A few of my favorite things

Happy Friday!  I hope you have lots of plans for a joyous Easter weekend.  I am looking forward to lots of family time today and tomorrow and I will be spending my Sunday night with some special ladies and gentlemen at the care home where I am currently working.

I thought we could spend this Friday talking about a few of my favorite things (items, things around the web, etc.).  This might become a regular feature post of mine (my favorite blogger over at The Small Things Blog) does something similar called Links and Loves on Fridays, which I always love reading.

On Wednesday I made french bread from this recipe and it is to die for.  As you can probably guess by no picture, it is almost all gone already.  It was super easy and turned out far better than any bread recipe I have ever done.  So you should definitely give it a try.

I am seriously loving this lip treatment (it hangs out somewhere between lipstick and balm).   I like the color rose - which is quite sheer and just gives a little bit of pink - but if you like something a little brighter there are a ton of color options.

Have you ever watched 19 Kids and Counting?  I just started and got super into it before Jessa's wedding.  I am now obsessed.  Brett is pretty sad about this because he is not a fan, but I just think he isn't giving it enough of a try.

Speaking of entertainment, have you seen the commercials for the movie The Longest Ride coming out on April 10th?  Brett is supposed to be taking me on a date to see it.  I think he is hoping seeding will miraculously start before next Saturday so he can have an excuse not to go, but since we just got some snow yesterday (what the heck), I think I will be in luck.  In any case, I just read the book as well and it was wonderful.  I am a huge Nicholas Sparks fan and he did not disappoint with this one.  I would definitely suggest it (and keep a box of tissues handy).

Last, but not least, this was a great post from The Small Things Blog yesterday about getting three days out of your hair.  Her tips were super helpful.  Because I have extremely dry hair, I try to make three days between washes - but it isn't always easy.  If you have a similar issue, or if you just don't have time for hairstyling every day, you should definitely check that post out.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and get to spend it surrounded by the things and people you love!

Currently - April 2015 Update

Easter pictures with my mother in law and grandma in law.

Baking: This pecan pie for Easter suppers last week.  Yum!

Drinking: Lots of ice cold sweet tea.  I am officially obsessed, especially with all of the night shifts I've been doing.  There is just enough caffeine to get me over that 3AM slump.

Reading: I've read a few really good books lately.  I finished the first Outlander book by Diana Gabaldon and it was wonderful.  I am now half way through the second, it started a little slower but is really picking up now.  I also just finished The Longest Ride by Nicolas Sparks and cannot say enough good things about it (I'm pretty sure I finished it in about two days).

Wanting: Warm weather!  We had a little shot of warmth last week and just yesterday got snow.  I am ready for sun and warmth and skirts and no more winter jackets! 

Looking: For a dress to wear to our upcoming weddings this summer.

Sewing: Something special for a new addition to the family (more on this in a few weeks).

Enjoying: Being done classes and not having any papers to write.  It has been such a relief to not have any due dates hanging over my head the past couple of weeks.

Wearing: Nothing but scrubs lately.  I've been filling my time with care aid shifts now that clinical is over and I can't work as a nurse yet.  Grey's Anatomy brand scrubs are a particular favorite of mine.  I've even been wearing clean ones to sleep in occasionally.  I think Brett is starting to worry about my ability to dress myself in regular human clothes.

Waiting: To get my marks back so I can work as a grad nurse.  I am so excited to start my career after five long years of school.

Loving: My time at home.  This is my first spring that I haven't been in the city in school and this time spent at home with Brett has been wonderful.  Life finally is feeling like it has a semi-normal (as normal as things get with shift work) rhythm.

Anticipating: Summer weddings!  Only 2.5 months until the first.

Smelling: Fresh air.  Despite the latest cool weather, I have had the windows open at every opportunity to get some of that lovely spring air in the house.

Praying: For a prompt start to seeding and a brief reprieve from precipitation so we can get the seed in the ground in a timely manner.

Feeling: Blessed to have had such lovely time with our families this past weekend for Easter suppers.

Pecan Pie Recipe

Are you still looking for a dessert recipe for this weekend?  If so, stop what you are doing and get ready to make this super easy and delicious pecan pie recipe.

