Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Cookies

I'm always looking for new cookie recipes, because cookies are pretty much my love language. Sadly, too much of a good thing also makes me not fit into my clothes, so while I do love a good regular cookie, I'm always hunting for recipes that are a bit on the healthier side. (And no, not so I can eat twice as many. Most of the time.)

I know it's still better to eat a healthy dose of green beans than to have a cookie, but sometimes a girl just needs a smidgen of dessert, and my guess is you know what I mean! So when I happened upon these cookies on Pinterest, I pinned the recipe for later and "later" finally arrived a few weeks ago. I had the munchies on a Sunday afternoon, so I made the cookies and Ryan could not get over how good they tasted. Cookies that are a little healthy and a lot tasty? I call that a win! So with a few Shaffery modifications, here are our new favorite cookies!

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Cookies

* 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 2 Tablespoons of honey
* 4 Tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons old-fashioned oats
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
* 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey, and brown sugar. Add oats, salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Stir thoroughly. Lightly beat the egg in a separate bowl and then add to mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and sticky, almost like no-bake cookies before they set up. Use a small cookie scoop to transfer the dough to a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely before removing from tray.

A Few Tips

* The first time I made these, I used a natural peanut butter that is much softer. I've also used regular peanut butter. The outcome seemed to be the same in ease of stirring and consistency, regardless of which peanut butter I used. (The original recipe I followed did say not to warm the peanut butter or the honey, however, so I'll pass that tip along to you.

* If you would rather use creamy peanut butter, you can. I just like the extra texture of crunchy peanut butter.

* I have made these with both quick and old-fashioned oats and noticed no difference in taste or consistency, but I prefer old-fashioned oats just because they're bigger. (Weird recent quirk of mine.)

* I always use pure vanilla. Another odd Bekah-quirk.

* If you prefer, you could mix in things other than peanut butter chips/chocolate chips. You could use other kinds of nuts or dried fruit. I'll take the chips though, thank you very much.

* This is a pretty messy dough, so I would highly recommend getting a scoop. You could spoon it onto the baking sheet, but you'll just have extra mess to contend with.

* This doesn't make a HUGE batch, so that's nice. It won't be around forever. (Also it tastes so good that it won't be around forever.)

* I put parchment paper on my baking sheet for easier cleanup.

* These are really unbelievable warm from the oven with a glass of cold milk. YUM!!!!

* They harden up a little bit the longer they sit, but they don't get really crispy like some cookies do. 

Cheeseburger Soup

Because Indiana is being...well...Indiana, my menu plan this week contains both soup and grilling plans. Sigh. It's hard to have winter and spring in the same week. And truthfully, at this point, I'm about to give up on spring.

Anyway. Several of you asked me about the cheeseburger soup a few weeks ago when I made it and blogged something about it, so I made it again this week and am ready to present it today!!

First of all, allow me to say that cheeseburger soup was something I first had years ago at a church carry-in, and though I was wary at first Seriously? Cheeseburger in a soup????), I loved it and asked for the recipe. Fun fact: I made this dish one night when a guy friend was coming over for dinner and he never showed up. I didn't say anything about it, because I feared he thought it was a date and freaked out/bailed, but WEEKS later, he confessed he forgot. Let's just say I ate soup for d.a.y.s.

Anyway. Despite that little awkward memory, I made this soup often and even featured it here on the old blogaroo.

But between the potatoes and the processed cheese, I felt bad continuing to make it - UNTIL!!!!! - a few weeks ago, my friend Allison said something on Facebook about a cheeseburger soup recipe made with cauliflower in place of potatoes. Stop it. Just stop it. It sounded terrifying, actually, but after she FULLY reassured me it was not even noticeable, I decided to give it a whirl.

Shut. The.  Front. Door.

You guys, it really was so good. And I didn't even tell Ryan I'd swapped out the potatoes in favor of the cauliflower, and he didn't even pick up on it. Truth.

So without further ado, I present my healthfully-improved cheeseburger soup recipe. Ryan tested and approved.

