Photo of the Week: Happy Birthday to ME!

My birthday was on Tuesday. Don't feel bad: you can still send me a present if you want. Just kidding. Just keep reading my blog.

Today I wanted to share with you the first present I asked for this year.

No, not the potato. I just wanted to show you why I wanted duck fat. Have you had duck fat fries before? They are heavenly. Not kidding. Plus duck fat has 18% less saturated fat than butter, and it tastes just as delicious.

I didn't always know about duck fat. I mean who does, right? I guess people who make duck a lot. (Is that a real group or club or something?) Whenever we made duck in culinary school, the chefs would ask us to save our rendered duck fat. I was always so confused by this. What's the point of saving duck fat? Then one of the chefs made us duck fat fries. I was hooked. The end. Seriously though, it enhances the flavor of the potato, gives it a richer taste somehow. I am going to branch out and try it with other foods. I'll let you know what else I think you should make with duck fat. You're welcome.

People have given me the best reaction to this present - you can probably see that exact reaction if you look in a mirror right now. It's priceless.

Recipe: Jambalaya

One of my favorite foods growing up was jambalaya. It is, like all Cajun/Creole food, super flavorful. It is easy to throw together and is still one of my favorites. You can put your mark on this recipe in several different ways. You get to pick the part of the chicken you use, the kind of sausage, the Cajun seasoning, and whether you add hot sauce and liquid smoke. You can also add shrimp. I recommend that you do.

Jambalaya
2 chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
5 oz sausage - cut in half length-wise and sliced (Andouille is the traditional sausage used in jambalaya - pick your favorite. I added Hillshire Farm's Lite Smoked Sausage. I liked it.)
1 medium onion - dice it or slice it
1 medium green bell pepper - dice it or slice it
3 celery stalks - chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of chicken broth
Water, as needed
1 large clove of garlic
1 1/2 c rice
Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning. It is a little spicy and a lot delicious.)
Optional : Hot sauce and liquid smoke
(Note: I would also add shrimp, but my husband hates seafood. We're still working on it.)

1. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery until the onion is just translucent. Season with the Cajun seasoning. (You are going to want to use a big pan because this is a one pot meal. My 12" sauté pan was perfect to make this recipe.) Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Sauté the chicken in the same pan until done. Season with the Cajun seasoning.

3. Add the rice to the chicken, let it toast for a minute.

4. Add the can of tomatoes. Stir to combine.

5. Add the sautéed vegetables and sausage to the pan.

6. Add the chicken stock and water until just covered with liquid. (Add a dash of hot sauce if you want to and no more than 2 drops of liquid smoke.)

7. Cook over medium/medium low until the rice is cooked. You will want to stir every once in a while and add more water (with Cajun seasoning) as needed. (If you are adding shrimp, add it about 5 minutes before it is finished and cook it through.)

Note: I cooked this nice and slow for about 40 minutes. If you don't have a lot of time, cook the rice separately with chicken stock and Cajun seasoning and add it during step 5. Stir it to combine and season as necessary. Let it simmer in the tomato juice for a couple of minutes. It will save you about twenty minutes, but you also lose a little of the flavor. Some days that is worth it.

Make it. Eat it. Love it.

Finally, no, I didn't forget.

Carb Count
2 chicken breasts - 0 g carbs
5 oz sausage - 0 g carbs
1 medium onion - 10 g carbs
1 medium green bell pepper - 6 g carbs
3 celery stalks - 3.6 g carbs
1 can diced tomatoes - 14 g carbs
1 can of chicken broth - 2 g carbs
Water, as needed - 0 g carbs
1 large clove of garlic - 1 g carbs
1 1/2 c rice - 67.5 g carbs
Cajun seasoning - 0 g carbs
Hot sauce - 0 g carbs

Total carb count = 104.1

Variety Tuesday: The Special Status of Children

I started babysitting when I was 11. I can't remember all of the names of the kids I watched, but I remembering something much more important. I changed my thoughts on the role of women and the importance of being a wife and a mother.

I always had career aspirations. I wanted to be a doctor (optometrist or obstetrician) or an astronaut (I was born the day the Challenger blew up - because of that, I was always super fascinated with space and space travel). However, after babysitting something clicked in me that made me not want any of those things. I wanted to be a mom. I wanted to dedicate my life to raising kids. I wanted to teach them and make them laugh and help them understand and reach their potential. I realized how important that job was and how it seemed to be disappearing.

I figured that out sometime between 1997 and 2004. Is it true now? Absolutely. Was it true before then? I figured it probably was. My husband shared an article with me about this topic yesterday. I want to share it with you.

The title was enough to convince me to read it. The Special Status of Children. So perfectly stated! The article isn't very long, and it is more than worth a read. It was written in 1994. Do you remember the world in 1994? I don't. I was 8. I didn't really care about what was going on. I was worried about school and recess and dancing. I have different concerns now and am extremely worried about the state of family life and the future for my kids.

I am not going to give my opinion on specific aspects of this article because I really want you to read it. I just want to tell you that it made me cry. It made me feel hopeful. It made me feel like my aspiration to be a mom someday is an incredibly worthy goal. It made me more educated about my responsibility as a mom and gave me direction.

Being around little children is to be blessed. They are pure, innocent, curious, fast-learning, and trusting. Adults have the responsibilities to properly teach and protect them. What an incredible trust our Heavenly Father must have in us to send His children into our homes. Please pass around this article to those who you feel might be uplifted by its message. Let's all strengthen our resolve to take our responsibilities seriously. I believe that it will make an incredible difference in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our states and countries, and most importantly our futures.

