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My favorite time of year. It’s all warm and fuzzy and full of good family memories and traditions. Love it. I’m all ready half-way through my Christmas shopping. And the family decided to do a gift card swap… kind of like a white elephant gift exchange except it’s gift cards. Love it. Who doesn’t like gift cards? Will ease up the anxiety of shopping just a tad! Phew.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving of course. Isaac fried the turkey. My family hadn’t yet had a fried turkey so they were all very excited about that. It was a huge hit. And I think nearly every one took turns pealing off some crispy fried skin. It was so good. I cooked the mashed potatoes, which I feel like had too much cheese in it. It was a recipe I found in Cooking Light that included a parmagean-reggiano cheese (excuse the mispell). I think I put too much in. I also made gravy and generally played hostess.

I do need to add that my poor dad gets suckered in to carving whatever meat there is when Isaac and I host. Isaac and I really need to learn how to carve ourselves. And possibly look in to an electric carving knife. Sorry dad! Next time we’ll take care of it. Maybe I’ll do a roast chicken one of these days and practice on that. I think we should also get a small turkey in a few months and fry it up. To have to wait another year and probably not get a fried turkey would be just too sad.

Today we are heading to Molbak’s for our traditional Friday-after Thanksgiving festivities. I will take pictures again of Ella like I did last year. I will also have some one take a picture or 2 of the 3 Louies together. We haven’t had a family picture in quite some time. The last one we attempted was at Disney World and the waitress at the restaurant took a blury photo. Then I’ll get them printed up at Costco and send them out in the cards, which I bought probably 2 weeks ago. I’m so on it this year!

More Pictures Here >

I forgot to post yesterday, or I was too busy launching my re-vamped web site. The latter I guess. Nothing terribly exciting but oh so yummy. LONDON BROIL. I forgot to take a pick of the recipe. Oh well. Essentually you marinade beef (flank steak in this case) with garlic, dry red wine, and pepper (I swear there was another ingredient but I can’t think what it was). Broil for 20 minutes, salting each side upon flipping. I used sea salt. It was fabulous. Side dish of rice. I think we skipped the vegetables. Shame! Or there was salad… I can’t remember.

I did a trial run yesterday of Thanksgiving. I wanted to see if I could turn my living room in to a restaurant. I can!

Today was cleaning day. Thankfully I don’t clean my own house. I hire a cleaning service to clean once a month. Don’t make fun of me. How much do you spend each month on that iPhone bill???

As any one who has been reading my blog will know (maybe only my husband?!) I have been dreaming about Chicken & Dumplings ever since I found this recipe on a food blog. I wanted to give it a go last weekend but something took away my time. I could tell it was going to take awhile to put this recipe together but it in fact took me 2 hours exactly. I halved the recipe and wish I hadn’t. It would have added 30 minutes at most and we would have had leftovers but as it was there was maybe enough leftover for a lunch and that’s it.

With a long recipe like this I’m always concerned I’ll mess it up or I simply won’t like it. Truth be told I think I used the wrong kind of pan. I was supposed to use a dutch oven and what I used I thought was a dutch oven, but it has a thin bottom and had serious trouble handling the high heat that was called for at times. The bottom warped actually and at times the whole pan rocked on the burner. A little scary! In the end I had more burned bits in my chicken & dumplings than there should have been.

BUT IT WAS AWESOME!!! It was so worth it. Next time I’ll have a proper cast iron dutch oven and will do the full recipe so I can enjoy chicken and dumplings several times.

The fam visited the Olympic Game Farm park in Sequim yesterday. That’s always a good time. Ella gets a bit freaked by the yaks and bison that stick their heads in the car. She loved the reindeer though. It was a nice family day.

Then I headed to my sister’s house for a scary movie (”The Descent”) and some Wii-play. We played Mini Golf and Wario Ware. Fun times. That is until I headed home and my car was egged just minutes from my sister’s house. Freaked me out. I saw the kid that thew the object (didn’t know it was an egg until I got home) and called 911 to give a description. I had thought he’d thrown a baseball or rock at my car. I was just relieved it didn’t get the window.

I got a new toy today in the mail and I promptly put it to use. It’s my new cast iron skillet. I got a large one and a small one actually. I’ve read it’s the only way to go.

The meal was only so-so. I don’t generally like asparagus but I keep giving it chances. I had a question with the recipe as well because it called for “wide grain mustard”. ??? I’ve never seen a request for that and I looked in the baking aisle at the seasonings and the condiments aisle and didn’t find anything like that. It called for 3 tablespoons of it, so I used 2 teaspoons of dry ground mustard. The result was too spicy for Ella so I had to relent for once and we made her a hot dog AFTER she ate 5 pieces of “salad”. She wouldn’t eat the bread because it had bits of kalamata olives in it. Weird kid! Ha!

I liked all of my pictures so I’m posting a slideshow. Enjoy!

“Veal” is in quotes because the recipe called for veal but B&E Meats had a run on veal loin chops today so I had to settle for pork loin chops. Boo. So much for doing something different. And so much for going to the butcher shop because you know the regular grocery store won’t have what you want either.

What’s to say about this dish except it’s quick and easy? The meat takes 10 minutes max to cook and the glaze was quick to make and for once I didn’t have to deal with a marinade. It’s exhausting having to think that far ahead!

Topped off with mashed potatoes (I include milk, chicken stock, ranch dip seasoning, butter, and sour cream), and sweet dinner bread (my ode to The Outback Steakhouse — and just check out my presentation of said bread!).