Healthier Cheeseburger Soup

* 1 pound ground turkey
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup shredded carrots
* 3/4 cup diced celery
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
* 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (lowfat)
* 1 1/2 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

In a large pot, brown and drain the ground turkey. Add chopped onion, shredded carrots, and diced celery, along with basil and parsley and allow to cook a bit until vegetables grow tender. Add chicken broth, cauliflower, and cheese, along with milk, seasoned salt and Greek yogurt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Smash at cauliflower if you need it to be a bit more unrecognizable. Serve warm.

A Few Tips.

* We use ground turkey, but if you just hate ground turkey, you could, of course, use ground beef instead. Or ground whatever you like.

* For the love of Pete, Jane, and Sally, buy carrots that are already shredded. I nearly cried in the grocery last weekend when that little slot in the refrigerator sat bare. Shredding carrots on the little shredder can be awfully dangerous for klutzes like me.

* I don't think the low sodium chicken broth sacrifices flavor, but if you feel it does, you can buy regular OR add extra seasoning to compensate.

* I try to cut the cauliflower fairly small before I dump it in the pot, but if you find the pieces are still too big, just mash them up a bit as they start to soften in the soup. I actually don't mind them a little bigger, but if you're trying to trick someone...

* I use low fat/fat free milk and find it to add plenty enough creaminess.  Same for the yogurt.

* I let this simmer for about an hour before serving, but the longer it sits, the more the flavors marry. So I guess it depends on how picky you are about that stuff and how hungry you are when you cook it!

This pairs well with crackers/salads/cornbread/whatever you like, and it does reheat well! 

Healthier Hot Chicken Salad

Several years ago - seven, to be exact - I posted a recipe for hot chicken salad. I first learned about this culinary delight from my friend Marie, who knew me well enough to know I would love it and brought me a generous serving of it one evening. I asked for the recipe immediately and during my desert months in 2010, this was one of the few things I could make, because it was easy and though I was capable of little else, I could mix up a hot chicken salad.

If you like a good full-fat, mayo and fried onion laden dish, check out the original recipe and please excuse my photography. I will not deny that the original version is delicious, but these days I've adapted it to make it healthier. It doesn't taste exactly the same, but I think it's still pretty yummy, even all healthed up. :)

I made it last week and we gobbled it right up, so I thought I would put the updated recipe out here for you, just in case you were looking for something new to try that isn't loaded with mayo and friend onions. :)

Healthier Hot Chicken Salad

* 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken
* 1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
* 1 cup slivered almonds {1 1/2 ounce package is about right}
* 2 cups celery, chopped
* 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt
* 1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients together, except green onions. Spread in an 11x7 baking dish and sprinkle green onions on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

A Few Tips

* I take frozen chicken and boil it (straight from its frozen state) on the stove until it is cooked through, then shred it in my stand mixer. Works like a charm.

* Personal preference: I put the seasoned salt in the chicken as it's shredding rather than adding it to the whole dish later. You can definitely add it as you're mixing everything together if you prefer. I just like how it clings to the chicken as it shreds, so I add it then.

* If you can't find slivered almonds, you can use sliced instead. You just want to make sure your pieces are smaller than whole almonds. That's the goal.

* If you can't find low-fat cheddar, you can substitute mozzarella instead.

* The Greek Yogurt isn't quite as creamy as the mayo, but it really does work well, and I think the flavor is still excellent.

* I thought I might miss the fried onions, but the green onions were a pretty good substitute!!

* We eat this plain to save carbs, but you could serve it on buns if you prefer.

* I like it that this dish is easy to dress up (we eat ours with asparagus or other cooked vegetables) or dress down  with chips or something if you prefer.

Enjoy! :)

The Saturday Six

One.

If you're feeling a little bit forgotten - even by God - read this post by my new friend, Jessica. God is in the details. ALL the details. Even your details, and her reminder here is gentle and encouraging!

Two.

A very honest article on beauty. Such a hard topic to address honestly, because none of us want to admit that it bothers us as much as it probably does. I just appreciated her words, including these: "There is no perfection in true beauty—there is only redemption. It’s black and white, the paradox of loving my imperfections. It’s when I throw my shame aside and slip on my broken boots."

Three.

Ryan's Valentine's gift to me was this beautiful handmade sign from the Etsy Shop Wildwood Home Studio. The shop owner lives here in Indiana, and she uses reclaimed wood to make the signs. Ryan ordered this sign custom-made to go with my Surrender Cross from RAD JOY, and it is just so perfect. Ryan said the shop owner was great to work with and he highly recommended her! I adore the quality of the sign and the fact that it has a history!   

Four.

I guess in some ways, this post goes along with the theme of the first link up here in the list, but I guess sometimes when a similar theme keeps popping up, it's for a reason. If you're struggling because you feel like God is only all about the BIG stuff and life seems very small, take an encouraging read here.

Five.

 Hey Rachel in North Dakota? I saw your mind blown comment from the Shuffle about the clean eating queso and mozzarella sticks, so I wanted to share with you (and anyone else whose mind was also blown) the links to those recipes. They both came from the Dashing Dish website, and if you've hung out here very long, you know I LOVE ME SOME DASHING DISH RECIPES! Now, some of her recipes are exclusive for members, and the queso is in that group, but I totally assure you the monthly membership is worth the price. We eat so many recipes from this site and I adore Katie and her ministry. So here's the recipe to the queso (quick tip: we did not find that this reheats well as a leftover. Next time I make it, I'll just make half a recipe because that's all we could eat in one meal). I have not tried this recipe, but she has a clean eating white queso recipe here...and it's not a membership recipe, so anyone can see it. The skinny crispy mozzarella sticks are not a member recipe either, so you can view it without a membership!

Six.

Source

I had seen some teasers online about a new book called Fear Fighting by Kelly Balarie, and since fear is something I struggle with way more than I should, I decided this would be a good one for me to read and review.


Here's the thing about fear. It is a big, bad, suffocating monster that cannot be cured through reading a book. I will tell you that and Kelly will tell you that. In fact, in the afterword of the book, she says, "I don't know your timeline, but I do know that God wants to handle these two words (ahem: set free) one-on-one, hand-in-hand, and in conscious partnership with you. He reserves the right to decide when 'set free' is achieved." And it's true. You can't read this book and find the magic formula for ditching fear once and for all. But you can read the book to find two really important things: a friend who genuinely understands how you feel in your fear, and some suggestions for how to attack the moments of fear that can stem from so many different sources.

Fear Fighting is the kind of book I imagine myself going back to on multiple occasions, to find the specific chapter to accompany my present fear, and reacquainting myself with the ideas in that chapter. Whether your fear comes from the need to be in control, a desire to please everyone in your path, worry, comparing yourself to everyone around you, the unknown, rejection (real or imagined), or the resurgence of your own past, Kelly has Scripture-based suggestions to help you combat what Satan intends to use to thwart you.

She shares honest, vulnerable stories from the span of her own life - times when fear has bested her and times when she's overcome through the power of the Spirit. She offers Scripture to speak against the fear, and at the conclusion of every chapter, she offers some specific take-away thoughts and challenges.

Fear may be a life-long battle for you. That's very possible. But its dominance can lessen over time if you're willing to let God step in and teach you how to lean on Him instead of into the fear.

People who don't struggle with fear (ohhhh how fortunate!!) don't always understand how debilitating and discouraging it can be, so to have a friend who does get it and is willing to offer the hope that has worked for her in a spirit of compassion is such a gift!

* Baker Books provided me with a copy of this book at no charge. Opinions are my own. *

Chicken Nuggets

Remember that time {a month ago} when we lived on a diet of chicken everything because Ryan's gallbladder just up and quit on us? Nothing will spur the desperation of finding new ways to eat chicken like being forced to eat chicken at e.v.e.r.y. s.i.n.g.l.e. m.e.a.l.

Not only that, but we couldn't eat any form of spicy chicken. The chicken tacos made him sick. The chicken tortilla soup made him sick. We didn't even attempt buffalo chicken. Nothing good could come from that.

So I was a wife on a mission to find healthy, bland, non-fattening, non-threatening ways to cook chicken.

