Garlic Monkey Bread

Bread making does not have to be hard.  Even without a bread maker you too can make great bread at home.  If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer it is super fast and easy with the dough hook attachment.  But you really don't need one, you will just have to mix with your hands for a little longer.

I came up with a great no fuss recipe that came out better than any store bought garlic monkey bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups water
1/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of butter
3 cups of flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 garlic salt
1/2 minced garlic
1 tablespoon of pesto (store bought, saves time and is delicious and keeps well in the fridge)
1 package active dry yeast

Combine  water, milk, butter in sauce pan and warm up, (do not boil!). Combine all dry ingredients, spices and yeast in bowl  (reserve 1/2 cup of flour). Slowly add the warm liquid. Mix together then add the last 1/2 cup of flour until completely combined into a nice dough ball.  On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough about 10 times.  Take a large bowl and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour.  The dough should double in size. Take dough out of bowl and punch down.  Next divide the dough up and roll into 1 inch balls. Gently place in a bunt cake pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Let the dough rise in the pan for another hour. Lastly bake for 30 minutes at 400°F. Turn out of pan and let the bread cool.

Pull apart add butter if you like and enjoy.

Not only is making bread easy but it makes the whole house smell good while its baking!

I hope you will try and make your own bread every so often. Even if it isn't this recipe, there are a lot of great and easy recipes just waiting to be tested. - Amber

Trust Me Ladies You Need These!

It is now graduation season and with summer parties all around I recently found myself in a predicament.  I went to a graduation and when I arrived I had to park almost a mile away.  You guessed it I was wearing heels and by the end of the night I was in such pain I wanted to soak my feet in ice water.  I had seen these neat little things called instant flats in the grocery store and had wanted to get them.

After this last incident of pain I decided to get them! I found mine at Save Mart of all places and they were very reasonable. I really love the fact that they come with their own little bag and they fit very easily into my purse.  You can get them online too! Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats, Size 7/8.

If most of you don't know I am also a musician and I often wear uncomfortable shoes for a long period of time.  But now I have my little slip on shoes with me at all times to keep my feet from hurting and getting blisters.  It beats the fuzzy slippers I usually wear to and from gigs! I have no idea how long these will last or how many uses you can get out of them.  But for $10 a pair, even if they only last a few times it will be worth it.

How I have happy feat - Amber

Super Quick Healthy Turkey & Black Bean Chili!

For quite sometime I have loved to take classic favorite recipes and tried to make them healthy.  This post is going to be dedicated to my mother.

I can always remember her trying to make sure we ate healthy things. She was the kind of mom who always bought whole grains and wheat bread even before it was popular.  Our breakfast cereals were usually a choice between Cheerios, Shredded wheat, Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal and unfortunately Grape Nuts(sorry mom still hate that stuff).  It was only so often that we got a real treat like Lucky Charms. There was always fruit and a glass of milk to go with it. Vegetables were always present and I don't remember eating out a lot growing up.

She was and still is the busiest mom I've ever know, not only was she a teacher, she was getting her masters and then her doctorate all while never missing a softball/baseball game or a band performance! So Thanks to my mom who started my love of food and healthy living! I'd like to think that is why I now take it to the next level.

Now for the tasty stuff.

This recipe is just one of my many chili varieties. This one is great because it is super fast and it only needs one pot! Time is saved by using a few canned ingredients, which help keep the dish moving. This one is packed with good stuff for you too!

Topped with cheddar cheese and a bit of sour cream!

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Turkey
1 can rinsed black beans
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 yellow onion diced
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 green bell pepper diced
2 tablespoons chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large stock pot brown the turkey, then drain if needed.
Then on medium heat add the onion, peppers, and garlic to the turkey.  Let it cook for about 3 min. Then just add all the canned goods and spices.  Let it all cook together for about 15 minutes turn heat down if it starts to boil too much.

Then serve!

Quick Extra Tip; What is chili without cornbread?
I love to have warm buttered cornbread with my chili.  So I always have a box or two of the Jiffy Corn Bread mix in my pantry.  Yep that's right I love Jiffy mix!  It's quick and easy and you can make cornbread muffins or pan style in just minutes.  And rather than try to track down the best cornmeal (the good stuff is hard to find) I buy this box mix for around $1.

