Pumpkin Mousse

It's time for a super simple dessert recipe.  Robert made me a dessert for my birthday, and it included pumpkin puree and whipping cream.  We had some of each left over, and so we came up with a second dessert tonight, and I had to share it.  It look less than 5 minutes, and there's no baking involved.  Obviously, it's not healthy - it's dessert.  But I can say that pumpkin puree is incredibly good for you, but it does have a ton of fiber and Vitamin A.  So here you go,

1/2 can of pumpkin puree
1 carton of whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices (I did a combo of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves)

Whip together cream, sugar, and vanilla until it turns into whipped cream.  Scoop out 1 cup and set aside.  Fold in the pumpkin puree.  Service with whipped cream on top.  Ta-da!

Also, this recipe made me realize I need to put cute parfait dishes on my wish list.

What I've Done - Crock Pot cream cheese chicken chili

Who doesn't love a good Crock Pot recipe that you can put together before work and have waiting for you when you get home? This is definitely my old stand by for fall and winter. Here you go:

3 chicken breasts, still frozen
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 bag of frozen corn
1 can each of kidney beans, pinto beans, and black beans, drained and rinsed
1 t garlic powder
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
Any additional items to bring the heat like jalapeño or hot sauce, add to taste
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
_________
Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Top with the tomatoes, corn, the drained and rinsed beans, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder.  Stir to combine.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove the chicken, shred, add back to Crock Lot and add in cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted.
Yields 8 servings (This can easily be halved by only using one can of beans and reducing all the other ingredients. Keeps in the refrigerator well.)

I think it's safe to say that I like this recipe even better than regular chili.  So good!

What I've Done - Kale

Go out and buy some kale right now.  I bought a huge bag recently and froze it in smaller bags and it took forever to go through.  $5 well spent, if you ask me.  My two favorite things I've done with kale so far would have to be making kale chips and using it for a soup broth.

Kale chips:
Spread kale onto a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt, bake in oven at 300.  Bake for 10 minutes, toss, bake for another 10 minutes or until nice and crunchy.  Easy peasy!  And you can eat a ton of it without filling up and it's so healthy.  One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.  I've now introduced you to your new favorite snack.  You're welcome.

Green Chicken Soup:

• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (I left out mushrooms because, well...I hate them.)
• 1 cup shredded chicken (optional, though nice)

1. Place chicken stock in a soup pot over medium heat, reserving 2 cups stock
2. Take reserved stock and blend it with kale in a vitamix, until smooth and creamy
3. Pour kale-stock mixture into pot of chicken stock
4. Add carrots and mushrooms (and shredded chicken if you have it)
5. Cook for 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender
6. Serve

Yum yum yum yum yum!

What I've Done - Loaded breakfast biscuits

Okay, so I didn't actually make this one, but my sweet husband did and they were awesome!  It sounds like quite a bit of work so it's probably one of those special occasion sort of meals.

Stuffed breakfast bubble biscuits

Can of biscuits

Shredded Cheese (I had Mexican style on hand)

Frozen Shredded Hash Browns

1 package of Cooked Bacon

6 Scrambles Eggs

 

Stuff biscuits with all the fixings and bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes.  Boom!  And who doesn't love breakfast for supper?

What I've Done - Apple cinnamon chimichangas

 Another good one!  We had a bunch of apples to use up, and sometimes you just want something sweet!  This was pretty easy and very fun to make together.

Apple cinnamon chimichangas
4 apples, chopped
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c cornstarch
3/4 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1 T lemon juice
Combine everything but apples in saucepan, bring to boil, cook for 3 minutes until the mixture becomes thick.  Add in apples and simmer til tender (about 10 minutes).

8-10 flour tortillas
1/2 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
Mix together in another bowl

Fill tortilla with filling, fry in a 1/2 inch of oil (about 30 seconds on each side).  Remove and roll in cinnamon sugar.

Ice cream with this is a MUST!

What I've Done - Menu Board

How many ladies out their have kids and/or husbands who constantly say, "What's for dinner?"  I know you just answered YES.  So here's your solution - a menu board.  There's also a piece of paper or plain old marker board to write on, but why not make your menu board your newest kitchen decoration?  You can pick up an 8 in 1 picture frame at Wal-Mart for a few dollars.  I just so happened to have one sitting under my bed so it was basically free.  I put a piece of scrapbook paper in each frame.  I used brown and blue paper to match our kitchen.  We bought that scrapbook paper for our wedding and decided to decorate our kitchen in our wedding colors and reuse some wedding decorations to decorate our kitchen so it worked out really well.  Anyway, this allowed me to use up some more of the wedding scrapbook paper.  I wrote a day of the week on each piece of paper as well as "R & A" on the 8th piece of paper and then put the paper in the frames.  At the start of each week I get out my dry erase marker and write out the menu for the week.  This helps Robert ask me what we're having for dinner less, but the best part is that it helps him know what I want us to have for dinner each night so he can make dinner.  Major score if you ask me!  Robert even voluntarily hung it up in our dining room.  I have a keep, I tell ya!

What I've Done - Cleaning your washer and dryer

Washers and dryers are supposed to be clean, right?  After all, it's the place where you CLEAN your clothes.  Washers and dryers can actually be super grimy and icky.  Here are my tips for keeping your washer and dryer squeaky clean

1. Wipe the outside of your appliances - Wipe off that nasty soap residue from the time your detergent leaked.  Wipe down all the knobs.
2. Clean out your lent trap - Take out the lent.  Wash the screen with soap and water.  You'll know it's clean when the water runs through it instead of beading up on top.  Now get your vacuum attachment and vacuum out the trap area.  I found a few guitar picks and a dime.  Score!
3. Wipe down drum pieces - Did you know that the bleach cup comes out and you can wipe it down?  I had no idea.  There was lots of nice mildew-y stuff where the cup had been.  You can also take off the top piece of the agitator and wipe it down really nice.
4. Run your washer with nothing in it - Use the hottest water setting, put in a cup of vinegar, allow it to fill and then agitate for one minute.  Soak for an hour.  Run through the rest of the cycle.  Now do the same thing but use a cup of bleach this time.  My agitator was totally white again and didn't have grey scummy stuff on it anymore.

I've also heard that you're supposed to clean out your hose, but that sounded a bit complicated to me so I skipped that.  Let me know how it turns out for you!

What I've Done - Coconut Oil

Okay, you guys.  I have a beauty secret to share.  I recently discovered the magic of coconut oil.  I already knew that I liked cooking with it, but now I like using it for pampering myself.  All you have to do is heat up two spoonfuls of coconut oil for 30 seconds in the microwave.  massage the oil into your scalp, hair, and split ends.  Two spoonfuls was the perfect amount for my thick, shoulder length hair, but of course you might need to adjust the amount accordingly.  I pinned up my hair with a clip and headband and went about my business for two hours.  I proceed to wash my hair, cover it in conditioner (usually I just put it on my split ends, but this time I put it everywhere), and washed it again.  It is silky smooth!  Seriously.  I can't stop touching it.  I feel like I have fewer split ends, or at least they're less pronounced now.  My hair is super soft, and it's not nearly as frizzy.  You've got to try it right now!

What I've Done - Peach and Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake

This one was a bit of a bust.  It turned out correct, but it just wasn't all that good.  It wasn't very flavorful, and I left thinking, "I could have just made a white cake from a box and dumped in some peaches."  So here's the recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds (I used vanilla extract)
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups diced fresh peaches (I used canned peaches)

Mix it all together and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  I don't have a bundt pan so I used two round cake pans instead. 

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine peach puree, sugar, and orange juice in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.  THIS WAS A BUST.  It never turned into a syrup for me.  It was more like peaches in sugar water.  Whatever.

Tell me other people have had recipe fails?!?

What I've Done - Carpet powder and air filter freshener

We live the woods of town.  We live just inside the city limits, and our apartment backs up to a wooded area - ton of trees, bugs, lizards, the list goes on.  I've talked to the people upstairs and they said they don't have any trouble with bugs.  I think that's because they all live downstairs.  We keep our apartment clean.  We wash the dishes.  We take out the trash.  We keep the windows and doors closed.  I guess it's just part of it.  Anyway, I'm willing to try just about anything to keep away the bugs.  I read about sprinkling baking soda on your carpet, letting it sit for 15 minutes, and vacuuming it up as a way to keep the bugs away.  I tried it a few weeks ago and I think it might be helping.  I'll keep you posted!

Did I tell you about the day that we had a lizard in our apartment?  It scared me so much.  I was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden I saw a slimy, black tail sticking out from our vertical blinds on our sliding glass door.  I screamed and ran to the bedroom.  Robert checked it out.  It was a 7 inch long salamander thing.  He shooed it out with a fly swatter.  Apparently if you only close the glass door without closing the screen door as well then 7 inch salamanders can get in.  Who knew?  The screen door has been closed since then.

