Sour Cream Lemon Pie - It's Raining Again!

Around this time last year Nashville experienced one of those so-called "200 year floods". I hope we are not about to get another one. Isn't it supposed to wait 200 years before it does that again? Thankfully we live in a place that stays pretty "flood free", but so many friends experienced damage. My sister-in-law's hill behind her house slid and damaged their garage. The contractor was supposed to have the hill fixed by May 6. Let's hope the hill does not slide again before he finishes the job!

Easter Sunday was the first holiday that one of my children was not around to be with the family. Ali had to work and so did David. Nate, Kami and I went to Sandy's for traditional Easter dinner. I made lemon pies, one of my dad's favorites as well as David's dad's favorites. My mom made a sour cream lemon pie that I remember so fondly. I have made it a few times, so this year I made a regular one (Alton Brown's recipe) and one of her sour cream ones. I don't know if I have said this before, but I do NOT make my own pie crust. I don't pretend or even try to make people think that I do it myself... I do buy the Pillsbury refrigerated kind so that if someone is polite enough to not ask (just kidding - you can ask), they MIGHT think that I made it since I did crimp the crust!

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

1 c. white sugar
1/3 c. corn starch
1/2 t. salt
2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
3 egg yolks
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 t. finely shredded lemon peel
1/4 c. lemon juice
whipped cream (fresh, of course)
9-inch pie shell, baked


In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks slightly. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of thickened mixture into yolks. Return egg mixture to the saucepan and whisk completely. Return pan to heat and bring to a gentle boil. cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, peel and lemon juice. Stir in sour cream. Pour filling into baked pie shell and cool completely. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Quinoa Pilaf... Never had it before? You will LOVE it!

I have been in a cooking slump. Kind of like the Red Sox, as my dear friend Sheri pointed out. Only mine is not causing the New England states to rise up and almost change their allegiance to the Yankees... I said ALMOST. I doubt that is ever going to happen. Thankfully 2 days ago I shook off my own cooking slump and got the creative juices flowing again. I made this delicious pilaf and some black cherry glazed pork shops and I could feel the fires beginning to smoulder. At about the same time (ie, the next day) the Red Sox broke their 0-6 losing streak and actually beat those (ahem) DARN Yankees :) That was an extra step toward their redemption, much better than if they had beat the Indians or the Orioles... yeesh! So the Bo Sox and I are back :) Hopefully we will both keep it alive for a while and maybe even win The Series :) (do they have one of those for cooking??)

Now for Quinoa... I wasn't so sure the first time I heard of it. I even watched a few episodes of shows on Food Network that used the stuff and I still wasn't convinced. But then I made it and experimented with it and found that not only do I love it, but the whole family eats it, too! Quinoa is a seed, so it is a little like a grain and a little like a nut. For people who are gluten-intolerant (Melissa), it is a great alternative. And it is as easy as rice to cook. It has a slightly nutty flavor and a nice texture. I'm glad I tried it! The pilaf is the result of an experiment and it came out delicious, if I do say so myself.

Quinoa Pilaf

1 1/2 c. quinoa
3 c. broth (I used homemade chicken)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. pine nuts
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

In large saucepan heat the olive oil and saute the peppers, onions and garlic until the onion is translucent and the peppers are softened. Stir in the broth, quinoa, salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to simmer and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes (see, just like rice!).

The pork chops were equally delicious.

6 pork chops
1/2 c. black cherry preserves (I buy mine from the Amish!)
2 T. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. black pepper

Thin the preserves with soy and remaining ingredients. Place pork on a lightly greased baking sheet and brush the sauce over pork chops and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until done. It depends on how thick your chops are. Mine were about 1/2 inch. I think this would work with just about any preserves you have. Next time I am going to try it with balsamic vinegar instead of soy sauce.

and she's back :)

Until next time... stay warm (or cool) and loved, my friends!!

Thai Grilled Chicken with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Italian Pasta Salad - It's an International Dinner Delight!

Ok, today I couldn't decide what "nation" I should visit for dinner, so we are having Thai and Italian. I cheated with the marinade and used store bought. It isn't really Thai - it's actually Teriyaki marinade, but the dipping sauce is Thai inspired... ok, it's an international nightmare, but I can guarantee it will taste great! The dressing on the pasta salad is bottled dressing, too. Not everything has to be from scratch :)

I took 3 boneless breasts and sliced them into about 4-5 strips each and tossed them in a 1/2 c. teriyaki marinade with a teaspoon each of garlic and onion powders and tossed it well. They are marinating in the fridge for about an hour and then I will grill them on the grill pan or in a non-stick skillet. I am thinking non-stick since I don't really feel like scrubbing the grill pan - I just did my nails. The recipe for the peanut sauce and the pasta salad follow. I get tired of dipping chicken in ranch or honey mustard. This peanut sauce is easy - 3 ingredients!! The pasta salad can take whatever you want to throw at it. Kami is a veggie-phob, so I would have put more in, but she kept nixing everything I suggested. I did sneak in a few frozen peas. Personally I would throw in some artichoke hearts, zucchini and roasted red peppers...and maybe a handful of feta cheese, but this is going to be a simple one. The beauty of pasta salad is how versatile it is. Just cook some pasta, toss in salad dressing and feel free to experiment and put in what you like and leave out what you don't!

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

1/3 c. peanut butter (if you use chunky, make is a 1/2 cup)
1/3 c. milk
1/3. c. teriyaki sauce/marinade

Pop this in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 2 minutes. Stir to combine well. Serve warm or at room temp. Easy, huh?

PASTA SALAD

1 lb. bow tie pasta
1 c. vinegar-based dressing (your choice...or Kami's, lol),
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 med. can sliced black olives
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. chopped broccoli
Optional: diced tomato, diced cucumber, diced bell pepper, zucchini, whole snow peas, artichoke hearts... whatever veggies you like raw or lightly steamed

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and immediately toss in 1/2 c. salad dressing while it is still hot. When the pasta is cool, add in remaining ingredients, the additional 1/2 c. salad dressing and salt/pepper to taste.

Simple, easy, fast. I like meals like that! Tomorrow I am tossing beef stew in the crockpot to cook while we are at CHET. I'll coerce David into cooking some rice before we get home and dinner will be ready and yummy.

Until next time, stay warm and loved, my friends!

Southwestern Black Bean Soup - It's a Cheerleading Competition Kinda Day!

It's been a busy week. I wish I had time during this last week to post a few recipes, but it was not meant to be. I think last night was the first night that I was home all week. I feel like I wake up in the morning and hit the ground running, barely having time to grab a cup of coffee before I have to head out the door. Kami's birthday was on Monday and she turned 14. I remember being pregnant with her - it feels like it was just the other day. It is hard to believe that God has blessed us so tremendously with her. For those of you who don't know her story, here are a few highlights:

In early June of 1996 I found out I was pregnant for the 3rd time. It was a bit of a surprise - ask David. he didn't want to even talk about it for almost 2 months. At the same time I had been experiencing some stomach pains. We went on a family vacation and while we were gone I had a horrible attack of abdominal pain. When we got home I went to the doctor. They did tests, blood work, ultra-sound... all showed nothing. He said it "sounded like" gallstones, but they saw nothing. He advised me to go on a fat-free diet and rest as much as possible. If it WAS gallstones, they wanted to wait until after I had the baby to do any kind of surgical procedure. On July 3 I was in the emergency room and headed for surgery. There were 15 stones in my gallbladder and I had already passed 13 that were lodged in my bile duct. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital at which time they thought I may be miscarrying... but that did not happen, thankfully.

