Praline Cookies

I think that over the last two weeks I have possibly paid the light bill at Land O' Lakes.  I'm pretty sure the people at my grocery store think I have a problem with butter.  Maybe I should invest? 
Ah well I digress...onto the cookie.  
Now, Pioneer Woman I am not so don't judge my pictures and please note that the ugly white counter tops in our kitchen are going away in a few weeks. 
These cookies are compliments of Plain Chicken which is possibly my favorite food blog at the moment.  She has all kinds of delicious recipes and I've made several and each has turned out to be so good.
These little guys truly are like a praline but in cookie form and even have a nice, praline crunch to them.  I am what I affectionately refer to as a "Vanilla Bandit" - this means that I ignore all reason and just dump the vanilla in there.  What can go wrong? A little vanilla never hurt you.


Praline Cookies
here's the original recipe

1/2 cup butter 

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp vanilla (or whatever tickles your fancy)

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

Your cast of characters...ignore the word "Sooner" on the pecan bag.

Microwave butter on HIGH for 40-45 seconds or until butter is melted. Add sugars, eggs, flour and vanilla. Mix well. Add pecans; mix well. 

At this point your work station should look approximately something like this mess.

Using small scoop, drop dough 2-inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes - until edges are slightly brown. Cool 2 minutes and remove to cooling rack....like these!

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and sample one ... or four...I'm not your doctor.

In other news, I bought myself a pair of Hunter's Wellington boots in Welly green! While we were in the UK I felt really out of place because I was the lone female without a pair so I am training for our next UK adventure.

Of Fred Astaire & Bing Crosby...

I have often said that I am of another generation born in the wrong time.  If you haven't caught on I'm a big history nerd and that love of history has nudged its way into my love of film.
In my humble opinion, today's Hollywood sucks.  Harsh, but true.  I mean honestly have you seen some of the unoriginal crap they produce these days? Ugh.  
When Christmas rolls around I don't feel any shame in popping in one of my all time favorite movies Holiday Inn.  I mean who doesn't like a "drunk" Fred Astaire lightly gliding around a dance floor with a sparkling Marjorie Reynolds while a big band plays? If you've never seen Holiday Inn, go find it immediately.  If you're in for a short bit of Christmas trivia, Holiday Inn is the first time in which "White Christmas" was sang.  Its set is also the same set they used for the movie White Christmas (which I shamelessly adore).
I'm also a huge sucker for 40s and 50s fashion, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Stewart..oh and big dance numbers.  Which leads me to this - where is my generations dance numbers, real singers and actual talent? What kind of junk will my kids be subjected too? I shall make it my utmost responsibility to introduce real Gold Age Hollywood to my little ones someday.  Maybe I'll get some Broadway performers out of it! 
So being the classic movie lover I am, here are a few of my favorites:
Holiday Inn 
White Christmas
Bells of St. Mary's
The Bishops Wife
Singing in the Rain
Royal Wedding
Casablanca
Rear Window
High Society
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Harvey
The Flight of the Phoenix
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Parent Trap (the original one...not the one with that crazy Lohan nerd)
The Philadelphia Story
Strangers on a Train
The Maltese Falcon


Well that's a good start...happy movie watching!

One Good Man...

I love so many things about Christmas - I love decorating, cooking, baking and looking at lights.  I love shopping and buying gifts for others and wrapping them up and seeing them under the tree.  I just don't get tired of it.

However, something else I love are nativity scenes.  I remember being little and rearranging the nativities that my mother and grandmother both had.  The little baby Jesus, the shepherds and animals, setting out the wise men and moving Mary close to the manger and Joseph just behind her.    

Our church is focusing on The Journey this season.  The Journey is a study on the various characters of the Nativity and the journey that Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem.  I think we all tend to forget that each of those characters was an intricate piece of the puzzle.  A real living and breathing person who actually existed and lived in this world in, what seems, a million light years ago.  This is what today's lesson made me think about:

We always talk about Mary whose part of the story is clearly important but what about Joseph? 

