recipe of the week: mini quiche to go

If you enjoyed the three mini dinners I made two weeks ago then you'll also love these.   They are simple to make so I went ahead and made them together.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Mini Breakfast Frittatas

{Grocery List}
Vegetable Oil
1 lb shredded/small chunks of chicken
1/2 package of frozen vegetables
2 c shredded cheese
10 eggs
pancake mix
milk
4 pieces of bacon

Mixture
Mix together 4 eggs, 1 c of milk, 1 c of pancake mix.  Set aside.  Spray muffin pans.  Spoon 1 Tbl of pancake mixture into the bottom of each cup.

For Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Cook chicken with vegetable oil in skillet.  Add one spoonful of chicken to each muffin cup.  Next add two spoonfuls of mixed frozen vegetables (I dethawed them a little)  and a small chunk of shredded cheese to each cup.  Season to taste with pepper, salt (I also added cilantro).  Spoon one spoonful of pancake mixture on top.  Bake at 350 deg. for 25 min or until slightly golden brown on top.

For Mini Breakfast Frittatas
Cook bacon and cut into chunks.  Sprinkle into each cup.  Pour one egg into each cup.  Add a small chunk of shredded cheese to each cup and season to taste.  Spoon one spoonful of pancake mixture on top.  bake at 350 deg. for 25 min or until slightly golden brown on top.

To Freeze
Cool each quiche.  Wrap in saran wrap and then aluminum foil.  I wrote on the top of each quiche what it was.  Then I plopped them all in a gallon freezer bag and labeled with date.

recipe of the week: chicken ravioli

Not sure why this is called chicken ravioli... there is no ravioli to it.  However, its my grandma's recipe and its simply delicious.  Its easy and a great comfort food for a busy weeknight.



{the goods}
1/2 c celery chopped
1/2 c green pepper (optional)
1/4 c onion (optional)
1 can mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)
2 c cooked diced chicken  ***i used diced turkey leftover from our turkey dinner a month back (Summertime Turkey)
2 c hot chicken broth
6 oz package egg noodles
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese

{let get to cookin}
Saute celery, peppers and onions.  Add soup.  Cook noodles till tender in a separate pot.  Drain noodles.  Add vegetables to noodles.  Add soup and broth.  Season to taste.  Place in large casserole.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 deg.

The picture above isn't great.  Its what it looks like before you pop it in the oven.  I didn't get a finished picture.  I'll blame it on pregnancy brain.

read of the week: james: mercy triumphs

Well this actually isn't anything you can read in one week.  However, I finished it this week so I feel a little victory being able to finally post about it.  If you know me, I'm a huge Beth Moore follower.  I love hearing her speak and studying closely with her in her yearly studies.  Last February she started getting her thoughts together for a James study with a discussion on Wednesday nights at Houston's First Baptist.  We were living in Houston at the time so a friend of mine started going to see her... along with thousands of other women.  The parking lot itself was nuts.  However, being able to worship with that many women and getting to hear Beth talk live was an incredible experience.  It was a welcomed peace each week during a very crazy and difficult time in my life.  Unfortunately, due to a very busy work environment I wasn't able to attend the whole series.  I was overjoyed to finally hear the series was released on book this past November.  Finally I could embrace this study on my own time.  Thank you to my mother in law, Melissa for getting me this for Christmas!

If you are unfamiliar with Beth's studies you will need to know they are a 7 week series with 5 daily studies each at least 45 minutes long.  She really digs into the scripture and into your heart.  I've never met anyone not changed after doing one of these.  So far, I've finished the following:

Believing God (my favorite so far)
David: Seeking a Heart like his
Jesus, the One and Only
When Godly People Do Ungodly Things
and now James: Mercy Triumphs

James is an in depth look at (of course) the book of James.  Beth literally has us write out and meditate on the entire chapter.  You also get a deeper look James walk with his brother Jesus and the early christian church after his resurrection.  James is a chapter everyone knows but if you haven't gone deeper then I recommend you take time for this study.

my crazy-ridiculous list of things for the next 5 days

The husband is away this week so I plan on being as busy as possible getting somethings done around the house since I really have no excuse or distractions now that he is away.  I started writing my list and the nesting side of 7 1/2 months pregnancy came out of me.  As I started to flip the page and start a second page I realized who I had become ... Mrs. Carrie Dilley.  If you want to check out a lady that likes to make lists visit her wonderful blog, Living Proverbs 31.  (And she usually gets most of it done --- I wish I had her energy!)

