Saturday, November 29, 2014

I love Fall

Hi everyone!
Although now it feels more like winter here just a few short weeks ago it was autumn.  Cool days and crisp nights and gorgeous fall colors!

Here is a layout I created 


The handsome young man in the photo being a leaf monster and having a great time is our youngest son....he usually has a grin on his face!


For the awesome chipboard I sprayed it with 3 different mists in fall colors
then I used some embossing powder to add texture!


I also used the mists on the lace and the background



Leaky Shed Products



Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

A whole week later

Hi everyone!
I can't believe its been a whole week since my last post!
Sorry about that! 
It has been crazy busy here....Cody turned 14 this week.


He is such a handsome young man with such a big heart and great sense of humor! He always makes us laugh!

Last night I wanted pasta so I tried a new recipe I found on pinterest!



This is not my photo but from the site where I got the recipe - I keep forgetting to take photos!

Here is the recipe....

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size chunks
  • 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 8 oz. dried fettuccini pasta
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Add the oil to a large pot (or large high sided skillet). Place over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add the chicken and the Cajun seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring often.
  2. Add the broth and milk. Break the pasta in half and add it to the pot. Cover and bring to a rapid, rolling boil, stirring occasionally. *Note: Watch the pot carefully during the beginning of the cooking process as milk tends to boil over easily.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pasta simmer, covered, for 8-13 minutes. Stir every 2-3 minutes to prevent sticking. Cook until there is ¼ to ½ inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
The wider the pot/skillet, the quicker the cooking time.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 449 Fat: 14.3 Saturated fat: 2.9 Carbohydrates: 46.8 Fiber: 2.1 Protein: 34.3


The review

It was seriously tasty!  For a recipe this easy and fussless (yes a new word I made up lol)
I was expecting it to be a little more bland but the flavours were really really good.  It did need a bit more sauce but I will make this again!

Changes I will make next time

Like I stated before it needed a bit more sauce so I will add more milk (1 1/4 cp) and chicken broth (1 3/4 cp) and therefore have to add more cajun (3 tsp)
I am also a real fan of fresh herbs - I think this fabulous recipe could use a bit of fresh parsley or basil!

When I make it again I will let you all know!

 

 

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Wednesday night supper!

Good morning everyone!
I usually only share my scrapbooking creations and photos but a good friend of mine - Jo Mason suggested that I should blog about cooking!  
I LOVE TO COOK!
I am actually kind of known for it amongst my friends and family.
Not only do I love to cook, but I love to try new recipes and experiments in the kitchen!
With Tyler being allergic to all nuts and peanuts some recipes have to be altered to make them safe!
My kids being as awesome as they are really enjoy it too!

Wednesday nights is ALWAYS 'new recipe Wednesday'
One week Cody will choose a recipe, the next Ty will and then I will!
Some Wednesdays we are lucky enough to have my closest friend Jill here and once in a while we get a great kid - Sam (Jo's son and Ty's best friend) here. 
Its great that my kids look forward to it and are involved - at the end of the meal we all give our review and say if we want to eat it again or not!

This week I cooked Chili, Lime and Cumin Cod


This is not my photo but from the site where I got the recipe ( www.food.com )  - I will try to remember to take photos next time! 

a couple of tips for buying fish....

* if you are buying a whole fish and the eyes are greyish - it may still be safe to eat
 but it is past its prime
 *If it is shiny and metallic - its good - if it is dull - leave it!
 *Smell it - it should smell like fresh water or 'fishy'  If you go to a fish monger and it smells 'fishy' walk out
 *check the gills - they should be pink or red - not slime and not dry
*When buying fillets (or whole for that matter) The flesh should spring back when pressed
*Fish fillets should display no discoloration, darkening or drying around the edges.


here is the recipe 

  • 2 lbs fresh cod fish fillets
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 lime, juice of

Directions:1


  1. Heat oven to 450°F.
  2. Coat oven safe pan with oil or cooking spray.
  3. Place cod in pan.
  4. Sprinkle chili powder, herb and salt.
  5. Roast 5-7 minutes until opaque.
  6. Melt butter in small saucepan.
  7. Add cumin and lime juice and cook for 1 more minute.
  8. Before serving drizzle butter mixture over cod.
    now for the review;
    It was tasty and had enough of a kick to it to make it interesting and flavorful with still being light!
     This recipe was super simple (which is awesome) and did not dirty my entire kitchen (always a bonus) 
     I had to cook mine a little longer than what 7 minutes - it took 15 minutes to cook


    What I will change for next time

    I will add another lime and a little bit more chili powder
    I am going to try this on the BBQ!
    I am not a huge lover of dried herbs - it was great (I used parsley) but next time I want to try it with fresh cilantro!
    I also served roasted veggies and small red potatoes

    I took a 9x13 pan and put carrots in 1/3 of the pan, then the red potatoes, then green beans
    I drizzled balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little bit of butter.  Baked them at 450 for 1 hour.  They were tasty and firm.

    Ok, so thanks for stopping by and if you make this recipe I would love to hear what you think!




Tuesday, November 11, 2014

My Bon Appeitit reveal!

Good morning everyone!

Today I am sharing a few layouts I did using the awesome and spooky Scraps Of Darkness Kit
'Bon Appetit'

First up I used the Zombie line from Moxxie


Our youngest went out a couple of years ago as a zombie so this line was perfect!


I made some of the flowers with the mists from the color add on and coffee filters and the super cool stickers from the flower centers!

here are some more




I used the stickers for the title too!


I love the dimension the um wow chipboard added!

Next up....


This is our youngest carving pumpkins when he was little......


I made the pumpkins out of the cardstock from the cardstock add on and the title is from last years Halloween kit




a few flower clusters


and I placed the Echo Park sticker on the same cardstock then cut it out

Finally a layout I did using a Stuck? sketch


I used the mask from the kit and the ink from the color add on for the background


the fun bats are from UmWow Studious and were from the embellishment add on and I loved that the bast were a mix of sizes


I sprayed a couple of the flowers with mists and ink


and I fussy cut the title from the Reminisce's paper

Thanks so much for stopping by!