Wordless Wednesday: Let's go fishing...

 

Crockpot Lettuce Wraps

Nothing too fancy here this evening. Life has been busy! I thought these Crockpot Lettuce Wraps were worth sharing - this is more of an idea than a recipe, as I did no measuring whatsoever. But they turned out great and we all gobbled them up!

Crockpot Lettuce Wraps

• 2-3 local, free-range chicken breasts (diced into small pieces before cooking)
• Organic, low-sodium soy sauce
• White wine
• Hoisin sauce
• Finely diced organic shallot
• Dice chicken and shallot
• Combine soy sauce, wine, hoisin sauce
• Add all to crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours, until chicken is done
• I mixed up a quick peanut sauce that I found online (basically organic peanut butter, low-sodium soy sauce, a bit of water to thin, fresh lime juice)
• Serve on a large piece of lettuce with brown rice and a drizzle of peanut sauce on top

In between and around working part-time, I just finished my first month teaching Baby Sing and Sign classes. I am super excited about the idea of really establishing these classes here in Lawrence - this first session was a great learning experience for myself as an instructor but it was so rewarding to be in a position to provide parents with some additional tools to support their child's development. My job is rough right now - the students' needs are high and the parent involvement is low. Baby Sing and Sign is a definite boost that I need to help build my faith in the notion that there ARE parents out there who will go above and beyond in order to meet the needs of their child.

My children, however? Super-fun times two right now. I'm sure I've said that  before, but I am not joking! I cannot keep up with their imaginations right now - Elise spent all day as Cinderella (they saw movie #2 with their besties Sydney and Madi last weekend) and Abby spent the day as Mr. Fixit (from the Richard Scarry books). And they say things like:

• Abby, talking about how Lana and Jamey's pool might be cold when we first start swimming this summer: "That's okay. It's really not a problem for me."
• Elise, driving by Hy-Vee and seeing their Xmas lights still on: "What are they THINKING?"
• And bedtime - several nights a week, we separate them - one in our bed, one in theirs. This just helps get everyone to sleep faster on those nights when the extra 30-minutes or so is needed. They figured out how to talk to each other through the vents. I couldn't even be mad - both of them, blankets on the floor, laying down and carrying on an in-depth conversation about the day... through the floor vents. We find it to be pure genius. :)

For Valentine's, Grandma sent them a box of wind-up toys. What great entertainment for my little lovebugs. Thank you, Grandma! Elise is sporting her Olivia tshirt from us while Abby was on day #2 of 4 wearing her snow overalls. Like I said, LOVE does not justify our feelings for these gals.

Wordless Wednesday: SNOW DAY!

Valentine's Day Slacker

Sigh. 'Twas the night before Valentine's Day, and not a card had been sent. Seriously. I don't know what happened - I feel totally disappointed that I didn't make a giant stack of beautifully cut and crafted cards this year for friends and family to receive tomorrow. Sure, life is busy. But. I. Love. Making. Cards. And I love sending mail. I mean, I managed to make these...

I just don't understand how the cards were forgotten. So, the best I can do, is send everyone a love-filled blog on this year's day-o-love. And a picture speaks a thousand words, right? If this doesn't say love, I don't know what does...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wordless Wednesday: Three reasons why I love my life

Baked Donuts - Take #1!.

I've been eyeing donut pans for quite some time now - they just seem like a fun addition to the kitchen. As a little pick-me-up last week, while I was down and out with the flu, my mom snagged me a darling heart-shaped donut pan (Wilton brand). Seeing as to how today is "stay home Friday", it just felt like a baked donut morning. I found this recipe for Caramel Apple Donuts and, while they didn't seem particularly "caramel" or "apple", I did like that the recipe used honey instead of sugar. These had a nice flavor, they weren't too dry, and basically had a muffin-like taste - would certainly make again. With a modification or two to the original recipe, here's what I did:

Baked Donuts

• 1/4 C + 1/8 C organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 3 local eggs
• 1/4 C local honey
• 1/8 C oil
• 1/8 C apple butter
• 1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla
• I cut the original recipe in half, and this made 11 donuts, keeping in mind these are fairly small ones
• Combine dry ingredients; combine wet ingredients separately
• Add dry to wet
• Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes
• For the caramel drizzle, I tried out my new Lyle's Golden Syrup (3 T) heated over medium, added 3 tsp organic peanut butter and a splash of vanilla. It was a nice addition, but cooled to a tougher, chewier texture than I'd prefer.

Wordless Wednesday: Make some music!