So here I am with this giant list of things to accomplish.  Are you ready for it?  Keep me accountable... my only excuse I can use is that I'm 34 weeks prego and I need a 2 hour nap in the afternoons.  Yes, I'm exhausted already today and its only 11 am.  I'm also even more exhausted now that I've looked at this list below, HA!

My Crazy-Ridiculous List of Things for the next 5 days.

Vacuum upstairs

Dust the upstairs

Make sure to definitely dust the ceiling fan (as my husband pointed out the 4 inch layer of dust on it last night)

Wipe down walls upstairs

Wipe down window blinds upstairs

Wipe down windows upstairs

Wipe down baseboards upstairs

Wash second load of colors

Wash load of whites

Fold and put away everything

Organize and wipe down laundry area

Brush dog and give dog bath (if he cooperates)

Wipe down all bathrooms 

Clean out cabinet under guest bathroom sink

Wipe down refrigerator door and shelves

Wipe out microwave

Deep clean oven

Finish at least one save the date draft for Emily's wedding

Finish knitting baby hat

Finish knitting first cable section of baby blanket

Order yarn for footstool from LionBrand

Order Cancun family scrapbook from MyPublisher

Make and freeze frittatas

Make and freeze mini chicken pot pies

Organize list of ingredients for next fix and freeze meal - lasagna? baked spaghetti?

Make list of items needed at grocery

Go to the grocery store

Send graduation cards and anniversary cards

Finish book on baby massage techniques and blog

Finish next two chapters in christian marriage book Brandon and I are reading together

Finish Beth Moore bible study on James and blog

this will have to wait

I was going to sit down and blog today but then this little face plopped down next to me on the sectional.

Clearly he is not impressed that we are sitting indoors.  The weather has been gorgeous this week.  I think we will take the day off and go for a walk.  Happy Friday everyone!

hello green

FINALLY!  We have buds on our trees. Yes, its May.  And yes, that's depressing thinking about how long its taken for some color.  But finally... we are out and enjoying gorgeous northern Canada.

recipe of the week: fix and freeze "to go" dinners

My husband has recently started working the swing shift (10-8).  Which means now instead of packing him breakfast and lunch, I'm not packing him lunch and dinner.  This is a bit of a challenge.  I'm also trying to prepare my pantry and freezer for when baby gets here (8 weeks!).  I found this awesome recipe off Pinterest (what would we do without pinterest?).  They are mini "quiche" that you can bake ahead, pop individually into the freezer and then pull them out as you need them.  I made them in my giant muffin pans (the 6 muffin jumbo tin kind). I've found they are hearty enough you only need one at a time.  So far, they've been a success with the husband.

I made three different kinds thanks to Betty Crocker.

{Recipe}
Mini Thai Chicken Pies
Mini Cheeseburger Pies
Mini Chicken n Broccoli Pies

{Grocery List}
Vegetable Oil
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1lb lean ground beef
3 medium onion (i just used dry minced onion)
sliced green onions (i didn't use any)
Cilantro
Thai red curry paste (small jar)
Lime Juice
Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt
mini dill pickles
ketchup
dijon mustard
Frozen chopped, broccoli, thawed and drained (i used fresh)
salt
pepper
Shredded cheese (at least 3 cups)
Pancake mix
Milk
6 Eggs

Mini Thai Chicken Pies
Mixture
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1 lb. bonless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (i used dry minced onion)
1/4 c sliced green onion (optional)
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp thai red curry paste (i used a tablespoon I think)
1 Tbl lime juice
1 c shredded cheese
Step Two
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add green onions, cilantro, red curry paste and lime juice, stirring occasionally, until mixture is heated through. Cool 5 minutes; stir in cheese.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies
Mixture
1lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion (i used dry minced onion)
1 Tbl worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
1 c shredded cheese
4-6 mini dill pickles
splash of ketchup
splash of dijon mustard
Step Two
In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Cool 5 minutes; stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, cheese.  ***After you add Step Three swirl a little ketchup and mustard on top.


