Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Eve Soup


Our tradition for as long as I can remember is to have soup and sandwiches for christmas eve dinner. We have always opened our christmas presents on christmas eve with my grandparents after the candle light service at church. I think the tradition started because as kids we couldn't wait to open our presents, so soup and sandwiches were the fastest meal to eat. The tradition lives on, even though were not quite as excited to get to our presents as we used to be. For a while we've been getting Marie Calendar's Cheesy Potato Soup. This year I had a recipe for potato soup that I wanted to try instead. It turned out great and it was super easy. My grandpa loved it and requested that I come over and make it again before I head back to Boston.


Potato Soup
Yields: 6-8 Servings
Time: 6-8 hours in low heat crock-pot 

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, thinly chopped
1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns (***can use "southern style" hash browns, see below)
3 14oz. cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese (do not use fat-free or reduce fat, it will not melt)

Toppings:

green onions, chopped
cheddar cheese, shredded
bacon bits
sour cream

Saute onions and celery in a tbsp or so of butter until onions and celery are slightly tender (they will cook more while in crock-pot). Mix cooked celery and onions, hash browns, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and pepper in crock-pot. Cook for 6-8 hour on low heat. One hour before serving add cream cheese. Mix well before serving (a whisk works best to really mix the cream cheese in). Serve with topping options. Enjoy!

*** Update: Today I used "southern style" hash browns or cubed hash browns instead of shredded. I liked it better, it was so good. Loved the chunks of potato. Try it this way, I promise you'll love it! ***


another pinterest post...


     One of my new favorite things to do is make flower pins and hair accessories. They are super easy and I've even made a few extra dollars selling them. I'm hesitant to put on here how to make them, because of how easier they are, people won't want to buy them from me. But my mom keeps telling me that even though they're easy, some people just have the time or "craftiness" to do it. Well for those of you who do, here are some links and pictures to these super easy flowers. Most of them all you need is a t-shirt.

                                         Pedal Flowers                              Folding Flowers



 The pedal flowers are usually big enough to wear alone, depending how big your original stencil is. But the folding flowers I usually embellish with other flower petals and leaves, or beads and metal accessories. I sold quite a few before christmas, they are great gifts and stocking stuffers. I'm planning on making more and maybe trying to sell them at a craft fair next christmas. Hope this inspires you to make your own, or if you'd like to buy one from me let me know. :)  There are a couple more tutorials on my pinterest craft page, here's a link.  Craft Ideas.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

clearing my pinterest board...

Screen shot of my pinterest boards
Pinterest is one of my favorite things right now. For those of you who don't know what Pinterest is, it is an online bulletin board. It allows you to "pin" things that you find out in the internet, so that later you can come back and do those things. You can create multiple boards, and look at other peoples boards to see what they are pinning. I have lots of boards: recipes I want to try, craft ideas, travel wishes, etc. I've been busy making different craft projects, I've found off of other peoples boards, for christmas presents. I've even sold a few of my fabric flowers and am thinking of starting an Etsy page.

Anyway, I say all this to explain the recipes I tried last night. My goal when I am 'home' in California is to clear off my "recipe I want to try" board on pinterest. Lots of people have boards on Pinterest of things they want to try and crafts they want to do, but they never do them. Well, I actually do the stuff I pin on pinterest. Last night was the first night of operation clear off pinterest board. Here's what I made:


Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bow-Tie Pasta
Recipe adapted from Jaime Cooks it Up!

Time: 45min
Yeild: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breast
5 cups corn flakes (about 2 cups cornflake crumbs)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
6 tbsp olive oil
12 oz bow-tie pasta

       Sauce:

1 (10oz) container of Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor)
2 cans cream of chicken scoup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)


1. In a small food processor crush the corn flakes into crumbs, or poor cornflakes into a zip lock bag and crush them with meat mallet (or pie roller)

2. Add the 1/2 t salt to the 3/4 C flour. Stir to combine. (I added a little bit of Ted and Barney's Seasoning to the flour mixture)

3. Place the flour, milk and crushed cornflakes each into their own separate pan. I used dinner paper plates, the ones that are a little deeper than normal paper plates, works great and easy clean up.

4. Place your chicken breasts in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal the top. Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet or pie roller. The Ziploc bag keeps the chicken from getting everywhere.

5. Take a pair of sharp kitchen scissors or knife and cut each breast in half. 

6. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Be sure it gets covered on both sides. Lay the floured chicken onto a small cookie sheet and slide the sheet into the freezer. Let it hang out there for about 5 minutes. 

7. Start cooking your pasta. (directions on box says 13-15 min, but I cooked for 13 min and it was over done, so watch the pasta, check at 10 min).

8. Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in the milk and then immediately into the corn flake crumbs. Again, be sure both sides are covered well. 

9. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet. 

10. Carefully lay each chicken piece into the hot oil. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper (or ted and barney's). Cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the underside of each piece is nice and golden brown. Turn the pieces over. If the bottom of the pan is dry add just a bit more olive oil to the side of the pan. Swirl the pan around a bit to let the oil flow to all sides. 

11. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Let the chicken cook for about 7 more minutes, being careful not to burn the bottoms. 

12. When your chicken has been cooked through remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Cover with tin foil.  

13. Into the same pan pour your broth, philly cooking creme, cream of chicken, and milk. Whisk the sauce around and let it get all warm and bubbly. Should only take about 3 minutes. 

14. Slice your chicken into strips and serve over your cooked pasta and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley if you choose. 

I also made another recipe off of my Pinterest board...

Italian Bread with Gorgonzola
Recipe taken from Thibeault's Table

Ingredients: 

Long loaf of Italian Bread or long crusty rolls
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1 to 2 cloves garlic
parsley
salt
pepper
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Basil or Oregano (optional)

Cream the butter with the Gorgonzola cheese. Mince garlic and add to cheese mixture. Add chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. If using the basil or the oregano add now as well. Slice bread and spread cheese mixture in between each slice. Put slices back together as loaf was originally shaped. Sprinkle top of loaf with Parmesan cheese and wrap in foil. Place in 400°F oven for 10-20 minutes, or until center is heated and cheese is melted. Serve hot.

I also made some cookies off a sugar cookie recipe on my board but that post will come later. Hope you enjoy these recipes. My dad (who is a really picky eater) liked both of the recipes so I feel confident passing them along, hopefully you enjoy them too.

Stay tuned for more recipes off my board, and craft projects.

Monday, December 19, 2011

the things that bring me joy...

Hi everyone, welcome to my new blog. My old blog Angela's Kitchen Chronicles I started a couple years ago when I was "home" in California for the summer. I spent most of the summer cooking and baking and blogging about it. When I returned back to Boston the blogging was less frequent because of school and other things that kept me busy. Well, I'm back "home" for christmas, on break from school, and ready to start blogging again. My new blog is more than just cooking, its more of a general everything I love blog. I called it "consider it pure joy" after my favorite verse in the bible. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its works so you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." I think its important when you have things in your life that are hard to find things in your life that bring you joy and dwell on those things.

So this blog will be a mix of a lot of different things: craft projects, recipes I love, photography, travel, diy projects etc. Stay tuned!