Jammin'

I love making freezer jam! It is pretty easy and quick and tastes so good! You start with these ingredients:










Make this kind of mess:











And end up with this:

I made two batches of strawberry and one batch of blackberry. I got my berries at pretty good prices too! On Monday (Strawberry day) Mechelle (one of the Laurels) came over and helped. It was great fun!

Food Friday - Chicken Cacciatore

Prep Time: 1/2 Hour
Cooking Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 2 1/2 Hours

In a large pot combine:
2 Cans - Stewed Tomatoes-Diced
1 Can - Sliced Mushrooms (or fresh)
1/2 Chopped Green Bell Pepper
1/2 C Chopped Yellow Onion
1/2 T - Corn Starch
1 T - Minced Garlic (fresh or bottled but not dried)
1 t - Dried Basil (or fresh)
1 t - Dried Oregano (or fresh)
Ground Black Pepper to taste
(there is enough salt in the tomatoes and broth that you shouldn't need to add any)
1/2 t - Red Pepper Powder
1/2 t - Creole Seasoning (Emeril has a recipe for it or you can buy it - I have Tony Chachere's)
cook until it begins to get thick then add:
1/2 C - Chicken Broth
1/4 C Brown Sugar
simmer with a lid for 1 hour then add:
2 Cooked Chicken Breasts - Shredded
simmer without a lid for an additional hour then serve over:
Cooked Angel Hair Pasta (or other pasta or rice)

I made this one up and it was really, really good! Feel free to change it, improve it, and pass it along. This is great served with French bread.

Who Said It? -Motherhood Edition

Match the quotation with the author (give your answers in a response). Answers will be posted in a few days.

1. "Woman, Mother, --your responsibility is one that might make angels tremble and fear to take hold! To trifle with it, to ignore or misuse it, is to treat lightly the most sacred and solemn trust ever confided by God to human kind. The training of children is a task on which an infinity of weal or woe depends. Who does not covet it? Yet who does not stand awe-struck before its momentous issues!"

2. "I am impressed by countless mothers who have learned how important it is to focus on the things that can only be done in a particular season of life. If a child lives with parents for 18 or 19 years, that span is only one-fourth of a parent’s life. And the most formative time of all, the early years in a child’s life, represents less than one-tenth of a parent’s normal life. It is crucial to focus on our children for the short time we have them with us and to seek, with the help of the Lord, to teach them all we can before they leave our homes. This eternally important work falls to mothers and fathers as equal partners. I am grateful that today many fathers are more involved in the lives of their children. But I believe that the instincts and the intense nurturing involvement of mothers with their children will always be a major key to their well-being."

3. "Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one."

A. Gloria Steinem
B. M. Russell Ballard
C. Anna Julia Cooper
D. Colin Powell

Do you have a favorite motherhood quotation? Do share...

And now I know...

I've learned a few lessons lately. Here are two:

1 - If you are going to get your hair cut where it is arid, don't be surprised if it looks different when you get back home to the humidity.

2 - Read the fine print on labels.

Here is some explanation:

1 - I got my haircut while I was in Utah. This hasn't been a big deal in the past because I would just get trims but this time I went short. When my medium/long hair is subjected to the humidity it goes a little wavy and it is okay. When my short hair is subjected to the humidity, the nice smooth look I had in Utah goes all tweaky. It flips where it should be smooth and goes limp where it is supposed to have volume. Oh well...

2 - I bought some apple juice for my family (especially Eden) to enjoy. I looked over my options and then noticed that there was a brand that was 100% juice - not from concentrate. It was also a good price. I bought it, took it home, and then gave Eden a sippy cup full of it at lunch. At dinner Phil said, "oooh, apple juice!" (we don't have juice much) and so I put it on the table for dinner. Phil filled his glass. About half way through the meal I noticed some smaller print on the label. This is what then transpired...

Heidi: "How can apple juice have fiber?"
Phil: "Fiber? I don't think it can."
Heidi: "It says it right there, 'A Good Source of Fiber.'"
Phil: "No way."
Heidi: (looking at some even smaller print) "Oh, they've added fiber - like Metamucil or something."
Phil: "No way."
Heidi: "This could be bad, Eden had about 6 ounces today."
Eden: as if on cue - makes all kinds of stomach-churning-digestion-working sounds.

