Yummy Pecan Goodness...

The other night we were having some friends over for dessert...originally I had big ideas of what kinds of dessert I was going to make.  I had a ton of new recipes I had been holding onto and waiting for the right time to break them out.  As I went through some of the recipes I wanted to try I decided I wasn't up for all the work they entailed, so I fell back on something I had made before that required LITTLE effort and LITTLE ingredients ;) And they are so very yummy, cant beat that!

They are Hungarian Cookie Bars.  Don't know what about them makes them Hungarian, but I made them this past summer when we were sending my sweet little sister off to study abroad in Hungary.  Either way the recipe is so easy, and they are delicious.  You can add whatever kind of nuts you want as a topping.  I have tried both walnuts and pecans, and I liked the pecans best.  They taste like little pecan pies, they have a dense crust like layer, a ooey gooey middle, and a nice caramel like crust on top with nuts....yum!

Hungarian Cookie Bars

1 3/4 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C butter/margarine softened

1 teas. vanilla

1 1/4 C all purpose flour

2 Large eggs

1 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9" square baking pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup of the brown sugar and the margarine. Add vanilla and flour; mix well. Pat this mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the remaining 1 cup brown sugar; mix well. Pour into the pan over the first mixture. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the top.

Bake at 325ºF for 30 to 40 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly. Cool completely before slicing. Slice into 2-1/2"x1-1/2" bars.

Meat & Taters...

Lew is definitely a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy.  Though he puts up with my "frilly" concoctions I like to try to bless him with the kind of meals that he truly enjoys!  Even though he's easy to please it's cute to see him get so excited over a meat and taters dish ;)

So, here is something I made this week for the first time and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't have kiddos but I imagine that they would be quite fond of these little little meat muffins;)  They tasted so yummy and really weren't very hard to make.  I served it with brown sugar glazed carrots and mashed potatoes. 

Diner Meat Loaf Muffins

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup ketchup, divided

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)

1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes. 

To make the brown sugar glazed carrots...

Boil about 2 cups of baby carrots in salted water for about 8-10 minutes (until tender-crisp).  Then drain and set aside.  In same pot add 1 tbs butter, 1 tbs brown sugar, and a dash of salt.  Stir until mixed in and butter is melted.  Add carrots and stir for two minutes until glazed.

Some Summer recipes....

I have been hanging on to some recipes and keep saying "I will post them tomorrow" but don't ever really get to it! So here are a few of our recent summer favorites:

Kubideh Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground lamb or beef (I did a combo of ground beef and ground turkey)
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped (I also added about 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Wood skewers soaked in water for about an hour to keep them from burning
  

Directions:
These are sooooo easy! I thought there would be more to it but they have so much flavor with very little work! Prepare grill or broiler. Combine meat with all other ingredients. After mixing put in fridge for 10-15 minutes. Roll meat into a ball about the size of a tennis ball and put onto a flat skewer. Compress and shape it like a cigar, about 5-7 inches long. Repeat with remaining meat and skewers. Now broil or grill for about 4-6 minutes each side. Be careful not to overcook! They aren't good if their dry. So easy and tasty ;)

For sides: I made whole wheat cous cous in my rice cooker and just added some chopped onion, chopped green pepper, and chopped seeded tomato with a little bit of olive oil. I also used one of my frozen back ups from trader joes: Sezshuan Green beans. These are so good and only take 5 minutes to cook.

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Carmelized Onions, Carrots & Jalapenos

So this one isn't too summery but we still like the recipe, and it's not too heavy for a summer dish.

Ingredients

• 2 Teas. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1 Teas freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teas allspice
• 1/2 teas salt
• 2 pounds bone in chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons canola or EVOO
• 1 large qhite onion cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 thick on diagonal
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and halved
• 1/4 cup vinegar, preferably cider vinegar
• 2-4 pickled jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Combine Oregano, pepper, allspice and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle half the mixture over the chicken. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook turning once until richly browned (3-4 min on each side) Transfer to plate, leaving as much oil behind in pan. Add onion and carrots to the pan. Stir often until onion is browned, about 7 min. Add garlic and stir until aromatic, about 1 min. Add remaining spice mixture, vinegar, jalapeños, and broth. Nestle the chicken in the onion mixture. Cover and simmer gently over medium low heat until chicken is just cooked through, about 12-20 minutes (depending on sizes of chicken. Serve chicken topped with onion mixture.