Happy Chili Day - Amber

What Happened to The Art of Letter Writing?

Technology is a great thing if you don't let it control your life.  I think one of the negative effects technology has had on us is the loss of good old fashioned letter writing.  I still love to write hand written notes and cards, it says I took a little extra time to think about you.  I have collected stationary for a long time and every time I have a chance to write a card or letter I do.

Today I am posting about the lost art and how you can bring it back with little effort and a little extra personalization.

I love the dollar bins at Michael's! I can get great stuff and a ton of inspiration for just a few bucks.  I had in my stationary box a pack of blank ivory cards I found a while back.  So I decided to get the glue, paint and what ever else I could find to use and get my creative brain working.

Here are a few that I have made.  Trust me when I tell you these will make someone feel much more special  instead of the ones you pick up last minute at the gas station.

When we were kids we always made home made cards and our mothers loved them and treasured them forever.  So why does that have to stop as we become adults?  It doesn't. I'm not suggesting you get out the box of crayons and color away.  But there are beautiful ways to decorate them yourself.

Hope you get inspired to write a thoughtful note soon - Amber

You Can Make A Closed Door Look Nice Too!

Living in an apartment can really stifle your decorating creativity.  I'm not sure how it works in other parts of the country but where we live walls are never painted anything other than white or light beige and you aren't allowed to change them. That is just one of the many irritating things that come with living in an apartment. But none of this means you can't have a cozy place to call home, and if you are creative you can make it look better than it really is.

I got today's idea from another blogger that I love Kandee Johnson, she comes up with lots of great stuff. So thanks to her my own creativity was sparked.  She recently did a post about a D-I-Y flower ball.  I have seen them online and in stores for $7 or more. I have a lot of art supplies, so I had everything I needed at home already including a lot of left over silk flowers in my closet.  I decided to take Kandee's how to and make a smaller version with some added ribbon to hang on my hall closet door.  It was very easy, and it really added a nice touch to my bland hall way.

All you need is a styrofoam ball.
A glue gun with some extra glue sticks
Some ribbon and flowers.

I glued the ribbon on first so I could cover the ends with flowers. Then I started to glue away.  (Tip: take off all the the stems and leaves)  Once I placed the flower I also pushed a little so the back of the  flower head went into the the ball to give it an extra sturdiness.

Here is the final result. Hope you like it as much as I do !

- Amber

That stuff is really stuck on...

If you're a daily cook, or even a once in a while cook, you know about the yucky burnt on food that gets stuck to pans. It doesn't matter what kind of pan either it happens to them all.  Since I cook with special stainless steel it happens quite often. I'm not talking about burnt food either, it just happens with certain foods.

(If you are wondering why I use stainless steel pots it is because of the health advantages. If you have ever seen a non-stick pan get over heated and start to fume that is a bad place to be.  Those fumes are toxic! Those pots and pans release chemicals into your food as well not just when they smoke.  Take a good look at one of yours if you have one. Are there any scrapes and scratches? Most likely the answer is yes. I'm not trying to sell you any new pots and pans, this post is not about that but I want people to know that those are bad news.)

Now for my tip of the day!  How to get that stuck on stuff off your pan.  I have to give this great tip up to my grandmother who I saw use this method for years without understanding why she did it.  My Grandmother to this day still uses cast iron pans for everything, plus she is almost 80 years old and has been cooking for longer than everyone who reads this blog has been alive.

And the magic secret is


TA-DA, Soap and Water.

Haha hehe you thought it was going to be a miraculous revelation?  But in all seriousness.  These are all you need, but it is how you use them that will make all the difference in the world.

Before shot with last nights dinner still stuck on

Start by keeping your pan on the stove burner. Add enough water to the pan so that you get about a 1/4 inch of water in the bottom.  Squirt a few drops of liquid dish soap and then turn the burner on low and let the soapy water slowly heat up the pan to a simmer.(you will probably need to find something else to clean for few minutes) then I use an already dirty spatula to gently scrape the bottom of the pan. Presto-chango it will all come up.  Next just wash the pan like you normally would.

The After!!