Thank goodness my mom had gifted us with a "Healthy Choices" cookbook for Christmas! Like a good old-fashioned, spiral-bound cookbook with recipes that avoided sugar, white flour and artificial everything. Ryan begged me to get it out right away and hunt for things to make. Don't have to ask me twice! I was as sick of chicken noodle soup as he was! {Although I did find a recipe in this cookbook for homemade chicken noodle soup that was quite yummy!}

I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken nuggets, and decided to give it a whirl. He loved it. And I learned post-surgery that he didn't just love it because it was a different way to eat chicken. He actually genuinely loved the flavor. WIN! And I loved knowing we were eating real chicken {I'm still scarred by the pink whatever videos from years gone by that showed the not real chicken in various nuggets} and knowing what was in the breading. And speaking of breading, I loved that it's not a heavy, fried, breadish breading. AND it's a pretty quick and easy thing to make. So I think now we're up to WIN WIN WIN WIN or something like that.

I've modified the recipe to fit what we had on hand, and here you go! Homemade chicken nuggets that are flavorful, easy to make, and not bad for you!

Chicken Nuggets

* 1/2 cup wheat flour
* 4 teaspoons seasoned salt
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders {fresh or defrosted}

Combine the flour, seasoned salt, paprika, and poultry seasoning in a gallon size bag, close tightly, and shake/knead to combine well. Cut the chicken into nugget size pieces and dump in the bag with the seasoning. Close tightly and shake until meat is well coated. Generously spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken on medium heat until cooked all the way through. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

A Few Tips

* I make my own seasoned salt, and the recipe is here. If you don't want quite so much salt, you could cut down the amount you use.

* Keeping your nuggets smaller will allow them to cook faster, if you (or your kids) are in a hurry to eat.

* Spray the pan well and don't cook on high heat. I've messed up in both those areas and lost half my coating on the bottom of the pan. AND it was super fun to wash later. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

* I use tongs to turn the meat, and I tried to turn it fairly often to keep it from sticking to the pan.

* If you're making a large batch of this and have a big pancake griddle, you can cook it faster.

* This does reheat very well. It never gets super crispy like heavily breaded nuggets, so you don't have to worry about sacrificing the crisp in the reheat.

* Ryan always dips his nuggets in sauce if he gets them at a restaurant, but he doesn't dip these. He likes the flavor just plain.

* We serve these with green beans or asparagus to keep the meal cleaner, but you could easily serve it with whatever side (to make it fancier or more casual).

* To give credit where credit is due, this recipe in its original form was submitted to the cookbook by Lucia Lapp from Benton, IL.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last summer, when we prepared for Mom's surprise 80th birthday party, my favorite part of party prep was pretending I ran my very own bakery. I made dozens and dozens of cookies in preparation, trying to find the perfect recipes and also unearth the perfect array of flavors for the cookie buffet. (That's pronounced boo-fay in Shafferland.)

I had a handful of recipes already in my trusty box that I had to rework because all of them called for shortening, and I'm trying to get away from using that. I already shared with you my new peanut butter and snickerdoodle cookie recipes, and today I bring my new chocolate chip recipe! (For the party I named it "chocolate chippiest," because I threw in even EXTRA chocolate chips for good measure. My mom has never met extra chocolate she didn't like. And it was, after all, her party.)

Last week I made another batch of these for one of Ryan's co-workers, and they were good. Yes, she actually got some, but you know I had to sample a couple to make sure they were edible. It's the responsible thing to do when you're the one baking, right?

So in case you need a good cookie to get you through the week, {hello, hump day. I'm looking at you!} here's a chocolate chip cookie recipe that just needs a big glass of milk to go with it.

Chocolate Chippiest Cookies

• 2½  cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

 
Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Roll dough into small balls and arrange on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 11-14 minutes. Cool on wire racks and eat!

A Few Tips:

* I use white wheat flour in these cookies, and it works very well. You could also use all-purpose flour, and the cookies won't be quite as dark.

* As always, I use pure vanilla. I love the flavor!!

* Ryan bought me a small cookie scoop for Christmas, and I use that all the time now. It makes perfectly equal-sized cookies and with this recipe, they have this lovely little dome that makes them look like they really DID come from a bakery. Extra points!

* I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets to make for easier cleanup. You could easily skip that step and just make sure you spray your regular cookie sheet to keep the cookies from sticking.

* This makes about 3 dozen cookies, so it's the perfect size of a recipe!

