Okey Dokey. I think it's about that time to share my all time favorite recipe: my mommy's clam chowder! The story goes that this very chowder is why my dad married my mom. Probably not entirely true, I do know that he loves, my husband loves it (even doubling the recipes still makes it disappear in one night), and even some of his classmates that have tried it loved it. So that's reason enough for me to share my secret. Ladies, if you have a man and you want him to stick around, feed him this.
CLAM CHOWDER
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced celery
1 c. diced potatoes
2 c. chopped clams (save nectar)
1 c. milk, preheated
1 c. half-n-half, preheated
1/4 c. flour
5 oz. butter
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 tsp thyme
white pepper
salt
In 2 oz of butter sauté onions and celery until transparent. Add clam nectar, chicken cube, potatoes, and simmer until cooked. Make paste of 3 oz. butter and flour. Do not brown. Gently stir into soup. Add clams and preheated milk. Stir until thickened. Add pepper, salt, and thyme. Add heated half-n-half.
Notes:
I don't usually measure the onions and celery. I usually use 1 small onion and about 2 stalks of celery.
If you don't feel you have enough clam nectar, or you want to use something with less salt, you can use chicken stock instead, omitting the bouillon cube.
This recipe might be a little time consuming at the stove, but it's fairly easy. You just have to stir a lot and monitor the milk and veggies to make sure they don't brown and stick to the bottom of the pan.
Happy cooking!
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Smoothie Madness
It's been awhile since I've posted. My profound apologies, but I have been super busy at work, cleaning the house, and resuming unfinished projects. Not to mention, I am kind of addicted to Pinterest and remaking all of my Thomas Kinkade puzzles at the moment.
Anywho. This afternoon for lunch I made a wonderfully delicious smoothie so I thought I would share it with you. I'm going to be trying to eat more healthy from now on, so I think I'm always going to have smoothie ingredients in stock. Unfortunately, healthier food is more expensive, so I guess I'll be impulse buying random crap less often now! It's an ok trade off, I'll admit.
So here's how I made my smoothie:
A handful of frozen mixed berries
A handful of frozen strawberries
-Mix these in the blender first. My blender is annoying, so I thought I would "ice crush" the fruit first
Then I added:
-one single container of honey flavored Greek yogurt (yummy!)
-one banana
-a little bit of V8 Fusion Strawberry Banana Smoothie drink, to bring it to desired consistency.
YUMMY! And all real ingredients!
I forgot to add the flaxseed that I bought, but I'll add that tomorrow and see how that changes. I might sprinkle some grated frozen ginger in there, too.
Anywho. This afternoon for lunch I made a wonderfully delicious smoothie so I thought I would share it with you. I'm going to be trying to eat more healthy from now on, so I think I'm always going to have smoothie ingredients in stock. Unfortunately, healthier food is more expensive, so I guess I'll be impulse buying random crap less often now! It's an ok trade off, I'll admit.
So here's how I made my smoothie:
A handful of frozen mixed berries
A handful of frozen strawberries
-Mix these in the blender first. My blender is annoying, so I thought I would "ice crush" the fruit first
Then I added:
-one single container of honey flavored Greek yogurt (yummy!)
-one banana
-a little bit of V8 Fusion Strawberry Banana Smoothie drink, to bring it to desired consistency.
YUMMY! And all real ingredients!
I forgot to add the flaxseed that I bought, but I'll add that tomorrow and see how that changes. I might sprinkle some grated frozen ginger in there, too.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
So thanks to my friends Jaime and Cari, I have started using Pinterest. And it's kind of addicting. Much like coffee. Anyways, if you haven't checked out Pinterest, you totally should. Basically, it's your online bulletin board, where you can post things that you have found, and you can make any category you want. It's a great place to find crafty ideas. Here are some things I have found using it:
(Found at http://www.instructables.com/id/VERTICAL-VEGETABLES-quotGrow-upquot-in-a-smal/#step1) I'm definitely doing this! It will keep Jack out of my herbs and I'll be able to avoid the lead in the local soil.
