Currently

I'm currently....

Watching.... Outlander series on STARZ. Well, I'm not watching it on TV because we haven't had cable in over a year, and our "bunny ears" only allows us to view the local stations for FREE (which means I still see my beloved Browns!), and I'd never subscribe to STARZ anyway. But, alas, that's the station that picked up my favorite historical-fiction series. You can watch the first episode online, but the rest... However, my kind co-worker is downloading the goods and sharing. So, yes, I'm playing catch-up on the first six episodes. There are parts I dislike and disagree with, and have left me going, "Wait. What?! That's not right! Where's wee Roger?!" But for the most part, I like it. Yet, I find I'm skipping a few parts. A little too "bare" for me.

Eating.... PEACHES. They're my favorite. I.cannot.get.enough. But right at this moment I'm devouring this Blueberry Zucchini Bread. While I was off yesterday, I realized I hadn't made any zucchini bread this summer. I knew that had to change immediately, and headed to the farmer's market to purchase an abundance (and I mean an abundance) of one of my garden favorites. On a sad note: this loaf was gone within 24 hours. I am savoring this last piece slowly.

Planning.... social dates with friends, book club, family and most importantly, time with my husband. Summer came and went in a blur, and I never had time to enjoy it really, or see much of the people that matter most to me. The next month or two awaits gelato, football games, a camping trip, fall festivals, Target dates, day trips, Starbucks chats, birthday celebrations, bonfires, and "Gone with the Wind." <--- anyone else attending a theater showing to celebrate its 75 years??!!

Reading.... cooooookbooooks. But, of course, you know this already because I mentioned it here and here, and I have plans of mentioning it on here a few more times. Pretty much until you're blue in the face, and have stopped reading this blog because you've spent your last paycheck on these mouth-watering books. However, now you have a beautiful and eclectic collection. You're welcome.

Actually, I promise I am reading non-related kitchen/cooking books as well. Like a few YA novels, such as An Abundance of Katherines, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. (Sadly, not a fan of either.) Also, I'm dabbling in the Steampunk genre for book club this month with Etiquette and Espionage. Not yet finished and still not quite sure how I feel about this one....

Inspired by.... the new Bible study I'm in the midst of right now. It's focused on Esther, and even though God's name isn't mentioned in her book, it's easy to find the presence of God and his plan. It's causing me to take a step back and view my life. All the crazy and laughable plans I had for my life. The plans I thought I had when I graduated high school. The plans I made when I finished college with my under-grad. The plans I have now. God's plans are beautiful. And bigger.

Excited about.... FALL! The colors, the COLORS! Mr. Darcy is constantly bringing in sticks and leaves. I can't wait until I rake up a big pile just to watch him run through it with pure glee. I love this puppy. Let's hope Mr. B allows us to do this once before he gets all clean-lawn-happy with his new tractor leaf collector toy thingy. <--- that's a thing, right?

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Soup Beans and Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Comfort and my grandma are the two words that come to mind whenever I think about Soup Beans and Cornbread.

Which is what us Southern people call it; my daddy and his family are from Kentucky--about the farthest south and farthest east you can get without living in that teeny, tiny sliver of Virginia.

However, Mr. B calls it our "poor man's" meal.

I guess he's not wrong; the ingredients are fairly cheap and it's easy to feed a crowd. I never thought of it as a poor man's meal, and the first time he said it I was kind of offended. I wouldn't consider my family poor. I never went without anything I needed. It's just I remember Grandma had a pot of beans simmering on the stove quite often. We didn't have it all the time, not every day, but I do remember eating enough of it, thinking I might actually turn into a bean. Because of this, soup beans and I have a love-hate relationship. With the first signs of fall, I start craving this warm, comfort meal, and I must make it immediately. Mr. B isn't a huge fan, you know with growing up on canned green beans, Hungry Jack potatoes, and "pork chops so thin you could read a newspaper through them" <---his step-father's exact words, not mine. (wink-wink)

Needless to say, I'm the one eating these leftovers. And I do. Every last bit. I'm sure it would help if I didn't make enough to feed a small village, but, yes, I eat them. And then I don't want to see another soup bean until February.

I always make Grandma's soup beans and cornbread (never one without the other, and in that order) in February. It's when I miss her the most, and in making this meal I feel closest to her. If soup beans are on the stove and cornbread is in the oven, Grandma's not so far away.

And it's probably the easiest meal to make, next to cinnamon toast in the morning (which my family can eat by the loaves). The beans are easy to double or triple, depending on the number of mouths, and you just put them to a simmer on the stove and check back every now and then. The perfect meal to celebrate Homemade Soup Day.

