Loose Ends

All our recipes have been officially moved to the "pages" linked just under the banner at the top.  As I post new recipes, I'll add them to those pages so they'll be easy to find.  I've deleted the other recipe links to simplify things for myself.  Business meeting adjourned.

So, we're still eating granola as if our lives depend on it.  I go though phases like this.  Jamey seems to be going through this phase along with me because I found we were having to make more granola every few days.  Well, that's just silly.  So we started making double batches.  Yep, two gallons at once.  Hopefully, this will last us close to a week.  My chewing muscles are in the best shape of their lives.  If there was an Olympic event that showcased chewing muscles, I would totally enter.

It's not uncommon to find a really large egg every once in awhile, but a really small one?  That's not so common.  When I held this little one, it made my uterus ache.

 

Here's a real kid-pleaser recipe- at least at my house.  In my cookbook, it was called Turkey Tetrazzini, but I changed the dickens out of it and now I don't know what to call it.  Healthy Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken?  Creamy Chicken Pasta?  Fooey.  Let's just call it Chicken Tetrazzini.

Chicken Tetrazzini (Adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2003)
I use a homemade version of canned cream soup.  You can read about how to make it here.  This tetrazzini is a stove top version- no baking involved.

2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 (10 oz.) cans condensed cream of mushroom or chicken soup, undiluted OR the equivalent of 2 cans homemade creamed soup substitute (see link above)
3/4 cup water ONLY if you are using store bought condensed soup
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
16 ounces pasta (I used shells)
4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to instructions on package.  In the meantime, saute chopped onion and red bell pepper in butter until tender.  Turn heat down to medium and stir in condensed soup or soup substitute, water (ONLY add water if you are using store bought condensed soup) and cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted and sauce is smooth.  Add cooked chicken, parsley, black pepper and parmesan cheese.  Heat through.  Add cooked, drained pasta and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.




Do you remember last January when I showed you some of the things that I chose from my grandparent's house after they moved out?  At the end of the post I told you that my favorite piece wasn't yet at our house.  Well, it is now and we just moved it inside.  It was my grandmother's canning cupboard.

It has two large doors, but we've chose to store those for now.  Leaving them off will mean less pinched fingers.  Since my pantry holds all our canning jars, this cupboard is a much needed place for books.  Jamey thinks we have too many books.  I don't think you can ever have too many books.   For math one day, I had Sam count all the books in the house.  Between board books to school books to cookbooks to gardening books to pharmacy law, he had his work cut out for him.

The cupboard is (obviously) very old.  Some would choose to strip it and paint it fresh. I put a few coats of clear stain on it to keep the paint from chipping off further, but that was it.  I prefer to leave it the way it is-  battered and bruised from years of use- holding jars of home-canned food.

By the way, how was your Easter?  We had a wonderful time celebrating with family and neighbors yesterday.  I did break my sugar fast and I'll tell you about how that went another day.  For now, let's keep the reality that Christ is alive on the tip of our minds.  Let's keep him off that cross and out of that tomb.  He's not there anymore.  Oh, no.  He put death and sin in it's place.  Let's do the same.