* If you don't like chocolate chips so much (then I just don't understand you, but that's a whole different blog post - HA!) you could cut down the number you add to the dough.

* Seriously. Warm from the oven with a glass of milk. TRUST ME.
 

The Saturday Six

One.

I dearly love Holley Gerth. Such an encourager. {I have a flip calendar by my bed with her writing in it, and I love flipping a new page each morning to read what she has to say!} This post is just beautiful, and if you're struggling with the question of why you're here on this earth, read her thoughts. I particularly love this quote: "Whatever 2017 may bring, there is One who has brought me into this world for Himself. There is no greater calling. There is no more glamorous career. There is no higher glory."

Two.

 This week, I decorated our home for Valentine's Day. I don't have a ton of decorations for this holiday, but I'm always looking for new pieces to add. Maybe you're that way too? I don't have any of these (yet) but Ever Thine Home has some great, timeless, faith-based decorations for Valentine's Day. This is the same company that created the Adorenaments we love so much and had in our home at Christmas. So I can definitely vouch for the company providing quality products, even though I haven't seen these in person!

Three.

Anyone else crazy excited about Beauty and the Beast coming out? I am not AT ALL a big movie buff. I enjoy watching them (at home) but never count down to any or want to see them immediately. It's just not my thing. But this one? Oh yes. Belle is my FAVORITE princess. The trailers are amazing, and I think Ryan fears I'll be singing all the songs at the top of my lungs in the middle of the theater. (It's a legitimate fear.)

Four.

 I know I've posted a similar link to this in years past, but I think it's important to share again! Katie at Dashing Dish has a new lineup of skinny Super Bowl snacks to make. If you're hosting a party this weekend and need some healthy and flavorful options, check these out!

Five.

You know how I love finding new date ideas! Found this one this week..filing it away for later, after we're done with alphabetical dates. But in case you need an idea before then, check it out!! Looks like fun! 


Six.

Source

This week, I read a new-to-me author: Patricia Bradley. Her latest novel, Justice Delayed, interested me because you know I love a good crime/suspense novel!! It had been a little while since I read one, so I thought it was about time to feed that side of my reading love again.


Andi Hollister, a TV crime reporter, is doing her best to work her way up the network ladder, and her family is doing their best to make their final peace with her older sister's murder, which took place eighteen years earlier. The man convicted of killing her - Jimmy -  will be executed in three days, and they can finally relax, knowing justice has been served.

But with just hours until execution, Jimmy receives a handwritten letter from someone who says she knows he didn't kill Stephanie, and she can prove it. But before she does, she winds up dead as well, and everything the Hollister family thought they knew about this case is flooded with doubt and question.

Andi and her cop-brother Brad, and his investigator-friend Will suddenly have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time to make sure Jimmy isn't wrongfully executed, and if he's not the killer, to find out who should be sitting behind bars in his place.

I was really excited to read this book and even told Ryan I bet I would knock it out in a day, staying up until all hours of the night to finish it, with heart racing clear to the last page. And while I didn't dislike the book or the story line, it didn't grip me quite as much as I thought it would. I was fairly near the end before that I-must-keep-reading-even-though-I'm-so-tired feeling hit me.

Part of the problem for me were all the characters in the novel. They were plentiful and at times, it was hard to keep them all straight. Andi, Treece (her best friend and fellow reporter), Brad, and Will were easy to keep straight, but there were a whole crew of other names, several beginning with J or L that I kept getting confused. I had to slow down my reading to keep track of them.

And part of my problem was my confusion of details I was certain would become major parts of the story that didn't, and other details that I didn't think should matter, but they did. I had to keep slowing down to reprioritize as I read.

For me, the story was good, but the suspense wasn't as gripping as I'd hoped. I would absolutely read this author again, but I would probably pick a different series next time.

* I received a copy of this book from Revell at no charge, and all opinions are my own! * 

What I Learned in January

How in THE WORLD is it the end of January???? When I did my week planning on Sunday, I flipped over to February's tab in my planner, and it was just so weird. But weird or not, the end of January has arrived, and I am prepared to carry on with my monthly tradition of sharing the things I've learned in the last 30 days. Hope you enjoy!!


Before I share my list, it is Tuesday, which of course means there's a new podcast! You'll get to hear a little more about our "A" date (see yesterday's blog for photos of that) and also Ryan's big dream fulfilled this weekend. (And I didn't even know it was a dream!)

Listen here.

Okay...NOW on to the lessons learned in the not-super-wintry month of January! 

1. The materials used on floats in the Rose Parade have to be all-natural. 

Maybe I'm the last person on earth to know this, but I sure did not have a clue until this year! Ryan isn't a big parade lover anyway, but he knows I like them, so we watched a bit of the Rose parade and I kept hearing all the talk of ground rice and coffee beans and such things being used on floats, so I had to look it up. True story! All natural items are required. Impressive to see what they came up with and how authentic it all looked!

2. I like reading old books.

Like ACTUAL old books. Old copies of old books. Not reprints of old books. Mom gave me her copy of The Secret Garden, which was given to her in 1947, and it was extra fun to read this American classic from pages that were equally classic. 

3. Writing Scripture is a helpful practice.

One of the new things I'm trying this year is writing out a few verses each day. I'm following the plan from here, and I'm learning that pausing to focus on verses long enough to write them out with my own hand is a good thing for me. It makes me ponder and retain the topics, and I'm looking forward to learning much through this practice this year!

4. We {as in the Shaffers} were not created to live on chicken alone.

Ryan's gallbladder issues this month forced us to eat a very bland, all chicken based diet for a while. Now, we love chicken as much as anyone else, but we sorely missed variety in our diet! Thankful that Ryan was able to have surgery so quickly to remove the offending gallbladder, and we have enjoyed reintroducing variety and flavor to our diet! 

5. Potty training a ten-year-old cat is definitely classified as an adventure.

If you've somehow missed the posts this month, well, I'm sorry, first of all, but the news is that Ryan has decided he's so over cleaning out litter boxes, so Braeya has been on a toilet training adventure. Because when the folks on Shark Tank say you can train a cat to use a toilet, he took them seriously. Somehow I think it has to be easier to train a tiny human than an old cat, though she has done better than I expected. I'll give her that! {And yes, in this photo, she has curled up in the litter to rest. Sigh.}

6. Ryan, coming out of surgery, is HILARIOUS.

I am just straight up sorry all of you had to miss having a front row seat to watching Ryan come out from under the anesthesia after surgery. He was absolutely hysterical. I wanted to film the whole thing, but alas, I was afraid the nurses would yell at me for it. (Even though I knew he would want me to be filming and has completely enjoyed the short clip I did get. I knew what I was doing.) So funny. I don't want him to require surgery ever again in his lifetime, but if ever he does, we know we're in for a treat on the flip side!

7. Out of eight new recipes I tried this month, six were good enough to make again.

Between getting back to a stricter version of clean eating (after a very UNCLEAN! December) and Ryan's diet needs during the gallbladder days, I tried a lot of new dishes this month. My two failures were, ironically, the first two things I made, and it made me a bit nervous for the future of the month! I tried a slow cooker spinach quiche that we ruled out because it wasn't flavorful enough, and a skinny Baja chicken taco recipe that had a clean Chipotle sauce on it, and I'm pretty sure that contributed to Ryan's worst gallbladder attack. OUT with that recipe! But you can look forward to seeing (at some point) recipes for chicken taco soup, a spinach chicken salad with oranges, cranberries and almonds, chicken nuggets, Blizzard cookies, chicken noodle soup, and chicken Parmesan strips! My goal was to try one new recipe a week, and while there were a couple of weeks when I did not, the number I tried averaged out to double the goal!

So that's what I've learned in the merry month of January! :) How about you? Any new things?  

Linking up with Tamar!

Some Menu Ideas

A few weeks ago, I did a post about our first rounds of hosting "Tuesdays at the Table," which was one of our favorite parts of the end of 2016. I shared with you the menus I put together and how I arranged the schedule to have the food done on time. Some of you told me you liked seeing the menus because you have a hard time coming up with new menu ideas, so I thought I would give you a second round of them, just for fun!

