Kicking it up a notch

If you follow me on Facebook you have no doubt been following along with my “big news coming!” messages.  I’ve been researching a new direction for LamaWorks for awhile now.  I struggle with finding a streamlined, concise vision for the store.  I think I’m at a point with both the shop and my life that I really want to turn this into a serious business.  Make a name for myself and really bring in an income for the family.  So what did I come up with?

You are looking at a girl that is now an official Dealer and Designer for Envelopments.  Never heard of Envelopments?  Open up a copy of the Knot magazine

Envelopments Original Artwork © 2010 Envelopments, Inc.

or maybe Martha Stewart Wedding

Envelopments Original Artwork © 2010 Envelopments, Inc.

or maybe you’ve seen them on the Today show when they have wedding segments.

Envelopments is an invitation company that allows me to sell not only their designs, but gives me 231 different paper colors in over 90 different shapes, plus hundreds of coordinating graphics to make my own designs. 

Envelopments Original Artwork © 2010 Envelopments, Inc.

It also allows me to sell invitations to every type of bride imaginable.  Are you the DIY type?  Just purchase the paper from me, you do all the work!  Do you want to be DIY but hate the idea of formatting and printing everything?  Pay a little bit more and I’ll print and cut everything and leave it to you to assemble.  You don’t want anything to do with making invitations, you just want to send them?  I’ll do the whole thing for you!

I’m also looking forward to meeting with clients in town – so if you live in the Quincy, Il area, I’m your girl!  I’ll get a complete design book that displays the different paper and graphics options.  We can pull each piece out and see how things look together and build it to anything you can imagine! 

For now I’m going to start things slow.  Convert all the products I have currently in the shop to new colors and new prices and then work my way up to new designs.  I’m hoping that by the end of the year I’ll have my very own non Etsy website where you can design your invitation right there. 

My goal is to keep you posted each step of the way with new designs, updates to my Etsy shop and hopefully a new website! 

First up in the design category – Graduation party invitations!

Where did you go??

Yes, I’ve been MIA.  Do I like to blog?  I do, when I have time.  I thought I’d try something new this year with the recipes, but it doesn’t seem like there are many people in the world that really care about what I’m cooking every day {if you do care and want to see the recipes, or at least what I’m making, give me a shout out!!}  It was really taking far too much time to type up all those recipes and remember to take pictures, especially with a baby who is nearly mobile. 

So, I’m not sure where things go from here, but maybe I’ll find some way to get some rambling thoughts out there that people might be interested in.  If you have any ideas I’d love to hear them! 

I do know, what my next blog post is about though … big news coming up!  Stay tuned!

Photo Contest!

Paper Source (the company I purchase 95% of my paper from) is having a photo contest!  They are looking for super cute babies to put on their 2011 Baby Announcement collection.  As luck would have it, I happen to have one uber cute baby!  Am I right??

I need help picking a photo though!  I’m thinking it should be a very clear photo with minimal “junk” in the background.  It doesn’t have to be a newborn photo, just a baby under the age of 1.  So pop on over to my Facebook Page and either “like” your favorite or leave a comment!  I’ll make my final pick by Wednesday!

Thanks for the help!
The girl behind the Lama…
~LMM

25. Taco Chili Mac

Wow, did the hubby love this one!  Well, we both did actually!  I made a full batch and we have about one serving left.  I made it through dinner one night and two lunch portions in the days after. 

It’s nothing fancy, just a good old tex-mex pasta.  It’s actually a rehash of the Salsa Stoup I posted yesterday.  Virtually the same ingredients and method, but a totally different meal!  I think that’s why I love this cookbook so much for people that are learning how to cook.  You can master a few techniques and have so many versatile meals. 

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats.  Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 pound macaroni
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of pan
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped **I skipped this
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped with greens **use the leafy greens at the top of your celery – it adds great flavor!
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shredded Cheddar, available in pouches on dairy aisle

Now what?

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and brown the meat crumbling with a wooden spoon, then season with the hot sauce, Worcestershire, cumin, chili and salt and pepper.  Add the jalapenos, bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper then sauté veggies 5 minutes, add tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes  and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cilantro.

