Chicken Asparagus Casserole

This is a casserole that I make every year during the holidays.  My mom always made this. It's one of those recipes that is a tradition.   My mom always boiled a big hen for the chicken broth for noodles and gravy. She would have all this meat left from the chicken and one year she found this recipe and made it to use up the chicken and it became such a hit with our family that she continued to do it year after year.  We had around 30 people at that time for holiday dinners so you couldn't have too much food.  I do not have that many people for holiday dinners and we have too much food.  Every year, I try to cut back on the amount of food that I prepare and my family is always saying "well you have to make this or that" so I never cut back.  We always have leftovers and I have started putting a lot of the food in the freezer and it does great.  You can freeze this casserole and it does great.  Just set it out to unthaw and then warm it up at 350 for about 45 minutes or until it's warmed through and it taste great.

This casserole is rich and all you need to go with it is a salad.

4 cans cut asparagus
Meat from one cooked chicken, cut in bite size pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cream of chicken soup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
11/2 cups of mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of butter

Cook asparagus and drain.  Arrange the asparagus in the bottom of a baking dish.  Place chicken on top of asparagus.  Combine soup, mayonnaise and lemon juice and cover top of chicken with this mixture.  Put shredded cheddar cheese on top of mayo mixture.  Then melt butter and stir in bread crumbs.  When bread crumbs have absorbed the butter and become crumbly, sprinkle over the top of the cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Quote

Love yourself so much that you don't allow selfish people to take advantage of you.
                                                                                              author unknown

Spinach Quiche and Waldorf Salad

This salad and quiche is a wonderful combination.  This is my mom's Waldorf salad recipe and it is so good.  I haven't made the salad for years and we had this for dinner one night recently and Gary went on and on about how good it was and that I needed to make it more often.  He was right, it really is a great salad and I do need to make it more often.  It pairs well with a lot of things.  It just hasn't been on my radar for a while. 
This is a great brunch combo just add a coffee cake, small cinnamon rolls, blueberry scone or muffin and you will be set.  This is all very rich and believe me this is all you need.

Waldorf Salad
4-5 Fuji or Gala apples (or your favorite Pink Lady is also good) you could add a couple of Granny Smith for a mixture of red and green color
3-4 stalks celery, diced
11/2 cups pecans, roughly diced
1-2 cups miniature marshmallows
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
Whisk together and pour over apple mixture.  The dressing I make from memory.  You can add a little more sugar if that's not sweet enough and also a little more milk if it is too thick.  You can put fresh lemon juice on the apples to keep them from turning and I usually add the dressing right before serving.

Spinach quiche
One nine inch unbaked pie shell.
1 pound lean bacon, fry bacon and crumble
1 white onion, diced
2 cups heavy cream, warmed
4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
white pepper (I always use black, never have white on hand)
parmesan cheese
2 cups of baby spinach cut into pieces

I use a glass nine inch pie dish.  If you use aluminum pie plates this will make 2 pies.  After you fry the bacon, remove most of the grease leave one tablespoon and add the one tablespoon of butter and saute onions until transparent.  Layer unbaked pie shell with bacon and then onions, cubes cheese and then the grated Swiss on top. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and pepper to taste.  Beat eggs into warm cream and add spinach and pour over top.  Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and then 15 minutes at 350.  Cool 10 minutes before slicing.
I cook my quiche in the glass dish for 10 minutes at 450 then 30 to 40 minutes at 350.  It's thicker when you make one pie and it takes a little longer.  It will firm up after it cools a little.

Leftover Roast Beef Sandwich

When I bake a rump roast this is a wonderful way to use the leftovers.  This sandwich is really great and it sure doesn't taste leftover.

It is very simple, just saute some green and red bell peppers along with one onion.  When these are tender set aside.  You could use ciabata bread or a good crisp French roll.  Toast the roll let it cool a little and put on plain mayonnaise or add some basil pesto to the mayo if you have some on hand.  Put on both sides of the roll and put on slices of roast beef and top with your sauted peppers and onions.
Also, you can take one cup on water and add one beef bouillon cube to it and place over medium heat.  When this liquid starts to boil add your slices of roast beef and let this simmer for about 5 minutes.  It really warms up the meat and I think it taste better than added cold slice beef to the sandwich. 
This is how I cook a rump roast and it has wonderful flavor.  I always wash off roast under cool running water and pat dry with paper towel.  Place roast on heavy duty foil.  I put salt and pepper to taste as well as garlic powder.  Then I put on one package of onion soup mix.  If I cooking a 4-6 pound roast I will use 2 packages of onion soup mix.  I don't always do this but you can also slice fresh mushrooms along the sides of the roast. It makes a wonderful mushroom gravy.  I bring the foil up over the sides and crimp it at the top and one end.  The end that is open, I will add about 2-3 cups of water and then close that end of the foil.  I bake the roast at 325 degrees for about 4 hours for a 2-3 pound roast.  If the roast is 4-6 pounds I cook it about 5 1/2 hours. I turn off the oven and let the roast cool down for about 45 minutes.  I've really noticed a difference in the tenderness of the roast when I do this.  Then take the roast out put on a platter and make your gravy.
I make gravy by mixing flour and water together to make a somewhat runny paste.  I empty the broth from the foil into a pan and put the pan on medium heat.  Pour in your flour mixture and stir with a whisk until it thickens.  It turns out great every time and he gravy has wonderful flavor from the soup mix.  It may need a little more salt.  Just taste and see what you think.

Andrea Bocelli

This is pretty interesting.  My last post was about being thankful for hearing and I'm about to tell you of the wonderful Andrea Bocelli concert we attended in Dallas several weeks ago. 

This was another heart's desire for me.  Andrea Bocelli is one of my favorite performers.  After seeing him on T.V. performing a concert in Central Park and one in Tuscany, that was on my list.....I had to see him in person.  We didn't get the concert in Central Park or Tuscany but we did get an unseasonably warm December evening in Dallas.  Great dinner and then the concert.  It was beautiful!  Many times I just sat with my eyes closed listening to how beautiful the music was.  He had a woman violinist who was great as well as two women who separately sang with him at various times and they both had amazing voices.  The range and the force behind their voices was moving.  You could feel their emotions in their music.  Andrea had five encores.  He was so gracious to keep coming back and singing one more time.

Gary became a fan!  He loves the song "Nessun dorma" that Bocelli sang and it is not only playing in his office but I will hear him singing the ending of the song at the top of his lungs.  So funny!  He had a singing part in a play in grade school and he has always told me he missed his calling to be a singer.  (laughing out loud) He makes life fun and enjoyable.   We had a wonderful time and it will always be a memorable and cherished evening.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."                                                Plato

Music

This was a quote of my flip calendar, "Music is the art of thinking with sounds."  ~Jules Combarieu

We are all moved by music and we feel it to the depths of our soul.  There's nothing like music and this morning I'm so very thankful that I can hear!

Have a wonderfully happy thankful time preparing for this wonderful holiday!

Kindness

        What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago and I loved it! 

2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts
1 large red apple, I used Honeycrisp
5 smoked bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Remove and discard stem ends from Brussels sprouts; peel leaves, and place in a large bowl.  Add apple slices.
Cook bacon until crisp and break into 1/2 inch pieces.  Reserve drippings from bacon.  Add bacon pieces to Brussels sprouts mixture.
Add vinegar to drippings and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet.  Boil one minute or until reduced to about 1/3 cup.
Stir in mustard and 4 ingredients.  Add oil in a slow steady stream, stirring occasionally until blended.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and sugar.  Pour hot dressing over Brussels sprouts and toss.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy this Autumn Weekend!

The woods are full of fairies;
              The sea is full of fish;
The trees are full of golden leaves,
Let's make an Autumn wish.    ~ Anon


 

Leaf from Arboretum

Spinach Orzo Salad

This is a wonderful new spinach salad I tried.  It has a wonderful light lemony dressing.  It's a wonderful addition to baked fish or chicken or a light lunch.

4 cups of spinach
3/4 cup uncooked orzo
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded skinless, boneless baked chicken breast (I omitted this when I made the salad)
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and place in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil salt, garlic and honey; stir well with a whisk.  Drizzle juice mixture over orzo and toss to coat.  Add chicken, dill, red pepper, onion, cucumber and spinach and toss gently to combine.  Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Our Trip to the Dallas Arboretum

  

  Several weekends ago we took a wonderful day trip to the Dallas Arboretum.  It has been a desire of my heart to go there for years.  Let me tell you how I heard about the Arboretum.  I took a master gardening class in 1993.  This might be something you would be interested in.  It usually starts in September and you meet once a week from about 9:00 a.m. until around 3:00 p.m. and the class ends in December.   You have a little assignment every week and an open book final at the end of the class.  The class is free but you are asked to donate a certain number of hours to answer the phone at the extension center at OSU-OKC. (Things may have changed some since I took the class so you will have to call and get specifics.)  You have about a 5-6 inch notebook of fact sheets, handouts and your personal notes when you finish the class.  It is a great resource of information to have on hand.  The class is very informative and you learn a lot about all types of gardening.  You have professionals in the various fields of horticulture to professors from OSU in Stillwater who give lectures on various aspects of gardening. When I took this class I heard other master gardeners talk about the Dallas Arboretum and how beautiful it is.  And it is! 

I took so many pictures of the gardens and the landscaping I couldn't begin to post all of them although I wanted to.  The gardens are on 66 acres that front a beautiful lake.  You will have to look on line at all the activities they have.  They have two old beautiful homes that sit on the property.  One you can tour and they serve a high tea and also a beautiful outdoor space for lunch.  The other home is used for office space upstairs and the down stairs in used for parties and receptions.  The patio of this home opens up to a huge lawn area where there are outdoor concerts and it overlooks the lake.  You are free to bring a lunch and spread a blanket and eat on the grounds through out the gardens and we saw many people doing that or lying on a blanket just reading. 

We walked the whole acreage from front to back and all the nooks and crannies in between.  We saw all the babbling brooks, the bird sanctuary and took notice of all the unusual varieties of plants and the huge crepe myrtle trees.  Everything is beyond beautiful!  There were several weddings that day and one future bride was having her wedding portrait made.

I wanted to go in the fall because I love the fall and there is nothing to compare to their pumpkin display.  They display over 65,000 pumpkins and gourds and no I didn't add to many zeros.  :)  The pumpkin village is magical.  They have 4 different types of pumpkin houses and inside the houses they have painted tarps and there are stories written about gardening for children.  A hay bale maize that kids can run and romp through.  It was the perfect day for this and by 1:00 there were lots of families enjoying this story book atmosphere. 

We were there for about three and half hours and worked up quite an appetite doing all that walking.  We couldn't leave Dallas without going to one of our favorite restaurants, "Pappadeaux".  I highly recommend Pappadeaux and I would suggest one of the chef's specialties, you won't go wrong.  So far, it's the best fish I've ever eaten. Also try the Greek Salad for two that's prepared at your table.  It's light but has the freshest ingredients, plump shrimp, capers, an assortment of greens other vegetables with a light homemade dressing. It's making me hungry now thinking about it. :)  As you can see, the end our day was crowned with a gorgeous sunset.  What a beautiful way to end a beautiful day. 

One heart's desire marked off my list!

Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Swirl Cake

This is one pumpkin treat you will want to try.  It is delicious!  If you like to give little gifts to neighbors or friends at Thanksgiving, this would be great. And get ready because they will be asking for more.  It is called a cake and its very moist and it's a wonderful break from your traditional pumpkin bread.  

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ( I used 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 t. clove and ginger)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ;arge eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 oz. dark chocolate, melted

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line pan with parchment; coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  

In a large bowl whisk together flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and sugar.  Add butter, buttermilk,and vanilla. Whisk until combined well and fold in pumpkin.  

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients all at once and whisk until no lumps remain. 

Divide batter in half and add melted chocolate and coco powder to half the batter, stir to combine. 

Alternately add batters to pan.  Using a knife swirl through batter. 

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until cake has risen and crackled and a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove,let cool 20 minutes. Invert on a wire rack and cool completely.

For orange glaze, in a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, orange peel and orange juice.  Spoon over cooled cake.  I spooned my glaze over the cake while still warm.

Best Things In Life Are Free

An hour outdoors can be worth ten
in the therapist's office.  Make the most of nature's blessings: fresh air, sunshine, trees, grass, falling leaves, creeks, rivers, lakes and the ocean if you are lucky enough to live by it.  This time of year, the best things in life are free.  We are to celebrate the abundance of the Earth and all of it's many gifts to us.

There have been times that a day didn't seem so great starting out and was totally turned into a marvelous  day by getting outside and digging in the dirt or taking a walk or just sitting and listening to the birds sing and looking at the bluest sky.  It never ceases to amaze me how my perspective always changes.

My New Flower Beds

I'm really excited!  After many years, I finally have my flower beds sculptured.  We had some old bricks at our home when we moved in so I thought I would use them to make an edging for the flower beds.  I know this is an old fashion concept but I love it, this is totally me. I made a few beds with the bricks we had but have never been able to finish what I wanted to do.  I didn't want to buy a whole pallet of bricks because I didn't need that many.  So my wonderful husband was coming home from out of town and came through a small town about 30 miles from us where an old building had fallen down on main street.  I called the city manager and he gave us a permit to pick up the bricks. So we have made several trips actually 3 to pick up bricks.  I keep deciding to make one more flower bed.  Actually, the one in front of the green house is my last one. Gary is sure hoping it will be.  :)

I want to thank him now for helping me load and unload all these bricks.  I really had fun putting these in and looking at the finished product.  I still have to dig the grass out of some of them.  A lot of that has already been finished in the other beds but as you can see there is still some digging for the one in front of the green house.

Next will be the really fun part of picking out the shrubs and flowers I want to use.  I was listening to an author speak the other day and she talked about her passion of going into old books stores and that she loves them and just goes nuts when she enters.  I laughed to myself because I knew exactly what she was talking about I like old books stores but my passion is going to green houses, I love them and I go nuts when I enter one.

Enjoy these beautiful days outside~  xo

Carving Pumpkins

I saw this in a magazine recently and thought it was a different look from the traditional toothy grin.

What Fall is Looking Like At Our Home