LommoY: Thirty Day Challenge

Our family has accepted a challenge for the month of August.
"Less of me, more of You."
We are joining more than 30 of our friends who have agreed to the following daily routine:

30 minutes studying the Bible,

30 minutes exercising, and choosing to only eat from a list of 

30 whole foods ... for

30 days.

This was day 3 of 30 ... 10% is in the books!

I love the accountability for the exercise. Seven-year-olds can be relentless.

I am amazed at how easy it was to gather most of my kids around to "do our Bible reading together". Some wanted to switch to "30 verses" or a "whole" chapter ...because both options could be quickened and rushed through. Once I established that we would be spending 30 minutes, the atmosphere relaxed. We read a chapter, then each journaled for a minute or two. Then we moved on to the next chapter- taking turns reading aloud. We won't always be able to do that, but that sweet gathering was good for my soul. 

I am not thrilled with how much prep-work and actual "cooking" is involved in eating whole foods. It takes time. And planning. And patience. Everyone is adjusting now ... they know snack options are chopped veggies with hummus or apple slices. And I think we all feel better drinking only water. (I have coffee listed as one of my foods, and it's not nearly as lovable without sugar, but I like the treat in temperature and taste once per morning.)

Now, the LIST ...

Korean Beef and Broccoli

I ran across a recipe for Korean beef bowl - a cheater's version, substituting for the flank steak. 

Of course, I didn't remember the details, and I was missing some ingredients. But having been inspired by the concept, the title, and the yummy photo, I added veggies and expressed myself in the kitchen last night.

Surprisingly, we all enjoyed the end result, so I have decided to share what I did .. well, I'm sharing half of what I did. If you, like I, have a small army to feed, you'll want to double the following:)

Three

Thank You, God for cranberries.

Bold and bright,
sweetly tart.

The possiblities are endless.

Recipe Rut

In the past several days, half a dozen women have mentioned to me that they are in a menu rut.

"Me too!  Me too!"

Perhaps you are trying to stick more closely to a budget, or as one lady put it, "If I make spaghetti one more time, I think I'll just die."

Last week I tried some new recipes, but they found less than enthusiastic review from my family. Either I'm boring and fix quesadillas and taco soup every other day, or I try new things and despite the energy and time, few folks are thrilled. I'm tired of coming up with the menu and falling short.

So this week, I canvased the 7 oldest members of my family. They each chose a main dish, two vegetables (or a vegetable and a salad), and an optional fruit. Here's what they came up with.

Blueberry Chutney Chicken

Wednesday was filled with family, fun & fireworks.

We also ate really well:)

 Fresh berries, baked sweet potatoes, steamed veggies and chicken.

I began making this dish when I subscribed to e-mealz...an online weekly menu complete with shopping lists. Very nice. This recipe: even nicer.


Blueberry Chutney Chicken

1-2 lb chicken breast

1 fresh lemon

1 t garlic salt

     2 T Olive oil

     1 c fresh blueberries

     1/3 c water

     1 T Dijon mustard

     1 T Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

Jasmine Rice
1-2 cans peas

Cut thawed chicken into strips. In a bowl, drizzle
oil, lemon juice and 1 t garlic salt over tenderloins.
Toss and coat well. Grill or broil 5-6 min on each
side. In saucepan on med-hi, place remaining
ingredients. Cook 8-10 minutes, whisking often, until
blueberries break up. Serve sauce over chicken.

Serve with Jasmine rice and sweet peas.
This is NOT a serving suggestion, you simply must.

Enjoy!

Flashback Friday

(Originally posted Summer, 2008)



If you feel swamped when it's time to come up with a menu or grocery list, you will rejoice in this resource. (The cost is just $1.25 a week!) I usually love coming up with menus and shopping lists, but I was feeling like a I was cooking the same several dishes over and over again. And my food started tasting the same. My spaghetti sauce was only about two clicks off my chili. You know?

This site allows you to download pdf files that you can use as your weekly menu/shopping list. Two pages: one with seven meals & simple directions; the other lists ingredients by aisle with approximate cost -also includes necessary staples.

