Turkey Leftovers

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  And I hope you have plenty of leftover turkey.  Here are a few of my favorite recipes for using it up!  Gobble Gobble!

Turkey & Cranberry Panini Sandwiches

Sweet Potato Hash

Turkey Stock

Cream of Mushroom, Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Turkey Enchiladas

Turkey & Wild Rice Casserole

Pear & Pomegranate Salad

Wow,  Thanksgiving really snuck up on me this year!  I think I've shared this before, but we spend Thanksgiving Day at my mom's house, across town, which means I don't actually have anything to be responsible for.  We just get to show up and eat!  That doesn't mean that I don't sympathize with the rest of you, and in honor of all the cooks out there prepping their turkeys, slicing veggies, ect, I came up with this quick side salad.  It would also be a great dish if you are responsible for bringing a side!

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed baby greens
1/2 a pomegranate, seeded
1 pear sliced thinly
1 cup of toasted pecans
2 oz of blue cheese, goat cheese or sharp white cheddar in chucks
Favorite dressing (I love TJ's pear & gorgonzola for this salad!)

Directions:
Layer the lettuce across the bottom of the salad bowl.  Top with pears, pomegranate seeds, pecans and cheese.  Right before serving toss with dressing.  Should serve 6 adults.

I hope all you cooks out there get a good night's rest and have the best of luck with feast preparations!

BATHROOM VANITY MAKEOVER

Like many of us out there, I've never been a big fan of my bathroom.  However, money doesn't grow on trees, and my dreams of a claw foot tub and chandelier are simply that, dreams.  In reality, the main reason that I didn't like the space was because it felt too stark and cold.  The shower is white tile, the floor is white tile, the vanity is white, the walls are a very pale green, which I painted recently, {they were previously white as well} with the hope that it would warm the space up a bit, but to me it still felt so stark...

I tried numerous shower curtains, art work, rugs, but nada.  Finally, after a mishap with some dark brown hair dye, inspiration struck.  I needed to paint the vanity!  I've always loved the look of an antique dresser with  a sink dropped in.  Why not make my cabinet look like a piece of furniture, instead of just a cold white storage space.

I debated on colors for quite a while, but finally decided, with a little help from my mom, to go for a sage green shade.  Off to the hardware store I went in search of the perfect shade.  One of the first samples I pulled was called Dried Sage and I knew it was the one!

Since I decided to use chalk paint {learn how to make your own here!} I didn't need to do any sanding, just a little wipe down and I was ready to go.  Since I was really anxious to get started I didn't even sweep the floor first.  I would recommend doing that if you attempt to repaint your vanity.  I have pretty long hair and so does my older daughter, so there was a little problem with hair sticking to my brush.  Next time I would run the vacuum with the attachment hose around the base of the cabinet so there wasn't any hair in the space.

It's been pretty cool, so it took a little while longer for the paint to dry than it usually does.  I ended up leaving the drawers in and just painting around them, since I couldn't figure out how to get them off the tracks.  I did end up taking the false drawer in front of the sink and both cabinet doors off and removed the hinges, so they got a really nice paint job.  It took me three coats to completely cover the white.

After the paint was completely dry I re-installed the doors and gave the entire cabinet a coat of clear wax.  I prefer to use Briwax, although I've never tried Miss Mustard Seed, but hear great things about it.  After the clear wax was applied, I used a brush and added a little dark wax to give the vanity a little more character and the aged look that appeals to me.

Previously I had no pulls or knobs on the cabinet, but I really wanted to add them to give it more of a furniture/ dresser feel.  I love the knobs over at Anthropologie, but at around $8 a piece, I just couldn't make that kind of a splurge.  I headed over to Hobby Lobby and after sitting on the floor and looking through tons of knobs and pulls, finally decided on these.

I used a kit to help me get the pulls lined up and in exactly the correct location.

Here's the finished product!