Cooking Tips & Tricks: Eating Out

Every Monday is dedicated to cooking tips & tricks. Today's tip is that there are going to be days that you don't cook at home. There are a million reasons for this to happen. (If you just aren't in the mood and want a good reason, please let me know. I can run through that list with you so you don't just seem lazy. You're welcome.) These tips are for finding a new place to try in your own town or when you are heading on vacation. Hope they help!

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I love food. I love cooking, but I also love eating out and trying new food. Lucky for me, I get to travel with my husband when he works in different places so we get to eat out in a lot of different places. I have developed a bit of a process when I look for new places to try, and since it works for me, I would like to share with you.

First, don't be afraid to try something new. I know that there are some days that you just want something familiar, but every once in a while it's so worth it to try something new. It can be as small as ordering something new at one of your favorite restaurants or you could be adventurous and try a new cuisine. (I tried Thai food for the first time 3 1/2 years ago. It became my favorite food after the first bite. Not kidding.)

Second, try to stay away from chain restaurants. You can have those anywhere. Local places have so much charm and if you do your homework, you'll find one with food that matches the experience. It's worth it.

When I find out we are going somewhere, my first thought is always, "Where are we going to eat?" Not kidding. I actually spend time researching places. It's definitely paid off though. I'll try to walk you through the madness. Stay with me.

Step 1: I like to know what the area I am going to is "famous" for. You can't go to Memphis without trying BBQ, you can't go to Chicago without eating a Chicago dog, and you should probably eat pizza in New York. First resource is someone you know. I bet you have a list of favorite places you like to eat in the town where you live. Your friends/family do too. Ask them. Even if they don't live there, they may have been there to visit and know of the greatest little place. After talking to people you know, check out apps like Urbanspoon and Yelp. They have a listing of cuisines - the cuisines that have the largest number of restaurants have them for a reason. People like them and probably know how to make them. Maybe add one of those to your list of cuisines to try on your trip.

Step 2: Once I know what kind of cuisine I want to try, I look at individual restaurants. Yes, I take the rating of the restaurant into consideration, but only because I am usually limited on time and want to make it worth it. (I also look at pictures posted because if the food looks really gross, I don't even bother reading reviews.) After I narrow it down by rating, I start to read the reviews. I will read one or two favorable reviews and as many negative reviews as I need to decide if I want to keep it on the list. There are so many negative reviews for slow service or rude waiters. Yes, that sucks, but if the food is good, I am willing to overlook those kinds of things. If people continually talk about a restaurant being dirty or the food not tasting good, I take a pass on it. This narrows the list really fast.  Another useful tool is the Food Network: On the Road app. It lists restaurants that have been recommended to Food Network by locals or professional chefs. Seems like a good starting point, especially if you want to try something outside your comfort zone.

Step 3: Don't assume you can always get great regional food outside that region. I've talked about this before. The West is in need of some good BBQ joints. I don't even look at those as an option anymore. You can't get really good seafood in every part of the country. Don't try. It will have been frozen, and it will probably taste frozen.

Step 4: If you are still stuck with a list and can't decide, you can narrow it down by prices. That's easy to look up. If you don't care about prices, try checking out the menu. I look for specialization and items on the menu that sound innovative and delicious. That means I don't usually choose Italian restaurants that have chicken nuggets and hamburgers on the menu. I can get those anywhere.

Try these tips out the next time you are going out of town (or even when you are trying to find something new in your own town). You don't have to spend hours on it, but if you have extra time while you are driving to your destination or work on it while you watch TV. It's worth it. I think we've all had the experience of rolling up to some food joint because it is the first one we see. There are not enough antacids in the world for those places. Am I right?

Enjoy eating out and please pass along any local favorites I should try when I am in your neck of the woods!

Friday 5 - Jokes

Since I've been so moody the last couple of days, I thought it would be perfect to end the week with 5 jokes that made me laugh.

1. What's black and white and black and white and black and white? (A penguin rolling down a hill.)

2. Knock, knock
 - Who's there?
   Nobody.
 - Nobody who?
  (Stay silent)

3. Knock, knock
 - Who's there?
   Little old lady.
 - Little old lady who?
   I didn't know you could yodel!

4. How do you catch a squirrel? (Climb up a tree and act like a nut.)

5. What's red and smells like blue paint? (Red paint.)

Please leave comments if you have any good ones! I could still use a good laugh!

Photo of the Week: How Do You Know?

This picture is how you know the Kraken has taken up residence at our house.

Recipe: Mustard Coleslaw

I told you yesterday that I was going to change your life with today's recipe. I wasn't lying. This is no ordinary coleslaw. It's mustard coleslaw. I first had mustard coleslaw at Leonard's Pit BBQ in Memphis. It made me fall in love with coleslaw. I didn't even know that was possible.

Couple of things you should know. First, today was my first attempt at counting carbs in a recipe. It's not as easy as it looks. I have so much respect for people who have to do this with every meal. You are my new heroes. (Please feel free to check my work. I won't be offended if I did something wrong, but please let me know so I can update it.) Second, I am selling this coleslaw as a healthier coleslaw. You don't use as much mayonnaise and it tastes twice as good. I didn't know that was possible either.

Mustard Coleslaw
1 medium head of cabbage, finely shredded (53 g carbs, 23 g d. fiber = 30 g carbs)
1 c green bell pepper, finely chopped            (7 g carbs, 2.5 g d. fiber = 7 g carbs)
1/3 c mustard                                                 (4.3 g carbs, 2.7 g d. fiber = 4.3 g carbs)
1/3 c mayonnaise                                           (.4 g carbs, 0 g d. fiber = .4 carbs)
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/4 c granulated sugar                                   (50 g carbs, 0 g d. fiber = 50 g carbs)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp celery salt

(Stupid sugar ruined this carb count. I was so proud until that moment. haha! Total carb count is 91.7 g for 5 cups of coleslaw. You get to pick your own serving size. Also, you can decrease the carb count by using a sugar substitute.)

