Texas Stew

By Stephanie

This is a great recipe from my freezer meal group.  It is so yummy.  And pairs perfect with corn bread.  Fast and easy, just stick it in a crock pot add day long and enjoy!!  Perfect for a cold day.  (Which is here, if you haven’t seen all the pics of Seattle with SNOW, that’s us..)

 

Texas Stew

Serves 6

2 lbs stew meat (if stew meat is expensive, get a good  roast that’s on sale and have the butcher cut it into stew meat.  Usually it saves me $2 a lb)

1 12 oz can tomatoes with green chilies

1 small jar picante sauce (any kind will do)

1 beef bullion cube

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen sliced carrots (or add in sliced fresh)

1/2 onion diced or 1 Tbsp dehydrated onion

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c flour

Put it all in the crock pot on low 8-10 hours.   Also great served over rice. 

Swiss Chicken

By Stephanie

This is one of my freezer meals.  But it is easy and yummy.  I love the creaminess of the melted cheese and cream soup.  But the crunch of the stuffing on top.  As with all chicken, don’t overcook.  It makes it dry and chewy.  Cook just until it gets to be about 165-170 degrees then take it out and let the meat rest for 10 minutes.  Then serve it.  It will be perfect. 

 

Swiss Chicken

Serves 6

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 T apple juice or cider

6 sliced Swiss cheese

1 box stovetop stuffing mix (any flavor, but I used turkey)

In 9X13 cake pan lay out chicken breasts.  Season with salt and pepper.  In small bowl mix apple juice and cream of chicken soup.  Lay cheese over chicken and pour soup on top.  Sprinkle stuffing over top.  Cover with foil and put in oven at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  I like taking foil off for last 10 minutes to crisp up stuffing.

If making for a freezer meal group.  Put into pan (that can go into freezer) and follow steps, but don’t put stuffing on it.  Freeze.  When ready to cook, take out and thaw.  Put stuffing on top and cook as directed. 

Houndstooth Couch

By Stephanie

So….you know my obsession with houndstooth?  Amy has had this awesome pic in her files.  I just had to share.  I think what I love is the white walls.  Which is kind of weird, because usually one of the first things I do is paint the walls…but with all the color in the room it makes it look bright and fresh.  And the light fixture….oh my (drool). 

 

 

New Obsession-Washi Tape

By Stephanie

I know, I get tunnel vision SO easily!  So…… I have a new obsession.  Washi Tape.  What is Washi tape you ask?  It is a tape that is colored or has a design printed on it.  It rips like paper, but sticks like tape. And is usually transparent.  Kind of like tissue paper as a tape. 

AND it comes in houndstooth……..holla!!

Why is this so cool you ask?  Because….get creative and go with me here……

If you are a renter (like me) you may not want to paint or you can’t paint.  This leaves you with limited options for decor.  But you can use this tape for all kinds of stuff!!  You can make faux chair rail, faux shadow boxes or a cool design on the wall or door.  AND it comes right off when you want or need it to come down. 

Now there IS a product called Giant Washi tape.  Really wide and made for putting on the wall.  Not currently available in the U.S.!!  Made in Japan.  I THINK I have found an etsy seller that can get it for me.  I will let you know if I do!!

Don’t think this was my idea.   I got it from The Borrowed Abode.  She has some ideas for decorating a rental. 

In the meantime, dream about all the cool things you can do with washi tape. 

Happy New Year!!

By Stephanie
I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season!  But not it’s time for working out and mucking out.  I know, it sounds like a dirty word.  It is…kind of.  It’s my word for going through all the stuff I have that I really don’t need or don’t use and get rid of it!  Mucking. 
  And if you are looking for a good workout dvd, try Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30!!  It’s under $10 and a killer workout!  I am on my third go round (I have been doing it for 14 weeks) and I STILL can’t do the advance moves.  I wake up sore every morning…still.  It’s effective.  And all you need is 30 minutes and a set of hand weights (mine are 5lbs).   
  I try to have a new word for the each new year.  Two years ago it was faith (that’s the year we moved to WA).  Last year it was endure (Just go though last years posts!).  This year, I think it will be hope.  Hope seems more positive than the last two years, don’t ya think? 
   I hope I get more sunshine.
  I hope I get my book edited and published.
  I hope to be more organized.
  I hope to be more open to new things.
  I hope to get my blog posts done in a timely manner.
  I hope my kids get their chores done the first time I ask and don’t fight.
It a start…….

Frozen Cranberry Salad

By Stephanie

 

I am warning you…this stuff is addicting!  I love the sweet and the tartness of it.  And of course super non-low fat.  Just what you need at the holidays.  But hurry and make it so you can eat it before you start your diet Jan. 1st!!  And before the fresh cranberries are no longer available.  I made the mistake a few years ago of trying to find fresh cranberries after New Year’s.  It was a sad, sad day!  I now buy a few extra and stick in the freezer so in March, when I get a craving for this salad, I can still have it!

 

Frozen Cranberry Salad

serves 6-8

1 package whole fresh cranberries

2 apples (any kind, but I like granny smith)

1 cup sugar

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 cup nuts (I LOVE walnuts, but kido with allergy so usually I use pecans, but use what you’ve got)

1 pint whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Quarter and core apples.  Put in food processor with cranberries and sugar.  Pulse until fruit is in 1/2 chunks.   Add in marshmallows and nuts and pulse 2-3 more times.  In separate large bowl whip whipping cream to soft peaks.  Add in vanilla to cream.  Gently fold in apple/cranberry mixture.  Line 9X13 pan with tin foil and then plastic wrap leaving enough hanging over the edges to fold to cover the salad completely.  Pour mixture into lined pan.  Fold plastic wrap and then tin foil over.   Put in the freezer for 1 hour.  Take out and score with knife for serving size pieces (you don’t have to do this, but it makes it MUCH easier to get out once it is completely frozen).  Put back in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight.  TRY not to eat it all in one sitting!!

Avery Update

By Stephanie
We were doing so well……..
Then we went to the church Christmas dinner…
And she ate a cobbler with walnuts……
We knew that Avery had a tree nut allergy.  Mostly walnuts.  It makes her mouth itch.  And pecans, but they aren’t as bad.  The other tree nuts they said to avoid, but they have never bothered her.  So we haven’t been as vigilant at keeping her away from them. 
I saw the cobbler.  It was blackberry with a walnut crumb topping.  I saw the walnuts.  I was excited.  I never get to eat walnuts, because of her allergy.  So I got and ate the cobbler (it was delicious!)
Avery saw the cobbler, but didn’t see the nuts.  She enjoyed the cobbler too.  Then she started to itch… in her mouth.  Then her face started to swell.  In the meantime I had run home (5 minutes away) to grab the Benadryl.  Just a good dose and her symptoms would go away.  We have an epi-pen, but I had never had to use it, nor did I expect to, so I didn’t grab it…hindsight. 
There is a lady at church, Judy, who is allergic to everything.  Okay, not everything, but practically.  I called her over and asked if I should take Avery to the hospital.  My hubby said her face looked like “Mask.”  I think she looked more like the blue people on Avatar, just not blue.  But she was REALLY swollen.  So I took her to the emergency room.  By the time we got there, she was wheezing.  They rushed her right in and gave her one dose of Epinephrine.  Then 20 minutes later another.  Plus a bunch of other stuff including hydrocortisone.  Which she is dependant on and she needs extra in emergency situations…like that one. 
Anyway, they kept her overnight.  Just because she ate so much and they were afraid there might be some sitting in her digestional track they might cause another reaction.  But it never happened. 
And now we know that she needs to avoid ALL tree nuts and have epi-pens with us at ALL times. 
Also she had her follow up MRI on the 7th.  It appeared the tumor pieces were smaller.  That might be because the last one was done right after her surgery and there was swelling.  In any rate, it is at least smaller or the same.  So that is good news.  She has another one in March and she meets with Endocrine in January.  That gives us Feb. off.  So far at least.