Adventures in Art, Product Design, Home Decor, Cooking, and Gardening
Even the dogs are getting into the holiday spirit. Pictured from the left, Luna the Labrador mix, Marty the Corgi mix, and Steve the Yorkshire Terrier–from big to small and good to bad (Steve is quite a little stinker, but oh-so-cute). There will be plenty of toys and treats for them under the tree tomorrow morning. Keeping Marty from finding the toys has been quite challenging. He kept trying to sneak into my closet to root through the bags.
My daughter’s latest painting. Watercolor and micron pen. I love how the pen color on the dragon’s scales closely matches the skin color. What a clever girl.
Remember the lovely orange and turquoise tulips that my daughter painted a couple of weeks ago? She thought it might be fun to show two different interpretations of the same painting using a similar color scheme. And while we painted side by side and used the same sketch, the results are quite different. In the painting above, I chose more vivid colors and added a soft blue sky plus a bit of sunlight. In the painting below, my daughter chose softer colors and omitted the background altogether. It was a fun experiment and we were both pleased with the results. I always enjoy our mother-daughter painting sessions.
My daughter loves Asian food so I’ve served her a variety of Asian-inspired meals over the years. But this recipe for quick chicken in peanut sauce (it’s ready in just 30 minutes) is hands-down her favorite meal. She would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she could–and, in fact, she has! You can prepare this recipe the night before, take it to a work or holiday function, and warm it in the microwave. It’s just as delicious the next day and always receives rave reviews. I clipped the original recipe from a magazine (I believe it was Better Homes and Gardens) but made a few changes along the way. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make chicken in peanut sauce.
Ingredients:
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cubed
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 drops of sesame oil (use sparingly–a little goes a long way)
1 package Chineese noodles (I used Tyling)
1 bottle (11.5 oz) peanut sauce (I used House of Tsang)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 package frozen Asian vegetables (I used Birds Eye Steam Fresh)
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
Salted peanuts and sliced green onions for garnish
In a large pot boil water for the noodles. Meanwhile, trim the fat from the chicken, dice it, and place it in a skillet with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and a few drops of sesame oil. Cook the chicken over medium heat until it’s lightly browned and no longer pink in the middle. While the chicken is cooking, combine the peanut sauce, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl then microwave the frozen Asian vegetables according to package directions. When the water is boiling, add the Chinese noodles and cook for 3 minutes (or until tender). Drain. In a large pot combine the cooked chicken, water chestnuts, noodles, vegetables, and peanut sauce. Stir to combine. Garnish with salted peanuts (the more the merrier) and sliced green onions.
I made this dish last night after a long painting session (new paintings coming up next), so I took the easy way out and purchased the egg rolls at a nearby Chinese restaurant. This dish is so colorful and delicious.
As you can see from all my recent cooking posts, I’ve had to prepare a variety of food and appetizers to share with family, friends, and coworkers this holiday season. It took me a while to find holiday recipes that were fool-proof, quick, and delicious, so I thought I’d share the goodness with my readers. I found this recipe for maple-mustard barbequed meatballs and sausages in the book, “Betty Crocker’s More Slow Cooker Recipes.” The original recipe calls for frozen meatballs and is prepared in a slow cooker and then simmered for 2 hours. But I made homemade meatballs–which are far superior in flavor than frozen meatballs–and simmered the dish in a saucepan on top of the stove and it was ready to serve about 30 minutes. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make maple-mustard barbequed meatballs and sausages.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup minced onions
1 egg, beaten
1 package (16 oz.) cocktail sausages (I used Hillshire Farm Lil’ Smokies)
1 bottle (18 oz.) barbeque sauce (I used Jack Daniel’s)
1 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, garlic salt, onions, and egg. Stir to combine. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil (to make clean-up easy); bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the barbecue sauce, maple syrup, and mustard in a large saucepan. Add the cooked meatballs and sausages. Stir to combine. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the meat is well coated and sauce is warm.