I'm pretty proud of it!  It's not done quite yet though, I'm still on the search for the perfect shower curtain and some art work.  As soon as I find those things I'll post a complete reveal.  But for now, I'm pretty pleased. I almost forgot to mention, the final cost of the vanity re-do was $24!  {Including hardware, not including wax which I already had on hand.}

Thanks for stopping by!

Crock Pot Poached Chicken

This is more of a tip than a recipe, but hopefully you'll find it as useful and versatile as I do!

I recently was at a friend's house and noticed a delicious smell coming from her crock pot.  I asked what she was making and she said just chicken.  She said she likes to put a couple of boneless, skinless breasts into the crock pot and cook them, then she shreds the meat and refrigerates or freezes it.  When it is time to make dinner she, pulls out a bag of shredded chicken and can put dinner together quickly.

What an awesome idea!  In all my years of cooking I had never thought of that!  Let me tell you, this is the MOST tender poached chicken I have ever made! I have gotten so much use out of this method.  I've made pasta with veggies and chicken, tacos, quesadillas, soups, sandwiches, ect, ect!

Here's what you need:

A crock pot, boneless skinless chicken breasts, {I usually cook between 4-6 breasts at a time}salt, pepper and, just because I use garlic in pretty much everything, a little granulated garlic,

Just place the chicken in the crock pot, season, and put on the lid.

I like the low and slow method and will cook my chicken on the lowest setting for several hours, usually 4-6 hours.  If you want to try the high setting, it can be done in about 2 hours, but you may need to add a little water so it doesn't dry out.

Leave me a comment if you try this tip, and let me know what you made with your fantastic crock pot poached chicken!

Creamy Chicken & Orzo Soup

A few days ago I saw a pin on Pinterest for Orzo Soup,  I didn't pin it and when I went back to find it I couldn't find the one that I had first seen.  So... of course, I decided to make my own.  Let me tell you, if you like chicken noodle soup, then you will love this soup!  It is hearty, satisfying and will definitely warm you up on a cold day!  Plus, it's really simple to put together.  In fact, I had everything I needed to make it in my pantry/fridge!

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion (or half if you have a huge one) diced
2 cloves of garlic
4 stems and fronds of fennel
2 tbs of butter
1 tbs of olive oil
3 tbs of flour
1 36oz carton of chicken broth
1 cup of half and half'
4 carrots peeled and cut into coins
1 can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of fresh baby spinach
3 shredded poached chicken breasts
1 cup of orzo {rice shaped pasta}
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a heavy bottom skillet {I love my dutch oven} melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, garlic, and red chili flake and saute until soft, 3-5 minutes.  Add flour and stir well until a thick paste forms.  Cook paste for at least 2 minutes, then slowly add the chicken broth, a little at a time so no lumps form.  Once the chicken broth is fully combined, add the can of diced tomatoes and the carrots.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the carrots are nearly tender, about 12 minutes.  Add the orzo and continue to simmer for another 7 minutes, then add the poached chicken {see my easy recipe here!} half and half.  Check the seasoning at this point, as more salt and pepper may be required according to taste.  As soon as the half and half comes to a simmer, turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach.  Serve immediately!  {I love to serve with a really good garlic bread to dip in the broth!}  Enjoy!

Veteran's Day Weekend

My daughter is our of school for three days this week!  Since we had a little extra time on our hands, and my parents were off work as well, we took a little trip up to Apple Hill.  I thought I'd share some of the cute photos I took.  It was an incredibly beautiful day and we had a great time!

Hope you all are having a great Veteran's Day! Thank you to all who have served past and present, so that we are free to have such a beautiful life!

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder is one of my favorite foods.  I know, I say that about a lot... I just really love food! What can I say? :)  Anyhow, if you are looking for a good recipe for a weeknight meal or maybe want to have a few friends over for lunch, this chowder would be the perfect meal!  It's budget friendly, only takes a few minutes to put together and it feeds a ton!  I topped mine with a little grilled shrimp, but that's totally optional.

