tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69434976437660746042024-02-07T14:03:11.047-05:00Lady Kay's KitchenLady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-58786203733313414502011-08-12T19:35:00.002-04:002011-08-16T10:01:42.675-04:00Eco-Friendly Non-Toxic Deck Stain: TimberSoy Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_SaYp0nrZV_BJkDEM8N67yshxJ3GxAa9pei2rIKxSFtnTKi1SD_DQiA5LgwvgMFbyQf_NNXiqT4GhBAjV2W43lP64OHlSpxWSQ_OE_cew7Imn7t4h6fJIQuH95a_5HBxcuomQmcR6aV/s1600/Deck+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_SaYp0nrZV_BJkDEM8N67yshxJ3GxAa9pei2rIKxSFtnTKi1SD_DQiA5LgwvgMFbyQf_NNXiqT4GhBAjV2W43lP64OHlSpxWSQ_OE_cew7Imn7t4h6fJIQuH95a_5HBxcuomQmcR6aV/s640/Deck+before+and+after.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we first moved into our new house a few months ago, we weren't very happy with the deck. It was weathered, gray, and dingy, and the wood was warped. I would've preferred to just get rid of it and plant more grass! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I could see that gray ugly thing out the window every time I did the dishes. Not a pretty view! So I decided to just buckle down and stain it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But then I took a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet for several different exterior stains. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me just tell you what I saw on the MSDS for Olympic Semi-Transparent Deck Stain (<a href="https://buyat.ppg.com/ehsdocumentmanagerpublic/documentsearchinnerframe.aspx?CodeValue=53114&CodeCondition=IsEqualTo&Language=en-US&SuppressSearchControls=True">here</a>):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Materials such as cleaning rags, paper wipes and protective clothing, which are</div>contaminated with the product may <i><b>spontaneously self-ignite</b></i>."<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Contains material which may cause <b><i>cancer.</i></b>.."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Contains material which causes damage to the following organs: <i><b>brain</b></i>."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay HONESTLY?! How stupid! My husband and I looked at each other, and looked at the deck, and decided that it was better to leave it ugly than to risk working with a deck stain that can spontaneously combust, cause cancer and/or brain damage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Doesn't it make you mad that companies make products that have all these horrible effects, and you can just walk right into Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up a can of it and unless you take the time to read the size 5 font on the back, you'd have no idea. Why are companies allowed to market this stuff? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay anyways getting off the bandwagon, I searched and searched online for non-toxic deck stain. I was able to find a few, but I could find hardly any reviews. Even though this isn't kitchen related, I wanted to post a review of the non-toxic deck stain I found so that hopefully others who are in the same boat can find this review and see how the stain looks on a real deck.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided to just pick one and go for it, figuring that anything would look better than that gray, weathered, warped wood. I chose one called TimberSoy, which is made by a company called EcoProcote and can be purchased at <a href="http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com/">http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a chart from EcoProcote's <a href="http://www.ecoprocote.com/TimberSoy-Natural-Wood-Stain-s/87.htm">website</a>:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold;">Features:</span></span></span></span> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" dir="ltr" height="166" style="width: 504px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 2px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Bio-Based Technology</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Non-Hazardous</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 2px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Non-Flammable</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Rapidly Renewable Resource</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Ultra-Low VOC <25 g/l</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Virtua:lly Odorless</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Will Not Chip</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Will Not Flake</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Will Not Peel</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">100% Solids Pigment-Zero VOC</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Does Not Alter Surface Friction</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Natural Oils Replenish Wood</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Beautiful Natural Colorization</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Mildew Resistant</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Water Resistant</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">UV Resistant</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Stain Resistant</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Smooth & Easy Application</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Excellent Wood Protection</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Extends Wood Life</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Lap Mark Free Installation</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Unlimited Applications</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border: 1px solid black; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Custom Color Palette</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 1px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Drastic Reduction in Install Time</span></div></td></tr>
<tr> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">True Penetrating Stain</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 2px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Easily Repairable</span></div></td> <td height="19" style="border-color: black; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 2px 2px 1px; vertical-align: top;" width="169"><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">Easy Soap & Water Cleanup</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">PERFECT!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Plus, when I looked at TimberSoy's MSDS, the WORST thing I could find was that if you swallowed too much of it, it would cause "gastric distress." :) Well, that sure is a lot better than Olympic's worst-case scenarios. In fact, it's probably no worse than the gastric distress that some of my failed cooking has caused my poor husband.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">TimberSoy doesn't come in a <i>huge</i> range of colors, but who cares. You can find a lovely little color chart <a href="http://www.ecoprocote.com/TimberSoy-Natural-Wood-Stain-s/87.htm">here</a>. And, you can order 2-ounce samples for $2.75, which I highly recommend doing so that you can see how the colors actually look in real life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I ordered 5 samples and tried them out on a spare piece of wood we had. You can see in this picture how weathered the deck was compared to that newer piece of wood. I couldn't find an inconspicuous-enough spot on the actual deck to try out the colors so I used that spare piece of wood even though it was a different color than our deck.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From left to right: Cedar, Cherry, Maple, Natural, Redwood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii33vizpIo56JqWYYM5O5hvQrlCSbsTP3jG1Ekl-oSHpxa9dElW1aBBpXjmuigtUW8lXUjg8qKF4P5Ny4TFLX34m0plKlMxkkNyPQpzanhTVdjcSO3uTdBp-j31qYFyRgVTLF7hUi5bP4v/s1600/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii33vizpIo56JqWYYM5O5hvQrlCSbsTP3jG1Ekl-oSHpxa9dElW1aBBpXjmuigtUW8lXUjg8qKF4P5Ny4TFLX34m0plKlMxkkNyPQpzanhTVdjcSO3uTdBp-j31qYFyRgVTLF7hUi5bP4v/s640/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We chose the Maple. The Cedar wouldn've looked nice too, but the Natural didn't look dark enough to cover the gray. The Cherry and the Redwood honestly looked kind of fake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Now, one gallon should be able to cover 400-600 square feet. Our deck is only about 200 square feet so I figured that one gallon should be plenty. I ordered a gallon of the stain, and a gallon of their Acri-Soy Sealer.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I sanded the deck <i>by hand</i> (what a pain!), which I don't think even made much difference. I don't know if the previous owners had ever stained or treated the deck at all so thankfully I didn't have to do any stripping. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I applied the stain, the wood absolutely SOAKED it up because it was VERY porous. I had to order another gallon! And with the second gallon, I was able to finish the rest of the deck and even go over some of the boards that came out lighter the first time. Except, when I got to the bottom of the can, the stain started getting darker and darker and the boards I was staining were looking much darker than the earlier boards I'd stained. And then I realized that I had forgotten to follow the directions:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJ140E1wggGCNZNz7XZXftwfQR1qQDynh34GhaqJDns29Id14B29qM1r2mv7q7jhyAFCxptXLMzV2stRahqG90fmYRp87oToxSq_BzH0xHhk5YjlPHVTaXqtuR18kYkUKch09gV2c1U9T/s1600/DSC04113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKJ140E1wggGCNZNz7XZXftwfQR1qQDynh34GhaqJDns29Id14B29qM1r2mv7q7jhyAFCxptXLMzV2stRahqG90fmYRp87oToxSq_BzH0xHhk5YjlPHVTaXqtuR18kYkUKch09gV2c1U9T/s640/DSC04113.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">STINK! The colored part of the stain had sunk down to the bottom, so the first 3/4 of the can had been so watery that it didn't really add a lot of color. ARGH! How did I not notice that at first?! I could have just left it the way it was, but it was pretty noticeable that some boards were darker than others:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3zKQBveq_pm2OQ3ULE8l1PvbBs2UqEOrm1Vux7ZAyZ9uIaWNHP819ThexmzhhKIvPexZiBNfPfMch5V6YEQ7y4NrejRjyI7Tp8JA4ZTUo8RxDncvA4jIbtmjIZNzrVaxVbPFQD8PA7Hs/s1600/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3zKQBveq_pm2OQ3ULE8l1PvbBs2UqEOrm1Vux7ZAyZ9uIaWNHP819ThexmzhhKIvPexZiBNfPfMch5V6YEQ7y4NrejRjyI7Tp8JA4ZTUo8RxDncvA4jIbtmjIZNzrVaxVbPFQD8PA7Hs/s640/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you see how the boards on the perimeter are lighter than the inside boards? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I placed one more order: a quart and several samples sizes of the Maple. Those were just enough to go over all of the lighter boards. In the end, most of the boards got about three coats. After I waited a few days for that to dry completely, I put on two coats of the Acri-Soy Sealer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I LOVE the result. I LOVE that I didn't have to worry about negative health effects while working with the stain and the sealer, and every time we sit on the deck, I don't have to worry about inhaling toxic vapors. There was slight smell to the stain, I won't lie, but it wasn't heavy and chemically and it did go away after a week or so. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQ3I-8avEUyNKKAfN0J6LSS26Zg2O2yZq5B13M5yOnOFt2Cw2YAWzSS0SK64VEsQ2kPqlP2Tkqiwe4IsX31oM5oN3afQXC_EHiozlgZd7vaWz9V-msrEwc9NoF93YdMSJJAHdfBFeYnrN/s1600/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQ3I-8avEUyNKKAfN0J6LSS26Zg2O2yZq5B13M5yOnOFt2Cw2YAWzSS0SK64VEsQ2kPqlP2Tkqiwe4IsX31oM5oN3afQXC_EHiozlgZd7vaWz9V-msrEwc9NoF93YdMSJJAHdfBFeYnrN/s640/Eco+friendly+nontoxic+deck+stain+wood+stain+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One gallon of the stain is $39.95, and one gallon of the sealer is $34.95. The shipping was definitely not cheap. Especially since I had to place three orders and pay that hefty shipping charge each time! (Not counting when I ordered the samples; they were very light so the shipping wasn't bad.) However, it only took a couple of days to get my orders in each time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So this project was a lot more expensive than I'd planned, because I made the mistake of not mixing the 2nd gallon, and because I didn't know how much stain the wood was going to soak up. I do think that three coats of stain looks a lot nicer than just one coat would've, because the color is much darker and richer. And it was more expensive than just picking up a gallon of Olympic at Lowe's. But to us, it's worth it to avoid those possible negative health effects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I highly recommend the TimberSoy wood stain! Read the installation guide and the FAQs on the website if you plan to use it. It's so nice to have been able to find a non-toxic, eco-friendly deck stain that won't kill us and that made our deck look amazingly better than it was to begin with. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One more time, the before and after, because I'm so proud of how it turned out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_SaYp0nrZV_BJkDEM8N67yshxJ3GxAa9pei2rIKxSFtnTKi1SD_DQiA5LgwvgMFbyQf_NNXiqT4GhBAjV2W43lP64OHlSpxWSQ_OE_cew7Imn7t4h6fJIQuH95a_5HBxcuomQmcR6aV/s1600/Deck+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_SaYp0nrZV_BJkDEM8N67yshxJ3GxAa9pei2rIKxSFtnTKi1SD_DQiA5LgwvgMFbyQf_NNXiqT4GhBAjV2W43lP64OHlSpxWSQ_OE_cew7Imn7t4h6fJIQuH95a_5HBxcuomQmcR6aV/s640/Deck+before+and+after.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-36311785570870507312011-07-21T20:00:00.001-04:002011-07-24T09:08:59.178-04:00Wicked Good Blueberry Custard Crumble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhAEsM2e0eeLCGBIQqJkmtUXITrr5v20fZLpwTDdk5LUIcy4iut00unpWttQmmHuMWnYgh4k8O-Q9mJBmHY7yJrpoWOS0Cxmks5wm1Or-i9FJLA51X0hFE8Iqg8WIEZDkAPlQHewGJhdX/s1600/DSC04301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhAEsM2e0eeLCGBIQqJkmtUXITrr5v20fZLpwTDdk5LUIcy4iut00unpWttQmmHuMWnYgh4k8O-Q9mJBmHY7yJrpoWOS0Cxmks5wm1Or-i9FJLA51X0hFE8Iqg8WIEZDkAPlQHewGJhdX/s400/DSC04301.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Last summer about this time, my husband and I were in Maine for a trip together before he had to leave for almost half a year of training.<br />
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The drive to get there took forever, but as soon as we entered the state, we pulled over at a roadside stand for fresh blueberries and we ate them all week long. <br />
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So the first bite I took of this dessert instantly made me think of Maine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyG_z6Ic1FE-XrOW8cjifgyST_AenGijHue3NSKpYpcwoDsKotmQNW7jvRQnzRa1SrHcOMwPBnplty723q165PyQh9kCL8UK456_86sIV9RIxEFGSN6pWDExhIUj4y0XXDMifYUVKalVF/s1600/2010+July+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyG_z6Ic1FE-XrOW8cjifgyST_AenGijHue3NSKpYpcwoDsKotmQNW7jvRQnzRa1SrHcOMwPBnplty723q165PyQh9kCL8UK456_86sIV9RIxEFGSN6pWDExhIUj4y0XXDMifYUVKalVF/s400/2010+July+112.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXUIpIrtiaXypvEaIwsi1sPEv4IWaXCySjkPU4Qbqevdd-TVqQlcDxHU-CuosyGTop5JJE1ofrznKu27yPA4et3er8xxgPxX5vGSFD20esV2tijasigh-Ze-x1QRIBqAWdL9eAo41e8Ui/s1600/2010+July+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXUIpIrtiaXypvEaIwsi1sPEv4IWaXCySjkPU4Qbqevdd-TVqQlcDxHU-CuosyGTop5JJE1ofrznKu27yPA4et3er8xxgPxX5vGSFD20esV2tijasigh-Ze-x1QRIBqAWdL9eAo41e8Ui/s400/2010+July+094.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We went sailing, kayaking, hiking, exploring...it was beautiful and the weather was perfect. The towns were small and quaint, and the people used "wicked good" as an adjective for everything. I highly recommend it for a summer trip! (Especially since the hotels and bed-and-breakfasts are much cheaper than they will be in the fall.)<br />
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On to the dessert:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgrt5SEyv8SfwCVWdAvZsG_II0JDBv8-ctKb-1D-CzdaR5uJOMNF9gj521SriyMe40LTasAgFEKpLL3BV3EIMPj5Awpgojej7IlXMs-XHn5yT4bIA69y5uO2rWBAi83G1vh4hTe93MS1s/s1600/DSC04278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgrt5SEyv8SfwCVWdAvZsG_II0JDBv8-ctKb-1D-CzdaR5uJOMNF9gj521SriyMe40LTasAgFEKpLL3BV3EIMPj5Awpgojej7IlXMs-XHn5yT4bIA69y5uO2rWBAi83G1vh4hTe93MS1s/s400/DSC04278.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Wicked Good Blueberry Custard Crumble</b><br />
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<i>Preheat oven to 400.</i><br />
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<i>For the custard, mix together:</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup sour cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 cup sucanat (or sugar)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 egg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 teaspoons vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Add:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 1/2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Pour into a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Meanwhile, mix together the topping:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 tablespoons butter </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup rolled oats</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 tablespoons sucanat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 dashes cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup chopped pecans </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>(You can either melt the butter and then add the other ingredients, or just chop the butter into small pieces and then mix.)</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>After the custard has baked for 25 minutes, sprinkle on the topping and bake for 15 minutes more.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/true-blue-custard-crunch-pie/detail.aspx">here</a><i>. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com"><img border="0" src="http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab229/remodelaholic/RecipeSwapSundaysRemodelaholic125x1.jpg" /></a></center>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-38338696876792188372011-05-27T18:09:00.001-04:002011-06-01T18:06:45.059-04:00Salmon Pesto Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJjwfYbjbXil8aC0PLaaq-BeneMLE-z7Z-c-_QW6mnkYue5AJ40ClvZ7pncZ17W2a1NC9_oUahpqoH1oW7TWP_muPFGJ0nF9vPQxaL2-Nzcl9bXUHglZDpH6hiYRvp3v5Oy3q6MwYOJ9l/s1600/Salmon+Pesto+Pasta+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJjwfYbjbXil8aC0PLaaq-BeneMLE-z7Z-c-_QW6mnkYue5AJ40ClvZ7pncZ17W2a1NC9_oUahpqoH1oW7TWP_muPFGJ0nF9vPQxaL2-Nzcl9bXUHglZDpH6hiYRvp3v5Oy3q6MwYOJ9l/s640/Salmon+Pesto+Pasta+009.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I don't think you can ever have enough pesto. It is SO delicious. And it makes EVERYTHING taste better, like <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/pesto-turkey-sliders.html">turkey burgers</a> and <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/Beef">hamburgers</a> and <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/need-veggies-in-your-life-presto.html">plain old pasta</a>. So, of course I was willing to try the Salmon Pesto Pasta recipe from <a href="http://annies-eats.net/2008/06/23/salmon-pesto-pasta/">Annie's Eats</a> in the hopes that it would make one of my arch-enemies, fish, taste better. (Not only that, but my pesto recipe even makes another arch-enemy of mine, spinach, taste fantastic, too!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's pretty simple:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Step 1: Make <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/need-veggies-in-your-life-presto.html">spinach basil pesto</a>. We usually always have some in the fridge already because we eat it probably once or twice a week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Step 2: Make some salmon. You already know how good salmon is for you (omega-3s and all that). Annie recommends broiling it for about 10 minutes after coating it with olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. But maybe some of you like to put it on the grill or bake it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Step 3: Make some pasta. I used some bow-tie pasta because I thought it was cute, which would help the fish taste better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Step 4: Flake the salmon into little bits. Stir in about 1/2 cup (or more!) of the pesto into the pasta as well as the salmon. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese if you like! (p.s. Annie first heats up 5 ounces of evaporated milk, then adds the pasta, and then the salmon and pesto. I don't think it's really necessary but you can try it that way if you want!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You can see from my picture that I didn't make very much salmon, so if you love salmon, you'll probably want to include more than I did. And if you're like me and you don't like fish but you're trying to eat more of it because it's healthy, then I would definitely try this dish because the pesto covers up a lot of the fishy-taste. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Linking up to <a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/06/real-food-wednesday-6111.html#comment-88980">Real Food Wednesdays @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop</a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
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</div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-21594419622103465422011-05-24T09:12:00.002-04:002011-05-27T15:02:35.556-04:00Black and White Gallery Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I know this blog is called "Lady Kay's <i>Kitchen,</i>" but since I can see this wall from the kitchen, I think this post is justified being here! ;)<br />
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Anyway, I have been wanting to put up some pictures since we moved into our house. I used to just hang a few pictures up haphazardly on the wall wherever I felt like putting them, but then I started looking at house decorating blogs whenever we found out we'd be buying our own house. I saw a lot of people putting up gallery walls. The first time I saw them, I thought I would never want to make one because they all looked very cluttered! Then, I starting seeing gallery walls with all black frames, or all white frames, which looked a little more unified. I still wasn't sure about the whole gallery thing but then I saw this particular one on the blog <a href="http://www.beingbrook.com/2011/04/how-to-make-gallery-wall.html">Being Brook</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5590433331_9304746c99_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5590433331_9304746c99_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>That's when I really, really, really wanted to make my own. She had arranged her frames so carefully and everything looked very neat and organized with the black frames and the black-and-white photos. And besides, we had a whole big blank wall right in our living room that we didn't know what to do with:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEU-FwbRwQ5NLxH-VKD3tvu_NExfolepdILHQqMDGpxlp1iwQY-YMWVfHjBWlDkEQf5CPGwDTd9i-g3SVj8E3U8WVv1Q9BfrsOiOxZXyvatsfLyrZyDuNjVNZNwsj6ZhHSV-tDV7WnOa0/s1600/Our+First+House+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEU-FwbRwQ5NLxH-VKD3tvu_NExfolepdILHQqMDGpxlp1iwQY-YMWVfHjBWlDkEQf5CPGwDTd9i-g3SVj8E3U8WVv1Q9BfrsOiOxZXyvatsfLyrZyDuNjVNZNwsj6ZhHSV-tDV7WnOa0/s400/Our+First+House+024.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
Do you see the wall just left of that art niche? That is where I decided to put up a gallery of black and white photos. We already happened to have a bunch of black frames, and I bought some more at Ross. They have great prices on frames if you are willing to spend 5 years taking off the gummy residue left from the price stickers which are so thoughtfully stuck right on the glass.<br />
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I searched through all our pictures on the computer and made a folder of our favorites. We already had a lot that were in black and white; any that were in color, I changed to b&w using <a href="http://www.picnik.com/">Picnik.com</a> (a free online photo editing program).<br />
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Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr3Ud0w7VyfDFav1i7g4Cy_6QJZ1UjTl6a5AfpT2p9F3XSQez1AlKyQf0PWV416hS5sXhEJhbVesVQxdqItnI73CdhG2izrUzypvQ46SNFCC7wQCtz4jOl8SSk68dxDCLRyQ79FnIwgol/s1600/Maine+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWr3Ud0w7VyfDFav1i7g4Cy_6QJZ1UjTl6a5AfpT2p9F3XSQez1AlKyQf0PWV416hS5sXhEJhbVesVQxdqItnI73CdhG2izrUzypvQ46SNFCC7wQCtz4jOl8SSk68dxDCLRyQ79FnIwgol/s400/Maine+bridge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>We took this picture of the bridge over the Passagassawakeag River in Belfast, Maine. How do you like that name for a river? I guess we are immature but we shortened the name to Passagassa River and we laughed and laughed every time we walked over the bridge. </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrw52-YjBRYG0-4CYlvXOtjrS5CPWmEm-4Smnd3Q2FLG-oC0Ie12SkLwbblO3HLBgpaKd4ihYO2LO2XWLGtkdf4OXq7MusYutHapga6UkiIv896B9yQxeuC4TPbbBDIivvUpzDjziIocQ9/s1600/2009+October+599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrw52-YjBRYG0-4CYlvXOtjrS5CPWmEm-4Smnd3Q2FLG-oC0Ie12SkLwbblO3HLBgpaKd4ihYO2LO2XWLGtkdf4OXq7MusYutHapga6UkiIv896B9yQxeuC4TPbbBDIivvUpzDjziIocQ9/s400/2009+October+599.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>This is from a botanical garden we went to on our honeymoon. I love how we were able to capture the drops of water on the petals.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5jj8wJXO0th5eC0lOhHWyyN_Gw7tEv-AuFCAE7DTLKNl_nzHRRl1N21eoxIIRmWmGVfV7-F0u4GSX4GEdXgyskvW_FdBSrYd-4dqnKEeH_6wUrV3TXYeffb-HXXT_cwvqQysxJPXPKe3/s1600/2009+October+629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5jj8wJXO0th5eC0lOhHWyyN_Gw7tEv-AuFCAE7DTLKNl_nzHRRl1N21eoxIIRmWmGVfV7-F0u4GSX4GEdXgyskvW_FdBSrYd-4dqnKEeH_6wUrV3TXYeffb-HXXT_cwvqQysxJPXPKe3/s400/2009+October+629.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>From the same garden. This lamppost reminds me of Narnia.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwzg8I2f1ii5aYCWeGkCfTyYMl2CaqtqfqEUhjWDFYld5ISgBy6GZWMhFWQ7s_NQhWbzwIPEjjmdO2mDdODQ7jNv8XlD1a2MpqsZV2V0Q3J15kix6HzOGyUfM5Y3XtTgXxFjUMwpBFEad/s1600/step+stones+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwzg8I2f1ii5aYCWeGkCfTyYMl2CaqtqfqEUhjWDFYld5ISgBy6GZWMhFWQ7s_NQhWbzwIPEjjmdO2mDdODQ7jNv8XlD1a2MpqsZV2V0Q3J15kix6HzOGyUfM5Y3XtTgXxFjUMwpBFEad/s400/step+stones+1.