Stir in the pasta and serve with sour cream, cheese and/or guacamole.

How did yours turn out??

Until the next time…
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

24. Salsa Stoup And Double-Decker Baked Quesadillas

This one is a fan favorite in our house!  It’s kind of like a spiced up chunky tomato soup.  You can never go wrong with quesadillas on the side either!  This is a also a good soup to serve to your vegetarian and gluten free friends!

This is a good recipe to experiment with your own favorite flavors.  We don’t like things too spicy, so we always skip the jalapeno’s.  Add in your favorite quesadilla toppings too!  Chicken, beef, pork, a mix of cheeses, salsa ….

Stay tuned tomorrow for the follow up to this one – Taco Chili Mac.  It’s the same base recipe and techniques, but with a few swap ins you have a whole new meal!

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats.  Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of pan, plus some for brushing tortillas
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped **I skipped this
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped with greens **use the leafy greens at the top of your celery – it adds great flavor!
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
6 flour tortillas, 6 to 8 inches
1 cup shredded Cheddar, available in pouches on dairy aisle
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese **we used cheddar jack
Sour cream, to pass at table

Now what?

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and the jalapenos, bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper then sauté veggies 5 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock and bring soup to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cilantro.

Paint 1 side of 2 tortillas with oil and place them next to each other, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet. Mix cheddar with scallions and divide the cheese between the tortillas evenly. Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of Pepper Jack cheese. Set the last tortillas on top and brush tops with extra-virgin olive oil. Cook 10 minutes in the oven to melt cheese and crisp up tortillas. Cool quesadillas 5 minutes to set then cut each quesadilla into 6 pieces.  **We prefer to cook ours on the stove top, but do whatever you’d like!

Serve bowls of stoup with 3 wedges quesadilla along side each bowlful.

How did yours turn out??

Until the next time…
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

Rate it!

I was playing around on blogger today and found a new option called "Reactions". Below each post, you can now click on a little button that says either "I made it YUM!, I made it Ew!!, I'll try it! or No Thanks"

I never have any idea who (other than my mom) actually reads my blog, let alone tries the recipes. I know it's daunting sometimes to leave a comment, so this is your way to contribute to making me feel loved while remaining anonymous. Does anyone actually read what I have to say an/or care about the food that I make???

On the topic of love, there should also now be a button below each post that makes it easy to share on Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. Try it out!

26. Florentine Meatballs

A traditional turkey or chicken Florentine is creamy and filled with spinach.  These meatballs don’t disappoint!  It puts the spinach in the meatballs, served with a creamy, cheesy sauce.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce on this one.  It was a bit heavy for my liking.  I think I would have preferred a good red sauce, but this one was OK.

There is a small discrepancy with this recipe.  The book says use 2 packages of turkey, whereas online on two different RR websites it calls for one package.  All other ingredients remain the same.  I had good luck with using two packages, but you do get a TON of meatballs.  I had about 3 cookie sheets full.  Now it seems like a lot, but they freeze and reheat really well.  On a night when we don’t really feel like cooking, I throw some into the slow cooker with some spaghetti sauce – dinner ready!

Meatball tip of the day!  I don’t like huge meatballs.  I also hate ending up with a bunch of balls that are different sizes, they cook differently.  Use a cookie scoop!  You do end up with one flat side, but all you have to do is scoop them out and you have meatballs that are all the same shape and size.  Genius right? I don’t claim originality on that one, but it is a fabulous idea.

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats.  Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave 
2 2/3 pound (2 package) ground turkey breast **I’ve seen this recipe online and it calls for 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey … not sure if this is a typo in the book, but it turned out great with 2, you just get a million meatballs!
1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk, divided
3/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 handfuls
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 palm fulls
Coarse salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 (10-ounce) sack shredded provolone or blend of Italian cheeses, available on dairy aisle
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Now what?

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. **Tip to defrost spinach – put it in the microwave for 4 minutes on 70% power, but be careful when you wring it out.  The water may be hot! **  Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onion, all of the garlic, 1 large egg, about 1/4 cup milk, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Form into 12 large balls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. **I used a small cookie scoop and got around 50 meatballs** Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

While balls are in the oven, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter, add remaining finely chopped onion and cook 2 minutes then whisk in flour. Cook flour 1 minute, then whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup stock. Bring liquid up to a boil then stir in shredded provolone or blended Italian cheeses. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, turn heat to lowest setting.

Place 3 balls on dinner plates and top with sauce, garnish with parsley. **I also cooked up some whole wheat fettuccini because I thought this dish needed some pasta!

4-6 servings with plenty of meatballs to freeze

How did yours turn out??

Until the next time…
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

Beef and Chicken Fajita Burgers with Seared Peppers and Onions

First up this week were some good old burgers!   The weather wasn’t great last night so we had to make them indoors, so I think they would have been even more fabulous on the grill.  We also didn’t see the need to make 8 burgers, so we skipped the chicken ones completely.  I only made two of the beef burgers and have enough to make two more for lunch or dinner later this week.

You also get a bonus recipe today!  My wonderful hubby got me a deep fryer for Valentine’s Day – totally not romantic, but the best gift ever!  We tried our hand at french fries last night and they were awesome!  I would never have guessed that they weren’t directly from a restaurant. 

Great meal!  We had a pretty crabby 6 month old, so I’m afraid we didn’t really enjoy dinner, but the food was fantastic! I think these would be great to have for a cook out.  They definitely have a different flavor than a traditional burger, but we loved it!

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats.  Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

Beef Fajita Burgers:

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, (eyeball it)
1 tablespoons chili powder, (a palmful)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, (half a palmful)
2-3 tablespoons fresh picked thyme leaves, several sprigs
Several drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Chicken Fajita Burgers:

1 1/3 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoons ground chipotle (smoky flavor) chili powder, (a palmful)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Several drops hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

Seared Peppers and Onions:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 1 turn of the pan "
2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 jalapeno or serrano, seeded and chopped   **Don’t like the heat, so we skipped this
2 cups tomatillo, green chili salsa or chipotle-tomato salsa, your choice **I buy salsa in bulk, so we used that instead of tmatillo
8 crusty rolls, split

Now what?

Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.

For Beef Fajita Burgers:
Combine sirloin, Worcestershire, spices, thyme, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Mark meat into 4 sections and make 4 patties, 1-inch thick. Using the reserved 1/4 onion piece, grate half of it on the burgers. Drizzle EVOO on the patties. Cook patties 4 minutes on each side for medium or, until desired doneness.

For Chicken Fajita Burgers:
Combine chicken, chipotle powder, cilantro, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Score and divide meat into 4 sections and form big patties, 1-inch thick. Using the rest of the 1/4 reserved onion piece, grate the other half of it on the burgers. Drizzle patties with EVOO and cook 6 minutes on each side or until meat is firm and cooked through.

For Seared Peppers and Onions:
Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add EVOO and peppers and onions. Stir-fry the veggies tossing them with tongs to sear them at edges. Add the jalapeno or serrano pepper. Toss and turn the mixture about 3 minutes, then add salsa of choice and toss a minute longer.

Place burgers on each bun bottom and top with 1/4 of the pepper and onion mixture and bun top. **I added a slice of cheese on top of this and let it get all melty and gooey before I put my bun top on!

4-6 servings

Bonus!!!

Double-Fried French Fries

Ingredients

4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
2 quarts canola oil
1 tablespoons fine-grain sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.

Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.

Heat a heavy stock pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer with oil to 325 degrees F.

Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked.

Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F.

Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly in a bowl with salt and pepper. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.

How did yours turn out??

Until the next time…
The girl behind the lama
~LMM

365–Week 6

I’ve been a little off track lately, so I’m starting fresh this week.  I’m starting to find that by the time Friday gets here I’m pooped and not in the mood to cook, so I’m trying to plan a slow cooker meal for that night.  As luck would have it, it’s slow cooker week on Rachael Ray!

Not too many other things going on in my life these days.  Cooking TONS of baby food!  If I could make Jake vats of sweet potatoes and squash I’m pretty sure he’d eat it all!  We’ve just been enjoying the beautiful weather here.  I’ve got a few knitting orders to get out this week, so I better get knitting!