I have horrible morning sickness issues. Both of my other pregnancies landed me either in the hospital (Ali) or sent me to an outpatient clinic a couple of times for IV fluids because of severe dehydration. This one was no different and I begged for fluids at home instead, which the doctor allowed. David learned how to change the fluid bags and a home health nurse came in frequently to help. I was pretty sick... it went on for about 8 weeks (nothing to eat or drink) and I developed a pseudo-cyst on my pancreas - think pancreatitis pain and throwing up all the time - so NOT fun! Back to the hospital I went. I had not eaten for 8 weeks, so needless to say my body was depleted of all nutrients. It took 2 weeks of a variety of fluids as well as 2 or 3 blood transfusions before they would even consider surgery... still pregnant and about to hit my 2nd trimester. I spent another month in the hospital after the surgery before I begged to go home. They did. The doctors said that because of all the radiation I had, the baby would have developmental delays, possible learning disabilities, etc. What do they know?? :) Kami was born 4 weeks early, walked at 7 1/2 months, is brilliant, an incredibly talented cheerleader/tumbler and so full of energy and spunk, you would never know she had gone through so much before she breathed her first breath. Thank you God for blessing us so richly!!

So... today we are off to the World Spirit Association's competition at David Lipscomb University. Kami's squad is competing for the 5th time this year. Please let them win it!! Soup will be waiting in the crockpot when we get home! YUM!

BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 lb. dry black beans, soaked over night
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. diced carrots
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn
5-6 cups chicken broth (homemade from the freezer!)
1 t. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Soak the beans overnight or bring to a boil, boil 2 min. then turn off heat, cover and let sit for an hour. Add to crockpot with all remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Enjoy :)

That was quick, but yet again, I have to hit the ground running! If I had celery, I would have put that in too. Until next time, stay warm and loved, my friends!

Go STARS!!

Basil Garlic Chicken Breasts or Finding Time To Be Creative

I spent the morning (and early afternoon) with Ronda. Friendships are amazing. This one always has a way of leaving me refreshed, energized, feeling loved and encouraged... everyone needs a Ronda in their lives! We laugh together, have cried together, have held each other accountable, told each other when our ideas are both crazy and wonderful. I'm still waiting for our first "road trip" together. That will be fun. Yesterday we went to Southern Salvage. She is wanting to put in new cabinets in her kitchen and she is trying to figure out how much it is going to cost - weighing the pros and cons of buying unfinished v. finished, what will the configuration be, etc. Me, I'm looking to paint a bathroom and put in new mirrors...and hopefully a new floor, but beggars can't be choosers!!

We hit Home Depot and then had a delicious lunch at Baja Burrito. They are the home of the most amazing fish tacos in Nashville. Really. Don't try to argue with me because nothing can compare to them. I think that is because they are the first ones I ever had and everything else, in my opinion, pales in comparison.

Behind Baja Burrito is this cool, funky little shop full of the most amazing little finds. They have some handmade things in there and Ronda thinks we can pull together some of our own knitted creations and sell them. I'm thinking it would be fun, but I am trying to figure out where the time will come from... right now I need to finish out this busy year of teaching plus direct the drama portion of the church's Easter production AND my CHET drama class's production in May. I think I will have to wait until summer to be creative. It is fun to dream, though. Anyway, it was a fun 6 hours yesterday with Ronda. I don't often get 6 hours to just do what I want, so it was energizing and a BLAST!!

We had chicken again last night. I love chicken, so it was no big deal. Ali wanted baked chicken, so this is what we had (along with baked sweet potatoes, broccoli and garlic spinach)

BASIL GARLIC CHICKEN

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (or 1 per person)
fresh basil leaves
6 whole garlic cloves
olive oil
kosher salt
cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375'. Cut each garlic clove in half through both ends (not across the middle) so you have 2 flatter pieces of garlic. Loosen the skin on the chicken and slide in a leaf of basil and the two halves of the clove of garlic. If you like it really garlicky, next time try more - but try it this way first and see how you like it. Repeat with all the pieces of chicken. Place on baking sheet, drizzle with a good drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper and roast in the oven for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

The garlic gets all soft and smooshy under the skin and adds a great taste to the chicken. If you have to make chicken for chicken salad or another casserole recipe, this is a great way to have some really flavorful chicken instead of boiling it on the stove!

Off to get ready for church this morning. It's a busy day in the Brasells' house. Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed day! Until next time, stay warm and loved, my friends!!

Sticky Chicken (that isn't sticky) - It's a Wonderful and CRAZY Life!

