Cooked Fruit Fun

I made this fruity dessert mainly because I saw a picture of a blueberry tart in Domino magazine. I realized that I had a left over refrigerated pie crust, some frozen blueberries, and an apple in the fridge. I knew they would all spoil if I did not use them soon. So I decided to be extra domestic and experimental and here are the results.

Fruit Tarts (Blueberry Tart by: Domino, Apple Tart by: Rachel)

Blueberry Tart
(published in Domino's October '07 issue)

Ingredients:
2 packages (14 oz. each) frozen puff pastry
3 cups (1 1/2 pints) blueberries
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
juice of 1/2 lemon
vanilla ice cream

Apple Tart
(by Rachel)

Ingredients:
2 packages (14 oz. each) frozen pastry
2-3 apples (cut into thin slices)
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tbsp. cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. On a cookie sheet cut out two 5 inch circles from each piece of pastry. Chill pastry while preparing fruit mixtures. For the blueberry tart: mix blueberries, flour, sugar, and lemon juice together. For the apple tart: mix apple slices, flour, sugar, and cinnamon together. Place blueberry mixture on two chilled pastry rounds. Place apple mixture on two chilled pastry rounds. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the edges of the pastries are golden brown.

I hope you enjoy this Sweet Treat!

Stockpiling Junky

Our makeshift pantry in the basement.

Ok. I have decided to share this little secret with the world. I am a stockpile junky! I love the high I get from a great savings and a stocked pantry. My money savings addiction only started a few months ago, but I think I am going to be an addict for life.

Yes, this is what you think it is. Twenty pounds
of Basmati Rice. What can I say, we like rice.

My Mission:
-To save money. Whether it be ten cents or ten dollars, it all adds up to a great savings.

It never hurts to have a few extra packs of saltine
crackers.

My Objectives:
- To have the necessary resources, at my fingertips for making nightly meals
- To eliminate stress caused by not having the items I need

I like to make my own spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce.

My Goals:
- Only buy cold items, fresh produce, and rare boxed items at regular grocery stores at full price
- Make cost effective items homemade
Examples: homemade chicken broth, cook dried beans instead of buying canned, freeze leftover meals to serve at a later date, and in the future make homemade baby food

You counted it right. Over twenty boxes of pasta.

How to achieve these goals:
- First, buy items at discount stores. This includes places like Big Lots and local Bent-n-Dent stores.
- Second, buy items on sale or clearance. This includes all most any store. Most grocery stores have sales or coupons. However, make sure it is really a good deal. Often coupons on name brand items do not reduce the price lower than you can buy the item in the store brand version. One of my favorite clearance stores is Target. They put items on sale anywhere from 15% to 90% off the regular price.
-Third, buy items in bulk. Buying in bulk can take place anywhere-Grocery stores, Target, Costco, Sams, Big Lots... Anywhere you find a good deal, you should buy in bulk. The savings multiply, you will be stocking your pantry, and you don't have to worry about shopping for the same item for many months.

These items will last us at least one year.

Conclusions:
- Stockpiling food or buying in bulk does save money. It also lowers my stress level during regular grocery shopping and nightly meal cooking.

We do not always eat sugary cereal. However, after several weeks of
the ultra high in protein and fiber cereals, I need something nutrition less.

Being Realistic:
- Does all of this mean I refuse to shop at the local quick mart when I am desperate. NO!!! This means I actually feel better about buying about an over priced gallon of milk, because I know I am saving in other places.
-Buying in bulk, to save money may take up a little more time and energy. However, as I have established, it gives me a high and it has become one of my many habits, hobbies, and pleasures.

Peppermint Madness

I have put an end to milkchocolateaside!!!

I don't know if this happens to you during the holidays, but I was given a ton of peppermint flavored candies. I like peppermint a little. I like it a little more when it is surrounded by white chocolate. However, what I do not like about peppermint is that it inflicts its flavor upon other candies.

Do you know what I'm trying to say? I hate it when my milk chocolate has to co-habitat with my peppermint candy. Eventually it all starts tasting like peppermint. GROSS!!!

I have decided to end the assimilation of these two races. They must be segregated. Therefore, I divided out all the peppermint candy from our gluttonous stash and placed it in this obliging glass jar. Now I have a cute display on my kitchen counter and non defiled milk chocolate.

I have put an end to milkchocolateaside!!!

A Weekend Away

Our little hide-away in the mountains!

My husband and I were able to get away for a small trip in the mountains this past weekend. I have added several photos below from our trip. They pretty much summarize our trip exactly, because we spent little time on any activities other than the ones you see in these pictures.

We kept a fire burning constantly. We love sitting in front of a
fireplace, but we do not have one in our own home. Therefore,
we had to take full advantage of the cabin's fireplace.

This is another wonderful feature of our charming cabin
(and something we do not get to enjoy at home.) Let's just
say is was fully appreciated.

My husband helping me with my weekend project.

I can't help it. Yes, I am a weird-o. I love puzzles. I do. I will not deny it any longer. I like projects that have tiny details, require lots of patience, and (for me) relieve stress! Laugh all you want...I know you want to.

