I Made SomeTortillas

Hi there everyone. Hope you enjoyed this Saturday...it was a little dreary, a little rainy and about 45 degrees. The sun popped out a couple of times, but not for long. It was one of those days that I felt like making something. Probably should have gone downstairs and made a few cards....but I decided to make some tortillas. This is a first in my books...never thought to do this, it was one of those fun things to do for a dreary day. Here is the link that I went to and followed the recipe (almost) to the tee. Recipe Well as you can see I took some pictures, sort of a short tutorial to mark my experience in tortilla making. 

Well, as usual I got my picture turned sideways, but you get the drift. After mixing all the ingredients together (flower, baking powder, salt, oil and warm water), knead the dough till it is smooth and elasticity, let it rest for 5 minutes giving the baking powder a chance to work. Then cut in half, then half it again. As you see in this next picture. I got 8 pieces, but you can even cut them in half again if you are just make regular sized tortillas. I am making "Pizza" tortillas. This is my favorite way to make a crisp cracker like crust. Mmmmm so good.

So I rolled out each piece of dough then placed the tortilla in a hot pan, browned on one side then flipped it over to brown some more. One by one I finished them, let them cool and started another tortilla.

Here, if you can see closely are all the tortillas, sitting on each other and cooling.

Here is one of the finished products. My "South of the Border" Pizza. It was so yummy. I spread the tortilla crust with some refried black beans, topped with pepperoni  and on pretty heirloom tomato and topped with kale or spinach and cheddar cheese. After baking at 425 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the crust is browned around the edges. Then I sprinkled some multi colored tortilla strips on top for that extra crunch.

I think these are pretty healthy pizzas, not sure what the calorie content is, well, I will see what the numbers are tomorrow morning when I weigh myself and check my blood sugars. (uge, one of my unfavorite things to do.)

Well, time to close this blog for today....you all take care and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Gnocchi ! ! !

Hi everyone, how is your night going??? Funny how we plan things for the evening and then it never turns out the way we planned. I had all the intentions of going downstairs and making some Father's Day cards for Hospice.......did I make it down there???? Nope, I ended up doing some cooking, not such a bad thing.....I suspect JP will be thrilled and surprised too!!!

 

So tonight, I fried some bacon in the oven. I buy bacon in bulk at Festival Foods. I place the bacon on a cookie sheet with a layer of parchment paper so it does not stick. Lay the bacon side by side and put in the oven @ 400 degrees. As the pieces brown, I take them off and layer some more bacon on the cookie sheet till it is all cooked up. When there gets to be too much bacon grease on the sheet, I pour the grease into a can and either save it to cook with or throw the grease out. You can have just so much bacon grease in the refrigerator and then you need to seriously do something with it. What do I do with all that cooked bacon??? Freeze it, when I need some, just take it out of the freezer and stick it in the fry pan with the eggs....perfect.

 

Next on the agenda was chicken soup. I started boiling the chicken thigh and leg, then added the celery and onions, chicken bullion and a few seasonings. Took the meat out and deboned it. Then I thought...instead of noodles, I think Potato Gnocchi sounds good for the soup. I have been wanting to make gnocchi, so tonight was the night!!!! I boiled the potatoes then mashed them, added the flour, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and egg.  

Mixed it all together, kneaded the dough 5 or 6 times on a floured  board and then rolled the potato dough out into a rope about  1 1/2 inches in diameter. I did this in sections.  Then....

...cut the rope in 1" or less segments. Here is where you can lay them on a plate, cover them with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Or, place them in boiling water, when they came to the surface.......

I transferred the "Parmesan Potato Gnocchi" into the soup.



Very tasty soup....JP will probably say, did you write the recipe down??? Well, kinda, but my chicken soups never turn out the same. Guess that is why I enjoy making chicken soup....I can always change it some way and it always tastes good and heals whatever is ailing you.

An update on our basement and backyard flooding....the water went down in the backyard.....does not look like it did on Monday. The basement is still a little wet, the dehumidifier has been running 24/7. Probably won't lay the carpets down for a couple of weeks yet. It doesn't usually get that wet down there, not sure what the cause was. I am thinking the gutters must have backed up and need to be cleaned.

Well, time to close, JP will be home soon, have to get his dinner cooked. He'll have soup, eggs and bacon, cucumber salad, fruit and toasted bagles. Sounds good to me. Have a great rest of the evening, what's left of it and a good day tomorrow. Keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Baked Oatmeal, Wolves and Ice

Hi everyone.........how's your day going??? We had a fun weekend, went to an Antique Show at the Tri-County Ice Rink, so much old stuff and sooooo much jewelery!!! I did end up buying an old ring for $12, fit me good on Saturday but now today, it flops around, should have gone with a smaller size. Oh well, it will fit again on another day.
The above picture is "'Baked Oatmeal with fruit" which I made Saturday night for Sunday morning. Needless to say it did not last for Sunday Morning, half of it was gone. I was going through my recipes and found this one, still having some bananas on the counter, was a good excuse to use them up. Here is the recipe:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or I used almonds
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooked slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided (I used strawberries and blueberries)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter and vanilla. spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. 

In this picture you are seeing my freshly made "Wolf" cards. I really like th is wolf, I borrowed it from a friend, so had to stamp lots of wolves so I could have lots of wolf cards. These cards will be in my Etsy store today or tomorrow. I will be selling them for $11.00 a set. Otherwise the cards would sell for $3.00 a piece. The inside of the cards are stamped with Happy Birthday and Thinking of you.

Here is a close up, I like the diamond cuts and sewing lines adds a little something to all the cards.

Another picture of the ice that caused so much trouble on April 10th. Our electric went out for 7 hours and when it came back on I was not able to go on the internet........had to have an upgrade via AT&T. All in all, it turned out okay. I guess the one thing I notice the most is how much I depend on Electric and most certainly take it for granted.  What, oh what will we do when the electric goes out for good, like in the TV show "Revolution"????

Well for the last hour and half I have been watching the news.....The Boston Marathon was running and two explosions took place at the finish line as the runners were coming to the end.....2 people dead and 23 wounded. They don't know if it was bombs, but it might be what it was. How sad. This will be news for quite a few days. I know a lady that was going to run the Boston Marathon but decided to go to California for the marathon out there.....I think God directed her steps for sure. She could have been in Boston and got hurt. How Great is God to care for even the little things in our lives!!!!

Well, time to close and go make JP his lunch and dinner as he is getting ready to go to work. I need to get dressed as I still have my robe on while typing this blog. So you all take care and keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

In a Mood to Make Things AND God's Healing!!

Made this special drink just a little while ago. Got the idea on www.pinterest.com Helps a person lose weight. Using lemons, (also added my left over limes), mint leaves and water plus a packet of stevia for a little sweetness. Mix together with ice cubes, a very refreshing drink.

This great Zucchini bread was made yesterday..........gosh is it ever delicious. Here is the recipe.
3 eggs, 2 cups sugar ( I used 3/4 cups) 1 Tbls vanilla, 1 cup oil ~ Beat eggs until fluffy.  Add sugar, vanilla and oil. This is where I stirred in 2 cups shredded Zucchini, 1/2 (or more) cup of nuts and a handful or more choc. chips and mixed well.
Mix together, 1 1/2 cups white flour and 1 1/ cups whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. salt, 3 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. soda and mix into the liquid mixture. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

"My Excellent Dill Pickles" Gosh are they ever good, they almost taste like "Clausen Pickles"! I started making these in a plastic container and they seem to be working out well. Used to do pickles in  a small jar and let them sit on the counter........but for some reason, I could not get the right taste I was looking for. On a whim and a few cucs I made a batch of pickles in a plastic container and they turned out great!!! Anyone for a dill pickle sandwich????
Here is all I did to make these pickles. Soaked them overnight in water and canning salt, maybe 2 tbls and enough water to cover the pickles. Next day, take the pickles out of the brine, (don't rinse) cut length wise and place in a large plastic container layered with fresh dill (you can also use dried dill maybe about 1 tablespoon if no fresh dill).
Heat up 4 cups water, 1-2 tbls. canning salt, 2 large garlic cloves, crushed, heat water up to just a notch away from boiling.
Pour 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar over the pickles, then pour the hot salt, garlic water over the pickles. Let sit till they cool down then cover and put in frig. You can adjust the amount of salt, vinegar and garlic anyway you would like till you get the taste you are looking for.
 I think these pickles will be an on-going thing during the winter months, as Copps usually carries small cucumbers and fresh baby dill all year long.