This recipe is crazy easy. Start by shredding your cabbage. (Chop head of cabbage in quarters and cut the core out on an angle. Chop each quarter in half and finely shred each wedge. I sure hope that made sense because I didn't take pictures. Maybe I should someday.)

Finely chop the bell pepper. Use red if you want different color. I like the greens together.

Combine in a big bowl.

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, celery salt, sugar in a yellow bowl so when you take a picture you can't tell anything is in there. Take a picture, laugh, and shake your head. Pour it into the cabbage and bell peppers so people can actually tell you made a dressing.

Mix the dressing into the cabbage and bell pepper. You can see here that the dressing isn't dripping off the coleslaw. It is lightly coated. I consider it to be perfectly proportionate. You're welcome.

This coleslaw is a great addition to BBQ sandwiches, and it is perfect as a stand-alone side. Such a simple recipe and you can make this ahead of time. Plus if you are looking for an alternative to a dinner salad, this is a cheaper/healthy option.

Variety Tuesday: My Name is Kylee, and I am a Blog Stalker.

(Your response should be something like "Hi, Kylee.") 

I love reading blogs. It all started with people I knew (No, they didn't know I was reading their posts. Yes, I know that could be weird.) and then it expanded from there. I read food blogs, crafting blogs, inspirational blogs, etc. I still remember the day I found out about Google Reader. It saved me so much time. I cried a little when Google Reader committed suicide. I replaced it with Feedly and we have a love/hate relationship.

That's not the point of my post today though. I don't have a private blog for a reason. I don't want to limit my readers to those who want to give me their email address. I do, however, want you to feel like you know a little about me when you read my blog. Today is all about answering questions that will help you feel like we are friends. I would have let you choose the questions, but I am running out of time for today's post. Solution? Post any question you want answered in the comments, and I will use another Tuesday to answer them all. 

Today's questions came from a list of 100 questions narrowed down to 15 by my husband. These are the ones he thought were the most interesting. Let's see! (I promise I didn't read any of these beforehand or influence him at all.)

1. What is your biggest fear and/or worry? I have an irrational fear of snakes. If I see them (even in a picture), I dream about them. If I dream about them, I end up waking my husband up and making him calm me down. I don't know why I am scared of them. I've never had a bad experience with one. They just look scary. I worry most about not doing a good enough job. I think most women do.

2. If someone was to give you one gift, money is no object, what would you want to receive? One gift? Why just one? Does this person hate me? Ha! Just kidding. I would want a vacation. Those are my favorite presents. I am not a big collector of "things" (except kitchen stuff, and I am just about out of room... I have to be super picky now.) so now the best presents are memories. (Awww...)

3. If you could have any special magic, what would it be? Oh, how I would want to fly. Think about it: vacations without the TSA going through my stuff and then sitting in a tiny seat for endless hours. Wonderful.

4. If you could become anyone's friend that you want, who would you choose? This question is so funny! When I read about strangers in blogs, I tell my husband that they would be my friends in "real life." (One of the reasons I wanted to do this. I want you people to think you would be my friend in "real life.") Jennifer Garner and Kristen Chenoweth are the celebrities I am sure would be my friends. They just seem so nice. I really hope that isn't just an act.

5. If you had to pick one place in your town to bring a tourist, where would you go? Again, just one? I have a list of about 15 restaurants you would have to visit. Happy to take you to all of them. Seriously. If we are talking about non-restaurant places, I would want to take someone to Squaw Peak. It is a gorgeous drive, and then you get to see the entire valley. It's so pretty! 

6. If you could move anywhere, where would you go and why? This will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but if I could move anywhere, it would probably be Gilbert, AZ. Yes, I know it is hot. Remember the delicious 15 restaurants in Provo? There are 50 in Gilbert. At least. Plus I would get to swim 10 months out of the year. Finally an exercise I could get behind, and I would have such a nice tan!

7. What is the greatest crisis we face as a world? Ohhh... This is good question. I am not good at narrowing things down to one. Have you noticed? I am going to give you two. You will just have to deal with it. 

The first one would be the attack on traditional families. If you look up tradition, you will see that it is an inherited way of thinking or acting. We inherited traditional families from God. He doesn't get things wrong. Men are to preside, protect, and provide for their families. Women are to nurture their families. That's all I am going to say about that one. 

The next one would be that people rely too heavily on the government to do things for them. I could rant on this one for a while, but instead I want to paint a picture of how it could be. People start relying on themselves for providing for their families and making decisions that affect their family. (That means actually taking responsibility for the children you bring into the world and not feeling like you "deserve" to be handed everything in life.) Neighbors and families end up helping each other pick up the slack. As a safety net, churches would step in to help. Yes, it is possible (and better) to do things without the government holding our hands 24/7. 

8. What is going on today in the world that affects you the most? The instability of our economy - do you notice the prices jump every day while the value of the dollar is nonexistent? I would tell you that it was because the government felt the need to be involved in another aspect of our lives, but you already know that. I am scared of when it all comes unravelling and people end up in a panic because of it.

9. What is your favorite thing to eat? I love fried potatoes. I could win eating contests with french fries and homemade chips. You'd be impressed. I like them plain or with fry sauce (ketchup and mayonnaise mixed - thanks, Utah) or with mayonnaise. 