Sides: I just made some black beans and made some Mexican rice in my rice cooker with veggies in it.


Open-face sausage and pepper sandwiches
This is one of our favorites!

• 3 peppers (I used one green, red, and yellow) cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• 2 Medium red onions cut into 1/2 inch wide wedges
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1 lb fresh Italian Chicken or Turkey sausage cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 long loaf Italian or French bread
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teas. dried oregano
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with nonstick foil. Spread peppers and onions in one pan drizzle with 3 tbs vinaigrette and toss to coat. Place sausage in other pan, drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and toss to coat. Roast 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked through. Meanwhile split bread lengthwise, leaving 1 long side attached (like a hinge). Open loaf brush cut sides with olive oil then sprinkle with oregano and cheese. Remove both pans from oven. Toss peppers and onions and return to oven; place bread cut sides up on oven rack. Roast 5 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted and veggies are tender and slightly charred. Top bread with veggies and sausage. Cut loaf into quarters. Eat sandwich with fork and knife.

Sides: I have just added chips and fruit, or sometimes I will make baked sweet potato fries or just baked regular fries.


Chicken Parmesan
From Southern Living, another of our Favorites!
Again there isn't much "summery" about this dish, but it also is not too heavy for the summer heat.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 skinned and boned chicken breasts
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine breadcrumbs, flour, and ground red pepper in a small bowl, and set aside.

Place chicken between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip 1 chicken breast in egg whites, and coat with breadcrumb mixture. Dip again in egg mixture, and coat again in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken breast. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until done. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish. Top evenly with Tomato Sauce and cheeses. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheeses melt.

We usually serve this with a side salad. I either pour some sauce over the pasta or I mix the pasta with Olive Oil, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning.


I don't have any pictures of the next few:

Macadamia-Crusted Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs mahi mahi fillets (4-6 filets)
• 1 1/2 cups Diced Macadamia nuts
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Salsa:

• 6 tbs olive oil
• 3 small garlic cloves minced
• 2 large shallots minced
• 2 large sweet red peppers minced
• 1 small green chili, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced
• 4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 20 ox cans crushed pineapple drained
• 1 11 oz can mandarin oranges drained

Directions:
Salsa: Heat half of oil in skillet over medium high heat Add garlic, shallots, pepper, chili, and cilantro. Saute until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to simmer for approximately 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside.

Mahi mahi: Mix macadamia nuts with ginger in small flat bowl. Pat fish dry. Coat each piece of fish completely in remaining olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Roll fish in nut mixture coating entirely. Place fish fillets on sheet pain and bake 20-30 min until nuts are golden brown and fish is flaky. Serve with side of pineapple salsa. Salsa can be served cold or hot (we liked it cold).

Sides: Asparagus with lemon, Wasabi mashed potatoes
and Cheddar-green onion muffins
We've mixed and matched these sides with lots of other dishes and they are delicious.
Yum!

Our favorite burger recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded colby or monteray jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 (1 oz) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teas. dried parsley
• 1 teas. dried basil
• 1 teas dried oregano
• 1/2 teas/ crushed dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat grill for high heat. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Form into 4 patties (these patties are relatively large you could probably make 6 smaller burgers out of this). Grill patties for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite fixens!

These burgers are really moist and flavorful, we love them! We usually serve them with baked garlic fries, roasted potatoes, or salad and fruit.

And last but not least our two favorite desserts thus far:

Blackberry oat crumb cake:
Ingredients:
Batter:

• 2 cups regular oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen blackberries, unthawed
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chilled butter, softened
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare batter, place oats in a food processor; process until finely ground (about 1 minute). Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to food processor; process until well blended. Add butter; pulse 5 times or until combined. Spoon mixture into a large bowl. Combine milk, egg substitute, and vanilla, stirring just until blended. Add to oat mixture, stirring to combine. Gently stir in blackberries. Pour mixture into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray (batter will be thin).
To prepare topping, combine 1/2 cup oats and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

This was so yummy! We serve it with whip cream or vanilla ice cream. The oats give it a really good texture (and its lighter than most crumb cakes).

And finally the cake I made for Lew's birthday:

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake

This cake was delicious! Lew loves cheesecake so I spent a while searching for the "right one" and this one was so tasty. I substituted 2 packages of reduced fat cream cheese and replaced the sour cream with reduced fat to lighten it up a little and you couldn't tell at all.