In terms of effort, this is by far the most simple and quick pie I have in my repertoire.  Including making the pie crust, this pie took me only 30 minutes to prepare (from start to in the oven).

The recipe card:

Helpful Tips:

1.  If you want this to really be easy, you could just buy a pre-made pie shell (just make sure it is unbaked).  If you want to use my recipe, you can see a recipe and tutorial here.

Yum!  Essentially a big bowl of liquid sugar.

2.  When whisking everything together, I suggest melting the butter in a glass measuring cup, then using that same cup to measure out the corn syrup - it makes the corn syrup much easier to pour out.

 3.  After arranging my pecans on the bottom and pouring in the egg mixture, I gently folded my pie crust so that it was straight up and not folded flush with the curved edge of my pie plate.  You can only do this if you make your own pie crust, but it allows it to shrink down a little nicer when you bake it (this is really for looks only - it will taste the same no matter what).

Edge of the crust is folded from where I trimmed it after putting it in the plate.

Here the edge is unfolded and sticking straight up past the edge of the pie plate.

You are done!  I love that this pie seems fancy (I always get comments on how "fancy" it seems) but it is actually so easy to make.  Enjoy!

Currently - December Edition // Day 1 of Christmas Photo Challenge

Well folks, things have really hit the fan around here.  I am moving home because I got my final practicum in our nearest small town (YAY!).  We are also trying to get the house decorated for Christmas, finalize any Christmas shopping.  Oh yeah, and study for exams!  On top of those things, Brett is manning the farm solo this week and getting the run around from truckers (to try and get some grain hauled to the elevator).  The reason for this long rant it just to prepare you for some possible irregular posting in the coming weeks...  On the other hand, my posting could also become very regular as I attempt to avoid studying by writing lots of blog posts.

This year's Christmas tree.  My apologies for the poor quality photo.  I've been moving (again) and misplaced my camera battery charger and thus this photo was taken with my iPhone (which I find does a really poor job of taking photos in low light).

In any case, here is what is happening with us currently:

Baking: Unfortunately, not a whole lot is happening in this area lately.  But I am going to try throw together some English muffins today and post that recipe ASAP.

Drinking: Caramel apple cider.  Did you know you can get these for a Keurig?  Yep, it's pretty life changing.

Reading: I just finished Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant.  These are some good books.  One and two are definitely my favorite (I didn't really love the ending, I'm going to be honest).  But I loved Divergent and Insurgent.

Wanting: To get started with Christmas baking.  I've got a long list of recipes I want to try this year. 

Looking: At the snow outside our picture window.  There is something I just love about winter.

Playing: Fetch with George.  He is really enjoying attacking the Christmas ornaments, so I am trying to distract him.

Sewing: Nothing at the moment, but plans are set for a tulle skirt for graduation and a couple of beach cover-ups.

Enjoying: Having satellite TV for the first time in ages (I've really been missing Dr Phil and Say Yes to the Dress).

Wearing: This top from Target.  It is comfy but still looks nice.  I think I will probably end up getting one in every color.

Waiting: To start exams on the 8th.  I just want to get them over with!

Loving: Our Christmas decorations.  There is nothing like relaxing on the couch in the dark with the Christmas tree lit up.

Anticipating: Our trip to Cuba at the end of the month.  Brett and I got very very lucky when his parents decided to take us with them to Cuba.  I have never been on an all-inclusive vacation and am so excited!

Smelling: My English muffin dough rising.

Praying: For Brett to stay safe on the farm in this cold weather.

Feeling: Blessed to have a healthy family, lots of friends, ample food in the fridge and a truly wonderful husband.

Fall Favorites

one - Tazo Vanilla Rooibos Tea // two - Contigo West Loop Mug // three - Manitobah Mukluks // four - Hello Magazine

Fall is slowly turning into winter here in Saskatchewan.  As of right now there is no snow, but I can feel it coming.  As the weather turns, it really makes me feel like curling up under a blanket with a book and hibernating until spring.  As I am curling up with that book, I like to have a nice cup of tea.  I am not a coffee person, nor do I think I ever will be.  To be totally honest, the smell of Starbucks coffee (sorry Starbucks) makes me feel extremely nauseous, and some other types of coffee will turn my stomach too sometimes.  That being said, Starbucks serves Tazo vanilla rooibos.  *insert angels singing here*.  Seriously, it is that good.

