Countdown begins!!

I've been talking about and planning for these countertops for a long time... and now the official countdown can begin!!!

6 days until installation!!

in preparation, dan wanted to see how it would feel in the kitchen with a bigger island:


it took us a million years to figure out what measurements and shape we liked... as long as it looks better than that, i think i'll be happy ;)

it's about time!

well, folks, it's finally happening..... it is a momentous day. i have finally decided on what my new kitchen will look like and who will do the job!!! it has taken me FOREVER to figure out what to do, but it's looking like next week we will be saying au revoir to our old kitchen and bonjour to the new!! here's a little sneak peak of the backsplash i picked (it's pretty much like this):


the actual tiles will be a darker color, but i have never seen a pattern like this.

all i have to do now is order my stovetop and pick a kitchen faucet and we'll be good to go. i'm already planning an unveiling party!

Muffins!

I was looking at my google reader today and was so proud to find this picture posted on Edd's photo blog:
Anne made the raspberry muffins for their family and Edd (who actually has photo skills) took this picture of them. And Edd says he highly recommends them ;) (good job Anne!)

From the mouth of two witnesses.....

Kodiak Casserole

Kodiak Casserole

SERVINGS: 16-20

METHOD: Baked

TIME: Prep: 15 min. (yeah right. if i could chop like a chef maybe. more like 35 or 40 minutes for me)

Bake: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 cups diced onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium green peppers, diced
• 4 cups diced celery (i always leave out celery... just don't like it)
• 1 jar (5-3/4 ounces) pimiento-stuffed olives, undrained
• 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, undrained
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 1 jar (8 ounces) picante sauce
  
• 1 bottle (18 ounces) barbecue sauce (i used elgin meyer's BBQ sauce... our FAVORITE)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 to 4 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients except cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving. Yield: 16-20 servings.



this is huge! i put it in two casserole dishes, as i don't have a dutch oven... dan said he thought the meal was just ok ("but thank you so much for making a lovely dinner...") but i thought it was pretty good. anything with an entire bottle of BBQ sauce in it is usually pretty darn good.

Discriminatory Lasagna

White Lasagna

SERVINGS: 14-16

METHOD: Baked

TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 30 min. + standing

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef (i used ground turkey... it's white :)
  
• 1 cup finely chopped celery (left it out)
  
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package (7 ounces) Gouda cheese, shredded
• 2 cups (16 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 12 ounces sliced or 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Minced fresh parsley

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until garlic is tender; drain. Stir in the cream, cream cheese, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; cook and stir over low heat until blended.
Gradually add cheddar and Gouda cheeses, stirring until cheese is melted; remove from heat. Combine cottage cheese and egg; set aside.
Layer half of the lasagna noodles in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, half of the cottage cheese mixture and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
Bake at 375°, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 14-16 servings.

this is pretty big, so i made half and froze half. a nice change from regular lasagna. aaaand now i am in love with gouda cheese. yum.

and to answer a frequently asked question: no, i do not take the pictures of the food. i can only wish to have the photography skills, not to mention all the themed background items and such... you can thank tasteofhome.com for the pictures. and so can i.

"Better than Mix" muffins

I made 4 different items (2 types of muffins, a bread and a cake) for a birthday party I threw Friday night. These muffins stole the show. Crazydelicious.

Raspberry Cream Muffins

SERVINGS: 12

TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 cup finely chopped vanilla or white chips
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

In a small bowl, toss raspberries with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cream, just until moistened. Stir in chips and reserved raspberries. TIP: Gently stir the raspberries into the batter, so they don't break apart.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Combine brown sugar and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

I added a few extra raspberries. One cup just didn't seem like enough!!

I made them again and brought them to a friend, and had to make a double batch... One batch to keep :) I couldn't stand to see them all go out the door :)

Just a thought

Have you ever sat in church and heard someone say they're thankful for their trials? I have to admit I would always kind of roll my eyes when people said this because who in their right mind would actually be happy to have things go wrong for them?

Well, it's happened. I may have joined their ranks. Here is why:

For the past .... hmm... almost 3 years now I have had foot pain in various places and varying degrees in my right foot. This came about because I really love to go on walks and took my boys almost every day on walks around the neighborhood. I had not yet fully become a convert to the "good shoes doctrine", and I ended up messing up a perfectly good foot. So after dealing with this for these three years, going to numerous doctor visits, getting old-lady shoe inserts, gel-filled floor mats, and even a couple cortisone shots, it seems that I am finally on the mend. And, may I add, I am a full convert to the gospel of always wearing good shoes. Maybe even evangelical about it. But after all of this, getting to go on a walk with very little foot pain seems like such a blessing. It makes my soul happy.

I've now been on ~2 mile long walks 7 days in a row and I am not suffering because of it. I used to not even be able to stand to make dinner without being in pain for hours afterward. So this is a big deal to me.