Now for the news you have been waiting for.......God's Healing!!!
JP has been dealing with this terrible upper arm pain for about 4 years. Sometimes the attack will come 10-12 times a day and last anywheres between 1 to 3 minutes and be anywheres from a 2 or 3 to a 10 on the pain rector scale. If you have had a "charlie horse" in you legs or arms, that is how painful they are in his arm.

JP went to the family Doctor, he in turn referred JP to a orthopedic Dr. who ordered a stress test then referred JP to a cardiologist who did a cauterization (no blockage), but gave JP heart meds and antacid pills. Then JP went back to the family Doctor who then referred JP to a stomach Dr. who did a scope down the stomach. They found an ulcer.........different meds for antacid????? I have failed to see the connection between the arm pain and the stomach and wondered why he was given antacids. As he still got the arm pains and all 4 Doctors didn't seem to be concerned about the arm pains.

Saturday and Sunday JP was getting so many pains in his arm that it was driving me CRAZY!!! We ended up not going to church because of the pain. In the early afternoon we were actually arguing about his arm pain. Finally, I pulled out a book that lists Doctors that Medicare pays for and I said, go to a chiropractor here are some you can try! So JP picked one out and was ready to call first thing Monday. JP had 10 attacks Sunday, all of them before 1:07 pm.
We usually watch the 6pm live service at www.jsm.org down in Baton Rouge. Jimmy Swaggart had a special speaker last night, his name is Daniel Nalliah from Australia. Danial should have been killed a couple of times by the Muslims because of his stand against Muslims and their Sharia law. Our beliefs as Christians and "free speech" are slowly evaporating. Daniel is winning the war in Australia. His message was tremendous last night. He has seen many healings, people saved plus the dead rise to life. At the end of the service he wanted to pray for America, because what is happening to Australia will happen to America if we don't take a stand for Jesus, we will lose our freedoms and Sharia law will take over.

Jimmy Swaggart said Daniel had a word from the Lord that he should pray for healing for the people there and those watching on the Internet and TV, radio, where ever people were getting this message. He said to raise your hand, and stand where you are......I said, raise your hand JP and stand up!! Daniel said, "put your hand on your heart" we both did, plus I put my other hand on JP's arm and Daniel prayed for healing................................JP has not had any pain in his arm since1:07pm Sunday afternoon. It is now 31 hours and no PAIN!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

I believe God saw our desperation and our faith!!

JP left for work 45 minutes ago............will be interesting to see what he says when he gets home. I will let you know in my next blog! Until then, take care and keep looking up for your redemption drawth nigh!!! Cheers to all ~ Louise

Birthday and Blood Test

Happy, Happy Birthday!!! My husband's birthday was on the 17th.......65 year old!!! I made him a card something like the above card but with blue flowers and butterflies. I placed this above card in my Etsy store if you would like to take a peek at: http://www.cards4ubylouise.etsy.com/ I think if you read on to the next blog from the 14th, I talk about his Birthday celebration alittle. Below, is his birthday cake. Made rhubarb and strawberry dessert layered on angle food cake and whip cream and a luscious strawberry with the candle stuck in it. Making the strawberry/rhubarb dessert is really easy.


Here is the recipe:
4 cups of rhubarb (peeled and chopped)
2 cups of strawberries (cored and sliced)
1/4 sugar (optional
or
2 packets of sweetener
Mix together in a casserole with cover.
Bake 1 hour in 300 degrees. Cool and pour over angel food cake and cover with whip cream.

I like this dessert almost as well as just plain strawberries. Oh Yummy!!!
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Well, tomorrow I go for my blood test to see if my liver levels are normal after not taking any medication for a week. Got prayer today at church. So I am just believing that "God's Got It"

Guess I will close here for now, need to get to bed, the morning comes early and my appointment is at 9:20am. You keep looking up and I will too!!! Remember your redemption draweth nigh.

Cheers to all ~ Louise

Microwaved Potato Chips MMMMM Good!!!

I haven't added a recipe on my blog for a long time, so here is one I just tried tonight. I have no idea how many points it has for you Weight Watchers, calorie wise, there are 198 calories per serving and 220 mg. sodium, oh.....but they sure are good!!

I got the recipe for Jacques Pepin's cookbook "Simple and Healthy Cooking" on page 66, I shall attempt to type out all that Jacques said on this recipe.............here it goes.

Microwave Potato Chips with Salsa Cruda ~ yield: 6 servings

It is amazing how potato slices dry and brown in the microwave oven without the addition of any fat or salt. It is important to cut the potatoes into very thin slices in a food processor fitted with a slicer disc attachment or with a hand-held potato slicer. The only drawback to this recipe is that you can cook just 10-15 potato slices at a time (depending on your microwave's size).

To make larger batches of chips, lightly coat a large jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Arrange the slices in a single layer, without overlapping, and spray the surface of the slices. Bake the slices at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes, watching closely and removing slices as they become brown and crisp.

3 large potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), peeled
3 cups Salsa Cruda
(another recipe he has in his cookbook....for now, just open a jar of Salsa. I did not use salsa with my chips tonight and they were just fine the way they were. I did add some pop corn salt and spices).

Using either a slicing disc fitted on a food processor or a conventional potato slicer, cut the potatoes into 1/16" slices. Wash the slices in a large bowl of cool water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels.

Arrange some of the potatoes in 1 layer on a waffled microwave tray and microwave on high heat for 5 minutes, or until crisp. Remove. Repeat until the remaining potato slices are cooked. Serve with Salsa Cruda. (or your special jar of Salsa)

So there you have it, chips whenever you want them. I don't usually keep chips in the house, cause I can polish off a whole bag by myself..........(Chips are my temptation). Sometimes I have a taste for chips...........now I can make them and they taste really good!!!

Well, it is getting late so I shall close this blog for tonight. Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

Fabio's Italian Wedding Soup.........mmmmmm

Made this soup last night......out of this world!!! Only thing I changed is that I used ground turkey for the meat balls and added dried Basel after the soup was cooked. Oh yeah, breadcrumbs instead of panko, noodles instead of orzo.....geeez, guess I changed alot of things, sorry! It still turned out really, really good though, you will have to try it, was alot of fun to make and one bowl was just not enough. No telling what the # of calories were, or sodium mg's or carbs count were.....just was plain good to the last drop. Fabio's directions were really easy and he is a kick to listen to, if you want to watch his video just type in "Fabio's Italian Wedding soup" click on one of the links and that will take you to his video. I tried to get his video on my blog, but could not seem to get it........oh well.

Here is the recipe: 1 c chopped onion, 1 c chopped carrots, 1 cup chopped celery, saute in extra virgin oil, cook on high till caramelized. While cooking make meatballs.

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey, 3 T Parmesan cheese, 1/3 c panko or breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste. mix with hands and make balls bite size or 1/2 in. in diameter. Bake in oven 10 -15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Add 3 qt. chicken stock to chopped and saute' vegies, 3 handfuls of baby spinach, 1-2 cups orzo (I used Penni noodles, guess you can use whats on hand) Add your meatballs and simmer for a while........if you can wait that long, I also sprinkled some basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Well, these are the ingredients I wrote down watching his video, you can get better instructions from him or from http://www.cooks.com/ or http://www.recipe.com/ or any other cooking site. You probably will find there are many different ways to make Italian Wedding Soup.......But Fabio does a great job and he is fun to watch, plus it was very simple to make and very delicious too!!!

Working on some St. Patrick cards, hopefully will have a set up by this week-end. JP and I are going on a date later on today........going to the antique mall to look at clocks and bowls for his cousin Doug. Have a great day and keep looking up for you never know when your redemption will draweth nigh.

Cheers ~ Louise

A Little Bit of Comfort Food

Started the week off with "a little bit of comfort food" Mac and cheese with little smoky sausages for spice!!! Was delicious to say the least. Here's a picture after the fact. Just followed the instructions for a box of mac and cheese then added the sausages, no special surprise ingredients added to this little gourmet treat. Will keep the husband happy for the day. Dinner tonight will include fish, salad and the mac and cheese dish, (if there is any left).

Not alot going on this week, high points are going to Betty's tomorrow to make some cards with a few ladies, Social Security check comes Wednesday, so shopping for food. Making a new recipe, either Italian Beef Stew, or Chicken Paprikash. Thursday, I go to Sandi's to make cards with a few other ladies. Share program on Saturday.

Need to work out in the yard this week sometime and get everything "Winter Ready" Next spring will have to be a little different, need to back off on buying plants and such, there is too much shade in the back yard so vegies don't want to grow. Oh well, guess it is alright, we are getting older, so the less work there is the better off we will be.

Well, time to shut this blog down for the day........watch for my next recipe, should be delicious also.

Cheers ~ Louise