Grandma's Green Beans

When I think about my daddy's mother, Grandma Bays, and I think about the food I remember her for, I think about her homemade southern green beans probably the most. About how she had a huge pot going on the stove almost every day during green bean season. The whole house smelling of fresh, bacon-y goodness. I think about her sitting out on the back deck, surrounded by family, while she snapped off the ends of each bean, employing us grandkids to help. Gospel music coming from the stereo beside the back room's open window, her bare feet tapping along to the music, and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth while she was singing the Lord's praises or telling us hilarious stories involving our parents or her childhood in Kentucky.

Over seven years ago, breast cancer took my grandmother away from my family all too early. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I think about her even more than I normally do. Instead of a couple of times a day, it's with every TV ad hoping for a cure, with every pink shirt I spot, with every little ribbon pinned to a shirt collar, with every heart-wrenching survivor's story, with every commercial reminding women to get annual mammograms. Seeing all this pink gives me hope and enrages me all at once.

Oh, Grandma, how I miss you more than I can find the words. More than words can explain the emptiness in my broken heart.

There are no words, so I'm just going to fix a big ol' pot of green beans and wrap up in the blanket you made me, while I seek out comfort in Jesus.

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in suffering. --Isaiah 49:13 (NLT)

Grandma's Green Beans

Adjust to serve however many mouths you need to feed

1 lb fresh green beans, ends snapped off and washed
water (sometimes I add some chicken broth to give it added flavor)
1/2 c uncooked bacon, cut into chunks (lately, I've been using pre-cooked bacon so there's not as much grease)
salt and pepper, to taste
[Note: for every 1 lb of green beans, I use 1/2 c chopped bacon]

Grab whatever size pot you need, and toss in the washed green beans and bacon chunks (if using uncooked). Add in a couple dashes of salt and pepper, then add enough water to cover the beans and bacon by about 2-3" and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until beans are tender, about 1 hour. After this hour mark, check the green beans until desired texture is reached. (If using pre-cooked bacon, add in with about 10-15 minutes left, and cook until heated through.) Add more salt and pepper, if needed. ---> I like mine with quite a bit of pepper.

Grandma's green beans are that simple. Made with love, they're the best thing you'll ever eat.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Re-Visited: Cooking Club #10

[Original post date Nov. 2011. --Updated 10/6/14: original, but separate, content, with updated photos and/or more details, if available.]


---> Cooking Club is coming up soon, and now that I'm blogging, I want to share these moments but I thought I should play catch-up first. So without further ado, here (and in more posts to come) is what we've been up to. Enjoy!

#10 April: Secret Ingredient

The Menu:
        Main Course
Oven-Lime Pork Fajitas (Lime)
         Side
Green Tea Couscous (Tea)
         Dessert
Blondies with Maple Syrup (Maple)

Jenny and Jessica decided it would be fun to do secret ingredients this month, sort of Iron Chef style.

So we all chose an ingredient, wrote it on a piece of paper and threw it in a hat.

Enter mass confusion.

After everyone drew, they started sharing what ingredient they had. Hello? I thought it was a secret!
 
Apparently the "secret" part already happened. The "secret" was we didn't know what ingredients were in the hat. Huh? Everyone was confused, there were questions if we should come up with new ingredients and redraw.....ai yi yi. We finally decided on just finding a recipe to go with our assigned ingredients.

I put in maple and drew tea. (Actually, I put both maple and espresso on my slip, allowing the receiver to decide. I thought I'd be sneaky like that.) So I went home and skimmed through my cookbooks. When nothing caught my eye, I headed online and found two recipes, a dessert and a side. I was craving couscous, and decided to go with the side, Rachael Ray's Green Tea Couscous.

Tea is definitely a favorite. As I was steeping my green tea, I was sooooo excited for my dish. After adding in honey and a hint of fresh mint (not a huge mint fan), I couldn't wait to taste this couscous! And then there were pieces of cucumber and lemon and lime.....and oh.my.goodness.

Giada's is still my favorite. But this was light, refreshing, and delicious. I realized I do actually like mint, but fresh mint only.

The nutritional information, via My Fitness Pal, per serving (this recipe, I feel, makes a good 6 side dish servings): 101 calories, 2 fat, 2 protein, 1 fiber, 8 sugar

Actually, this was a fantastic Cooking Club meal (even though we were quite small this month). Everything was perfect and just the right amount. Jenny's Oven-Lime Pork Fajitas were mouth-watering, and I have made them for Mr. B multiple times since. So good. I'm not a blondie fan, but Jessica's maple dessert was pretty tasty as well.

