processing

2017 has been a bit of everything
i've been quiet on this blog
you might have noticed
i've taken time for me
to process
to think
to write
i am working through some intense parts of my life
i am growing
at some point i'll be ready to share
and i'll be ready to write the sunshine, rainbows and happier parts of my life
i miss blogging recipes, fun, memories and joy

thanksgiving 2017

Ready or not, here we come! :)

Saturday	Hockey in Cedar Rock Soccer Try Outs for Super Y  2 Indoor Soccer Games..... Turkey into fridge to thaw Shop midday for groceries
Sunday	Soccer game tb  Soccer tournament jb  Hockey game 4:15  hockey game jb
Monday	Bread out to “crust up”               Clean
Tuesday	Clean
Wednesday	Clean in PM Make tea cut up celery and onion Rolls out to Thaw butter out on counter for Thursday am use Boil sweet potatoes
Thursday	Morning
	AM	Run Cinnamon rolls into oven Coffee Prep Rolls to Rise Shower Tidy
	9:00 am	Make stuffing
	10:00 am	Start getting turkey ready and preheat oven to 350
	10:30 am	Boil Sweet Potatoes and make souffle
	11:00 am	turkey into oven
	11:30 am	Peel Potatoes Prep Green Beans Corn to a bowl for microwave Set Table
	12:30/12:45 am	Stuffing into oven Sweet Potatoes into the oven Start boiling water for Potatoes
	1:00 1:15	Pickles and olives on a tray  Put on green beans Turkey out and let rest Rolls into oven (Double Batch)
	1: 30 pm 1:45 pm	Make Gravy Corn into microwave Mash potatoes Carve Turkey
	2:00 pm	Eat the Fest

Menu:

TurkeyGravy
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing (with apples) both in and out of the bird
Fresh Green Beans
Frozen Corn
Sweet Potato Soufflé
Herbed Rolls
Olives
Pickles
Apple Rings

Black olive appetizer
 

Dessert: Mom B :) and Vanilla Ice Cream 

Drinks:
Iced Tea
Decaf Coffee
Wine
Milk
Juice 

herbed rolls 
need:
frozen roll dough--thawed (overnight or all day)
melted butter
italian seasoning

do:
cut dough into halves or quarters
dip into hot butter mixed with herbs
layer in a greased bundt cake pan
let raise for 45-60 minutes (covered with a towel)
bake 30-45 minutes 350-375 degrees

Turkey is a 15lb-er this year and I can't wait to rub with sage then butter (under the skin too) and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the neck cavity I place a few sage leaves, lemon slices and green apple. I also stuff the turkey (stuffing below) before placing it in a turkey cooking bag. The cooking bag leaves the turkey SUPER moist! 

Stuffing
diced bread that has been "crusted" up (good bread is best...sour dough, french, etc)--I have been freezing mine for a few months all torn up as I came to the end of loaves...just gotta get it out now :) 
bag or two of pepperidge farm coutons
chopped celery
chopped onion
butter
sage
thyme
salt
pepper
broth
chopped green apple
2 eggs beaten

Saute the celery, and onion in butter. Add to the bread cubes and croutons, salt, pepper, and herbs. Toss with your hands. Add apple. Then add eggs, mix with hands. Now add broth, a bit at a time, until it is moist but not too wet. Place in a baking pan or stuff your turkey. I do both.

Gravy
Made with drippings from the turkey, broth, tad bit of kitchen bouquet and cornstarch thickener 

Sweet Potato Souffle BEST SWEET POTATOES EVER!!
Beat together: 3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick butter.

Put in a greased casserole dish.

Topping: mix together and put on top of sweet potato mix.  1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 stick butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Bake 350 for 30 min or until knife comes out clean.


Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  I will use Yukons....and then mash them BY HAND (the only way to go) with half and half that is simmered with garlic and melted butter

Pickles and Olive Tray 
sweet pickles, dill pickles, green and black olives

Corn
 From the freezer

Green Beans  
fresh green beans, trimmed and simmered with fresh garlic

pork. the other white meat.

