From My Kitchen

Soup and Salad

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:56:00 +0000

I made another big pot of Spinach & Lentil Soup. It is so delish, you can find the recipe here.
It's really really easy to make.
I made a big pot so I have plenty to last me for a few days.

Along side my soup I had a bowl of salad.
I haven't had a homemade salad in a while. When it's cold outside I normally don't crave salads. I usually prefer to have something warm and hearty. But I buckled down and made a big salad. Big enough to last me a few days. I'm glad I did because it was really good and long over due. Can't wait to have another one with dinner tonight.

Actually, now that I've had this salad, I've been craving more:

Salmon Caesar

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Bacon Ranch

Yum!

***

What's your favorite salad combo?

Holiday 2009 Recap.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:32:00 +0000

I really would have liked to have done more blogging during December but the time was short. December is always such a busy month. Lots of celebrations, family traditions, traveling and holiday events. I took lots of pictures with the intention of blogging about each event and meal. But, unfortunately I was unable to do so.

So, instead I have piled together a few pics of some of the highlights of my December.

This is Jaelyn trying to catch a snowflake from the little snow we did manage to get this year.
It's crazy because last year we had a huge snow storm that lasted days.

~
My poor dog Hennessy, I tortured him once again and dressed him in is Santa suit. He was pissed but I thought he looked adorable.

~
My girlfriend had a Tacky Christmas Sweater Party. What a hoot. We did a white elephant gift exchange. I walked away with a $20 Target gift card. Score!
The food was delish. Chicken wings, tacos, cheese and crackers, apple tart, veggies & dip, lots of cookies, apple cider and punch. After the good eats, we played a few rounds of Apples to Apples and a hilarious game of Pictionary. Great night with friends.

~
Every year we spend Christmas with my parents in BC. Jaelyn and I drove up a few days early and Eric met up with us on Christmas Eve.
While we were there we made graham cracker gingerbread houses. Jaelyn loved it.

Jaelyn decorated his house all by himself. I think he did a great job.

~
On Christmas Eve Jaelyn, my neph Lincoln, my parents and I went out to the front yard to spread Reindeer food on the lawn.
It was a mix of sugar, sparkles and wheat. We got it from Santa at the Christmas Train. It came with a label that said:

Sprinkle on the Lawn at Night
The Moon will make it Sparkle Bright
Santa's Reindeer Fly and Roam
This will Guide them to your Home

I thought this was so cute.

Jaelyn had fun tossing the Reindeer food around.

~
Later that night, Jaelyn and Lincoln entertained us by dancing in their matching PJ's. How cute!

~
The sea of presents at my parents' house always takes up the entire living room. We are a big family. There was 12 of us opening gifts.

One of my faves, was Snuggies for our family. Jaelyn loves his.
Well that's the quick run down. Until next year.

Cheers!

New Years Eve Recap

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:57:00 +0000

2010 is here!
Crazy that 2009 is already over.
It flew by for me.

The Hubs and I celebrated the New Year with friends at a party.

The party was a package deal that included a hotel suite, dinner, and a champagne toast at midnight.

{Here I am in the Hotel ready for dinner}

The event was very well organized with place cards and all.

Dinner was buffet style. Here's my plate. The salad and salmon were both really, really good.
I forgot to get a pick of our desert. The Hubs and I shared a slice of chocolate pie with an oreo crust. It was delish.

{A few more pics of us just after the countdown to midnight}

We had a good time bringing in the New year with friends.

***

2010 is going to be a year of new beginnings. We are expanding our family this year. (yes, that means what you think it means)
It's bitter sweet for me for all the obvious reasons. But we're excited.

As for my goals moving into this New Year, I will continue to strive for great Health, Happiness and Family Time.

Happy New Year!!

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Wow, Christmas is over. Seemed like it snucked up on me and passed just as quickly. We spent the holidays in Canada with my parents and family as we always do. I love the atmosphere at my parents' house during the holidays. Christmas lights, music, food, goodies, gift giving, beautiful decorations. It's so cheerful.

Christmas day was wonderful as usual. This was the first year Jaelyn actually got into it and had a blast opening his gifts. Maybe I'll post pics later.

There was food everywhere. Cookies galore, tasty bites, egg nog, mixed nuts, christmas candies. Oh My. It was hard not to get lost in all the yumminess.
I have to be honest I had lots and lots of goodies. It's the holidays! But I also drank lots of water and ate lots of fruit and veggies. I still managed to eat some healthy choices.

Here are a few pics of some of my healthier choices, some from home and some from Mommy's house.

{turkey & cheddar wrap}

{mushroom & barley soup w/ toast}

{salad}

{tomato & cheddar sammy w/ a banana}

{apple & spice oatmeal}

{tomato & cheddar wrap w/ fruit}

{ww waffles w/ honey and jam, navel orange}

{chili & chips}

{pork & rice burrito-ish wrap}

{kashi cinnamon harvest w/ fiber one original cereal}

{veggie burger and brussel sprouts}

Glad the holidays are over and now I'm home away from Mum's great cooking and all the left-over goodies. Buckle down time.

~~~~

Later.

Featured Cookie

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Another really easy treat. This one doesn't require any baking, just a quick spin in the microwave.

I've been making these for a few years, usually it's the kids who really like them, but the Hubs loves them.

I don't use an exact recipe but it's somewhere along these lines

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

40 squares of graham crackers
1 1/2 cups of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
4 crushed candy canes

Directions

Line your graham crackers on a cookie sheet
Melt the milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave, start at 45 secs, then 10 sec intervals until chocolate is smooth and creamy
Spread melted chocolate over graham crackers
Sprinkle crushed peppermint
Melt white chocolate in microwave
Drizzle over bark
Let cool completely, can be refridgerated to speed up cooling
Break into pieces

* I use a really big baking sheet, 40 crackers fits it perfectly, so you may need to adjust the ingredients according to the size of your pan

Also, I didn't have white chocolate, so I drizzled with cookie frosting.

Really Really Good.

Share the Sugar

Drop some off at your neighbors with a Christmas Card

Featured Cookie

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:39:00 +0000

I've got some feedback from some of my readers who are not great bakers but still would like to make a special treat for the holidays.
So, I am here to share 2 easy peasy recipes, that are fool proof and do not require a ton of skill in the baking department.

First up, is your basic Sugar Cookie.
Sugar Cookies are really easy to make from sratch, but if you don't have the time or the drive to start from scratch, try this.

Ingredients:
1 pre-made roll of sugar cookies
colored sugar of your choice

Directions:
Cut the cookie roll in half length wise, then into quarters.
Cut each quarter into 1/2 inch pieces.

{like so}

Roll each little piece into balls and roll around in colored sugar.
Place balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 8-10 mins.

And Wah-Lah. Easy Sugar Cookies with a homemade touch. Shh! No one has to know they were pre-made.

~~~

This next treat isn't really a cookie at all, but they are a real hit and couldn't be easier to make.

Pretzel Turtles

Ingredients:
20 mini pretzels
20 chocolate cover caramels, I use Rolos
20 half pieces of pecans

Directions:
Stack each ingredient on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
{like so}

Bake at 300 degrees for 4 mins. Push pecan down into chocolate. Let Cool.

Decorate with icing (optional)

Watch these bad boys fly off the counter, they are that good.

Hope these help those of you who are baking challenged.

Share the Love!

Take a batch to your favorite bank branch and share with the staff.

Happy Sweet Tooth!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got a recipe you'd like to share?

Send me the recipe, I'd love to try it.

Good Eats Today

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:46:00 +0000

Breakfast:
1 orange
Thomas' Light english muffin w/ rf PB

Lunch:
Brussel Sprouts
Homemade pizza pocket made with a Flatout Wrap, pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni and mozza.

Dinner:
TJ's veggie samosa's (sweet chili sauce for dipping) and curry couscous with raisins.

Good Eats.

Hot Apple Cider

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:51:00 +0000

My MIL invited Jaelyn and I over to her house to help decorate her tree. So to be festive I brought over some Christmas CD's; Toni Braxton's Snowflakes, A Soultrain Christmas and Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas.

All really good Holiday Tunes.
I also brought over some Apple Cider.
I had dry powder packs that I added to a pot with some water, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Let it simmer at a medium heat. I've never actually tried this before, but it turned out really good.

The perfect little drink for our night of tree trimming.

Recent Eats.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:20:00 +0000

My posts have been so sporatic lately which is a perfect representation of my schedule and days. My meals have been quick and easy, with not a lot of dazzle. I havn't been taken many food pictures lately, but here are a few that I did take.

I'm hoping to get back to a regular routine, maybe that will happen after the holidays.

Frozen waffles w/ sf syrup and a banana.

Coffee/Tea/FF Hot Chocolate in a festive mug.
Mandarine Oranges. I want to eat one of these like every 15 mins.
Fresh, juicy and delish.

Mini tuna sandwiches on ww buns. Those buns were so good. Glad I only had 2, because I would have eaten more.

Featured Cookie: Mayan Chocolate Sparklers

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Jaime over at Embracing Balance posted this cookie recipe and agreed to let me feature it on From My Kitchen.

These cookies have a double dose of chocolate and a sparkling sugar coating. They are both beautiful and delicious.

What interested me most in this recipe was the addition of black & cayenne peppers. I've never baked a cookie that required either of the two. I'm guessing that's where the "Mayan" part comes in.

***

Mayan Chocolate Sparklers

Ingredients:

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Cookies:
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine sugar and cinnamon in small dish for topping.
Beat shortening, butter and sugars in large bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips (by hand, the dough will be quite stiff).
Roll in 1" balls, don't flatten. Roll into cinnamon sugar topping. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 2" apart (cookies will expand during baking).
Bake 8-10 minutes. Cookies should still be soft in centre. Let cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Share the Joy!

Take a batch to your local fire department.

Happy Holidays!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Got a cookie recipe you'd like to share?

I'd love to try it.

I Scream, You Scream...

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:58:00 +0000

We all Scream,
For

Peppermint!

Ok, maybe not.

But once you taste this Dreyer's Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Peppermint Icecream, you might.

I'm not the biggest fan of peppermint flavor or candy canes, but this ice cream is so delish.

The Nutritionals:

1/2 cup Serving

110 Calories

3.5g Fat

And because the peppermint flavor is so rich, you won't want a huge bowl. Well at least I don't.

Tree Time.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Decorating the tree was so much fun. We put the Christmas music on, got the coffee and hot chocolate brewing and got into the spirit.

Jaelyn was so excited about putting the star on top. He thought all the tree needed was lights and a star. So after he put the star on top, he ditched us and played with two Nut Cracker ornaments.

Eric and Hennessy got into the spirit with their holiday hats. Hennessy hates wearing clothes and esp. anything on his head, but we torture him every year long enough to take a picture.

The finished tree. We scaled down on some of the ornaments this year. I'll have to get a picture in the dark with the lights on.

Jaelyn helped with the canday canes. Can't you tell?

Here are a few of my fave ornaments.

One with a picture of our family's first Christmas Portrait.

I love bling on my tree, so I have lots of ornaments with glitter.

I bought this "U" ornament the year Eric and I got married. Our last name starts with a "U"

Snowmen and snowflakes are my fave Christmas symbols.

This year, I've been looking for a really cute Penguin Ornament for Jaelyn. He is the biggest penguin fan. He has penguin everything... toys, books, stuffed animals, shirts, movies. So I have to find him an ornament.

Happy Holidays!

Oh Chirstmas Tree!

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Every year we go out the our fave tree farm and pick a tree. It's so much fun. Sometimes, we end up out there in the mud, but this year was a perfect day. Dry and Cold. Cold enough to want hot coffee or cider when we were done. It was also the first time that Jaelyn really got into it, and was able to help Dad cut. He was so excited.

We always pick Grand Firs, because they are strong and the most fragrant. I love when the whole house smells like Pine!! It's so fresh and Christmas-y.

They did a great job cutting it down. A nice clean cut.

Like how I'm holding the saw like I did all the work? hehe.

This is such a fun family tradition.

Happy Holidays!

Food Food Food

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Who doesn't love a bowl of hot soup on a cold day? I know I do. This tomato soup was more that delish.

Instead of the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, I opted for a slice of cheddar inside a toasted whole wheat pita. Perfect for dipping.

I've been having a lot of quick fix meals lately, havn't done a whole lot of cooking. Here is a Lean Cuisine Pasta Primavera with a side of brussel sprouts.

I've been really craving eggs latley. So for breaky fast one morn I had 1 whole & 1 egg white, over medium, with a toasted pita. Have you ever toasted your pita? It's really good. I keep my pita's in the fridge, but don't like to eat them cold, so I pop them in the toaster. They come out a little crispy around the edges but warm and soft in the middle.

More sprouts. I've been on a serious brussel sprout kick. This time they were paired with a Lean Cuisine chicken and garlic pizza.

I've been trying to avoid a cold lately, and gulping one of these down every other day has been helping.

94%FF POPCORN!!

Thomas' Light English Muffin with PB. One of my fave snacks ever.

I eat a banana just about everyday. Either with breakyfast or on the go.

Juicy Orange. Another fruit I've been having just about everyday.

Of course Oatmeal had to make an appearance. Love my oats, esp. on a cold day.

That was just a quick run down of some of my food choices lately.

It's Cookie Time!!!

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:02:00 +0000

One of my very favorite things to do around the holidays is bake. I love baking cookies and trying new recipes. I've been wanting to plan a cookie exchange party the last few years, but havn't had the chance.

So, instead of a party, I would love to feature new cookie recipes here on From My Kitchen.

Here's how it works.

You send me your favorite cookie recipe.
A picture and/or story that you have to go along with it would be great too.
I will bake them and feature them on my blog.

So, to kick off my Featured Cookies,

Let me start with the Cinnamon Stars I made this morning.

***

I tried this cookie for the first time last year and served them at a holiday party. They were extremely easy to make and were a big hit at the party.

They are sweet but not overly sugary.

What I love most about this recipe is that it requires very few ingredients.

Cinnamon Stars

{Ingredients}

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup ground cinnamon

{Directions}

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla.

Combine flour and cinnamon: gradually add to creamed mixture.

Cover and refridgerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. (Optional)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4 inch think.

Cut with small star cookie cutter, dipped in four.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-11 mins. Edges should be firm and bottom of cookies

lightly browned.

Cool and Enjoy!

Yields approx: 5 dozen

Now,

how do I get these delicious cookies out the house?

I'll take them to church in the morning and share the yumminess.

Just Pics.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:10:00 +0000

Christmas Pinecones

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:19:00 +0000

{Jaelyn painting his pinecone}

Jaelyn, my MIL, and I decorated pinecones a few days ago. I'm always trying to find a way to use up some of the many craft supplies I have and this was the perfect idea. We had so much fun and it was a great kick off to getting into the holiday spirit.

{My MIL made an Angel, isn't is adorable?}

{I made these to hang on the doorknob}

Do you do holiday crafts?

Sweet Potato Fries.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:57:00 +0000

I have yet to master making these fries. I've tried several different methods including coating them in egg whites before baking, but none of them ever really get that crispy bite that I love from real fries. Don't get me wrong though they still taste great and I love eating them.

Sissy Love!

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:39:00 +0000

Hey "From My Kitchen" Readers,

Are you into fashion?

Well my little Sissy has started a fashion blog. She has great taste, is up on all the latest fashion greatness and she even designs & sews a little sumthin sumthin.

Check her out.

NPC Styles.

Leftover Turkey Soup.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:24:00 +0000

I made turkey soup with the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Yum Soup!