One of our many beautiful views on the way down the dirt
road to and from our cabin.

Simple, Soft, Elegant, Foam

It really is the little things in life that often make me happy and content. I adore:

Bath & Body Works™
Anti-Bacterial
Gentle Foaming
Hand Soap
with Aloe Vera
and Vitamin B5

This soap is one of the little luxuries that I allow myself. Bath & Body Works™ foaming soaps leave your hands feeling smooth and smelling wonderful. And the possibilities of scent are endless...

Bath & Body Works™ soap pictured above
from left to right: Wild Honeysuckle, Midnight
Pomegranate, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Tropical
Passionfruit, and Warm
Vanilla Sugar

Graduation Celebration

Recently I came across some old photos of my husband's Graduation party from college. This celebration took place last May. We wanted to throw a big party because it was such an achievement. My husband took most of his college courses at night while working full-time during the day. I am still so proud of all his hard work and sacrifice for our family. I'm positive that I could not have gone to school full-time, worked full-time, and maintained my sanity. But my wonderful husband did!!!


Anyway, for his party we ordered Sumo Wrestling suits! It was hilarious to watch all of our close friends and family wearing these huge suits, running into each other repeatedly, in the end falling down, and having to have other innocent bystanders help pick them up off the ground. We all had a memorable time!

Seeking Silence In A Not So Silent Fashion

I recently received an iPod for Christmas. I have to say that until I received the iPod, I was not that much of a music lover. Don't get me wrong, I like music. I was just not obsessed with listening to it all the time. But I have to say that I am now an iPod snob. I love my iPod. I listen to it in the car, while I'm cooking and cleaning, and my most treasured time: during my lunch break.


My lunch break is, let's just say, not so silent! Due to the nature of my job and my work schedule, I have my lunch break with a roomful of noise. Although I love my job, I do not particularly enjoy this portion of my day. To overcome this noisy setback, I simply put my white earphones in my ears, press play, and slide my finger around the slick circle turning up the volume as high as it will go. Then I sit in my own version of silence drowning out all the noise from the world around me.

Girl's Night Out

A little over a year ago, some of my girl friends decided to meet for a Friday night dinner at my house. You know how it happens. Two or three people want to meet and catch up on all that has taken place over the last couple of weeks, and before you know it two or three people turns in the seven or eight.


That night we all ate dinner, discussed all of the worlds problems (and how to fix them), painted our nails and generally had a wonderful time bonding. At the end of the night, we all decided since we had such a wonderful time maybe we should continue to have a Friday night dinner once and month. And so Girl's Night was born...And I'm so grateful we decided to continue our little tradition.


We don't put that much time into planning. We send a few e-mails. We pick a date and a house. We bring some food, maybe some movies or fingernail polish, and most importantly our selves. But it is the day each month that I really look forward to the most. Spending time with these girls, these woman, these friends...And I would not trade our time together for anything.

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup is one of my favorite winter soups. My appetite for this meal only developed over the last year. I have never been much of a tomato soup connoisseur. Although I have to admit that my experience with tomato soup was limited to cans with a Campbell's label. My craze for Tomato Basil Soup (TBS) occurred when I went to a local cafe with my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law. My mother-in-law had raved several times about the cafe's delicious Tomato Basil Soup. For some unforeseen reason, I decided to try the soup. I ordered half TBS and half of a pimento cheese sandwich. Well lets just say, that day I became a fan of two new food items. Enough rambling.

There are many different versions of this recipe. This is just the version I recommend.

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tbs. of olive oil
6 sprigs of fresh basil (cut or chopped) ( or 2 table spoons of dry)
2 14oz. cans of chicken broth
2 28oz cans of whole tomatoes (cut into smaller pieces)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional, if you like a kick)

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in oil on medium heat. Add basil and sir for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, cut tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Continue to cook on medium. Add salt, pepper and cyanne. Bring to boil and lower heat to medium low. Reduce soup by 1/4 (cook for about 30 min). Puree soup in a food processor and re-heat on medium low. Serve with pimento cheese, grill cheese, or your favorite sandwich. Makes 6-8 servings.


I have decided that this soup must also be served with a delicious pimento cheese sandwich or a yummy grill cheese sandwich. As a luxury, I like to buy pimento cheese from the cafe where my appetite for this meal first emerged. However, this time I made it homemade (not because it was easier or much cheaper) just because I was feeling especially domestic. I used Paula Deen's recipe. Paula's recipe produces a very creamy smooth spread.

I hope you enjoy this warm winter delightful pleasure!

Delightful Pleasures

Enjoying the simple pleasures in life that are so often ignored or over looked.

Often, I find myself going through the motions. Trying to make it to work on time, completing one assignment after another, rushing from one place to another, micro managing every part of my day. And then I realize that I have forgotten to take some time, any time, to soak up all the little enjoyments life has to offer.

I love cloudless or semi-cloudless days.

I just need to remember to enjoy them more often.