December 25-Our Christmas Celebration (and pork posole!)

I love Christmas traditions! Decorating Christmas cookies, searching the neighborhood for the best light displays, watching corny television specials, attending the candlelight service at church, and gathering as a family for Christmas dinner. 

A few years ago I spent Christmas with my husband and his family for the first time. I loved catching a glimpse of his childhood memories and experiencing his family traditions. I also enjoyed tasting posole for the first time. Yum!

After we were married, Hubby and I started to discuss what our traditions would be as a new family. We've established a few of our own, including the adoption of pork posole at Christmas dinner. This year we hosted a Christmas gathering at our home, and introduced my family to this delicious tradition. 

 Pork Posole

2 pork butts

6lb can Hominy 

1 pkg New Mexico Red Powder Chili (do not need the entire pkg)

2 pkg menudo mix

Diced onion

Chopped cilantro

Lemon wedges

1. Boil pork for 45 minutes. Remove from pot, remove fat, and cut in half for faster cooking. Return to pot. Boil for an additional 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove pork and shred.

2. Drain half the broth. Replace with half water. Bring to a boil.

3. Add shredded pork and hominy (rinsed) into the pot. 

4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry 1 large spoon of chili until browned, but not burnt. 

5. Pour chili into the pot a little at a time. Add menudo mix, leaving some left to use later as a topping. 

6. Serve with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, and lemon.

November 28-Thanksgiving Dinner

Today marked a major milestone: I hosted my first Thanksgiving! 

Chris and I have always wanted to host a holiday, but we had always lived in an apartment up until this year. We love to entertain and excitedly offered to host Thanksgiving as soon as we moved into our new home. What a wonderful day it was! Our home was filled with both sides of our family, plenty of laughter, and lots of love. 

Even though I've become pretty comfortable in the kitchen over the last few years, Thanksgiving dinner seemed a little intimidating. This meal would mark a defining moment for me as a woman! (Okay, so maybe that's somewhat dramatic, but it IS important!) The task was daunting but I was eager to face the challenge. I also knew I could count on my mom to be a great coach. She came over last night to walk me through the washing, de-throating, turkey-prepping process. 

The day was a success! 

I've made this dip for two years in a row and there are NEVER any leftovers. 

Pumpkin Dip

15oz can of pumpkin

5oz box instant vanilla pudding (Just the mix, do not make the pudding. Can sub sugar-free and/or fat-free)

16oz Cool Whip

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix pumpkin, pudding mix, Cool Whip, and pumpkin pie spice together by hand in a large bowl. 2. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 

3. Chill for several hours before serving.

4. Serve with apple slices, vanilla wafers, or pretzels.

Roasting a turkey for the first time can be intimidating. It is a lot of work, but it really is not too hard if you know what to do! Here are a few tips from a fellow first-timer!

Turkey Tips for First-Timers

1. Be sure that your turkey is fully thawed. 

It can take a few days for a large bird, so be sure to plan ahead.

2. There is a neck, liver, giblets, and a few others surprises inside your turkey. 

Remove them before you stuff your turkey. 

3. Clean your bird and pat it dry. I did this the night before and it helped save time for the morning. 

4. Make your stuffing the night before, but do not stuff the turkey until you are ready to bake it. 

5. Be sure to plan ahead for the time it will take to cook your bird. My turkey was 20lbs and needed 6-7 hours to cook. We ate an early meal, which meant that the bird needed to go in the oven around 4:30am. This meant setting the alarm for 3:45am, to give me enough time to stuff the turkey.

6. Ever wanted to be a surgeon? Here's your chance. Stuff both ends of the turkey and sew him up!

7. Cover with foil and bake.

8. Go back to bed, Sleepy Head. 

We feasted. Rolls, corn, yams, cranberry sauce, jello salad, creamy mashed potatoes (You don't really want to know what's in them, but here's the recipe. You won't be sorry.), green bean casserole, smoked ham, stuffing, and turkey.

Today was wonderful. I'm so thankful for our families, our home, and for God's faithfulness. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

May 5- Cinco de Mayo Festivities

My husband and I have been married for exactly 18 months and it has been incredible! Each day I learn more and more about myself, my husband,  and what it means to truly love someone. It's even taught me more about what it means to follow Christ and be his bride. What a cool picture.

We're really lucky to have several married friends that we can hang out with as couples! My husband and I didn't double date much before we were married, but since our wedding we've seemed to connect with several other married couples that we can hang out with, laugh with, and encourage.

We had already made plans to host some of our friends over on Sunday for dinner, before we realized that it would be Cinco de Mayo. We're always looking for reasons to celebrate, so we decided to host a Mexican fiesta!

 

Cinco de Mayo Menu

Pinto Beans

Mexican Rice

Warm tortillas

Chips

Homemade guacamole

Homemade salsa

Roasted Mexican Vegetables

Carne Asada 

Apple Enchiladas ala mode 

Roasted Mexican Vegetables

1 yellow zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped into chunks

1-2 bell peppers

2 tomatoes, chopped into wedges

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 package of taco seasoning

4 tsp cumin

4 tbsp olive oil

In a ziplock bag, mix all ingredients so that the vegetables are coated. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 

Homemade Guacamole

2-3 avocados

1-2 tbsp sour cream

lemon juice, to taste

garlic salt, to taste

Mash avocados. Add sour cream and stir through. Season with lemon juice and garlic salt to taste. 

Homemade Salsa

6-8 medium or large tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch cilantro

4-5 yellow chilies

2 small green chilies

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can (tomato can) water

salt to taste

Using a food processor, shred all ingredients. To ensure desired consistency, pulse separately and combine in a bowl. 

Carne Asada

Compliments of the husband of the century.

 Apple Enchiladas ala Mode

Compliments of the Hedrick Family.

March 4-TGFGN (Thank God for Great Neighbors!)

My husband and I were delighted when another young, married couple moved in across from us. We had our new neighbors over for dinner last night and had a wonderful time of fellowship, laughter, board games, and gaining instant friends. Thank God for great neighbors!

The first time my husband and I invited our families over for dinner, I tormented myself trying to figure out what to make. I felt a need to establish my reputation and to make something that everyone would enjoy. After a year of domestic bliss, I may not be Martha Stewart but I am happy to say that hosting people over for dinner has become a source of joy rather than stress. 

For yesterday's menu, I opted for something familiar, tested, and delicious. 

The Menu

 Chicken Primavera with pasta (an old favorite, worth repeating)

Garlic Bread

Green Salad w/Tomatoes

December 25- Chicken Enchiladas

I grew up in a family full of tradition, especially during the holidays. This year my mom decided to switch the traditional Christmas menu of ham, green bean casserole, potato salad, mashed potatoes, etc. for tacos, carne asada, rice, beans, tortillas, and homemade salsa. She asked if I could bring enchiladas and I agreed. I had never made them before, but I remembered eating them at my husband's Auntie Millie's house and they had been amazing! I called her up and she graciously gave me her recipe. They were delicious and everyone loved them!

The new menu have been a big change for this traditional bunch, but it was definitely a hit! At the end of the meal, we began discussing what next year's theme should be.

(So far Italian cuisine is winning with the most votes.)

Millie's Chicken Enchiladas

(From the kitchen of Auntie Millie)

Whole chicken, shredded (either boil one or buy a rotisserie)

Las Palmas Enchilada sauce (Red or green; If using green sauce, add a can of diced green chiles.)

Corn tortillas (I used about 15)

Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 onion, diced

Olives, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat enchilada sauce in a saucepan and heat cooking oil in a frying pan. 

2. Fry 2 tortillas at a time, just enough so they are a little crunchy. Dip tortillas in the sauce and place them in a shallow baking pan (such as a cake pan). 

3. Fill each tortilla with a roll in the center of chicken, cheese, onion, olives and a little sauce. Roll it like a burrito, leaving the ends open. Continue to fill baking pan with enchiladas. 

4. Add sauce over the top of enchiladas, followed by cheese and olives. Bake about 45 minutes to an hour until the tortillas are crunchy.

December 24-Christmas Morning Cinnamuffins

I love Christmas traditions. As a newlywed couple, we are all about starting our own family traditions and making Christmas memories together. For our second married Christmas, I decided to surprise my husband with breakfast. 

Although breakfast turned out splendidly, the surprise part didn't pan out so well. I'm bad at surprises and he is too smart to fool. 

Regardless, memories were made this morning as we dined on breakfast burritos, hashed browns, pumpkin spice coffee, and mini cinnamuffins. 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Mini Cinnamuffins

1 cup white sugar or Splenda (divided)

1/2 cup margarine, melted (divided)

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg, so I substituted pumpkin pie spice)

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease cupcake pan.

2. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup margarine, and nutmeg/pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, flour, and baking power. Mix thoroughly. 

3. Divide the mixture into the cupcake pan and bake 15-20 minutes, until muffins are golden. 

4. Meanwhile, mix 1/4 cup melted margarine, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1tsp cinnamon in a bowl. 

5. Remove muffins from pan and roll in the cinnamon-sugar butter. For a festive touch, top with a few Christmas sprinkles. Allow muffins to cool and serve.

(Why yes, that is Justin Bieber wrapping paper. Thanks for asking.)

August 26- Hosting BBQ Night!

Last night's supper was a team-effort. We hosted two other couples for one of our first dinner parties, since moving into our new place. Barbecue sounded like a good choice, considering the beautiful weather we've been having and the fact that it seems that just about everyone likes a little BBQ. Our dear friends provided drinks, chips, yummy guacamole, and baking a delicious cake (True friendship is being willing to turn on the oven in the middle of August). I made beans, whipped up the homemade salsa, and cooked refried beans. Everyone pitched in, but I would say that the hero of the night was my husband, Chris.

Chris is seriously King of the Grill. When the idea of a BBQ came up, he excited explained the perfect cut of meat, marinade, etc. At the time, it all went over my head. I'm no meat master and was in much need of a lesson in marinades, tenderizer, and beef cuts. "Just tell me what to buy. I buy, and you can be the Meat Master," I told him. We make a perfect time. The carne asada was delicious and everyone loved it! I'm convinced he can do anything. :)

 

Carne asada, warm tortillas, homemade salsa, guacamole, chips, and iced tea; 

The perfect farewell to summer meal. 

...I think they liked it >>

Friendship & Pizza

How could I forget about Sunday night with the girls? Cooking is always fun when it's a team effort.

April 8-Easter Sunday Treats

I love spending quality time with my family. Saturday afternoon was spent in the kitchen with my mom, catching up on life and making preparation for Sunday's Easter meal of ham, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, orange jello salad, rolls, and plenty of sweet treats to share. 

And of course, no family get-together would be complete without fruit pizza. 

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.