I'm also always looking for ways to freshen up the place.  I read about sprinkling a few drops of essential oils on your air filter to make things smell nice.  I sprinkled some lavender oil on ours.  It smelled nice but only last a couple of days.  Overall consensus - not worth the hassle.

How do you keep pests away and keep your place smelling great?

What I've Done - Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

This one comes to you courtesy of Picky Palate.  I have trouble getting Robert to like brown rice.  I grew up eating it so it tastes totally normal to me, but Robert is used to eating white rice so brown rice tastes dry and gross to him.  The compromise - wild rice.  Plus, we had half a bag in our pantry and needed to use it somehow.

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced (I didn't have any so I skipped it, but I'm sure it would be a nice addition)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic (I used garlic powder)
2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken breast (boiled)
2 Cups steamed white rice (I used brown rice, and Robert couldn't even tell!!!)
16 oz prepared wild rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
______
Cheese Sauce (I totally skipped all the cheese sauce stuff and substituted it with a can of cream of chicken.  We're pretty sure cheese triggers headaches for me, so I'm attempting to avoid it when possible.)
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
Top with 1 1/2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat.  Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  Reduce heat to low.
2.  To prepare cheese sauce melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously.  Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted.  Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.  Serve.

*I cooked and baked mine in an iron skillet.  I'm anemic and will take any extra iron I can get!  Did you know that cooking in an iron skillet amps up the iron in the food you're cooking?  It's an easy way to get extra iron.

Robert said this was a dish worth making again so that's always a good sign!

What I've Done - Cleaning makeup brushes

Stop what you're doing and go wash your makeup brushes right now.  You will be shocked with how unbelievably disgusting they are.  I've heard of a variety of ways to clean them.

• Official brush cleaning solution from cosmetic store
• Shampoo
• Dawn and vinegar

I used shampoo and water.  It was gross and so cool!  It was black and brown and murky.  My brush is way softer now, smells nice, isn't matted together, and isn't filled with dirt and oil.   Hooray!

What I've Done - Favorite marinades

Robert loves to grill.  I love to eat grilled food.  It's a win-win.  Here are some of our favorite marinades:

Balsamic Bruschetta Marinade

• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/4 c crushed tomatoes
• 1 t basil
• 1 t garlic powder

Very Greek Marinade

• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 1 t poultry seasoning
• 1 t oregano

Bourbon Street Marinade

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t garlic
• 1/4 t ginger
• 3/4 t red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c apple juice
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 T vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c soy sauce
• 1 T cornstarch

What are some of your favorite marinades?

What I've Done - Buttnernut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

I'm attempted to have Robert and me eat a meatless dinner one night a week.  It's partly due to health purposes and partly do to cost purposes.  I made a new dish this weekend - Butternut and black bean enchilada skillet.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, but it's from Recipe Sweet.  Here's the recipe:

 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced (I used garlic powder)
½ Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
3 cups 1/2 Inch Diced, Peeled Butternut Squash (I used half of a butternut squash)
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt And Pepper To Season
1 can (15 Ounce) Can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained
8 Yellow Corn Tortillas (taco Size), Cut Into Thick Strips (I used 4 flour tortillas)
1 can (15 Ounce Can) Red Enchilada Sauce
1 cup Reduced-fat Colby Jack Or Mexican Cheese, Divided (I didn't add any cheese so it was a bit healthier)
Cilantro And Low Fat Sour Cream, For Serving

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add cubed squash, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is slightly tender, 8 to 10 minutes. You want the squash to be fork tender, but not so tender that it starts to fall apart and become mush.
2. Next add the black beans, corn tortilla pieces, and can of enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir again and simmer for a few minutes until everything is nice and melted.
3. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, guacamole, or hot sauce! 

This was a big hit with the hubs.  He claims he doesn't like squash, but I'm gradually converting him.  The key to making him like squash is to not overcook it.  He hates when it's mushy/stringy which I can understand.  This made for great leftovers as well.  The beans provide lots of fiber, and getting orange vegetables such as the squash provides plenty of vitamin C and supports eye health.  What are some of your favorite vegetarian dishes?

What I've Done - Hot Pockets

This is another super easy Amy invention - Homemade Hot Pockets

When I invent stuff I really don't do any measuring.  I just put it whatever looks right.
Deli ham (or turkey)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Squirt of mustard
Spoonful of mayo
Chives
Can of crescent rolls

Mix it all together and stuff inside crescent rolls. Bake on cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 350.