Quick Dinner

Who doesn't like quick dinners?  Here's what I threw together tonight...and it was quite great tasting too!

Chicken Cordon Bleu (I get a 6 pack from Sam's Club for about $11, but I know you can also get them from King Soopers and Schwans.)

Rice-A-Roni,  Long Grain Rice or other variety

1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped

1 Carrot, finely chopped

2 T.  Onion, finely chopped

1.  Preheat oven and start cooking the Chicken Cordon Bleu according to the package instructions.  Mine cooked at 400degrees for about 30 minutes.

2.  Once you have the chicken in the oven start the rice.  Follow the package instructions, but add about 1/2 cup more water and the veggies.  Cook as instructed.

3.  Once the chicken and rice are done, serve and enjoy!

All done in about 35 minutes, with little work but very satisfied people!

Rice will serve 4 people, and be sure to cook as many Chicken Cordon Bleu's as you need.  (For example, I cooked 2 tonight--one for my husband and one for me!)  :)

Easy Energy Bars

So, if you are like my husband you may just love energy bars.  He loves that you can just grab them and go, fuel up after a bike ride or well....just eat them for a snack.  I don't know if I know what his actual favorite is...but I know he  and really likes Clif Bars.  So, I was googling around recently for recipes for such.  I found this great blog called "Enlightened Cooking" and it's this woman who has done quite a bit of cooking, etc...she's even written cookbooks.  Anyway, she has a recipe for no bake Clif bars.  While it sounded good...I didn't have everything for it, and when I went to the store...I couldn't ever find the rice syrup.  Anyway, you should still check out her blog and recipe.  Pretty cool stuff....  :)

So, I have instead made my own recipe.  And I look forward to making many variations in weeks to come, because these are definitely WAY cheaper than buying Clif or Powerbars at the store!  Plus, it's nice that I know exactly what is going into them...and...I think they actually taste better.  Don't get me wrong, I like Clif bars, but there is just something about things that are homemade that just taste better.  :)

Easy Energy Bars:

(Peanut Butter Chocolate Cranberry)
1.5 c.  Rice Cereal
1.5 c.  Quick Oats
1/2 c.  Craisins
1/2 c.  Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 c.  Peanut Butter
1/3 c.  Corn Syrup (Or something to sweeten it.  I'm going to try honey next!)
1 t.  Cocoa Powder
1/2 t.  Vanilla

1.  In a large bowl mix together Rice Cereal, Oats, Craisins and Chocolate Chips.

2.  Then in a small saucepan slowly bring the corn syrup and peanut butter to a boil.  Stir constantly, and once it boils take off the heat and add the cocoa and vanilla.

3.  Pour the peanut buttery mixture over the dry ingredients and mix together until the dry ingredients are moistened.

4.  Line a 9x9 pan with waxed paper and pour the mixture into it.  Spread it out to the sides.

5.  Put waxed paper on top of the mixture and using a glass tamp down the mixture to form the bars.

6.  Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

7.  Take it out of the fridge and lift the bar out of the pan using the waxed paper.

8.  Cut into pieces and wrap to store.  I cut it into 6 pieces so they are roughly the size of Clif Bars.  But you can do whatever you choose!  :)   Refrigerate for longer storage, or if you are in a warmer climate.

Enjoy!

(Mine on the door of the fridge for easy access!)

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Muffins:

1 c. Bisquick
1 c. whole wheat flour
¾ c. Sugar
1 ½ c. applesauce, unsweetened (Can use homemade or storebought)
1/2 c. milk, preferably skim
2 eggs
½ t. salt
1 ½ t. cinnamon

Topping:
4 T. sugar
3 T. flour
2 T. butter
1/2 t. cinnamon

1.  In a large bowl mix bisquick, wheat flour, sugar, applesauce, milk, eggs, salt and cinnamon together.

2.  Line or grease muffin pan, and preheat oven to 400°.

3.  Spoon muffin mixture into the 12 lined/greased muffin spots evenly.  (Should fill 12 nicely.)

4.  Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter for the topping using a fork or pastry blender.  (Until it looks like streusel.)

5.  Spoon about 1 T. of topping on each muffin.

6.  Bake muffins for about 25-30 minutes at 400°.

7.  Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes.  Then remove from pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

8.  May be served warm or room temperature for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or snack!  :)

Potato-less Chicken Pot Pie

Ever wondered why there are potatoes in chicken pot pies?  There are already carbs in the crust....so, I have now made some without potatoes and found that they are just as wonderful!  So, here's the recipe!  :)

Potato-less Chicken Pot Pie:

3 c. Veggies (I like to use peas, carrots and green beans. Fresh or frozen are okay.)
1 lb. Cooked Chicken Breast, diced (Or you can use a large can of chicken breast.)
1.5 c. Milk
2 T. Margarine
2 T. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Pepper
2 T. Onion flakes
1 top pie crust (I always use Better Homes and Gardens recipe for a single pie crust.)

1.  In a large pot combine the veggies, chicken, milk, salt, thyme, pepper, and onion flakes.  Heat to boil, then turn to medium and cook for 10 minutes.  (Longer if your veggies were frozen.)

2.  Add margine and stir till melted and combined.

3.  Add flour.  Slowly and stirring constantly.

4.  Fill Casserole dish with the thickened soup type mixture.

5.  Cut the top pie crust to fit and place on top.

6.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

7.  Enjoy!  (And be careful it is hot!!)

Praise You in the Storm

This is a fantastic song by Casting Crowns. I heard it for the first time at the funeral of our friend who went to heaven this week. Beautiful song. Beautiful service. Although, such a sad day because we shouldn’t have been going to a funeral for a 28 year old man. But, our Pastor said something that really was a good thought on it all. This is my paraphrase because I can’t seem to remember exactly the way he said it. ”We may not understand God’s hand but we can trust God’s heart.” True. Bottom line, God knows the plans He has for us, and we don’t, but He is with us!
Anyway, here’s this great song….