Whew, that's all for our summer cooking for now. Next time I won't wait so long to post them! I am still looking for some new summer recipes...I look forward to checking those out on your blogs, ladies ;)

Season of new recipes!

Since school is out once again I am committed to trying some new recipes. I went through a ton of my Cooking Light Magazines from the last year and ripped out a bunch of new recipes and planned a few of them in the next 2 weeks. Here is the first one that I tried and it was so yummy! It also was pretty simple for a cooking light recipe. Lew and I gave it 2 thumbs up. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata with Capers

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1/4 C flour
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbs capers
• 2 teas. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teas. salt
• 1/4 teas. fresh ground pepper
• 4 cups hot cooked spaghetti
  
• 2 tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and lemon slices for garnish

Directions: Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Dredge through flour. Heat butter and oil on med-high heat in skillet. Add chicken, cook 3 min. each side or until brown. Remove chicken, keep warm. Add white wine, lemon juice, capers, and garlic to pan; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve chicken over pasta. Top with sauce; sprinkle with parsley and top with lemon wedges.

Ropa Vieja!

This is one of our favorites....but I don't make it very often because its one of those dishes that tastes so good, but takes some effort and a little bit of time. It's a Cuban dish with flank steak, tomatoes, peppers...and some other goodies ;) You serve it on a tortilla or you can just eat it with a fork and knife. So, if your up for the challenge its definitely worth it!

Ropa Vieja

• 2 tbs. peanut oil
• 1 medium size onion chopped
• 1 small sweet red pepper chopped
  
• 1 small sweet green pepper chopped
• 5 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 teas. ground cumin
• 1/2 teas. dried oregano
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 pounds beef flank steak
• 1/2 teas. salt
• 1/2 teas. black pepper
• 2 cans (4oz) green mild chilies, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 package (10 0z) frozen corn
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
• Warmed flour or corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large flameproof dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, red and green pepper, and garlic; cook until onions translucent and peppers soft (about 8 min.)
2. Stir in cumin and oregano; cook about 1 min. Add tomatoes and broth.
3. Season steak with salt and pepper and add to pot. Cover and bring to simmer. Simmer about 2 hours until meat is tender, and turn meat occasionally.
   
4. Remove meat; let cool briefly. Cut across grain into 2 inch thick slices. Use 2 forks to pull slices apart into shreds.
   
5. Heat tomato sauce remaining in pot to rapid boiling. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally until thick (about 10-15 min.)
6. Add green chile's and corn. Heat to boiling; cook 5 min.
7. Add shredded beef, jalapeno, and cilantro. Heat to boiling. Serve with warmed tortillas.
   

Lunch with the Ellis'

Yesterday we were able to have lunch with Sam, Priscila, and Gianna. It was so much fun to catch up with them and see how little Gianna is growing up ;) Here are a few pics of her in her little chair:


Doesn't she look so happy!

She has Priscila's eyes...and Sam's mouth ;)

In this picture I couldn't get her to look at the camera because she was gazing lovingly at Sam ;)

It was so cute to watch her bounce in this thing because she was on her tippy toes so she looked like a little ballerina, so cute!

I made this walnut apple pizza for lunch (compliments of BHG) and we all enjoyed it so I thought I'd pass it on... enjoy!

Walnut Apple Pizza
1/2 package of active dry yeast (1 1/4 tsp.)
3/4 C warm water (not too hot!)
1 C all purpose flour
2/3 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
3/4 cup blue cheese (3 oz.)
1 large tart apple (I used granny smith) cored and sliced thinly (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz.)
1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

*I used my kitchen aid mixer to mix and knead the bread....but I am going to include the regular directions and you can adapt to a mixer if you'd like*

Directions: Stir yeast into warm water, let stand 5 min. to dissolve. In large mixing bowl add regular flour, whole what flour, sugar, salt. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and add yeast mixture and oil. Stir until combined. Turn onto floured surface, knead gently 20 times. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled (45 min.). Punch down. Preheat oven 450. Grease pizza pan. Roll out dough to about 13". Build up edges slightly, Bake crust 10 min or until begins to brown slightly. Remove from oven, sprinkle with blue cheese. Add apple slices and sprinkle with Monterey Jack, walnuts, and rosemary. Bake 10 more minutes more until edges are lightly browned.

*To use a pizza stone (this is what I used and the nice thing about it is it makes the crust crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside) preheat stone for 15 minutes in oven. Then put dough on stone and add ingredients. Then cook pizza in oven about 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted well and dough is slightly browned.*

Winter Stew...