If I am on the go and cannot enjoy my tea at home, I always put it into a contigo mug (sometimes even when I am at home).  I haven't had a mug that keeps stuff as hot as this one does, also it is super handy because you only need one hand to drink from it. 

I am officially in love with these Metis mukluks (also, I am getting a pair for Christmas!  Woohoo!).  I can't wait for Christmas and snow so that I can go for a walk while keeping my feet toasty warm.  My mom has an old pair of mukluks and they are the warmest boots ever - I can't wait to have my own.  Also, Manitobah mukluk works with Canadian Aboriginal artists on many of their beading designs - it is nice to support something that is such a piece of our Canadian culture.

When I said I like to read a book with my tea, I actually meant Hello Magazine.  Brett teases me and says that Hello magazine is only for women over 65 but I disagree.  How else would I find out what is happening with Will and Kate?  It is possible that I am obsessed with the royals...

What are some of your favorite things to transition you from fall to winter?

Easy Chicken Chili Recipe

Before I get into this recipe, I want to remind you to enter the earring giveaway commemorating my one year blogging anniversary later this week.  You can see the earrings here and you can enter the giveaway at this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway  If you have already entered the giveaway, you can use one of the other options for more entries!

And now onto the recipe:

Fall always makes me crave chili.  It is so warm and comforting to eat, and freezes well into lunch sized portions so I don't have to get up as early on cold mornings to make a lunch.  I know that lots of people love spicy food and spicy chili, I am just not one of those people.  I am definitely more of a sweet chili type of girl.  If you love spicy chili, you can definitely adapt this recipe and it would be spicy and sweet at the same time (that does sound delicious).  But if you suffer from heartburn issues like myself, sweet chili is a great alternative.

This is always my go-to meal when I want something hearty and that won't take a lot of time to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken (I also use ground beef, but I prefer the taste of chicken if I can get it)
2 14oz cans of brown beans in maple sauce
1 14oz can of brown beans in tomato sauce
1 12oz can of corn niblets
1 can of chickpeas (optional)
1 can of mushroom pieces and stems (optional)
Spices to taste (I usually use garlic and onion powder and seasoning salt)

*the ideal would be to also chop up an onion and cook the chicken with the onion... But an allergy that causes my whole face to get hives when I am anywhere in the near vicinity of an onion being cut leads me to just use the powder (who knew you would get so much of my medical history with this recipe post).*

Directions:

1.  Brown the chicken in a large saucepan with about an inch of water in the bottom (you know the chicken is cooked thoroughly when the water is gone).

2.  Add in the beans, corn, chickpeas (if you wish), mushrooms (if you wish) and seasonings as desired.  Stir well and turn heat down to low.

3.  This can be eaten as soon as it is hot; but if you have the time, I like to let it simmer on low for at least 30mins to allow the flavors to meld together.

4.  Serve with biscuits or bread and a little cheese on top.

Hope you enjoy this chili as much as I do!  I cook it so often during the winter that Brett gets pretty sick of it by spring, but it is just so good!

Have a lovely Monday!

Currently

Baking: lots of English Muffins.  It turns out these are really easy to make by hand.  Brett loves having them for breakfast before heading off to the farm so I try to keep them around as much as possible.
Drinking: iced tea (like actual cold tea).  Funny how in August I was drinking lots of hot tea and now that the weather has turned I am craving iced tea... Strange.  I like to make mine out of Earl Grey tea with two teaspoons of sugar and lots of ice.  Delicious!
Reading: I Have Nothing to Wear by Jill Martin and Dana Ravich.  It has been really great so far in helping me to define my personal style and make it easier to put together outfits, as well as knowing what to shop for.
Wanting: this Canon Rebel T5i.  I think it is going to be my graduation present to myself.  Only six and a half more months!

What a beauty.

Looking: at lots of travel websites.  We are hoping to do a trip to Europe next year.  I am obsessed with Scotland.  What a magical looking place!
Playing: with procrastination.  What is it about fourth year that makes me not want to do any school work?
Sewing: baby gifts.  More on this later...