Tomorrow night, I don’t know what. Will have to look at my pile of planned recipes and select and de-thaw. Ooh, I have a flank steak to cook. Should maybe look and see if the recipe calls for a marinade. Steak nearly always does.

Well, I’ve got another blog to write in, then a Home Owner’s Association meeting to attend. This treasurer can’t be late!

It’s the longest Sunday ever. I don’t know why. I don’t have anything going on until 6pm today, maybe that’s why. I went grocery shopping early today, leaving my whole day open. Maybe that too is why.

I haven’t done much cooking since the last post except for frozen pizzas, oatmeal, and cinnamon rolls (oy!). Oh but I should have taken a picture of those. Cinnamon rolls are always a site to be seen. In my opinion, at least.

Tonight is dinner with my sister, followed by a movie. Claim Jumper and “Role Models”. I’ve only been to Claim Jumper once before and got a boring but always classic club sandwich. If I were Oprah I’d give each of you a club sandwich because it’s one of my favorite things.

May take the kid shopping before meeting up with the sis and Isaac retrieves Ella. I havent’ bought clothes in awhile. I hear Ann Taylor calling my name. My closet consists of red and black shirts. I need some variety.

Upon searching through my freezer this morning I found the other pork tenderloin and decided to do the paprika spice recipe again. I had forgotten to do the roasted pork with pears and cranberries last time so that’s why I wanted to do it again. I also used my new “instant read” meat thermometer. I have to say, it’s not so “instant”.  Maybe, but compared to what?

Paired the pork/pears/cranberries with salad and wheat rolls. Was a good wholesome meal after days of not really cooking.

I have been wanting to make chicken and dumplings. It’s just one of those warm, hearty, good-for-fall foods. I found a recipe that I’m going to try out some Saturday or Sunday when I’m not all ready busy. I put it on my recipes page but here’s the link >.

No idea what I’ll cook tomorrow. I was going to do chicken picatta several days ago and never did so maybe I’ll do that.

I also want to try creme brulee which is hands down my favorite dessert. I don’t have a torch though to carmalize the top so will have to make due with the broiler. Can’t wait for that one!

I hope I did that Spanish correctly. I’m essentually calling this dish “white man’s chicken enchilada”. There is no enchilada sauce, but instead buckets of cream of chicken (which is one of my favorite cooking ingredients, actually). I lost the recipe some time ago but have made it so many times I don’t really need one.

Basically you have:
1 pound chicken, cooked and chopped
2 cans cream of chicken mixed with ~ 3/4 cup sour cream
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
diced green chiles
flour tortillas
shredded cheese (I like the Mexican cheese blend)
chile powder and ground cayenne (I just eyeball this, not really sure how much I put in, but I’d say no more than a teaspoon each)
olive oil

Cook garlic, onions, 1/4 cup of cream of chicken mixture, chile powder and cayenne in just a teaspoon or 2 of oil. Saute until onions are good and mushy. Add chicken and just heat through.

Place about half a cup of cream of chicken mixture in bottom of 9×13 pan and spread around.

Spoon chicken mixture on to tortillas and roll up, placing seam side down in pan. Top enchiladas with remainder of cream of chicken mixture and about 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

When Isaac’s away I don’t feel like cooking. So after picking up Ella from daycare we headed to Safeway to pick up dinner for the next few nights. I thought it would be funny to photograph the microwave dinners like I take photos of foods I actually cook.

Ella had a Kid Cuisine meal consisting of Sponge Bob shaped chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, corn, and pudding. I had a Weight Watchers Smart Ones Oven Roasted Turkey and Mashed Potatoes. I love that one.

Yesterday we ended up going to the Pacific Science Center and we got to see an IMAX movie for free: “Mysteries of the Nile”. I found it interesting, Ella not so much. She lounged across both Isaac and I (over what must have been an uncomfortable arm rest you couldn’t raise) and said she was tired, and then hungry. I’d call it “bored”.

We came home and then ordered pizza. And wings. And bread sticks. No, I did not take pictures. Just visit http://www.pizzahut.com if you want to see what it looks like.

Tomorrow I’m putting together chicken enchiladas for when Ella and I go to visit our friend Jaime and her new baby Grace. Good company, and good food. I’ll try and remember to take pictures (of both food, and baby!).

First, here’s the link to the recipe >

Second, I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures because I used 2 cute “boat” (that’s what I’m calling them) ramekins that I bought yesterday at Cost Plus World Market (LOVE that store!). So, I’m sorry I was an airhead and forgot to take pictures. This photo is from the creator of the recipe. Link below.

This dip is awesome, as witnessed by the people who ate it. This includes unbiased friends. We dipped and spread the dip on to flatbread (”everything” flatbread from Cost Plus), an artisan bread of some sort, I forget, and sweet dinner bread (that brown bread with the oats on top like you get at Outback steak house, purchased at Costco). I should have cooked mine longer I think but it was good  yummy and easy. It just takes 30-45 minutes to bake. Try it out!

Yesterday Ella and I ran around getting ready for Thanksgiving. We hit up Costco for usual daily stuff (plus new pillows for isaac and i) and then Cost Plus for things like drinking glasses, more spoons (mine keep disappearing, where are they going?!), a gravy boat, butter dish, and linens. Phew!

Then we had dinner at a friend’s house. It was a fun night. Today we’re looking at doing something as a family since Isaac is leaving tomorrow for 3 days. But first, laundry needs doing and Ella’s room needs to be cleaned out because if she’s expecting Christmas presents she needs a place to put them and right now her room is maxed out!

So, happy Sunday!

Credit: Photo from and by White on Rice Couple