Mini Chicken n Broccoli Pies
Mixture
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1lb bonless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (i used dry minced onion)
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained (i used fresh)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c shredded cheese
Step Two
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add broccoli, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until mixture is heated through. Cool 5 minutes; stir in cheese.

{Let's Start Baking}
Step One
 Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

Step Two
Follow specific directions underneath each recipe above.

Step Three
 In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Top with about 1/4 cup Thai chicken mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto Thai chicken mixture in each muffin cup.


Step Four
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and tops of pies are golden brown. Ten minutes into baking, carefully open oven and sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon peanuts on top of each muffin. Close oven door and finish baking. Cool 5 minutes. With thin knife, loosen sides of pies from pan; remove from pan and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes longer.  

To Freeze: wrap in saran wrap and aluminum foil.  Label.  Store as many as possible in a gallon size freezer bag.

scandinavian design: simple, minimal, natural design

I posted a week or so ago about scandinavian design.  I'm infatuated with its trend right now.  Maybe its my scandinavian roots calling out inside?  I just saw House and Home posted their favorite finds this week on their blog.  LOVED so I thought I'd share... have you fallen in love yet with its simple design and natural elements yet?

happy mother's day

 
well I'm not quite a mother, according to my husband.  But he did bring home some happy "mother to be" flowers.  They are beautiful!  The lilies are just starting to pop open and are so cheery.  Its nice to see something blooming since nobody has planted any flowers yet in Alberta.  We did have great weather this weekend though.  Pup and I were able to sit outside and enjoy some sun on our faces.  (Well I sat in the sun, pup thought I was crazy and sat in the shade).  It should get up to 80 on Tuesday.  I know that probably isn't exciting to all my viewers that have enjoyed spring for the last month or so but it is to us Canadians!  Our first day of 80 deg. weather.  I'll take it.

I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful Mother's Day with their families.  I'm wishing my mom and my grandma's a very special one!

Ellen's Mother's Day Giveaway

If you know me, you know I'm home alot during the day.  The only two shows I really watch are TODAY and Ellen.  Ellen had a very special episode today.  In honor of Mother's Day she had all expecting moms in her audience.  And of course she loaded them up with all kinds of amazing gifts.  Jealous!  One of my favorite givewaways was from Dogeared.  It is a jewelry company specializing in charms, gems, and sentimental items.  They are simple, chic and modern.

 I just love them.  I also love that you could start off with one or two pieces and add on a gem later on.  They would be great to add additional birthstones and more babies come along.  Push gift maybe?

to be continued...

So I haven't been posting much this week or last.  I've been busy preparing this house for baby.  I've also been knitting.  Here's a sneak peak at my next fun project.  I can't wait to get it finished.

recipe of the week: 5 crockpot dishes in 5 hours

5 hours later ... I've successfully made 9 crockpot dinners.  I'm freezing them all so we can have some hearty homemade meals after baby comes.  Its an exhausting task so if you get together with a friend it might be a little bit more fun.  I've adapted all recipes from Melissa Fallis and Kalyn's Kitchen

{on the menu}
Vegetable Beef Soup
Teriyaki Chicken
Balsamic & Onion Pot Roast
Healthy BBQ Chicken Beef Stew

