom’s enchiladas that I LOVED eating as a kid. I simplified the recipe to make it fit my lifestyle more. I do not cook the sauce and I do not combine the sauce and the chicken like my mom does.

Also note-almost everything in this recipe is APPROXIMATIONS. I know that is horrible for a food blog, but, I have never used a measuring cup or spoon when I make this. Just tweak it to your liking!

2 Chicken breasts cooked and chopped (I broil mine sprinkled with garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, lime juice and oil.)
2-3 Cups shredded cheese (mont jack, colby jack, mexican blend, whatever you prefer.)Flour tortillas-soft taco size

Sauce:
Saute  in a pan til soft, 1 onion-chopped and one garlic clove minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 to 2 C. sour cream
1/2 to 1 C. salsa
1 can diced green chilies
1/4 to 1/2 C. green salsa (I only add this if I have it on hand)

A couple or a few shakes of hot sauce
A few shakes of chili powder
A few shakes of cumin
Just mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a big bowl.
Lay out a 9x13in. pan, your tortillas, your chopped chicken, your sauce and your cheese . You can add the shredded cheese to the sauce (reserving a bit to sprinkle over the top) if you want to skip a step.
Put a blob of sauce in the bottom of your pan and spread around. Then get to filling and rolling your tortillas. NOTE: Make sure you do NOT use all your sauce on the inside of the tortillas, you want some left to spread over the top of all the rolled enchiladas.
Sprinkle a small handful of chicken in the middle of the tortilla, put a blob of sauce on there and a sprinkle of cheese, then roll up. Place in the pan, seam side down. Continue this step until your pan is full (I can normally get about 10 in there) I squeeze them in there.
Place the rest of the sauce on the top of the enchiladas and spread around, making sure to get all the tortillas covered. Then sprinkle a little more cheese on top. You can cover and freeze them like this or you can just bake them right away.

Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 mins in a 350 degree oven. Remove the foil and bake another 10 mins or so, til the edges are bubbly.

If you freeze them, just cook them at about 350, covered, for a couple hours until the center is warm and the edges are bubbly.

Serve with Rice, beans, shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, chopped olives, and whatever else you like.

Share Goodness

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Here is a short video about using social media to flood the earth with goodness. 
I was recently contemplating deleting my FB account. Now I am considering how to better utilize my time and my influence on my FB page to #sharegoodness. 
 
I encourage you to watch this video and think about how you can share goodness with the world.