Chicken Cups

Here's another easy pantry meal.  You can do a lot of variations with this too.  So, don't be afraid to get creative!  :)

Chicken Cups:

1-3/4  c. Bisquick (I like to use the heart healthy, but you can use whatever you have!)

1/2 c. Skim milk

3 T. Cream cheese

1 c. Chicken, cooked and chopped up (or canned)

1 T. Onion flakes

2 T. water

Pinch Parsley (Adds color!)

Pinch Thyme (If desired)

Dash Pepper

1.  In a medium sized bowl mix together the Bisquick and milk until combined.  Divide into 6 equal balls of dough.

2.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and place one ball in each place.  Press dough into the bottom and up the sides, to create a cup.

3.  Mix together the chicken, cream cheese, onion flakes and water until combined.  Then add in the parsley, thyme and pepper and mix.

4.  Fill the biscuit cups evenly with the chicken mixture until it is gone.

5.  Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

6.  Carefully remove from muffin pan and serve hot!   Enjoy!  (Be careful as they will be hot inside!)

Pasta Salad

You know, pasta salads are a nice for summer and also a good way to get creative with veggies.  So I like to experiment with them and sometimes I throw them up here.  :)  So here's what I made yesterday.  A little different than what you normally see in a pasta salad, but still delicious and nutritious!  :)  This is also one of those dished that you can make really, super easily!  For instance just cook a little extra pasta when you are going to have it for dinner.  Then measure it and set aside for the next night's pasta salad.  (That's what I just did this week...)

1 c. cooked whole wheat small shells

1 c. cooked small shells

1 c. broccoli chopped

1 sweet bell pepper chopped

2 T. Italian dressing

Just mix all these 5 ingredients together and that's it!  Enjoy!  (Serve refrigerated.)  You could always add diced ham, cheese or turkey too.  :)

Foodlings

Well, it has sure  been quite a week already.  (And it's only Wednesday....)  Not all bad, but certainly not all good either.  I just made up this word "foodlings" to represent food ramblings.  So, keep an eye out for it from now on!  ;)

Anyway, hope everything is going well for the most part where you are.  I'm just constantly reminded that we are here on this earth for a purpose and am trying to live each day to the fullest.  As we never know which will be our last.

Since it's been a bit of a crazy week, I have managed to get dinner on the table each night.  (Which is more than I can say about every night typically.)   I just haven't been too creative or inventive this week.  In fact, the menu has been downright pretty boring.  But it's food.  It's somewhat balanced.  And it's cheaper than eating out.  :)  I made homemade pizza Monday night, whole wheat pasta and sauce Tuesday and homemade brick oven style pizza for dinner tonight.  Some of the cheapest meals I make, and they are downright tasty even though they are quite boring...  :)  Did I mention pizza is definitely one of my favorite foods though?!?!

Anyway, I guess part of the best part of these meals this week is that they all can be made with things in your pantry basically.  Flour, Yeast, Sauce (canned....), cheese (not in the pantry but it stays good for a long time if it hasn't been opened), meat toppings (especially in freezer, like diced ham!), and water (found in the tap not the pantry...but you get the idea!).

Anyway, once I get some more motivation or inspiration I will create some new fun things in the kitchen I will let you know! :)  Till then...here's some food for thought...

Try cooking bacon on your Foreman Grill....it works pretty well and drains the fat away!  :)  Plus, there are virtually no bacon grease splatters! :)

Life

This morning our friend went to a much better place.  He is no longer in pain.  He is no longer broken.  But whole and complete, in Heaven with our Mighty God.  While we may never fully understand why this young man is now in Heaven instead of here with his family and friends, I can however guarantee that God has a plan for it all.

God knows how many hairs are on each of our heads, so that means he definitely knows what is going on.  He knows what we can handle.  What we are capable of and what we need.  His plans don't always line up with ours, but at the end of the day His are always better.  He blesses through unthinkable situations.  He heals the broken hearted.  He gives strength to the weak and he helps those in need.  God wants us to rely on Him and His stength alone, because we are simply inadegquate by ourselves.  Anyway you slice it....let's face it...we never would measure up, without God in our lives.

You see, we were created for relationships.  Relationships with our family.  Relationships with friends.  Relatinoships with fellow believers.  (This list could go on and on....)  BUT most importantly we were created for a relationship with God.  We are empty inside unless God is there filling us.  We can try to fill that void with any and everything, but it will never be filled without God in it.  God has got to be the most important thing in our lives.  Above family, friends, work and hobbies.  God has to be #1.  Numero Uno.  Unless he is, nothing else will be right.  (Believe me...I am speaking from experience.)

Although, even when we have God as our first priority bad things can still happen.  That doesn't make us immune to bad things.  It just gives us the strength we need to get through them.  I am convinced that God will use this whole situation for good.  I've already heard about someone accepting Christ and getting baptized because of this.  God allows bad things to happen, but we also have to remember that he uses those situations causing good things to come from them.

Because, if God is for us, who can be against us after all?

I feel like I probably just rambled on WAY too much.  I didn't sleep much, if any at all last night.  Between praying, nightmares and praying I think I may have gotten a couple....And I haven't really been able to eat anything today.  (And if you know me at all...which you do by now reading this, that is very unusual for me not to want to eat.)   I ate some breakfast, but never had any lunch or anything because my heart aches.  It aches for my dear friend.  It aches for her unborn son.  It aches for their family.  Since I am a musician, I feel deeply.  Which means I can love deeply, be happy so deeply and also feel so deeply.  So deep it just aches in my soul.  Even though I know our friend is in a better place, I ache for his wife and family still here....and here now without him.

A friend of the family set up a website so people would be able to help donate money towards the medical expenses too.  Just in case you are interested in helping out.

The Frailty of Life

As I wrote last week, one of my friends has been very ill with Bacterial Meningitis.  Although there have been ups and downs since he was admitted a week ago, this is the day of downs.  His heart is failing, and now his lungs are filling with blood.  The Dr.'s say that he will pass sometime today.

We have all been praying for him, and that he would be completely healed.  We've even prayed for a miracle to happen.  God still does miracles, and He still heals.  But not everyone.  Not every time.  I've been praying for God's will to be done.  But of course, I let God know that we'd all still like our friend here, and that will hopefully be His will.

It's not that God is inconsistent.  It's just that He has a plan for everyone, and everything.  He allows bad things to happen.  But we must always remember that He will not give us more than we can handle. (I Corinthians 10:13)  He is also our strength. (Psalm 28:7)  And also, nothing can separate us from the Love of God. (Romans 8:35-39)

Although I know all of this.  It's still hard. I still want to try to bake something wonderful and take it to her and make it all better.  But I know that won't help.  It's not something that a great dessert can fix.  It's not something words can fix.  It's something that only God can give her peace about.

I feel for her and her family though.  I cannot even imagine losing my husband ever, let alone at this age.  Plus, she is pregnant with their first child.  So I can't imagine that either.  At least she'll have a piece of her husband still with her.

As I write this, I'm wondering if this is even coming out coherently.  I'm not trying to act as if I have all the answers, or everything put together.  By no means do I.  I am just a mere sinner saved by grace and I trust God has a plan for all this.  Somehow, writing this out helps with the grieving process for me.  Although he's not my husband, or best friend or anything.  He is still a friend, and a friend's husband.  And I will miss him when he goes.

Anyway, again.  I am reminded of the frailty of life.  The mere instant of existence we live on this earth and how much impact someone may have on people for that moment of eternity.  Let's not just life as if tomorrow were our last, but as if today were.  Love your neighbor.  Love yourself.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. (Luke 10:27)

This is what his wife just posted:  "God will heal my husband by giving him back to us whole or taking him home to glory today. Please pray that God will deliver my beloved's body from this horrible disease."

Let us pray.

Have you ever?

Ok, this is SO embarrassing to admit...especially as a self-proclaimed "Foodie" but here it goes....  Have you ever read a recipe wrong and put that many Tablespoons of something in your dish instead of teaspoons?  Well...you may not have ever had this happen.  But I sure do from time to time.  And well, today was one of those times.  :(  I will tell you about it....

Also, consider this your "warning" instead of having to get a "ticket" like I did.  Ok, I didn't get a ticket, but I should have heeded warnings for reading more carefully because it stinks (sometimes literally!) when you make a mistake like this!

Ok, I found this great recipe for "Honey Oat Quick Bread" on EatingWell.com.  Sounds great right?  A healthy, hearty bread done in minutes?  Yep.  That's what I thought!  So, excited to try my new recipe I couldn't wait to get home.  When I did, I whipped out the bread pan, flipped the oven on and got to it.  I wasn't cruising along nicely until I realized that I had put 2.25 TABLESPOONS of baking powder in it, instead of the 2.25 teaspoons it called for.  Being an optimist I finished adding things and mixing it together...thinking to myself how much of a difference can that make???....boy I was wrong.  Ok, nothing terribly tragic happened...it just overflowed several times and smoked up my kitchen.  Then ended up looking a little out of sorts.

Surprisingly it still tastes pretty good.  Now I use that qualifier because it's certainly not the way it should taste...but it will work I suppose.  I can definitely taste the baking powder though...which mostly just makes me thirsty.  I guess that part that makes me the most sad, is that I wasted all those ingredients...1/4 honey....1.33 c.  whole wheat flour...etc.....oh well.  I guess we can still probably eat it.  Just is disappointing.

In order to be real with you on this blog, I've got to share the good, the bad and the ugly...well of sorts...with you.  So here's my ugly...or bad...or well, you decide.  :)

So my question is....have you ever?

Easy Chile and Cheese Enchiladas

What you'll need:

8x8 or 9x9 Square Baking Pan

6 Corn Tortillas

~1.5 c. of Shredded Cheese (Use what you like or have on hand.  I used Monterrey/Colby blend.)

6 Chile Peppers, already cooked or canned with skins removed (Anaheim, Poblano, etc...)

1.  Spray pan with cooking spray.

2.  Get out a torilla and place a pepper in the center.

3.  Measure out about 1/5 c. cheese and sprinkle on pepper.

4.  Roll up and place in pan like so.

5.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas, peppers and cheese.

6.  Sprinkle remaining cheese of top of the enchiladas.

7.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

8.  Place on plate and serve with sauce of your choice.  (Salsa, Enchilada Sauce, Pico...etc.)

My hubby smothered his enchiladas with homemade salsa (above), while I put homemade corn salsa and Horsetooth Hot Sauce on mine.  (below)

9.  Enjoy!  :)

Makes 3 servings.  (Or two adults and two kiddos.  Or one hungry man and one wife....You get the idea.)  :)

Sandwiches are wonderful....