As our pastor said this morning, we tend to move Joseph to the back a little, making him a sort of speed bump in the Nativity scene.  In fact, Joseph's piece of the story is just as important, if not more so than some of the other characters.  It would never have been the story that it is without his sudden leap of faith to follow God's command, something that was not without risk.  He made that leap of faith, fully agreeing to not only take on a young wife who was pregnant with a child that was not his but to protect and raise the child.  He was responsible for the care of God's son.  Not an easy task.  Technically by the laws of the time he was required to break his engagement or divorce her, leaving her to be stoned to death.  Instead, he spared her public humiliation, even death and married her anyway.  What kind of man of character must he been?  How brave?

Who was Joseph? Here's what I think:

If Mary's father was any kind of traditional Jewish daddy, he probably had Joseph picked out for several reasons.   

We know that Joseph was a carpenter.   In that time and even up into the Middle Ages boys as young as 8 were given a trade.  Trades like carpentry and iron working were passed down from father to son or if no father was available, boys were sent to work in an apprenticeship with a master craftsman.  If they were successful they could take on the craftsman's business if no son was able to take over or start their own.  If Joseph followed the norm, he probably started his trade in carpentry on his own at about 16.   We don't know if he was a master craftsman or if he was simply a free lance carpenter.  He must of made a decent name for himself no matter what he did.  My guess was he was established in his 20s and by the time he met Mary, he was probably in his 30s.  What Jewish father (or any father for that reason) wouldn't want his daughter to marry a mature, established man with a trade who could care for her, his grandchildren and give his family a good name??  

We should also remember that people at that time did not marry for love.  That was kind of the last thing you thought about.  Parents still chose their children's spouses or at least pushed them towards the one of their choosing.  They wanted them to marry for a variety reasons but namely for practicality - did he/she come from a good family? Could he provide for them? Was there a good dowry from her family to be had? 

Mary was very young, probably no more than 15 which would have been the perfect age for her to marry.  Heck by normal standards of the day she was getting old and Joseph probably seemed like the perfect choice.

I wonder if he loved her? He must have in the end.  Look what he chose to do for her! There really isn't a whole lot we know about him but maybe that's God's plan.  Maybe he wants us to only see what happens if we make the choice to follow His plan for our lives, regardless of whether they mirror our own plans.  It is by Joseph's example that we see what comes from simply saying yes rather than  worrying.  

So this Christmas when you pull out the Nativity, move Joseph a little closer to Mary and Jesus.  After all, good men should never be in the shadows....

Thankful...

I'm sort of on the Facebook bandwagon with the updating everyone on what I'm thankful for.  
However, forgetting what we're thankful for happens every year, every month, every day.  So, I'm glad we have this month to remind ourselves of what we're thankful for in the past year and what we're thankful for right this very second.
Here are just a few of mine:


1.  My husband - he literally is my best friend and the best thing that has happened to me.  He is caring, thoughtful, unbelievably smart, kind and so funny! I'm so blessed that I have him. When so many other women struggle with their relationships, I can honestly say that I do not.  I have never second guessed my decision to say yes and I would do it again without hesitation.  
2.  My parents - I love my parents.  I'm so thankful for their 35-something year marriage that showed my sister and I what real love is.  They strove to give us a wonderful, safe home where we felt loved and never afraid.  I never heard them argue or fight.  They took us on vacations, showed us the world and put time and effort into my sister and I.  Most importantly, they showed us God's love.  Something I hope to give to my children.  Aside from all that, they're also real funny.  
3.  My job - I cannot tell you how blessed I am to have a job.  That sounds ridiculous but in reality so many people in this world do not have one and I do.  I get great benefits, flexibility and freedom and I do get to go to some cool places.  I also work for great people who build pretty neat buildings and do some really great things for our community.  They also put up with me when I'm grouchy and my people skills are lacking so I'm thankful for that too because it is not a small task to undertake (haha!).
4. My nephew - he's still so small but my little guy is so special! I love being an aunt and seeing him smile and laugh and grab at things is so great.  His little mind is turning and you can see it on his face.  I've never been someone who just sat around and wanted kids but J gives me new appreciation for babies and for children.  How special they are to God and what a gift children can be if you allow them to be.  It's also so unbelievable that I share DNA with such a tiny person.  Love him.
5.  My Sunday School class - 4 years ago I was searching for a church home.  I tried all the usual's but when I happened into Church of the Servant United Methodist Church, I felt like I was in the right place.   Matt and I have joined a Sunday school class that we have been a part of for 3 years now.  Sometimes, I feel like we're all on a big rocking cruise ship either actually "rocking" it out or being rocked by the waves of life.  I love to see how each of us has grown and where people are now in their lives.  I'm grateful for their prayers and deep thoughts on all parts of life but mostly for their friendship.  Such amazing people who I'm blessed to call friend...each of them.  No matter what.  I can't imagine not being a part of Water Walkers.


