Pick-Me-Up in a Pot

Two things that we go through like crazy are apples and oranges! Owen can always be caught with an apple in his hand, usually straight from the fridge without us even knowing! As a family we love citrus fruits! I felt like there was more we could do with all these leftover rinds and cores, especially since they aren't safe for Charlie to eat.

I filled a medium sized pot with water. I added the rind of a few cuties (it's all I had at the time), a cored apple (the rest had been eaten), two-three drops of vanilla, a few dashes of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg. I brought the whole pot to a simmer and left it for a few hours. When the water would get low I would simply add more! The smell was so inviting, yet subtle enough that we weren't left with a headache. This is my new go to for a pick me up. The added bonus is some moisture in the air for these dry winter days!

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of the most versatile lunch creations out there. You can add or subtract just about any of the ingredients, with the exception of chicken, of course. I know most recipes call for shredded chicken, but that's simply not how I like it. This is the recipe I use to feed my family. We love to put it on croissants since they add a nice buttery complex!

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup light mayo
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard

Cook your chicken breast in the oven with your favorite seasoning (I just used salt and pepper). Meanwhile, dice the onion and celery and add them to a small bowl. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled slightly, dice it into chunks. Add the mayo, garlic salt, pepper and mustard. Mix together until everything is coated. Enjoy!

Christmas Chex Mix

I've seen this recipe running around for a few years now. Honestly, it's always sounded so amazing but incredibly sweet! My baby sister is in town this week and we felt like baking. So, off to Walmart we went in hopes of finding all the ingredients for this treat. I will not lie. This is INCREDIBLY sweet. But, it is always INCREDIBLY delicious! I couldn't sneak the bowl away from Haley (she's easily addicted). It's now clear why people recommend this for the holidays. I can imagine it's nothing short of a crowd pleaser and easily a gift. Oh and please don't let me forget, this is even easier to make than muddy buddy!

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Cooking Classy)

7 cups Rice Chex cereal
3 cups Golden Grahams cereal
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup butter

In a large bowl add the cereal, almonds and coconut. Set aside. Melt together the corn syrup, butter and sugar until it's bubbling. Pour slowly and evenly over the cereal mixture. Slowly fold it together, coating all the cereal. Store in a covered container. Enjoy!

Homemade Egg Nog

I use to turn my nose at egg nog. The word itself isn't that appealing to me, but the thought of consuming raw anything sends me over the edge. My husband, on the other hand, loves this stuff! He counts down the days after Halloween for it to hit the grocery store aisle, then we spend the next few weeks with a jug in the fridge. I, personally, HATE the store bought kind. And this version, my friends, taste far better than anything you can buy.

Now, let me be honest. Although this recipe doesn't take a lot of ingredients, it does require a lot of your time. You have to slow cook the egg mixture to kill any bacteria, but you can't allow it to simmer. You literally have to stand at the stove and mix it around and around and... well you get the point. This egg nog is worth it though. It's not overly sweet and it's so luscious!

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

12 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
dash of cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
sprinkle of nutmeg

In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar and milk over a low heat. Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks and place in a bowl. Once the milk is heated, slowly whisk it into the eggs (this is called tempering, you're warming the eggs slowly so they don't cook). Return the milk/egg mixture back to the saucepan and place over a slow heat. Cook for about 25 minutes to heat the mixture till it coats your spoon and becomes thick. BE SURE THE MIXTURE DOES NOT BOIL! (Did I make that clear?) Return to the bowl and stir in 1 cup of the heavy cream, cinnamon and vanilla. Place in the fridge.

Whip the other cup of cream on a high speed to create "whipped cream". Fold it into the cold egg nog and serve. (By adding the whipped cream, you're giving it a luscious and velvety texture.) This will last about 4 days in the fridge, if you can keep it around that long. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tomorrow the kids and I are getting up bright and early for a cookie swap at my good friend Amy's house. I wanted to branch out from the traditional types(though I still made oatmeal raisins), so I went with something rich and delicious. This recipe comes together very quick. These are soft and very decadent. I'm so excited to see what the other ladies bring, but I'm mostly excited for the conversation! Its fun to get together, gab and let the kids play. And well, Amy's breakfast she put together sounds pretty darn good too!

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened salted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder until a thick dough forms. Fold in one cup of the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet, press them down slightly. Top them with a few chocolate chips and bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes. When they are finished cooking, leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up. Store in an airtight container (if they make them that long)! Enjoy!

Candied Pecans

We're all starting to get into the season of giving. I, for one, have been thinking about gifts for Christmas. Of course we don't want to forget the people that make everyday life functional, like the mailman or teachers. But, it's also a busy and expensive time of year where money gets squeezed a little tighter so we want to fit in everyone affordably. People, in general, love recieving homemade goods. A basket of fresh baked cookies, chocolates, or nuts. I found that these candied pecans are perfect for gift giving! I roasted these sweet treats in no time, filled a mason jar with them and added a little tulle (leftover from our Turkey Wreath). They were sweet, crunchy and very aromatic. I will proudly hand these jars out knowing that I added a little cheer while not breaking my bank.

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Gimme Some Oven)

4 cups pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt. Mix it together until it's well combined. Whisk your egg white and vanilla extract together in a small bowl and pour over your pecans. Once the pecans are coated with egg, toss them into the dry ingredients. After coating the pecans, dump them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread them out evenly. Bake at 300 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir them up. Place back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before filling your jars or place them in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Turkey Wreath

On Saturdays we usually go out for breakfast, run our errands, and do what chores need to be done around the house. This is mostly because on Sunday we always do absolutely nothing (except watching Packer games and The Walking Dead). Today, we decided to do a fun little project. I found a tutorial on making a turkey wreath on Pinterest and off to Hobby Lobby we went. Now, anyone that knows me well, knows that I like organization. And that I have zero patience. Unfortunately, these two things usually cause me some sort of stress while working on crafts, so I don't do them often. On the other hand, my husband is the perfectionist. This creates chaos! Add in a nosey dog, curious cat, and two wild children, and you can imagine what goes into make anything more than dinner.

I'm not going to go through the motions of how this beautiful turkey came to be because we simply followed an awesome tutorial. We did change a few things though that I will make note of. For one, we painted his beak orange. Also his gobbler, (Adam and I are SERIOUSLY unsure of what this thing is called) is hot glued under the beak instead of hung over it. If I ever make another one I will also use a thicker string or ribbon because the yarn was extremely time consuming. Last but not least, we did half of him in yarn and half in tulle. You can add more tulle if you prefer. Overall the whole project took us two hours and he looks pretty darn cute hanging above our fireplace.

Awesome tutorial found here ---> Baby Rabies | Thom the Turkey