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| Lemon, anyone? |
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| Helping daddy with dishes |
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| Random selfie while blogging |
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken and Rice
Its safe to say that we are not traditionalist. I am from the great state of South Carolina and, well, just about everyone I know indulged themselves with hoppin' johns and collard greens today. I'm sure if we were spending the day with my mother, we would have had the same, but that's not the case. I saw this recipe on Pinterest a few days ago. It was cheesy and jumping off the page screaming "EAT ME, EAT ME". After some tweaking I was able to make a delicious, satisfying, quick and easy meal. Haley devoured it, so I believe this one will be a keeper. I loved everything about it being a one pot wonder too! I certainly take every opportunity to reduce the amount of dishes to be washed (although, that's not usually my chore)!
Ingredients:
(Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything)
2 tbsp cooking oil (I used vegetable)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 pound chicken tenderloins, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup brown "minute" rice
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
2 3/4 cup frozen chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
In a deep skillet (make sure it has a lid), add the oil and onion. Sauté until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Add the chicken. Once the chicken is browned, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Mix in the dry brown rice and pour over the chicken broth, bring to a boil. After you've reached a boil, turn down to a simmer and cover. Once the brown rice has absorbed most of the liquid, add the broccoli, and return the cover for about 5 minutes.
Drain the excess liquid and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return the lid, trapping the heat for the cheese to melt. It's ready when the cheese is all melted! Enjoy!
Happy New Year!
It's January 1, 2015. I can't believe how fast this past year went. Even more I'm excited that I completed my first year of blogging and have had my posts read in multiple countries all over the world. I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm glad to see 2014 go. We had a lot of ups, but a lot more downs. I'm excited to be moving forward. To have new adventures, to see new things and to grow as a family!
Now, on to the future of this blog! I've managed to open a tiny side business where I have worked diligently to provide photography sessions for local families. I look forward to growing this business, but have even better plans for this blog. It's very obvious that I have a major passion for food photography. I, however, am just not that innovative with recipes. So, with that being said, I'll be moving more towards sharing recipes from other blogs and sites. With that I will give a review on the recipes I have tried, attach my own photos, then back link to the original recipe. If I make any changes to the recipe I will note that, but I will leave it up to my readers on which version they prefer to try. I'll only be posting recipes that I've made major changes too, therefore, making them my own.
I am also starting a photography series based on my family. Every Sunday, I will blog "Our Week In Pictures". This is a 52 week project designed for me to capture the essence of my children and our home life. It will also allow me to grow within my second passion, lifestyle photography.
Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, pinned, tried my recipes, and been devoted to helping me grow! It's a blessing to be in a position to share my life (and a few yummy recipes along the way)!
Now, on to the future of this blog! I've managed to open a tiny side business where I have worked diligently to provide photography sessions for local families. I look forward to growing this business, but have even better plans for this blog. It's very obvious that I have a major passion for food photography. I, however, am just not that innovative with recipes. So, with that being said, I'll be moving more towards sharing recipes from other blogs and sites. With that I will give a review on the recipes I have tried, attach my own photos, then back link to the original recipe. If I make any changes to the recipe I will note that, but I will leave it up to my readers on which version they prefer to try. I'll only be posting recipes that I've made major changes too, therefore, making them my own.
I am also starting a photography series based on my family. Every Sunday, I will blog "Our Week In Pictures". This is a 52 week project designed for me to capture the essence of my children and our home life. It will also allow me to grow within my second passion, lifestyle photography.
Thank you to everyone who has read, shared, pinned, tried my recipes, and been devoted to helping me grow! It's a blessing to be in a position to share my life (and a few yummy recipes along the way)!
Saturday, December 27, 2014
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!
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
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!
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