Today I am taking a meal to some friends of ours.  They are a couple we know from Church and the man, who is just in his late 20's, is very, very ill with Meningitis.  Needless to say, meals have been set up so they don't have to worry about eating.  (Well...I guess more his wife and family, because he won't be eating regular food for a while I suppose.)  Anyway, his wife is about 6 months preggers with their first child.  So, please pray for his full recovery and their family in this time of need.

Since I'm taking lunch, which I've never done before when taking meals to people, I decided to do sandwiches and potato salad.  To be honest, I couldn't think of anything, so I called my mom for brainstorming and she came up with this!  Great idea huh?  So, I just made 10 little chicken salad sandwiches and the eggs are boiling (and about done!) for the egg salad sandwiches.  I made the potato salad last night and stuck it in one of those foil pans.  (Then they don't have to worry about what to do with the dish I sent it in, and they don't have to return it to me!)  I'm also individually wrapping the sandwiches to make it easier.

Anyway, meningitis is always pretty serious, but I guess this strain is one of the worst.  There are already three cases in the county where I live, and one 29 year old died on Monday from it. (According to the paper.)   Such a sobering thought, that young people can die from something like this, with all the modern medicine around.  I guess it just goes to show that we are in fact not God and cannot control things.  What we can do is pray though.  So I ask for your prayers for this family, and the other one with meningitis too.  Thank you.

Frestive Corn Salsa

(Fresh and Festive Corn Salsa)  Yep, I just made that up.  :)  Silly...but this is even better than my original fresh corn salsa recipe I posted a couple days ago!  I just can't get enough of it!  I made more this afternoon, so we could have fiesta salads for dinner again.  I love them oh so much, and lucky for me they are super healthy!  :)

Frestive Salsa featured on an Enchilada. : )

Frestive Corn Salsa:
4 ears of corn, cooked and corn cut off (Sweet corn works best!)
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped finely  (I recommend using the seeds in this recipe too for an added kick!)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 T. Onion, finely chopped
Cilantro, roughly chopped  (As much as you like!  I did about as much as would pack into a 1/4 cup.)

1.  Mix all ingredient together in a medium bowl.

2.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.  Enjoy!

Raspberries on Sale!

Hey!  It's the annual 1o for $10 sale at King Soopers...at least in Colorado.  I know they have these sales a lot, but this is the ONE time of the year that Raspberries are 10 for $10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, if you are like me and l-o-v-e them.  Stock up!  I am sure going to.  The sale runs Wednesday thru Tuesday as usual.  :)

Here's a link:  http://kingsoopers.inserts2online.com/customer_Frame.jsp?divID=620&drpStoreID=00009

(You'll probably have to change the location to whichever Kings you go to though!)

Happy berry time!

(Photo from:  http://www.wineanorak.com/blog/uploaded_images/raspberries-716165.jpg )

Sweet Potato Fettuccine with Zucchini

So, I made dinner last night with a lot of my finds from the Farmer's Market on Saturday.  :)  In fact, everything but the cheeses were things I'd gotten at the Farmer's Market...pretty good huh?  I'm trying to be thrifty and eat locally produced things to support our local economy and a healthy lifestyle.  So this meal was great for that!  My hubby and I both enjoyed it too!  Here's the recipe:

Sweet Potato Fettuccine with Zucchini

(I used the Fettuccine that I'd gotten from the farmer's market, but you could substitute any pasta for this.)

8 oz. Sweet Potato Fettuccine

1 large Zucchini, julienned, or thinly sliced

1/4 c. Bell Pepper, chopped (I used red for color, but any color would work!)

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 c. Water

2 T. Parmesean Cheese, shredded or grated

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for top

1.  Cook fettuccine according to the instructions on the package.  Then rinse, and drain.

2.  Boil about 2 c. of water on the stove and cook zucchini for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Then drain.

3.  In a large skillet saute the bell pepper in the olive oil for a few minutes.

4.  Add the water, fettucine and zucchini to the skillet and gently stir.

5.  Add in the Parmesean cheese just before serving.

6.  Once the pasta has been served top with mozzarella cheese.

7.  Enjoy!  :)

I think I had mentioned the other day that I was excited to try the recipe they included with the sweet potato pasta...well...it turns out I tried that recipe last summer when I got some of this same pasta.  It turned out well, and my husband really liked it.  But I decided to go a different route this time, and I was really, really pleased with these results!  :)  Hope you will be too!

Fiesta Salads

This is what I made my husband and I for dinner tonight.  :)  We really enjoyed them too.  They tasted quite a lot like the ones from Qboda, probably because of that dressing I made earlier today.  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Fiesta Salad:

Lettuce (I used Green Leaf, but Qdoba uses Romaine...use whatever you have on hand, or like!)

Cilantro Lemon Dressing

Corn Salsa

Chicken, cooked or canned

Cheese (I used Cheddar/Monterrey Mix)

Tortilla Bowl (optional...see below for what I did.)

1.  Place a generous serving of lettuce into bowl/tortilla bowl.

2.  Put dressing on lettuce.

3.  Put chicken on top of lettuce.

4.  Then put a generous helping of salsa on top.

5.  Lastly, sprinkle cheese on top of it all.

6.  Enjoy!

I am guilty as charged in the fact that I really, really enjoy a good fried tortilla shell for a salad.  But...since those are full of fat and calories, I try to steer clear....most of the time.  Anyway, here's a great alternative to frying the tortillas for bowls.  You can find these pans at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and other places.  All you have to do is put the tortilla in, bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and you have a crispy, edible bowl for a salad!  :)

100th Post



Alrighty, I have made it to my 100th blog post!  I can hardly believe it.  :)  It's been less than 6 months since I started "A Delicious Melody" on blogspot.  Then in April I moved everything over to Wordpress, which had made things a lot easier.  100 posts in less than 6 months....that's a lot of writing, and a lot of thinking, and cooking and well, living!  Isn't life great?!