As I mentioned before I had watched my grandmother do this for years until one day I asked her why she always had the pan on the stove heating up soapy water.  I am sooo glad I asked, because now it saves me a ton of time

Have Fun Not Scrubbing - Amber

I don't need Mc Donald's, BK, Wendy's or Carl's Jr

I have met very few people in my life that dislike fast food.  We might all know that it is bad for us and blah, blah, blah.  But we all still grab that burger and fries every so often, dig into it and enjoy every bite! When we get the urge for the burger run, I instead stay home and make it myself.  I am not only saving about 50% of my $ on  the deal but I can also control how it's prepared and what goes into my dinner. I will admit I still cave into the occasional In & Out Burger though.

I'm not going to list out every single thing I do for my homemade fast food but here are a few ideas:

Use wholewheat buns you by in the store, I'm sure I don't need to tell you why these are better for you. I pile my burger with fresh tomatoes and I can either grill the meat or when its to cold to grill make it on my indoor griddle. I can also use any cheese I want.  Now for the real treat, I often make my own french fries, but last night was an extra special treat with my homemade onion rings. Let me tell you these are way better than any restaurants and I can pick a much healthier oil than what is used when you run through the drive through.

So let me tell you how to do it.

My big trick for these is... I don't use a deep fryer...I use a WOK.. It heats up hot and fast and I don't need a ton of oil.  I also like the fact that since it heats up to a high temperature my food soaks up less oil. Plus every house and average cook already has one on hand.

Ingredients:
1 onion (peeled and cut into super thin rings, just my preference)
1/2 cup milk(non or low fat)
1 Tablespoon of fat free sour creme
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of bread crumbs(pre-made store bought)
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of  vegetable oil

First start heating the oil in your wok. Then mix your milk and sour cream in a small bowl combine flour, breadcrumbs and spice in a different dish. Working in small batches soak onions in milk mixture and dredge in flour mixture. After they are well coated drop in the in wok (carefully).  Once golden brown take them out and lay on paper towels to let the oil drain the rest of the way off.  Then eat up.

Surprisingly 1 onion will make enough for two people. Then multiply the ingredients if you are making it for 4, 6 + people

Now for a bonus tip:

I made my own apple crisp for dessert and to really jazz it up I added low calories caramel dipping sauce to my apples before baking. Plus it has oatmeal crumble topping. The oatmeal is another bonus of its own. Then served it up with Dryer's Slow Churned Pralines and Cream ice cream (1/2 the fat and low cal)  and with a dab of Nutella on the top.  It was stop traffic delicious.

Happy Noshing - Amber

Afternoon Siesta Snack!

Chips and salsa are probably one of the most commonly served appetizers in our neck of the woods.  But it's also a common snack. Growing up I think my brother ate them every afternoon.

I have a great way to not only lower the calories of your common chips but also help you realize what a serving should be.  I think everyone can relate to opening a bag of chips and the next thing you know half the bag if not the entire bag is gone!

This snack/appetizer only take 15 minutes max to make and you will feel way better about eating this because the entire thing is less than 250 Calories!

Ingredients:

Chips
2 Carb Light flour tortillas(Mission brand are good, plus you can by the wheat version to get that extra bit of nutrition)
Vegetable spray
Salt

Dip
2-3 tablespoons of store bought salsa
1 tablespoon of fat free sour cream

Start off by preheating your oven to 350* F. Then grab a cookie sheet. Spray the cookie sheet with vegetable spray.  Then Take two of the tortillas(stacked on top of each other) and cut into wedges.  I cut mine into 12 wedges that make 24 chips.  Then put on the cookie sheet in a single layer.  Spray the tortillas with the vegetable spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake them for 10 minutes depending on your oven, and check on them every so often to make sure they don't burn. While the chips bake, mix your dip.  After taking the chips out of the oven let them cool for a few minutes. Then serve!  Super easy.

If you are really hungry you can eat this entire plate guilt free, or to cut the calories even further half it with a friend to bring it down to around 125 calories.  I will admit I ate the whole thing by myself and had to make a second batch for someone else :)

Happy Snacking - Amber

P.S. Yesterday's post mentioned my cat Teddy sneaking a taste.  Here he is at it again!  He really loved my Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup