Other Turkey left over idea-Turkey Flauta

By Stephanie

  Yes, there is no pic.  I didn’t think of it until we had eaten it all….SO SORRY!  But easy and yummy.  Take 2 cups chopped left over turkey, 1/2 cup gravy, 1 cup shredded monetary jack cheese, 1 small can chopped green chilies, and 10 flour tortillas.  Put at least 1” of vegetable oil in a large pan and get heating.  You want it about 325-350 degrees.  Then combine everything but the tortillas.  Take about 2 tablespoons filling and put into tortillas.  Wrap up and tuck ends in (burrito style).  Put in hot oil seam side down.  Fry until golden on each side.  Serve with salsa to dip….SO GOOD!! 

Inspiration

By Stephanie

Okay, I have been SUCH a slacker…I am going to TRY to be better.  The book is all done..kind of.  It’s written.  But that is the easy part, as I am now finding out. 
And the holidays are here!!  I LOVE Christmas.  It’s my favorite time of year.  The decorations, the food, the music, the family.  The magic of telling your kids if they don’t stop fighting Santa won’t bring them anything.  The addition of cream cheese and butter into everything…
  But I am in a funk.  First, because we thought we MIGHT be moving…nope.  Second, I think my seasonal depression has started early this year.  So I decided to go to pinterest.  OH MAN….I have been sucked in….for weeks.  I am trying to get back to cooking and blogging…and I will.  Just as soon and I get everything pinned.  JK, that would be too long.  But I DO need to get organized.  I put several things that I just haven’t loved since the last move on craigslist.  Already had a few inquiries.  And I walked through IKEA…if that’s not inspiration to get organized, I don’t know what is.  I would like to move into IKEA…without my kids.  They would just make it too messy.  Or my husband.  He can visit, but I honestly think he is my biggest challenge in this organization thing.  Hum…
Oh and IKAT.  Pronounced ee-cat.  Have you seen Ikat fabric?  Not the western looking ones, but there are some super cook ikat fabrics.  Like these……..
 
So what inspires you??  Yes, I really want to know!!

Left over Turkey Recipe

By Stephanie

But I made this last year and my 12 year old has been DYING to have it since…so when/if you have leftovers that you just don’t want to use as a sandwich, try this.  I don’t think you will be disappointed!  It’s loosely based off a recipe by Rachel Ray. 

Pasta ala turkey

Serves 6

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp Italian seasonings

1 small onion, diced fine

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 c turkey gravy

1 c water

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, diced up or shredded

2-3 Tbsp heavy cream (or sour cream also works)

Put olive oil in large sauce pan and heat.  Add mushrooms, bay leaf and seasonings.  stirring often cook till mushrooms are brown (6-8 min).  Take out bay leaf.  Add onions, garlic and tomato paste.  Cook  2-3 minutes.  Add water and gravy.  Stir up bits on the bottom.  Add in turkey.  Cook on low until turkey is heated through and sauce starts to thicken.  Add in cream.  Serve over cooked egg noodles.  

Distractions

by Stephanie
  I know you keep checking and thinking, when is that girl going to post something.  I know, I apologize.  I have been distracted.  Not by my kid with a brain tumor, not by pinterest, not by preschool (it was my turn to teach this week), not by dinner group, not by holiday shopping.  Although all those things are fun, and have taken some of my time,  it’s my book.  And yes, I know that every bored housewife in America is hoping to hop on the Stephenie Meyer bandwagon.  Even if we share the same first name and she spells it wrong.  I guess I am one of those. 
   I don’t care if I make a million dollars, although that would be nice.  I just want to make enough to build my house.  I have had house plans for two years, just drooling and dreaming over this house.  But alas…no fundage.  So if by chance my work paid off…literally…I would be grateful.  But I know there are hundreds if not thousands of books out there, that never really get anywhere.  So if anyone has experience publishing an e-book, PLEASE leave a comment with your email.  I would LOVE some advise.
   Anyway…. it’s a fiction.  Young Adult fiction to be exact.  It’s kind of like  Goose Girl meets Ranger’s Apprentice.  And it’s almost done.  I have a few more chapters (they are short chapters) to go.  It could be a series, a trilogy really. 
   You may not be a reader.  Or even like this genre.  But here is the first chapter.  I would love to hear your feedback…unless you don’t like it….then keep it to yourself….
The name of the book is “Archer”’
Here is just a taste…….
He looked around.  His heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest.  He was nervous.  But that was expected.  This was his first opportunity to show his skill.  It wasn’t that he untrained, he had been preparing for this day since he was five.  And it wasn’t that he was young, fourteen was still fairly young, but he was mature for his age both in height and in emotion.  It was the weight of the task.   And for someone who was itching to show his skill in real life, it felt good to finally be needed.  But this was immense.  Even for someone as skilled as he.
     The King was on his right. He loved that man like a father.  They has spent countless hours practicing.  It was the king that first noticed his skill.  He being a grand archer himself.  And it was the king that rescued him from what would have been surely a life of squalor and poverty.  The king had not only provided for his physical needs, but he had a good education too.  Rare for his occupation or his background.  He felt blessed every day for what he had provided.  This was the least he could do to serve him in this way. 
    On his left,  his other mentor, the head of the guard.   Although not in the fatherly way like the king.  The head guard was too much the soldier for emotions like pride and encouragement.
    Along with not letting his mentors down  he knew that if he failed it would be dire.  Dire as in death.  Death to at least the princess.  But this could certainly be reason for war.  And the innumerable deaths war brings.  He was only four when the last war broke out.  His father had marched off to war, never to return.  He knew the consequences of failure. 