I didn't follow an exact recipe but it went a little something like this.

Boil the turkey carcass (sounds gross... carcass) in a big pot of water for about 30-45 mins.
Remove from water, separate the meat from the bones, return the meat to the pot of water/stock.
Chop up some onion, carrot and celery. Sweat them in a separate pan with some EVOO for about 7 mins.
Add the veggies to the water and turkey along with 1 1/2 cups dry pearl barley.
Season to taste and simmer for 30-45 mins.
I seasoned with:
S&P
Rosemary
Thyme
Garlic Powder
Bay Leaf

I hope I'm not forgetting anything.

~~~

In other news,
I'm in a photo contest on All Recipes. It's nothing serious, just a fun little contest. If you want to help me win by voting for me click here.
My picture is of some deviled eggs I made.
I am the 2nd picture in the 2nd row. You will see my name above the pic.
There are some really great pics in the contest and you can vote for as many as you like.
Thanks.

~~~
Happy Healthy Eating.

Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:37:00 +0000

I had another serving of brussel sprouts with a sandwich today.
A few of my readers have asked how I make my sprouts so here is a quick run down.

First I cut them in half.
I put them in a small pan with about a 1/2 inch of water.

Once the water cooks out, I drizzle a touch of light oil over them and a sprinkle of salt. Let them saute a bit and they are done.
Sometimes I drizzle a little honey over them after plating. I've also sauted a bit of turkey bacon with them. All options are very tasty.

With my sprouts I had a easy and light egg salad sandwich.
I used 1 whole egg and 1 egg white (I feed my dog the 2nd yolk. He loves it)
1 tablespoon of rf mayo, a squeeze of mustard, green onion and S&P.
Sandwiched on a multigrain sammy thin with lettuce.

A very filling and healthy lunch.

No Lamb were injured in the making of this Shepherd's Pie

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:50:00 +0000

That's because I made it with 97% FF ground turkey.

Ingredients

3 lrg potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix

2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream

Splash of milk

1 med onion
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup water

1 tablespoon flour
1 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon steak seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, add milk, sour cream, ranch mix and mash.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large heavy skillet, saute onions and meat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain excess fat and return meat to pan over medium heat.

Mix water and flour together.

Pour in floured water and season with beef bouillon, salt, pepper, steak seasoning and garlic powder. Stir in frozen vegetables.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated.
Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish.

Cover top with mashed potatoes. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown.

The ranch in the mashed potatoes is so good. You gotta try it.

Eat and Enjoy.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Back on track today. I woke up and had a lite breakfast of Puffins in ff milk and a juicy orange.

Todays snacks were a small banana and a sf jello cup. I've had 2 cups of peppermint tea and lots of water.

For lunch I had a sandwich on a ww sammy thin, with deli turkey and cheddar cheese. No pic, my bad.
Along side my sandwich I had some brussel sprouts. I haven't had any in so long. I actually didn't know how great they are until today. Easy to make and really delish.

Dinner tonight is Shepherd's Pie.

Happy Healthy Eating!

Turkey Day.

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:58:00 +0000

So Turkey Day has come and gone. I can honestly say, I'm thankful for that.

Thanksgiving is a great day. I love the idea of taking time to be thankful for all of our blessings. But all the food and temptations is another thing. I

Yesterday I got my grub on. But I won't get into all that, I'll just show you my first plate.

I used a small lunch plate and filled it with little portions of all my favs.

Mac and Cheese

Greens

Ham

Cranberry Sauce

Cornbread Dressing

Turkey and gravy

It was pretty much all down hill from there.

So I leave you with a pic of my boy. He was sick, but still managed a sweet smile for mommy's camera.

Chicken Cacciatore

noreply@blogger.com (MoraPiggy) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:37:00 +0000

Last night's din din.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium green pepper, julienned
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1 small can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a skillet, cook the chicken, mushrooms, onion and green pepper in oil until chicken is lightly browned and vegetables are tender. Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Serve over rice.

Delicious!