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>These stepping stones are from the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Choosing the photos to put on the wall definitely took forever and a day! I ordered the prints from Walmart.com, because they have great prices and fast shipping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next I laid out all the frames on the floor to figure out the arrangement, using the picture of the gallery wall I printed out from "Being Brook" as a guide. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took an idea from <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/?vm=r">Young House Love</a> and cut out pieces of paper the size of each frame. I numbered each piece of paper and put a sticky note with the number on the corresponding frame. Then, I taped all the pieces of paper on to the wall. I measured to figure out where to put each nail and then nailed right through the paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_TfbSwr6UDURtrLjH-_IcMWso09jOtvyd-8_ovkwzNICnLnX0cJ84oPzwBn4BpxTSAUaxDcn1IYdvB20aurLdGGGDjhf_R3kpHTkYCi28Lvjin_lm7EzqWVYEAVIHFPgdRSVgVXTSElv/s1600/Gallery+wall+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_TfbSwr6UDURtrLjH-_IcMWso09jOtvyd-8_ovkwzNICnLnX0cJ84oPzwBn4BpxTSAUaxDcn1IYdvB20aurLdGGGDjhf_R3kpHTkYCi28Lvjin_lm7EzqWVYEAVIHFPgdRSVgVXTSElv/s400/Gallery+wall+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then, it was easy to just pull off the paper and hang the frame. Here it is halfway finished:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4wAMtYtMgZodL_WpK4uTXqwGxldJ8tOo2H0Oi9He4htvZRWdmXkk9E2ox79S1bquc9z2NULTgzgBl9YWmhRux5L40kSf2NjM8UIBDy_52YfrECYTAnA32NTooopdqzUnBXxnPGvkqIlK/s1600/Gallery+wall+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4wAMtYtMgZodL_WpK4uTXqwGxldJ8tOo2H0Oi9He4htvZRWdmXkk9E2ox79S1bquc9z2NULTgzgBl9YWmhRux5L40kSf2NjM8UIBDy_52YfrECYTAnA32NTooopdqzUnBXxnPGvkqIlK/s400/Gallery+wall+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here it is, finished:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPS0g9h92DX6qnomxNeryzyS9O9r3d5I9GlFKZXb3hzxPlBrg7as8SIQRoNJHBmMnLDwXNbxTxspIqoxRJ6YIBGOkVj-gPJw-DgjiUPTFoEDpAwXacMQ7HgjmmZ-Z4twMqFFqjt-PUfDL/s1600/Gallery+wall+015+blurred.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPS0g9h92DX6qnomxNeryzyS9O9r3d5I9GlFKZXb3hzxPlBrg7as8SIQRoNJHBmMnLDwXNbxTxspIqoxRJ6YIBGOkVj-gPJw-DgjiUPTFoEDpAwXacMQ7HgjmmZ-Z4twMqFFqjt-PUfDL/s400/Gallery+wall+015+blurred.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oPvntDbtSp8S8c14dxYxXEv68zBdh8nM_B3RW08fNrUAsj5_vRU51pQzitaSWr78eUEFbpRBlvsE1N-WYnD08PBfzN5X-iuLb-NWyFEZbP9p0D4ssc9RB_mIMTzatH7CCKE1MaDDz3LI/s1600/Gallery+wall+027+blurred.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oPvntDbtSp8S8c14dxYxXEv68zBdh8nM_B3RW08fNrUAsj5_vRU51pQzitaSWr78eUEFbpRBlvsE1N-WYnD08PBfzN5X-iuLb-NWyFEZbP9p0D4ssc9RB_mIMTzatH7CCKE1MaDDz3LI/s400/Gallery+wall+027+blurred.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It took a lot of time and planning to make this gallery wall, but I think it's so worth it! I just love how it turned out! I was worried that having all black and white photos would end up too cold and stark, but it's not cold at all (rather elegant, actually), especially because we have a lot of other color in the room (such as blue couches). It warms up the room a lot more than having a plain blank wall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> What do you think?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Do you have a gallery wall?</div><br />
<a border="0" href="http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t99/tonihammersley/BFOLprojectbutton.jpg" /></a><center><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com"><img border="0" src="http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab229/remodelaholic/RemodelaholicPartyFriday.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br /> <br /><br />Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-10062315911644112532011-05-11T11:17:00.001-04:002011-05-24T09:57:50.878-04:00Pesto Turkey Sliders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are you ready for a brilliant dinner idea?</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jebtjDAnDEuZY5N7zLLjIXIhq47svsV1vXUX2NzxtqPhwFwX4yllkxjc-fjtWD7YiTi4zcOvtvBWzT_bMqIOBswE_dg5s3hNmvXSutHcPNrheTstxKsHGmT-eSJm8XPm5qwCHcwW9E8u/s1600/Turkey+pesto+sliders+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jebtjDAnDEuZY5N7zLLjIXIhq47svsV1vXUX2NzxtqPhwFwX4yllkxjc-fjtWD7YiTi4zcOvtvBWzT_bMqIOBswE_dg5s3hNmvXSutHcPNrheTstxKsHGmT-eSJm8XPm5qwCHcwW9E8u/s400/Turkey+pesto+sliders+043.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pesto and feta-cheese turkey sliders!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">These are so scrumptious, I can't even describe it. Not to mention they are really little and CUTE which makes them even more addicting. They are little tiny turkey-pesto-feta cheese burgers! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">First, I made <a href="http://annies-eats.net/2009/07/14/honey-wheat-sandwich-buns/">Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns</a> from Annie's Eats, except I made them smaller. Other than that, I made no changes.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1x0fuT3GKSJ_JIuD50B5RkpMIE0dVcT_cfiJwuXLSH9kNAvgE1O3m2YnHi6_rZZv2l7lhnrFUaIVCpj0pHm_2lIoGyZyTGvOyu42i2D_SViiZc4tHDrPSZVzFjIky7n3oNhS5pKyCqgI/s1600/Turkey+pesto+sliders+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1x0fuT3GKSJ_JIuD50B5RkpMIE0dVcT_cfiJwuXLSH9kNAvgE1O3m2YnHi6_rZZv2l7lhnrFUaIVCpj0pHm_2lIoGyZyTGvOyu42i2D_SViiZc4tHDrPSZVzFjIky7n3oNhS5pKyCqgI/s400/Turkey+pesto+sliders+003.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ready for baking</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPQ1lFqSxcoGNDj8e_yPxVPCoKVapbWGZkiYMY-jGg-XEMPFq2NNXixrznVROZ2cIeMy7KkkH1t9h27i1m75wMBTx2D5xjpvB5K6iqjvxF0UywNucf3D49xV7xCH5nIReFrYW8CarzelY/s1600/Turkey+pesto+sliders+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPQ1lFqSxcoGNDj8e_yPxVPCoKVapbWGZkiYMY-jGg-XEMPFq2NNXixrznVROZ2cIeMy7KkkH1t9h27i1m75wMBTx2D5xjpvB5K6iqjvxF0UywNucf3D49xV7xCH5nIReFrYW8CarzelY/s400/Turkey+pesto+sliders+013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvX2wEwL0hZ_pgsQM70iL2qGhXBDlfJNVNm8Dj78FkZQJBfwQ1Nrr0aD0iyC7mbyZ1q8utfxYqXzAVW7eQKi3tZFkWtBIzVCeYdFyURCZSEpasVDr5iA7AMfOLZXnTwyU6JEtQ47zGLyr/s1600/Turkey+pesto+sliders+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbvX2wEwL0hZ_pgsQM70iL2qGhXBDlfJNVNm8Dj78FkZQJBfwQ1Nrr0aD0iyC7mbyZ1q8utfxYqXzAVW7eQKi3tZFkWtBIzVCeYdFyURCZSEpasVDr5iA7AMfOLZXnTwyU6JEtQ47zGLyr/s400/Turkey+pesto+sliders+022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ready for a burger</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can definitely use store-bought sandwich rolls, but making these sliders with homemade buns made them exponentially delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Next I followed <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pesto-Turkey-Burgers/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a> from AllRecipes.com to make pesto turkey burgers, except I made the burgers tiny.<br />
<br />
It's really easy:<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i> <br />
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey<br />
2 tablespoons <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/need-veggies-in-your-life-presto.html">pesto</a><br />
1 teaspoon minced garlic<br />
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons salt<br />
1/2 cup bread crumbs<br />
<br />
Just mix all that up and form into small patties. Cook on the grill about 5 minutes each side.<br />
<br />
Split the honey-wheat-sandwich-buns in half and place each half face-down on the grill for a few moments, and then fill each one with a pesto-turkey-burger. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRw__VfDQxXjwJELvyJEwbi9kCWtKiNjxNbsqwhN0UGO1dFLfaiiyqG8d1Zk5aXw-DBIaxZUIc8d7tnMrp0Gpc8hWTeC18M1YqndAoOnBXqeQcYRZQaGhcYm2mzewJtuaBnoQnFeou24Z/s1600/Turkey+pesto+sliders+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRw__VfDQxXjwJELvyJEwbi9kCWtKiNjxNbsqwhN0UGO1dFLfaiiyqG8d1Zk5aXw-DBIaxZUIc8d7tnMrp0Gpc8hWTeC18M1YqndAoOnBXqeQcYRZQaGhcYm2mzewJtuaBnoQnFeou24Z/s400/Turkey+pesto+sliders+036.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These were so tasty that we didn't even need ketchup! Of course, you can add toppings like onions, lettuce, or tomatoes... but I think they are perfect without anything added. I have had turkey burgers before and I wasn't impressed, but adding the pesto and the feta cheese (and making them small and cute, of course) is what makes these phenomenal. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is liked to Kelly the Kitchen Kop's <a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/05/real-food-wednesday-51111.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kellythekitchenkop+%28Kelly+the+Kitchen+Kop%29">Real Food Wednesdays</a>.</span></i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/RealFoodWednesdays2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/RealFoodWednesdays2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-20132096092638405542011-05-09T13:39:00.001-04:002011-05-09T13:58:56.606-04:00Chocolate Coconut Bites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRxKhLSfZrrplBHTquKYp7exeZaFBuBxAkuhg1II9-s0-_0Bnvm923flMUFsCLrYrnLEBf65DzFNQuBkloDcGgVDO2p82KGG4VEosRnwmT3pTfgm2Z9c8j35fDIty30Jzg9r7tMJrL_9h/s1600/Chocolate+coconut+bites+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRxKhLSfZrrplBHTquKYp7exeZaFBuBxAkuhg1II9-s0-_0Bnvm923flMUFsCLrYrnLEBf65DzFNQuBkloDcGgVDO2p82KGG4VEosRnwmT3pTfgm2Z9c8j35fDIty30Jzg9r7tMJrL_9h/s400/Chocolate+coconut+bites+005.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you like <a href="http://www.larabar.com/products/chocolate-coconut-chew">LaraBars</a>, you'll love these! I picked up a LaraBar on that <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/whole-wheat-banana-nut-bread.html">disastrous shopping trip</a> and noticed that it only had 5 ingredients: dates, almonds, walnuts, unsweetened cocoa, and coconuts. As I read the ingredient list and thought, <i>Why am I spending $1-something on this one bar when it looks like I could easily make this at home? </i>as well as <i>What do dates look like and where would I find them in this store?</i>, I glanced down and happened to notice a bulk bin labeled, "Dates." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPO6Dt9hmKhsEXzglh-xAjgO4SfH0Gl9FCA0SKI4BPzI49nLyedc3rTyqeH-j06cva5jFvTPUcJJHQcOXR_CMV7IGXrDfy1vvde-ozk6pdWM-Uf03mK2pQNgca9siYSUzd5u4NS8JnIIC/s1600/Chocolate+coconut+bites+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPO6Dt9hmKhsEXzglh-xAjgO4SfH0Gl9FCA0SKI4BPzI49nLyedc3rTyqeH-j06cva5jFvTPUcJJHQcOXR_CMV7IGXrDfy1vvde-ozk6pdWM-Uf03mK2pQNgca9siYSUzd5u4NS8JnIIC/s400/Chocolate+coconut+bites+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Then I faltered in my decision to make these homemade LaraBars, because those dates looked to me like cockroaches. Anyhow I gulped and bought some, anyway.<br />
<br />
When we got home, I googled "homemade LaraBars" and found this page: <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2009/10/13/make-these-now/">Fudge Babies</a>. I changed that recipe just a little bit by adding walnuts and rolling the "babies" in coconut as the final step.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
-1 cup chopped walnuts and/or almonds (I used about 1/2 and 1/2)<br />
-1 1/3 cup pitted dates<br />
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
-3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
-Shredded coconut to taste<br />
<br />
The most difficult step is taking the pits out of the dates.<br />
<br />
After that, just put everything into a food processor and process away.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFde02E62fIBr_cfM6Wr9HQuBcmCHYOZYq4uIbCoqixnXetqxTptFSLdNi1uIjrDKCUEziOMjGwMiX_xcMzlldmSXCtxW0hFRDo5cgG6zN30ocNdDwxX2tdsIyoQY43H4lpZhEyHJJ7jUm/s1600/Chocolate+coconut+bites+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFde02E62fIBr_cfM6Wr9HQuBcmCHYOZYq4uIbCoqixnXetqxTptFSLdNi1uIjrDKCUEziOMjGwMiX_xcMzlldmSXCtxW0hFRDo5cgG6zN30ocNdDwxX2tdsIyoQY43H4lpZhEyHJJ7jUm/s400/Chocolate+coconut+bites+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
It may seem a little too dry, but it's actually just right for forming into balls and then rolling in coconut.<br />
<br />
You really won't believe how delicious they are even without any sugar!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRxKhLSfZrrplBHTquKYp7exeZaFBuBxAkuhg1II9-s0-_0Bnvm923flMUFsCLrYrnLEBf65DzFNQuBkloDcGgVDO2p82KGG4VEosRnwmT3pTfgm2Z9c8j35fDIty30Jzg9r7tMJrL_9h/s1600/Chocolate+coconut+bites+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRxKhLSfZrrplBHTquKYp7exeZaFBuBxAkuhg1II9-s0-_0Bnvm923flMUFsCLrYrnLEBf65DzFNQuBkloDcGgVDO2p82KGG4VEosRnwmT3pTfgm2Z9c8j35fDIty30Jzg9r7tMJrL_9h/s400/Chocolate+coconut+bites+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
They are full of nutrition, too: omega-3 fatty acids in the walnuts, heart-disease-lowering power in the almonds, and antioxidants in the cocoa.<br />
<br />