Grandma Bays' Soup Beans & Cornbread
*serves a crowd (easily adaptable to feed however many people you need, just add more beans and water)

3 c pinto beans
4 slices thick bacon, chopped
salt and black pepper
oregano and garlic powder

Give the beans a good rinse and pour into a big stock pot. Cover the beans with 3" of water and set to boil on the stove. Once boiling, cover and simmer 2-3 hours. (DO keep an eye on it, adding water as needed! The beans are done when soft.) Meanwhile, make the cornbread....

1 c corn meal
1/2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c buttermilk
1/2 milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c shortening, melted (plus extra for greasing skillet)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt a tablespoon or so of shortening in a cast iron skillet. Combine corn meal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milks and egg, and pour into dry ingredients, mixing with a fork. Add baking powder and baking soda, stirring until combined. Add ¼ cup melted shortening, stirring constantly. Pour into hot, greased cast iron skillet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until set (golden brown on top).

And then back to the beans....when the beans have about 20 minutes to go, add in salt and pepper to taste. I like to add a little bit of oregano and garlic powder to mine, but use whatever fits your fancy.

I like to top mine with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Boss' Pumpkin Bread

It's Celebrate Your Boss Day!

I kind of have two, so I'm giving a shout-out to Amanda as well as my boss Lori. I have a fantastic boss (and, who am I kidding, a great department, too!) and I do not take that for granted one bit. I'm sure every single one of you knows how hard it is to find someone in management who actually does his/her job well, cares about the people he/she oversees, and encourages creativity while not afraid to rein you in if needed. I've been in this environment for almost 18 months and I can't wait to go to work every morning. I know I have a boss who truly cares about me, one I'm not afraid to go to if I have ideas, suggestions, or opinions to voice, and I know she will back me up if and when I need her.

She's AWESOME.

Last year at our End-of-Summer-Reading meeting, she brought in her pumpkin bread to share with her worn-out, stretched thin staff. (Yes, last year's SRP was insane....and next year's might be too. This year's was smooth-sailing, but I digress.)

And this bread is AWESOME.

Are you ready for what I'm about to share?

I am not a pumpkin fan. [GASP]

I know. Never have been. I love everything fall, except the taste of pumpkin. I avoid pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving like it's the plague. (However, last Thanksgiving I realized fennel IS the plague and must be forever avoided. Mama, none of that this year!) I don't drink pumpkin spice lattes nor like anything pumpkin-flavored. That was until last year when I tried my boss' pumpkin bread. Mainly because she's my boss and I was being social and polite. I'm so happy Mama raised me right! We had a "one-bite" rule in our house.

I admit, this bread wasn't too sweet and the pumpkin wasn't overpowering. It was perfect. Thanks to my boss, I now like pumpkin. I'm still not a huge fan and won't be ordering Pumpkin Spice Lattes over Caramel Apple Ciders or asking anyone to pass the pumpkin pie anytime soon. But this bread, yes, I like. I even put pumpkin in my morning porridge and added some to my Earl Grey latte. Mmmmm.

What I really enjoy about this pumpkin bread recipe is how moist it is. I do not like dry, crumbly bread. No thank you. The applesauce really gives it the texture I desire, and I think enhances the pumpkin flavor. (And, of course, the following recipe includes my subtle substitution: cutting the sugar in half and doubling the vanilla extract....instead of vanilla I used vanilla almond milk. Soooo good.)

Pumpkin Bread
*slightly adapted from my boss' recipe

Yields: 2 loaves (16 slices)

3 1/2 c flour (mixture of regular and whole wheat pastry flours) 

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cloves

1/4 c plain Greek yogurt

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 1/4 c sugar

2 cups packed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup water

2 tsp vanilla almond milk

Preheat over 350 degrees. Butter and flour to loaf pans and set aside. In a large bowl, sift flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves together. Mix together the rest of the ingredients until well combined. Add the dry to the wet in two batches, mixing well in between. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Nutritional Information
Per slice: 173 calories, 4 protein, 18 sugar, 4 fiber


It's perfect with a giant mug of coffee!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

{Quick Appetizers} Crescents Galore!

Ahhh, crescent rolls. So easy, so versatile, so melt-in-your-mouth tasty. They're perfect all on their own. However, they're even tastier kicked up a notch. Crescent rolls are a staple in my household when it comes to appetizers, crowds, and game day. I have tried a plethora of crescent recipes, and below I included all my (and Mr. B's, of course,) appetizer favorites. So, take your pick (pssst...there are 6 of them)!