Enjoying: my favorite shows being back on.  Loving Heartland and Grey's Anatomy!
Wearing: lots of layers.  It is taking me a while to adjust to the cooler temperatures.
Waiting: impatiently (something that I need to work on...).
Loving: riding boots season (as you have all heard about at length already).
Anticipating: final practicum starting in January!  I can't wait to get back into the hospital setting.
Smelling: Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Spice Latte pocetbac hand sanitizer.  Cold and flu season is upon us people!  Wash those hands!
Praying: to safely finish harvest this week.
Feeling: thankful for a productive long weekend and excited to finish up this term in a month and a half.

Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Hello!  Not very often I am around these parts on a Monday.  But since it is a new month, I am turning over a new leaf.  As it often does, September has me inspired and ambitious so I am going to try get back into the groove of Monday, Wednesday and Friday posting.

So to start us off, I am going to share with you a delicious casserole recipe.  I found a similar recipe here on Pinterest when I was searching for field supper inspiration, but as it usually goes in my house, I had pretty much none of the ingredients.  So I took the idea and ran with it.  Here is what I came up with:

The boys loved this one (to see more of them enjoying it click here).  Hope your family can enjoy this too.  See you on Wednesday!

Oh Hey Friday // Field Meals

Hello again!  Since I have only been around on Fridays lately (ashamed face) you must be getting used to the drill for these Friday link-ups. As you know, the lovely ladies I am linking up with are The Farmer's Wife and September FARM.

This week, I am going to tell you all about my staples for harvest meals.  As a disclaimer, I am literally making a field supper as I write this, so forgive me if things seem a little scattered.

This is the second year that I have really been helping my mother in law with field suppers.  She is wonderful and lets me just do them whenever I have time, and picks up whenever I don't.  So that has been a huge help for getting me used to the routine of taking out supper.  Here are five other things that I find myself going back to again and again:

This looks like a good place for supper!

1.  Pie.  It may seem old fashioned and traditional, but I always get the best response when I bring a pie out to the field.  They aren't as fussy to make as you might think (especially if you use store bought pie crust).  But with practice, they are pretty easy to whip up in a relatively short amount of time.  You can find my blueberry pie recipe here or my lemon meringue pie recipe here along with a pie crust tutorial here.

This isn't pie related... But it is our swather

2.  Casseroles!  Easily the most useful dish for taking out to the field (or to a pot luck for that matter) is the casserole.  They are so versatile, basically you can throw whatever you have in your fridge into one (a little meat, a carb and some veggies) - add in some canned cream of mushroom soup and you're golden.  Speaking of cream of mushroom soup, that leads me to #3....

Brett is enjoying this Biscuit Topped Chicken Pot Pie Casserole - tune in Monday for the recipe!

3.  Canned cream of mushroom soup.  Canned cream of mushroom soup is truly God's gift to farm wives (oh and our husbands of course...).  You can put in on anything and it makes it better; from fish to chicken to beef to meatballs, you name it and a farm wife has put cream of mushroom soup on it.  As an aside, if someone in your crew happens to be lactose intolerant, I recently discovered Campbell's golden mushroom soup which tastes similar to cream of mushroom (with a hint of tomato) but doesn't have dairy in it. 

It is right back to work for the boys after supper.

4.  Slow cooker.  This goes without saying.  There are some days that you just don't have two hours to spend standing around the kitchen.  I loved this beef vegetable soup recipe that I made recently in the slow cooker - plus it makes enough to feed an army of hungry men.

5.  An insulated casserole dish carrier (I like this one from Walmart).  I don't know if these are well known or not. I got two for my bridal shower and I think they were one of my favorite gifts.  They come with a casserole dish, lid, hot/cold pack and obviously the carrier (with handles).  I use it to take all kinds of stuff out to the field and it is worth its weight in gold.

Yep, that is how our night ended.  Yes that is rain running down the swather windshield.  What the heck mother nature??

Farm wives (or ladies who do a lot of pot lucks), what are your favorite tricks for field meals?  I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Oh Hey Friday! // Life Lately (in pictures)

Well hi there!  Feels like forever since we talked...  August craziness really is getting the best of me these days; between trying to get going with harvest, getting in as many shifts at work as possible, trying to finish up projects and getting ready for the up coming school year, it feels like I am running in circles.  This week's Oh Hey Friday link up will be a recap of life lately.  But before we get started, the lovely ladies I am linking up with are The Farmer's Wife and September FARM.

