A nice, quiet Tuesday

Which is odd, isn't it?  A quiet Tuesday?  Usually people say these things about Saturday or Sunday.  Sean was home today, that's the beauty of being married to a butcher.  He gets days in the middle of the week off, usually.  He is on a weekend rotation, so we usually get about one weekend a month with him home as well.

Today, however, we went for a walk.  A nice, family walk.  It was so chilly!  We bundled up Brianna in her parka for the first time.  It is so big on her!  Her hands got lost, so we had to roll the cuffs down.  She looked so super cute in it though.

We tossed a blanket over the stroller for most of the walk, because the wind was really biting!  It was a blustery sort of day.  Almost, I would say, a WINDSday.


Brianna and I usually take a walk everyday.  It's usually about a mile, I'm just starting to ease into exercising again.  After quitting smoking and starting to get my food choices back in order, it's just the next natural step.  It was so nice to have Sean come with us today.  It's also nice not to have to run after toys and cups when Brianna flings them out of the stroller. 

So this was our day.  We lazed around home, did 4(four!!) loads of laundry, and went for a walk.  It was an absolutely wonderful day.

Hope everyone else had a great day too!

S.

Dinner TONIGHT

Sorry, those commercials get stuck in my head.

Sean was home early from work today, 3 hours early!!  That gave me leave to play around in the kitchen for supper.  It was exciting.  I never get to do that anymore!  We've just started Brianna on foods with spice, she is getting pretty tired of her usual choices.  So here it is...Thai Chicken Stir Fry!!!  Sort of.  That's what I'm calling it, anyway!

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

• 3 chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups Santa Fe mix Frozen Veggies, thawed
• 2 cups fresh Mushrooms (or 2 Cans sliced, whichever way you roll.  Today I used canned.)
• 1 can Water Chestnuts, sliced
• 2 Tbsp (divided) Thai Spice (from Clubhouse spice mixes)
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 clove chopped garlic (or 1 Tsp garlic powder)

Saute chicken breast pieces in a small amount of olive oil.  I salted and peppered them, and then added 1 Tbsp of the Thai spice while it was cooking.  Then, add all the vegetables, mushrooms, and water chestnuts.  Stir.  Add salt and pepper if desired.  Add chili powder and garlic.  Stir-fry for about 5-10 minutes, then pour sauce over.

Red Pepper Sauce

• 2 Tbsp Red Pepper Jelly
• 1 - 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Tsp Sesame Seeds

Microwave red pepper jelly and honey in a small bowl for 10 seconds or until slightly runny.  Add remaining ingredients, stir, pour over stir fry!

 This recipe for the sauce was created because I didn't realize that I was out of my normal sauce ingredients handy.  It is surprisingly tangy and absolutely fabulous.  It made just enough to coat everything and give it more flavor, but not enough to be used as a sauce with rice.  We did serve this over rice, and it was SO GOOD.

Best new dinner I've made in a while.  I hope everyone enjoys!

S.

DISCLAIMER::  I cook without measuring.  All spices are approximate!  I have a good eye, though!

Mmmmm...Focaccia

I decided to make this today.  Just out of curiosity.  The only recipe for focaccia I had ever seen until today was one with strange measurements.  So I looked up a recipe and tried it.

The result was a wonderfully moist, soft bread.  When sliced in half, perfect for sandwiches.  Fabulous bread.

Plain Focaccia

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt



Heat milk to 110 F.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve.  Sprinkle with yeast.  Yes, I know it sounds like a lot of yeast, but really.  It turns out fabulous.  Let sit and proof for about 5 minutes, until bubbly.  Stir to dissolve.  Add half of the flour, the salt and the olive oil.  Stir.  Add the rest of the flour to make a soft dough.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Alternate using oil and flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Lightly oil a medium size bowl.  Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.  Insert two fingers into the dough once the 20 minutes is up, if indentations stay the dough is ready.  Punch dough down and turn onto a greased baking sheet.  One with sides, a jelly roll pan works well.  Pat the dough down to about a 1/2 an inch thick.  Preheat oven to 450 F, and then bake for 15 minutes.

Alternately, you can dimple the top and brush it with extra olive oil, but as we were planning on using this for sandwiches I did not.  This would taste amazing with some garlic added, maybe some rosemary or some oregano.  Love it.