Sugary Experiments and Other Thanksgiving Fun

I may never eat a chocolate chip cookie again. Seriously.

Okay, not seriously. But it will probably be at least a week. I think I've made a total of 9 batches of cookies in the last couple of days. I've tried every recipe under the sun - the great-texture no-flavor shortening kind, the crispy buttery kind, the vanilla pudding version; I've frozen the dough and melted the butter, taken out the baking soda, reduced the sugar, and added the sugar back in (what's a cookie if it isn't sweet?); I've reduced the flour and swapped up the sugars and still I've gotten no where.

This all started last weekend when my friend Madeline popped some frozen cookie dough in her oven and magic happened. I couldn't stop eating them. How does Pillsbury do it? I had to know.

Well, I'm sorry to report that after hours of grueling mixing and scooping and baking, I still do not know. Maybe I need to buy better ingredients (though I really don't see how Harris Teeter butter could be that different from Land O' Lakes), or maybe I just don't have the dough-boy touch. Whatever the case, I think I'm cookied out.

I'm also pied out. That's right. 3 Chocolate Pie Filling recipes in 3 days may possibly have turned me off to pie for awhile, if that's possible.

The great thing about the pies, however, is that every single recipe tasted De-Licious. After all the trials, this is what turned out to be my favorite (though it's not what I made for Thanksgiving -- Eric thought it was too chocolatey):

Super Chocolatey Pie Filling

Our rating: 8.5 (10 for me, 7 for Eric)

3/4 c. sugar

5 T. cocoa

3 T. cornstarch

Pinch of salt

2 c. milk

3 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt into a homogeneous mixture. Gradually stir in milk until liquid is smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until thick. Remove and stir in egg yolks. Heat for 3-4 more minutes. Add vanilla. Add to baked pie crust and refrigerate until set.

Another favorite around the Yates casa that I'm continually getting compliments on is my famous corn casserole. It's pretty much the most fabulous, fool-proof recipe ever, and if you haven't tried it, you should. All you need is one of everything!

Corn Casserole for Dummies

Our Rating: 10/10 (Sometimes I eat the leftovers for lunch. It's that incredible).

1 can cream corn

1 can whole kernel corn

1 stick butter or margarine

1 egg

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 8-oz can sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes.

Chocolate pie and corn casserole were just two of the delicious dishes we enjoyed this past Thursday. Eric and I spent Thanksgiving with some friends from church, and I have to say, my culinary palette was super-satisfied with the array of dishes we came up with. Besides the typical turkey-day dishes made by our wonderful host and hostess (Gretchen & Sandeep), we had meatballs, fried potatoes, and some awesome cheesecake and cookies. I think that, not unlike the Grinch's heart, my stomach grew three sizes that day.

Eric enjoyed the food too, but I think he had the most fun carving up turkey.

I just love how hard he concentrates!

We also enjoyed playing games after dinner, watching a little football, and, of course, I enjoyed looking through the sale papers. Despite my original resolve not to do Black Friday at all, I found myself almost getting up at 3 am to stand outside Belk (don't worry, it was pouring down rain and I opted to sleep a few more hours). I did actually get up at 7 and hit the mall. It wasn't in vain -- I picked up a few presents for cheap, and got myself this cute purse I've been eying the last couple of months.

Oh, and Home Depot had poinsettias for $1. Is there a cheaper Christmas decoration? I think not. :-)

So that was Thanksgiving 2010 in a nutshell. I'm sad to see it go, but we all know what the passing of Turkey Day means... Christmas decorations, fun movies and music, and of course, the best football game of the year!

So until next time... Pig Sooie!!

... It bursts into Thanksgiving

Oh, Autumn.

I guess when most people think of vacations, they think of sunny beaches and warm sand in the summertime. They think of tanned skin and fruity drinks and lazy days.

But not my family.