Ingredients:

1 onion diced

2 carrots peeled and diced

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large bag of frozen sweet yellow corn, or 2 regular sized bags

32oz of vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup of heavy cream or half and half

2 sprigs of thyme 

salt & pepper

olive oil

Optional: Raw shrimp seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper

Directions:

After dicing your vegetables, heat a heavy bottomed skillet, such as a dutch oven, over medium heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and begin sauteing the onions.  Once translucent add the carrots, bell pepper and garlic and salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the corn and the broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow all vegetables to soften, about 15 minutes.  If you like your soup chunky, you can stir in the cream at this step, but I like to use my immersion blender to puree it a little, just so it has a little smoother texture.  After the pure step, add the cream.  Check the seasoning, as it may need a little more salt or pepper.  If you choose to serve with the shrimp, make sure they are clean and deveined, tails removed.  Season them lightly with paprika, salt and pepper and grill them for 2 minutes on each side or until they turn pink.  Top your soup with the shrimp and you're all set!  

I hope you enjoy this hearty and tasty meal as much as I did!    

The End of Summer Garden

Well, officially, summer ended in September.  And while I absolutely love fall, a little part of me is sad to see the end of summer.  Mainly because it's the end of garden season for me.  Although I may plant a few things in a winter garden, tomatoes, zucchini and the like are officially done for the season.  Yesterday my husband brought home the last of his father's summer crop from his garden. Grandpa George truly has the best green thumb.  I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the pomegranates and sweet potatoes from his garden.

And in honor of the fall season:

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Today is the first day in ages that I haven't had a million things to do, so I am doing exactly what I want!  Which is, sitting in my pajamas well past noon, writing blog posts, and clicking through Pinterest. 

I created this recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna last week, upon the request of my BFF who was 39 weeks pregnant.  This morning she had her sweet baby girl, so in her honor, this is the recipe I am sharing with y'all today!  Enjoy, it was truly scrumptious!

Ingredients:

1 pkg of no boil lasagna noodles {if you haven't used these before, I promise you'll fall in LOVE}

1 large butternut squash

2 cups of fresh baby spinach

1 - 8oz. pkg of cream cheese 

1 stick of butter

2 1/2 cups of warm milk

1 cup of parmesan cheese

2 cups of ricotta cheese

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 egg

2 tbs granulated garlic

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 bunch of fresh sage

Directions:

Step 1:

Begin by cutting your butternut squash in half and scooping out the seeds. {Tip: if you have trouble getting your knife through the squash, try gently tapping it with a rubber mallet.}  Season with salt, pepper and a little granulated garlic.  Rub with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until fork tender, 20-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Step 2:

Melt butter and cream cheese in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add garlic powder and whisk. It will look lumpy!  Slowly poor in the warm milk and whisk well, until smooth.  Add the parmesan cheese and switch out your whisk for a wooden spoon.  When the parmesan cheese is melted, add the two cups of baby spinach and two finely chopped sage leaves.  The spinach will begin to wilt into the sauce immediately.  Stir in the nutmeg and remove from heat.  An optional step, but one I preferred, is to use an immersion blender and give the sauce a good pulse or two to blend up the spinach. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Step 3:

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of milk, egg, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.

Step 4:

Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh away from the skin.  Place the squash in a blender or food processor and add 1 cup of vegetable stock.  Pulse/puree until smooth.  

Step 5:

It's time to assemble! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then spray a casserole dish with non-stick coating.  Poor a ladle of the spinach alfredo on the bottom of the dish, then add your first layer of noodles.  Top with butternut squash, then another layer of noodles.  Add a layer of the ricotta mix, top with noodles, add a layer of alfredo and repeat, alternating between the three sauces.  Be sure that your last set of noodles gets topped with the alfredo sauce, then finish it off with the leftover mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Step 6: 

Is optional, but I like to garnish the lasagna with a little bit of fried sage leaves. Then I dig in.  And man, is it good!

Note:  This dish is very easy to make, but it does take some effort to get everything prepared before you're able to assemble.  It would be perfectly fine to make the squash the day before, and refrigerate it to save time.