Definitely a success!

[Oh, and it seems that if you can make it to Cooking Club, great. If not, we'll see you next month. So we never know how many people are going to be there!]

*I hope you enjoyed these Cooking Club snippets. There are more to come as I try to play catch-up before this month's meeting. I hope these themes, and even Cooking Club itself, inspire you to gather with your friends and family in the kitchen, and make sweet moments (and delicious food) of your own.

**I've only included the recipes to the dishes I made. Only because I'm unsure of where everyone got theirs...and hey, we gotta give credit where credit is due. If you have any questions about the other dishes, I'll ask the other members where they got their recipes and pass it along!

Check out our previous meetings!
Cooking Club #1-4
Cooking Club #5-8
Cooking Club #9

[Update: Just previous Cooking Club links!]

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

You guys....what could be better than a plate full of mashed potatoes? Mashed potatoes with a healthy dose of spinach, of course. I want to face plant right into that photo up there. When it comes to potatoes, I am definitely a potato person. I love them in all varieties and prepared in all ways. Except for the brown sugar, sweet potato mess at Thanksgiving. Yuck. I do not like my potatoes sweetened. I say that like Mr. B adamantly reminds me that he does not like his apples cooked. And I'm game for potato chips as long as there's dip. If not, I'll probably pass.)

When playing Loaded Questions with the in-laws a few months ago, one question asked what is your favorite way to eat a potato? (Y'all if you have no idea what this game is, go out and purchase it. My family has been playing it since I was in middle school. It's my favorite because you learn a lot about your family/friends while playing it. And I love learning about people. Their answers to these sometimes serious and sometimes ridiculous questions are very ENLIGHTENING to say the least. The basis of the game is you're asked a question, you write your answer down, someone reads all the answers, and whoever's turn it is has to match the answer to the player.) Anyhoo, back to the potato question. I answered MASHED. Mr. B was guessing and he guessed incorrectly. He was waiting for LOADED because he knew without out a doubt that was my favorite potato, and he would get at least one match correct.

Boy, he wasn't going down without a fight! He argued that I love LOADED potatoes, that I can't wait to get a LOADED potato as a side when we go out to eat. Apparently my husband has never seen me at Thanksgiving. Or during my childhood when my dinner plate was always more than halfway covered in MASHED potatoes. I almost had to phone a friend (Mama, of course) to talk him down, to convince him of my love for MASHED potatoes. I then had to point out to him that I only eat real MASHED potatoes, not those flakes from a box that he grew up on. He understood, but still believed I tricked him.

And, yes, I know Mr. B's favorite. FRENCH FRIES. While I tend to be picky about my fries, he loves them all.

I digress.

But these mashed potatoes! With spinach! And not loaded with a ton of butter or cream!

They're the perfect recipe to get your mashed potato fix without too much of the other stuff. A heavenly indulgence without too much guilt. A family night favorite. A weeknight favorite. Maybe these just might make this year's Thanksgiving table.

Forget the meal, past the potatoes, please!

---> Also a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes. Next time I plan to try it using cauliflower substituted for half the potatoes.

Spinach Mashed Potatoes
*recipe adapted from my friend Jenny (a Cooking club recipe)

Serves 6

6 large potatoes, peeled, and cubed (I prefer a mixture of golden, red, purple and sometimes sweet potatoes...makes for a colorful dish)
3/4 c plain Greek yogurt
1 t sugar (I'm not sure this is even needed...)
1/4 c butter
1/4 c coconut oil
2 t salt
2 t pepper
1/4 t dill
2 T dried chives
1 (10-oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; drain and mash with potato masher or stand mixer. Add yogurt, sugar, butter, oil, salt and pepper, and continue beating until smooth and fluffy. Stir in dill, chives, and spinach. Place in casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

*I'm sure this could be done in a crock pot for game days. YUM.