10. If you had to pick one hero, who would it be? There are so many people I look up to. I won't write them all down since I am sure you will hear about them on my blog at some point or another. So I will catch you off guard and tell you that a hero is the principal male character in a story and I already picked the hero for my story. Joe. He's awesome. I'll show you one reason why on Thursday. Stay tuned. 

11. If you could study anything you wanted in school, what would you want to learn more about? I went to school twice and studied something I thought would be useful and then studied something I liked. If I went back again, I've always said it would be for massage therapy. (That was the list of degrees I thought would be best to convince someone to marry me. haha - wish I was kidding...) I would like to know more about massage therapy so I could give massages that lasted longer than about a minute and actually did some good. 

12. If you could become a character in a TV show or movie, who would you chose to be? I would want to be  a character in Pitch Perfect. The music is so fun, and I would want to hang out with Rebel Wilson. She would probably make me laugh a lot. 

13. What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it? I love Thanksgiving, and I celebrate it by focusing on my gratitude and eating more than any individual should. Again, you would be impressed. I've got some killer eating skills. 

14. What is the one thing that makes you laugh the hardest? Myself. I'm a funny person.

15. Do you know how you got your name? I know that my name was supposed to be Shantell. My parents loved that name. I don't remember now why they picked Kylee instead, but I love my name. They did a good job.

Did you know my answers before you read them? If not, I'm glad you know me a little better. Don't forget to ask questions in the comments if I left anything out! Come back tomorrow for a recipe make over that will change everything.

Cooking Tips & Tricks: 16 Cooking Tips

Today I want to share with you 16 of my favorite cooking tips. They are random and I hope they help you enjoy your time in the kitchen even more!

1. We've all heard that we need to taste as we go. Right? It's the only way to know if the flavor needs to be adjusted. I do this. I taste the liquid I am cooking rice in. I taste each component of dinner separately and combined. Sometimes I just taste because I am really hungry and it tastes good. I will admit that I double dip when I am tasting things at my house. What is the point of using 12 different spoons to taste the same sauce? We share the same germs anyway. Well, I can't do this when I am cooking for other people. I think it is gross to think that before dinner got to your mouth, it touched mine first. It's even more important when your guests are watching you cook. Well, I learned a trick in culinary school that cuts down on tasting spoons and still keeps the food sanitary. We would use the spoon normally to taste the first time and turn it around and use the handle to taste the second time. This is perfect sample size for sauces because you are just trying to get a small taste.

2. Don't overcrowd your pans. I am guilty of overcrowding my pans when I am in a hurry. It is never worth the time and I know this, but I still did it every week until I got a bigger pan for Christmas. Changed my life. I can't tell you the difference in my cooking. My husband even notices the differences. Food is able to caramelize better instead of just steaming. The cooking is more consistent because there is more of a hot surface area. Plus I made three eggs yesterday at the same time. I didn't have to make just one at a time. Do you know how much time that saves? A lot. If you don't have a giant pan yet, please take the time to cook in batches. It's worth it. Trust me.

3. We hear this one all the time. Make sure you prep everything you need to cook with first and then start cooking. Oh, do we all have uninterrupted hours to cook every single meal? No? Then learn to multitask. In an ideal world, of course we would have everything prepared before we start cooking. Since life isn't always ideal, we learn to make do. For example, when I make stir fry, I always start by cutting the vegetables that will take the longest to cook and then cook things in batches. (See how this works out?) Let me give you a run down of how this could work.
 1. Put the pan on medium heat, add the oil, onion, and bell peppers when it is hot.
 2. Cut some carrots, stir the onions and bell peppers, cut some more carrots. If your pan is big
     enough, add the chopped carrots. If it isn't, take the onions and bell peppers out and put them in a
     bowl. Start cooking the carrots.
 3. Cut celery. Stir the stuff in the pan. Continue in this manner until you've added all of your
     vegetables.
4. I know you will be surprised by this, but I cut and cook the meat last. That way I don't have to
    worry about cleaning up after cooking chicken before I can even start cooking the vegetables.
    Before I cook the chicken, I put all of the mostly cooked vegetables in a bowl. After the chicken is
    cooked, I combine it all. Done.
If you find that you aren't cutting as fast as the food is cooking, there is a magical knob that turns the temperature of the pan down. Don't be afraid to use it.

4. Don't be afraid to alter recipes! This one seems so obvious to me. There are a million roasted potato recipes out there that include rosemary and since I don't like rosemary, I substitute something else like thyme, basil, or parsley. The person that wrote the recipe will not show up on your doorstep if you substitute green bell pepper for red or omit raisins. You get to make food that tastes good to you. Recipes are great guidelines, but as you learn to make substitutions, you make them your own. You are creating instead of copying. (Yes, you have my permission to edit any and all of my recipes. Take them as your own.)

5. I love making soup! It's such an easy way to clean out the fridge at the end of the week - leftover chicken, a couple of vegetables, and some chicken stock. You're done! To speed up the process, I always sauté the vegetables in butter before adding the liquid. It increases the flavor and reduces the simmer time. We call that a win-win where I come from.

6. I love cooking, but there are some days when I am just not in the mood. The only things that can motivate me are the knowledge that this is one of the ways I can serve my family and music. I love listening to music while I am in the kitchen. It makes the time pass by faster and helps keep me moving! Plus I can sing and dance around and that makes everything better!

7. I think that one of the worst parts of cooking is cleaning up afterwards. In my dancing around the kitchen, I usually spill once or twice, but I don't always clean up right away. It's always a big mistake. So my tip for you is to clean as you go. Even if it is just filling a dirty bowl with hot water, it will make your job so much easier! I find that if I rinse dishes and keep them in one side of my sink, it makes filling the dishwasher so easy and fast that I really don't mind doing it. I find that if I run the dishwasher at night and unload it during the day while I am cooking, it doesn't seem like I am just doing dishes all day. The same goes for spills - on the stove, in the fridge, on the floor - clean as you go and it will make "deep cleaning" super easy.