{the grocery list} ***all items in red I bought at Costco in bulk.
Fresh Produce:
(3) Green Peppers
(1) Red Pepper
(1) Zucchini
(1) Red Onion
(1) Bag of Onions ***recipe calls for 8-10 but my husband hates onions so I bought 3 extra large ones instead
(1) Bag Potatoes (I bought Red) (You will need approx 14-16)
(1) Large Bag of Whole Carrots ***I used baby carrots because I already had a massive bag on hand.
(1) Bunch of Celery

 Meat:
4.5-5Ibs of Chicken Breast 

3-4Ibs of Beef Stew Meat
3Ib Chuck Roast
1-1.5Ibs of Ground Beef

 Other Groceries:
(2) 20oz cans of Chunk Pineapple
(2) 15 Oz Cans Tomato Sauce
(2) 6oz Cans Tomato Paste
(1) 28oz Can Diced Tomatoes
(1) pack of v8 low sodium juice ***I bought a bottle
(1) small box Tapioca
(2) Boxes Beef Broth ***I used bouillon cubes.  I just added the cube and a cup of water to the bag
Steak Rub
Paprika
Basil
Parsley
Thyme
Black Pepper & Salt
Worcestershire sauce
Terikyaki sauce
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Mustard
Garlic
 )1) bag egg noodles
(1) Bag Frozen Cut Green Beans (you will need 2 cups)
(1) box of gallon size freezer bags

{Part One}
Label all of your gallon size freezer bags with permanent marker.  I labeled date, name of recipe, and what other preparations are needed for day of cooking.  Its also good to label if any extra ingredients are needed on day of cooking (ie.  sour cream, noodles, rice, etc.)
Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)
Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)
Healthy BBQ Chicken (2 Bags)
Beef Stew (2 Bags)
Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast (1 Bag)

{Part Two}
Chop, Chop, CHOP!  Chop all your veggies.  So create an assembly line of veggies and bags.  Get your bags ready and opened.  Get out two large cutting boards and a good chopping knife.  I cut up one veggie at a time and then dispersed them in each bag as called at by recipe.

Take a break.  Eat lunch.  Sit down for a minute.

{Part Three}
The only meat that needs cooked is the ground beef.  So put the ground beef in a skillet with onion and garlic.  **I ran out of onion by this point so I only put garlic in with my ground beef.  Again, my husband hates onions so I don't use too many when I cook.  Drain.  Let meat cool.

Wash and trim chicken.  Cut each breast in half.  Trim fat from any other meat or trim into smaller pieces if you feel this is needed.

Add the rest of the ingredients, spices, juices, etc.

{Part Four}
Clean out your freezer!  This is a great time to wipe down those shelves.  Then close all bags tightly and remove any extra air.  I double bagged my freezer bags so they don't spill in all the shuffling I do in my freezer.  DONE!

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)
Split a large bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags
Cut Red Onion into Large Chunks and split between the 2 bags
(1) 20oz can pineapple in each bag (undrained)
(2) Garlic Cloves chopped per bag
(2) Chicken Breasts in each bag
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in each bag
*Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to mixture. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

 Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)
Chop (1) Onion and Chop (2) Cloves of Garlic- Brown in Pan with the Ground Beef- once cool divide mixture between bags
(2) whole carrots chopped per bag
(2) celery stalks chopped per bag
(3) Red Potatoes chopped per bag
(1) can v8 split between bags
(1) 28oz can diced tomatoes SPLIT between bags
(1) cup frozen green beans in each bag
(1/2)TBSP Worcestershire per bag
(1/2) cup Beef Broth per bag
(1) TBSP Parsley per bag
(1) tsp Basil per bag
1/2 tsp Thyme per bag
(1/2) tsp salt per bag
(1/2) tsp pepper per bag
(1) TBSP Sugar per bag
*Place in Crockpot with 1.5 cups of water and 15 oz Beef Broth. Cook on LOW 8 Hours.
 Healthy BBQ Chicken (2 Bags)
(2) Green Peppers Cut into Slices split between 2 bags
(1) Red Pepper Cut into Slices-split between bags
(1) Zucchini Chopped and split between bags
(3) Onions Chopped and split between bags
(6) Red Potatoes Chopped and split between bags (you can also use Sweet Potatoes)
(4) Garlic Cloves Chopped & Split Between bags
(4) Chicken Breasts Split between bags (I cut each breast in half again)
(1/2) TBSP Quick Cooking Tapioca per bag
(1) 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce Split Between bags
(1) TBSP of Brown Sugar per bag
(1) TBSP Worcestershire per bag
(1) TBSP Mustard per Bag
 (1/4) tsp Salt per bag
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice or Egg Noodles.

Beef Stew (2 Bags)
(1) Green Pepper Chopped split between bags
(1) Chopped Onion per bag
(2) Carrots Chopped per bag
(2) Chopped Garlic Cloves per bag
(3) Ibs Beef Stew Meat Split Between Bags
(1) 6oz can Tomato Paste per bag
(2) tsp Paprika per bag
(1/4) tsp Black Pepper per bag
*Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW in a slow cooker. Add (1/2) Cup of Sour Cream about 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over Egg Noodles.

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast (1 Bag)
 (3) pound boneless chuck roast
(2) T steak rub (I used Szeged Steak Rub.)
black pepper to taste
(2) T olive oil (depends on your pan)
(1/4) cup water to deglaze pan
(2) large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
(1) cup beef stock, reduced to 1/2 cup
(1/2) cup balsamic vinegar
(1/2) cup tomato sauce **i used spaghetti sauce
*Cook for 6-8 hours on LO in a slow cooker.  Turn meat once or twice if you are home and able to do it.

read of the week: on becoming babywise II

I went ahead and read the second book in the baby wise series.  On Becoming Babywise II:  Parenting Your 5 to 12 month old through the babyhood transition by Gary Ezzo. 

I figured it would be better to read it now while I still have plenty of time to soak in the information.  I am sure I'll go back and re-read later on.  I'm really enjoying this parenting strategy.  Grant it, it does seem a bit structured but I like the ideas it proposes.  This book in particular deals with introducing solid foods, the high chair and manners.  It also goes into depth about play time and nap time schedules.  I really hope we can get on a schedule.  We will know here in a few short weeks!

embracing canada

Three new things I learned this week while embracing "being a canadian".

1. Ukranians love ginger ale.  I live in a very Ukranian area.  Sometimes I help a friend out at her sandwich place in town.  Canada Dry  flies off the shelf there.  So weird.

2.  Spray butter does not exist at the grocery.  You know what I'm talking about.  That 0 calorie Parkay spray butter.  Well it doesn't exist.  Actually, it creeps Canadians out.

3.  Easy Cheese does not exist at the grocery.  This also creeps Canadians out.  Processed cheese that comes from a can can't be good for anyone.  I agree.  But its delicious!

recipe of the week: my mom's overnight french toast

So my husband's work hours have switched from 6-6 to 10-8.  Which means we can now eat breakfast together!  First recipe --  my mom's amazingly easy french toast.

{the goods}
1/2 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
12 slices white bread
    **I only use 9 and a smaller pan.
5 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
Maple syrup for topping

Melt butter and put in bottom of 9x13.  (I think mine was a 10x8?)  Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.  Place bread slices in double layer over sugar mixture.  Beat eggs and milk together (you can just do this with a whisk or spoon.)  Pour over bread slices.  Cover and let stand in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, bake at 350 deg. for 45 minutes.  Cut in squares and invert on plate to serve.  Pour maple syrup on top.

Quick.  Easy.  Painless.  And almost no dishes/clean up in the morning.  This was so good I forgot to get an after picture.  Woops!

scandinavian architecture meets midcentury

Brandon and I have been talking a lot lately about our future home.  (Whenever that will be)  So I've been flipping through magazines dreaming.  If you know me, you know that I love neutrals with hints of color.  I love earthy tones combined with bold accents.  And I love Scandinavian mid-century design.  I guess its my Norwegian roots.  So here are a few of my favorites of the moment.

{danish teak classics}

{scandinavian brands}

{Jason Lewis}

{brooklyn vintage}