Thanksgiving 2009

Thought I would share some pictures from our time spent in WA for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Eileigh loved having so many people to play with!!

Eileigh and Great-Grandma Mary

One of the coolest ideas ever: waterpainting!! (Until Mama cut it short when the green paint worked its way over to Eileigh's nose and upper lip)

Eileigh trying out Daddy's new purchases from Cabela's

Classic Jack and John (Mike's dad Jack on left, Uncle John on right): discussion of differing viewpoints

Eileigh appearing to sit patiently

I threw this one in mostly for the belly shot... almost at 32 weeks here

Grandma Kathy (Mike's mom) with a hat Eileigh enjoyed

And no trip would be complete without the obligatory stop at Cabela's

Eileigh liked all of the (dead) animals but loved the (live) fish most of all!!

Mexican Shrimp Bisque

Ohhh, yum. I adore shrimp and tonight Eileigh enjoyed her first shrimp as well! I was somewhat doubtful that she'd even try it but down the hatch it went and she kept asking for more! This soup was rich, easy to make, and full of flavor. I will definitely be putting this into my regular rotation of recipes.

Mexican Shrimp Bisque

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used whole milk and will use it again next time- it made the soup still creamy but not too rich)
1 tablespoon chili powder (perfect amount of flavor, not too spicy)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (I might use a little less next time)
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup sour cream
Fresh cilantro, cubed avocado, and shredded cheddar cheese, optional

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended. Stir in the water, cream, chili powder, bouillon, cumin and coriander; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Cut shrimp into bite-size pieces; add to soup. Simmer 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Gradually stir 1/2 cup hot soup into sour cream; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Heat through (do not boil). Garnish with cilantro, avocado and shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. Yield: 3 cups. (Serves 2-3)
  

Towards Greener Living...

I've been Baby-stepping our family down the path towards "greener" living, mostly as a result of being reactive as opposed to proactive as I'd like to be. A lot of it has to do with finances and ways of doing things cheaper but I'm finding that so much of the time cheaper really IS better! And simple, back-to-the-basics is so often better.
Making homemade laundry soap was one of my first forays into the Land of Green (or so I thought) until I discovered that Fels Naptha isn't all that great (has animal fats and some nasty petroleum-based toxic ingredients). So it was back to the drawing board and I ended up finding some great recipes! And there are so many. I decided to stick with a couple of really basic recipes- one for Eileigh's cloth diapers and one for the rest of the laundry. Since we have a front-loading HE washer I had to make sure the recipes would be okay to use but I believe I figured it out and so far, so good!
Also in my searches and extensive (ahem, internet) research, I stumbled fortuitously across information on a nasty little thing called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (or SLS as it is lovingly referred to). This stuff (along with Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate) is used not only in engine degreasers and floor cleaners but shampoos, body washes and toothpaste since it is a cheap degreaser. It's approved by the FDA for "brief, intermittent use not in contact with mucous membranes"... (a bit difficult since it's in toothpaste) and has been shown to correlate with a number of toxic responses. (And while I'm here mentioning toxic ingredients to avoid, propylene glycol is in so many things and should definitely be avoided). Anyhoo, SLS can cause and exacerbate skin issues and cause canker sores in the mouth, which really piqued my interest since Mike gets terrible canker sores rather frequently that can last for weeks. I've always used special soap for Eileigh since she has really sensitive skin but now I'm choosing to make the Big Change for our entire family. Mike thinks he might have to lock me up in a mental institution but I told him to give me a couple weeks and see if he can't tell a difference. We're going the route of good ol' castile soap (Dr. Bronner's for the liquid version; Kirk's Castile for bar soap) and are going to use it for shampoo, body wash, hand wash and anything else I can find a use for! I've actually collected several recipes also using it for dishwasher detergent, household cleaner and "softscrub" cleaner- for anything needing a little abrasion. Some people use it for toothpaste but the thought of that makes me want to gag so instead we'll be using SLS-free toothpaste (Tom's of Maine). A lot of the ingredients can be found at Fred Meyer's or Lifesource but I ordered everything for a significantly lower price online (vitacost.com, although I'm sure there are other great sites out there). Apparently for those who've made the switch to using castile soap it can take a few weeks for skin and hair to "detoxify" but after that it's shiny hair and conditioned skin without a need for lotions and/or conditioners! We'll see how it goes- I'm just waiting for my soap to arrive! I'll share those recipes once they're tried and approved. :)

Greener Homemade Laundry Detergent (okay for HE washers)

1 box (about 4 lb.) Borax
1 box (about 4 lb.) Washing Soda (not Baking Soda)
2 bars Kirk's Castile Soap, finely grated (I used my microplane grater and it's perfect- looks like snow!)

Mix all ingredients, use 2-4 Tbsp. per load.

Homemade Diaper Detergent (okay for HE washers)

1 c. Borax
1 c. Washing Soda
1 c. Oxiclean Free

Mix all ingredients, use 2 Tbsp- 1/4 c. per load. (I err on the side of less is more)
**A couple drops per load of tea tree essential oil is supposed to be really great for killing bacteria and any ammonia smell but I haven't gotten around to trying this suggestion out yet.