Friday night I was able to have 2 of my really good friends Katherine and Rani over and we had some good girl time..we had a lot of catching up to do ;) it reminded me of the days of old when we would get together every other week at starbucks for accountability, these two ladies have cared for me spiritually for years...and I couldn't thank them enough for their friendship!

Anyways I am usually a little skeptical about trying a new recipe when I have people over for dinner, but I bit the bullet and tried this stew recipe I had been eying in my Southern Living "Light and Easy Comfort Food" cookbook....and it turned out great...Whew! So here it is:
Pork & Squash Stew:
Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork shoulder (I used pork butt instead....worked just as well...and I imagine you could also just substitute with beef as well)
• 3 tbs flour
• 4 teas. oil
• 3 cups chopped onion
• 2 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1/2 teas. dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (12oz) beer
• 2 cups (3/4'') peeled cubed butternut squash (about one pound)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (1 teaspoon dried was fine)

Trim fat from pork, cut into cubes. Set aside. Place flour in ziplock plastic bag. Add pork, shake to coat. Discard flour. Heat 2 teas. oil in nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Brown pork on all sides (about 8 minutes), then remove and set aside. Add remaining 2 teas. oil to pan, add onion and carrot; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add pork, beer, rosemary, salt, and pepper to skillet. Bring to boil; cover, reduce and simmer 30 minutes. Add squash; cover simmer 25 more minutes until squash is tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

We served it over risotto.

Also for those who aren't familiar with preparing/storing butternut squash (this was my first time buying the whole squash...I usually buy it already cut and ready to cook) here is some helpful info I got from www.digsmagazine.com

choosing and storing butternut squash
Choose a squash that feels heavy for its size, with blemish-free skin, and no soft, moldy spots. Thanks to its thick skin, butternut squash keeps for a good long time (up to a month) when kept in a cool, dark place. Don’t store squash in the refrigerator, as the cold temperatures will actually cause the squash to go bad much more quickly.

prepping butternut squash
Unlike summer squash, the peel of winter squashes is too tough for eating, even when cooked. To peel a butternut squash, cut off the ends of the squash. (You’ll need a good heavy chef’s knife to cut a butternut squash). Quarter the squash – I find it easier to cut latitudinally first (the short way), then to cut each section in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fibrous innards from the bulbous bottom ends and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel.

Here's my happy hubby enjoying his left over stew ;)

Enjoy!

Thai style

I decided to surprise Lew tonight with a big dinner, originally I was supposed to have some of my good friends over to hang out but because of the snow we had to reschedule. So when Lew came home I had prepared a large dinner that he wasn't expecting! The menu was: Spicy Thai Chicken Skewers, Lemon Dill Rice, Spinach and Orange Salad, Thai Peanut Sauce, and Sweet and Sour Pineapple Sauce. The recipes are all pretty simple...and the nicest part...they can be prepared before hand, nice! They are also very colorful which makes for a nice display.
*Note some of them are spicy, but I think you could prepare them less spicy and they would still be tasty*

Thai Chicken Skewers:
1-2 lbs chicken breast
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk (I have used condensed milk or just skim milk, both turned out great!)
1-2 tbs peanut butter (optional)
3 tbs teryaki sauce
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 tbs. red curry paste (or curry powder with some cayenne pepper for same effect)
Skewers

Cut chicken into 2-3 inch long pieces. Mix all ingredients and add chicken. Marinate at least 1-2 hours (better overnight). Soak wood skewers in water at least 1 hour prior to cooking so they don't burn ( I was in a hurry and only did 30 minutes which wasn't enough and they did burn a little). Put chicken on Skewers (you can add extra stuff in between like pineapple, green peppers, onions etc...) Broil 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on your broiler) 4 inches from broiler until well cooked.

Spinach and Orange salad
This is so versatile you can pretty much use any ingredients for the salad part...I just like the dressing because it's simple and a little bit sweet and tangy...so you can make it however you want..
but here is what I did:
Baby Spinach
Blood orange cut into segments
Cashews
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 Tsp. salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
(You can make this different ways...the original recipe calls for mandarin orange segments, red onion, and celery...that is also very good)

Lemon Dill Rice (in rice cooker)
1 cup jasmine rice (I actually used brown basmati which was very good)
2 cups water
Lemon rind and juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 tbs dried parsley or 1 cup fresh
2 tbs. olive oil

Spray rice cooker pan with nonstick spray, add rice water and salt to taste. Stir in remaining ingredients. cover and cook 20 minutes. Allow to stand covered for 10 min. before serving. Serves about 4.