Tempting + healthy = perfect :)Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-42940671504972368092011-05-04T18:58:00.002-04:002011-05-22T10:12:04.690-04:00Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7A-5_5q0n3lFXDJKHS61jQG2LkLdPxxcG3EZLh_rVkU9KSGkSCU29Wv6fcFBP_4Y_f2Kf9ATPEuL7KKWZK3Bi2RLML-T7uiip-npFV2N5YbO03YR1QtA4MmmaXh5ufycmJt_sHiAK2qkW/s1600/Banana+bread+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7A-5_5q0n3lFXDJKHS61jQG2LkLdPxxcG3EZLh_rVkU9KSGkSCU29Wv6fcFBP_4Y_f2Kf9ATPEuL7KKWZK3Bi2RLML-T7uiip-npFV2N5YbO03YR1QtA4MmmaXh5ufycmJt_sHiAK2qkW/s400/Banana+bread+022.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Do you make a grocery list before you go shopping? I always do. But I got home from a week-long trip not long ago, and although I had left enough meals for my hubs for the time I was gone, of course there was no food left at the end of the week. So we had to make a late-night grocery store run without a list. Ack! When my husband goes shopping, he goes around the store, finds what he likes, and then buys a TON. For example, 5 pounds of peanuts. (?!) And so many bananas that we couldn't possibly eat them all before half of them went bad. You don't even want to know how much we (he) spent grocery shopping that night, yet, the next day I realized we had nothing for dinner! Unless we wanted to eat several pounds of oatmeal, peanuts, or bananas. So of course I had to go grocery shopping <i>again</i>, this time with a list after I'd planned out our dinners. Oh well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So anyways, you know what to do when you see a bunch of bad bananas on your counter, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5plTKsqJS0Ke0gxsQ9KZXmU3sxVdBFjKaYWvj3j83vJwPSFhf8WZYVuq1Vpwq2UAxmzORkVA-J7U1o264a3Q6NBW49bJBgY1VC1eM9Yw1UEfF7NwO8Zx9AnZk3vhH4a6_wvOfzXbmtBT/s1600/Banana+bread+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5plTKsqJS0Ke0gxsQ9KZXmU3sxVdBFjKaYWvj3j83vJwPSFhf8WZYVuq1Vpwq2UAxmzORkVA-J7U1o264a3Q6NBW49bJBgY1VC1eM9Yw1UEfF7NwO8Zx9AnZk3vhH4a6_wvOfzXbmtBT/s400/Banana+bread+004.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's right, make banana bread! With nuts, of course. Because banana bread without nuts is lacking a lot of goodness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I tried out TWO recipes (because we had a LOT of bad bananas...). I added one cup of chopped walnuts to both.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first one is from Carrie Vitt's blog, <a href="http://deliciouslyorganic.net/banana-bread/">Deliciously Organic</a>. I just love her site. Her photographs are amazing and her recipes are, too. Plus, all her recipes use unprocessed ingredients.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her banana bread recipes uses:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 tablespoons unsalted butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 tablespoons coconut oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular wheat flour)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup whole cane sugar or sucanat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 teaspoon baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon sea salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 very ripe bananas, mashed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup buttermilk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 large eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon vanilla exract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Bake at 3:50 for 50-55 min.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUEC1TZMP7gSqlKy7pvw0NKRav9x79iNGyVUM1-1JVsYjPPKZGRAeaf-tnh5ljLJQ5Ydi5HuwTKFUUOzRTSW8Ow9Ry1nocw5YJFG08quXpX-fRPH75nQurgFz4Gj-hpWk_zoWzur40HU7/s1600/Banana+bread+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUEC1TZMP7gSqlKy7pvw0NKRav9x79iNGyVUM1-1JVsYjPPKZGRAeaf-tnh5ljLJQ5Ydi5HuwTKFUUOzRTSW8Ow9Ry1nocw5YJFG08quXpX-fRPH75nQurgFz4Gj-hpWk_zoWzur40HU7/s400/Banana+bread+005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second recipe is from <a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/02/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-bread/">100 Days of Real Food</a>. I just found this blog recently; it's about a family who made a pledge to eat only real food for 100 days, and it worked out so well that they have continued eating that way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Their recipe calls for:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 teaspoon baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 ripe bananas, mashed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup plain yogurt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup honey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teapsoon vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV1b6UJqFC5_30NxgXy3QYn17BKPMBfUCmw9g6hjzGSjqYbpSpkIbUA1Er4sC3uOPlH0lXxDal_MgeuQNcMiCPelEQnSmB3xudtTm4cNINCwHGBehgcj740Plzb1Otl-zADL_JYcXM-Wg/s1600/Banana+bread+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV1b6UJqFC5_30NxgXy3QYn17BKPMBfUCmw9g6hjzGSjqYbpSpkIbUA1Er4sC3uOPlH0lXxDal_MgeuQNcMiCPelEQnSmB3xudtTm4cNINCwHGBehgcj740Plzb1Otl-zADL_JYcXM-Wg/s400/Banana+bread+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can see that both recipes are very similar. The main difference is that the first recipe uses 1 cup of sugar, while the second uses only 1/4 cup honey. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WE1f0pO1waveBGtBbYZGcBD22uKH1DIzMkYj4o_HfEnPhjuGC8XIwfEWWMaQyEFCd1sGzwvBFZWugeLA2gDcFbCIvXroIvGrLjwxlHYg_d3T6RDoyiOx57hv9oTSgBPZWbnRthajHm1E/s1600/Banana+bread+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WE1f0pO1waveBGtBbYZGcBD22uKH1DIzMkYj4o_HfEnPhjuGC8XIwfEWWMaQyEFCd1sGzwvBFZWugeLA2gDcFbCIvXroIvGrLjwxlHYg_d3T6RDoyiOx57hv9oTSgBPZWbnRthajHm1E/s400/Banana+bread+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The first recipe (with sugar) is on the left; the second (with honey) is on the right.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My husband and I taste-tested both loaves. It did take a few bites and some thinking to figure out which one we liked better!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DEllC1f2ybweeCuUUNnOpJfMIUkvy7cCf5zqAdaJELUk4P1YMI3kMsqYW-96CCkDJGY2QwK_oGqz8JHAkzFTm8NbaDhoj4KeYQPJ5JkTmr3p2P_2At43ieewYsYRG-HZV8RKykX9MTyk/s1600/Banana+bread+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DEllC1f2ybweeCuUUNnOpJfMIUkvy7cCf5zqAdaJELUk4P1YMI3kMsqYW-96CCkDJGY2QwK_oGqz8JHAkzFTm8NbaDhoj4KeYQPJ5JkTmr3p2P_2At43ieewYsYRG-HZV8RKykX9MTyk/s400/Banana+bread+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT9xSD6987ar2Ul6C2Qy_Ov8BzPX2I63mGqbOqz0jf_TxCtR2wD9UyPXU6vaSwPtIlJp35RNLDLm2mdpH0VVeYcIkPQ0kG70B_sy1GM-70rofOhwRdRSTOZEXNNkPt3oA1YeNxycUUTER/s1600/Banana+bread+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second recipe, which uses just 1/4 cup of honey, relies on the sweetness of the banana. It wasn't bad at all, in fact, it was quite <i>acceptable</i> and we definitely will enjoy eating it. The first recipe, though, is more like a dessert bread, the kind you have to stop yourself from gobbling up! The second recipe is more like just bread, not very sweet but definitely a yummy snack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT9xSD6987ar2Ul6C2Qy_Ov8BzPX2I63mGqbOqz0jf_TxCtR2wD9UyPXU6vaSwPtIlJp35RNLDLm2mdpH0VVeYcIkPQ0kG70B_sy1GM-70rofOhwRdRSTOZEXNNkPt3oA1YeNxycUUTER/s1600/Banana+bread+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT9xSD6987ar2Ul6C2Qy_Ov8BzPX2I63mGqbOqz0jf_TxCtR2wD9UyPXU6vaSwPtIlJp35RNLDLm2mdpH0VVeYcIkPQ0kG70B_sy1GM-70rofOhwRdRSTOZEXNNkPt3oA1YeNxycUUTER/s400/Banana+bread+034.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So if you are trying to make something that is more like a treat, I would use the first recipe. If you are trying to cut down on sugar, I would use the second.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's what happens if you make both loaves and leave them out:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7HGUPxPUcnGeWGB6uKOAMfb2IbhtUySnO-MQpvUUV9MVfwmX3dLgrFhaugnj3cQE85eLcVC7TCKDoHVmv10wiq68wiThjUqXkEx5WVgYnj66mMo2jtQQjl-g2gE4qIitX1U2VkUBwUML/s1600/Banana+bread+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7HGUPxPUcnGeWGB6uKOAMfb2IbhtUySnO-MQpvUUV9MVfwmX3dLgrFhaugnj3cQE85eLcVC7TCKDoHVmv10wiq68wiThjUqXkEx5WVgYnj66mMo2jtQQjl-g2gE4qIitX1U2VkUBwUML/s400/Banana+bread+035.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Enjoy!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><br />
<center><a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com"><img border="0" src="http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab229/remodelaholic/RecipeSwapSundaysRemodelaholic125x1.jpg" /></a></center>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-63631738272571707662011-04-10T17:20:00.000-04:002011-04-10T17:20:28.630-04:00Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUJXKOkFIu7MPI7btzilBwdttAjntcDURvn005ycSCXC3WGSYA1MZkiamW6JjcQ5sT4xm9BvLBiP_kUSpsY88gt2V11KXNIOIJ5ZfE8ECKOdz2PaFOsMLvBomFNB2ptVqYa_2B20EzS7Q/s1600/Gingerbread+Cookies+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUJXKOkFIu7MPI7btzilBwdttAjntcDURvn005ycSCXC3WGSYA1MZkiamW6JjcQ5sT4xm9BvLBiP_kUSpsY88gt2V11KXNIOIJ5ZfE8ECKOdz2PaFOsMLvBomFNB2ptVqYa_2B20EzS7Q/s400/Gingerbread+Cookies+012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This recipe is, perhaps, more for Autumn. But my husband is such a health nut that it is not easy to get him to eat cookies. I need him to eat cookies with me so that I won't feel so guilty. (Even though the nice thing about using (semi) healthy ingredients is that you can eat as many as you want and it's okay.) (I think?!) But anyways, I wanted to make him a treat for his lunches, and he likes these so much that he'll eat the whole batch if I don't hide them.<br />
<br />
The original recipe is <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Big-Soft-Ginger-Cookies/Detail.aspx">Big Soft Ginger Cookies</a> from Allrecipes.com. It has 2,777 positive reviews, so you know it will be good! I just made a couple of changes to make it healthier.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Ingredients:</b></u><br />
<br />
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I used white wheat flour this time, but I've also used regular whole wheat and they still come out great)<br />
2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup softened butter<br />
1 cup raw sugar or sucanat<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tablespoon water<br />
1/4 cup molasses<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rNv4azZY6vWWk8AFq-KVZ1imWNt_MfCQt_h-L3RIJ3tS27NRgGdNLPR6QGkKoxpbe_X4QAJWssycbN0AvDRp0NA9ZECPukD8YaXtRED5feuUgI17CDdesw52C58N5hZJ9Pw6K4V96VLT/s1600/Gingerbread+Cookies+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rNv4azZY6vWWk8AFq-KVZ1imWNt_MfCQt_h-L3RIJ3tS27NRgGdNLPR6QGkKoxpbe_X4QAJWssycbN0AvDRp0NA9ZECPukD8YaXtRED5feuUgI17CDdesw52C58N5hZJ9Pw6K4V96VLT/s400/Gingerbread+Cookies+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Side note... do you see that brand of molasses I bought? Brer Rabbit? When I opened it up, I realized that it didn't have any kind of seal, nor did the lid pop up. I went back to the store but none of the bottles had any type of seal! So I guess they are sold that way! I was hesitant to use it, but I did, and we are still alive.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Directions:</b></u><br />
<br />
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
-Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. If you use sucanat or raw sugar, it doesn't always look so light and fluffy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqjcrrf0W3WHxL3THLz9gUBjG7PzalOUdd0WA9NcgG0sdy1kKCs5T-QpeT-yJzaHb1QmAx53W8P193ci9uFXQjGTXoClsscuKGk9By4JgHfFNt_lQ-GWBlkK3h4ab3vlG15VkoG0GgYl5/s1600/Gingerbread+Cookies+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqjcrrf0W3WHxL3THLz9gUBjG7PzalOUdd0WA9NcgG0sdy1kKCs5T-QpeT-yJzaHb1QmAx53W8P193ci9uFXQjGTXoClsscuKGk9By4JgHfFNt_lQ-GWBlkK3h4ab3vlG15VkoG0GgYl5/s400/Gingerbread+Cookies+005.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Beat in the egg, water, and molasses.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Add the dry ingredients.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Spray the bottom of a glass with nonstick spray, and then use the glass to flatten the cookies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcMIhzx7n4lZVQOGKIzFyO2xSjy0wTSlKV9b_hSEWoY8u1YU-uTQQYVNb_4cAwl5wTCbEOaXVat68Jr0sD9QMuagZRBgUEuxPb_bnVuit2CXdHZxDtiixKbzSjte3MwqiJEajX8MckLYn/s1600/Gingerbread+Cookies+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcMIhzx7n4lZVQOGKIzFyO2xSjy0wTSlKV9b_hSEWoY8u1YU-uTQQYVNb_4cAwl5wTCbEOaXVat68Jr0sD9QMuagZRBgUEuxPb_bnVuit2CXdHZxDtiixKbzSjte3MwqiJEajX8MckLYn/s400/Gingerbread+Cookies+008.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Bake 8-10 minutes. When you take out the cookie sheet, let the cookies sit on it for a few more minutes to finish baking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaykoArOiXCsXAW9nlAyhAuVSeV7mznyPCY4Obt8pMMa9Tsyw8qF9O3XNByb00sKRtFbGlgGqOCzKBQt9qkh-Mj8ImM9yxDxyyISo9VbNhAXQhyphenhyphenZRo3AnwrwiWxqdppWlwC9l6RoMPwjL/s1600/Gingerbread+Cookies+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaykoArOiXCsXAW9nlAyhAuVSeV7mznyPCY4Obt8pMMa9Tsyw8qF9O3XNByb00sKRtFbGlgGqOCzKBQt9qkh-Mj8ImM9yxDxyyISo9VbNhAXQhyphenhyphenZRo3AnwrwiWxqdppWlwC9l6RoMPwjL/s400/Gingerbread+Cookies+019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Now, leave just a few out for others to eat and hide the rest quick! Especially if you want to save some for yourself! :)<br />
<br />