I forgot about this one :)
Pork Tenderloins: 2 tenderloins (4 total), ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 T mustard, 2-3 T maple syrup, 2 T EVOO, 2 T dried minced onion, 1 ½ tsp garlic salt. Mix and pour over the tenderloins. Cook on low 6 hours in crock pot.

tomato soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes
• 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes cut in half
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 7 garlic cloves
• 3 large carrots, cut in half
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups vegetables broth (or chicken broth)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots on one large baking sheet. It’s okay if some of the ingredients are overlapping. Drizzle the olive oil along with a big pinch of salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Place the baking tray in the oven and allow the ingredients to bake for 1 hour. Check on the ingredients every 30 minutes and give it a toss.
2. Transfer the ingredients along with any juices from the baking tray to a blender and blend the veggies until they are completely smooth. If you’ve got a super powerful blender it will go in one batch and be super quick. If you’ve got a regular blender, you may need to add a little broth to help it along. For super smooth soup, run the puree through a strainer to get rid of any larger pieces.
3. Transfer the puree into a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and allow the soup to heat all the way through, about 5-7 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes. Add two tablespoons of the pesto and give the soup a taste. If desired, add the third tablespoon. I used 3 in total because I love a little extra punch of basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cheese toasts.

NOTES:

1. TO MAKE THE CHEESE TOASTS: On slices of baguette, place sliced provolone cheese, top with a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and starts to brown.

© Little Spice Jar. All images & content are the sole property of Little Spice Jar. Please obtain permission prior to using my images. If you would like to republish a recipe, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

Recipe Permalink: http://littlespicejar.com/secret-ingredient-tomato-basil-soup/

4-Ingredient Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

prep 5 mins

cook 35mins

total 40 mins

author the seasoned mom

yield 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups (12 ounces) diced or shredded cooked chicken (such as rotisserie chicken meat)
• 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Optional garnish: sour cream, sliced green onion, sliced olives, diced avocado or guacamole

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss together chicken, half of the enchilada sauce (about ¾ cup) and half of the cheese (about ½ cup).
3. Place 4 of the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared dish, tearing them as necessary to cover the bottom (overlapping is fine).
4. Top with half of the chicken mixture and drizzle with ¼ cup of enchilada sauce. Repeat layers one more time.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (until cheese melted and casserole is hot and bubbly).
6. Garnish with optional toppings!

Recipe by The Seasoned Mom at https://www.theseasonedmom.com/4-ingredient-healthy-chicken-enchilada-casserole/

much needed

holy smokes
i slept for 13 hours last night
much needed sleep
super crazy weekend last weekend with r and k's wedding
josh gone during the week to grandma shirl's funeral
interviews non stop last week
3 soccer games (jack)
1 hockey camp
golf lessons
oh my
13 hours of sleep
self care
much needed

for the week...

Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Baked Potatoes and Sauteed Mushrooms & Onions

Shrimp and Salmon, Green Beans, White Rice

Cast Iron Skillet Fajitas

Turkey Kielbasa and Veggie Kabobs

baby....

did i mention john and lynda are having a baby
in october if all goes as planned
a girl
<3 p="">

wedding

i'll try to post pics later
but
what a delightful weekend
the new mr and mrs tabron
happily ever after
#two4tabron
laughter
tears
hugs
dancing
food
drink
pictures
love

Banana Peach Sangria

Banana rum
Peach juice (simply peach)
Pinot grigio
Chopped nectarines and stawberries

Muddle fruit in rum.
Mix. Serve over ice! Yum!!

Peach blueberry sangria

Blueberry vodka
Pinot grigio
Peach juice (simply peach)
Chopped nectarines

Mix. Serve over ice. Yum!

janik family

update

been a while since i posted pics of the kids...


boyer boys

boyer cousins

janik cousins (minus ben)

control

pretty sure i like to be in control
however much like the chicken and the egg i am not sure which came first
does my anxiety make me like control or does lack of control lead to anxiety
regardless i know the two have a symbiotic relationship
they feed off each other
when i have lack of control or perhaps a perceived lack of control, my anxiety runs high
when my anxiety runs high, i work to control anything i can


so needless to say vacation is hard for me. i work hard to relax. i work hard to enjoy. i work hard to create a sense of control so i can enjoy but make it not seem too controlled.
this particular vacation was extra hard. large busy city. no prior knowledge, public transportation. all are hard for me.
public transportation means 0 control..... you can have pukers and get stuck on a plane, train or automobile!

