Adventures in Life

Today we studied Russian Christmas traditions and I made a Russian Christmas Coffee Cake.

Russian Christmas Coffee Cake - a Christmas Morning Treat

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 lb. butter (or margarine)
1 pint sour cream
3 unbeaten eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Filling and Topping
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cream together sugar and margarine. Mix in the sour cream. Add the unbeaten eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Combine the flour mixture gradually into the butter/egg mixture. The dough will become stiff. Spoon half the dough into a well-greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Mix together the topping ingredients: sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Sprinkle 3/4 of the topping/filling over the first half of the dough. Add the remaining dough and sprinkle rest of topping. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Cool 1 hour before removing from the pan.

Please consider sending Jimmy a Christmas card.

Follow our other daily December activities. December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

Here is a link to the 2009 Daily December activities.

Posted by at 9:36 AM | Permalink

Today I participated in an actual cookie exchange. I came home with three dozen cookies (six different varieties). Click here for the recipe I used. I also made a dessert for Gabe's holiday party at work.

Follow our other daily December activities. December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Posted by at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Today we donated toys to the toy drive at Gabe's office. He is actually in charge of the event and I always (well, since last year when we moved here) make the ornaments that hang on the tree. They are simple little circles in different colors with an age, gender, and gift on the tag. There is always a practical gift listed on the tag as well. For example, the word "toy" will be on the tag along with either "socks" or "soft lunch box". Something that is needed along with something that is wanted. I guess it is more than just a "toy drive", because things are purchased for adults too.

I am participating in an online cookie exchange over at The Mom Creative. Check out my recipe here.

On an unrelated topic, our new kitchen table is going to be delivered today. I am pretty excited about it. Also, our friend, Kevin, is coming over for dinner tonight. I am going to make fajitas...yummy! I think we will have some strawberry ice cream for dessert. Gabe and I made it in our ice cream maker. We have also tried the vanilla, but so far the strawberry is my favorite.

I also finished The Shack. It is an interesting book. It managed to keep my interest and keep me thinking. I was always wondering what was going to happen next.

Follow our other daily December activities. December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Posted by at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Chocolate Mint Cookies
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 9 minutes per batch

Use a small ice-cream scoop to measure the perfect amount of dough each time. It also gives you a head start on rolling the balls.

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
40 chocolate-covered mint-filled candies (such as Junior Mints)

1. Preheat oven to 350̊.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended.
3. Divide dough into 40 pieces. Press each piece of dough around 1 piece of candy, and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in batches at 350̊ for 9 minutes or until surfaces are dry and centers are soft. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 40 cookies

These cookies are really yummy! Sorry I don't have a picture, they never last long enough to take on :)

Posted by at 8:42 AM | Permalink

Chocolate Mint Cookies (from Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes) (40 cookies)
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 9 minutes per batch

Use a small ice-cream scoop to measure the perfect amount of dough each time. It also gives you a head start on rolling the balls.

Ingredients
1 (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
40 chocolate-covered mint-filled candies (such as Junior Mints)

1. Preheat oven to 350̊.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended.
3. Divide dough into 40 pieces. Press each piece of dough around 1 piece of candy, and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake in batches at 350̊ for 9 minutes or until surfaces are dry and centers are soft. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks.

Posted by at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have been pretty busy lately...even more that normal. Wednesday, July 1, I went to a Pampered Chef party. Alex stayed home with Gabe.

On Friday, July 3 we went to the Old-Fashioned Independence Day Festival. We had a lot of fun. We decided to watch the fireworks from home instead of the festival. We had a pretty decent view out of our extra bedroom window. Alex really enjoyed watching the fireworks, but I think he might not have enjoyed them quite as much if he would have heard the boom. We decided to watch them from home so things would be more quiet and less hectic.

Alex modeling his beads.