Don't get me wrong... we went to the beach when we visited our family in south Texas, and I probably spent more time in the sand than most of my other far-inland friends. But "vacations" - vacations were spent going somewhere pretty, somewhere with color, cool breezes and chilly nights; and nine times out of ten that meant North Carolina & Tennessee in the fall.

So, having been exposed to the beauty that is a North Carolina autumn as a child, I, of course, was quite elated when we were able to move here last year. After many seasons of south Arkansas' overnight change from green leaves to bare trees, the fact that God paints this colorful scenery each year sparks the deepest awe in me. I know it's a dorky thing to say, but it feels a little magical. Just walking outside makes me smile; and I like that.

I think Paul Laurence Dunbar said it best:

The earth is just so full of fun

It really can't contain it;

And streams of mirth so freely run

The heavens seem to rain it...

Why, it's the climax of the year,—

The highest time of living!—

Till naturally its bursting cheer

Just melts into thanksgiving

Isn't it the perfect time for the Thanksgiving holiday? I think so.

I've been trying to make a point to take pictures of this lovely time. After all, we probably won't live here forever and I want to remember how beautiful this time of year is, and how happy it makes feel.

Last year Eric and I took an entire afternoon to snap some foliage photos. This year, I was pretty pressed for time and suddenly found that autumn had almost come and gone without my noticing. So, since I needed to exercise anyway, I went on a photo run last Saturday (yes, yes, a literal run). It's a little nerdy, I know, but I got the idea from a fitness magazine, and I have to say: I loved it! I was so distracted looking for the prettiest trees that I ran 4 miles in what seemed like no time, and I actually had something to show for it when I was done.

I'm certainly no photographer, and there's nothing special about these shots, but looking at these pictures from the last two years makes me smile. I hope it will do the same for you. :-)

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."

-Martin Luther

Soup's On!

A few weeks ago, Eric and I went to a fall potluck for the med school Better Halves Club - a potluck that featured two delicious Southwest Taco soups. Ever since then, I've been having serious southwestern cravings. Warm soup on a chilly fall day... you can't get much more satisfying than that!

Unfortunately, even though I'm the picky eater in the family, my sweet husband has one food group he pretty much detests, and, of course, it's a primary ingredient in Southwest Taco Soup. You guessed it, friends - Eric has a horrible aversion to beans. Pinto, Ranch Style, Lima, Baked, Boiled, or Grilled: anyway you fix them, he's just not a fan.

So my challenge to myself for this winter is to come up with a southwestern-style soup sans beans. I know, I know. This will not be easy. There will be trials and frustrations, un-tasty meals, and probably some wasted food into the bargain. But will it be worth it? I sure hope so.

We tried trial soup #1 today, and, while not a new family classic, I can honesty say I've eaten worse things (like deviled eggs... who really thought that was a good idea?). The ranch dressing mix gives it an interesting, almost herby kick, and the tomatoes with green chiles add some make-you-sweat-a-little spice. I made it by taking the beans out of a normal recipe, so if you are actually a fan of beans, I'd say give it a try!

Southwest Taco Soup

Our Rating: 6.5/10

1-2 lbs. ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

1-1/2 c. water

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

2 cans tomatoes & green chiles

1 package ranch salad dressing mix

(1 can mild chili beans)

(1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained)

Cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and add taco seasoning. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Hopefully my next attempt will prove more successful.

This week I'm trying Martinated Baked Pork Chops. (I know you're so anticipating my next riveting post, am I right?) Be sure to stop by and see how that turns out. :-) Have a wonderful week!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

I have to say, I was pretty stoked when I heard on the radio that the lows were going to be in the 20s this weekend. After all, anything below freezing justifies buying some firewood (even if it is the magical "burn-for-3-hours and don't leave any ashes" kind of wood).

Oliver apparently enjoyed it too. He's always really curious about the fireplace. I'm guessing he was pretty excited to finally find out what it was for. He just stared and purred at it most of the night. I guess I'm an old lady now, because I think Friday nights cuddled up at home are the best!

Happy November! :-)

We're a little too old for baby food.