It's been a few days, I know. Sometimes life just gets busy and I need to remember my priorities. As much as I love blogging, I know there are times when I have to get papers graded and laundry done and dinners cooked. With all of the snow we had over the last month, classes were a bit sporadic and I guess I had a little more time on my hands than usual. This week was back to the steady grind. We even had church on Wednesday night, which we had missed the previous week. It is good to be in a routine, but it reminds me how little time I actually have that is just mine to do with as I choose. Between being a mom and wife, I have to teach classes to about 120 students, most of which turn in pesky essays every week that need grading :) It is also time to start putting together both the Easter musical at church and the CHET drama performance...more on the script chosen as soon as I let the kids know ... but it is going to be lots of fun!

Tuesday night's dinner was Sticky Chicken. It is really not sticky, so I don't know how it got that name, but it is very good. When it is not on a Tuesday and I make it in the oven, I make two. This week I put it in the crockpot and came home to dinner all ready because David cooked the rice and the vegetable. It is simple and easy and delicious!! It reminds me of the rotisserie chickens that you get in the deli case at the grocery store.

STICKY CHICKEN

For each 4-5 lb. whole chicken you will need the following spices (if you are doing 2, double the amounts):
2T paprika
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. onion powder
1 T. thyme leaves
1 T. salt
1/2 T. white pepper

Combine the dry ingredients and then coat the chicken well. Place in a ziploc bag and put in the fridge overnight, or a minimum of 6 hours. Heat the oven to 250'. Place a whole peeled onion in the cavity of the chicken and roast for 5 hours, uncovered. Yes, 5 hours at 250'. It takes some time, but worth the wait. You can do the same thing on low in a crockpot. Either way, it is delicious!!

I'm on the run. Maybe some more entries this weekend...after I grade papers :)

Sun Dried Tomato Couscous and the IRS

I tried to do my taxes yesterday. Honestly, I did. My first job was to figure out how much we spent in medical expenses over the last year. I opened all of the statements of benefits, or whatever they were, I even went online to the health insurance website and downloaded our quarterly reports. I guess I just don't get it. I am going to have to call someone, and that means sitting on the phone for hours listening to either someone-with-very-bad-musical-taste's choice of music or announcements about how much they value my time and appreciate my call and how I will be helped by the next available representative...blah, blah, blah. Needless to say, I didn't get very far with the taxes yesterday. How did I get roped into doing the taxes every year? Probably because I cringe at the thought of paying someone to do it for me! So Monday, Cigna and I have a date on the telephone. Unless I can figure it out before then. I will, however, get them done on Monday.

Last night I pulled "something" out of the freezer for dinner. I have no clue what it was - I think some kind of chili at one time, but I did not date it or label it and when it thawed it smelled like plastic, so I dumped it out and pulled ham out of the freezer - THAT I recognized. I am going to have to be better at dating and labeling what goes into the freezer!! We had carrots and I had 2 boxes of couscous that I decided to make along with the ham. Couscous doesn't have much flavor on its own, but you can doctor it up a little and have quite a tasty dish. It was originally "roasted garlic and olive oil" flavored, but it still needed a little kick to make it even better. Here is what I came up with.

SUN DRIED TOMATO COUSCOUS

2 boxes couscous (any flavor, or none at all - your choice)
1 small onion, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T. butter
5-6 sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, diced
3 c. chicken stock
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly cracked pepper

In large saucepan heat olive oil and butter. Add onion and saute until tender and slightly golden. (If I did not have garlic flavored couscous I would probably have tossed in a minced clove of garlic or two towards the end of the cooking time here). Add the couscous and stir to coat in the onion mixture coating as much as possible. Add in the seasoning packets from the boxes of couscous and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add in the stock and tomatoes, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to steam for 20 minutes. I do not wait until it comes to a boil before reducing the heat. It will heat on its own and be nice and done. trust me on this. DON'T PEEK!! Fluff with a fork before serving. Stirring and boiling are the sworn enemies of couscous. It will become a gummy ball if you do any peeking and stirring!!

Hope you love it!! Until next time - be warm and loved, my friends!