We had lunch with Kevin at a Greek restaurant on the Fourth of July. We were actually late due to some confusion at Babies R Us. We bought Alex a car seat and when they went to get it out of storage for us, they couldn't find it. It took them 40 minutes to decide that their inventory system had not been properly updated and they did not have the car seat that we had paid for. Apparently the stores have two inventory systems. One system said that they had 1 car seat in stock and the other system said that they had -1 in stock. So, they ended up ordering one for us. I would not have minded the situation that much (we saved $80 on the car seat) except it made us late for our lunch date. Everything worked out ok and Kevin was pretty understanding.

During the evening of the fourth we had Mike over for dinner. We grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. We also had pasta salad, chips, and apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Alex went to bed and as we sat outside eating dinner we watched fireworks from our back yard.

Monday I went over to J's house for some socializing. There were quite a few people there and we snacked on yummy low calorie desserts. I made yummy chocolate mint cookies. I forgot to take a picture, but I will post the recipe in a different post.

Recent we have watched a few movies. We watched the entire first season of True Blood. It is about vampires that have come out in society and they are now seeking equal rights thanks to the invention of True Blood. It is a blood substitute that fulfills all nutritional requirements and stops the need for vampires to feed on humans. The main character is Sookie Stackhouse. She can hear people's thoughts and really has an interest in vampires. Her brother, Jason, just seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bill, a vampire, becomes Sookie's love interest. The series is based on books by Charlaine Harris.

We also watched Babylon AD. It was a much better movie than I had expected. Vin Diesel takes a job to smuggle a girl to the United States. We are currently watching Insomnia. It is doing a great job of keeping my interest (I always do two things at once). Al Pacino is sent to Alaska to investigate the murder of a girl. He kills his partner while attempting to apprehend the suspect. He does not admit to what he has done. While dealing with his guilt he is still trying to catch a murderer.

Posted by at 3:29 PM | Permalink

Gabe and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having Mexican Beef and Bean Casserole. I meant to post this recipe on the fifth of May, but it doesn't have to be Cinco de Mayo to make it. Like always, my picture is terrible.

Mexican Beef and Bean Casserole (from Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics) (4 Large Servings)

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
2 cans (15 to 16 ounces each) pinto beans - I use black beans
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup mild chunky-style salsa - for more zip I use chipotle sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces) - I use white sharp or marbled cheddar

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the beef in the skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
3. Rinse and drain the beans in a strainer. Mix the beef, beans, tomato sauce, salsa and chili powder in the ungreased baking pan.
4. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake 40 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until hot and bubbly. Carefully remove the lid, and sprinkle cheese over the top. Continue baking uncovered about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Posted by at 6:16 PM | Permalink

Sweet & Sour Chicken (3 Servings)

*This is a combination of a bunch of different versions of Sweet & Sour Chicken.*

Ingredients
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups cubed chicken
1 sweet red bell pepper chopped
2 stalks of celery sliced
2 Roma tomatoes chopped
1/4 of a cucumber sliced and in quarters
1 carrot sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked rice, optional

1. Drain pineapple juice into a bowl and set pineapple aside.
2. In the bowl with the pineapple juice add the ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar. Combine.
3. In a skillet, cook the chicken and saute the bell pepper, celery, cucumber, and carrots to desired doneness. Then add the sauce mixture.
4. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into the skillet.
5. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Reduce heat and stir in the tomatoes and pineapple until heated through.
7. Serve over rice (optional).

Check out the other yummy recipes over at My Chihuahua Bites.

Posted by at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

This recipe is very yummy and definitely worth the effort. A friend gave this recipe to me.

Chicken Wonton Soup (6 Large Servings)

Filling:
2 chicken breasts ground up in a food processor (you can use ground chicken or pork)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ginger (you can use 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger)
½ teaspoon garlic (you can use 1 garlic clove minced)
3 scallions, chopped into rings
1 egg white
½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon sugar
1 package of wonton wrappers (about 48 wrappers)

Soup:
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped into rings
1 carrot, chopped into slices

1. In a large pot combine chicken stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
2. Combine all filling ingredients together in a bowl (except for the wonton wrappers).
3. Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper.
4. Dip finger in a bowl of water and run finger around all four edges of wonton wrapper.
5. Bring the four corners up to the center and form a pouch, making sure the filling is sealed into the pouch.
6. Once the stock is up to a boil, place the filled wontons in the pot. Boil for 2 minutes or until they float to the top. Add the scallions and carrots. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve.