(Found at http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/create-book-shelves-00000000035586/index.html) How cute is this?! And perfect for a bookie such as myself!
(Found at patonsyarns.com) I'm currently making these in Seahawks colors for the living room couch!
(Found at http://www.fullmeasureofhappiness.com/2010/11/01/meatless-monday-spaghetti-squash-and-roasted-pumpkin-seeds/) I'm DEFINITELY doing this when the next pay check comes. What a great way to displace necklaces in a pretty, stylish way. And you can see them! Way easier than jewelry boxes.
Everyone should check Pinterest out!
(Found at http://www.instructables.com/id/VERTICAL-VEGETABLES-quotGrow-upquot-in-a-smal/#step1) I'm definitely doing this! It will keep Jack out of my herbs and I'll be able to avoid the lead in the local soil.
(Found at http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/create-book-shelves-00000000035586/index.html) How cute is this?! And perfect for a bookie such as myself!
(Found at patonsyarns.com) I'm currently making these in Seahawks colors for the living room couch!
(Found at http://www.fullmeasureofhappiness.com/2010/11/01/meatless-monday-spaghetti-squash-and-roasted-pumpkin-seeds/) I'm DEFINITELY doing this when the next pay check comes. What a great way to displace necklaces in a pretty, stylish way. And you can see them! Way easier than jewelry boxes.
Everyone should check Pinterest out!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Genius Idea!
Oh readers of the blog! I just thought of a brilliant idea whilst I am sitting here, with sleeping animals, a coffee, and watching Food Network (currently Cooking For Real, with Sunny Anderson). She is making celery root remoulode. And I had a thought! I have never eaten celery root! Generally, I don't enjoy buying and/or cooking things that I have never eaten before. But what if you all challenged me to? It would broaden the food I eat, and maybe give you some ideas and some new things to try as well! So here's what you should do:
Tell me in the comments section the food item you would like me to try. I will let you know if I have eaten it before. And also if I'm willing to eat it. Sorry, I'm not going to try SPAM. I'm just not.
Try to make your idea as healthy as possible. There are SO many vegetables that I haven't tried before!
Try to keep your choice relatively cheap. I mean really, don't give me escargot. That's freaking expensive.
I will ONLY turn something down if I can't find it in Columbus. If I can't find it in the commissary or Kroger, I'm not going to buy it. Sorry, not going into the WalMart. So it would help if your idea is relatively not weird.
I am also willing to bake. Meaning, you can give me "leeks," or you can give me something that I need to prepare, like "tiramisu."
You can also suggest a recipe for me to use while cooking with the item, or you can give me ideas, OR you can let me find a recipe myself!
Do not give me anything that involves using stuffing. I HATE stuffing and will never, ever eat it.
Let the challenging begin!
Tell me in the comments section the food item you would like me to try. I will let you know if I have eaten it before. And also if I'm willing to eat it. Sorry, I'm not going to try SPAM. I'm just not.
Try to make your idea as healthy as possible. There are SO many vegetables that I haven't tried before!
Try to keep your choice relatively cheap. I mean really, don't give me escargot. That's freaking expensive.
I will ONLY turn something down if I can't find it in Columbus. If I can't find it in the commissary or Kroger, I'm not going to buy it. Sorry, not going into the WalMart. So it would help if your idea is relatively not weird.
I am also willing to bake. Meaning, you can give me "leeks," or you can give me something that I need to prepare, like "tiramisu."
You can also suggest a recipe for me to use while cooking with the item, or you can give me ideas, OR you can let me find a recipe myself!
Do not give me anything that involves using stuffing. I HATE stuffing and will never, ever eat it.
Let the challenging begin!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
What's For Dinner? Beef Stir Fry
Since I went to the grocery store on Monday only to buy some basics, I didn't have much in the fridge tonight. And since I worked, I didn't feel like picking any groceries up. Fortunately, I had bought some veggies on Monday, and Matt had bought some beef steak thing last week, so I was able to come up with a stir fry. Here's what I did:
-Boiled rotini pasta, set aside. It was the only kind of noodle I had, otherwise I would have used asian noodles. Although, using the whole wheat pasta is probably healthier.