Nutritional Information (for Yukon potatoes): 386 Calories, 26 Fat, 30 Carbs, 3 Sugar, 11 Protein, 3 Fiber

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Apricot Kielbasa Slices with Sweet Potato Fries + the Perfect Dipping Sauce

I am feeling fall, fall, and more fall over here, which makes these two recipes perfect for this time of year because they highlight the color orange. And orange is everywhere these days. If you don't see it out your front door right now, check back tomorrow! :)

These two recipes are courtesy of Cooking Club (recently highlighted here), theme: the color ORANGE. Given the season, I feel it's quite appropriate to share my favorite dishes from that gathering. A Cooking Club meeting which actually generated a meal Mr. B would enjoy. A definite plus, my friends.

Y'all, I don't think I've met an easier supper that tasted like it took an awfully long time to make. I remember thinking, back when I first tasted this kielbasa, this was extremely tasty. It tasted like it'd been simmering all day long on the stove. I knew I must snag a few leftovers for Mr. B. Good thing, too, because he enjoyed it so much and requested it again a week later. Except when I make it for us, I don't use quite the full jar of preserves. We like it not as sweet, letting the flavor of the sausage come through a bit more.

But these fries! Alas, there were no fries to bring home to share. But since then, I make these sweet fries all the time. A perfect way to get a healthier fries fix. And, again, we don't like them too sweet, so I halve the sugar called for.

Plus, a short bout under the broiler makes them extra crispy. A favorite finger food on game days. Perfect with or without the sauce, but Mr. B is a huge fan of his dips, so give it a try. The lime in the yogurt sauce complements the sweetness of the fries quite well. Oh, and the sauce makes enough for a double batch of fries!


Apricot Kielbasa Slices with Sweet Potato Fries & Dipping Sauce
*recipe courtesy of my friends Kelly and Jenny

Serves 4 (with big side salad)

For the kielbasa:
1 lb kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced
1 (12-oz) jar apricot preserves
2 T lemon juice
2 t Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground ginger

In a large skillet, brown sausage, drain, and set aside on a plate. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Cook over low heat , 2-3 minutes or until heated through and thickened, stirring occasionally. Return sausage to pan. Cook 5-6 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

For the fries:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into spears
2 T olive oil
1 T light brown sugar
1/2 t kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1 t ground black pepper (recipe actually calls for 1/2 t, but I love pepper on my fries)

Preheat oven 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil; grease with cooking spray. Place potato spears in ice water for 3-5 minutes to blanch. Blot with paper towel and place spears on prepared sheet, tossing with olive oil. Spread into a single layer. Combine  sugar, salt, and pepper; sprinkle on potatoes. (I didn't use this entire mixture on mine.) Bake 15 minutes, then turn fries with spatula. Bake another 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy. (I like mine extra crispy, so I turn on the broiler for a few minutes.) Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, if desired.

For the honey-lime dipping sauce:
6 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 T mayo
1/ T honey
1 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t cumin
1/8 t oregano
1 t parsley
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t kosher salt

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Chill until ready to serve. Easy-peasy.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Must-Bring-To-Every-Family-Gathering Cornbread Casserole

Mmmmmm. Mmmmmmm.

This is so good, my friends.

So good that if the family is gathering together, I'm asked to not forget this dish!! It's perfect for cookouts, holiday meals (Thanksgiving, of course,), and it's even a great casserole side to drop off at a sick family member's house or to help out a new mama. And the best part, it's super easy to double and feed a crowd. I always have these ingredients on hand, so I can easily throw it together when I have unexpected guests for dinner.

I don't do corn in my my cornbread. I have my cornbread casserole for that.

Every time I make this, Mr. B and I are fighting each other constantly for the end pieces. Don't be surprised if you stop by and all that's left is the very center. Granted, we'll vie for that last bite as well, but when I make this just for us, we start with the outer parts. It makes for a very un-photogenic picture. I had to smack Mr. B's hands away more than once so I could provide you with a few mouth-watering photos. If you're not drooling yet, wait until you take your first bite.

Cornbread Casserole
*health-ified from the Sunday Night Football Cookbook (<--- these football players know their food. YUM.)

Makes 8 slices

1 8 oz box of corn muffin mix
1 c corn (frozen, fresh, or canned)
1 c creamed corn
1 c plain soy yogurt
2 eggs (if making it for just me and the hubby, I'll replace one egg with one flax egg = 1 T ground flax seed + 3 T water)
4 T organic butter, melted and cooled slightly

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix until smooth. Pour into a pie dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes in pan before cutting.