Linking to <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/">Recipe Swap @ Remodelaholic</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-79032123683341381522011-02-09T20:12:00.001-05:002011-02-09T20:19:05.633-05:00Wedding or Bridal Shower Coffee Favors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYsUXtm8eEyRS1aYONPhYyOtVNf8d0yJA-SMuF5D07Kp11LRK_ZqN2Fj4uh6Q3EyBsvVjjxIy8DsMt2eZgflucZSKVzvpwW0bjDKWDsezKAizgLvB3seOFqNZktkJxTQ-OB8Ma2HpCTuA/s1600/Bridal+shower+coffee+favors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYsUXtm8eEyRS1aYONPhYyOtVNf8d0yJA-SMuF5D07Kp11LRK_ZqN2Fj4uh6Q3EyBsvVjjxIy8DsMt2eZgflucZSKVzvpwW0bjDKWDsezKAizgLvB3seOFqNZktkJxTQ-OB8Ma2HpCTuA/s400/Bridal+shower+coffee+favors.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiTUaRgEd2RA29je7ZvxTNaap3muxii-GYb5BnDWeUJiwGn7Kgl-x-z3gnppAl9uY-TV28Vss2OOQ2WN3yYWIZnUw2Cg9ofczRLHRPWWA4Z2zsYTI3LWVQKprfmsoYB42Hfyf7k4lcZem/s1600/Bridal+coffee+favor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<br />
I haven't been posting any recipes lately because we have been living in a hotel for a couple months! We were looking for a house in our new city and now we are waiting for it to close. So we have to eat out or prepare pretty simple meals. Nothing worth blogging about.<br />
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Anyhow, I wanted to share these bridal shower favors that I made for my brother's new wife's bridal shower. My sister and I threw a <strike>tea</strike> coffee party bridal shower and we didn't have much time to plan it. The wedding was at my parents' house and the only place where we could have the shower (away from the guys! and the craziness of preparing for a wedding! and because we had to have the shower the same day as the wedding due to everyone coming in from out of town) was in my mom's room! She has a fireplace in there and so it was really cozy. Our decorations were hot pink with black & white plates & candles and stuff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC727J5mIb5X6y25XI43LcBI-UcsJsaUhiuRhT-G4RUMzsisOEHqMwZ6U7Pk1Aac-617s_Qfx__u_prCiYbTLq9A1JROKls-mo1UIzyCZqvwWF4U6y63vqSOZ_n5zbIIIYYytWUskfx4cx/s1600/2011+January+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC727J5mIb5X6y25XI43LcBI-UcsJsaUhiuRhT-G4RUMzsisOEHqMwZ6U7Pk1Aac-617s_Qfx__u_prCiYbTLq9A1JROKls-mo1UIzyCZqvwWF4U6y63vqSOZ_n5zbIIIYYytWUskfx4cx/s320/2011+January+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Once we brought in a table and all the chairs and decorated (and once the bride came in!), the bed & dresser just faded into the background so it felt more like we were in a cute little bistro than in a bedroom. We bought some pastries, and my sister made muffins & a delicious egg/bacon/cheese/biscuit casserole. I wish she would make a cooking blog because no matter what she cooks, it comes out DELICIOUS. She is like King Midas but with food.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNbkaBnDp_aH09hsq2YYu6BG0Bg-jBEc_QZIZICGqBjl5PYv6ZNz02uLhyphenhyphensQHCz6VbKnOge771a42uaWtukeyZNTLNWfh-BoSAtfEi4NGeXPa-LfQO96edfmXf2PAnktUVv24S0uoMoUd/s1600/Bridal+shower+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNbkaBnDp_aH09hsq2YYu6BG0Bg-jBEc_QZIZICGqBjl5PYv6ZNz02uLhyphenhyphensQHCz6VbKnOge771a42uaWtukeyZNTLNWfh-BoSAtfEi4NGeXPa-LfQO96edfmXf2PAnktUVv24S0uoMoUd/s400/Bridal+shower+table.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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To make the favors, here is what you need:<br />
<br />
-Small paper bags (from Michael's or Hobby Lobby)<br />
-Ribbon<br />
-Printable shipping labels<br />
-Ziploc sandwich bags<br />
-Coffee<br />
<br />
I made the labels using WordArt (on Microsoft Word) and the Avery template for the shipping labels (which you can download from Avery's website). I used the saying "The Perfect Blend" but since they were for a bridal shower it would've also been cute to use "Bridal Blend." (Oh and I used their actual names instead of "Bride & Groom" :) I printed the labels out and stuck them on the bags. Then I put about 8 tablespoons of coffee into a Ziploc bag for each favor before putting the coffee into the paper sacks. I folded over the top of the bag, stapled it, and then glued the ribbon on the top. <br />
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I'm not much of a crafty person, so I'm really proud of how cute these turned out!Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-75788829890472998712010-12-03T08:19:00.002-05:002011-05-25T11:09:16.091-04:00Baked Pecan Honey Dijon Salmon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sO3g45Qhj2l3b_GXLiNH6TPsPzsq4aoTvG7vRy2C88eo6XXm0CSBXcO2ecfTgKykEMj5LNDdBnBhz3BYI-ljbJ0arXijS38-6scMbRGjwy5u4EWS1jyAGdIPra6gt8q0kXsyEsa7sVrK/s1600/Pecan+Basil+Salmon+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6sO3g45Qhj2l3b_GXLiNH6TPsPzsq4aoTvG7vRy2C88eo6XXm0CSBXcO2ecfTgKykEMj5LNDdBnBhz3BYI-ljbJ0arXijS38-6scMbRGjwy5u4EWS1jyAGdIPra6gt8q0kXsyEsa7sVrK/s400/Pecan+Basil+Salmon+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Except for occasional tuna sandwiches, I have never liked seafood. But lately, everything I read about being healthy mentions how important it is to eat a lot of fish, salmon in particular. It's supposed to be wonderful for heart health, for lowering cholesterol & blood pressure, lowering cancer risk, lowering macular degeneration risk, etc. (<a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=104">source</a>). <br />
<br />
So, my goal is to eat more fish, which means I need to find ways to prepare it so that I will enjoy eating it. Here is one recipe that makes the salmon palatable for me (and hopefully if you don't like salmon, maybe you can try it prepared this way and you might like it, too.) What I do is I make one salmon fillet, and I put it on my husband's plate so it doesn't touch my other food, and then I take tiny bites off of his. All the other flavors in this recipe do a decent job of hiding the fishy flavor. You can see that I'm really trying hard despite how much I hate fish!<br />
<br />
Here's the original recipe: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Dijon-Salmon/Detail.aspx">Baked Dijon Salmon</a><br />
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I added more honey than the recipe calls for. I also used just 1 salmon fillet, instead of 4, and put all of the topping on top of the one fillet, so that it had 4 times as much topping as called for. That way I could really hide the fishy flavor.<br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
1 salmon fillet<br />
<br />
<i>Topping:</i> <br />
1/4 cup melted butter<br />
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />
3 tablespoons honey<br />
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs<br />
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans<br />
4 teaspoons parsley<br />
Pepper to taste<br />
1 lemon, for garnish<br />
<br />
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
2) Mix together all the ingredients<i> </i>for the topping and pour on top of salmon.<br />
3) Bake for 12-15 minutes in the oven, or until it flakes easily. Ask your husband to take off the salmon skin.<br />
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For the side, I made some quinoa and then heated up some black beans to stir in. I don't know if you have ever tried qunioa, but you really should if you haven't. It's similar to a grain, but it's not! It's really a seed and it's not only gluten free, but it's also a complete protein. It reminds me of cous cous as far as taste goes. Anyway if you make it with chicken broth it's really delicious. And you can add some black beans or lemon juice, maybe some corn, or some spices, or herbs, or whatever you want to add some flavor. <br />
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Do you like seafood? Do you have to be creative to find ways to prepare foods you don't like, either? Please tell me I'm not the only adult in the world who is picky!<br />
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<i>Linked up to <a href="http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/05/real-food-wednesday-52511.html#comment-88162">Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesdays</a>. </i>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-37283851753637611592010-11-25T09:55:00.005-05:002011-02-09T20:20:23.156-05:00Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGnCvszzBwn7vxO4jWtIiuqmCVnrvmtD9Wf6_SvxWaRmsq2jYxy7q2qFtJhfgXTdLsiiG3uGAW2dTAZYA_QtyHKiTJ4TyPQnbABcicFSWMmyKRj-_0ufE3NozAjz7w5BcA7X0_p2CseQ3/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGnCvszzBwn7vxO4jWtIiuqmCVnrvmtD9Wf6_SvxWaRmsq2jYxy7q2qFtJhfgXTdLsiiG3uGAW2dTAZYA_QtyHKiTJ4TyPQnbABcicFSWMmyKRj-_0ufE3NozAjz7w5BcA7X0_p2CseQ3/s400/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+019.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Thanksgiving! I made these last night so we could have them this morning for breakfast. They are absolutely delicious, and except for having all wheat flour, they are not healthy at all. It's not much fun to try to eat healthy most of the time unless you can be unhealthy once in a while.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found them at <a href="http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/09/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html/">Good Life Eats</a>. I had thought of making pumpkin cinnamon rolls and couldn't find a good recipe on AllRecipes.com, so I googled it and found this site by Katie Goodman. I'll have to try more of her recipes in the future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyways, for the cinnamon rolls, I didn't make the frosting to go on top but they are really good without it. Except for using all whole wheat flour and changing up the spices a bit, I didn't make any changes to the recipe. Oh, and I also added chopped pecans to the filling. I have tried to make cinnamon rolls before using all whole wheat flour and they turned out kind of dense & hard. But these came out so soft and delicious...I think maybe adding pumpkin to the batter kept them softer than otherwise? The pumpkin flavor isn't very strong but it's just enough to make these good for Fall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Ingredients:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup warm water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i> </i>1 package active dry yeast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup warm milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 large egg, beaten</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4 cup pumpkin puree</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon melted butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 1/4 cups whole wheat flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Filling:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 stick butter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2/3 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 teaspoons cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chopped pecans (I didn't measure them out, oops, I guess it was about 1/2- 3/4 cup.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Directions:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 - In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast on top of warm water and let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir yeast into water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - Add milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice. Beat for 2 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 - Gradually add remaining flour, a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. (Actually since I was using all wheat flour, I ended up using less flour...probably more like 2 3/4 cups.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 - Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour until you have a smooth, elastic dough. (I just kneaded it right in the bowl.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 - Put dough into an oiled bowl (I just kept it in the same bowl). Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 - Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, & pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7 - Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Spread softened butter over the dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf3R7C-aE3WzbI0bIvIRR4oL9h0YashrDrtHXW2Wv0jm_z56mvgrPmLUWmowF13p0GlR7Af-xIojFJf1MiK1V4FSQLLDp6fN2kFBagpFFaTgMi7DDpnyo7ntR6T-86d1jfF6HCOIILBXI/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjf3R7C-aE3WzbI0bIvIRR4oL9h0YashrDrtHXW2Wv0jm_z56mvgrPmLUWmowF13p0GlR7Af-xIojFJf1MiK1V4FSQLLDp6fN2kFBagpFFaTgMi7DDpnyo7ntR6T-86d1jfF6HCOIILBXI/s400/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 - Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20" long as you roll. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8lOTMMwfaE_hprzAviRvNUcJQV5lx_rNTwejIAToUevHDzLWGYTV1T6vSYBRQ6DAmZoqB1n1b6vZY9iDTzKH26ktXmmSTRjUiHGK7-BcNrZofpZU7147U-PlEC5XLz4zdZHWVtlbj08l/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8lOTMMwfaE_hprzAviRvNUcJQV5lx_rNTwejIAToUevHDzLWGYTV1T6vSYBRQ6DAmZoqB1n1b6vZY9iDTzKH26ktXmmSTRjUiHGK7-BcNrZofpZU7147U-PlEC5XLz4zdZHWVtlbj08l/s400/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9 -Slice it into about 15 slices and place them in a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEQtPsPJqvKpZLkxK1F3szHkD_7TDKVjjkwnT14geWxtfifqxmQpJVerF0_rNSYNuMvuQAXmOrfQoP3XCYIY9vNG6FcD8J6GX0HA2kfrvpCETObJ3IAPwbanG4jMMZaldn4qnI1QS2IzB/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEQtPsPJqvKpZLkxK1F3szHkD_7TDKVjjkwnT14geWxtfifqxmQpJVerF0_rNSYNuMvuQAXmOrfQoP3XCYIY9vNG6FcD8J6GX0HA2kfrvpCETObJ3IAPwbanG4jMMZaldn4qnI1QS2IzB/s400/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10 - Bake in a preheated 375 degree over until they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The author of Good Life Eats, Katie, included a note for if you make them the night before which was helpful because that's what I had wanted to do. You can put them in the fridge after you have placed them in the dish. They'll still need to rise the next morning before baking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivskaeco50OTUPl-D9ngr7s6ZbhZQWyg4EWIylO8KQHxRvOI6UGGmpy-v7LNQlU6o3CnoBTwMw34hZ-fxXsuhs3ofUAv1Zu2JBYKmkCZ4eDAdNpJ0xAcycJFCDvSIjqLwiHEe9k3s0js-F/s1600/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivskaeco50OTUPl-D9ngr7s6ZbhZQWyg4EWIylO8KQHxRvOI6UGGmpy-v7LNQlU6o3CnoBTwMw34hZ-fxXsuhs3ofUAv1Zu2JBYKmkCZ4eDAdNpJ0xAcycJFCDvSIjqLwiHEe9k3s0js-F/s400/Pumpkin+Cinnamon+Rolls+016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-27216644006092028282010-11-21T14:32:00.002-05:002011-05-27T18:10:50.989-04:00Pesto Provolone Hamburgers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAMnGLN4JqDraePNTcO3g2EaMeCG7wvYPMqI-VXLRKCjyP8asmGAJ4QujcdnzgcqYjqJlYzChJ_ca1iXbqv4VHuFUKVW9JzSCqVvhpr9YRA1ijBMyvGBDDwE8HPz7pgEVHKy-84otOLDb/s1600/Pesto+Burger+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAMnGLN4JqDraePNTcO3g2EaMeCG7wvYPMqI-VXLRKCjyP8asmGAJ4QujcdnzgcqYjqJlYzChJ_ca1iXbqv4VHuFUKVW9JzSCqVvhpr9YRA1ijBMyvGBDDwE8HPz7pgEVHKy-84otOLDb/s400/Pesto+Burger+010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Usually, I am not much of a fan of hamburgers, but these are to die for. We took a recipe for <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2010/08/25/turkey-pesto-sliders/">Turkey Pesto Sliders</a> from <a href="http://annies-eats.com/">Annie's Eats</a> and made regular-sized hamburgers, instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 - I made <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2008/09/30/hamburger-buns/">hamburger buns</a> using the recipe from her site, but I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and I left off the sesame seeds. Next time I might make double the recipe so I can keep some in the freezer; they took a long time to make and a short time to eat (but they were worth it).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - My husband cooked some hamburgers made from grass-fed beef.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3 - We filled the hamburger buns with a burger, some <a href="http://ladykayskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/need-veggies-in-your-life-presto.html">Spinach Basil Pesto</a> (we usually just keep a container of it in the fridge because we use it so often), and a slice of provolone and popped them in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I normally just have ketchup with hamburgers this was a nice change. What is your favorite way to eat a hamburger?</div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-13332843633465165662010-11-10T10:28:00.000-05:002010-11-10T10:28:12.731-05:00Low Sodium Cashew Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsbM-z4Te-r3ANUWgRD0B8PGSwqBo6pGnFXyexcGsFdlGta5ugTEn4ezvSfbRIxxhyphenhyphenonuV4Kc3YfwmIKAKVUhEJ6Q0wvbE_5jFK7eVx7r57ht9n441eiftGt9o8Xdz6L4VvuZaQa2cuHz/s1600/Cashew+Chicken+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsbM-z4Te-r3ANUWgRD0B8PGSwqBo6pGnFXyexcGsFdlGta5ugTEn4ezvSfbRIxxhyphenhyphenonuV4Kc3YfwmIKAKVUhEJ6Q0wvbE_5jFK7eVx7r57ht9n441eiftGt9o8Xdz6L4VvuZaQa2cuHz/s400/Cashew+Chicken+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I wanted to try a recipe from <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2008/07/25/thai-chicken-with-cashews/">Annie's Eats called Thai Chicken with Cashews.</a> However, the recipe has soy sauce, which my husband won't touch with a ten-foot pole because of the high salt content, even if it's the lower-sodium version. <br />
<br />
It also calls for red bell pepper. Our grocery store doesn't sell organic red bell peppers so, because they are on the <a href="http://www.foodnews.org/">Dirty Dozen</a> list of foods that contain the most pesticides, I left them out too.<br />
<br />
I also left out the salt. <br />
<br />
So, after taking out these ingredients, I figured this dish would be just a step up from regular chicken but not very tasty. I was actually surprised at how delicious it was, even without the soy sauce. I think I'll be making this often.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><i><u>Low Sodium Cashew Chicken</u></i></b><br />
<b><i><u> </u></i></b><br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><b><i><u><br />
</u></i></b><br />
1 bunch scallions<br />
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (we didn't use this much since it was just the two of us)<br />
Pepper to taste<br />
A few tablespoons of olive oil<br />
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried; but I think using fresh ginger really added a lot of flavor)<br />
1/4 tsp. roasted red pepper flakes (optional)<br />
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth<br />
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch<br />
1 tsp. sugar<br />
1/2 cup roasted whole cashews (I put them in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes; if they come salted you could rinse them first to get rid of the extra salt)<br />
Brown rice<br />
<br />
<i>Directions</i><br />
-Begin cooking the brown rice.<br />
-Chop scallions, separating white and green parts.<br />
-Cut the chicken into small pieces and toss with pepper.<br />
-Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and then add olive oil.<br />
-Stir-fry the chicken until cooked through (5-6 minutes).<br />
-Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and scallion whites to skillet and stir-fry about 5-6 minutes.<br />
-Stir together broth, cornstarch, and sugar, then stir it all into the skillet.<br />
-Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1-2 minutes. <br />
-Stir in cashews and scallion greens.<br />
-Serve with brown rice.<br />
<br />
p.s. If there are other vegetables you like to eat with stir-fry I'm sure you could add as many as you like.Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-68799984403946426102010-11-04T09:19:00.002-04:002011-02-14T10:15:16.758-05:00Pumpkin Spice Latte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLFTMFMe3H6q-VRdP2rKeLs_wglotypBjTGuLxz9CJujDvqZuxcDI3Aw5mBniCYD7g9zBIXIbq_nSStxGWRUcPQ2NkL5oC3nT_hnQNVT3sGpx_e9ssj64USvqsPneWYd-eewX2Iv7Oa5W/s1600/Pumpkin+Spice+Latte+I+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLFTMFMe3H6q-VRdP2rKeLs_wglotypBjTGuLxz9CJujDvqZuxcDI3Aw5mBniCYD7g9zBIXIbq_nSStxGWRUcPQ2NkL5oC3nT_hnQNVT3sGpx_e9ssj64USvqsPneWYd-eewX2Iv7Oa5W/s400/Pumpkin+Spice+Latte+I+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I really love the Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, but they are so expensive and I'm sure they have a ton of sugar.<br />
<br />
So, I found two recipes on allrecipes.com to make at home.<br />
<br />
Today I tried <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Spiced-Latte/Detail.aspx">this one. </a><br />
<br />
<u><b>Pumpkin Spice Latte</b></u><br />
<u><b> </b></u><br />
<u><b> </b></u>-Brew a cup of double-strength coffee.<br />
-Heat up a cup of milk.<br />
-In a blender, combine the hot milk, a heaping teaspoon of sugar (or sucanat), 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.<br />
-Blend until frothy.<br />
-Pour the milk mixture into a mug about 2/3 full.<br />
-Add coffee until the mug is full.<br />
-Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice (and whipped cream if you like).<br />
<br />
<br />
The verdict: I still prefer the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, but since it is too expensive to get often this homemade version will suffice.<br />
<br />
<i>Update on Fri. 11/5</i><br />
Today I tried <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Spice-Latte/Detail.aspx">the other recipe</a> and it was so awful that I won't even bother writing a separate post for it. It is similar to the one above but uses two tablespoons of pumpkin puree. It tasted like melted pumpkin pie and I could barely drink the whole mugful, so I definitely don't recommend it.Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-75537579401433948642010-11-03T10:55:00.000-04:002010-11-03T10:55:55.658-04:00Apple Blueberry Crumble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRycE03YiMeR28GgPedv_33IE6U7__Qba2pcq0y_nrcxKBRU7fimqW1WcE56xs_NaXM5_aV7pnhg0mnsR6_fy2hIvDOSg9bf6tY28wZUato2EhX9BPUDBFLLgtU1iEcad-IN-ndXHfYFNj/s1600/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRycE03YiMeR28GgPedv_33IE6U7__Qba2pcq0y_nrcxKBRU7fimqW1WcE56xs_NaXM5_aV7pnhg0mnsR6_fy2hIvDOSg9bf6tY28wZUato2EhX9BPUDBFLLgtU1iEcad-IN-ndXHfYFNj/s400/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+029.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I saw this dessert at <a href="http://rachanakothari.blogspot.com/2010/07/germany-in-semi-finalsand-apple.html">Rachana's blog</a> and decided to try it a few months ago. I make it several times a week now either for breakfast or a snack. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Organic Granny Smith apples seem to taste the best. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wGbTdjZ88Z-tH1vNMJntqK_eFBtipfJxzjEINdAILHDzfofzLGiivZjAfL9l6snyerk4jPrTmthVqu71ThJ8hkUwh-DhkI1GdwxCrX8BW8576DSnQBnPMBEoLslm49hl2QTbwW1J8is6/s1600/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wGbTdjZ88Z-tH1vNMJntqK_eFBtipfJxzjEINdAILHDzfofzLGiivZjAfL9l6snyerk4jPrTmthVqu71ThJ8hkUwh-DhkI1GdwxCrX8BW8576DSnQBnPMBEoLslm49hl2QTbwW1J8is6/s320/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Here is our favorite type of blueberries:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizalVz8NYyl0xrrXMDTPl6cPih8ON4T74YRJYGehD6loEk6tkkIlqDswc8Ly8yiJXOjfhLQjZpS_f4WP82Gzqhqwk908noyr79RV5xwfWE38F7DfEJ0umsYYPJ4A8wzqnYqBaYRTPWMiVl/s1600/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizalVz8NYyl0xrrXMDTPl6cPih8ON4T74YRJYGehD6loEk6tkkIlqDswc8Ly8yiJXOjfhLQjZpS_f4WP82Gzqhqwk908noyr79RV5xwfWE38F7DfEJ0umsYYPJ4A8wzqnYqBaYRTPWMiVl/s320/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made just a couple of changes to her recipe...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>Apple Blueberry Crumble</b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b> </b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b> </b></u><i>Ingredients:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 organic apple, chopped </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup blueberries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon honey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dash of cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Topping:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon whole wheat flour or oat flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons oats </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tablespoon sucanat (or brown sugar)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Handful of chopped walnuts</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1-2 tablespoons butter </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Directions:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i> </i>-Cook the apple, blueberries, honey and cinnamon powder in a pan on medium heat until the fruits are slightly soft. (You can throw in some ground flaxseed too if you like.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Mix all the ingredients of the topping, except for the butter, in a bowl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Place the cooked fruits in a small baking dish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Use that pan to melt the butter and then add it to the topping ingredients.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Spoon the topping over the cooked fruits and spread evenly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lwR88VlHVlslIP5iKXW8Js-ODJTNNfxhR9piaR0iyNyy6R7sH6AhV4yMPVD-p_AVNyz2VEGz8yiaE_kptYQvBaOQrJrli9ds6tlypt7aiWr-iHXPAoJWdeHjRxG62rnBvc9O5z_2IRgK/s1600/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lwR88VlHVlslIP5iKXW8Js-ODJTNNfxhR9piaR0iyNyy6R7sH6AhV4yMPVD-p_AVNyz2VEGz8yiaE_kptYQvBaOQrJrli9ds6tlypt7aiWr-iHXPAoJWdeHjRxG62rnBvc9O5z_2IRgK/s400/Apple+Blueberry+Crumble+028.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-65621859613339425212010-11-02T21:17:00.000-04:002010-11-02T21:17:37.788-04:00Lentil Tacos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w9xMlqsgq1-fYOUuwqX-11s7XGqsDCMtlruXd5s_EyUvXi6NczWkfJOshtwvBDHi1wvktg8oZKGfjokWVCQrQ5LfFUMocbBtIV2zGH_RSbj_hE2KRmQ_xvwgEAngRElnXiJ7EWQTnswO/s1600/Lentil+Tacos+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0w9xMlqsgq1-fYOUuwqX-11s7XGqsDCMtlruXd5s_EyUvXi6NczWkfJOshtwvBDHi1wvktg8oZKGfjokWVCQrQ5LfFUMocbBtIV2zGH_RSbj_hE2KRmQ_xvwgEAngRElnXiJ7EWQTnswO/s400/Lentil+Tacos+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A very interesting and surprisingly yummy way to eat lentils. <br />
<br />
Here is the original recipe: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tasty-Lentil-Tacos/Detail.aspx">Tasty Lentil Tacos from allrecipes.com</a><br />
<br />
We thought the original recipe was too spicy so this time I used less chili powder. Here it is with my modifications:<br />