All you need is one 8-count can of crescent rolls, regular or jumbo is fine, (or more depending on the crowd you're serving), an ungreased baking sheet, an oven set to 375 degrees, and more or less of the following ingredients:

Crescent Poppers
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

Unroll crescents, separate and cut each one in half (giving you 16 poppers). Add a dollop of cream cheese to the center of each. Layer on a few pieces of bacon and pepper. (Add more jalapeno slices for more spice.) Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Pepperoni Crescents
mini turkey pepperonis
4 pieces mozzarella string cheese, halved
garlic powder
pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

Unroll crescents and separate. Place a few mini pepperonis and one half of the string cheese in the center of each crescent segment. Fold sides up and twist at top to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce.










Taco Rolls
3 oz Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
2 tsp homemade taco seasoning mix
3/4 c shredded chicken (a great way to use up leftover chicken!)
1/3 c salsa
1/4 c shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Unroll crescents and separate. Combine cream cheese and taco seasoning; mix until smooth. Spread 2 teaspoons on each crescent, almost to the edges. Add a tablespoon of shredded chicken and a small dollop of salsa. Roll up, enclosing on all sides so it doesn't ooze out while in the oven, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.


Brie, Fruit & Nut Wraps
Brie cheese, peeled and sliced
apple slices (pear slices work well here, too)
nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, almonds....)
honey

Unroll crescents and separate. Layer each crescent with a small slice of cheese, fruit, and a nut. Tightly roll up each crescent, making sure all sides are pinched closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with honey. Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. [Yes, a glass of wine, or tea, is a must with these!]

These crescent rolls are perfect for game day appetizers, sides, snacks, brunch, AND dessert. Also, don't forget to check out my Cold Vegetable Pizza, which uses a package of crescent rolls as its crust. It's a definite winner, along with my gooey Ham Cheese Crescents!

Check back for the Crescents Galore Dessert version!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lately, I'm Obsessed

Jeremy Renner.
He's a cutie. I can't help it. He's my favorite. And he's a great actor; I was re-watching The Unusuals episodes and am still sad the show was canceled. I really, really would have liked to see what the writers, and Jeremy, did with his character. Oh, and he can actually sing. SWOON.

Via Protein Shakes.

These things are addicting. I wake up every morning and instead of reaching for my morning mug of coffee, I'm fumbling with the blender trying to get this delicious shake into my body as fast as I can. Soooooo good.

Getting organized.
Now that Summer Reading is over, I have a little downtime at work, and I'm determined to get that office organized, cart-free, and ready to go for fall. I can see my desk, the floor around my desk...and my co-worker is even inspired to organize ;)

Straight No Chaser.
A college friend and I used to listen to this acapella group all.of.the.time instead of studying for our exams while we studied. The other day I found a mixed CD from those days and popped it in. We were reunited and I downloaded almost everything I could get my hands on.

Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Bars.
These are my favorite ice cream bars. creamy. Fluffy. Light. Delicious. Healthy-ish. Yet, I have not been able to find them anywhere, in any grocery store, at all this summer. So I settled for WW's Giant Latte Bars instead. Yes, delicious. Yes, addicting. No, I still prefer the fudge bars.

Trader Joe's Dried Mango Slices.
These things. Why isn't there a Trader Joe's in the Tri-County area?! I must make the hour plus drive to find one. I feel like I need to replenish my co-workers stash.

Young Adult Fiction.
I just finished Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, and WOW. I'd definitely recommend it to any teen or adult...it's a quirky teen romance. I liked it. [A review post of my latest reads will be up soon!] Also, my book club is reading John Green's Looking For Alaska (which I just finished re-reading; I'm a big John Green fan and would suggest his book, The Fault in Our Stars, to absolutely anybody...the audio book is fantastic). I just put in the audio of Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution. I read this a few years ago and remembered I couldn't put it down. The audio is a 2011 Odyssey Honor-winner so I'm re-"listening" to that. But I've heard good things about Donnelly's A Northern Light, as well....it's somewhere on my loooong list of must-reads.

I always liked YA, but when asked what I mainly read, YA never crossed my mind. It's apparently gaining ground....

Image from Good Reads

 Award Winners.
Now that I finished reading every.single.Caldecott. I'm working on the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Winners...why, I have no idea. Other than the fact they're mainly picture books and quicker to get through. However, I'm discovering most are poetry and quite lengthy....

Netflix.

Mr. B and I decided a month and half ago to get rid of our cable. We've been spending a lot of time watching movies through Netflix. I don't miss cable at all. I miss being able to "watch" my Cleveland Indians. Though, Netflix is helping me fuel my Renner obsession (see #1). There's a balance there somewhere.

And apparently, Zucchini Bread.
Within the last four weeks I  made six loaves. Friends and family are quite demanding. And the neighbor brought over one the size of Mr. B's arm, which I baked three loaves out of AND was left with plenty of zucchini slices to freeze. (*For the record, five of those loaves were Blueberry Zucchini, and I put my foot down declaring I was trying a new bread: Yogurt Walnut Zucchini. Well worth Mr. B's objections.) If you're looking for a way to use up your zucchini, check out my Blueberry Zucchini Bread.

With Love and God Bless,

Brindi

My Favorite Zucchini Bread

I don't have to tell Ohioans about the insane amount of rain we've had recently. It's definitely effected my garden.

The tomato plants are taller than I am, full of green tomatoes just waiting to turn (and I know just a little bit of sun will give them that much needed push). While waiting for God's candy to ripen, we harvested a bunch of basil, a few green onions, one bell pepper, and our first zucchini. When we first planted our zucchini plants, my mother-in-law mentioned how much she loved zucchini bread. I promised her I'd make my favorite zucchini bread with the first one. She picked up her loaf half while I was at work, and liked it so much she had to leave me a note telling me it was gone that very night. Unfortunately, so was my half. Mr. B just decided that he, too, was a fan of zucchini bread. Who knew?

Blueberry Zucchini Bread
*Recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction

Makes 10 slices

1 egg, lightly beaten, + 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax seed & 3 Tbsp water...let sit 5 minutes)
heaping 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
heaping 1 c zucchini, grated and well drained
3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c fresh blueberries, washed
oats (optional)

Preheat oven 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9 X 5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Blend together egg, flax egg, sugars, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in grated zucchini. Slowly mix in flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Gently fold in blueberries. Bake 45-50 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (*When there is only about 15 minutes left to go, I sprinkle some oats on the top.) Cool, in pan, on a wire rack for 25 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.

(*If you can't wait for it to cool, like me, the bread may crumble apart when slicing and it will taste more like a muffin. Either way, it's absolutely amazing. I succeed at not slicing into it when I make this close to bedtime...that way it has all night to stand and cool, greeting me with a delicious treat in the early morning.)

Nutritional Information
Per slice: 145 Calories, 1 Fat, 12 Sugar, 4 Protein, 3 Fiber

**Next time, I plan to replace half of the sugar with mashed banana or applesauce to make it even healthier!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lemon Bread

When I stumbled across this Lemon Bread recipe a few years ago, I was extremely happy. I love anything lemon, and prefer a lemon dessert over a chocolate one any day. Although I'm not a huge bread person, I had a strong desire to become a bread-maker. Even though making bread from scratch intimidated me, I saw flashes of me baking up little mini bread loafs and handing them out around the holidays. (And I have since braved a few homemade pizza crusts, Fresh Strawberry Bread and Blueberry Zucchini Bread, both equally delicious...By the way, I can't tell you enough about this blog, My Baking Addiction. Added bonus: she's an Ohio girl, too. Awesome.)

I usually make this bread following the recipe exactly. However, I wanted to make it a little healthier this year, by switching some of the ingredients, because I tend to eat the whole loaf a few slices because it is sooooo lip-smacking scrumptious!

See that glistening glazed-crust on top of the bread? You must brush the glaze on as soon as the bread comes out of the oven! You wouldn't believe the difference it makes. Not so pretty and delightful if you wait until the bread cools. And don't skimp on the topping!

This bread is delicious both warm and at room temperature. The glaze is so perfect, you don't even need anything else with the bread. I promise!

Lemon Bread

*adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 tsp Stevia sugar (or use 3/4 c sugar and omit Greek yogurt)

1/4 plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 c milk

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce (or use 1/4 c butter, melted. I tried both ways, and they're equally delicious.)

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp lemon juice + 2 Tbsp

1/2 c chopped almonds

1 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and half-inch up sides of 8x4" loaf pan. In medium bowl combine flour, Stevia, baking powder and salt. In another medium bowl combine egg, milk, applesauce, lemon peel and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Make a well in flour mixture and add egg mixture along with yogurt (if using). Stir until just moistened (it's okay if it's lumpy!). Fold in almonds. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. NOTE: 10-15 minutes before done, check for browning, and, if so, cover with foil for remaining baking time. In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush glaze over top of loaf. Cool in pan on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before serving? Yes, for best results. Honestly, I've never made it that far before slicing into this delicious, citrus bread.

Nutritional Information

Per slice my adapted way: Calories 85; Fat 2.2

(Per slice original way: Calories 147; Fat 6)

With Love and God Bless,

Brindi