*Note: the yogurt makes this dish super moist, so don't over-bake!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Thanksgiving Dinner Review

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we're all settled into the cookie-baking-and-Christmas-shopping thing (thankfully we decorated the house and tree at the beginning of November...yes, I put my tree up before Thanksgiving, and yes, I'm thankful because I get to enjoy it longer...), which means I am finding a little free time to share with you all.

Here's a peek at what Thanksgiving looked like over here.

Mama's cheeseboard was the prettiest and tastiest star of the show. She and my aunt recently returned from a trip up to Wisconsin and, of course, they brought back various cheeses to sample. Sidebar: why were they in Wisconsin, you ask? Well....my aunt (and my grandmother) is a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan. Mama (and my grandfather) is a HUGE Minnesota Vikings fan. (My uncle is a HUGE Browns fan...we're all HUGE fans of various teams over here; Sundays are fantastic.) My aunt, Joann, turned 40 a few weeks ago, and to celebrate she and my mother went to a Vikings-Packers game in Green Bay. You know, the one that recently ended in a tie. Daddy laughed and asked me what were the chances that two sisters, each liking a different team, would drive eight + hours to the game, and it actually end in a tie?! I guess the good Lord knew how uncomfortable that looong ride home would have been.

Anyhoo...Mama brought back a few types of cheese, along with some pear-peach chutney, to snack on while we waited for the holiday dinner. Cheese, chutney, crackers, nuts, and fruit? I don't even need the meal. I was in heaven. Mama, my aunt, and I were the only ones that actually appreciated the cheeseboard; everyone else just casually snacked. We were all, "Oh my gosh, you have to try the hard goat cheese one, with the pita cracker, spread on a little chutney, and top it with a nut, but it has to be the pistachio, that's the best one."

Ahh, never a dull moment over here.

It was a very odd Thanksgiving. I actually preferred the turkey this year WITH the gravy (I'm usually just a sides kind of girl). I enjoyed second helpings of Brussels sprouts, quinoa salad, and cornbread stuffing. Usually, I can't get enough of the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, cough, cough.....also, I didn't partake in any bread. Hmmm, interasante.

The dessert bar (on Mama's new coffee bar, wonder where she got the idea....wink, wink) consisted of pecan pie, pumpkin pie, these pumpkin and honey cookies, and Mama's infamous hot fudge cheesecake. I'm not a pie fan unless it involves fruit, and even then I prefer a cobbler, but I indulged in my cheesecake :P

Also, a few weeks ago Mama found a tasty recipe on Pinterest and asked if I'd make this quinoa for a healthier side dish for Thanksgiving. I did. The pistachios are fan-freaking-tastic, and the sun-dried tomatoes (which Mama and I both kind of do not like on their own) were actually quite decent in this quinoa dish. Lightly tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, and agave, it was refreshing, and very much welcomed alongside the stuffing and mashed potatoes. The only changes I made to the recipe: more lemon (+ zest) and more pepper. We're huge lemon fans.

I enjoyed it. She enjoyed it, so much as she took what little leftovers there were and portioned it out for her lunch for the week. I, on the other hand, ate my teensy portion the next day. And then I was sad because Mama and I no longer (and have not for the better half of a decade now) share the same household, nor the same refrigerator. Therefore, I was unable to eat her making-it-last-as-long-as-she-possibly-can portion. Hey, you do what you have to do.

This Lemon Quinoa Salad might be a new must-have at our Thanksgiving table, and a new favorite work lunch. It's too, too easy to make, and will immediately be doubled forever more. And I'll still not share. Probably.

Oh, and I was a little crafty over here at the library, where the kiddos and I enjoyed a Holiday Crafty Kids session. Check out my cute hand print turkey.

I hope everyone had a fantastic and fun Thanksgiving holiday!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Classics Revisited: Beef Stroganoff

Welp. It's August 4th and at 1:00 p.m. today it was 68 degrees outside. Crazy Ohio weather, but I am definitely not complaining. It's like fall weather. A beautiful September day, which is perfect considering the Hall of Fame football game is happening tonight (which is about a 25-minute drive from where we live). Turn on the lights, y'all, it's football season!

And since there is a chill in the air, considering it's cough, August, cough, I thought I'd share a classic, comfort, chilled weather recipe with you all. Growing up, beef stroganoff was one of my favorite dinners. It had sour cream. And noodles. Or better yet, mashed potatoes. What's not to love? However, it was usually made with ground beef (which I'm not a huge fan of anymore, unless it's in this), and processed onion soup mix and cream of toxic whatever. I decided to re-visit this meal favorite and add my own healthier twists.