*Note about the sauces: These sauces are only good in the fridge for 5-7 days...we can usually never use them before then so they can be frozen and used for another meal*

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. sugar
hot pepper sauce to taste (I just add 1-2 tsp. of cayenne pepper which is usually good)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup cold water

Mix all ingredients except water into a bowl. Gradually add cold water until smooth and creamy (dipping consistency)

Sweet and Sour sauce:
2 cup water
2/3 cut distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 (6oz.) can of tomato paste
1 (8oz) can of pineapple tidbits drained
3 tbs. cornstarch

In medium saucepan over medium heat mix water, vinegar, sugar, tomato paste, pineapple and cornstarch. Cook 15 minutes stirring occasionally until desired color and consistency.


That's all folks!

Meet Sid...

This is my friend Sid and his greyhound Slick. Some of you guys may know about him already, but for those of you who don't I will share a little bit of his story. I have been working as a personal assistant on the side now for people with disabilities for the last year while finishing nursing school. Everytime I finish one position (for one reason or another) God always provides another one...usually very quickly. Well as soon as we moved to Woodbine I had to end my position with my good friend Nadia because we were too far away from her home. I hadn't really lined up any other work, trusting that God would either provide more work for me closer to our new home or provide a new job for Lew. Well it wasn't even a week after we moved into our basement apartment in the Hendrick's home when Mrs. Hendricks told me about a family that lives a mile down the street who is looking for someone to help them a few days a week (Sid's family). The story is somewhat sad and sobering but I share it hoping that it encourages you: Sid has been an FBI agent for over 20 years. He even had a book written about him called Dr. Snow which was written after a huge cocaine bust that he led in the 80's. He was (and still is) a very well known and respected agent in the FBI, however at the age of 54 had to make the decision to retire early. Only 6 years ago he began to develop a neurological disorder that is still a mystery to numerous specialists all over the world. It begain with just forgetting things and soon became an inability to understand numbers and letters, difficulty getting out his words, and a slow loss of his vision. Now he is still declining and day by day can have a very hard time with the simplest tasks. His brain has a very difficult time making connections and sometimes he will do things like forget to close the door, go out without a coat or walk into a door. His wife (who is also an FBI agent) is a Christian woman who really lives out keeping her vows by loving her husband "in good times and bad, and in sickness and health". She now works full time as an FBI agent to provide for their family (which includes their 14 year old twin girls) and faithfully and unconditionally loves and cares for her husband. Now I have the honor to spend my 2 days off of school during the week with Sid while his wife is at work and help him with certain tasks and make sure he is safe. It has been such a rewarding position for me. Sid, despite such frustrating and uncontrolable circumstances, is one of the most joyful people I know! He is a pleasure to be around and is always so grateful for help! God is so good to have provided me an open door to this family and I consider it a joy to serve them in this way! It is so neat to see the evidence of God's grace in them as I watch a man perservere in suffering....and a women who obeys God's commandments for loving and serving her husband.

The picture above is Sid walking Slick....he has 3 dogs total and goes for a walk just about every 2 hours sometimes more..it's def. been a good workout for me ;)

On another note...

Since school started and I started working for Sid I am having to simplify my meals on certain nights. So tonight Lew and I tried a recipe from my Cookinglight Superfast Supper's book and it turned out soooo yummy and was so easy! It was Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce. And the best part was we cut up the leftover chicken and just mixed it in with the leftover sauce and added a little extra light mayo and had chicken salad for lunch tomorrow ;) Worked out great!

Ingredients:
4 (4oz.) boneless Chicken breasts (pounded down to 1/2 inch thickness)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup light mayo
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions:
Preheat broiler

Coat chicken with olive oil sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Broil on broil pain 5 min. each side.

Combine mayo and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve sauce over chicken.

A little out of season spice...

So I was cleaning out and organizing my canned goods today and found a big old can of pumpkin that I had from last Thanksgiving....and I couldn't help but use it! I had this great recipe that I used last year for pumpkin bread that is really moist and has a great flavor, so I made a loaf of bread and a dozen muffins. So for those of you who are reminiscing the days of Autumn this one's for you ;)

Directions:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs (I used substitute)
  
• 1 cup Canola oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar (I used 2 1/2 c splenda)
  
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.