Out of the seven meals, 1 or 2 are what I would consider "snoozers". Like DiGiorno Pizza or Eggo Waffles with scrambled eggs. 3 of the recipes are usually run'o'the mill kid-friendly fare. The other 2 or 3 will strike me as main dishes I would never, ever prepare. But without fail, the kids gobble them up. Also, Landen can cook almost any of the recipes. He is THAT talented and they are THAT simple.

If you're doing e-mealz already, feel free to leave a comment whether positive or negative. We can handle it:)

Thank You, God, for e-mealz. Are You tired of hearing me say this? Thank You.

Zipper Bag Omelets

ZIPPER BAG OMELETS

This is a reprint from years ago.

The kids requested it, so we made them again last night and remembered how much fun it is! 

We think it's a wonderful holiday idea for family gatherings...morning, noon or night:)

Ø  Set out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, potatoes, spinach, salsa, etc. (You can even use frozen onions, peppers, hash browns, and mushrooms)

Ø  Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Ø  Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into each freezer-zipper bag.  Zip & shake to scramble.

Ø  Each person adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Ø  Place all the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling waterJ

Ø  Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared to be thrilled & amazed.

I posted this recipe a couple years ago after receiving it in a world-wide email. ZipLock will not endorse this recipe, but Glad has no problemo. We've done it several times and the bags never melt or break. I guess there could be some kind of weird chemical breakdown of the plastics at boiling temperature...but the same myth concerning microwaves and plastics has circulated as well. We don't have a microwave, so I suppose if plastics are harmful at high heats, our statistics are still pretty good...even WITH the occasional omelet.

PLEASE write me if you think I'm putting my family in danger. This is NOT my goal:)  Someone call Christina!

Table Talk

Into your trusty skillet, deliver:

1 chopped onion
1-2 lbs ground beef or venison

Drain meat if needed, then add
1 bag of slaw (chopped cabbage/carrots etc)
season with salt & pepper when wilted.

If you are low-carb, simply serve as main dish with fruit on the side.
If you are carbolicious, you can nestle spoonfuls of meat mixture into artisan rolls w/ or w/out cheese.

And if you know me, you know my meat was already browned and in a zipper bag in the freezer.  So I literally dump the defrosted meat, onion & slaw into the pan and dinner is ready in less than 10 minutes.

Every single Johnson enjoys this (almost too easy) meal:)

Table Talk:  You know how we spell out undersirable words, so the little ones remain blissfully unaware?  Well, Monday, when I asked Elizabeth if she was finished with lunch, she responded...
"Yesh Ma'am.  So now I haffa go take a N.A.P. ??"

Half the Work, Twice the Fun

One of the staples at our house is twice-baked potatoes.  I am surprised when I hear people speak of how laborious and time-consuming they are to make.  Not ours.  They may not be perfectly uniform, but they are fun to make, taste great, and complement many different meats.

This is how we do it here.

Wash a bag of potatoes.
Place in baking dish and bake for an hour (or so) at 400.
Once a fork can be smoothly inserted, they are pronounced "done".
Let them cool for a bit.
Cut each tater in half, lengthwise.
Scoop the "innards" of each half into a gallon size zipper bag.
Place each little carved potato canoe into baking dishes (the one already in use plus one more) or they could even snuggle up together on a cookie sheet.

Now, to the zipper bag of tater guts, add...

Kitchen Connection

James and I were discussing our favorite foods the other day. While Meatloaf and Dressing stood firm at the top of my list, I felt compelled to add last week's Pumpkin Bread Pudding. The baby brother detected a pattern to which I had been oblivious.

"Cari, I think you would like anything as long as you mix it with bread and egg and bake it."

Indeed:)

If you share my delight in baked breadiness...

CROCK POT DRESSING
From Aunt Jeannie who swiped it from Aunt Jacque:)
16 servings

8" pan of cornbread
8 slices of day old bread
4 eggs (raw beaten)
1 medium onion -chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 1/2 T sage
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 T butter

Saute onion and celery until limp
Crumble breads
Combine all ingredients except butter
Pour into crock pot and dot with butter
Cover and cook on high 2 hours or low 3-4 hours

(You can cook a whole chicken to make the broth and then even use the chicken pieces to make it more of a main dish. You can even swap one can of soup for cream of celery.)