Let's just say the diaper was full, the guts clean.

And now you know too...

Food Friday - I don't want to cook edition

No matter how much you like to cook, there are times when you just don't want to do it. Last night was one of those nights. In honor of that, there will be no recipe today. Instead, here is a list of 5 great eating experiences I've had over the years:

1 - Sylvias - Harlem, NY - with Charlotte
Charlotte and I went to NYC where I had a conference. Our flight got canceled and our luggage was lost for three days. Since I didn't have any conference-appropriate clothing, we went to buy some and while we were out we went to Sylvias which Tayneshia had recommended. It was fabulous!

2 - Ruth's Chris Steak House - Philadelphia, PA - with my brother Mark
I had meetings in Philadelphia and it just so happened (or perhaps he made it happen) my brother had meetings there at the same time. We were able to spend a couple of days together and he took me to Ruth Chris for the first time. Good food! (and I'm not a huge steak fan).

3 - Some restaurant - Hannover, Germany - with brother Paul, his wife Meg, and Phil
Paul and Meg were spending the summer in Hannover and Phil was spending it in Switzerland teaching. I flew over and we all had a little vacation together. We went to a cute restaurant and Paul was translating for us. We pointed to one thing and asked, "what is that" he'd answer "beef" or "chicken" or whatever. Then we asked again and he stumbled and looked confused. He couldn't think of the right word in English. Finally he blurted out, "Pig!" ("pork" is the word he couldn't think of). We all cracked up. It was just a fun, fun time and I think the food was pretty good too!

4 - Some cafe - Paris, France - with Phil
We had these sandwiches that were made with French baguettes and chicken and carrot sticks and a yummy curry sauce. Then we topped that off with gelato (of course). We ate all of this outside in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral. Lovely.

5 - Indian Oven (also known as the Indian Dive) - Logan, UT - with the Sugar Gliders
Ok, this may seem totally out-classed by the other entries but I LOVE the Indian Oven (it was originally in the back corner of a gas station convenience store - hence the "Indian Dive" but now it has a respectable store front on main street). We had heard that the food was good and so we tried to go for lunch only to find out that they were (then) only open for dinner. Upon seeing our disappointed faces, the owner/chef said, "stay, I will make you something very good." He won my love and devotion! The food is great (I really like Indian food) and how can you beat that service! Top that off with the fabulous company of wonderful women and you have a winning combination!

Now, have your husband take you out tonight and then let me know where you went or what your favorite food experiences have been.

Food Friday - Saturday Edition

Ok, so I've been in Utah to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday (I'll post on that soon) and so I think I have two recipes to make up for. So here is the Saturday Edition of Food Friday.

Fried Bread

4 C Flour
4 t Baking Powder
1 t Salt
2 C Milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add milk and stir 10 minutes (I use my trusty Kitchen Aid). Put some oil in a shallow pan and place on medium-high heat. Knead dough until it is rubbery. Divide into small flat pieces. Pinch a small piece off and place it in the oil. When it quickly bounces to the top and begins to fry, you know it is ready. Fry in oil - turning it over once.

Serving suggestions: eat with butter and jam; sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it; squeeze honey all over it; use it as the base for Navajo Tacos. YUM!!!!

Crepes

3 Eggs
1 1/3 C Milk
3 T Butter (softened but not melted)
1 C Flour
1/2 t Salt

Mix all ingredients with either a hand mixer or (and this is my little secret trick) a blender (because then you can pour the batter right out onto your pan). Heat a small round frying pan with sides on medium-high. When the pan is hot pour a small amount of batter (maybe 1 1/2 T) into the pan and swirl the batter all around (the thinner the better). When the batter doesn't look wet anymore, carefully flip it and brown the other side (maybe 30 seconds).

Serving Ideas: eat them for breakfast with sugar, cinnamon, jam, fresh fruit and whipped cream, or make a yummy center and have stuffed crepes for dinner (suggestions for stuffing available if there is interest).