A Scrumptious Winter

 

 

 

No caption needed, right? ;)
 

When you're a cook and baker like I am, a long frigid winter can make your kitchen a winter cooking and baking play ground.  We normally have mild winters here in the North Western corner of Arkansas and we don't usually have any deep freezes until January. So January and February are our hibernation months ;)  Too cold to go out and play outside, so we watch a lot of movies, do a lot of crafts, and I  cook and bake ALOT!
Well this year our deep freeze seem to have come down the pipe about a month early. Since the first week of December we have had unusual cold/icy/snowy weather. Don't get me wrong I love the winter. It's peaceful, and the world seems calmer. When the winter storms roll on through and leave a significant blanket of snow or ice, our entire local region usually comes to a stand still. Our first big storm in December once again brought this absolutely hilarious video into circulation on FB which mocks the anxiety of local folks when a snow storm is forecasted for our area. Gotta get the bread and milk gave some much needed winter time entertainment. No school for the kiddos and unless you have 4 wheel drive our law enforcement really recommended to only get out on the roads if you absolutely had to. Some years I literally pray for snow in order to have a day or two off to get caught up with all the loose ends in life. However some years, like this year, I am literally praying that the storms somehow miss our area because we have had way too many days in captivity, and too much opportunity to cook and bake for someone like me. There's just something about a dutch oven simmering full of beef stew or broccoli cheese soup and the smell of corn bread or cinnamon rolls baking as you are looking out your picture window as the snow flakes are falling and the wind is the music in the trees.


Hearty beef stew and cornbread, the winter kitchen dynamic duo.

After I have set up this wonderful wintry kitchen description for you, notice something is missing? Like who's going to gobble up all this warm comfort food that is being pumped out of my kitchen? Well my husband, myself, the grandkids and sometimes my daughter usually are the recipients of the majority of the winter menu. Usually after our winter hibernation (heehee) we roll into spring a little chubbier than before we partook of our first savory winter day meal. Being that  is just the beginning of January and seems that we have been in doors with sub freezing temps the majority of December, I plan on doing my husband and myself a huge health favor and attempt, once again, the low carb cooking direction. Oh, no worries, I will definitely be sharing a whole lot of my absolutely sugary, fatty, and scrumptious dishes and baking goodies, but today I am going to share one of my favorite combos that is definitely on the lower end of the scale as far as carbs go. Once again, being that I am a rookie blogger, I am sharing something that I am  confident in and definitely a recipe for you all who don't have a lot of cooking experience. I want to put confidence in  people who need a trophy to put on their dinner table! Cooking is rewarding and it is so necessary, so why not have fun with it and each meal that you cook will get you one step further in believing in your cooking potential, which is SO much more than you can imagine. Cooking IS for everyone. I'm sharing a super easy, but one of our families favorite.
                    
                       Bacon Wrapped Chicken and 3 cheese stuffed mushroom and zucchini

I don't know how to cook in small quantities. Something I am working on after so many years of cooking in very large amounts. It's usually just hubby and me now. Any hoot, recipe amount will feed probably 4 with some leftovers. We had it for dinner, and tomorrow we will def have it for lunch. Saves me a lot of time the following day when I "double" my recipe.

 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast

6 chicken breast, medium size

1 lb of bacon

Garlic powder

Onion Powder

Salt & Pepper

Cut your chicken breast in thirds or quarters, depending on what size you want your chicken. You will find out that there are a lot of cooking choices that I will leave up to you. There are issues in cooking where there is definitely no compromising, but there are a lot of decisions that are up to your cooking and taste preference. The more you cook, the more you learn what your preferences are, and where you can compromise. The package of 1 lb bacon had about 14 strips, so I cut them right in half to make 28 strips. I had 24 pieces of chicken after I cut them up so it worked out just about perfect.

After cutting the chicken breast, I sprinkled the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic power, onion powder, and distributed all over the chicken. Take a strip of bacon and wrap each piece of chicken. Lay in baking dish "bacon end" side down (no need for toothpicks). I baked them in the coolest vintage Le Creuset baking dish that I found at a garage sale. Only Paid $10.00 for set of 3! Gotta love the garage sale finds!

Bake at 350 degrees for right at 30 minutes. Just be sure to check on it after 20 minutes. Using the cast iron enamel ware it seemed to bake quicker than usual, and also you don't want the chicken dry. These yummy chicken bacon wraps are absolutely delicious with different sauces such as BBQ, Honey Mustard, or Ranch.

 

We loved the stuffed mushrooms that we have eaten at Olive Garden and other restaurants.Several years ago I decided to put together a cheese filling that was similar to some of the restaurant versions. After a few attempts, not failed attempts, just different attempts, I found the perfect combination that makes  a delicious and easy "puffy" light cheese filling.

 

Three Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms and Zucchini

Cream cheese, softened, 2 - 8oz. packages

Grated cheddar cheese, 1 cup

Parmesan  cheese 3/4 cup to 1 cup (Here is one of those that is up to you)

Butter, softened - 1/2 cup

1 to 2 eggs, I use 1 but if you want it fluffier you can use 2

4 green onions, chopped (optional)

Garlic 1-T - I use the chopped in a jar (optional)

Salt & Pepper to your liking

Mushrooms (package had right at 20 large)

Zucchini -2 medium

 

I use my Kitchen Aid counter top mixer but if you don't have one you can use an electric hand mixer or even just old fashioned elbow grease :)

Mix cream cheese and butter till mixed well. Add egg(s) and mix on medium till it is incorporated and mixed very well. Add cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, green onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Once mix well. Place aside.

 

My sweet husband is the one who chose these mushrooms. He knows  after numerous times of having these scrumptious delights that he likes the nice big plump mushrooms. You can really stuff them if you grab the larger one. Smaller mushrooms are cute though and make great appetizers.

 Wash your mushrooms and remove the stems. Be careful with the mushrooms as they are delicate and you don't want to split them or your filling will ooze out. Wash your zuchinni, cut off the "butt", slice down the middle long ways and gently scoop out SOME of the meat of the zucchini. I use a teaspoon to do this and I don't take a whole lot out. I LOVE zucchini and want to be sure that I have a nice hearty stuffed zucchini. In the summertime you can find the overgrown zucchinis. Those are fun to use, stuff. Makes a your summer dinner table look so beautiful.

  Next, and the fun step, "stuff" your mushrooms and zucchini with the cheese filling. I use a teaspoon and just stuff both with a moderate amount. Remember the filling will puff up quite a bit and then will deflate after it cools. Much like a soufflé.

 

You're ready to throw these babies in the oven! Bake at 350 degrees right at 25-30 minutes. They will be fluffy and brown on the top. I like my veggies not too done, so sometimes depending on how much I have filled them, I take them out just a little sooner. I also put just a tad of water in the baking dishes before baking with the zucchini. They tend to dry out a little.

And there you go! A delicious low carb easy peasy dinner. Can't believe I chose to share a low carb recipe for my first attempt at recipe sharing on my blog.

Blogging isn't for wimps ;)

After my first mind boggling blog last night (I started too late and couldn't sleep thinking about what I should have wrote or not wrote and I could NOT turn my brain off :)) I have decided to be sure I blog early in the day. I'll have a fighting chance to make a desirable sensible read for you all. Often I over think projects, goals and decisions. You guessed it! I really am over thinking this blog. I have found out that my best writing or stories are the ones that I just didn't think about. Just share what was on my heart is a sure fire winner for me.
Today I decided I would ease into this blogging adventure writing on a subject that I know so well, enjoy,  and also LOVE sharing the joy that they bring me, my grandkids. They are a super easy-peasy subject for me. Smiling right now as I am typing....tapping my foot with the exciting thoughts that I have decided to share today about them. I have taken hundreds of pictures of Katy, Arden, and Nora which makes this an easy palette for me also.

Schools were closed for the 2nd day in a row because of the frigid temps and somewhat dangerous icy roads. This means for this Nana, that all three grandkids, Katy, Arden and Norabelle will be with me from the wee hours of the day till dinner time. Mama and daddy both working today so I truly am the willing and lucky candidate.  All three arrive via mommy on this bone chilling 2 degree morning which is actually warmer than yesterday morning! Little Norabelle dances through the door, wiggling, giggling with monkey sock hat on and oozing with hugs, kisses, a raging morning appetite for apples and a 5 star attitude.

Arden on the other hand, is not the happy Kermit frog that he is toting around on his head. Even though Kermit is smiling, underneath that hat is a very kwanky little boy. Ah ha! Nana has a plan to tame this boys kwankiness.
After a couple of pancakes cut pizza style, topped with whipped cream, a hug or two this little frog was hopping with energy and zeal. He was ready to take on just about any of the fun  this snow day has coming his way!

