Sunday, February 7, 2010
Beautiful Friends
Last weekend I went to Lancaster, PA for the 40th birthday celebration for my friend, Beky. We've been friends since college days. Actually, I'm pretty sure we were also in the same cabin at Camp Friedenswald when we were kids, but we really became friends when we lived next door to each other as Freshmen at Bethel College. Our friend, Christy, flew with me from Chicago. These are the kind of friends that feel like family. We covered just about every topic we might need or want to talk about in the 3 days or so that we were together. It is great to have friends who have known me for so long and for whom time and distance cannot separate. I hope each of you are lucky enough to have such friends, and I am grateful to have that type of friendship with others out there as well. Thank you, my friends.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Dinner Ready When You Walk in the Door
I went to Kalamazoo for the afternoon, but first I put this in the crock pot. It was nice and hot when I got home!
Chicken and Barley
3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken (or 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts)
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 cup pearl barley
1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Place chicken in crock pot. In saucepan on stove, saute onions, celery and bell peppers until softened. Add garlic, salt, pepper and thyme and cook 1 minute. Add barley and stir. Add tomatoes and wine or broth and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Chicken and Barley
3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken (or 1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts)
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 cup pearl barley
1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
Place chicken in crock pot. In saucepan on stove, saute onions, celery and bell peppers until softened. Add garlic, salt, pepper and thyme and cook 1 minute. Add barley and stir. Add tomatoes and wine or broth and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
Mmmmm...granola
This morning I made super-easy granola. Yum!
Granola With Almonds
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP vanilla
4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add oats, wheat germ and almonds. Mix well and spread on cookie sheets. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Cool completely.
Granola With Almonds
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP vanilla
4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup sliced almonds
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add oats, wheat germ and almonds. Mix well and spread on cookie sheets. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir again. Cool completely.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Santa Must Be Real
After going to KS, I drove with Rodney, Carmina and my nieces back to Illinois for Christmas with my folks. From there we drove to Michigan for a couple of days and then on to Canada. We made it there in time for one of our favorite Christmas traditions: Christmas Eve service in Baden, Ontario with warm apple dumplings for dessert when we get home. Thanks, Aunt Gladys!
On Christmas morning we were surprised to discover that "Santa must be real because he ate some of the cheese and cookies and drank all of the milk." He even wrote a note to Ember and Cheyanne and SIGNED it!
Cheyanne's favorite present was the pretend ice cream that she got.
Ember's favorite present included body crayons, which were great entertainment on the 22 hour drive back to Kansas.
On Christmas morning we were surprised to discover that "Santa must be real because he ate some of the cheese and cookies and drank all of the milk." He even wrote a note to Ember and Cheyanne and SIGNED it!
Cheyanne's favorite present was the pretend ice cream that she got.
Ember's favorite present included body crayons, which were great entertainment on the 22 hour drive back to Kansas.
A Parade of Cookies
Every Christmas involves lots of travel for me. This year I took the train to Kansas for our Annual Cookie Parade where we get together with friends and bake cookies. It must include peppernuts, or pfefferneusse made with anise. I prefer the small, crispy kind.
They are tedious to make and I don't have any pictures of the finished products because we were too busy gathering and eating them. We had such a variety of cookies in the end that we took some to neighbors and friends, brought a couple tins to Canada, and still have some to finish off after Christmas.
They are tedious to make and I don't have any pictures of the finished products because we were too busy gathering and eating them. We had such a variety of cookies in the end that we took some to neighbors and friends, brought a couple tins to Canada, and still have some to finish off after Christmas.Friday, December 4, 2009
It's Snow Time!
Be careful what you wish for. The snow is here, and the forecast is for snow on nearly every day for the next 10 days. Certainly a snow day is in our near future...
Now, since this blog is called "KnitB4Sleep," I thought I should include something I've been knitting. This is a baby sweater that my coworker asked me to make for her niece. It was the first lacy thing that I have made, and it was easier than I thought it would be. The pattern is Helena from Ravelry.com.
Now, since this blog is called "KnitB4Sleep," I thought I should include something I've been knitting. This is a baby sweater that my coworker asked me to make for her niece. It was the first lacy thing that I have made, and it was easier than I thought it would be. The pattern is Helena from Ravelry.com.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Mmmmm...Peanut and Curry Chicken
Peanut Curry Chicken
1 tsp peanut oil
2/3 cup onion
3 cloves garlic
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 TBSP peanut butter
1 tsp curry
1/8 tsp red pepper
black pepper
3 oz tomato paste
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
Heat oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes or until chicken is almost done. Stir in peanut butter, curry, red pepper, black pepper and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over rice. Yum!
1 tsp peanut oil
2/3 cup onion
3 cloves garlic
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 TBSP peanut butter
1 tsp curry
1/8 tsp red pepper
black pepper
3 oz tomato paste
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
Heat oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add chicken and cook 4 minutes or until chicken is almost done. Stir in peanut butter, curry, red pepper, black pepper and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over rice. Yum!
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