8. When I make cookies, I always keep the dough in the fridge between batches. You want the butter to stay cold so it gives the cookies a chance to rise a little in the oven. Otherwise, the butter just melts and you end up with flat cookies.

9. While you want cookies to be cold, you want the pan you are using on the stove to be hot. Once it is hot, add the oil/butter/duck fat and then add whatever you are cooking. (If you are using duck fat and making potatoes, please invite me over.) There is a reaction that takes place between food and heat that you don't want to miss out on by letting them come up to temperature together.

10. If you want to try something new, read a little about it and then TRY it! For me this week, it is about tempering chocolate. I am going to try a million times until I get it right. Learn from your mistakes, and don't be afraid of making mistakes. (That reminds me of a "delicious" meal I made my parents once. I was trying to make Thai food for the first time and found a recipe for chicken with peanut butter sauce. It was the grossest thing I ever made. While I haven't tried that recipe again, I love Thai food and am not afraid of trying out new recipes.)

11. I love making sauces. I think that I would call them my favorite thing to make. (Weird, I know. You can't just eat sauce by itself, but it completes meals. It is the thing that ties it all together.) I am going to do a separate post on sauces, but I wanted to share a secret with you. Chefs strain their sauces. Once. Maybe twice. That's why they are smooth and shiny and perfect. Straining a sauce takes about a minute and it is super impressive to have a beautiful sauce.

12. Ever fight to keep your cutting board in place? The tip I read most often about fixing this is using a wet towel. (Have you ever heard that bacteria thrives in damp, warm environments? Think about that the next time you put a breeding ground for bacteria under your cutting board...) Ok, well, technically that is true, but it works and you can throw the towel in to be washed right after you are finished with it. I have an easier way. Use the grip shelf liner. You know what I am taking about? The mesh non-stick rubbery stuff you put in your cabinets so your plates don't roll around? (haha!) It is perfect for underneath your cutting board. Cut off a square, confine your cutting board to one place while you use it, and then you can wash the liner! Just make sure to dry it and you can roll it up to use next time. Genius.

13. One of the questions I am most often asked about it knives. Which knife it the best? Which brand is the best? How many knives should I have? Well, I will tell you the answers.
  1. There is no such thing as the best brand. People have different opinions about which knives are
      the best. I like Mercer branded knives (you will be shocked at the prices compared to some of the
      big name brands) because that is what we used in school. After cutting for what could have been
      hundreds of hours, my hand is used to using them. I like the way they feel and have never had a
      problem keeping them sharp. If you think about it, Mercer is the brand given to most culinary
      students. Seems like they are more than sufficient for home cooks. So, first of all, you don't have
      to buy crazy expensive knives because of the brand.
  2. I will never recommend that you buy a full set of knives. It doesn't make any sense. I use a 10"
      chef's knife, an 8" serrated knife, and the occasional paring knife. I have a boning knife which is
      great if you break down fish, but I don't do that often. Beyond that, you can have steak knives on
      hand (these don't have to be expensive either, by the way), but I don't use any other knife. I
      always recommend having a steel to keep the edge on your knife. As long as you take care of
      them (hand wash only), keep them sharp and keep them out of the food disposal, you're set!

14. I think one of my favorite inventions is the freezer. You can preserve food in your house. Can you imagine trying to store food for longer than a couple of days without one? I am so grateful I live in a time when we can freeze food. Not kidding. I love the concept of buying in bulk, especially when we are talking about meat. When meat is on sale, I stock up my freezer so I never have to pay full price. For instance, chicken breasts at the grocery store I usually shop at cost between $2.69 and $2.99 per pound. Every 3 months or so, they will go on sale for $1.99. I stock up and freeze most of it to use in the next couple of months. The same happens with pork and beef roasts, pork chops, steaks, etc. The important thing to note is that you want to take it all out of the original packaging and put it into portion sizes in freezer bags. This will keep longer. Also, make a habit of labeling things. (For example, boneless pork shoulder 1/14 will tell you all you need to know about the meat hanging out in your freezer. Don't be afraid to freeze loaves of bread, cheese, deli meat, chocolate bars, cookies, and fruit/vegetables that are in season. Freeze pesto, homemade chicken stock, and ginger to keep them fresh. I am going to try making my own vegetable stock by freezing the unused portions of my vegetables and making stock when I have enough saved. I am pretty excited about this. The trick with defrosting anything is to put it in the fridge the night before you want to use it. It will become routine and will keep you motivated to cook since you already have something out and ready to be used. (Exception: I don't defrost bread in the fridge. I just put it out on the counter.)

15. Food Network (specifically Rachael Ray) made this tip famous. Using a garbage bowl. I laugh so hard when I hear them taking about this. "There needs to be a bowl specifically set aside to hold your garbage. Then you must clean it and store it." If only there was something we could put our garbage in to keep it contained. Oh wait, we do. It's called a garbage can. Plus I don't have to clean it every time I put something in it and I don't have to take up valuable storage for it. So, thanks for trying to be clever FN, but I think we can handle storing our trash without buying one of your branded bowls.

16. This final tip isn't about time saving or making food taste more delicious, but it is one of my favorites. When I know people are coming over, I fill a saucepan with water, add orange, lime, or lemon rinds. Then I add complementary spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, rosemary (I don't eat it, but I like the smell, go figure!), or any other spice you have on hand. Bring it up to a boil and let it simmer. It makes your house smell SO good. you can put it into a sealed tupperware dish in the fridge and use it again 2 or 3 times. Just don't let it simmer so long that all the water evaporates. Just add new water each time. It's super easy and makes your house smell like a home.