Enjoy with edamame on the side.

Check out the other yummy recipes over at My Chihuahua Bites.

Posted by at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The following recipe is from The Little Book of Farmhouse Cooking. It was purchased on our trip to Ireland. I decided to pull it out and pick out a few recipes to make for St. Patrick's Day. The picture does not do the food justice. Too bad I can't just show you the picture from the book.

Apple Nut Tart (serves 6)
9 oz plain flour (I used all-purpose flour)
5 oz caster sugar (I used granulated sugar...I could have put it in a coffee grinder to make it super fine)
4 1/2 oz butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 lb dessert apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I did not peel the apples)
2 oz hazelnuts, coarsely ground (I used chopped pecans)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon (I skipped this)
3 tbsps apricot brandy (optional) (I skipped this)
4 oz apricot jam, melted
2 oz chopped hazelnuts (I used chopped pecans)

1. Sieve together the flour and 4 oz of the sugar into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (I used a pastry blender.)

2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and drop in the egg. Gradually incorporate the flour into the egg using a knife or, as the mixture becomes firmer, your fingers. Continue kneading the mixture together, until it forms a smooth dough.

3. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes, then roll out and use it to line an 8-inch greased flat tin. (I used a tart pan.)

4. Layer the apple slices and the ground hazelnuts (chopped pecans) in the pastry case. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, remaining sugar, lemon juice and apricot brandy, if using.

5. Pour the melted jam over, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts (or pecans). Bake in a preheated oven at 425 F, for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the tart is golden brown.

This is yummy! I will definitely make this again and I will not wait for St. Patrick's day before I do. Gabe really liked it too.

Posted by at 11:41 AM | Permalink

The following recipe is from a Weight Watchers Cookbook Around the World. A friend gave it to me because she didn't use it. I have made a few recipes from it and we have not been disappointed. The picture does not do the food justice.

Mashed Roots (serves 6)
4 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups sliced peeled parsnip (about 12 ounces)
2 cups cubed peeled turnip (about 12 ounces)
2 bay leaves (I skipped the bay leaves)
5 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I skipped the pepper)

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Drain well, and discard bay leaves. Return vegetables to pan; add margarine, milk, salt, and pepper. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth.

These were okay, but next time I will just make regular mashed potatoes. White potatoes in a white bowl make a terrible picture.

Posted by at 11:20 AM | Permalink

The following recipe is from The Little Book of Farmhouse Cooking. It was purchased on our trip to Ireland. I decided to pull it out and pick out a few recipes to make for St. Patrick's Day. The picture does not do the food justice. Too bad I can't just show you the picture from the book.

Chicken Cobbler (serves 6)
4 chicken joints, 2 breasts and 2 legs (I used 3 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
2 1/2 pints water (I used chicken broth...you will see why in the recipe)
1 bay leaf (I skipped this ingredient)
4 whole peppercorns (I skipped this ingredient)
2 carrots, peeled and diced (we sliced ours)
24 button onions, peeled (we used a quarter of a large onion)
6 tbsps frozen sweetcorn (I just used canned corn)
1/4 pint double cream (we used heaving whipping cream)

Topping
14 oz plain four (we used all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 tbsps baking powder
pinch salt
5 tbsps butter or margarine
12 fl oz milk
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt (umm...didn't use this either)

1. Place the chicken in a deep saucepan with water, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Skim and discard the fat from the surface of the stock. Skin the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. (Umm...I didn't do this.)

2. Continue to simmer the stock until reduced by about half. (Okay, I just used chicken broth added the carrots and onions and went from there). Strain, then add the carrots and onions. Cook until tender and add the sweetcorn. Stir in the cream and season. Add the chicken. Pour into a casserole.

