Holy Goodness How Time Flies

So you blink once and realize that an entire month zoomed by... I have a million recipes to post, but not quite enough time to sit down and get it done...

so without taking too much time, this post is my way of saying "bear with me, don't give up on my little blog yet... I will have more for you soon"

Have a great week all!

Giveaway: Make Lunch Easier

So the correct grammar for the title would more likely be "make lunch more easily", but we are just going to roll with it...

Okay so I never talk about leftovers: but I have oodles of them... Always... and we always take them for lunch, which is kind of a pain because I usually end up packing like 3 different containers (each) for my husband's lunch, and mine... So when I saw this giveaway I bolted forward and read as quickly as I could about what I had to do to get one... And here I am...

Check out this great giveaway! If you have kids and make their lunch every morning, then you probably have millions of ziploc baggies floating around, or you have some random mismatched tupperware that doesn't always fit in the lunch bag right... So aggravating... This system not only makes lunch packing easier, but it lends itself to endless creativity! Just check out the garden themed lunch she made her son in the giveaway post!

Good luck to you all, though I hope to be the winner myself, of course!!!

Peace!
V

Pick Me Up

So sometimes I get in a funk... and I need a pick me up. Well today I am not even in a funk, and a friend said something so nice to me, that I am pretty sure it will work any time I need it to in the future... So I decided to post it so that I can "visit it" any time I need to defunkify....

Virginia- You amaze me almost on a daily basis...and you live halfway across the country! You are always smiling and happy, and that makes those around you happy. You are a wonderful mother and wife and friend. Your cooking...as I've told you... makes my mouth water. I want to live in your house, just to try your food. You're always there for me when I need someone to talk to. You are strong and caring, humble and just a beautiful person. Thank you for being my friend.

Sweet, right? Good friends make the world go round...

Let this be a lesson to tell your friends often how special they are... You never know when something you say may turn their week right around.

Chicken and Okra in Peanut Sauce

I first tried this dish at a potluck for our FRG last year. I was hooked right away. I know there are many variations on this dish that can be found on the internet and whatnot, but I concocted my own variation and was pretty pleased with it.. What is this dish I am describing? Basically it is chicken with okra... like the name suggests... but the sauce is a combination of the juice from tomatoes in the dish and a couple tablespoons of peanut butter... It is a creamy delicious sauce and anyone you serve it to will beg for the recipe!

This is an awesome "meal in one" dish... You get protein, veggies, and great flavor in this dish. Serve over rice and dinner is served!


I have to warn you right now though, I forgot to take pictures of every single step, and I didn't take one of the final product either.. so basically that means I have to remake the whole thing again so I can take more pictures!

Chicken and Okra in Peanut Sauce

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 c frozen okra (I added more because I love okra, but you can add less if you are skeptical)
1 onion, chopped finely
minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/4-1/2 c peanut butter
salt and pepper

Cook the chicken in olive oil in a large pot. When done, remove to a plate and add another glug olive oil.



Sauté the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and bring to a soft boil.



Add the okra and the chicken. Grind some salt and pepper on top and stir well. Add peanut butter, starting with 1/4 c and increasing to taste. Let simmer until okra is no longer frozen and everything is heated through.

Serve on rice.

This may sound easy and a little strange, but let me reassure you that this will be a hit at your dinner table!!

Landon's Best Friend

Javi is my wonderful black and white (resembles a Holstein cow...) kitty cat... He is the "original" man in my life and has been around for almost 3 years... He was just a baby when Donovan and I met and that first night when Donovan stayed in my house (snowed in by a blizzard), he slept on the air mattress with him all night long and licked Donovan's head while he slept... (yes, you caught that right: I am a good girl and I banished him to the air mattress...)

After my strangely maternal bond with Javi, and Donovan's just strange bond with him, it was fitting that our son relate to him as well... but we never in a million years dreamed that they would be as close as they are... When Landon was just a newborn Javi would curl up on the couch next to him, under the bassinet, or on the play mat with him. Wherever Landon was, so was Javi... They have been inseparable since Landon was born...

So the point of the story is this...

PICTURES!

Yeah I know, a long story to show some pictures...

Enjoy.

White Bean Spinach Hummus Dip

I am NOT a good name giver... Let me just say that right now... Basically this dip was a DELICIOUS accident.. I had a ton of spinach that I wanted to use, so I decided to "go with it"... I opened the cabinet and found a can of Great Northern Beans and a can of Garbanzo beans... From there, an idea was born.

First, chop an onion finely and throw it in a sauce pan with some olive oil. Throw in a couple minced garlic cloves. Stir until fragrant.



Meanwhile, wash and dry a BIG bunch of spinach... I am going to say I used two packed cups.. But it is really only about 6-8 oz...



When you throw it in it will be super fluffy, but as you stir it and it gets hot it will shrink down. Once everything turns bright green and is wilted it is done. Turn the pan off and let it cool.



Transfer the spinach mixture, white beans (you can use any white bean) garbanzo beans, a splash of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, some salt and pepper, a handful of fresh basil leaves if you have them, and a splash of chicken broth to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, adding olive oil as necessary to get a smooth consistency.



That's it! You are done! It is SOOOOOO addictive and delicious, and I even found a few other uses for it:

I spread some on a chicken breast and made a tasty sandwich
I boiled and drained some pasta, then tossed the hot pasta in a couple spoonfuls of the dip. Landon loved it, and I was pretty content too!
I spread some on garlic toast
I dipped some homemade tortilla chips in it
I licked the spoon... (very tasty).

I am sure there are many more ideas!

Oh how I've missed you all!

I'm baaaaaaaack! So I haven't really left... but I haven't been posting regular like I would like... Part of this is because of work, part because my husband was gone and I wasn't motivated to cook like I normally do, and part because my husband came home and then I wasn't motivated to post because I wanted to spend time with him!!! So all this adds up to almost 3 weeks of inactivity!!!

For this, my dear friends, I apologize!!

Okay... so let me make it up to you... I am going to post a bunch of the recipes I have been collecting and holding on to RIGHT NOW!...

Enjoy!