Avery Update

 

   We had a few appointments in October with her and I realized, I didn’t do an update…so here it is. 

First, her seizures are under control.  But she is on two meds for that.  The goal is to wean her off the one so that she is only on one.  They took some blood so take measurements of the medication to make sure as they taper down on the one, she doesn’t have any seizures as a result. 

Second, her eyesight.  This is not so cut and dry in the results.  Her field of vision (peripheral vision) is MUCH better than when they did the test before.  I was expecting this, because she could barely see anything at the time.  But her right side still is almost nil with peripheral vision.  They also did a test where they measure the width of the optic nerve.  This was interesting.  They had also done this test before her surgery.  On the left, she had further damage.  Which told us she needed that surgery, otherwise she probably would have been blind in that eye.  She most likely won’t get any more, or much back in that eye.  Nerves usually don’t repair themselves.  This damage they think was due to lack of blood.  On the right, however, there was improvement!  Meaning the damage on that side was probably due to compression from the tumor.  It gives us hope that as her brain heals she could get back more vision in that eye and at least as much field of vision as her left.  It could take from six months to a year to know what’s permanent. 

   Also her MRI is Dec. 7th.  Then we meet with her doctors.  Hopefully the tumors are the same, or there is a possibility that they shrunk!  And we will also get (hopefully) the go ahead for her to go back to some or all regular activities.  She has WAY too much energy.  I know, I know, it is a good problem to have with a kid that had BRAIN surgery a few months ago!!  But still a problem.

Spaghetti with Squash

By Stephanie

If you have never had spaghetti with squash before…you are not alone.  I never had either…until the other day.   I have a few butternut squashes, mostly to make puree to make pumpkin things.  Yes, butternut is mostly what you get in “canned pumpkin”, did you know??  And my friend Kathy is going vegan.  Just for 28 days.  And so I thought I should incorporate one or two at least vegetarian dishes to our diet.  I did end up adding some shrimp (which I cooked separately) and parmesan cheese, but it would have been great without.

  I served this to my friends.  I USUALLY try dishes first, but didn’t.  So I was really hoping it would turn out.  Otherwise we were going to have corndogs with the kidos.   But it turned out great.  My inspiration was a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis.  

 

Spaghetti with Squash

serves 6-8

1/4 cup oil

1 large shallot, chopped fine

1/2 onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp Italian seasonings

salt and pepper

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1” cubes

1 small delicata squash, also cut into 1” pieces (the original recipe called for eggplant)

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cup white wine (I was out so just used more chicken stock)

17.5 oz spaghetti or linguine

In large non-stick skillet heat oil over medium heat (you need a really big pan for this).  Add shallot, onion and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add in garlic and seasonings, cook about 1 minutes.  Add in squashes and cook 8-10 minutes.  Add in broth and wine turn to low heat and let simmer about 10 minutes until squash is fork tender.  In large pot cook pasta in salted water just until al dente.  When done add pasta to pot with squash.  Toss pasta to coat with sauce.  Turn off heat and put lid on and let pasta finish cooking and absorb sauce.  Serve immediately. 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

By Stephanie

If you are all tricked out….here is a treat you can make (because you need a sugar rush too…).  Once you have enjoyed the one loaf of pumpkin bread.  So something outrageous, and totally fattening.  Make it into bread pudding….pumpkin bread pudding.  You can add in 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans….I would except for that kids with the darn nut allergy. So I just sprinkle mine on top after.  But go ahead…add it in.. You won’t regret it!  This is not really custardy, so if you prefer you can add another egg and 3/4 cups milk.  But for me this is JUST right.  The bread on top is nice and crunchy and the bottom is sweet and has a caramel like taste…SO YUMMY!!

 

 

Cut loaf into 1" cubes.  Put in a 9X13 baking dish and put back into a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes stirring ever 5 minutes until bread is toasted.  Then in a large mixing bowl mix together 1 c brown sugar, 1 3/4 c milk, 1/4 c butter (melted),  2 eggs and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.  Add bread into bowl and toss till bread is coated with sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes until custard is cooked through.  I sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar lightly when it was done.  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream (my fav).