Trying out new recipes is fun. It makes me get out of my comfort zone a little bit, pair ingredients differently, and try new things; and usually this results in us finding new favorite dishes we can use again and again.

This week didn't quite go that way.

For lunch Sunday we decided we would pick up a rotisserie chicken from our local grocery store (they're only $5 on Sundays!) and then just have some veggies with it. Well, of course this seemed like the perfect time to try out a recipe I found for Creamy Sweet Whipped Carrots. (I am a cooked carrot fanatic). Here's the picture the website gave:

Does it not look like a delicious pie filling?

Well, I wish I had a picture of what it really looked like. Oh wait. Here's a good one:

That's right, it looked and felt just like baby food. Now, I'm not saying the flavor wasn't good. I'm a texture person though, and there are just some food textures that should not enter your mouth unless you're under the age of 2 or there's someone under the age of 2 in your presence. So after a couple of bites - more like sips, rather - I threw in the towel. And Eric, who is not actually a fan of cooked carrots at all, just made a face and pushed his plate away. It was a bummer -- we wasted a whole bag of perfectly good carrots, and the whole thing ended up in the trash. :(

As I mentioned before, the flavor was good (if you like cooked carrots). So if you have a baby in your house and want to give it a try, or if you're just feeling adventurous, hey, have a go at it. You'll just have to ignore our sad sad rating.

Creamy Sweet Whipped Carrots

Our Rating: 2.5/10

1 lb. baby carrots

4 oz. fat free cream cheese

2 Tbsp. fat-free milk

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

(1) Place carrots in a microwavable bowl or casserole dish. Add enough water to completely cover the carrots and microwave on high for 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Drain.

(2) Place carrots in a food processor and add fat free cream cheese, milk, and brown sugar. Cover and process until well blended. Place in a service bowl and top with cinnamon.

After the carrot disaster, I decided to brave a new spaghetti sauce recipe on Monday night. It was tolerable (we actually ate it), but not worth even posting the recipe (I threw it away right after the meal). I'll never make it again.

Maybe I should stick to making sweets.

I guess while we're on disasters, I should throw in the pumpkin we carved last weekend. It ended up a little on the sad side as well.

It started off well enough. Eric carved the top off and pulled out all the gooey innards while I cut out a design to trace onto the pumpkin. Eric cleaned while I drew an outline. We were the perfect team, and we were both feeling pretty darn good about ourselves.

Unfortunately, neither of us has much pumpkin carving experience. Pardon the poor lighting, but this is what we were attempting to carve out:

Cute, right? Unfortunately, it was a pretty tall order for novices like ourselves. Who knew letters could be so difficult? This is what we ended up with:

It says "Boo." In case you couldn't tell. (Don't feel bad. We could barely tell either. And we made it.) "Didn't it say 'Welcome' before?" you may ask. Yes, yes it did. That is how badly we messed up. Every letter became an O.

Of course the "Boo" didn't last very long. It's really more appropriate to say that the pumpkin said "Boo", because within a few minutes, all the OOOOs caved in along with the ghost, resulting in more of a B with a big hole next to it.

So there was only one option left. I was forced to carve this out on the other side:

And that was manageable. I was even a little proud. I mean, nothing collapsed and I didn't stab myself (which is kind of a miracle in itself considering my clumsiness. Just last night I managed to hit myself in the face with the remote control. Who else does that?) So all was well. Until it rained two days later. Since Mr. Pumpkin was open on both sides... you guessed it. Water-filled, moldy pumpkin. Gross.

Oh, disasters. At least we have the pictures to commemorate. :-)

Run the Race

So I'm sure you've been wondering if we've fallen off the face of the planet. No, no, I assure you we did not disappear. There's simply been a lot of excitement going on at the Yates house this week. (Unfortunately for you food enthusiasts, the excitement has led to a great cooking deficit, but I'm hoping to remedy this in the week to come... maybe. :-)

Isn't it great how sometimes, out of the blue, you just have a really great week? A week where things just seem to go your way? Where you find yourself handling struggles with grace, and opportunities are popping up left and right? It doesn't happen very often. But after a few months of job-hunting constantly and hearing nothing, of having my husband locked away in his study room that we now refer to as "the cave," of spending days not leaving the apartment complex, this week has been nothing but a breath of fresh air. :-)

The most obvious piece of exciting news is that I finally got a job! I know, I know, it hasn't actually been *that* long since unemployment took over my life, but it turns out that I am really bad at sitting at home doing nothing. Needless to say I am super thankful that I will be working as the head secretary & finance person at Konnoak Elementary here in Winston-Salem starting Tuesday! Yay!

I talk about unemployment, but I guess that's not completely true. I spent the greater part of the last two weeks substitute teaching at a private school here in town. Lucky for me, none of my classes had more than 5 kids, and this past week I spent the entire time tutoring one-on-one. It was super-easy and those kids were hilarious! I think my favorite moment was when a [very hyper] 5th grader told me he was part Cherokee (and Irish and English, too!), and so he started singing a Cherokee war song to me and doing a "Cherokee Dance." I'm pretty sure he was making it up as he went along, but he was sooo into it, I couldn't help but laugh!

As for Eric, he has only one more week of school until CPE week, which we are both SUPER pumped about! "What is a CPE week?" you may ask. That is a very good question! In long terms, it means he will take a week off of school to go do a "Community Practice Experience" in which he works with a doctor here in town and practice seeing patients, taking histories, etc. In short terms, however, it means I get my husband back for a week! It has amazed me how much studying has gone into second year of medical school so far. After 6-8 hours a day of lecture, he's back at home going over PowerPoints and re-listening to things he's missed until long after I've gone to sleep. I guess we both knew what we were signing up for, but it will be sooo great to get this break!

In other fun news, as of October 1st, I have run 500 miles this year! (This, of course, does not include whatever insane amount of miles that we walked while in Europe). I know, I know, 500's not really very much in the big picture. But, though I've run for a couple of weeks here and there in the past, I've never really followed any exercise regimen for more than a month. Just accomplishing the consistency needed to reach this goal has been a victory in itself! I'm hoping to reach at least 650 (maybe 700?) miles by the end of the year. We'll see how that goes!

Another fun accomplishment: I ran my first 5K this morning, and did it in 29:40! (My goal was 30:00). After running all year just for fun, it was nice to actually accomplish something! All the proceeds went to a food bank here in town, so in addition, I got to run for a cause. And Eric was absolutely wonderful and got up at the crack of dawn to come cheer me on, even though he's been feeling a little sick. Isn't he the sweetest?

We've been okay with how nutty our lives have been the last couple of months. Eric has dealt so well with his increased work load; and staying at home some made me sit and think a lot about life and what God wants me do with it. I've been humbled more every day by how small my faith can be and the fact that God accepts me anyway. And that's been tough, but it's been good. It's been a growing period.

But even though I've come to be okay with the way things have been, I have to say... I sure am glad to have week of wins! :-)

1 Corinthians 9:24 - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. "

Mexican Shepherds Pie

So this is super-similar to a dish my mom used to make, only with a spicy kick. It's quick, easy, and makes enough to have leftovers. We absolutely loved it!

Mexican Shepherds Pie

Our Rating: 8/10

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 can diced tomatoes or Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/4 c. hot water

1 pkg. frozen whole kernel corn

1 box Jiffy cornbread

salt

pepper

garlic powder

1 can black olives (optional)

Mexican cheese (optional)

(1) Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 1.5 quart cooking dish.

(2) Cook beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and onion is translucent. Drain the grease and add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Stir in tomatoes and corn. Cook about 5 minutes. Add taco seasoning and hot water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Pour into the cooking dish.

(3) While the beef mixture is simmering, prepare the cornbread mix as directed on the box. After the beef mixture has been poured into the cooking dish, spread the cornbread batter over it as evenly as possible.

(4) Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Garnish with olives and cheese as desired.

Enjoy! :-)