I've decided to highlight some of my favorite posts from the 100 I've written throughout the past few months...

Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic

Poppy Seed Roll

Sugar Eggs

Budget Meals...

Veggie Spring Rolls

Anyway, as always I want to thank you for being my loyal, faithful readers.  I wouldn't do this if it weren't for you!  :)  Ok....maybe I would...but probably not on the internet.  ;)  Anyway, till next time!  Cheers!

Cilantro Lemon Dressing

Since I got that huge head of Green Lead lettuce today I wanted to have a salad.  So I did...and finished the dressing we had.  Whoops...anyway, I decided to try making some that kind of tasted like the great stuff at Qdoba.  Theirs is Cilantro Lime Dressing for their Mango Chicken Salad.  Anyway, since I didn't have limes...I changed it to lemon.  I also don't think mine tastes much like theirs...but it is good.  So here's the recipe: :)

Cilantro Lemon Dressing

1 T. Lemon Juice

1/3 c.  Fresh Cilantro

2 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Apple Cider Vineagar

1 T. Honey

1.  Put all five ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix until completely combined.

2.  Pour into container of choice.  I used a funnel and put in a glass dressing bottle.  (That no longer had dressing in it, and I washed it of course.)

3.  Get creative with using this on salads.  I am thinking of making some Qdoba-esk salads tonight for use with this.  :)

Fresh Corn Salsa

Fresh Corn Salsa.  There's nothing quite like it.  I especially love it at Chipotle.  So here's my rendition...and I really like the way it turned out! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!  :)

Corn Salsa:

2 Ears of Corn, Cooked and corn cut off (I used sweet corn, and one was white and one was yellow.  Whatever you prefer will work though!)

1 Jalepeno Pepper, finely chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped (I added a pretty large pinch because I love it!  But you can do whatever you want!)

1 T. Onion, finely chopped

1.  Mix corn, jalepeno, garlic, cilantro and onion together.

2.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.  Enjoy!  :)

Fresh, and Freezing

So, today it's about 50 degrees and rainy.  So, translated, that is cold and rainy.  Good for the crops, bad for the rivers that are already overflowing though...Maybe we are finally really out of the drought though.

Anyway, my hubby is working hard in the lab today.  So, I should be doing laundry...but walking or even driving the little ways there and getting all my clothes wet doesn't really sound appealing today.  Maybe it will later...or maybe it will just have to wait until the rain subsides. :) (Which would clearly be fine with me!)

I actually had two firsts happen today.  I guess firsts still happen everyday...jsut some are a lot more apparent than others! :)  1.  I went to the Farmer's Market by myself.  and 2.  I went in the pouring, freezing cold rain.  I found some great deals, as always though!  So that makes me happy!  I am going to do some cooking and experiementing today instead of...well laundry.  :)  Which makes me a happier camper all around. :)    I had taken a $20 with me today, but ended up only spending less than 10.  Here's what I got:

A bunch of Cilantro, 2 Sweet Bell Peppers, 2 Zucchini, some Broccoli and a huge head of Green Leaf Lettuce!  I actually got all this for $5!  And the best part is truly that is was locally grown.  Love it. :)

Then I also had to buy some of this pasta.  It's Sweet Potato Fettuccine and just delicious.  They have all sorts of different types of pastas and different flavors.  We tried this one last summer and just loved it.  So I got some more, and they also gave a recipe with it.  So I will have to let you know how it turns out. :) You can see they also have a website: www.pappardellespasta.com.  Anyway, I buy the smaller packs, which are 8oz. as opposed to the 16 oz. since I only cook for two.  The 8oz. packages are $4.25.  Rather expensive I know...but totally worth it.  :)

Then after I had gotten home I was photographing my finds and my cat was doing this.....

I know...she looks innocent enough in this picture...but do you notice the seat cushion that had been and should be on the chair she's sitting on?!?!?  Yep.  She pushed it off and made herself at home.  LOL  Silly Cinderellie!  :)

P B and P

Well, I had the evening to myself tonight.  First in a long, long, long time.  Well, maybe ever actually...at least since I've been married.  If my hubs was ever going to be out-of-town, I just would go over to my parents for the night.  Anyway, my hubs did come home for dinner at the normal time.  But then after we ate and chatted a bit, he went back to the lab to get more work done.  I was fine with that, except the silly spring weather in Colorado had me on edge the whole time he was gone...well...in fact he's not quite back yet...but will be any minute! :)

Anyway, I made my "Brick oven style pizzas" for dinner tonight.  And they turned out really well.  (Which is always nice right?!?)  Then I decided to make some bread for the weekend tonight.  So I used my Honey Wheat Oat Bread recipe and it also turned out well.  (Again, love it when things go well in the kitchen!)  So, it was about 8 o'clock at this point and that's about the time that my hubby and I would normally sit down on a Friday night and watch a movie.  Well, since he wasn't here, I wasn't going to watch one by myself...although maybe I should have.  :)

I did go ahead and make the popcorn though.  I have one of those Stir-Crazy popcorn poppers.  I love it.  The popcorn always turns out perfectly and it doesn't require much oil at all.  Hm...how my family has always loved popcorn.  And my hubby and I definitely keep up the tradition.  Which I'm sure we'll pass down the generations too...hehe  I do love popcorn.  Although, I realized it's not the best thing to eat while home alone.  It's very choke-able.  Luckily I only had one big choke and it didn't require any dialing of any three numbers.  So, note to self--next time hubby is gone for the evening...don't make popcorn! :)

Oh, and if you are wondering.  I am self sufficient.  I can do things alone.  I can do things without my husband.  But, I like to spend time with him.  You know, God put us together for a reason.  So, I'm going to go with God's idea and spend time with my hubby.  Plus, we are not two, but one.  So, really it's just like spending time with the rest of myself. :)  That said...I was actually lonely tonight.  Mostly because...I don't think I have spent an evening at home without him since we got married.  Anyway...I am ranting....  It's just interesting.

PS I am pretty much terrified of tornadoes....and the dark....so that's pretty bad combo on a night like tonight.  :(  Good thing my husband will be home very soon. :)

Help Please!!

Ok, I'm coming up on my 100th blog entry here.  So, I'd like to ask for your help!  What would you like my 100th blog to be about?  I know the 100th blog entry is supposed to be special.  So I want your input!!  :)

Food?  Life?  Love?  Other things?  How to?  Then...if it is about food which type?  Dessert?  Main dish?  Side? Brunch? Dinner?

I'd appreciate any thoughts you all might have on this!  Thanks.  Right now, this is my 94th posting.  So, it's going to be here before we know it!  :)

Cheers!

Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic

Ok, I have to confess something.  I've never been a huge reader.  Not that I don't like it...reading is fine.  I have just never really found anything that could catch my attention and hold it for any length of time....well that is....until now.  :)

My mom had told me a while back about this website and this woman.  She calls herself "Pioneer Woman" and has now blogged through words and photos, a lot of her life on the ranch.  She's also published a cookbook and done book signings.  Anyway, I had checked out her site before and though it was cool.  But then a few weeks ago, my mom asked if I had read her love story.  I told her I hadn't yet, but that I would have to.

So, finally yesterday afternoon between going through boxes from my childhood, I decided to take a little break and read her love story.  Little did I know that it would take longer to read than just 10 minutes or so....anyway, about 3 hours later I found myself totally enthralled with this well written modern-day romance.  In fact, I was so enthralled I almost forgot to get ready to go out with my hubby and some friends from his work.  (I know what you are thinking...me the non-reader that's interested in something?  Yep...true story!  I was that interested.)

Since I had somewhere to be I had to shut my computer and put it aside for the evening.  I couldn't help but tell my husband about this great story I was reading.  And, I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure he was surprised I had actually found something that I enjoyed reading too.  :)  We had a nice evening out and we got back later...not really sure what time.

My hubs started working more on his dissertation though after we got home and I was sorting baseball cards.  Random, I know.  But it had to be done.  And in fact I have over 200 baseball cards.  And over 400 trading cards in all.  That includes:  Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Bible Characters, Disney, Police Officers and more....  Interesting huh?  And I think you will find this even more interesting...I did most of my collecting of those cards between the ages of 6 and 10 years old.  Seems like a random thing to me, for a little girl to be doing....apparently I have always marched to the beat of a bit of a different drummer though!  ;)

After I had finished sorting my cards and putting them away.  (And intermittently researching values too...)  I turned my attention to Pioneer Woman's love story again.  I thought, well sure it's 10pm by now, but I only have a third of this story left....I will just finish it tonight.  Well, an hour passed...and then it was about 11:30 and my husband was ready to go to bed.  I told him to go ahead and I wanted to finish this story.  Finally a few minutes later my eyes were stinging from being tired and reading too much that day...so I retired as well.

Needless to say, I was even more excited to get up this morning to read the rest of the story.  I thought I only had a little bit left and it had to be good.  But, then I woke up with a terrible headache.  You know one of those pounding on each side of your head ones...so I tried to sleep it off.  Then my hubs brought me breakfast in bed with some Excedrin, and that seemed to help.  Just enough juice to get me ready to read again.  (Now that I think of it...the headache was probably due to all the eye strain from reading so much yesterday...oh well....totally worth it!)

So, finally after I showered and my hubby was off to work, I grabbed my computer and sat in a comfy spot.  I kept reading and reading and reading.  And just when I thought I was done....there was more.  In fact about 3 hours more.  :)  But that was fine.  It was intriguing and so well written.  I felt like I was there.  Not in a cheesy romance novel sort of way, but in a historical romance sort of way.  Kind of like Young Victoria....if you've seen it.  :)  Anyway, Pioneer Woman's love story happened in the 90's so it wasn't that long ago at all....but oh so perfect.  In fact, a lot of it reminded me of the way I felt when I met my husband.  The way we couldn't spend enough time together...and the way we still feel today.

Anyway, it's sweet.  It's real.  And it's true.  So, if you'd like a great way to spend a day, or a few afternoon's or evenings.  Check it out. I pretty much guarantee you will enjoy it!  :)  I sure did.   Anyway, it certainly all ties back to the fact that I am indeed a very hopeful romantic.  Nope, I didn't write it wrong.  I did say hopeful.  I always will be. :)  And thankfully God blessed me with a sweetheart of a guy who is very romantic!

Top photo from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/category/black_heelstractor_wheels/the_night_i_met_marlboro_man/

Bottom photo from:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WWQMI-BVX3dV0NmOIeKXhIzPbYT4bS9ipw8Bopr1lFXiAc0pvG9dFi7Kq-OzCB-YBIQ2Kh3SgQYhHKkxI8OAJkajw7DHdJQDR2FOGTWSIrYS5o4V4ViOS9xinp6-0aLnsz-RkvYEyKE/s1600-h/Young+Victoria.jpg

Check

This is more or less what my life is like these days.  I'm not complaining, in fact I would rather have it this way.  I love lists.  I mean I absolutely heart them!  I <3 Lists!  :)  Just thought I would share what I have been busy with when I haven't been on here blogging or being terribly productive in my kitchen.

My Life List:

Find out where we'll be living.  Check
Find an apartment.  Check
Apply for said apartment.  Check
Look for jobs for me in new city.  Check
Make Etsy shop for fun.  Check
Apply for said jobs.  Check
Find out we're approved and have said apartment.  Check
Celebrate Anniversary with sweet hubby.  Check
Try not to stress about everything that needs to get done.  Check/In progress
Go through boxes at my parent's house.  Check
Pick up formals from parent's house.  Check
Bring home about 10 boxes from said house.  Check
List things on eBay.  Check
Make things for Etsy shop.  Check/In progress
Get Books and Maps from AAA for trip.  Check
Reserve rental truck.  Check
Get Jeep tuned up for trip.  Check
Determine what to take, what to store, what to sell, what to donate and what to trash.  In progress.....

I've opened an Etsy Shop

Ok, since I'm crafty (at times at least...) I have decided to open a shop on etsy.  I'm still new to it all, but I opened up about a week ago.  So far I only have three things listed and they are pretty diverse--from photos to cards to cat toys. :) Check out my shop here: adeliciousmelody.etsy.com

If you'd like to buy anything from my shop that'd be great!  You certainly don't have to though.  Just thought I would let you know about it! :)  Oh and if you'd like to request something, or special order it, just let me know!  Either on facebook, here, email or my shop on etsy!  (My email is:  SingingCinderella@gmail.com) :)

Ok, I think that's all for now.  Thanks for reading!

Easy Beef Stew

1.5 lbs. Beef Stew Meat (You get what you pay for...so go for the already trimmed and you get to use it all!)
1 c. Carrots
1 c. Sweet Potato
2 c. Potatoes
Garlic, I used 4 cloves but I love garlic...so adjust to your liking! :)
2 Tomatoes (I prefer Roma, but whatever you prefer works!)
5 c. Water
Seasonings to taste.  ( I use pepper, 1 T. Jerk and whatever else I feel like!)
Flour

1.  Cut up carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes and tomatoes into bite sized pieces.
2.  Place veggies into crockpot and add the 5 c. water and spices.
3.  Coat the beef in flour and place on top of the water/veggies in crockpot.
4.  Turn to low and let cook for about 8 hours.  (After about 2 or so hours, I stir the meat into the broth.)
5.  Enjoy!  The beef will be tender because it slowly cooked and the rest of the beef stew should be flavorful too! :)

Two years ago today...

Two years ago today I married my very best friend.  He's the one I laugh with, dream with and love.  In fact, he's one of the most incredible people I've ever met.  I am so blessed to have him in my life.  God definitely has a lot planned for us.   As you already know we'll be moving to North Carolina in less than two months.  And I am so excited to start this new chapter in our lives together. :)

Anyway, on to the dish...  My husband and I went to up Estes Park on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary.  (A little early since Monday's are a work day and all...)  We had a great day planned with four-wheeling, shopping and eating at one of our favorite restaurants.  Of course, just like always happens...things didn't go according to plan.  The trail wasn't open yet for season, so we couldn't four-wheel.  And the restaurant is one of those silly ones that doesn't open till 4pm, and we had wanted to eat lunch there....  Needless to say, those two things going wrong could have totally ruined our outing, but quite on the contrary really happened.  :)

You know, God is good.  It's easy to believe that when things are going well...but it's also true when things aren't going so well.   Since we couldn't four-wheel up Pole Hill like we had planned, we parked the jeep at the trailhead instead and hiked it.  Luckily we both wore our hiking boots that day.  (...interesting and definitely a God thing, because I never wear them unless we are going hiking.  Just for some reason, I decided to wear them on Saturday...I suppose it's also because one of the last times we went four-wheeling I wore sandals and the cold mountain water froze my feet...)  So even though we couldn't four-wheel it, we still got to see all of the great views this trail provides!  Plus, we got to bond through hiking, which is always nice.  :)

Bear, Mountain Lion and Golden Retriever foot prints.

Oh and did I mention we got to see a lot of wildlife tracks in the mud on the trail?  We did.  It was pretty sweet, although my pics didn't turn out super well. :(  Anyway, we saw tracks from Bears, Mountain Lions and Golden Retrievers.  (I realize that Golden Retrievers aren't really wildlife...but we did see some of their tracks too...lol)  :)  And...if you were wondering...yes as soon as I saw the bear tracks it made us make really great time back to the Jeep! ;)  Oh, and we can't wait till we can four-wheel this trail...it looks sweet!  :)

On to the food...so the restaurant we had wanted to go to was "Mama Rose's".  It's this great italian restaurant downtown Estes, and although we should have looked it up to see what times they were open...we didn't.  Funny, because I know we've actually come across this same problem before.  Oh well.  We decided to eat at Bob and Tony's Pizza and to our surprize the pizza was better than EVER before!  Seriously, it was fantastic.  The sauce was perfectly seasoned, the toppings were fresh and hot, and then the crust was crunchy and flavorful.  D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.  We were totally thankful we had the opportunity to have great pizza that day.  It was a nice finish to our time in Estes.  (I'm confident that had we gone to Mama Rose's it would have been great too...just saying that Bob and Tony's hit the spot!!!!)

We both had been to Bob and Tony's before, and in fact my family went there a lot when I was growing up.  Probably because pizza has always been a fave in our family and it's an easy thing to get three picky kiddos to agree on....anyway, I have never had such great pizza there before as on Saturday though!  I'm not sure if they've changed their sauce or crust...but maybe we just got a great combo of toppings...I highly recommend this place!  :)  (We got a 10" Combo #1 pizza, which had pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms on it!)

Anyway, just because things don't turn out exactly the way you planned, doesn't mean things didn't turn out the way God planned for you.  In fact,  God's plans are always way better than ours!  :)  Just like Saturday...my hubs and I got to spend more time talking and laughing, than if we'd done everything we had planned out.

So, for our actual anniversary tonight I am planning a special meal for my hubs....but since he may in fact read this before dinner...I will have to post about it later.  :)  Anyway, Happy Anniversary Honey!!  I love you!  <3

Hawaiian Haystacks or Colorado Haystacks?

I think I have decided my favorite food just may have to be Hawaiian Haystacks.  Have you had them?  They are just delicious!  :)  Oh, and SO versatile.  This year for Easter my mom had these delights.  She gave lots of options for the additional goodies and they are just fantastic.  I've also had them before that, but it wasn't until tonight that I decided they are at least one of my faves...if not my very fave!

I think they are fantastic because there are SO many options.  I would put a recipe here, but really you don't need much of one.  There are a few main ingredients though.  Sweet and Savory things, with chicken over rice.  So you need rice.  You need some type of a thin chicken gravy (you can definitely add in veggies to it too).  Then you need lots of toppings.  Think fruit, other veggies, nuts, cheese...really whatever you feel like and/or have on hand!

Ok, I will tell you what I put on our "Colorado Haystacks" as I called them tonight.  Brown rice, thin chicken gravy with onions, carrots and celery, fruit cocktail (the only canned fruit I had in the pantry), honey toasted walnuts (did them myself with a touch of honey and a skillet), and fresh grated coconut.  I didn't get a picture of them because we devoured them pretty quickly...and I know what you may be thinking about the fruit cocktail, but it went together just nicely.  :)  I even got some leftovers from dinner (a rarity in my household because my hubby usually bikes to work and is a hungry man! :)) So, I may be able to get a pic of it soon for ya.  ;)

Anyway, get creative with dinners and remember you almost always have time to whip something yummy up for dinner.  And if not, remember that Subway is still doing the $5 footlongs.  :)  (Yep, we sadly eat there for dinner more than I'd like to admit....but it is a great deal!)  Oh, and this is a dinner you can do completely from your pantry too!  Canned fruit, dried onions, rice, canned chicken....you get the idea.  :)

Ok, I think that's all for now.  Enjoy!

The big news!

Ok, I haven't made the official announcement on here yet!  (Although I know some of your already know!)  My husband got a post-doc in North Carolina!  So, at the end of July/early August we'll be moving 1,700+ miles across the country!  We're very excited for the new adventure that God has in store for us!  :)  Although, it's of course bittersweet because most of our family is in CO, but hopefully we'll be able to make it back to CO for good in a few years.

Exciting right? I can't wait.  I know my hubby is excited too!  I'm so proud of him.  What a great man of character, faith, persistance, integrity and knowledge!   Can't wait to start this new chapter with you honey!  :)

Oh, and I think I already found us an apartment too-thanks to his soon to be new boss' secretary's suggestions.  So that's cool.  We'll finish the application tonight and fax it over tomorrow morning!  :)  We're hoping to get a place big enough so we have lots of room for guests to stay.  (Since I am assuming, and hoping, lots of people will come visit us while we are out there!)  :)

We've also decided to rent a truck and move all (or at least most) of our stuff out there.  We'll save money in the long run -- ironically -- doing that.  So, it'll be expensive at first for the truck rental, gas moving the said truck and our 2 SUV's across the country.  But still worth it.  Plus, I think it will be nice to have our nice comfy bed (that's only 2 years old anyway), couches and other things there when we are so far away from home.  :)

Again, did I mention that I am SUPER (not yelling just emphasizing) excited?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  God is good!  Well, actually, God is GrEaT! :)

Ok, the pic isn't of North Carolina....but it is from Rock City which is pretty close!  :)

Blueberries

Blueberries.  Blueberries.  Just another berry?  Not really.  Thanks to Dr. Oz, we now know that blueberries are a "superfood".  So these little berries are packed with super healthy things for us.  :)  Still not real fond of them?  Me either for the most part...

I mean, I have always loved blueberry muffins and pancakes.  But when it comes to just eating blueberries...I'd rather have a raspberry, if I'm gonna have a berry.  Try this and it may change your mind!  :)

When my husband and I were on our honeymoon we stayed at this great bed and breakfast. The served wonderful breakfasts that consisted of things like pecan crusted french toast.  Each morning--we stayed there two nights--they'd serve some fruit with their wonderful main dish of the day.  (My fave dish was that french toast and i have recreated it on many occasions since.)  Anyway, the fruit was so simple.  Just some blueberries, a couple of slices of peaches and something else...in some whole milk.  It also was served with a touch of sugar on top.  Simple and silly right?  Quite delicious though.

Since I don't drink whole milk normally, I have substituted 1% milk for it and just used some blueberries.  Feel free to add whatever fruit you have on hand or prefer though!  I think you'll enjoy it!   Also a great evening snack or really for any time during the day!  :)