Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (Low Fat)

 We all love a warm bowl of soup on a cold Fall night, but let's face it - chicken noodle is getting old. So, to keep your palate healthy and happy, here's my favorite recipe for chicken and sausage gumbo. The best part? My recipe offers a low-fat spin on this Cajun staple.


THE GOODS:
1/2 lb Italian style Turkey sausage, thinly sliced (not pictured)
2 T oil, 3 T flour
1 large boneless chicken breast, cubed (not pictured)
14 oz can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
16 oz fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen cut okra
1-2 T Worcestershire
Black pepper & oregano to taste

 In a large pot, saute sausage in oil until lightly browned. Sprinkle 3 T flour evenly over sausage and saute until flour is browned, but not burned (this is your roux). Keep stirring! If you're not careful, the flour can burn. If needed, add a small amount of the chicken broth to prevent burning.

 Add chicken pieces and saute 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly until barely done. Stir in the chicken broth and mix well.
Once the mixture is consistent, stir in all remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, or until okra is done.  Feel free to turn down the heat and let it sit a little longer - gumbo always tastes better if you give it a little time to rest.

 My not-so-secret ingredient? Crushed red pepper!! Sprinkle a modest amount into the soup and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fall in a Cup: My Favorite Wassail Recipe

Would you enjoy sipping on a warm, comforting beverage when it gets chilly outside? Would you like for your entire house to smell like apples, cinnamon, and cloves? Would you like to taste Fall?

Of course you would.

For these reasons and so many more, I thought I'd share with you my beloved wassail recipe. There are plentiful wassail recipes throughout the world wide web, but Kyle and I have been perfecting this one for nearly two years now. Unlike its Middle Aged ancestor, ours is a recipe free of alcohol and ginger; nevertheless, it is quite tasty and equally fragrant.

And a bonus? The longer it sits, the better it gets. Enjoy.

 THE GOODS:
1 gallon of sweet apple cider
1/2 to 1 canister of frozen lemonade concentrate (depending on how tart you'd like your wassail to be
6-8 cinnamon sticks
30-40 whole cloves
1/4 cup of Red Hots
2 apples, sliced (Not Pictured)
1 lemon, sliced (Not Pictured)

 Wassail is pretty much the easiest thing ever to cook. Mix all ingredients (except for apples and lemon slices) in a crock pot, set it on LOW, and let sit for at least 4 hours. 
At least.

 See all that yummy good-ness? Don't drink it yet! As I already noted, the longer you wait, the better. If using apples and lemon slices, add those to the mix about 1 hour before serving. The lemon juice from the lemonade concentrate should keep the apple slices from turning brown.

 Just before serving, we add a (sort of) secret ingredient to our wassail to bring all the flavors together...sugar-free vanilla syrup!! You know, the kind you add to lattes and such. The syrup helps to mellow the tartness of the lemonade concentrate, and it pairs really well with all of the spices in the wassail. I'd love to tell you just how much to add, but then our sort-of secret ingredient would cease to be a secret at all! A word of advice...don't go overboard. 

Mmmmm.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Wedding Wonders

It's Wedding Wonders Thursday!!

...By the way, if you can't help but ask yourself why I don't post this segment on Wednesdays, making the alliteration all the more quaint, I share your concern. Unfortunately, Wednesdays tend to be quite busy for me, and time on the computer is never guaranteed. Thursdays, however, are ideal for keeping up a weekly post because I sit in my wifi-friendly classes for 9 hours every week. I'm listening, I promise.

A Picture.

A Cake. 

A Dress. 

A Flower. 
 
An Idea.





Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Halloween Throwdown

For Halloween, Kyle and I hosted what I affectionately referred to as the Second Annual Halloween Throwdown. Suffice it to say, we had an amazing time. Our small group is wonderful. Our friends are wonderful. Life is wonderful.









Graham and Sue: Happily Married & Expecting TWINS!

 Sunni and Corey: Publishers Clearing House Host & Winner
 Kyle and Me: Prince William and Duchess Kate

 Bert: "Occupy Wall Street" Protester
Stephanie and Emily: Butterfly & Butterfly Catcher

 Carolyn: Awesome Owl
Brett: Wilson (from "Home Improvement")

 Chris: Our Token Lumberjack

 Elizabeth: The Soon-to-be Mrs. Price!

 Kayla: World's Cutest Nerd

 London: A Trojan horse!!
Jen: A Farmer's Daughter
Richie: A Quarterback (get it?)

 And the winner is...Sunni and Corey!!












Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Happy November.

Congratulations! You've made it to a very special first day of November; that is, you've made it to 11-1-11. Feel privileged? You should. 


Here are some things you need to know about this beautiful day in history:


 November 1st is All Saints Day. Its Spanish counterpart, Day of the Dead, is primarily celebrated in Mexico on this day.



November is National Novel Writing Month. 



On this day in 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, one of Italian artist Michelangelo's finest works, is exhibited to the public for the first time.


On this day in 1913, the forward pass was first used by Notre Dame in football.



If you've been waiting to sip wassail, wear riding boots, or bake a pumpkin pie...go ahead. Ladies and gentlemen, we're in full bloom fall. Christmas shopping is permitted now, too - but please, refrain from decorating the Christmas tree until at least post-Daylight Savings.

Happy November, my friends.




Friday, October 28, 2011

DIY: Stenciled Wall Decor



Necessities:
Wooden board (or cabinet doors, in my case)
Letter stencils
Spray paint
Acrylic paint
Paint brush
Cute dog (optional)
Something to say


Steps:

Acquire wood. Mine came in the form of refurbished cabinet doors, which I found for FREE at the Habitat ReStore. 


Spray.


Break. Take picture of cute dog.


Stencil. With patience.


Admire. 
My inspiration came from a quote I found on Pinterest. The date on the left is the day that Kyle and I started dating; the date on the right is the day we were married.

Sunrise