If you think you should increase the recipe time and a half, use two crock pots. Or you could find yourself at noon-thirty on Thanksgiving day wishing you had another couple hours to devote to the over-filled crock. Then you might find yourself at 2:30 [finally] spooning out the yummy crunchy edge pieces. Just sayin.

Ever Tried This??

Today's Recipe --though the idea that you need a recipe for this is comical -- is in honor of my Mom's favorite sandwich: Peanut Butter, Lettuce, and Miracle Whip. I googled it to see if she is alone in her quirky preference. She is not. Evidently, in the depression era, the sandwich was a popular choice for an inexpensive lunch option. Those folks made it for their kids. Now those kids have grown up, retired, and are still loving their wacko sandwich:)



Ingredients
2 slices bread
1 tablespoon Miracle Whip
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 lettuce leaves

Directions
Spread one slice of bread with Miracle Whip. Spread the other slice with peanut butter. Place lettuce leaves on top of the peanut butter, then top with the Miracle Whip-side of the other piece of bread to make a sandwich.

ok, I said this post was to honor mom's choice for lunch today. It was really an excuse to post a photo that would gross out the baby brother. How we doin' JW??

I believe I tried this combo once back in '78. Not a fan. If we're having peanut butter, I would like it with honey. If we need to eat lettuce, I'll have it with turkey and mayo. Me no likey the "whip"....it sorta tastes like old mayo with sugar added. Just sayin.

Mom, I hope you enjoyed your lunch. James, leave her alone, she has thousands of like-minded partakers across the country. I love you both no matter what you ate for lunch!

For the Record

I found these photos on my camera. Luke took them when he was working on his baseball cookbook. Like his mother, the boy's attention span for creativity is fleeting, so this may be as "published" as they get:)

Cinnamon Pinch Hitter
"...a coffee frappe' with just a pinch of spice."


Flippin' Fine Fish
"...Talapia with lemon zest, parmesan cheese and crushed pretzel/cracker FLIPS,"


Lemon Sandie Lots
"...lemon bars made with Pecan Sandies as the crust"

Saturday Evening Post

Well, shoot.

Mari is sick. We haven't had a tummy bug in our home since January 2009. Elizabeth and I had slight symptoms Wednesday, but seemed better the next day. Mari's is full blown and I feel bad for her. I'm rewinding our day to think of all the friends and family with whom she shared touchy-breathy air and space. Oh me, oh my.

As a result...

I will be staying in tomorrow. No hair. No wardrobe. No lunch prep.

My Saturday evening has been redeemed unto me.

In other remarkable news: Philip has not been called out to work ALL day. (duck and cover 'cause I probably just jinxed that rig right outta the water!)

He took all the kids to watch Luke's game this morning while I attended a baby shower for my sweet, lemon-lovin' friend. What a treat to sip coffee from a [real] tea cup and casually chat and giggle with a roomful of comfortable kindness!

The Johnsons regrouped between games to eat lunch and shuffle carpools. Then it was "grab yer gatorade & git yer coat!" as we were off to sit on hard metal bleachers for the rest of the afternoon. I hate that I missed Luke's game, but Ardyn played great. She was a defensive force with which to be reckoned...just ask her rival-friend Olivia! Ashlin approaches the game with a spunky little rhythm that is a blast to watch.

Asian Salad for supper. This is one of Philip's favorite meals and it is SO simple.

Bag of salad
Chow mien noodles
Mandarin oranges (drained)
Breaded chicken
Catalina dressing

Sometimes, when I have time, I hand-bread fresh chicken pieces and bake them, but for the quicker, junkier version, I simply heat up frozen popcorn chicken. A surprising crowd pleaser.

This evening, as Mari rested on her pallet and dozed in & out of "Annie", Philip tidied up the kitchen mess then challenged Ardyn and Ashli to several lanes of wii bowling. I helped the boys study for their History and English tests while Elizabeth danced a jig in her exersaucer.

Now that it's getting late, my head is sort of swimming. Oh, man, I do NOT want to be sick. I'd better call it a day. Philip's wishing I were over there focused on the movie with him instead of over here clicking and clacking away.

Thank You, God for today. Thank You for providing every possibility to find joy. Please watch over Mari tonight and heal her. Thank You for babies and basketball games and bedtime! You are THE BEST!

Love it!

My sweet sister in law turned me on to this site. I baked these muffins Sunday. I added a little sour cream to the batter for good measure. They were WONDERFUL!

I'm so glad it's officially Autumn. I love cool, crisp, spiced life!

Sunday Lunch

Today's lunch was dreamy! I thought I'd share the recipe.

In a crock pot, place:
3 lbs of frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 blocks of reduced fat cream cheese
2 cans of low fat cream of chicken soup
1 cup of Marsala cooking wine

Cook on High for one hour (while you're doing your hair/make-up) and then Low for three (while you're at church).

**I cut the chicken up and dumped it back in the sauce before serving over rice.
ENJOY!

While we're on the subject of creamy and dreamy...I must also mention Blue Bell's new (ingenious) flavor. JW brought some home the other day.
"Mocha Madness" is coffee ice cream with chocolate chips, caramel swirl, and chopped pecans. HELLO???

Today's Great Idea

Someone emailed this idea to me. We have done it twice in the last 24 hours! It is so much fun. I've already decided it will be our new Christmas tradition...assemble and refrigerate on Christmas Eve and cook with sweet rolls Christmas morning...no mess!

ZIPLOC OMELET

(This works great !!! Good for when all your family is together. The best part is that no one has to wait for their special omelet !!!)

Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. (I used frozen onions, peppers, hash browns, and mushrooms)

Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.
Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.
Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

Imagine having these ready the night before, and putting the bag in boiling water while you get ready. And in 13 minutes, you've got a nice omelet for a quick breakfast!!!

From Mrs. Mullikin

Mrs. Mullikin went to be with Jesus a couple years ago. She is a precious saint of a woman...married at 15, raised several Godly kids, and knew how to grow a mean elephant ear plant and bake a mean Banana bread. Her last activity on earth was attending a prayer meeting.

I remember meeting her when I was a newlywed. She offered me the most challenging, sweet advice. She told me, "I always tried to make our home a little piece of heaven for my husband to come home to. I'd have it tidy and smelling nice when he came in from a long day in that dark, cruel world." I hope her bread recipe is merely a symbol of the wonderful wisdom she has passed along.

This is Mrs. Mullikin's famous "Hawaiian Banana Bread"
Beyond its fabulous taste and texture, you only need two measurements, so it's easy to remember and has fewer utensils to wash.

Dry Bowl:
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

(whisk and make a well in the middle)

Wet Bowl:
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 8oz can crushed pineapple
4-5 ripe bananas - peeled & mashed
1 cup chopped walnuts
(whisk and pour into middle of dry bowl)

Mix well & bake in 3 loaf pans for one hour on 350.

NOW: over the years I've changed a few things.
I only use one bowl - that whole aversion to massive clean-up
(it works fine)
I usually bake in one bunt pan and one little pyrex bowl (for taste-testing)
Muffins work also, and tiny loaf pans are the cutest for gifts.

When we're feeling healthful, I use a blend of whole wheat flour or spelt flour.
I have cut the sugar in half and used only Xylotol. I have used applesauce instead of the oil or at least cut back on the oil. (this changes the density, but it's still a nice treat) I've replaced the eggs/oil with flax, and now even if I follow the recipe, I always add milled flax seed.

I love to add shredded coconut to push the Hawaiian envelope. And when I don't have pineapple on hand, I've substituted 1 cup applesauce.

And in case you don't have time to bake at the exact moment the bananas are "turning the corner toward compost". You can peel, mash and freeze those jokers in a zipper bag. When you're ready to bake, thaw them and go.


Thank You, Lord, for Mrs. Mullikin and her unmistakable love for You. Thank You that we still have reminders of her wisdom and ways. Until we can all sit down for a nice cup of coffee...

Cool and Delicious

I was making my grocery list this morning and came across this recipe. Back in August my friend, Jessica, inspired me to cook a turkey with all the fixin's. Because it was still 1oo degrees outside, this cranberry dish caught my eye. I made this treat for the first time then, and it was a refreshing hit. So, before you head to the store for next week, I thought you might want to consider adding it to the menu.

Frozen Cranberry Sauce

6 oz cream cheese
2 T. Mayo
2 T. sugar
1 (16oz) can of whole cranberry sauce
1 (9oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup cool whip

Soften cream cheese and blend in mayo and sugar. Add fruits and nuts. Fold in cool whip. Pour in loaf or bundt pan and freeze 6 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

**I lined my loaf pans with a long piece of saran wrap so after it thawed a bit, I pulled on the wrap and lifted the "brick" right out of there! I used "lite" ingredients and it worked fine. I prefer to thaw it enough to get it out, then slice it and place around a platter. Cover and pop in the freezer until time to serve. My kitchen is a zoo in those last few minutes before dinner, so whatever can be done ahead gets done ahead.

ENJOY!

Johnson Christmas Brunch

Back in 2006 (3 weeks ago) we hosted the Johnson Christmas Gathering at our place. I would have posted a blog about our fun day then, but I was busy getting ready, and then I was busy sitting on the couch with my feet up. I absolutely enjoyed the cooking part of preparations -- the cleaning I could have done without :) We ended up with quite a "spread". We were missing a few folks due to some last minute stuff, so my large batches soon became enormous surplus. My sweet father-in-law made my day as he entered the kitchen and said "OOOH, would ya look at all them groceries!" He continued stroking my culinary ego as he continued, "You just never know what Cari's gonna have cooked, but you can bet it's gonna taste good, that's for sure!" I know in my heart I've become a better cook over the last 13 years -- motivated by Fred's constant flow of affirming words....and his cleanly-licked plates.

All the cousins opened presents from Nonnie and Papaw....well, we all know Nonnie picked them out....no the Toys'R'Us helper-lady picked them out, but Nonnie wrapped them. Papaw enjoys sharing the surprise with the grandkids. People drank coffee on the patio. Several kids (and a couple adults) made bead art together. We made great use of the swingset Papaw built, and a chosen few received shoulder-rubs from Aunt Tammi. Wowwie, wow, wow! I don't normally like the whole touchy-feely bonding stuff, but that girl....hands of steel and a heart of gold. As the kids played with their loot, adults snoozed in recliners (the man of the house led the way on that one), while the dining table and kitchen counter received a steady flow of "grazers" throughout the afternoon. Thank you to everyone who came to visit...we definitely missed the ones who couldn't make it. Merry Christmas everybody!

Someone asked me a while back for some of the recipes used that day. Sorry about the wait.

Baked Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip
2 (6oz)pkg fresh baby spinach
1 Tbs butter
1 pkg 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (14oz)can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Fresh pita wedges or baked pita chips

1. Microwave spinach in a large, microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 3 minutes or until wilted. Drain spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Chop spinach.
2. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cream cheese, and garlic; cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until cream cheese melts. Fold in spinach, artichokes, sour cream, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese; stir until cheese melts.
3. Transfer mixture to a 1-qt, shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately with fresh pita wedges or baked pita chips.

(Published in Southern Living 11/2006; submitted by Fran Rifkin, CA)

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans crescent rolls
2 pkg 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup cinnamon/sugar mixture

1. Spray a 9x13 dish and line it with one can of rolls(unrolled into a big rectangle)
2. Mix softened cream cheese and sugar until creamy then spread it over the rectangle.
3. Lay second can of dough over cream cheese.
4. Sprinkle the cin/sug mixture over the rectangle and then pour melted butter over the whole darn thing.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until it's golden (you'll smell it!)
6. Eat some when it comes out of the oven, then save some for coffee in the morning. YUM-MEEEE!

Celina gave me this recipe after she made it for my birthday dinner....I'm too lazy to hunt down the actual-factual, so this is my best recollection and a new, jazzy title! This is one of many attempts to copy-cat and convince my family that I'm almost as good a cook as "Mrs. Celina".