Joyful Abode

I can’t believe I’ve neglected my blog so much!

But then… given what’s been on my plate lately, I CAN believe it.

Let’s see… I think some of you know that I’m a preschool teaching assistant. For the past month, we’ve been getting ready for their graduation ceremony, and it was on Friday. The kids were all dressed up and SO CUTE. They all got stage fright simultaneously though, so the songs we had been practicing sounded like they were being sung by a chorus of semi-mute mice. It was really sweet.

The weekend before last weekend, my parents came to visit. We took them to the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, to the beach, had a cookout, and went to a few restaurants.  It was a pretty awesome visit.

Then last weekend (the one that just finished), I was an exhibitor at the Gulf Coast Women’s Expo! It was a huge thing to get ready for, and I was so nervous. Now that it’s over, I’m a little relieved, but I’m glad I did it. I handed out tons of business cards and free recipes, met some awesome people, and made some sales. But now I have a LOT of stock to add to my online store! It’s going to take me a whiiiiile.

In addition to prepping for the kids’ graduation, my parents’ visit, and the expo, I’ve also started two new writing jobs. I now am a co-blogger at Start Cooking which is quite awesome! I get to write about food-related stuff that’s very different from what I do here on Joyful Abode. They’re more professional, informative, primer-like articles, rather than the trial and error recipes and step-by-step how-tos I do here. I also landed a sweet position as a tea blogger for TippyLeaf, and I’ve been having a blast reading, researching, and learning about tea, and then sharing my knowledge (and awesome tea finds and events) with the world.

So… that’s where I’ve been.

I can guarantee you’ll see more of me in May than you did in April! It’s going to be a fantastic month.  To everyone who’s reading this: Thanks for sticking with me even through my little bit of down time. And to my BRAND NEW 90 subscribers (I’m up from 340 to 430 according to Feedburner), welcome! I hope you enjoy what I have in store for Joyful Abode in May!

Also… the Guy is almost finished with his primary flight training as a student Naval aviator. On May 8th, we’ll find out what track he’ll be on for Advanced, and if/where/when we’re moving!  It’s going to be so crazy. Wish him luck!

If you’re looking for a deliciously simple way to dress up a steak, a whole chicken, or any number of other things you might be cooking, this rub may just be the answer! Named “Ron’s Rub” after my dad, this is a yummy mixture of only four ingredients.

Equal parts:

• black pepper
• kosher salt
• brown sugar
• paprika

Rub it on a steak, throw it on the grill, and a couple minutes later you’ll have this! (Provided you already stuck your sweet potatoes into the oven about 45 minutes ago).

ModCustomJewelry is always coming up with new and awesome things! I am in love with the new “silver disk pendant” which can be inscribed with children’s names and adorned with beads representing their birthstones. A lot of “mother” jewelry can tend to be tacky, but this is the opposite! My other “new favorite” of hers is the exquisite handcrafted chainmaille necklace. Drool at the closeup. Even the handmade clasp is gorgeous.

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Mosaico specializes in handmade switchplate covers. This “blue explosion” one is really nifty! I also really love her little paper envelopes though. VERY neat. Also, check out this sweet deal (through April 30, so hurry!!!). When you purchase $20.00 or more from Mosaico’s shop, she will send a FREE pendant with your order.

Downthestreet has so many goodies for little girls and their mommies. I am in love with her girls’ circle skirts, mommy and daughter aprons, and beautiful quilts.

My favorite thing in her shop might be the “baby genius quilt” though… It reminds me of the I-spy quilts that some people make. You could spend hours playing I-spy with your toddler and this quilt!

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Mommy’s Little Helper is also filled with great products for mommies and kids. Her famous boo boo bags are filled with lavender, and her bath salts look fantastically relaxing.

My favorite thing in her store though has GOT to be the Monster Away Spray: lavender scented monster repellent. It kills and prevents monsters anywhere you spray it!

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Enigma Chck’s shop has lots of new things for spring including reversible bags, pretty pendants, and maptastic luggage tags.

I am loving these felt poesy pins!

If you’ve done much reading on this blog, you know that I love to cook and eat delicious foods. Unfortunately, they’re not all the healthiest choices, so my husband and I have decided to make more of an effort to plan healthy, lower-fat, lower starch, higher fiber, more veggie-filled meals. I also made a list of healthful snacks we should try to have on hand.

On the list was granola bars.

But do you know what??? They’re not all healthy! Some of the granola bars you can buy in stores may as well be candy bars, with the amount of sugar and “fluff” they include in their ingredients. And most of them (except Kashi) also have high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. Disgusting. While I love Kashi granola bars, the guy and I tend to go through a bunch of those, so it gets pretty expensive.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands. After reading tons of granola bar recipes (and throwing out the ones that sounded like disguised candy), I came up with my own mixture that works deliciously well to create healthful, filling granola bars. If I eat half of one of these and a small piece of fruit, I’m good to go for several hours. And it makes me happy knowing that I didn’t eat anything disgusting to feel full.

So here’s my recipe. Let me know if you try it out!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gather your ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup peanuts, crushed
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• approximately 8 oz. dried fruit

To crush your peanuts, put them in a plastic bag and smash them with a heavy mallet, measuring cup, or sauce pan.

Then, mix the peanuts, oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.

Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. (I forgot to take a picture of this step, but it looks so pretty!)

By now, your  grains and nuts should be toasted, so mix everything together in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit. Oh, and turn off your oven, because you’re finished with it now.

Mix everything REALLY WELL  because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything. Now, dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish.

Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Now fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.

Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.

Then, open the waxed paper …

And carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

Now, firmly pressing down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

I wrapped ours individually in plastic wrap, so that we could just throw one into our bag or lunch box in the morning. If you’d like to save on packaging though, you can store yours in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper (so they don’t stick together).

Enjoy!

Of course, you can mix up the recipe. I used peanuts because they’re what we had, but next time I’m going to make the granola nutless at first, but during the pressing-down part, I plan to press almonds into the top of the bars.

Another combo that would be fun to try is macadamia nuts, dried pineapple, and coconut flakes.

Or try dried cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate chips (just a few).

I also plan to add flax seed to my granola mix.

Different flavors of honey would also probably change the final outcome too. Mmm…

So many options! Good thing we have time!

This recipe is so simple and quick, and will work perfectly no matter how many people you’re cooking for. I made it for just the two of us, but it would easily expand to serve a dinner party.
Ingredients:

• 1 taco seasoning packet (this will be good for 2-4 servings)
• 1 chicken breast per person - boneless and skinless
• olives
• cheddar cheese
• fat free sour cream
• salsa
• lettuce

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the taco seasoning packet with the suggested amount of water.

Brown your chicken breasts in a pan, but don’t worry about cooking them all the way through. We just want to get a little color on them.

Bake the chicken in a little bit of the sauce (just drizzle some) for about 35 minutes, or until the chicken is done.

Simmer the rest of the sauce on the stovetop for about 10 minutes, with the olives mixed in (however many olives you think looks good).

When the chicken timer goes off, pour the rest of the sauce (with olives) over the chicken and sprinkle with a little bit of cheddar cheese. Return it to the oven until the cheese melts.

Slice the chicken and serve over lettuce. Top with fat free sour cream, salsa, and a drizzle of taco sauce.

Enjoy!

Amityd has gorgeous and unique modern jewelry made from reclaimed beads and other vintage surprises. Every piece has a story, and wearing her jewelry would be like secretly wearing a piece of history.

Her tea party in a box is to die for! Each box includes vintage hats, gloves, jewelry, tea cups, and a recipe!

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Merkabajewelry is a sweet shop filled with jewelry you can dress up or wear casually. She also has handknit scarves that would feel so snuggly! AND Now through Mother’s Day, she’s offering free shipping on everything in her shop! YAY!

My favorite item in her shop is this beautiful necklace. Just my colors, with a silver leaf/feather pendant.

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Irenemuldoon is always creating breathtaking jewelry designs. Everything she makes would be so easy to slip into your daily wardrobe!

And these earrings are just too cute… I love the sky blue + red + white combo!

This is going to be part 1 in a 3-part series on perfect party dips. At first, I thought it would only be 1 of 2, but then I realized I have never posted about how to make homemade pita chips! Tortilla chips, yes, plenty of times, but not pita chips. So I’ll have to buy some more pitas and make another batch. Eventually.

Anyway, everyone loves party dips, but not everyone loves the “bad stuff” that can be in them. These two are relatively healthy, and while they do have some fat, it’s the “good fat” from olive oils.

The first dip we’re focusing on is the yummus hummus. Really, it’s just hummus, but it’s so delicious, I had to add the yummus part.

Here’re (is that a word?) the ingredients you’ll need to make my yummus hummus recipe:

• 2 cans of garbanzo beans, drained (reserve the liquid from one can)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic (or 3 Tbsp pre-minced garlic from a jar)
• paprika to taste
• basil, parsley, or other herbs to taste
• extra virgin olive oil

Basically, you just throw together everything except the olive oil into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add olive oil and the reserved bean liquid until it’s smooth enough for your liking.

It’s also really good with some red bell peppers thrown in and blended together with it. Mmm… or olives. There are tons of hummus variations, so try whatever you think would be good! It can’t hurt.

This is delicious with homemade pita chips, wheat thins, Triscuits, on carrots (or celery or other raw veggies)… in a pita with some alfalfa sprouts and a slice of tomato… the possibilities are endless!

My pantry was starting to bug me more and more each day. Things were in front of things I needed, the open boxes of crackers were mixed with unopened boxes, bags and boxes of pasta were everywhere…

So do you want to know what I did?

I took everything out of the pantry, cleaned the shelves and swept the floor, and then put everything back in. Except for some foods I decided were too non-nutritious for us to actually eat, which we gave to my brother-in-law, who can handle it because he does triathlons and bikes everywhere.

I re-designated shelves and reorganized, but I didn’t actually buy any new organizing gadgets/boxes/shelves/baskets/widgets. It’s much better now, and I know exactly HOW MANY olives I have (olive-busting recipe to follow).

Sorry it’s blurry, but you can still tell how much better it is.

Basically, here’s how it went down:

My husband wanted chocolate cake.

I asked him if cupcakes would be good.

He said that’d be great.

We had strawberries. I chucked them in.

There was more batter, so I filled the mini muffin tins.

This time, I added white chocolate chips.

And… it was pretty much an ERROR.

I learned that:

1. Regular cake batter doesn’t seem to rise to form the happy dome that cupcakes tend to have. Does anyone know the exact difference between cake and cupcake batter? Or is mine just not the right kind of cake batter?
2. White chocolate chips SINK in thin batter, even if you put them on top. They were all at the bottom of the cups when I took out the cakes.
3. I don’t really love cooked strawberries, except maybe in pie (but I seem to think that when we made strawberry pies when I was little, they were still raw). Strawberry jam is good too. With rhubarb if it’s there. But not cooked in cakes.
4. It would be a good thing to have muffin papers for my mini muffin pan.
5. BUT…. even ERROR chocolate cupcake muffin thingies with strawberries can be delicious!

After the ERRORS, I didn’t bother with frosting them, but they were still tasty. I guess I still need to make the guy a chocolate cake though, huh?