3. To prepare the topping, sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.

4. Rub in the butter or margarine until the mixture resembles small peas (I used a pastry blender). Stir in enough of the milk to bind the mixture.

5. turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out with a floured rolling pin and cut with a pastry cutter (I just cut the biscuits out with a juice glass). Brush the surface of each round with the egg mixture (I didn't do this part...so my biscuits didn't brown as nice as the picture in the book). Place on top of the chicken mixture and bake for 10-15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375 F. Serve immediately (we let it sit for about 5 minutes).

Okay, if you actually made it past the picture (which was absolutely terrible), the cobbler was very yummy. I actually thought about doing this post without the picture because it looks so unappetizing. I will make this again. I would make the biscuits every week if it weren't for all of the butter. Gabe and I are laughing about how unappetizing the picture looks.

Posted by at 10:47 AM | Permalink

The following recipe is from The Little Book of Farmhouse Cooking. It was purchased on our trip to Ireland. I decided to pull it out and pick out a few recipes to make for St. Patrick's Day. The picture does not do the food justice. Too bad I can't just show you the picture from the book.

Carrot Soup (serves 4)
1 lb of carrots
1 medium onion
1 medium turnip
2 garlic cloves, crushed (Umm...I forgot the garlic!)
1 1/4 pints water or vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt and ground white pepper, to taste (I omitted the white pepper)
Toasted sunflower seeds, flaked almonds and pistachio nuts, mixed together for garnish (I skipped these ingredients)

1. Peel the carrots and cut them into thick slices. Peel and roughly chop the onion and turnip.

2. Put the vegetables, garlic and water or stock, into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add the herbs and seasoning, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

4. Using a liquidiser or food processor, blend the soup until it is thick and smooth.

5. Reheat the soup as required, garnishing with the seeds and nuts before serving (We skipped the nuts).

This soup was okay. I will probably try something different next year. After tasting the soup, I thought it might be good with some ginger, but Gabe didn't agree.

Posted by at 10:30 AM | Permalink

It has been pretty cold today. Before the windchill factor it has been around 0 to -3. With the windchill it has been around -25 to -30. Despite the cold temperatures, we still ventured out TWICE today. The first time we ran a few errands including going to the library. We picked up a few travel guides for our trip. Tonight we went to Taco Bell. We were the only people in the dining area. Inbetween the trips, we watched Night Listener. It wasn't at all what I thought it was going be like. Robin Williams sets out to determine the validity of a "relationship" that he has with an adolescent. I don't even think that I would call it a renter. FYI...if you are thinking of watching the movie the relationship wasn't inappropriate...you will understand why it is in quotes if you watch the movie.
Currently, I am watching the Grammy's. The Foo Fighters were my pick for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and well, let's face it in any category that they were nominated.
I made myself a chocolate cake shake tonight. It sounds a little odd, but it is really good. I got the idea from the chocolate cake shake at Portillo's. I think that I need to add malt to mine to get one more like Portillo's, but I am convinced that mine was healthier (I used fat free ice cream and skim milk). The milk and ice cream obviously countered the chocolate cake. The chocolate syrup that I added just doesn't count :)

Posted by at 9:53 PM | Permalink

One of my friends (Nicole) sent me an email asking me to particpate in a recipe exchange. A pretty cool thing. You send a recipe to one person, then send the email to your friends to carry on the process. Below is the response that I received back from another one of my friends. It is too funny not to share.

1)remove cold box from freezer
2)open cold box and remove contents
3)cut a slit in film covering contents
4)insert contents into microwave
5)program microwave according to recommendations on cold box
6)allow contents to cool 1-2 minutes according to recommendations on cold box
7)remove contents from microwave
8)separate film cover from contents, transfer contents to dinner plate
9)remove soda can from fridge and open using pop top
10)transport dinner plate and soda to living room coffee table
11)activate TV and select channel showing the Simpsons
12)use fork to consume contents, accessorize with soda and Simpsons

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink