Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This dish is similar to a couple that I already make but it is quite good! I think next time, we will use cubed chicken instead of shredded chicken. The shredded chicken gets lost in all the sauce. Also, Jim wants to try it over noodles instead of rice.

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (or cubed)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of sour cream

2 cups shredded colby jack cheese

1 bag frozen broccoli and chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook chicken and shred. Preheat oven to 375*. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Cook for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve over rice or noodles.

By: Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

Baked Zucchini Coins

I love zucchini, it's one of my favorite veggies. These make a great side dish with Italian meals.

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

Ingredients:

2 medium sized (or about 5 small) zucchini
Garlic powder and seasoning salt
Mozzarella Cheese (or Italian Cheese, Parmesan, any cheese will do)

Directions:
1. Slice your zucchini up into 1/2 inch rings.

2. Lay them out flat on a large cookie sheet (lightly sprayed with cooking oil). Sprinkle with garlic powder and seasoning salt.

3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender.
4. Take the hot pan out of the oven and sprinkle the zucchini with cheese. Turn the oven to broil, throw that cookie sheet back into the oven and let the cheese get all bubbly and a bit browned. This should only take about 3-5 minutes, watch carefully.

...Does not eat the bread of idleness

I promise not to only post about food. :) I'm just so excited to try all of these new recipes and wanted to write about it. I'm sure there will be more but I'll try to intersperse some thoughtful entries as well.

When I was reading the verses in Proverbs 31 the other day, one thing really stood out to me and convicted me. The virtuous woman is constantly in action.
"...works with eager hands."
"She gets up while it is still night..."
"She sets about her work vigorously..."
"...her lamp does not go out at night."
"...does not eat the bread of idleness."

I am currently a work-at-home mom so I can be with my baby girl. I work part time, mostly during her naps or when she is in bed. While she is playing independently, I spend much of my time cruising the internet or reading. I am realizing how much time I have been wasting and I am trying to figure out how to be more productive during this time. I'm learning how to strike a balance between taking care of her (since that is my primary job right now) and also not feeling like a complete lazy bum who had nothing to show for the day. The past couple of days have been better. I've been able to get a little bit of housework done while she plays at my feet. I've actually gotten a few short workouts in (a very difficult thing to do when there is a baby trying to climb up your legs). And I've cooked and baked a lot, providing meals for us this week and freezing three meals for a future week when I don't have time (or am too tired) to cook. I at least feel like I've accomplished something when Jim gets home from work and asks what I did all day :) I'm a work in progress.

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

I LOVE Mexican food, especially enchiladas. I made these for lunch yesterday and shared with my parents. They are sooo good! Jim doesn't like Mexican food but I'm going to see if he'll try these next time I make them. I'll make a convert of him yet :)

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
12 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

By: Joyful Momma's Kitchen

Carmelitas

I saw these yummy treats on Pinterest and the picture taunted me, so I had to try them. We thought they were pretty good. Honestly, I think my turtle bars are better (recipe to be uploaded later)

Carmelitas

Ingredients:
32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

By: Lulu the baker

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I jumped at this recipe for granola bars. Jim loves the Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars but I've been wanting to find a healthier alternative. I love how simple and delicious these were. We tried them today and our only modification would be to do a little less honey. I might add almonds for me too.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
See? Now wasn’t that so easy? Feel free to add in any spices or other add-ins that you like. Raisins, nuts, maple syrup, flax seeds, cinnamon, butterscotch chips, coconut, agave, craisins, citrus zest, the list goes on. And, it’s all super healthy!
Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.
Yield: 10 bars

By: Lauren's Lastest

Culinary Adventures

So, one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake! Unfortunately, my husband and I are picky eaters so it is sometimes challenging to find meals that we both like. We both have sweet tooths, and I have a lot more success finding desserts that we both enjoy, but that's not very healthy. We have been cycling thru the same handful of dinner recipes for the last several months and I've gotten bored. Each year, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to try a certain number of new recipes (I haven't picked a set number to try this year, just the general goal of trying new things). Most of the recipes end up being a dessert. We have found some favorites for dinner: chicken parmesan, chicken cordon bleu, roast chicken....are you noticing a trend? We love chicken. We'll eat pork too and ground beef. Jim likes steak, I like seafood; neither of us likes the other. I like spicy foods, Jim does not. I like fruit, Jim likes vegetables. Etc, etc., etc. I have made it a personal challenge to try to expand our menu choices, eat more healthfully, and try to be an example of good eating habits for our sweet little girl, Katie.

I have recently discovered Pinterest, and I've become addicted! We have tried 7 new recipes in the past 3 days (one snack, one dessert, one side, and 4 dinner dishes!). I want to have a section in this blog cataloging our favorite meals (and treats), as well as our adventures experimenting with new dishes. Our experiment is twofold: first, as I said before, I'm bored of cooking the same thing and I want to add more ideas to our "standard list" of dinners to choose from; second, I'd like to eat more healthfully. We are trying to be pretty intentional about reducing the amount of junk food we buy at the grocery store by replacing it with healthy alternatives, or at least a homemade version of the same thing (homemade chocolate chip granola bars, yum!). I hope you'll enjoy reading about our culinary adventures, and maybe you'll find some new recipes to add to your menu!

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!
This blog is about my life and journey to become more like the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. This idealized woman has intrigued me since I began learning about her and studying her sometime in college. Is it possible to become like this woman or is she just an illusive icon? Is she still relevant? What does it look like to be a woman of "noble character" in the 21st century? I want to discover what the Bible has to say about becoming a godly woman, to become a "crown to her husband" (Prov. 12:4), and to have my children call me "blessed" (Prov. 31:28). There are so many aspects to explore as they relate to this amazing woman: marriage, parenting, health and beauty, career and finances, charity, etc. I will be trying to post at least weekly, touching on these topics. I will also chronicle my walk with God and how he's transforming me into a Virtuous Woman...worth more than rubies.