Something For Me

I just finished a new felted bag for myself. I love it because it has 4 pockets! The pattern is The Sheep Tote from Fiber Trends. Unfortunately I can't find the tag from the yarn and I can't remember what it is called. I bought the yarn in Alaska 2 years ago and finally knit it up. I think I might make a large one to use for work.

I Think They Fit

Here are my friend Carin and her beautiful baby, Mae, wearing the sweater and booties that I sent. Adorable!

Puzzler

crThis is so cool! You can create your own crossword puzzle for free! It is VERY easy. Just CLICK HERE and go to the website where you can enter your answers and clues and they will do the rest. I just made one for my family in no time at all.

When I checked my broccoli plants the other day, they were looking beautiful! I could almost taste the yummy, fresh broccoli.



When I checked on them today...not so beautiful. Some creature had a very yummy salad straight out of my garden.



I saved 3 of them and I'm planting more. This time, I'm planting them inside the fenced-in garden area.

I think my peas are safe. They are in the secured area.

Oh So Tender Roast

I made this roast this week for my folks. It was oh so easy, tasty and tender!


Pan-Roasted Pork Loin with Leeks

4 large leeks (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (2-lb) boneless pork loin, trimmed
1/2 cup dry white wine

Remove roots and upper leaves from leeks. Cut each leek in half lengthwise then slice into 1/2 inch slices. Soak in cold water to remove all dirt. Combine leeks, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp butter, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper in large Dutch oven. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour leek mixture into bowl.

Heat remaining 2 tsp butter in pan. Add pork and cook 5 minutes over medium-high heat, turning to brown on all sides. Add remaining 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and wine to pan. Cook 15 seconds. Return leek mixture to pan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Remove pork from pan. Increase heat to reduce leek sauce if too watery. Cut pork into 1/4 inch slices. Top with leek mixture. (4 to 5 servings.)

A True Reason to Celebrate

Many of you know Jacob who I took care of for 2 1/2 years in foster care. As most of you know, he was adopted last year by a wonderful woman. I am grateful for her and for the fact that she keeps in touch with me. Check out these beautiful photos from their mother's day today. Very sweet.

What Recipes Have You Tried?

I know that many of you have tried out some recipes in Simply in Season. I'd love to hear which ones are your favorites so I can try them too!

As for me, I recommend:

- Almond-Parmesan Green Beans (page 114)
- Thai Green Beans (page 129)
- Butternut Harvest Stew (page 187)
- Zucchini Brownies (Page 161)
- Great Green Veggie Pasta (page 123) -- Add more garlic and basil and less salt.
- Taco Filling (page 303)

If you have no idea what I'm referring to, buy the cookbook! It's awesome "recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods..."

Chicken Burgers

This is my favorite chicken burger recipe. If you like burgers but don't eat beef or ground turkey, this is an excellent alternative:

Chicken Burgers

1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 Cup finely chopped green onions
1 TBSP chile paste
2 tsp grated, fresh ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
4 hamburger buns
1 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)

Note: If you can't find ground chicken, you can grind your own boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a food processor but it is a very sticky mess!

Place chicken, onions, chile paste, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and salt in a bowl. Divide into 4 patties. Place on grill rack, coated with cooking spray. These burgers are very sticky, so I actually put them on a cookie sheet or other pan on the grill. Grill 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Place on buns and top with alfalfa sprouts. I also add a bit of Thai peanut sauce on mine! YUM!!

Homemade Rice-a-Roni

Here is the recipe for homemade Rice-a-Roni. For a super easy supper for myself, I put cubed chicken or pork (raw) in the pot with the Rice-a-Roni ingredients and cook it all together. I'm thinking I could even add broccoli or green beans and have a one pot meal when I don't feel much like cooking.


Homemade Rice-a-Roni
1/2 cup tiny pasta, or broken spaghetti
1 cup rice (I like jasmine or basmati rice)
2 TBSP parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp thyme
3 cups low-sodium broth (chicken or veggie)

Put everything in a pot. Cook, covered, until it boils. Stir once, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Everything From Scratch

I like to cook. It seems not many people do anymore. I really like it when I find an easy recipe for something that is often made from a box. Here is an easy recipe for buttermilk pancakes that I love!


Buttermilk Pancakes
1 Cup flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Cup low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
1 TBSP canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in large bowl. Combine buttermilk, oil and egg in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir until smooth. You can probably figure out the rest.

By the way, when nobody is around, there are a few things I like to make from a box:

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
Rice-a-Roni
Kool-Aid
Lipton Noodle Soup

Even so, I have a recipe for Rice-a-Roni from scratch that I want to try. I cringe every time I see the amount of sodium in one of those boxes. I'll post the recipe if it's any good.

Free Money

Regardless of what you plan to do with your Economic Stimulus Payment from the government, you might be wondering when you can expect it. I'll tell you that, although they say it is based on the last 2 numbers of your SSN, that hasn't been true for me. You can check the status of your payment at the IRS Website. So, go spend it or donate it or save it...or all 3.

Birthday Fairies

Ember turned 4 on Friday. It's so hard to believe. For some reason, 4 seems so much older than 3. When she was 3 I could still think of her as a toddler, but now she's a big girl. We had a day of celebration yesterday, which included a Fairy Festival at Pilcher Park Nature Center in Joliet, IL. My nieces both enjoyed dancing around in their fairy costumes even though it was STILL VERY COLD!



I baked a Devil's Food Cake for her. I thought I'd post the recipe, then realized I've posted it before. You can find it by clicking here. This time I used 1/2 cup sour cream instead of the buttermilk and it was just as yummy. Cake flour makes all the difference. The cake is perfectly moist the next day, too! I used this frosting, which is very sweet:

Fudge Frosting

1 pound powdered sugar
3 squares baking chocolate, melted and cooled
5 TBSP butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
6 - 8 TBS cream (I had to add more)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Put sugar in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients, except nuts. Beat until smooth and glossy. If too stiff, add cream or milk, one TBSP at a time. If too thin, add powdered sugar. Sprinkle nuts on top of cake, if desired.

Arbor Day

Last week, on one of the coldest days this spring, I helped my folks build an arbor for my mom's wisteria. It turned out pretty good, considering my hands were frozen.

Best University Choir in Canada!

You may recall my recent spring break trip to Canada to hear my cousin's choir concert. His University of Windsor Women’s Chamber Choir entered the National Radio Competion for Amateur Choirs last week and they won! Now they will compete in Laval Quebec in a concert broadcast on CBC Radio. Very exciting!