Katy is our junior weather meteorologist. Rumor has it that 3 years ago, during a torrid spring time thunderstorm our little Katy Beth had the pudding scared out of her by me! I honestly thought there was a tornado slamming into us and I yelled for Katy to come into the hallway. She and I were the only two in the house. We hunkered down as we watched literally trees bending from vertical to a horizontal angle and limbs flying by the window. To this day she is totally distrusting when she hears just a tender roll of thunder.
This morning I look into a very dim living room, and there sits a very happy/sad frog boy, I grab my camera, which is NEVER too far from me. I get my settings just right and snap the picture. The flash is bright and abrupt, like lightning. Katy comes running with a panicked look "Nana, did you see the lightning"???!!!! Best advice I have for my Tooters, is lets take some dancing lessons ;)

 Before 7:00 o'clock this morning I experienced a little bit of the sweet dispositions of each of my grandkids.  Nora's explosive happiness and joy is as contagious as the common cold. Arden's honest, real and "this is how I feel" attitude gets me every time. He just wants to be cuddled. Katy is observant, cautious and a matter of fact young lady. I'm a blessed Nana!

So Much To Say!

 With the historical "polar vortex" which has plummeted our temperatures here in the south, and the ice and snow that swept through here yesterday, my busy life came to a stand still these past two days. So today was the perfect day to start my blog. I have found myself submerging myself into designing, and building my very own cozy blog in order that I can share and give to anyone who chooses to enjoy, learn and maybe just be entertained by the snippits of the goodness of my life. Bare with me as I fumble and stumble through writing my very first blog.

One of the many pieces of advice I divvied out to both of my daughters and now to my grandchildren is never, ever be afraid to dance. I meant and mean this literally, and also on the flip side I use it as an analogy. It was my way as a mom to teach and instill in them to not be fearful in life, but to be bold. Fear is an inhibitor, it is real and can be the reason for not reaching that goal, or it can be the reason for failure. Thus, it was and is our motto in our family. We are dancers, and we dance with confidence.   If we don't know the dance steps, then we still get out there on the dance floor, or many times in the middle of our living room, and you let the music lead you and take you. As long as there is music, rhythm, and the magic of the dance, vuala! There you go! Life, as the old saying goes, is a dance. I find myself at times gliding smoothly across the ballroom floor with every motion perfectly in time and rhythm, and other times I am doing the dance called the Jerk (yep, this dates me) from the 1960s, uncomfortable twinges, twists and abrupt jerks. There are the days of course, I find myself  dancing the Cha-Cha, the Macarena or tap dancing with endless childish energy, freedom and the most wonderful carefree attitude. What ever dance I am dancing that day, I attempt to keep up, do my best and the next time I am pulled out on the dance floor, I will know that dance  even better than the time before but I will dance with confidence and have fun while my feet of moving, my shoulders are shrugging, and hips are hopping!

My goal and also my hope, is that this blog of mine, is inspiring, fun, enjoyable and that also I am giving to someone a few new dance moves in life! So boldly I begin my generous blog to share some of MY favorite things in my life. I have tons of awesome handed down recipes which I will prepare step by step with pictures or video. My passion for photography will definitely be at the top of my show and tell list and stories, oh boy do I have some fun and entertaining stories. Hey, when you're 55 there's a lot  that needs to be shared! You know what they say, use it or lose it ;) This will also be a photo scrapbook where I can share some awesome vintage photos. Some I have already shared on my Facebook page, but there are a lot more that I will dig out of the archives and place here. My daughters and I own a gift /resale/vintage shop in Arkansas called The Pink Pig. I will be sharing several crafty secrets that we apply there also. Lastly and certainly most important, I will share and hopefully many will receive and be touched by Gods love which I will be sharing in a variety of ways. I can pretty much say with confidence that I will be all over the place in/on my blog until I settle in and find my ground, so once again bare with me! So excited and definitely, after typing this short intro tonight, I know that I have made a good and healthy decision to begin this blog.

Her name is Lucille and she is my Nana. We called her Nana Lucy and she was the strong domestic influence in our family. She taught my mama, and then my mama taught me so many of the wonderful things I will be sharing in the future. I chose her picture to share tonight as my very first "share" with you tonight. She is sitting in front of Venice High School in California. The year is 1928 and she is a beauty! Primping and mirror ogling definitely came down the pipe from her :)  Looking forward to this new blogging adventure!