Oh, and I made this super easy side dish to go with it: cut up some grape tomatoes, a cucumber, and drizzle with a balsamic vinaigrette; toss and enjoy. (Or it's a perfect first course while you are patiently awaiting your stroganoff.)

Beef Stroganoff

Serves 4

1 lb boneless steak, thinly sliced (any kind of steak you have on hand...except cubed steak)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
6-8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/4 c beef broth, plus 1 Tbsp
1/2 c water
homemade S.O.S. mix, equivalent to 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
homemade onion soup mix, about the amount in a packet of onion soup mix
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
Parsley, for garnish
Hot cooked egg noodles, or mashed potatoes

Saute onions and mushrooms in an extremely hot pan with 1/4 c beef broth; set aside in a bowl. In same pan, saute the steak in 1 Tbsp of beef broth until no longer pink (if your pan is hot enough, you'll get a crispy steak). Add veggies back to pan along with the S.O.S. mixture, water, and onion soup mix. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Serve over hot noodles or mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley.

It's as simple [and tasty] as that, folks.

With Love & God Bless,
Brindi

Our Top 10 Meals, Part 1

As new recipes grace the posts of Sweet B's Impressions, I'm sure most of you are wondering what Mr. B and I eat for dinner most nights. But I must confess. I am not a fan of the usual. I like variety and trying new dishes. So, it's quite the revolving door over here. However, we do have a few favorites, mostly because they fit in with our busy weeknight schedules, we turn to at least once a week.



And instead of overwhelming you with a bunch of recipe must-trys, I'm breaking the Top Ten into a few different posts.

*And these are in no particular order.


Baked Egg Rolls and Fried Rice

This dish makes an appearance at our dinner table probably three times a month, and that's a lot for my dinner table. (Like I said, it's a revolving door.) By the time my homemade egg rolls are coming out of the oven, my rice is ready. And it's pretty much a one pot kind of dinner. Well, one pot and one baking sheet.



And P.S. these egg rolls are better the next day, which makes for a perfect work lunch.

Baked Egg Rolls
Serves 6 (2 egg rolls each)

12 egg roll wraps
1 lb cabbage mix (coleslaw mix)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
dash of ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp minced garlic
olive oil

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Coat baking sheet with non-stick spray; set aside. In large skillet, over medium heat, drizzle some olive oil in pan and add cabbage and garlic. Saute 5 minutes but don't let it get soggy (keep it crisp). Sprinkle on soy sauce and ginger, mix and let cool. Once cool, mix water and flour, in a small bowl, to form a paste. Dab your finger in paste and wet the top point and sides of an egg roll wrap. Add 2 tablespoons of cabbage mix to lower center of wrap. Roll up the wrap, tucking in the sides. Lay on prepared baking sheet and continue with the rest. Lightly top with non-stick spray and bake 10 minutes until starting to brown. Turn on the broiler; broil egg rolls for 2 minutes more. Serve with sweet and sour sauce. (Meanwhile, start the fried rice.)

Nutritional Information
Per egg roll: 80 Calories, 1 Fat, 14.2 Carbs, 1 Fiber, 3.4 Protein

Fried Rice
*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Serves 3-4

2 c brown rice, cooked
mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
peas, frozen or fresh
2green onions, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 c mushrooms, sliced
Carrots, celery, peas (optional)

In small bowl combine eggs and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet the cabbage was in for the egg rolls over medium heat. Add egg mixture and garlic, and stir to scramble. When set, remove mixture to bowl and set aside. Add canola oil to skillet. Toss in mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until crisp tender. (At this time I would normally stir-fry sliced carrots and celery in a separate pan because Mr. B does not like these veggies in his rice and I do. If you like them, feel free to add these veggies and whatever else you like at this time.) Add cooked rice. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce. Cook 5 more minutes until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onions. Cook 2 minutes more. Serve with egg rolls. (At this time, I add peas to my portion because, you know, Mr. B....)

Nutritional Information
Per 2/3 cup: 141 Calories, 6 Fat, 18 Carbs, 2 Fiber, 5 Protein

Lemon Linguine/Pasta Primavera
I always try to limit myself to no more than two pasta dinners a week, at most. (We like our protein over here.) And if I'm running short on time, and ingredients, I throw together one of these simple pasta dishes using whatever veggies need my attention (for the primavera), and I always have lemons on hand for this light(er) linguine.

