White Chocolate Apricot Scones

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp chilled margarine
1 Cup (8 oz.) non-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 Cup orange juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips, chopped
5 dried apricots, chopped

Combine first 5 ingredients
Cut in margarine with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal
Stir in rest of ingredients until just moistened (dough will be sticky)

With floured hands (remove rings, trust me!), pat dough into a 9 inch circle on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Cut dough into 8 wedges, cutting into dough but not through it.

Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar

Bake at 400* for 16 minutes or until golden

The scones will be a bit 'mushy' straight out of the oven because the white chocolate chips will be melted. Once the chips cool and firm up, the texture will be more scone-like.

This recipe is from a lovely lady at our church and they are always a hit. Enjoy!

200th Post!

I've made it to my 200th post and I'm quite excited about it. I never thought I'd have enough to say to keep me going this far. Thank you for following along and leaving me fun comments, I love reading your thoughts!

In honor of my 200th post (and because I'm poor...) you get to read this week's menu! Isn't that exciting?!

Actually, this week is blogger menu-week! Simply because you guys are awesome and constantly give me great ideas! Thank you!

Monday: Green curry simmered chicken (I use the green curry simmer sauce from Trader Joe's.)
Tuesday: Megan's freshly posted White House Turkey Burgers
Wednesday: I'm thinking roasting a small turkey, thank you to Emily for making me brave enough to try my own Rookie Thanksgiving!
Thursday: Mrs. Life Account's Fall Recipe Challenge Baked Potato Soup
Friday: Red Curry Coconut Noodles from PW's Tasty Kitchen

I know tonight's dinner is not a blogger recipe, well, it's mine, but you know what I mean. It's the ingredients I currently have on hand. I'm headed to the store tomorrow to pick up everything else.

Also, this week, my pre-ordered 40-pound box of organic Fuji apples are being delivered, so I'm heading into applesauce production. My applesauce recipe is found here. This year however, I will not be coring and seeding the apples before hand (just slicing them), because I have a new toy--the OXO Tot food mill! Yeah, it pretty much makes making applesauce a breeze (and once it's time for kiddos, homemade baby food will be super-easy, too).

Happy Eats!

Menu Planning

I keep getting side-lined and don't get my menus up! Bummer. This week I had to make a conscious effort to sit down and just do it!

Monday: Steak & veggie stir-fry over brown rice
Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup (I use the McCormick slow cooker seasoning mix and follow the directions on it--so yummy!)
Wednesday: Pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and gravy! (I love me some gravy)
Thursday: American Chop Suey I love Stephanie's recipes, they are always fantastic. She's also gluten-free for any of you GFers out there. I'm asking for her cookbooks for Christmas.
Friday: left-overs and then lots of European food at the Oktoberfest party we're going to that night.

Happy Eats!

Menu Planning

This week we are finally home--all week! Wahoo!
Grandma's surgery went fabulously. The whole experience went well and she doesn't feel as nervous if she has to have another one. I took her sutures out on Saturday and the incision is healing quite nicely.


Sunday: spaghetti, green salad, breadsticks
Monday: meatloaf and potato wedges
Tuesday: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad
Wednesday: baked ginger-sesame pork with zucchini
Thursday: beef stew and crescent rolls
Friday: no clue yet, maybe out to dinner on a gift certificate?

I'll try to get my meatloaf recipe up soon--like my chicken salad recipe, it often morphs based upon what's in the fridge, this week it's carrots, onion, celery, oatmeal, zucchini. Yum!

Happy Eats!

Curry Chicken Salad Fit for a Queen

Curry Chicken Salad is my very favorite lunch food. I have no idea where this recipe originated from, I think maybe one of my Mom's church cookbooks, but she has a zillion of them, so it's anyone's guess.

You will need:
2-3 Cups cooked and cooled chicken
2/3 Cups mayonnaise (this is already cut down from 3/4 Cup, you can take a bit more out, but not too much or else your salad will be dry)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp curry powder (more if you like it spicier)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Cups total of chopped Grapes, Celery, Carrots, Onion, Zucchini--basically whatever you have in your fridge that you like, some people like pineapple chunks, water chestnuts, etc.
Cashews (if you like, but only add right before you eat, otherwise they'll become soggy)

Mix up the dressing

Chop up your chicken and veggies

Stir it all together, then chill

Serve any way that you like. I made a wrap this time, but I often like it on lightly toasted whole wheat bread, or on a bed of lettuce.

Menu Planning

Menu planning is currently on a 2-week hiatus.

Last week, I spent $4 at the grocery store to buy milk and pita chips. We just weren't home much, so we ate some leftovers, lots of grab-n-go fruit, ate with our parents, bought lunch at work, etc.

This week, I'm out of town with my Grandma for her surgery. Hubs will be joining me on Tuesday night at their place for a few days, then over the weekend we have wedding festivities for a cousin of mine. I'll probably still do all the cooking this week, but I'm sure Grandma will be telling me what to cook. She hates cooking now, but still loves to eat her recipes...when someone else cooks them!

Have a great week, everyone!

Menu Planning

This weeks menu is fairly meat-centric. Mmmm protein!

Monday: Steak stir-fry (red pepper, onion, broccoli, celery, carrots, zucchini) with brown rice.
Tuesday: Baked salmon with lemon, onion, garlic, thyme and couscous
Wednesday: Ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans
Thursday: Chicken caesar salad, peaches
Friday: Baked pork loin chops, corn on the cob, potato-rosemary bread, followed by homemade (hand-picked!) blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. (My in-laws are coming to dinner on Friday)

Happy Eats!

Milk

Photo Source

I am not a milk drinker. I just cannot do it. I am semi-lactose intolerant, so if I'm going to indulge I prefer ice cream and yogurt. But I love me some milk on my cereal. Daily.

My husband loves to drink milk, but can't stand it on his cereal. He likes to eat it dry, out of a bowl, with a spoon. I find this weird. He thinks I'm weird. We call it a tie.

I only used to buy skim milk. If I'm going to consume it at all, I'm not going to waste calories on milk fat (bring on the brownies!). Hubs grew up on 2% milk. Blech!

When we got married I bought skim milk until he told me that it tasted like white water. So we compromised and I now buy 1% milk and we're both happy.

Last week, J did the grocery shopping and came home with a gallon of 2% milk. Yuk! Until he drinks it all, I am now reduced to using 1/2 milk and 1/2 water on my breakfast cereal. Surprisingly, it doesn't taste bad at all. I just feel weird doing it.

Menu Planning

Happy Monday, all!

Last week I didn't plan a menu because I was out of town and J was stuck eating leftovers. This week, however, is shaping up to be fantastically yummy. Tuesday and Thursday happen to be two of my favorite meals, ever.

Monday: baked pork loin (s&p, garlic, onion) and couscous

Tuesday: Potato Pesto Penne. This recipe I picked up off of The Today Show last summer. I vary it a bit each time and always use a pre-made pesto, but this is a fabulous, filling, meatless summer option! Recipe found here.

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes, sausage, orange juice, homemade fruit compote

Thursday: Crock-pot French Dip sandwiches on ciabatta rolls, broccoli

Friday: Spaghetti with turkey meatballs, green salad

Menu Planning

This week's menu features lots of chicken and salsas, which for me is the epitome of summer. Love it!

This is Monday's dinner. Yummy!

Monday: Jerk-Light Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
Tuesday: Left-over Fettuccine Alfredo
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner! Scrambled eggs, sausage, whole wheat toast
Thursday: Double Lemon Chicken with Tomato Basil Salsa
Friday: Shrimp and Corn Chowder

The above linked recipes are from The Nest, which is one of my favorite places to go for tried-and-true, simple, yummy recipes!

Menu Planning

It seems that menu planning is becoming popular right now. It sounds like it could be a great way to relieve some dinner-time stress and to help ease our grocery budget. Someone told me that approx. 60% of what we purchase at the grocery store is an unplanned purchase. I'd like to cut down those purchases and only buy what we really truly need, when it is needed (unless I can stock up on something when it's on sale).

Menu planning probably won't happen every week around here. But I am going to try to pre-plan at least 2-3 meals during a typical Monday through Friday.

Here is my first try; this week's menu:

Monday: beef enchiladas
Tuesday: chicken stir-fry with brown rice
Wednesday: turkey burgers, green salad, sweet potato fries
Thursday: grilled pork tenderloin and corn on the cob
Friday: on the road to a weekend getaway! I'm thinking Subway.

Any tips for meal planning?

My champion breakfast

Working night shift, breakfast is a really important meal for me. (Yes, I eat breakfast when I come home from work, and eat dinner when I wake up in the evening.) I need something light enough to allow me to sleep, something hearty to keep me asleep, and something yummy enough to make me happy.

Enter my champion concoction (I wish I had invented it...)

Dannon Light & Fit vanilla yogurt
Post Selects Cranberry Almond Crunch
Ocean Spray Craisins

By my calculations a big bowl is about 300 calories, which I think is pretty good for a hearty meal that is low-fat, with whole grains, and some complex carbs. I think it's heart-healthy!

My other fall back is oatmeal made from Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats

What's your favorite breakfast?

PS--our landlord installed black granite counter tops...HATE THEM! If you're considering them run far, far, away. They are impossible to keep clean! (but, do look good with our light maple cabinets and stainless appliances for the hour per month that I manage to keep them looking good. Ha!)

99th Post! and a Few More Favorite Things!

I'm up to post 99! What should I do in honor of my 100th post? Ideas? Maybe a giveaway? I'm open to suggestions!

Here are a few more of my favorite things:


Chai Tea and Scandinavian potato Lefse with my Ikea Arv Idyll Cup & Saucer.



Porcelain Snowflake Collection from Target.


Nick & Nora Sock Monkey Footie PJ's from Target. And of course the matching slippers!



Gingerbread houses! What do you all do with yours? I think this year we're going to save ours until 4th of July and blow them up, because I love Fireworks!

Applesauce!

Fall is one of my favorite food seasons. Any other foodies out there?

Today was Applesauce-making day! Yum! My parents have a small orchard with just enough apple trees to elicit the need to make applesauce, and I love to make it, so it works out well.

Here is my 'Cook-by-picture' Applesauce tutorial.


Slice apples into quarters, removing the core and "worm spots."


Place apples into large stockpot with about an inch of water. It's ok to overfill the pot, the apples will cook "down."


Cook apples on low, stirring about every twenty to thirty minutes. They will begin to look mushy.


Once all chunks have turned to mush, pour the compote into some kind of strainer or collander.


Push the compote through the strainer. Your peelings will stick to the inside of the collander--you may need to clean them out before pouring in more compote.


For flavor add sugar and cinnamon to your liking. I use "red hots" to give my applesauce more "Zip." Stir well.


Pour into freezer-proof containers if you won't be eating your applesauce in about a week. Don't forget to label your containers!

Enjoy your harvest bounty!