and damnit--is my control extra out of control because my dad in law has cancer and there is zero control for that?!?!?! puke.... should not be a big deal. cancer. a big deal.

luke is so my little boy.
tonight josh's plane was cancelled (he flew from dc to boston for work when we flew from dc to home). right before bed, he started getting crazy....doing sit ups, push ups, telling me he's fat, etc.
we did a tiny bit of writing, a tiny bit of mindfulness and then finally used color to talk about the emotion. he sees dark blue (sad) and bright orange (angry). we talked about that could it be okay to have blue...and orange....and any other color? yes! our emotions make us who we are and it is okay to feel all of them.   the outcomes of our writing...... he felt: nervous (about grandpa's cancer), scared of the basement (and that someone is stalking him),  mad and sad (daddy's plane was cancelled so he won't be home tonight), wanting to be with me, not self confident because he has all of the emotions, disappointed because he has all of the emotions. 1. WAHOOOOOO he shared all of that with me 2. WAHOOO i was able to tell him that is okay to have all of the feelings and so happy we discuss everything 3. we talked about control.

perhaps luke also is searching for control.....

you/me/we have to be okay with not being okay.

and............ home

lots of flights cancelled
people stranded
flights full
we were lucky
three seats together
josh safely on his way
boys and i landed
home we made

another full day

tuesday was no different--we filled another day with a lot of fun, knowledge, walking and family time :)

we took the metro the the end, and a short uber ride over to the smithsonian air and space museum near dulles airport! oh my gosh! i hear the one "in town" is amazing but the one there was SPECTACULAR! we got to see the space shuttle discovery. absolutely amazing. add to it that we watched hidden figures before going--and ahhhhhhhh talk about connections! that prior knowledge was a lovely gem. there were a bazillion airplanes, missiles, air crafts, helicopters, etc. i "flew" an airplane while luke was my gunner (josh flew/jack gunner), the boys each landed the space shuttle and we found the only mcdonalds :) (i swear.... no mcds anywhere in the city--kind of nice!)

another short uber ride and long metro ride back to the city--where we got off at federal triangle and toured the museum of american history. oh that was one of my faves. i loved the first ladies exhibit! fabulous dresses on display!!!!!!! boys were about museumed out so we moved through pretty quickly--president display, first ladies, travel in the us, etc.

dinner at ollies trolley just a few blocks away--homemade burgers, fries, and tea. funky eclectic surroundings and ONLY TAKE CASH but there were two atms in the restaurant.

on the walk back from the rosslyn metro, the boys ran into a friend they made at the pool the night before (max from va, who had moved to va from chicago). lots of talking--it was fun to watch. they made plans to meet up at the pool again so i t took them down for a swim. i sat with the moms (multiple families--cousins, sister in laws and brothers plus grandma) and it was a moment of normalcy :)

off today (wednesday) to our trip home. fingers crossed it goes well. we head to michigan and josh heads to boston for work.

monday

breakfast at panera 

metro ride 

spy museum 

walk

lunch at hard rock cafe 

walk

museum of natural history 

metro and walk

dinner and bowling at pinstripes 

walked to hotel 

resting, feet up.

lessons of dc

if we turn left out of the marriot (rosslyn) hotel, and cross a really long bridge you get to georgetown. if you go straight, then left it is a MUCH longer walk to georgetown lol

georgetown is gorgeous! pinstripes was an incredibly tasty, beautiful, classy restaurant and bowling alley! most expensive games we've ever bowled! food was good though, and it was a fun experience!

if you are afraid of heights, stay out of rosslyn metro. the escalator looks like you are heading up to heaven or down to hell. super crazy tall.

metro..... ahhh that's led to some "deep thoughts" with tjb. how in the world does anyone get an animal to the vet? is this your primary mode to get to the doc if you or your child is sick? the suicide (call...we can talk) signs are plastered by the entry every every tunnel right at the edge--what a great reminder for those in need. a sad reminder for me. i live in a pretty quiet naive world. the blue line (or maybe orange) has the most bizarre ads. why does every car advertise the period panties ON EVERY SINGLE WALL?????  the metro has been affordable but a weird experience for me.

president--yes we saw the white house. yes we saw those who oppose our new president. i've told the boys that we keep our thoughts to ourselves. regardless of what we feel or think, we support the country we live in. and with that said it was super cool to see some roads shut down in georgetown. our best guess is they were blocking routes for president trump to get back to the white house! secret service, dc police, oh my! speaking of georgetown again.... you can get to the white house walking in a fairly "short" amount of time.

get tickets ahead of time--WAY ahead of time--if you want for sure to see the holocaust museum! i tried to get "day of" tickets two mornings and by 6:00 am when they went on for sale, they were sold out. bummed around that.

we also hem hawed too long about the peterson house, ford theatre museum, etc and therefore did not get tickets. another one i would have planned to do better.

getting to the spy museum first thing in the am was perfect!
not going to a smithsonian on a sunday seemed to be in our best interest. we went monday to natural history and while it was busy, no crazy lines like sunday (we saw when we passed them)

did i mention we used our metro cards a lot?!?!? a lot. unlimited "short" ride for 7 days.

oh and the marriot did not have breakfast "free" BUT a panera was in the rosslyn metro (just 2 blocks up) AND a rite aid was there. thinking of shopping, also a target .5 mile away (according to josh) and i saw dsw, tj maxx and other shops in georgetown!

papa johns will deliver to the hotel. bonus for dinner!

a pool was a nice perk since we are not nightlife people with two kids--we used the pool and netflix (on the hotel tv--super nice option). josh wishes we had bought a google chrome cast to get new movies but we used his phone and youtube to get hidden figures last night and that worked quite well.

jack said don't take the metro at 8:30 because it was super busy (commuters) on monday.

jack said don't ride if there is a baseball game--busy.

wear amazingly comfortable shoes. it does not matter if you plan to walk or not, you will walk.

i should have brought a small backpack purely for water. if i did it again, i'd grab water at rite aide the first day and keep it in the room. then throw it in backpack. most museums let you take water.

oh and if you are at rosslyn metro, best way to get to holiday inn or marriot is to get out on the "main street" side--not the side panera's outside door opens up on. you just have to turn right, and bam to the hotel you go :)

so far...

arrived midnight friday night and caught the shuttle to the hotel--hampton by the airport

saturday we took metro to the keybridge marriot and left our luggage for storage

took off across the street--literally--to roosevelt island. totally should have figured out if there was a bridge out across the other side but instead took the long route along. tdr island was awesome--isolated--beautiful. huge tdr memorial! lots of walking later. hit old glory bbq in georgetown! YUMMY! from there walked to see abe lincoln, and reflecting pool. then back to hotel on an uber. checked in and headed to a mls game. UHMAZING!!!!

sunday...tried to get tickets to holocaust museum.... no luck. tried to get tickets to peterson house/ford museum. no luck. headed to arlington cemetery. caught changing of the guards, explored and LOVED THE TOUR Of the ROBERT E LEE House. total fluke we caught it and it was the highlight of my day :) we took metro back to BTS--burgers, taps and shake. best. burgers. ever. yummy!! headed out to see the white house...... saw it. kept walking...... saw lots of gorgeous buildings, the treasury, etc. walked to the capital. then metro tide back to hotel :)

we are currently sitting in the hotel. feet up. enjoying pirates of the carribean and minions. pool soon!

skinny thai peanut cups--serves 3

• 3 Tablespoons, Bangkok Peanut Sauce (Dipping Sauce)
• 7 oz., Frozen Grilled Chicken Breast Strip
• 5 ounce, Organic Broccoli Slaw
• 3 oz, Carrots
• 1 tsp (5g), Hot Chili Oil

• 0.30 tablespoon, Oil - Sesame
• 3 clove, Garlic
• 1 tsp, Ginger
• 0.40 ounce, Green Onion Raw (Whole)
• 4.50 ounce, Romaine Lettuce

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Soup

trying this out!

Ingredients

• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups canned mild red enchilada sauce*
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder**
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, halved from root to tip and peeled (also barely chop root off so onion stays intact)
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic crusher
• 2/3 cup dry quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn***
• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Toppings:
• Shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips

Directions

• To a 6-quart slow cooker add chicken broth, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in chicken, onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low heat until chicken has cooked through and is tender, about 6 hours, while adding in quinoa during the last 30 minutes of cooking (so at about 5 1/2 hours add quinoa). Remove onion and discard. Remove chicken and dice or shred.
• Add corn and black beans to soup and heat through. Return chicken to soup and stir in avocado and cilantro. Serve warm with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
• *I've tested La Victoria and Las Palmas since they were chili based sauces. I liked La Victoria but not Las Palmas it tasted almost bitter. Next I'd like to try Old El Paso, if you do try it please let me know how you like it. I think it may need more chili powder though as it is tomato based.
• **Adjust this to taste. You may want a little more depending on the brand of enchilada sauce used some are more chili pepper based than others.
• ***You can warm this in the microwave in water first then drain if you don't wait to wait for it to warm in the soup.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

serious yum

go back and read the recipe for my skinny enchiladas. serious yum.

similar yet different

jack

jack amazes me.
kind.
compassionate.
intelligent.
responsible.
funny.
humble.
athletic.
jack.

sweet luke

Luke's heart is bigger than the average bear. I found a Pokemon "set" in the driveway and he realized it belongs to his friend so he took the time to dry them out. He's hoping for the best so his friend is not disappointed. <3 span="">I love that kid.

It truly is the small things in life!!!!

skinny enchiladas

i have prepped these for tuesday 

roasted poblano peppers stuffed with chicken (skillet fried with mexican season), corn, black beans, fresh tomatoes, enchilada sauce, red onion. topped with a tiny bit of cheese and baked. 

mmmmmmmmm

Avocado Caprese Chicken

Another new one to try..... http://www.cookingclassy.com/avocado-caprese-skillet-chicken/

Avocado Caprese Skillet Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (10 - 11 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and halved
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
• 4 avocado slices (from a firm but ripe large avocado)
• 2 medium vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 3 Tbsp balsamic glaze (I used Bertolli)
• 1/3 cup chopped basil ribbons

Directions

• In a bowl mix together garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken cutlet. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken (cover pan with a splatter screen if you have one) and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 6 minutes. Rotate and cook opposite side until chicken has nearly cooked though, reducing burner temperature just slightly if needed, about 4 - 5 minutes (it should be nearly 160 in center on an instant read thermometer) then add two slices of mozzarella to the top each cutlet, followed by one avocado slice, and 1 - 2 tomato slices. Cover pan with lid, return to heat and allow to cook 1 - 2 minutes longer until cheese has melted and chicken registers 165 in center.
• Sprinkle chicken with pepper, drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve warm.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

"FRIED RICE" (surprise--NO rice!)

Pork 
Green Giant Riced Cauliflower Medley.
Cilantro 
Sesame Oil 
Soy Sauce
Hot Chili Sesame oil 
Fish Sauce 
Mirin
Carrots
Snow Pea Pods 
Garlic Clove 
Ginger Root 
Egg

Marinate Pork (or protein of your choice) in a little bit of soy sauce, mirin and fish sauce. Add cilantro, fresh minced garlic and ginger. Let sit. 

Dice (chop) shredded carrots, and fresh snow pea pods

Add Hot Chili Sesame oil to your wok (less heat....use regular sesame oil--a LITTLE goes a LONG way). Sautee meat mix. Add veggies. Let get "crisp tender" and meat cooked through. Set aside in a bowl or on a plate. 

Add smidge more sesame oil to Wok. Add Green Giant Riced Cauliflower Medley. Flatten in wok. Let "crisp". Sprinkle soy sauce over. Move to side. Scramble one egg in other part of wok. Add all ingredients back together. Serve. 

YUM!! AND HEALTHY!