52 Week Photo Project: Week 22

52 Week Photo Project: Week 21

This weekend was awesome and I feel extremely blessed to have such a good life. This photo is from Friday night, before meeting friends for dinner, we walked along Main Street and took the photos of all the flowers.

Strata

Most people who cook have a dish that they took time to learn and make their own. We put ourselves into it and really make it a masterpiece. It becomes that dish that we love to serve people. Strata is that dish for me. It has taken me a few years to get it perfect, but now I can pretty much make it without thinking about it and serve it with such a variety of ingredients that it doesn't take much for me to whip up.

I make it for brunch or dinner just switching up ingredients. I will have variations on the end of this recipe. 

Strata - roasted chicken, red & green bell peppers, mushrooms

1 loaf of French or Italian Bread cubed, crusts on - 6 to 8 cups
9 eggs
2 cups milk or half and half
2 cups cooked meat
2 to 3 cups of vegetables
2 cups cheese
seasonings

In an extra large bowl, place bread, cheese, meat, and vegetables. Using an electric mixer, blend eggs and milk. Pour over bread mixture. Fold until pieces of bread are coated with egg mixture. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Pour mixture into baking pan and either cover and refrigerate until up to 8 hours before cooking or cook right away.

Ingredient Variations
I like to season the vegetables and then mix into bread cubes. 
 

HAM, SWISS, AND ASPARAGUS
Mix 2 cups grated Swiss cheese into the cubed bread. Mix in 1 cup blanched asparagus pieces, 2 cup cubed cooked ham, and 1/2 cup sauteed onions fold into the egg and bread mixture.


CHICKEN or BREAKFAST SAUSAGE, CHEDDAR, BELL PEPPERS, MUSHROOM, AND TOMATO
Sprinkle 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1 cup cooked chicken or ground browned breakfast sausage,1 cup sauteed bell peppers, 1 cup sautéed sliced mushrooms, and 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes fold into the egg and bread mixture.


CHICKEN, TOMATOES, SPINACH, CORN, CHILES, AND JACK
Sprinkle 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese over the bread cubes. Distribute 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, 1 cup tomatoes, 1 cup spinach, one 4.5-ounce cans (drained) chopped green chiles, and 1 cup shredded cooked chicken fold into the egg and bread mixture.

breakfast sausage, red peppers, mushrooms

ham and cheese

52 Week Photo Project: Week 20

Table set for dinner for friends coming over for dinner.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 19

Up - in Denver. Looking up from a parking lot into the blue sky.

The Good and The Bad

The Good: Today we ran to see if my phone could either be repaired or replaced.  We decided on the replacement of it with an upgraded phone. So I now have my camera back. I too this photo before bed.  It is Caesar wrapped up next to me.

The Bad: We came home from replacing my phone and there was water in the laundry room.  We thought the cat's water dish that is around the corner in the kitchen tipped. But when we looked at where the water was actually in the laundry room - we realized that wasn't the cause. Michael went into our bedroom and as soon as he stepped near our walk in closet his feet were wet. Our water heater sprung a leak. Luckily the people that installed it 17 years ago were the ones that were available to come out right away.  Tomorrow we have to go out of town for work and now after needing to pay for a new water heater we will need to go so Wendy is amazing and offered to come be there while the new one would be installed. The bedroom looks like it has been hit by a cyclone because I had to empty the walk in closet, but at least we will have water back tomorrow by the time we get home.

Red Robin's Black Beans Recipe

When I got out of surgery, of course, I was hungry. Michael had been joking around with me about him going to get a burger and I was of course dreaming of them before the end of the day. A couple days after surgery, Michael stopped to get Red Robin as take out. We invited Wendy come over so she went to order and pick it up with him. She opted to get Black Beans instead of fries with her burger. I had a taste and OH MY...they were so very good. I instantly thought I need to replicate these. So here is my version of Red Robin's Black Beans. I served with Chicken Fajitas, but look forward to serving them with other Mexican dishes.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers with liquid

1 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoon cumin

a dash ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans - rinsed

Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook about 2 minutes; then stir in garlic, and cook until onion is soft and translucent.  Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2 to 3. Serve with sour cream.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 15

Coffee Kind of Day

Some days just call for a Starbucks coffee. Today was one of those days.

Potstickers

This recipe makes about 48 potstickers. I make them for parties or I  freeze them in smaller meal size batches. Very rarely I will split the recipe in half. I have included freezing instructions on the bottom of this recipe.

1 lb ground pork (also good with ground chicken)
6  water chestnuts, diced
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger (ground ginger does work in it's place)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (plus some for dunking)
2 packages of wonton wrappers
2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil


In a medium to large bowl, mix  the ground pork, water chestnuts, green onions, ginger, garlic and soy sauce.

Take one wrapper at a time and spoon a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Keep the rest of the wonton wrappers covered with a damp towel.

Wet the four edges of the wrapper with dampened fingers. Fold wrapper in half over filling to form a triangle, making sure the ends meet and filling is centered; press edges down firmly to seal.

Spray a platter or plate with cooking spray, place sealed potstickers, cover with a damp towel to keep moist. Fill plate and place in the refrigerator to keep cool while you continue to fill wrappers. Repeat filling each wrapper until all the filling is gone.

Heat 1/2 cup water to in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add about 9 to12 potstickers to the pan, cover and steam until translucent and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. Don't pack them too close or they stick together. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high in skillet. Cook until lightly browned - turning once, about 1 minute per side. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and wontons. Serve with soy sauce.

FREEZER Instructions:
Prepare the potstickers up to the cooking stage.

Take a baking sheet and line it parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Place the potstickers on the baking sheet so that they are not overlapping or touching. Place in the freezer.

After the potstickers are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

When ready to use, cook the potstickers as usual, without thawing. The cooking time will be a bit longer than usual.

Breathe It All In

Photo by me and quote added by me.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 13

Believe in Yourself

Photo by me and quote added by me.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 12

Sending out mail love.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 11

52 Week Photo Project: Week 10

"We all have a beautiful light within...We just sometimes forget it is there". - John Holland

Using the Diana Photo App. It blends 2 photos together.

Catching Fire

 

Yesterday Michael and I were out to eat. While we were waiting for our food, a woman and a young girl were sat near us. The young girl took out the book Catching Fire to read while waiting for their food.  I saw her and exclaimed to Michael that I thought the DVD for Catching Fire was released. He replied, "No, I think it is next week." I took out my iPhone and went to my Target app to see if it had Catching Fire in the ad.  It did and showed it came out March 7th - that day this happened. Michael sighed and pulled the phone out of my hand and turned it off. He then expressed, he was planning on going to pick it up after his afternoon meeting and Chinese take out as a surprise for me.  Now all because a teenage girl sat down across from us and started reading Catching Fire the surprise was ruined. But the thought was there and we had a nice Friday evening watching Hunger Games and Catching Fire back to back while enjoying Chinese take-out.  Thankful for having such a great guy that thinks of surprising me out of the blue and for no reason, but to see me smile.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 9

At one time I walked the line, then I stood on the line trying to figure out who I was, eventually I tested waters outside the line, and today there is no line - I am just being me.

52 Week Photo Project: Week 8

Mail Love

Mail love from a good friend. Just what I needed a book and chocolate because those are the ideal gifts for me. Thank you Tammy! So sweet of you to send me this package.