So that's my 5 for tonight.  I am now going to drink a glass of wine and have a serious discussion with my cat about appropriate behavior regarding the care and/or disposal of crickets.  Gross.
~ Paula

Tabbouleh Love

If you are my friend you know how much I hate food chains.  I have a weird hobby of finding obscure restaurants and sometimes you just have to go with it.  One of my favorite foods in the world is tabbouleh.  Over the past few years I've become a connoisseur of good tabbouleh and I love my own version.  

Over a year ago I discovered The Health Nut Cafe.  It's inside the OU Fitness Center at the Hospital and if you're looking for a quick, healthy and quiet meal try it.  It's frequented by doctors and nurses so you know you're okay :)  I've gotten to know the owners, Cindy and Amir who are really great people.  Amir is Lebanese and one of his specialties is tabbouleh.  If you want really good tabbouleh - Amir makes some of the best I've had.  I asked him one day about his recipe and he laughed at me.  The recipe is his mother's who, although Lebanese, did not like the traditional salad decided since she was now American she would do it the "American" way.  I've recreated Amir's recipe for myself and I have it exactly how I want it.

Just so you know, this recipe is totally at your discretion.  Some people like plain tabbouleh, some like theirs full of oil, garlic and lemon (like me) and some like heavy parsley.  It's up to you and yes, you can add any veggies you want!

WARNING:  you really need to make this at minimum of one day ahead.  Two is best so that it allows the wheat to soak up the olive oil and lemon juice.  If you try making it too late, it will be crunchy.  I'm protecting you from crunchy tabbouleh.

Paula's Tabbouleh Salad

1 package tabbouleh wheat - not seasoned!  This will make a lot so cut down the amount if you need too.

1-2 heaping tablespoons pre minced garlic

1/4 c. good olive oil, plus more to taste

1 finely diced yellow onion

1 finely diced green bell pepper

2-3 diced roma tomatoes

1 small bunch parsley

1 bag lemons 

salt and pepper

1.  Place the dry tabbouleh wheat in a large bowl (or in a very fine colander over a large bowl) and heavily wet with water.  Allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Dice up veggies and parsley.  When this is done, drain any excess water from the wheat and mix in veggies, parsley, garlic.  Toss all with the olive oil.

3.  At this point you're ready for the lemon juice.  This is all dependent on your personal taste and I like mine lemony.  Squeeze out the juice from 2 of the lemons and pour into wheat mixture, making sure to incorporate thoroughly.

4.  Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge overnight.

5.  The next day test the salad to see if it needs more lemon juice, oil, garlic and/water.  Keep testing until it gets up to your standard.  Like I said, I like mine lemony and full of garlic.  At this point you'll also be able to add salt and pepper to your taste.

6.  As soon as the salad is perfect - serve! It's great with pork chops and steaks.

Happy Eating!

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

I love Pinterest! It's pretty much a source of joy for me because I find all kinds of amazing ideas, especially recipes.  I found a pretty amazing sounding recipe the other day while Pinning and thought I'd try it out tonight for dinner.  
I'm going to cut down the amount of chicken (there's only 2 of us) and I'll substitute the Italian Dressing mix for Ranch mix since it's what I have.

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken

Courtesy of Moms Who Think

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Mix cheese, dressing mix and garlic powder.

3. Moisten chicken breasts with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish.

4. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

In other news, I got to hang out with this guy all weekend.  He's pretty awesome and his Auntie loves him.

Monday's Dinner

Tonight's dinner will be super yummy! I always try to pre-plan our week's meals because it helps me not overdo my shopping and it gives me something to look forward too!  We have some left over asparagus so tonight we'll be having this guy who is a personal favorite.  It sounds really fancy but trust me, it's not and nor is it complicated!


Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

1 pound asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 pound penne

1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

You can also use broccoli or really any veggies you want in this dish..don't limit yourself to asparagus!