I loved coming up with this list this week! I hope something here helps you out or makes you laugh! Enjoy your time in the kitchen! Feel free to share any of your favorite tips in the notes!

Friday 5 - Things to Splurge on at the Grocery Store!

Fridays are going to be such great posts. The idea for today's post came to me the other day when I went to the store. When I grocery shop, I put some time into it. I compare different store ads, check to see if products are cheaper to buy in bulk at Sam's Club, then I make lists. I have lists for each store with prices. I plan meals based on foods that are on sale and stock up when items are on a really good sale. I don't buy national branded groceries because the generic brands taste exactly the same. (See where I am going?) I don't feel the need to splurge on products at the grocery store... except for a couple of things.

1. Deli meat - I can't count the number of brands/varieties I've tried. Nothing is as good as the freshly cut meat. Yes, I still wait for it to go on sale (then I stock up and freeze it) but it is still more expensive than the prepackaged stuff.

2. Apples - You might tell me that an apple is an apple is an apple. That's just not true. When I buying apples to snack on, they just have to be honey crisp. Perfect texture, perfect level of sweetness, perfect apple. Most expensive apple. I still wait for these to go on sale, but they are still pretty expensive for an apple.

3. Toilet paper - Yes, I buy my toilet paper at the grocery store. I didn't always. I was a Charmin fan. Then an amazing thing happened. Western Family decided to change their toilet paper to be the generic Charmin toilet paper. It's not exactly the same, but it is close enough to convert me. So technically, it's not the most expensive, but it isn't the cheap 1-ply stuff because who buys that stuff? Just use your hand, sicko.

4. Soup - I love good soups. I love that they add real vegetables and meat. I haven't bought the cheaper varieties since I don't know how long. They are easy lunches during the week, especially when my husband is in charge of cooking them. (Yes, I still make my own soup, but there is something about the convenience of a 2 minute cook time.)

5. I had a hard time with this one. I really had to think about it. The only other product that fits this category is chips. I can handle some of the cheaper varieties, but there is something absolutely perfect about Kettle chips, Tim's Jalapeño flavored chips, and Ruffles. I just haven't found anything that matches them.

Your turn. What are things that you splurge on at the grocery store?

Photo of the Week: Sunset

I rarely see the sun rise because there is a mountain directly east of my house. Plus I am not a morning person. So this is a sunset from a couple of months ago. I think it is my favorite. I love the colors and the clouds. This was taken from a moving vehicle on the freeway. What a beautiful world we live in!

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I know. You think that because the holidays are over, you can't eat pumpkin. That's not a rule. In fact, it doesn't even make sense. We all stocked up over the holidays with canned pumpkin, so we should use it up. Cold weather begs for soup and the combination of pumpkin and cinnamon. Plus it's now been a couple of weeks since we all overused pumpkin. It's time to bring it out again. Finally, it is about time we all break the New Year's resolutions? (I'm kidding. You can freeze part of it so you don't have to eat it all at once.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

3 1/2 c flour

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 c granulated sugar

1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree

1/2 c canola oil

1/2 c butter

2/3 c water

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside. (If you are me, you only have 2 loaf pans and you left part of the batter in the bowl and cooked it in batches.)

2. Combine oil, butter, and and sugar.

3. Add water, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs - mix until smooth.

4. Add pumpkin - mix until combined.

5. Add flour, baking soda, and salt - mix until combined.

6. Add chocolate chips - fold into batter.

7. Divide batter into prepared pans.

8. Bake for 60 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. (Use a knife and a small offset spatula to loosen the loaves. Let cool completely before you slice it... if you can wait that long.)

I am pretty sure I didn't follow the recipe when I added the cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla. I just checked the flavor after it all came together and adjusted as necessary. You have my permission to do the same. 

(Day 3 done. Yeah. I feel like this is going to work. Lucky you!)

Variety Tuesday: Word Origins

When I got married, I started studying the scriptures with my husband every day. I love that part of the day. Since we have such different perspectives, I learn so many things. I want to share a couple with you. You should note that these study habits don't just have to be for studying scriptures - any book will do.

1. I was introduced to the concept of being a "teflon reader." We are all guilty of it. Reading things we don't understand and just moving on. Letting the words just slide right off us. (Teflon, get it?) I find myself looking up things I don't understand or looking into phrases that don't make sense.

2. This one is my favorite. Joe was always talking about the origins of words. You know, the earliest known definitions. You will find such amazing insight.

I will give you an example.

In my church, all of the women are giving the calling of visiting teacher. That means that we help sisters know they are loved, help them grow spiritually, and serving them in times of need. The leaders of the church give us a message every month to share. This month was all about Jesus Christ being our exemplar.

My first step in studying the lesson was to look up exemplar. According to dictionary.com it means a "model or pattern to be copied or imitated." It makes perfect sense because we are supposed to model our actions after Jesus Christ. As we come to know the Savior, we can understand better who we are supposed to become.

If you look up the origin of exemplar, you will find that the definition used in the late 14th century was "original model of the universe in the mind of God." I love that the word original was used. Have you ever made a copy of a copy? It's not like the original at all. If the Savior is the potential our Heavenly Father saw in this universe, we have a lot of work to do. In the mid 15th century, exemplar was "model of virtue." So instead of just copying a model, we are asked to copy the model of virtue. We should be holding ourselves to a higher standard. I think we would be surprised at how much greater our potential is when we expect more of ourselves.

Those are just a couple of thoughts that came from a single word. I love how much these tricks have helped me understand the scriptures better. Give it a try - let me know what you think!

(It's still Tuesday in California, so this counts as day 2! You're welcome.)

Cooking Tips & Tricks: Meat vs. Protein

Animals as food seem to be quite the controversy these days. You've probably heard about "Meatless Monday" trying to keep people from eating meat one day a week. My purpose today isn't to address the sides of the debate, but I do want to tell you how I see things.

I believe that one of the reasons animals were placed on earth is to provide food. I don't believe that animals should be mistreated in this process. We should treat them as humanely as possible and discourage waste. I also believe that we should eat meat sparingly so we don't have a need to mass produce animals to be used as food. That being said, I like meat. I think it is delicious. I don't eat organ meat because I think it tastes and/or looks gross. You can come up with your own opinions.

Meat I would recommend adding to your diet:

Seafood - I love seafood. When people tell me they don't like seafood, the first question I always ask is what they don't like about it. If it is the smell (and 99% of the time it is), I tell them to eat out when they get fish the first time (actually, every time until they start liking it). That keeps your house from smelling like fish and gives them the chance to smell other food while they eat their fish. If they don't like the texture, have them try something other than shrimp and calamari. White fish is usually a safe place to start. It can take on just about any flavor.

Poultry - Chicken and turkey are always mentioned when talking about lean meats. Light meat over the dark meat. It is super versatile and you can use ground in place of most recipes calling for ground beef or pork.

Beef - Lean cuts of beef include eye of round, bottom round, and top round steaks or roasts; top sirloin steaks; and sirloin tip side steaks. When I buy cuts of beef that aren't as lean, I do two things: cut off excess fat and cook it long enough to melt the fat. If you like ground beef, consider grinding your own - then you get to determine which pieces are included. (Note: You will need SOME fat in your ground beef, but isn't it nice to know that you get to determine how much?)

Pork - The leanest cuts of pork are the tenderloin, boneless loin roasts and chops, boneless ham, and Canadian bacon. Surprised that pork belly/bacon wasn't included? I'm not, but I do have a trick when looking for bacon. I actually look at it. Check out the window in the front AND back to determine how much fat is on it. Pick the packages with the least amount of fat. Easy as that! Even then, there are times that I will cook the bacon and still take off the big pieces of fat.

We don't eat game meat at my house. I think it was because my dad went deer hunting once. Bambi was hung up in the garage for a couple of days. It was pretty gross. My husband just doesn't like it. He didn't have to stare at Bambi out the window into the garage or walk past it to play in the back yard. I cooked with lamb, duck, rabbit, and veal in school but I didn't love any of it. I stick to the basics - they are easy to find and cheaper in my area.

Next, vegetarians and vegans find ways to add protein to their meals. Do we even need protein? Absolutely. Why? Good question. Protein is an important part of every cell in your body. Hair and nails are mostly made up of protein. Protein is used to build and repair tissue, to make hormones and other body chemicals, and is a building block in bones, muscle, skin, and blood. Proteins are the second most abundant molecule in the body. Water is the first. Protein doesn't have a reserve like fat does in our body so we have to continually replenish it.

I don't know how much protein you should be eating. That's up to you. You get to determine how much your body needs. I don't like to eat meat with every meal, but I do like to add protein every day in other forms. These are some of my favorites:

Milk - Remember the days when we actually drank milk? I like to drink mine with cold cereal, cookies, or graham crackers.

Cheese - So many varieties and options. Add them to béchamel to make delicious sauces. Eat them with apples, turkey slices, or alone.

Yogurt (especially Greek) - I am going to call this the second most versatile of the meatless proteins. Use plain Greek Yogurt in place of Mayonnaise in chicken and potato salads or deviled eggs, eat any flavor for breakfast or for a snack, add it to smoothies, freeze it in your ice cream maker for frozen yogurt, etc. This list is only limited by your creativity.

Eggs - Hello easy breakfasts! (fried, hard boiled, soft boiled, poached, baked, frittata, you get my point) Eggs can be added to salads, sandwiches, and fried rice. They are inexpensive to add into meals a couple of times a week.

Beans - I am going to call this the most versatile of the meatless proteins. There are so many variety and they can seamlessly take the place of meat in soups, salads, chili, and stir fry (soy beans work best for this one). Plus red beans and rice still tastes good without meat. Beans can also be used to make dips, baked for a snack, and used as a substitution in baking.

Soy - I know I already mentioned soy beans, but they are worth mentioning again. I love edamame. (Funny story about edamame - my husband and mom decided that my first daughter should be named Etta Mame. Poor girl is apparently not as bright as she should be and isn't attractive at all. The happy ending was that she ended up on the side of the hill for the coyotes to raise or eat. Saddest story ever.)

Quinoa - I like that quinoa is easy. Toss it in to simmering soup for about 20 minutes. It can be used in place of rice in most recipes. (No, I will not be making red beans and quinoa. I already gave up spicy sausage, there has to be a limit!)

Protein powder - This is my least favorite. I don't like the way protein powder tastes, but if I am making a smoothie, it is an easy way to add some protein.

Nuts/Nut butter - There are so many recipes incorporating nuts into recipes. My favorite? Peanut butter cookies. They are delicious! You can even add a tablespoon in with your smoothie.

I hope these have given you some ideas to add protein to your diet without adding meat. Another benefit is that most of these things are cheaper than buying meat so by cutting it out of a couple of meals a week, you can add $$ to your shoe fund. You're welcome. I will include meatless recipes as I make them!

(End of post pat on the back for making it through day one of the new format. I'm so proud of myself!)

I Love CHANGE!