My sister found this Caesar salad recipe in the New York Times years ago and has been serving it on Christmas eve paired with homemade tomato bisque soup and marinated mini ham and cheese sandwiches (recipes provided below) ever since. I love the crisp romaine lettuce paired with the classic Caesar salad dressing and generous sprinkling of crisp, garlic croutons. Be sure to make plenty of croutons because they’re seriously delicious. The original recipe was called “Simple Scrumptious Caesar Salad with Quick Garlic Croutons,” but my sister has made a few changes to the original recipe over the years to speed preparation without sacrificing flavor. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Caesar salad:
Ingredients:
2 cups of tightly packed bread cubes (use day-old French bread or a baguette)
4 cloves of garlic, minced (I used minced garlic in a jar)
1/2 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt
3 heads of romaine lettuce hearts, chopped (I used two bags of chopped romaine)
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used bottled lemon juice but fresh is better)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
To make the croutons, combine the garlic, oil, and salt in a blender and pulse until creamy. Pour over bread crumbs and toss thoroughly. Brown the breadcrumbs in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Set aside. Place the romaine lettuce in a large bowl, spray generously with olive oil cooking spray. Add the croutons plus all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet (this is the best part) and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce; blend with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour on top of salad. Toss thoroughly. This salad is crispy, crunchy, and garlicky. Give it a try this holiday season.
Don’t let the size of these mini marinated ham and cheese sandwiches fool you. This quick and delicious holiday appetizer packs a wallop of flavor in a tiny bite–I’m talking about a party in your mouth. Yeah baby! My sister has been serving these delicious sandwiches on Christmas Eve–paired with tomato bisque soup and a Caesar salad–for years. It’s become one of my most requested recipes. Coworkers frequently ask me to bring this dish to potluck lunches and I’m always happy to oblige because I can whip up a batch of these sandwiches in a snap, they can be cooked in a microwave if necessary, and I always get rave reviews.
You may want to double the recipe because these sandwiches always disappear fast. As usual, I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit my taste, but you can find the original recipe here. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these tasty ham and cheese appetizers:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s mayonnaise)
4 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce (I used Kraft)
1 package of sliced deli ham, cut to fit buns
1 package of sliced Swiss cheese, cut to fit buns
1 package party rolls or small dinner rolls (I used Martin’s potato rolls)
Saute the onions in butter over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the brown sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir and cook until the brown sugar is melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, assemble the sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half (it’s faster to cut the entire sheet of buns at one time instead of cutting each bun individually). Place the bottom half of the buns in a 9 x 13″ pan. Combine the mayonnaise and horseradish sauce in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture on the buns. Top with ham and cheese slices and the top half of the buns. Spoon marinade on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the sandwiches are browned and the cheese is melted.
Serve these mini sandwiches for a quick holiday meal, an office potluck luncheon, a superbowl party, or a church supper. They’ll be a hit.
Here’s a holiday gem to warm your heart. My sister has been serving this delicious, creamy tomato bisque soup on Christmas Eve for many years. It’s become a holiday tradition in our family–it wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without it. The best thing about this tomato soup–besides the amazing taste–is that you can whip it up from start to finish in just 15 minutes. You can find this recipe plus many more delicious offerings in the Heart and Hand cookbook by Suzanne Winningham Worsham.
For a truly memorable and quick holiday meal I often serve this tomato bisque soup with mini marinated ham and cheese sandwiches (recipe coming up next) and a crisp Caesar salad with homemade garlic croutons.
Doesn’t this look tasty? What a great combination. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this tomato bisque soup:
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups prepared bloody Mary mix (I used Mrs. T’s bloody Mary mix)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Make a roux in large pot using the butter and flour, stirring continuously so the mixture doesn’t brown. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with garlic croutons, a dollop of sour cream, or chopped chives.
I hope you’ll give this super fast and delicious soup a try and make it a holiday tradition in your home, too.
Christmas is only three weeks away and there’s still so much to do to get ready for the big day. During this hectic time of year it can be hard to find time to cook a good meal for your family. So I rely on recipes like this super quick au gratin potato soup featured in Gooseberry Patch’s “Almost Homemade” cookbook. This hearty soup starts with a box of au gratin potatoes–something just about everyone has in their pantry.Toss in a few fresh vegetables, some chicken broth, and cream and you’ll have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. You can order a copy of the cookbook here. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this soup:
Ingredients:
1 9-oz. box au gratin potato mix
1 10-oz. can chicken broth
3 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
Combine the first six ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream, chopped chives, and bacon bits, if desired.
Doesn’t this look fabulous? This recipe was so quick, easy, and delicious that I made it twice in one week.
After struggling with painting the morning glories last week, I thought I’d switch gears and paint this little leaf fairy. This painting is based on a tutorial in Linda Ravenscroft’s book, “How to Draw and Paint Fairies.”