Favorite Cranberry Bread and (modified) Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

I fully admit to slacking in the blogging department and am trying to get back into the habit. At the moment I find things complicated by an almost 2-yr. old taking up what's left of my lap (which is not much, considering that Sunday marked 32 weeks into this pregnancy) as she is attempting to write her favorite letters: D-Daddy, E-Eileigh, B-Boone, M-Mama, P-Papa, G-Gramma and the occasional K-Kitty or other letter she can think of at this point in time. (I should clarify that this is exactly how her letters are stated, i.e., "D, Daddy" is the letter's full title and description). During these writing attempts she frequently leans over my arm to reach various other writing utensils or objects of interest and thereby further complicates my typing attempts. I wouldn't trade it for the world- but will have to remember in the future to blog when she is occupied elsewhere (as in, fast asleep in her bed).
Thanksgiving was spent in Washington at Mike's parents' house and we had a great time catching up and relaxing. Thanksgiving dinner was a feast to be sure and I enjoyed every bit of it, including the leftovers. Sometimes I think I love Thanksgiving more because of the great leftovers and fasba (a Mennonite low German term for coffee and sandwiches but applied by our family to specifically mean dinner rolls stuffed with leftover meat and cheese and slathered with mayo and mustard). Although I did not get to indulge in the fasba tradition this year I did come home with some leftover turkey and decided to tweak a new recipe I've been wanting to try and use turkey instead of the sausage the recipe called for. I spent a good amount of time last week roasting pumpkin seeds and cooking and baking our garden's Halloween pumpkins into "canned" pumpkin which I was able to use for this recipe as well. It turned out quite tasty- even my non-pumpkin-loving husband enjoyed it.

Sausage (or Turkey), Pumpkin and Mushroom Pasta

2 cups uncooked multigrain bow tie pasta
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed (or substitute leftover turkey)
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used white wine- Riesling- and really think it made for great flavor!)
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the sausage, mushrooms, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the chicken broth, pumpkin, wine, sage, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Drain pasta; add to the skillet and heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and parsley.
  

I also wanted to share my recipe for Cranberry Bread- I'd baked a loaf since I had fresh cranberries on hand and then brought it with us to WA. So far it's been deemed a winner by all who partake! I know I love it. I've also made it with apple juice instead of orange juice and omitted the orange peel so Eileigh can enjoy it but personally I like it best with the hint of orange flavoring. Don't forget to add the glaze- that's Mike's favorite part. :)

Favorite Cranberry Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cold butter
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins

STREUSEL:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cold butter

GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons orange juice

• In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, orange juice and peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and raisins. Transfer to a greased 8-in x 4-in. loaf pan.
• Combine brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over bread.
  

4x4in'

Today Mike had a wild hair to pack us up and head off to the mountains for a nice little day trip. He was pretty excited and of course his girls love to be wherever he may be so we got ready (as fast as two girls can) and saddled up. Eileigh commandeered Selah's new carseat so we didn't have to switch hers from my car to the truck. Our main goals were to have fun enjoying each other's company, find some snow and be able to see some of the key areas Mike haunts during hunting season(s). In honor of an old tradition (from my childhood, of course) we agreed that whoever spotted the first deer/elk gets $0.25. I think with inflation this price should definitely have increased over time but we decided to stick with the historical precedence. Having spotted the first and only deer (a tiny buck) I now wish I had opted for the increased rate but so it goes. Eileigh did great, loving the bumps and contentedly munching on rice cakes and apples while I on the other hand had to have Mike stop the truck just about every few feet due to the vicious combination of rutted roads, a 30-wk. pregnant swollen belly, and sadly abused little bladder. I determined not too far into the start of the trip that I would not voluntarily be making any more such trips until after the baby is born.
When we got to the snow Eileigh excitedly walked around, occasionally touching it but mostly checking out her snow-covered boots and saying "Walkin'." Recently everything ending in "-ing" gets the "g" dropped: walkin', dancin', singin', Mornin'!!- her favorite greeting as of late. We all had a great time taking pictures and enjoying the crisp peacefulness of the snow-covered woods.

Treats, no tricks!!

She didn't say "trick or treat" but she would say "knock-knock"

Check out Eileigh's name in the pumpkin- we carved it with a nail when it was just a little gourd (are pumpkins gourds?) and the name grew bigger with the pumpkin!! Courtesy of our garden.

Boone had this look on his face a few times throughout the night... cutest spider ever.

Just to clarify: Eileigh was a flower. :)

Halloween Eats

Last night everyone minus my youngest sister Emily (who had to work night shift) came over to our house to enjoy a little get-together before heading out to a few of the neighbors' houses for some laid-back trick-or-treating. Hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon of the kids in their outfits- until then I will share a few recipes we utilized to make the evening's meal frighteningly delicious. :) The Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili I've made before and liked it even better this time around (throwing in a few of my own twists) and my mom made a big batch of Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls that not only went great with the chili but also make for a great breakfast the next day!!! (and snack... and lunch...).

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili (Crockpot)

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped (I used a red bell pepper this time, just as good)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained (this time was 1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans)
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (this could be any meat, really- I used leftover pork from making Spicy Carolina BBQ Pork and leftover chicken from making homemade chicken broth- I think the spicy pork really made the dish- I'll add the recipe on at the bottom of this post)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).


Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
4 eggs
1 cup shortening
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1/3 cup instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 teaspoon salt
7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

ICING:
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mixes, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine the water, butter and cinnamon. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over buns. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Spicy Carolina BBQ Pork (Crockpot)

2 onions, quartered
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (4-6lb.) boneless pork butt or shoulder roast
3/4 c. cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Hamburger buns

Place onions in crockpot. Combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper and rub mixture over roast. Place roast in crockpot. In a bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Drizzle 1/2 of vinegar mixture over the roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture. Cover; cook on Low for 10 hrs. or High 6 hrs. Remove the meat and onions and drain. Shred meat and serve with onions on hamburger buns. Use the remaining vinegar mixture to drizzle over the sandwiches.