How many times have I told you that I would blog more consistently? I haven't been. Did you notice?  I think I know why.

It's super intimidating to take pictures of the food I make for a couple of reasons. First, I am taking pictures in a kitchen that has no natural light with an iPhone. I have never owned a camera and am just guessing most of the time. Second, and I'm sure you will be surprised by this, not every meal is platinum at our house. I love cold cereal and don't feel like you would read my blog if I took pictures of Honey & Nut Toasted Oats and some milk in a mug. (Yes, a mug. I like the handle. I eat soup out of a mug, too.)

So instead of blogging about food every once in a while, it kind of became never. If I can't succeed, I want to fail miserably. Until now. I want to change things up with my blog. Don't worry. My personality will still be jumping off every page. Plus I will still share my favorite recipes.

I have a new schedule for my blog posts.

Monday is going to be all about cooking tips and techniques. This is one thing that I need your help with. PLEASE post questions you have or things you want to learn. I will add several of my own, but if there are things I can help you with, I would like to.

Tuesday is going to be my miscellaneous post of the week. I get to write about anything I want to!

Wednesday is going to be a favorite recipe of mine with pictures and instructions. I love cooking and sometimes I forget to take pictures (most of the time I forget to), but I will do better knowing that I only have to have one a week.

Thursday is going to be a photo of the week. I am going to practice taking pictures with my phone so I don't feel as awkward posting pictures with my recipes.

Friday is going to be called Friday 5. I am going to post 5 _______. I will fill in that blank with so many interesting things, you aren't going to want to miss it!

I am so excited for these changes! Please check back everyday because as of Monday, I will be here everyday. Remember to post comments - I like reading as much as I like writing.

Nativity

Now that Christmas is over, we all focus on the birth of the Savior a little less. Instead of posting this at Christmas time and it becoming white noise with all of the other celebrations, I wanted to wait until things settled down after the holidays to talk about one of my favorite scripture stories. It's fascinating. It's miraculous. It's humbling.

The most important aspect of this story is, of course, the Savior. Jesus Christ was born. He is the son of a mortal mother and immortal Father. He was born to fulfill a specific purpose and was perfectly obedient to His Father's will. His mortality helped Him to become the only one to be able to understand each of us individually. His humble entrance to the world didn't give away His divine nature or mission. He left this world as quietly as I like to think he entered it. Because of His birth and his fulfillment of the Atonement, we can be forgiven of our sins and return to live with our Heavenly Father. Because of His birth, we can be with our families forever. Because of His birth, we can fulfill the missions we were sent to carry out.

I could talk about Mary for days. I love reading her story. She was called to be the mother of the Son of God. She wasn't married when she conceived Jesus Christ. She could have easily been turned away by Joseph and stoned to death. She was called to help teach Him and help Him understand His role. Can you imagine that kind of pressure? If that wasn't enough, she had to watch as her Son was crucified for the world. She knew that it was necessary. I don't think anything prepares you for that moment. One of my favorite scriptures is Luke 2:19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. She is such an example of remaining faithful when faced with trials. I think she is an incredible example of humility. She was the mother of the Savior of the World. She could have spent her time making sure people knew that and gave her credit. She was the kind of woman and mother we need in this world: spiritually sensitive, loving, meek, obedient, and supportive.

Joseph. What a man of faith! He was told that his fiancee was going to give birth to a son and that she was a virgin. It takes a humble man to listen to an explanation of that and still be able to trust and love his significant other. He wasn't going to make it known publicly that she was pregnant. He listened to the Spirit and took on the responsibility of being the earthly father of Savior. We know that Joseph listened to the Spirit in order to save the life of the Savior more than once. The only other thing we know about him is that he was a carpenter. He worked to support his family. That covers all three of the responsibilities listed in The Family: A Proclamation to the World: preside, provide, and protect.

The shepherds. It was night and they were watching their flocks. These were the lambs used in sacrifice. The shepherds needed to ensure that they were the firstborn without blemish. (Of course they would be called upon to witness this Firstborn who would be the final sacrifice.) They were visited by an angel, and were understandably afraid. They were taught about the Savior being born and were told to go and find Him. They went with "haste" to find Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. After they witnessed the truth of the angel's words, they went and told people. They were missionaries. They gained a testimony and desired to make those things known to others.

We don't know much about they wise men. We always assume there were three and they nativity scene always pictures them. We don't know how many there were (we only know how many gifts they offered) and we know that they saw Jesus as a young child into the house of Mary and Joseph. They knew enough about the Savior that they came specifically to worship Him. They were warned by God in a dream and obeyed Him. They came looking for Jesus after they saw the sign of His birth, so they had been taught about Him at sometime by someone.

I love looking at the stars. I think they are one of my favorite creations. I've often wondered why a star was given as the sign of the Savior's birth. It was a new star - one that would shine brighter than the rest. Stars can't just appear out of thin air. This star appeared the night that Jesus Christ was born. It was visible from different parts of the world and was still visible when the wise meant were searching for the Him.

I think that same light is available today. As we look for Jesus Christ in our lives, we will be filled with that light. With His light. It is the only thing that can make us whole. It is the only way we can be filled with peace. It is the only source of joy. I love reading about and remembering the miraculous things the Savior did during His ministry, but I think it is important to remember the miraculous way He came to Earth. I wonder if we were part of the Heavenly choir that announced His birth. Because we all knew that in order for Him to understand mortality and its affect on our spirits, He needed to have a body and experience it Himself. In order for Him to overcome death and sin, he needed to be born first. I am grateful for that humble birth and wondrous life. I am grateful that we can carry His light with us all year and not just focus on Him during the Christmas season.