Week Five:
This particular week, we invited over a family of four - two parents and two kids, ages 4 and 1. Interestingly enough, I was told that this time, the husband was the pickiest eater of the bunch, not the kids. And his favorite food? Processed cheese. Well, not exactly clean eating friendly, but doable! So how do you keep a picky, processed cheese loving grownup, two kids, and a girl trying to watch what she eats all happy at the same time? TACO NIGHT!!!!!

* Taco bar {similiar to what we did on pizza bar night} including ground turkey with my homemade taco seasoning, chips, tortilla shells, spinach, chopped tomatoes, green onions, black olives, shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, plain Greek yogurt {in place of sour cream}, good old processed cheese sauce, and salsa.
* Homemade guacamole
* Homemade from-scratch brownies. {I happened to know the wife in this couple adored that recipe, so I made them specifically for her.}
{I chopped up all the veggies and made the brownies and the guacamole earlier in the day and then browned and seasoned the meat right before they arrived. While the meat was simmering, I laid out all the ingredients to the taco bar and let everyone make whatever they wanted: nachos, taco salad, soft shell tacos....whatever.}

Week Six:
Another family of four, and this time, a family I'd consider to be connoisseurs of food. No pressure! They actually came to eat with us the week of Thanksgiving, and it was my chance to make the kind of Thanksgiving dinner I would make if I were in charge of the menu. {No turkey!!!!} The kids this time were around 6 and 1, so I wanted something that appealed to everyone.

 * Ham {didn't do anything to it - just cooked it in the crock pot straight from the package}
 * Macaroni and cheese
 * Savory sweet potatoes
 * Homemade stuffing/dressing
 * Soft maple cookies with browned butter frosting.
{I cooked the ham in the crock pot all day. In the afternoon, I assembled the three side dishes and baked them all shortly before dinner. I'd made the cookies a couple of days before.}


Week Seven: 
This week we invited over a couple we'd never hung out with before {all four of us, I mean}, and other than knowing they didn't have any food allergies, I wasn't sure what they liked, so I was a little nervous. It was a COLD week, so I decided to go for soup, and it ended up being a perfect choice, because all of us were in various stages of fighting a cold, and soup was a perfect fit. Although we had a full menu prepared, they brought a sugar cream pie as a gift, so we added that to our menu for dessert.

* White Chicken Chili
* Cornbread {from a box...I'm not THAT fancy...yet}
* Crackers
* Green beans
* Brownie cookies with peppermint frosting and the gifted sugar cream pie
{The white chicken chili does not take long to make, so I assembled it in the afternoon and just let it simmer. I threw together the cornbread right before they came, since it doesn't take long to bake, and put the green beans on to warm up at the same time. I'd made the cookies a couple of days before.}

Week Eight:
This time we had just another couple over, and they were friends who had helped us so much when we were packing and moving. Sandee came to help me paint and clean and both of them showed up with a truck and trailer when it was time to haul the contents of our old garage to our new house. We wanted to thank them with dinner, and we did...but may I submit that the menu below is a TERRIBLE idea for anyone battling gallbladder issues? We were in the ER twenty minutes after our guests left!

 * Chicken taco soup {which was both healthy AND delicious, and I'll be making it again and sharing the recipe, but the acidity from the tomatoes and all the corn in there were just too much for Ryan's broken gallbladder}. I served this with cheese and Greek yogurt {you could use sour cream if you prefer}
* Homemade guacamole with chips and salsa
* Blizzard cookies for dessert. {They're basically chocolate chip cookies, but you use white chips and add in blue sprinkles.}
{The chicken taco soup comes together pretty quickly, so I assembled it in the afternoon and then let it simmer until it was time to eat. I also made the guacamole in the afternoon and just kept it in the fridge until dinner time. I'd made the cookies a couple of days before!}

So there you have it! A second set of menus. Hope you can find something helpful in here! :)

Linking up with Tamar!

Ryan's Chili {With Homemade Seasoning}

Remember when we used to eat food besides chicken? I think we're starting to forget that time in life. Chicken noodle soup, chicken nuggets, chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken - you get the idea. We may begin clucking and developing an interesting walk soon.