Here’s what we’ve got this week:

Slow Cooker Chicken and biscuits – from Rachael Ray’s daytime show
24 – Salsa Stoup and Double Decker Quesadillas
25 - Taco Chili Mac
26 - Florentine Meatballs
27 - Pumpkin pasta – I don’t really like pumpkin, but we’re going to give this a shot in the spirit of being adventurous!
29 -  Beef Fajita burgers

I’m also skipping quite a few in 365 this week.   Here’s what and why, just in case you want to buy the book and make them on your own:

20 – Black Bean Soup and Southwestern Monte Cristos – I think black beans are really, really icky
21 – Citrus Marinated Chicken and Orange Salad – eh, not in the mood
22 – Boo’s Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese – I’m not sure why I don’t want to try this one.  This and the following two recipes are actually Rachael’s dog’s favorites … that might be a turn off to me
23 – Boo’s Smoky Chicken Patties on Buttered Toast – see #22.  Something about chicken on toast just doesn’t do it for me
28 – Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, Pumpkin and Hazelnuts – I’m reserving this one until I see how I feel about the pumpkin recipe this week.

What are you cooking?

Until the next time …
~The girl behind the lama

7. Smoky Chipotle Mac-n Cheddar with Tomato and Chorizo

Yet another yummy mac and cheese!   Same method, as Mac and Cheddar with Broccoli, Mac n Smoked Gouda with Cauliflower and Tex Mex Mac n Cheddar with Beef and Peppers … new flavors. Not too many changes in this one.  I am not a fan of chorizo, so I used kielbasa.  Conveniently 1/2 a kielbasa for this meal and 1/2 for the corn chowder.

We aren’t big on spicy food either, so we only used 1 chipotle in adobo instead of 2.  They aren’t super spicy, but 1 definitely adds a bit of a kick.  What the heck is chipotle in adobo?? They are smoked jalapeno peppers in a red sauce.  One other tip – you only need one or two for this recipe.  Freeze the rest and cut off a piece every time you need it! They are usually near the Mexican food and look like this:

Chopped up it looks like this:

Overall this probably isn’t one of my favorite mac-n cheese recipes, but it was pretty good! 

**This recipe comes from Rachael Ray 365 – No Repeats.  Most of the recipes are directly from the book, but some I do change out ingredients a bit for things my family prefers. I’ll add my own comments in with a **.

What do you need?

Coarse Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi (corkscrew-shaped pasta) 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (Once around the pan)
3/4 to 1 lb chorizo, casings removed, diced ***I used 1/2 of a kielbasa link
2 chipotles in adobo
1 15 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 cups whole milk
1 cup chicken stock or broth
3 cups grated smoked cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper

Now what?

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt to season the cooking water, then add the pasta.  Cook for 8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente .  Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, preheat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a drizzle of EVOO and the kielbasa.  Brown the meat, then add the onions and chipotle peppers and cook together for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

**I actually changed the making of the sauce a bit for this recipe.  I wasn’t in the mood to dirty yet another pan, so I went ahead and cooked the sausage and onions.  I removed it from the pan and used that very same pan to make the cheese sauce – I had to make use of all the caramelized bits at the bottom of the pan!**

Add the EVOO and heat with the butter until it melts.  Add the onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to sweat them out and turn the juices sweet.  Raise the heat a bit, then whisk in the four, cayenne, and paprika.  Whisk together until the roux bubbles up, then cook for 1 minute more.  Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a bit higher to bring the sauce to a quick boil.  Once it bubbles, drop the heat back to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. **I whisk in about half of my liquids to see how thick it becomes, then keep adding in more until my sauce is the perfect thickness. For this recipe it’s really important to leave it a little thicker than usual.  Once you add the tomatoes it will thin out a little bit**

 

Add the cheese to the thickened sauce and stir to melt it, a minute or so.  Stir in the tomatoes and mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Pour over the  cooked pasta and toss to combine.   Fold in the beef and bell peppers.  Adjust the seasonings, transfer to a large platter, and serve.

4-6 servings

How did yours turn out??

Until the next time…
The girl behind the lama
~LMM