For this mouth-watering lemon pasta dish click here.



 

Nachos

Sweet B's Nachos

Of course nothing is faster than a tray of nachos. We can't even drive to a restaurant in less time than it takes to make this dinner. (And these ingredients are necessary pantry staples in my kitchen.) Toss on your favorite veggies, beans for the protein, a sprinkle of cheese, and some garnishes like plain Greek Yogurt, sliced green onions, homemade guacamole (which I always have in the freezer), or every-now-and-then sour cream. Delicioso. We usually have this dinner every other week. Sometimes we get into nacho cravings and have it every Sunday....usually during football season.



Snack Plate and a Big Chopped Salad



Hands down this is one of my favorite dinners. I LOVE a Big Chopped Salad, with all of the fixings, bring it on. I usually make this when I find our fridge jammed packed with fresh produce, usually after my weekly trip to the grocery store. After purchasing all the vegetables my bags can carry, I'm eager to taste a little bit of everything, and that's where my chopped salad comes into play. It's one simple and quick way to get a ton of tasty veggies into our bellies. Plus, it pairs well with a snack plate. If we're having a Big Chopped Salad, our snack plate consists of crackers, chopped fresh deli meat and cheese (my personal favorites are turkey and ham with Havarti and Munster), and grape tomatoes (God's candy is what I like to call them).



A Big Chopped Salad
(My must-have ingredients)

Romaine lettuce
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Hard-boiled eggs
Shredded cheddar cheese
Green onions
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Carrots

Get out your biggest cutting board and sharpest knife. Chop up your veggies and combine in a huge bowl; sprinkle on a dash of salt and pepper. Toss. Drizzle on your favorite dressing. (My current favorite is Honey Mustard.)

Stay tuned for the next Top Ten post! Happy eating.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Mexican Rice and Broiled Polenta

For Christmas I ordered The Ultimate Daniel Fast Cookbook. As a congregation, my church does an annual fast every January, and my goal is to eventually work up to a full 31-day Daniel Fast. However, when a lot of people (including myself at one point) think about the Daniel Fast, it seems as if you can only eat fruits or veggies. That is not the case. There is so much that you can eat on this fast, and when fasting it is important to focus on what you CAN eat.

Kristen Feola, author of The Ultimate Daniel Fast blog and its coinciding cookbook, offers a plethora of information on the subject of Daniel-fasting. Her blog not only focuses on the fast, but includes food guidelines, recipes and devotionals. These devotionals are a great support system as you journey through your fast. The cookbook also supplies devotionals and Scripture references for fasters throughout their fasts, offering support through God's word and journaling topics.

I was stoked when I finally received my copy of The Ultimate Daniel Fast Cookbook. There are so many delicious meal options, and I can't wait to dive into the recipes even more. Especially when summer comes and more fruits and vegetables are readily available. (And don't cost an arm and a leg.)

This Mexican Rice dish is one of many satisfying recipes offered in this amazing cookbook. But I will warn you...this rice is SPICY. So, go easy with the cayenne and cumin at first. I added some plain Greek Yogurt (since, at the time, I wasn't fasting but just trying out recipes) and it took away some heat. I also paired the rice with broiled polenta. I love polenta. Mr. B....not so much. I just followed my simple go-to polenta recipe.

Polenta

3 c water

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 c cornmeal

dash of garlic powder

handful of fresh basil, chopped

Heat water to boiling in large saucepan and add salt. Slowly add cornmeal, whisking constantly so it doesn't stick together. Stir 20 minutes until polenta is thick and pulls away from sides of pan. Stir in garlic powder and basil. Serve...or broil.

To Broil: Wet a paper towel and rub bottom of casserole dish to prevent sticking. Transfer cooked polenta to dish and pack well. Cover and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Rub baking sheet with olive oil. Remove polenta from dish and cut into squares. Place squares on prepared baking sheet. Broil, 4" under broiler, until both sides are crispy, about 10 minutes each side.

I hope you give this recipe and Daniel-Fasting a try. Your life, your body, and your relationship with God will benefit greatly.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Skillet Potatoes and My Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Even though I am not Catholic, I always observe Lent. Because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for me, I feel I must respond and acknowledge this with a sacrifice of my own.

"Yet even now," said the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Turn to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.   --Joel 2: 12-13

Last year I gave up bread. I thought it was going to be challenging, but I was wrong. Every once in a while my craving for a sandwich, homemade biscuits or Subway's BLT on flatbread would hit. When these moments came, I turned to God's Word. I found strength in His promises. He said we shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:4). For me, this was actually literal last year. I was able to understand my craving, turn to Scripture, understand why I was making this sacrifice and meditate on it.

As I've mentioned before, when I sacrifice or fast as a Christian, I draw closer to the Lord when doing so. If not, I guess I feel I'm not truly sacrificing in my faith. When I take something away, I need to turn to my Lord instead. I know this is something I should be doing always: Putting the lord first in everything I do. But I'm human. I live in the flesh. I live in a fallen world and I cannot do this always. By observing Lent and making this small sacrifice, I am finding someway to humble myself.

This year I've decided to abstain from all meat but poultry. This includes that beautiful bacon you see below.

I made this decision as a way to keep a healthier lifestyle. On the days when Mr. B indulges in a steak, hamburger, or bacon slices, I plan to fill my plate with more natural foods, like veggies, fruits and grains.

In order to prepare myself for this small sacrifice, I did my own indulging in this potato skillet dish over the weekend. Skillet-fried potatoes slathered in cheddar cheese and crispy bacon.....I stuffed myself full.

Skillet Potatoes with Bacon & Cheddar

Serves 6-8

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
4 slices bacon, crispy and chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
scallions and plain Greek yogurt to garnish

Heat a large skillet over medium-high, cooking onions in 3 Tbsp oil, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cover. Cook on medium-low heat 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring often. (Cooking time varies depending on thinness of potatoes.) Sprinkle cheese and bacon pieces on top. Cover and cook another 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Add garnishes and serve.

In case you're at a lost this Lenten observation, check out these blog posts for creative ideas on what to give up (or add), or for more insight: Reflection: Lent, 33 Things to Give Up for Lent, 25 Creative Ideas, Yoga Thoughts on Lent, Welcoming Ash Wednesday.

Are you observing Lent? If so, what are you giving up or adding?

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Game Day #4: Apple Coleslaw

It's day four of my Super Bowl Party Menu Extravaganza, and I made an executive decision to showcase a great party recipe for the female football fans out there. Not every dish on the menu needs to be fatty, greasy, meaty and "manly." Plus, I love salads and side dishes, and always try to include one when menu-planning.

This Apple Coleslaw is on the healthier and lighter side, and it is one of my favorite coleslaws. It's a great side dish to any party, get-together or cook out. And it's super easy to throw together. (Only four ingredients!)

This dish can even be made the night before, so party day isn't too hectic. And we all want to spend more time with friends and family watching football (and the commercials) than in the kitchen making food. * If making the night before, the next morning add a little extra Miracle Whip and honey just before serving if the slaw looks too dry.

The honey gives this coleslaw a lighter and fresher taste. I prefer mine with a little freshly ground black pepper. It gives it a bite. Delicious!

**Bonus: This slaw can easily be doubled or tripled. Be sure to make plenty because it will be devoured...even the men will go back for seconds.

Apple Coleslaw

Serves 12 (1/2 c each)

3/4 c Miracle Whip
1 Tbsp honey
1 pkg (16 oz) coleslaw blend
1 Red Delicious apple, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped (the different colors make the slaw pretty....but you can use whatever you have on hand)

Mix dressing and honey in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Refrigerate one hour.


Nutritional Information
Per serving: Calories 60; Fat 3; Carbs 10; Fiber 2; Protein 1

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another

Super Bowl Party menu idea!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Gravy SO Good

Check this out. Nothing takes me back to my childhood quicker than a plate piled high of biscuits and gravy (except Grandma Bays' fried pork chops...so good, and my arteries are clogging as I think of them). My family loooooves biscuits and gravy. Being from the south, Grandma Bays was no stranger to eating this meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

When I was little I looked forward to weekends, summer and breaks because my cousins and I would stay at my grandparents house. I remember sleeping in and waking up to the smell of gravy coming from the kitchen. My cousins and I would strive to be the first one in the kitchen. We'd sit with pride and a huge smirk on our face, with a full plate, as we watched the "sleepy heads" finally make their way to the kitchen.