But back in the day - like December - we used to eat things like chili. And lasagna. And tacos. And eggs. And turkey burgers. {You get the idea.} And chili, interestingly enough, is one of Ryan's signature dishes. When I told him I wanted to put the recipe on the blog, he asked why. Said everyone knew how to make chili.

Ummmm, everyone except your wife! True story. White chicken chili? Oh yes. Plain chili? No clue. Maybe I'm the only one on the planet, but in case I'm not, I thought I'd share the recipe. And in case I am, well, now I have the recipe right here so I can make it myself instead of saying, "Hey I'd love to have chili. Can you cook tonight?"

And maybe, just maybe, in the not too distant future, we can eat this again right here in our very own house!!

I love this recipe because it has a bit of kick, but not too much {unless, of course, you have a faulty gallbladder and then for the love of Pete, do NOT eat this}. It's quick and easy to put together, tastes even better the longer it simmers, and is perfect for a chilly {ha! See what I did there?} winter night.

And if we're being entirely fair, I also love this recipe because Ryan makes it, and let's be honest: no matter how much you love to cook, sometimes a meal just tastes better when someone else makes it.

Ryan's Chili with Homemade Seasoning

* 1 pound ground turkey
* Chili Seasoning {recipe below} or 1 packet of purchased seasoning
* 1 46-ounce bottle of tomato juice
* 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes with onions and chilis
* 1 15-ounce can of chili beans with or without starter sauce

Brown the turkey and add the chili seasoning. Combine all ingredients in large stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for at least a half hour or up to several hours. Serve warm with shredded cheese and crackers or cornbread on the side. 

A Few Tips:
 
* We use ground turkey in place of ground beef, but you could certainly use ground beef if you prefer. We add the seasoning to the meat after it is browned

* Here is the recipe for the chili seasoning, which cuts down on preservatives and other such things, but if you prefer to purchase a packet of seasoning, you certainly can: 3 Tablespoons chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoned salt. If you want a little extra heat, add some cayenne pepper.

* If you get a can of plain diced tomatoes, you can always chop up an onion to add to the soup. Or if you just really like onion, you can use both!

* We use the chili beans with the starter sauce because it has some extra seasoning and Ryan likes that. But you could use plain beans, and if you hate beans, you could leave that part out altogether, although your chili won't be quite as thick.

* Besides cheese, you could use sour cream {or Greek yogurt}, green onions, or tortilla chips as a garnish. You can serve this with crackers, cornbread, garlic bread, or even over baked potatoes if you want!

* This does reheat nicely for leftovers!

The Last Saturday Six of 2016

It's the last Saturday Six of 2016! Thanks for playing along with the links each week. It's fun to share them with you and I plan to continue right on into next year! :)


One.

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Since some of you may be committing to healthier eating habits starting...you know...tomorrow...I thought I'd share this link to the best of 2016 from the Recipe Runner website. I just happened upon that site this year and am looking forward to trying several from this list, actually!


Two.

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I. Just. Absolutely. Loved. This. Idea. Read up. I think this would be such a fun thing to host!

Three.

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Found this post this week, which has a Scripture/discussion question calendar that would be great for personal reflection or starting conversations with your kids or spouse, and there are also a handful of free Scripture art printables. If you're looking for some new art/traditions for 2017, check it out!

Four.

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And speaking of calendars, I happened upon this site this week that has free 5x7 calendar printables for 2017. So if you need a calendar just to reference dates {no squares to actually write in}, this is a cute one to print and hang wherever!

Five.

I've never done this before, but curiosity got the best of me, and I had to see what all the "best nine" fuss was about on Instagram. I wanted to know what my 9 most liked pictures of 2016 were...and some were no surprise, but others were! It was a great trip down memory lane from our journey this year. Fun little thing to do! 

Six.

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I did finish a book this week, bringing my total for 2016 to SIXTY books - can you believe that? WOW! I had no idea it was that many until I just now counted them! But I'm holding off my review on the one I read this week, because I need to post it in a specific time frame in January. But in the MEANTIME...I found this fun challenge for reading that I thought I'd pass along to you. I know reading a book {or more} a week is not everyone's gig, and that's totally fine. But now and then it's good to stretch outside your reading comfort zone. Maybe this will help!