-Stir-fried the beef, sliced thinly, in a little vegetable oil. I set aside on a plate to drain.
-I stir-fried garlic, grated ginger, and some red pepper flakes. Next, I added some soy sauce. Then I added onion, a red bell pepper, 1 head of broccoli, and some snow peas (still in the pod) that I had left over in the freezer, and stir-fried until done. Once that was done, I added some cornstarch (dissolved in water) and the beef and waited for the sauce to thicken slightly. Lastly, I added the noodles in! I sprinkled some sesame oil on mine. Voila! Dinner in 15 minutes, prep time about 10. Perfect worknight dinner, and you can add as many veggies as you want! It's pretty darn healthy, and super easy!
-Boiled rotini pasta, set aside. It was the only kind of noodle I had, otherwise I would have used asian noodles. Although, using the whole wheat pasta is probably healthier.
-Stir-fried the beef, sliced thinly, in a little vegetable oil. I set aside on a plate to drain.
-I stir-fried garlic, grated ginger, and some red pepper flakes. Next, I added some soy sauce. Then I added onion, a red bell pepper, 1 head of broccoli, and some snow peas (still in the pod) that I had left over in the freezer, and stir-fried until done. Once that was done, I added some cornstarch (dissolved in water) and the beef and waited for the sauce to thicken slightly. Lastly, I added the noodles in! I sprinkled some sesame oil on mine. Voila! Dinner in 15 minutes, prep time about 10. Perfect worknight dinner, and you can add as many veggies as you want! It's pretty darn healthy, and super easy!
Christmas Vacation and Rayla's Wedding!
Sorry about the belated posts, my parent's internet is SUPER slow. Where did I leave off...
Matt went home New Year's day. Then I moved in with my parents and helped with Rayla's wedding. Kellyn came and joined us on Wednesday, when we had the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Both were a success, I would say. If you ever need a fun game for showers, we played the Spice of Life game, where I selected a bunch of random spices and made people guess what they were WITHOUT tasting them. It was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. My baking was all very delicious, and I won Best Dressed, although I wasn't allowed to win. Then we went out to a bar for Rayla's party. The bar in Seattle was closed, but we found one over in Kirkland that Rayla and Renny hit up upon occasion. I enjoyed an Apple Pie while Rayla had to apple-tini's. Fun times!
Her wedding went on without a hitch, as well! There was a last minute issue with a groomsmen, but all turned out well!
Here are some pictures of the event:
I flew Sunday morning. I was at the airport at 5:30 am. I grabbed some coffee before I boarded, but it turns out I grabbed the wrong drink. I HATE it when baristas put coffee up out of order, and besides, it was really early, all I heard was "mocha." But it turned out to be decaffienated and fat free. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF? WHY? Anyways, our flight was headed to Detroit. It was a full flight and I'm pretty sure the entire plane used the bathroom, there was a line by seat in the aisle for about 3 hours. By the time we landed, I was feeling absolutely horrible. Horrible. I'm convinced I had a fever, I could feel the heat radiating off my face without even touching it. And when I went to the bathroom once at the terminal, my cheeks were bright red. I was so hot that cold water splashed on my back didn't help at all. However, my flight from Detroit to Memphis was AWESOME. The plane was probably only half full. I had an ENTIRE ROW to myself, as did everyone else on board. I was even to fall asleep on the flight. TWICE! I NEVER sleep on planes. But I needed that nap, it made me feel so much better!
After the 3 hour drive from Memphis to Columbus, I was reunited with my puppy. YAY! He was so excited to see me, it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Now I'm back into the grind in Columbus. As much as I hate this place, I realized that since Matt and my puppy are here, it's home right now. I actually missed being here when I was- but only once Matt had gone, mind you. I have a little bit more appreciation for everything in my life now, thank you Christmas vacation!
Matt went home New Year's day. Then I moved in with my parents and helped with Rayla's wedding. Kellyn came and joined us on Wednesday, when we had the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Both were a success, I would say. If you ever need a fun game for showers, we played the Spice of Life game, where I selected a bunch of random spices and made people guess what they were WITHOUT tasting them. It was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. My baking was all very delicious, and I won Best Dressed, although I wasn't allowed to win. Then we went out to a bar for Rayla's party. The bar in Seattle was closed, but we found one over in Kirkland that Rayla and Renny hit up upon occasion. I enjoyed an Apple Pie while Rayla had to apple-tini's. Fun times!
Her wedding went on without a hitch, as well! There was a last minute issue with a groomsmen, but all turned out well!
Here are some pictures of the event:
I flew Sunday morning. I was at the airport at 5:30 am. I grabbed some coffee before I boarded, but it turns out I grabbed the wrong drink. I HATE it when baristas put coffee up out of order, and besides, it was really early, all I heard was "mocha." But it turned out to be decaffienated and fat free. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF? WHY? Anyways, our flight was headed to Detroit. It was a full flight and I'm pretty sure the entire plane used the bathroom, there was a line by seat in the aisle for about 3 hours. By the time we landed, I was feeling absolutely horrible. Horrible. I'm convinced I had a fever, I could feel the heat radiating off my face without even touching it. And when I went to the bathroom once at the terminal, my cheeks were bright red. I was so hot that cold water splashed on my back didn't help at all. However, my flight from Detroit to Memphis was AWESOME. The plane was probably only half full. I had an ENTIRE ROW to myself, as did everyone else on board. I was even to fall asleep on the flight. TWICE! I NEVER sleep on planes. But I needed that nap, it made me feel so much better!
After the 3 hour drive from Memphis to Columbus, I was reunited with my puppy. YAY! He was so excited to see me, it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Now I'm back into the grind in Columbus. As much as I hate this place, I realized that since Matt and my puppy are here, it's home right now. I actually missed being here when I was- but only once Matt had gone, mind you. I have a little bit more appreciation for everything in my life now, thank you Christmas vacation!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Christmas Whirlwind
Well, friends, I apologize for the lack of Blogger posts, but HEY! I'm in Seattle! FINALLY! God I love it here. Here are a few highlights (or not) of our trip:
-Matt and I arrived in Seattle on Christmas Eve around 3pm Seattle local time, after 41 hours of no sleep. Yup. Oh what I'm willing to go through to get back! And our luggage made it too!
-Went to Christmas Eve Mass. Spent the night in my in-laws awesome queen size guest bed. I need a queen bed.
-Went over to my parents' for Christmas morning, then went back to the in-laws. Saw my grandparents, too.
-Shopping with Brittany at the Alderwood Mall after Christmas. Bought lots of cute clothes! And went to that mall 4 times between Christmas and New Year's. I miss shopping.
-Drinking as many Caremel Brulee Lattes as I can.
-Busy planning for my sister's wedding! 4 days left!
-Kicked Wii Mario Kart's butt!
-Eating as much salmon as I can. Yummy!
-Missing my puppy :(
-Also missing Matt now. Him and the puppy are the only things making me want to go back to Mississippi.
-I love looking at the mountains. I just stare out the window when I'm in the car.
-MOUNTAINS! YAY!
-Matt and I arrived in Seattle on Christmas Eve around 3pm Seattle local time, after 41 hours of no sleep. Yup. Oh what I'm willing to go through to get back! And our luggage made it too!
-Went to Christmas Eve Mass. Spent the night in my in-laws awesome queen size guest bed. I need a queen bed.
-Went over to my parents' for Christmas morning, then went back to the in-laws. Saw my grandparents, too.
-Shopping with Brittany at the Alderwood Mall after Christmas. Bought lots of cute clothes! And went to that mall 4 times between Christmas and New Year's. I miss shopping.
-Drinking as many Caremel Brulee Lattes as I can.
-Busy planning for my sister's wedding! 4 days left!
-Kicked Wii Mario Kart's butt!
-Eating as much salmon as I can. Yummy!
-Missing my puppy :(
-Also missing Matt now. Him and the puppy are the only things making me want to go back to Mississippi.
-I love looking at the mountains. I just stare out the window when I'm in the car.
-MOUNTAINS! YAY!
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