<br />
<u><b>Lentil Tacos</b></u><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
1/2 cup chopped onion<br />
1 garlic clove, minced<br />
1 teaspoon organic olive oil<br />
1 cup dried organic lentils, rinsed<br />
1 teaspoon chili powder<br />
2 teaspoons ground cumin<br />
1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
2 1/2 cups organic chicken broth<br />
1 cup organic salsa<br />
Up to 12 taco shells<br />
<br />
<i>Toppings:</i> <br />
Shredded organic lettuce or spinach<br />
Shredded organic cheddar cheese<br />
Organic sour cream<br />
<br />
<i>Directions:</i><br />
-Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until tender.<br />
<i> </i>-Add lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute.<br />
-Add broth and bring to a boil.<br />
-Reduce heat.<br />
-Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.<br />
-Uncover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened.<br />
-Mash lentils slightly.<br />
-Stir in salsa.<br />
-Spoon in some lentil mixture into each taco shell and top with your favorite toppings.<br />
<br />
I was able to find some really good organic taco shells made from blue corn so I used those.<br />
<br />
Also, here is the cheese I like to use:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHW1QWQfHUGfvxxODvGYQGBBi14q4gADnL5DQ3xbekj4CfSV00uBWgA8EKqu_dhISiJHNDM9LQ3SiDiCbaXWAmcZnEo6BD-Y6X3H4l4cpBLLU-5ek1IXx41O1AliZ7S2eVYekElN0QU-HR/s1600/Lentil+Tacos+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHW1QWQfHUGfvxxODvGYQGBBi14q4gADnL5DQ3xbekj4CfSV00uBWgA8EKqu_dhISiJHNDM9LQ3SiDiCbaXWAmcZnEo6BD-Y6X3H4l4cpBLLU-5ek1IXx41O1AliZ7S2eVYekElN0QU-HR/s320/Lentil+Tacos+001.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div><br />
The reason I like this cheese (and also this brand of butter) is that cattle in Ireland are grass-fed most of the year (see <a href="http://www.kerrygold.com/">Kerrygold</a>). Look at <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm">all these benefits</a> of milk, butter, cheese, and beef from grass-fed cows as opposed to grain-fed. Cheese from grass-fed cows, in particular, "<i>is more than four times richer in conjugated linoleic acid—a cancer-fighting, fat-reducing fat—than cheese from standard, grain-fed cows. (Dhiman, T.R., "Conjugated linoleic acid: a food for cancer prevention." Proceedings from the 2000 Intermountain Nutrition Conference, pages 103-121.)</i>" (<a href="http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm">source</a>)Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-84847745000010318932010-11-02T10:59:00.001-04:002010-11-02T11:01:02.078-04:00Pumpkin Pecan Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJ208C4ptq3eUnlYLzZqSOSePZdl1GYX1SciodRKPOmfOlpGZSkXeAUOYOVKFJ0XdDAhacBunRr8r8cW6O-atP93_M3JAP3QgIhfMmXeASmxmDDZbtnZWcN2y1v82TIjHWvLcrIHEThd-/s1600/Pumpkin+Pecan+Muffins+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJ208C4ptq3eUnlYLzZqSOSePZdl1GYX1SciodRKPOmfOlpGZSkXeAUOYOVKFJ0XdDAhacBunRr8r8cW6O-atP93_M3JAP3QgIhfMmXeASmxmDDZbtnZWcN2y1v82TIjHWvLcrIHEThd-/s400/Pumpkin+Pecan+Muffins+004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
These are really good - my husband and I made them for breakfast one day and then ate all 12 that day.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ingredients and directions:<br />
<br />
-3/4 cup sucanat<br />
-1/4 cup olive oil<br />
-2 eggs<br />
-1 cup canned pumpkin<br />
-1/4 cup water<br />
-1/2 cup oat flour<br />
-1 cup wheat flour<br />
-3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice<br />
-1/2 cup chopped pecans<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<br />
<br />
Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture. Add pecans last.<br />
Fill 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes.<br />
<br />
Original recipe: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins/Detail.aspx">Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from allrecipes.com</a>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-80977484796871570622010-08-20T16:46:00.001-04:002010-11-02T11:02:28.022-04:00Black Bean Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZkaDhQZo1vbS8Z7bB3_thczNgKtVWsXk-WwJbtqCHsQUfHUQEdeHjUvqvQjxVWYauc8xYryD_4pOyZkmBfP-gl7DB5XKtfczWcSEXSfHOA40jx14DrobtxNdqolvB65ZNomEXdDWv_Ua/s1600/Black+bean+soup+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZkaDhQZo1vbS8Z7bB3_thczNgKtVWsXk-WwJbtqCHsQUfHUQEdeHjUvqvQjxVWYauc8xYryD_4pOyZkmBfP-gl7DB5XKtfczWcSEXSfHOA40jx14DrobtxNdqolvB65ZNomEXdDWv_Ua/s400/Black+bean+soup+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This soup is <i>really</i> hearty and delicious. Also, it is pretty quick to make - it took me about 30 minutes, start to finish.<br />
The main ingredient - black beans.<br />
<br />
Let me give you some benefits of black beans from <a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2">The World's Healthiest Foods</a>:<br />
-Lots of fiber<br />
-Lots of protein<br />
-Lots of antioxidants<br />
-Lots of iron <br />
-They help to lower cholesterol<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fast-and-Delicious-Black-Bean-Soup/Detail.aspx">Fast and Delicious Black Bean Soup</a><br />
<br />
I modified the recipe -- no bell pepper (because I can't always find organic bell peppers, and bell peppers are on the <a href="http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php">Dirty Dozen</a> list of fruits/vegetables), ground turkey instead of ham, no salt, and no cheese or sour cream on top (but only because I forgot to add them). Also, I didn't bother to puree one of the cans of black beans. I've done that before and it just seemed like an unnecessary extra step.<br />
<br />
Put the following in a pot and heat for about 5 minutes:<br />
<br />
-2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
-1 medium onion, chopped (I used quite a bit less)<br />
-2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced <br />
-3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
<br />
Next, add the following:<br />
<br />
-2 15-oz cans of black beans<br />
-1 14-oz can chicken broth<br />
-2 cups cooked ground turkey<br />
-1/4 teaspoon cumin<br />
-ground black pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Bring it all to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish, if you like, with some shredded cheese and/or sour cream.<br />
<br />
This is wonderful with some corn bread on the side! (I didn't feel like making any so I had some toasted <a href="http://ladykayslife.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-bread.html">homemade bread</a>).Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-13235273347468280722010-08-18T13:49:00.001-04:002010-11-02T11:02:18.852-04:00Spinach Basil Pesto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCi0FVDCctzfYhhCH4cDHmeQ5j9uOBQH6RnmsjtZpyk6af0lZRt1yYvdq-FfqLn5fCKae1EJMI4V7M-oimVFVIJLIXkliOvRFpRGhtKCSF_dIgDfaWH7z-5NbrNVnKyDIEsU2fAv2YtIa/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCi0FVDCctzfYhhCH4cDHmeQ5j9uOBQH6RnmsjtZpyk6af0lZRt1yYvdq-FfqLn5fCKae1EJMI4V7M-oimVFVIJLIXkliOvRFpRGhtKCSF_dIgDfaWH7z-5NbrNVnKyDIEsU2fAv2YtIa/s400/Spinach+Pesto+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
I was looking for recipes to use spinach in a way that I would enjoy, because I'm not a fan of vegetables. I found this one a year or two ago and I was very surprised at how much I liked it.<br />
<br />
Here is where I found the recipe:<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spinach-Basil-Pesto/Detail.aspx">Spinach Basil Pesto</a><br />
<br />
It is fabulous with either pasta, chicken, or both. <br />
<br />
Here is how to make it:<br />
<br />
- If you're planning to use this with chicken and/or pasta, get that cooking first.<br />
<br />
-Next, throw the following into a blender or food processor:<br />
-1 1/2 cups baby spinach <br />
-3/4 cup basil<br />
-1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (often, I cannot find these at the store, so I have substituted almonds)<br />
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
-4 cloves garlic, peeled & quartered<br />
-3/4 teaspoon salt (I leave this out to reduce the sodium)<br />
-1/2 teaspoon pepper<br />
-1 tablespoon lemon jice<br />
-1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I leave this out cause I never feel like grating lemon peel)<br />
-1/2 cup olive oil<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMmP2JqBjk22lk9thM1wY30iXpH-kSS34YGHxLn4XymxpJvle100xp6_APTmOjZl8GRsxiV_qaGDttB79ICAjcY6jDL1LXDPLzFJL65Xr2yDbTjIDGLsqGPeF_ZYoKj6zc3wpkqn7Q6Rw/s1600/Spinach+Pesto+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMmP2JqBjk22lk9thM1wY30iXpH-kSS34YGHxLn4XymxpJvle100xp6_APTmOjZl8GRsxiV_qaGDttB79ICAjcY6jDL1LXDPLzFJL65Xr2yDbTjIDGLsqGPeF_ZYoKj6zc3wpkqn7Q6Rw/s320/Spinach+Pesto+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
-Blend/process. I have to add quite a bit more olive oil as it's blending; otherwise, this is too thick for the blender to handle. If you have a food processor I bet it would work much better.<br />
<br />
-Once your pasta and/or chicken is finished cooking, just add a few spoonfuls of the pesto and voila! I keep the extra in the fridge (but then again, I am just cooking for two people so you may end up using the entire batch).Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-77548315553737784462010-08-13T15:53:00.000-04:002010-11-02T10:02:02.898-04:00Chicken Packets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnKn9ppmjDegaE9NbqOmTHqWGlv0uhBbtJmZ9nC-eZCZgWPEA2C7nIhpYBKi4ROuIplhZxlU4WgK6u2aYq7Y76vIIsXZIrzcNyl4s8aZe_5ol6-3OEGKnn08ZO1hyphenhyphen1vES2ng23HThycIF/s1600/Chicken+Packets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnKn9ppmjDegaE9NbqOmTHqWGlv0uhBbtJmZ9nC-eZCZgWPEA2C7nIhpYBKi4ROuIplhZxlU4WgK6u2aYq7Y76vIIsXZIrzcNyl4s8aZe_5ol6-3OEGKnn08ZO1hyphenhyphen1vES2ng23HThycIF/s400/Chicken+Packets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
The recipe I have for these chicken packets originally came, I believe, from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Once-Month-Cooking-Spending-Delicious/dp/0805418350/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281727507&sr=8-3">"Once a Month Cooking"</a>, and calls for refrigerated crescent rolls. Those are horrible for you though, so I found a recipe for homemade <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Frozen-Crescent-Rolls/Detail.aspx">crescent rolls</a> and figured that I would just use whole wheat flour in order to make them healthier.<br />
<br />
I followed the recipe for crescent roll dough, halving it, but used half white flour and half whole wheat flour. I also used butter instead of shortening and sucanat instead of sugar.<br />
<br />
After I let the dough rise the first time, I rolled it out and cut it into rectangles instead of circles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KsF51sOsLJA5HxtrQTqteSAhY2zelGHgVvuS7Pb_HnFeMHw4dWQzJ1m5B1NRMlJWA5w4QR5JlI_GbSze_BeAOISdUEc1zl3tz8RXh4KTOy8xpK0B2M8_xXRVepoqeMXM_dxz8sfMApb/s1600/Chicken+Packets+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KsF51sOsLJA5HxtrQTqteSAhY2zelGHgVvuS7Pb_HnFeMHw4dWQzJ1m5B1NRMlJWA5w4QR5JlI_GbSze_BeAOISdUEc1zl3tz8RXh4KTOy8xpK0B2M8_xXRVepoqeMXM_dxz8sfMApb/s320/Chicken+Packets+003.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The recipe says to roll the dough into a circle, cut each circle into triangles, roll them up, and then freeze them. I didn't do that...I just let the dough sit while I prepared the chicken. <br />
<br />
I boiled 4 chicken breasts and then shredded them. Next I added about 3/4 a package of cream cheese. I started with just 3 ounces but ended up using more. I also added a few chopped chives.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u7bvA7T_yrxR29vt-NN4l4AZBOtZ9Zr9VufRLEGWnzn68NCe6-TIqnZCtSEHt3vPSCqlOeoSB_q8lETFJaBDWMNFPxykOKy1x_jg-3RwAg7ImBC1A-NYPzmZuIAyjfJLYrp_vIlWx8k2/s1600/Chicken+Packets+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-u7bvA7T_yrxR29vt-NN4l4AZBOtZ9Zr9VufRLEGWnzn68NCe6-TIqnZCtSEHt3vPSCqlOeoSB_q8lETFJaBDWMNFPxykOKy1x_jg-3RwAg7ImBC1A-NYPzmZuIAyjfJLYrp_vIlWx8k2/s320/Chicken+Packets+005.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Here is the chicken mixed up with the cream cheese and the chives:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij0Z9_0ClAdsM0QciYrF2tf4GoQaaht1-1ptWydDiXjbA8wVIgxYt2jmaJ_V6b0Kw-JAuP3pEMg-xrIyrL7145mVql3G1XE1m2lIDZB4BE-tl4oImqSmEgA3plmdi3Yx7OvbzrnjChmn1/s1600/Chicken+Packets+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij0Z9_0ClAdsM0QciYrF2tf4GoQaaht1-1ptWydDiXjbA8wVIgxYt2jmaJ_V6b0Kw-JAuP3pEMg-xrIyrL7145mVql3G1XE1m2lIDZB4BE-tl4oImqSmEgA3plmdi3Yx7OvbzrnjChmn1/s320/Chicken+Packets+006.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Next I took a rectangle of dough, rolled it out a bit more, and then put a pile of the chicken mixture on it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28EZB2jK7YNSY8iL_txY3tvWZKcd8kQyUq15-KjMI4MuRfCO01OHJ22m-UhVSKLHYR1zrtoZHGkAG4N0bNvUdeafTz0kX0c3SsYRerVDRPayvZIJr_dSNU7ll4r8OxVGVGi9qRzX1-uft/s1600/Chicken+Packets+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28EZB2jK7YNSY8iL_txY3tvWZKcd8kQyUq15-KjMI4MuRfCO01OHJ22m-UhVSKLHYR1zrtoZHGkAG4N0bNvUdeafTz0kX0c3SsYRerVDRPayvZIJr_dSNU7ll4r8OxVGVGi9qRzX1-uft/s320/Chicken+Packets+007.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I folded the dough over and pressed the edges together to make a little packet. I guess I didn't put enough chicken in this one cause I had extra dough, which I trimmed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7H1Op89xeXnkNStdNkW5zE2WSo3toTx1-1YkmmzSWN9_8hbNp3ZL4QblE_qTZqwUvWskCsjKd5KumjgmzNJ3nAagqdBfAFhpN8vU3w0yP6PrukSH_HoHrtVjSspF-_XLdsY0ZtVukiqk/s1600/Chicken+Packets+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7H1Op89xeXnkNStdNkW5zE2WSo3toTx1-1YkmmzSWN9_8hbNp3ZL4QblE_qTZqwUvWskCsjKd5KumjgmzNJ3nAagqdBfAFhpN8vU3w0yP6PrukSH_HoHrtVjSspF-_XLdsY0ZtVukiqk/s320/Chicken+Packets+008.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Using the 4 chicken breasts, I had enough to make about a dozen packets. However, I had lots of dough left over - I think I could have fourthed that crescent roll recipe. Oh well, I just put the extra in the freezer and I can use it to make actual crescent rolls another day.<br />
<br />
I baked one of the packets at 350 for 15 minutes so that I could try one right away, and popped the others in the fridge so that we will have a quick meal ready for Sunday after church.<br />
<br />
These are fun to eat and I think they would be great for taking to work for lunch. They can be eaten cold, if you like.<br />
<br />
I will note that using whole wheat flour for the crescent rolls sure made them heavier than the light-and-fluffy refrigerated kind you buy in a store. Also, using sucanat made them not quite sweet enough for my taste. Perhaps I'll try honey next time.Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-74302714867102178712010-08-11T15:41:00.001-04:002010-11-02T11:02:07.940-04:00Whole Wheat Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AZ6HszMwDdI3io-IVa03wNuTPzzkSx_HN-XRpHSz81Epe2A4oJywDcD33JAJqvvXkLavKgGhkRTOwatqczb7t_thj6mla6riQUFZ8t_jDNHWOBKzKnavCZMSvEhuPElpblwLXuberi0s/s1600/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AZ6HszMwDdI3io-IVa03wNuTPzzkSx_HN-XRpHSz81Epe2A4oJywDcD33JAJqvvXkLavKgGhkRTOwatqczb7t_thj6mla6riQUFZ8t_jDNHWOBKzKnavCZMSvEhuPElpblwLXuberi0s/s400/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Why I made homemade bread: <br />
<br />
-Store bought bread has <b>preservatives</b>. Google "dangers of preservatives" and you will find lots of information on why you want to avoid them. Here is one <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/231968/why_you_should_avoid_artificial_preservatives.html?cat=5">quote</a>, "Preservatives are toxic and tumor-causing. Most impact the nervous system, changing behavior. Some have an impact on reproductive health or weaken the immune system."<br />
<br />
-Store bought bread has <b>sodium</b>. I don't mind it so much but my husband has hereditary high blood pressure and will not eat any store bought bread because of the salt content.<br />
<br />
-Many store bought breads have <b>high fructose corn syrup</b> (although it is possible to find some without it if you look hard enough).<br />
<br />
<br />
-Usually I cannot find any organic bread in stores, but with homemade bread, I can use organic ingredients.<br />
<br />
Thus, my attempts at homemade bread. I even went out and bought some 9x5 glass loaf pans.<br />
<br />
Making it really isn't that hard but it just takes a lot of time because I don't have a bread machine.<br />
<br />
Here is the recipe I tried today: <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Wheat-Bread/Detail.aspx">Simple Whole Wheat Bread</a><br />
<br />
The recipe does call for both bread flour and whole wheat flour. I went ahead and bought bread flour, because it said "Unbleached." I thought that meant it would still be whole wheat...but when I opened the package it was pure white refined flour. I don't want to waste that bag of flour so I went ahead and followed the recipe but I think next time, I will attempt it using only whole wheat flour. Oh, also, I left out the salt. <br />
<br />
The nice thing about this recipe is that it makes THREE loaves. So I can keep one loaf out and pop the other two in the freezer until needed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Let the dough rise... <br />
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<br />
Then, punch it down.<br />
<br />
Next you divide it into three loaves and let those rise. Then you put them in the oven:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMFDET57kIQJN2RBV_wjaY32JeJu0RCUSimA0sH0QewEgcglCewQMn55k9uxeNCeKmHHXGzgk6fS13o23KnDhf_NjHumDAkZ4HROrgWysYW5818T70DAMvuyB0dULWgw8yt7qa9FhMUJX/s1600/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMFDET57kIQJN2RBV_wjaY32JeJu0RCUSimA0sH0QewEgcglCewQMn55k9uxeNCeKmHHXGzgk6fS13o23KnDhf_NjHumDAkZ4HROrgWysYW5818T70DAMvuyB0dULWgw8yt7qa9FhMUJX/s320/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+006.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcGcjXiD94JXBe0V6hV_NPTaRTlAwImn3g-crNz85YWJk3D8BReDdymMz5J8nVdOQ3QzR8SX90kUY0d8ELSW53v14SroOIItyW04MAl7y4gXMsq0Dr4LZj8aocU86hDe5QsmpmqYn1lCN/s1600/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcGcjXiD94JXBe0V6hV_NPTaRTlAwImn3g-crNz85YWJk3D8BReDdymMz5J8nVdOQ3QzR8SX90kUY0d8ELSW53v14SroOIItyW04MAl7y4gXMsq0Dr4LZj8aocU86hDe5QsmpmqYn1lCN/s320/Honey+whole+wheat+bread+016.jpg" /></a></div>Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-62566643901293724032010-08-05T15:26:00.003-04:002011-02-14T11:13:27.176-05:00Chocolate Covered Strawberries (and a couple cherries...)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfDHMNPWIdIplARbjxMdh1LxQb6_h3hYZK7agVGa6uWPuecowykt4M5ZUqwxxCqWwJka5_MGKAelOGXvb2uUudOf-fZqNrOj0PqWcWGr_mzHHMOrMDBNRrOn2pY81d4aYWa5j3vFVDD2Q/s1600/strawberries+with+watermark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfDHMNPWIdIplARbjxMdh1LxQb6_h3hYZK7agVGa6uWPuecowykt4M5ZUqwxxCqWwJka5_MGKAelOGXvb2uUudOf-fZqNrOj0PqWcWGr_mzHHMOrMDBNRrOn2pY81d4aYWa5j3vFVDD2Q/s400/strawberries+with+watermark.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6eCk0oSA3RPFNBPh-rniMapidPWBjvQYlG0Zc0xiu0erOYwxp5_dEzQ3tdxD4ATfvfcIcVnYGkT4i9qCGQNAcNcwxX2Y2lfPUsT8L-QtqtiocMGOLQywrX_9EpyH43q8ldNlAsKzxxb2/s1600/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<b>Goal:</b> To eat more fruits and vegetables.<br />
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I often buy lots of delicious looking fruits at the grocery store, with the <i>best</i> of intentions. But so often they get moldy after only one day.<br />
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So one day I discovered that if I cover some strawberries in chocolate, I will eat them ALL within a day or two. I know that chocolate covered strawberries have been around forever, but they have never tempted me because strawberries have never tempted me...they have all those little seeds and make for a weird texture. But somehow they are really good with chocolate. I guess if you use dark chocolate then it doesn't make it unhealthy. <br />
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<b>1. Wash the strawberries.</b><br />
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<b>2. Melt the chocolate.</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHtsOQ9MIejpXPoo0L0Dp14m1X74ESCkAsPDsZsCbO3FqiyGlMNC7vLwCGCiPRsGYabTK2MC8Dyk99Q9McLFun-nNHbpdFClLcdXqdId8kH2kXIpwq_MwJ-4j63DTiHjfaFI6ygy3SQvY/s1600/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHtsOQ9MIejpXPoo0L0Dp14m1X74ESCkAsPDsZsCbO3FqiyGlMNC7vLwCGCiPRsGYabTK2MC8Dyk99Q9McLFun-nNHbpdFClLcdXqdId8kH2kXIpwq_MwJ-4j63DTiHjfaFI6ygy3SQvY/s320/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+007.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I used this 85% dark chocolate plus some regular chocolate chips because the 85% is not sweet enough for me.<br />
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I broke the bar into small pieces and melted it all in a saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly. I only used maybe a third of the bar along with some chocolate chips.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGbyqmHPigP2V5Th0ih7xx1CPvSVfDG8-8Ni5ap9hj-fTsp3gMXYeOCm4QzIjTHW0tD0lvZerYokaLmQDf2EnN4eQJN2xsL8bj2lKKAnY4T5KNPr5qu2DyoOcx4Xn1xi1uBiQznwXDrtC/s1600/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGbyqmHPigP2V5Th0ih7xx1CPvSVfDG8-8Ni5ap9hj-fTsp3gMXYeOCm4QzIjTHW0tD0lvZerYokaLmQDf2EnN4eQJN2xsL8bj2lKKAnY4T5KNPr5qu2DyoOcx4Xn1xi1uBiQznwXDrtC/s320/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+008.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>3. Dip</b><br />
Just tilt the pan a bit so all the chocolate gathers into one little pool, grasp a strawberry by its stem, and twirl it around in the pool of chocolate until it is covered. Or, you can use a spoon to drizzle chocolate around the strawberry while you're holding it above the pan.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZl8NMoSqq-SuqjIwqzq5NEqZbYqQfpEJ-8Lwb2MLu_a7ERqRbdkvfUjYMYBAvsaH5ZIKfyI3WunraxShL1twLvOI8zVfVL21MZomVhQWbqtTXeuX5apo5KYgLq7qZhWrRq4xIFkh50gN/s1600/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZl8NMoSqq-SuqjIwqzq5NEqZbYqQfpEJ-8Lwb2MLu_a7ERqRbdkvfUjYMYBAvsaH5ZIKfyI3WunraxShL1twLvOI8zVfVL21MZomVhQWbqtTXeuX5apo5KYgLq7qZhWrRq4xIFkh50gN/s320/Chocolate+covered+strawberries+003.jpg" /></a></div><b> </b><br />
Place the strawberries on a plate covered with wax paper and pop it all in the fridge for a little bit. Pretty soon the chocolate will harden.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5flKGW79LNG4KLjd5ww3YEvYXPbf14RNoQ-KMHvIkBmDh_lufBKdres1ocHyQYHySmMd1CkkwMWHx2vzvyDmzQsfAR_FCCDFSe_zAsLmLz1Ob6J6eAOMRTqGCTBE2_7UrhW5cIUl7Tj2/s1600/strawberries+with+watermark.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5flKGW79LNG4KLjd5ww3YEvYXPbf14RNoQ-KMHvIkBmDh_lufBKdres1ocHyQYHySmMd1CkkwMWHx2vzvyDmzQsfAR_FCCDFSe_zAsLmLz1Ob6J6eAOMRTqGCTBE2_7UrhW5cIUl7Tj2/s320/strawberries+with+watermark.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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As you can see, I dipped some cherries too, because I happened to have them on hand and wanted to see how they would taste covered in chocolate.<br />
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Now whenever you have a sweet tooth, you have a delicious snack in the fridge ready to go, and you can feel so good about all the vitamin C and antioxidants you're getting! Enjoy! =)Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943497643766074604.post-6108939666608625162010-08-04T17:13:00.001-04:002010-11-02T11:01:47.697-04:00Chicken and Lentils<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MNk9SAcQPofJ04eYRRIHph6yYxiyc5AOUrYEvEJk2WBefhMg-ihcr-VspPu5NIfZULql5x-3u4Lj_2jZe5bMNIVLTXGpQ13MTohgP7Ijoi9AZraiLfkzT1IYVH6d4I5foBNVJzuGFcvX/s400/Chicken+and+Lentiles+004.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />
My husband has been wanting to eat more lentils because because he discovered how healthy they are for one's heart. (See <a href="http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52">World's Healthiest Food's info on lentils</a>.) They also have lots of fiber and iron.<br />
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So, I searched for lentils on <a href="http://allrecipes.com/">allrecipes.com</a> and found <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-and-Lentils/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a>. (I have modified it, somewhat.)<br />
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First, I took 3 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and boiled them.<br />
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Next, I heated up some coconut oil and added some chopped onion.<br />
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I then added chopped carrots and garlic. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaEjAvu_imdHxcRDpm_xBg4wt_4bsXgRV77022q5Mi7Sp8rU5s1hk0l85R5i9pX6OQbGd6Pfv-D9sT5dHVABPCI1O8g5iLM23E9PoH7mNPIZxnrQWcSU2CHTDCCa15oG_MNp4TPdngbo1/s1600/Chicken+and+Lentiles+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIaEjAvu_imdHxcRDpm_xBg4wt_4bsXgRV77022q5Mi7Sp8rU5s1hk0l85R5i9pX6OQbGd6Pfv-D9sT5dHVABPCI1O8g5iLM23E9PoH7mNPIZxnrQWcSU2CHTDCCa15oG_MNp4TPdngbo1/s320/Chicken+and+Lentiles+002.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Next, I added the 3/4 cup of dried lentils (after rinsing them) and 14 ounces of chicken broth. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI45jY9FV_bd9g9Ompb6WT-IwzvwNSOpVJ3cj5hp-MxUqTKZkkGdn3jyYrATTqUsFB5t-q5_H3TWjdGfcBH7RA15-RxyN2_EgIRbrMGzZwe8wk4NN4iQppkTF84A8-QmOJiPWfXde0BZ9/s1600/Chicken+and+Lentiles+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI45jY9FV_bd9g9Ompb6WT-IwzvwNSOpVJ3cj5hp-MxUqTKZkkGdn3jyYrATTqUsFB5t-q5_H3TWjdGfcBH7RA15-RxyN2_EgIRbrMGzZwe8wk4NN4iQppkTF84A8-QmOJiPWfXde0BZ9/s320/Chicken+and+Lentiles+003.jpg" /></a></div>The recipe says to boil it, cover it, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes it became VERY dry so I had to add quite a bit of water.<br />
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20 more minutes of simmering and then I added the cooked chicken after shredding it.<br />
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The recipe then calls for a 10-oz can of tomato sauce. I had to add more water, too, because it was getting too dry.<br />
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After 10 more minutes of cooking, I added some basil and some marjoram (had no rosemary on hand) and stirred in some fresh lemon juice.<br />
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I wasn't expecting to like this stew because I'm not a fan of lentils but I was surprised at how much I did.Lady Kay's Kitchenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01131042675773519244noreply@blogger.com0