I loved being the first one because Grandma would let me taste the gravy and judge if it needed any more seasoning. That's definitely where my love for food began. In the kitchen with Grandma. My grandma passed away almost four years ago from breast cancer, and even though I don't get to spend my weekends with her in the kitchen, smells like this take me back instantly.

Mama would also make me sausage gravy and biscuits, and it was delicious. And I love Cracker Barrel's gravy recipe...it's sooo rich and creamy. So when I found Bobby Flay's Biscuits with Cream Gravy, I jumped on that gravy train. Figuratively speaking, sort of.

These Black Pepper Buttermilk Biscuits were the perfect pillows for my gravy. They were extremely easy to make, and I didn't mind getting my hands wrist-deep in flour, butter, buttermilk and cream.

But the gravy was the best part. It was all I could do to not jump inside this pot of creamy heaven. I mean I already licked the spoon...multiple times. Ohemmgeee. I could drink this. It's that good.

Gravy. So. Good.

A small warning, definitely not figure-friendly. But everything in moderation, right?

Cream Gravy
* adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe

Makes about 2 cups
2 c whole milk (but I was out, so I used 1 3/4 c 1% milk + 1/4 c heavy cream)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp Kosher salt and 1/4 freshly ground pepper
Put milk in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute without browning. Slowly whisk in warm milk. Raise heat to high and continue whisking until sauce begins to thicken and the raw taste of flour has been cooked out, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (And try your hardest to leave some to actually top the biscuits.)


**Make this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch. Whenever. Whatever. Just make it!


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Cooking Club #5 {Updated}

[Updated 9/1/14: original, but separate, content, with updated photos and/or more details, if available.]


---> Cooking Club is coming up soon, and now that I'm blogging, I want to share these moments but I thought I should play catch-up first. So without further ado, here (and in other posts) is what we've been up to. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top right: Ham, Crab Cake, Stuffing, Potatoes, Pot Pie

#5 November: Thanksgiving     

The Menu:
         Appetizer
Sage and Cranberry Crab Cakes
        Main Course
Chicken Pot Pie
Brown-Sugar Glazed Ham
        Sides
Spinach Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing Baskets
        Desserts
Apple Pie
Cute Turkey Cookies

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, we decided we must have a Cooking Club Thanksgiving Feast. We each took a dish that is usually on everyone's Thanksgiving Day menu and created our own "version" of the classic. The choices up for grabs were potatoes, turkey/ham, pie, cranberries, stuffing, and veggies. I chose the yummy classic side dish stuffing.

I found this cute recipe while perusing my Taste of Homes Cookbook. I wanted a twist on the classic stuffing and thought, how cute, stuffing baskets.

While I was mixing it up and adding the ingredients, my mouth was watering. It smelled delightful. However, these Stuffing Baskets were more on the dry side than I tend to enjoy.

Definitely not Mama's stuffing. Some members enjoyed the dish, and some didn't. Definitely nothing to write home about. [But I agree to share all of my Cooking Club successes and failures. If you're not inspired to try these failed recipes, I hope you try the themes!] However, the Spinach Mashed Potatoes and the Apple Pie were tasty and sinful in their own ways. I actually could.not.wait. for Jessica to finish the topping so we could get this in the oven and eat it already!

Too bad Andrew missed out on this feast.

If you don't do anything else, gather some friends and have a Thanksgiving feast of your own this month. Nobody would complain about two Thanksgivings.

It's like a turkey army!

*I hope you enjoyed these Cooking Club snippets. There are many more to come as I try to play catch-up before this month's meeting. I hope these themes, and even Cooking Club itself, inspire you to gather with your friends and family in the kitchen, and make sweet moments (and delicious food) of your own.

**I've only included the recipes to the dishes I made. Only because I'm unsure of where everyone got theirs...and hey, we gotta give credit where credit is due. If you have any questions about the other dishes, I'll ask the other members where they got their recipes and pass it along!

Check out our previous meetings!
Cooking Club #1-4

[Update: I added a few links and am dying to get in the kitchen to make these Spinach Mashed Potatoes again(!) and I gave the Stuffing Baskets one more shot, but with a more homemade approach; they were a little tastier this time around. Meanwhile, it's never too early to start thinking about your Thanksgiving menu.]

What's your favorite Turkey Day dish?

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi