Recipe Thursday - Butternut Squash Pumpkin Soup

I love love love butternut squash and found this gluten free soup recipe. Perfect fall soup!

Ingredients:
1 extra large butternut squash
1 15ounce can of Libby's Pumpkin
1 large Honeycrisp apple, peeled and cored and cubed or you can use 1 and 1/2 cups of apple juice
1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
1 and 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 and 1/2 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
few dashes to 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg although I use the dashes and add more if needed
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the squash and remove the seeds then cut into chunks. Place the squash chunks in a baking dish or cookie sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake at 450 defrees for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.

In a large stock pot, saute the diced apple and onion until soft then add the squash. Mash the squash with a potato masher right in that pot. Add the pumpkin, almond milk, and vegetable broth. Mix well.

Transfer this mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy then transfer back to the stock pot. Add the honey, curry, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Heat to boiling then reduce to a low simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls and garnish with the roasted pumpkin seeds. I usually serve this with crusty gluten free bread.

Side note: If you use a really big butternut squash you might need to adjust the apple or juice, vegetable broth, and/or almond milk. Vice versa if the squash is on the smaller side the you decrease the amounts of liquids used.

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Inspirational Sunday - Dali Lama

I could add some words of wisdom here but I don't have any. I love the Dali Lama and I believe his words stand on their own. The following has been my mantra........

"One does not know how to live unless they know how to die."

Recipe Thursday - Easy Spinach Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Rolls

There is a recipe going around social media about a 4 ingredient chicken bake. I make something similar to it but after reading the recipe, I definitely like mine better. Theirs uses pesto. I don't happen to like pesto that much so and I made my own recipe many many moons ago.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups baby spinach, rinsed, dried, chopped
4-6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
4 chicken breasts pounded very thin
4-6 ounces of mozzarella sliced
6 ounces ricotta cheese
about 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (do not use dried basil)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish or baking sheet with foil and spray foil with nonstick spray.

Heat oil in a very large pan over medium heat and add garlic - saute for less than a minute then add the chopped spinach - again do not use frozen spinach only fresh spinach. Saute the spinach a little but don't let it completely wilt. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.

Brush and season lightly the pounded chicken breasts with the olive oil, salt and pepper. On one half of each breast, put 1/4 of the spinach mixture, a tablespoon of the ricotta, 2 slices of tomato, some chopped basil and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Roll each up beginning with the side that has all the ingredients. Skewer the end to hold it in place and place the roll then either in the baking pan or on the baking sheet you had already prepared.

Bake for 30 minutes covered. Then uncover and add another slice of mozzarella, 1-2 slices of tomato, and sprinkle the rest of the basil across each breast roll. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Let stand 5 minutes then serve.

I usually serve this over fresh pasta or spaghetti squash. I have also served this with roasted broccoli or roasted brussel sprouts.

#NursesUnite vs The View

If you have not been following this and you are a nurse, you are missing out on a hilarious blunder The View made yesterday then tried to backpedal on the topic today after nurses took to Twitter and Social Media calling out The View for how they demeaned nurses.

The story is here: https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/view-responds-nursesunite-backlash-love-nurses-deserve-raises-153656835.html

But basically The View wants us nurses "to chill".

Yeah....don't think so. Maybe this is why The View is on its way out?

One can only hope they don't need to check into a hospital anytime soon.

Inspirational Sunday - Grandparent's Day

I just cannot say enough about the deep down joy one experiences having a grandchild. My daughter called me early this morning - by early I am saying 7am! She knows I am not an early riser and especially on Sundays because that is my only day off and I tend to sleep in. She asked if she could bring my granddaughter over for a couple of hours this morning because she wanted to go to her gym to watch a contest and participate and my son-in-law wasn't home yet. Now I rarely get up early for anyone but my granddaughter? Of course!

Taking care of K during the morning is way different than the K we see in the afternoon and evening. The morning K is still a little groggy but goofy and silly. We painted nails with "polishpink toes fingers." Then she wanted to play ball box. Ball box was a way of entertaining her when my house is not very kid friendly. We tend to watch K at her house. Box balls are my interpretation of playing Bozo Buckets - instead of using buckets we use bankers boxes and we use golf balls as our balls. We use a few boxes so she has a huge area to 'toss the ball into the box'. I just love her interpretation of what we play. Her back pack is her ackpac!

Grandchildren are simply pure joy. She makes me remember why it is thrilling to be alive. She allows me to see things through her age level where everything is new and fun instead of through more jaded eyes like mine. Grandchildren are non judgemental - she doesn't care my house is still decorated in grays and pinks. She just wants to be loved and played with. She loves everything and her joy and giggles are contagious.

We live in the moment when we play where she is the person in charge. During the mornings she is slower paced. Afternoons and evenings she is a fireball of energy. It is nice to just enjoy her and not worry about making sure there is food in the pantry or how much laundry there needs to be done. It is pure quality time. Grandparents also get to come and go pretty much as we please although I would love to see her more but work just keeps getting in the way.

My granddaughter is one smart kid and she already knows how to work my cell better than I do. But as a grandparent we are in a unique position in that we can be role models for them and we just started learning prayers - gratitude prayers for right now but knowing she can put her hands together and pray with us. She just started including Papa and Gramma in her prayers with love yous and we are before monkey and horsey.

So Happy Grandparent's Day to all!

Recipe Thursday - Chicken and Dumplings

I was in comfort food mode today and craved this so that is what we had for dinner. I served it with my Cheesy Gluten Free Biscuits (recipe here: http://myviewallmine.blogspot.com/2015/07/recipe-thursday-chopped-salad-with.html

This is super simple to make and usually I make it using frozen chicken I have in the deep freeze. I was running out of fresh chicken broth so decided to boil my chicken today.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken - around 4-5 pounds
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 bay leaves
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 and 1/2 tablespoons table salt, adding more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, adding more to taste

Directions:
Put the chicken into a large soup pot. Cover it with about 1/2 inch of water then add the onion, bay leaves, and butter. Cover. I usually set it to high heat bringing it to a boil. I then reduce heat to low, partially cover until it is very gently simmering for 2-3 hours.

You can tell the chicken is done when the meat is falling off the bones. I transfer the chicken to a cutting board and leave the broth and bay leaves in the pot. I pour off half the broth into canning jars then replace the broth with water. When the chicken has cooled a bit, I use a fork and start shredding the chicken, throwing out the bones, skin, and other waste. I save the chicken giblets if they came with for Thanksgiving or when I make giblet dressing for stuffed chickens. I place the shredded chicken in a bowl and cover to keep it warm.

Now I begin the dumplings.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour (I have been trying to make this gluten free but haven't succeeded yet in finding the proper balance of gluten free flours)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs, beaten
Garnish: minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add the oil and stir to coat the flour then add the water and beaten eggs. Stir just enough to combine, then knead with clean hands until evenly mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured board (I use my granite counter top) and divide the dough in half. Take the first portion and roll out into a thin rectangle. Slice the dough lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips, then cut each strip cross-wise into pieces 4 inches long. Repeat with remaining dough.

Finishing Directions:
Bring the broth back to a boil. Drop the dumpling strips into the boiling liquid. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the dumplings are tender (the dumplings will puff up a wee bit and look whitish). Return the shredded chicken to the pot in the last 5-15 minutes of cooking. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed. I will also add more flour to thicken the broth up a little to make it less runny.

I usually already have made the cheesy gluten free rolls and just zap them in the microwave for a minute or two to heat them but if you don't have a supply in the freezer like I ran into today, I made them while the chicken is boiling.

Side note: sometimes I add carrots and celery when I boil the chicken. I have also been known to add a gluten free jar of chicken broth if needed to bump up the taste of the broth. I have never ever added chicken bouillon granules or cubes because they are full of chemicals I just do not want in my food. I have tried using my gluten free pasta and while it does work, it is egg based and I just don't like my dumplings to be egg tasting dumplings since that recipe triples the amount of eggs used.

Sorry this was posted late. I didn't realize I hadn't posted it until today.

Wedding Gifts - Required?

This past year two of my nieces and one nephew got married. One was in Boston in January and the other about 3 hours south of us. Nephew's wedding actually happened 2 years ago but we were not informed of said wedding until a notice was sent that a card wedding reception was planned for their 2nd anniversary. The one the end of May required a 3 hour drive and a hotel room.

So let's start with the 1st one of the year: niece's wedding and a cake reception in Boston, You might ask why because my niece is from IL but it was in Boston because the groom was from there and he is a very opinionated alpha male who demanded everything be around his family. The Boston one would have required not only a flight but a hotel room and a car in January or the depths of winter. There was absolutely no way I was going to attend and try to get there between weather systems and try to be back home for patients. Besides I could not afford it. For their present, I hand crocheted a 'snuggle blanket' then cross stitched a heart in the corner with their names and the date and shipped it to them. I used white yarn since it was a wedding snuggle blanket. A snuggle blanket is used to snuggle together on the couch while watching TV or while reading. I revised the pattern to accommodate the husband's 6'2" height and the girth of both together. I spent over $100.00 on yarn and it took me 4 months to crochet. It is in the picture above (it is folded into quarters). I got no thank you. I do know they received it because I saw it in pictures of their new apartment.

The second wedding: this one was for one of my nephews. He actually got married 2 years ago and while the kids' social media sites stated they were married, my sister emphatically denied they were and basically told members of the family to butt out of their business. So we all did. Out of the blue, we received an email from my sister who stated that she was planning a 'card wedding reception' for their 2nd anniversary. Actual presents were discouraged and gift cards or cash would be appreciated. I sent a card with a gift certificate to a store I know they had in the town they lived. I got no thank you. My sister even had the gall to chastise my for not sending them anything. Nephew and wife are now getting divorced. I think the soon to be ex-wife took the gift card and didn't tell anyone.

The third wedding: this again was for another niece. This niece is over 30 years old and works as a NICU nurse. She has a child from a previous encounter (never married). She planned a wedding and reception 3 hours south of us. We would have to get a hotel room. BUT only certain people were invited to the wedding. Out of 6 of her aunts and one uncle, all but 2 aunts were invited. Interesting that although I helped raise this niece while my sister went through not one but two divorces, I was not invited. I was specifically told not to crochet her a blanket because she didn't want one. Instead she expected money. Yes I was told that. I was unable to attend her shower - we had a previous engagement to attend - actually my sister emailed all of us asking what weekend worked for us. Although there were quite a few weekends that coordinated with all of us, a weekend I specifically stated I could not attend was of course the date that was picked. No, I did not send a gift. I didn't for the other 2 and I wasn't about to for this one. So family pictures were taken after the service and of course my one sister and I were not in the pictures because we were not invited. So we get to the reception - in a bar - no food served - and my daughter learns that the babysitter that was supposed to be hired to watch my granddaughter was not ever done. The music was deafening. I don't drink. Grandchild was hungry and tired and so was I. Niece wouldn't even acknowledge me so I left with grandchild. We ate and I put her to bed. My present? A $100 check that was cashed. No thank you again.

So 3 times this year I have given wedding presents to relatives and 3 times not even a thank you sent. My son's best friend who is like a son to me and got married this summer too? He and his wife got a shower gift and a hefty wedding gift and I received a thank you from them for both plus an invitation to dinner.

Selfish nieces and nephew - I wish I had never given them anything. I took money from paying bills just to give them what I did.

And people wonder why I have a problem with blood relatives!