So let's get to catching up:

1.  I'm finishing up the last of my night shifts for the summer (since I will be back at school in two weeks).

I'm looking uncannily bright eyed and busy tailed before a 12hr night.

2.  I cannot stop eating blueberries lately.  Seriously, its a problem.  I think I am going to turn into a giant blueberry like the little girl in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... #cantstopwontstop #noregrets

How can you resist when they look like this??

3.  The quilt is done!!  And we hung the headboard that my dad made us out of an old door from the farm.

To make the headboard, dad cut down the door to our mattress measurements.  Then he sandblasted the old paint off.  To finish it off, we stained it a dark brown and sealed it.

I made the calligraphy prints on either side of our wedding photo.  They say "Where you go, I will go" and "and where you stay, I will stay" (from Ruth 1:16).

4.  I've really been loving calligraphy and watercolor painting.  I find it super relaxing.  My latest design is a quote from The Notebook (you can't go wrong):

5.  Brett and I had our first field supper of the season together this past week.  It wasn't the usual field supper because neither my mother-in-law nor I made it (as I was in the city all day) and the combining got shut down because of a torrential down pour.  The canola we were swathing didn't get any rain though, so I was just me, Brett, the swather and some delicious Boston Pizza take out.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is nothing like enjoying a meal off the tail gate of a Chevy on the open prairie.

I hope you had a lovely week and have a great weekend.

Blueberry Pie Recipe

Happy Wednesday!  I am so happy to share with you that I have perfected my blueberry pie recipe.  Hooray!  I hope you enjoy it.

You can find a detailed tutorial (with pictures) on how to make this pie crust here.  

Look at these beauties!!

I hope you enjoy this pie as much as we did.  And please forgive me if I missed any spelling/grammar/other errors in this post.  I am currently trying to stay awake to change over to night shift.  Enjoy the rest of the week!

Kitchen Tips

As far as I know, most people really get into the baking spirit around Christmas time...  Never one to follow the trends, I think I feel the most like baking during the summer.  It probably has something to do with the fact that I should not be baking on a hot summer afternoon - but there really is nothing like a fresh peach pie with vanilla ice cream on a summer evening.

This afternoon, to try assuage my desire to be baking, I figured I would round up my top kitchen tips.  These are handy pieces of info that have either been passed down to me by the women in my family or things that I have probably learned the hard way.

1.  First, I have three words: Full Body Apron!  Speaking of learning things the hard way... If I had a quarter for every time I managed to splash some form of kitchen grease onto a nice shirt, I'd be able to buy a whole lot more shirts.  Trust me when I say, it is never worth it to cook without a full body apron.  Those short waist and down aprons won't do either - I don't know about you, but right above belly button level is where I usually manage to splash myself.  If you're feeling like breaking out the sewing machine here is my simple chef's apron tutorial.

2.  Get to know some common cooking and baking substitutions.  This is a huge time saver, and for those of us who aren't near a grocery store that is open at all hours cooking substitutions can save your whole recipe.  These are my most used substitutions.

3.  Find a no-fail recipe that always works for you and make it your signature.  This can be anything from salad, to cookies, to a great way to make potatoes.  There will inevitably be events where you are required to bring some sort of dish; these events will be made a million times easier if you have something that always works for you.

4.  Cornstarch makes everything better.  That may be a little bit of an overstatement.  But when it comes to baked goods such as cookies and muffins, nothing will make them as soft and moist as cornstarch.  I add 1-2 tsps (even though most muffin and cookie recipes won't call for it).

5.  Even though margerine is an appropriate substitute for butter, butter will always be better for baking.  I try to buy a lot at once and freeze it (it freezes really well) so I always have some on hand.

Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup Recipe

I recently had some left over steak from a bbq cooked and frozen taking up spaced in my freezer, so I decided to cook up some soup.  I didn't use a recipe, just stuff I had around the kitchen.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but as it happens it ended up tasting wonderful.  I figured it wouldn't be fair not to share this great soup recipe.  It is definitely something that I will make again.

The recipe:

I added a little bit of seasoning to taste (just some salt and garlic powder), but my tomatoes came pre-seasoned and beef broth is so salty on its own that I found this soup didn't really need a lot of extra seasoning.  The handy part of this recipe is that most things can be found in your kitchen already.  The beef can be any kind (as I said, I used steak - but roast beef or stewing beef would work great as well) and the vegetables don't have to be canned.  Fresh veggies would probably take this recipe to a whole other level.

The soup freezes great as well (I froze a bunch of individual portions for my 12hr shifts - there's nothing like homemade soup in the middle of a night shift).

Enjoy!

My Most Used Substitutions

I have a confession: I have a horrible memory once I enter the grocery store.  I don't know what it is about that place, but as soon as I walk through the doors everything I was trying to remember to buy completely leaves my mind.  Thanks to that phenomena, I end up having to use a lot of substitutions if my cooking and baking.  The following are my favorites, some of them may not actually be a real thing but they have all worked good for me in a pinch.

Feel free to save and print this graphic (I keep it printed in my kitchen for easy access).  There are countless other substitutions that can be found online or in cookbooks, but these eight are the ones that I find I use the most (ie: these are the things that I always forget in the grocery store).

Hope you are having a good week - we are half way to Friday people!

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe and Tutorial

Until recently, my pie making mostly stayed in the area of apple and peach.  I decided to try my hand at lemon meringue, since it is arguably one of my favorite types of pie.  I think I have finally perfected my recipe for both the pie pastry and lemon pie filling.  Since lemon meringue pie is the perfect dessert for an Easter supper, I figured I would share my recipe with you here.

We will start with the pastry first.  Because we are just making an empty shell with no top crust, you must make a half recipe of the below:

Next, lay down some saran wrap strips onto your cupboard and heavily flour them.  This step is very important.  This pastry recipe is perfect because it makes a perfectly flaky crust - but it likely will not come off of your counter top in one piece without the help of saran wrap.

Pick up the pastry circle and lay it saran wrap side up int he pie plate.  Remove the saran wrap, cut of the excess around the edge and perforate the bottom with a fork:

Now bake the shell at 450°F for 15mins.  Turn the heat down to 350°F and bake for an additional 15mins.  Keep careful watch to make sure that the crust does not burn - all ovens cook differently after all.

We will move onto the filling now.  As an aside, I suggest you use a wooden spoon to make the filling.  I don't know why, but it works so much better than anything else.

1.  Mix together cornstarch, sugar and salt into a 2qt saucepan.  Separate the eggs, placing the yolks into a small bowl (keep this near the stove while you make the sauce) and placing the whites into a larger bowl (I used my KitchenAid stand mixer for this).

2.  Stir in water, lemon juice, mango juice and lemon peel.  Cook this over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture boils - remove it from heat.

       It will go through 3 stages during this time:

              1 - thin liquid

              2 - thin liquid with thicker lumps

              3 - thick, shiny sauce (this is when it is boiling and done)

3.  Add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot lemon sauce to the small bowl of egg yolks, stirring rapidly to prevent clumping (this is done to bring the egg yolks up to the same temperature of the sauce).

4.  Add the yolk mixture to the hot lemon sauce - stirring rapidly to prevent clumping.  Return to heat, stirring until mixture is thick and shiny again.  Add butter or margarine to the thickened sauce, stirring until melted.  Remove from heat.

5.  Pour mixture into pie crust.  You won't fill the crust completely, as the rest will be filled with the meringue.  Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lastly we make the meringue.  You can use either a stand mixer or hand mixer for this.  I find that a stand mixer works best.

1.  Beat eggs at high speed with wire whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

2.  Add sugar, 2 TBSP at a time, while beating on high.  Continue beating until sugar is dissolved (rub some meringue between your fingers, it should be smooth not gritty) and whites form stiff glossy peaks.

3.  Spread meringue onto pie, making swirls with your spatula for an attractive top.

Bake for 10mins at 400°F.  Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 30mins away from drafts (I prefer to do 1hr).  Cooling at room temperature stops the filling from getting thin and soupy (I learned this from experience).

You are done!  I hope you enjoy your pie!