Chicken Paprika

This dish has become a new holiday favorite.  My stepmom makes it for us when she comes down at the holidays!  In fact, it's what we had for Thanksgiving dinner.  My husband and I want to find a quicker way to make it so we can enjoy it more often, perhaps with boneless chicken breasts.

 

Chicken Paprika with Spatzle

1 3 - 3.5 lb cut up fryer

1/2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 C butter

1 Large chopped onion

2 Tbsp paprika

1 C chicken broth

1 C light cream

1/2 C sour cream

In bag, shake chicken in flour, 1 tsp salt, and pepper 'til coated. Save 2 Tbsp flour. Brown chicken in butter, pour off fat, but return 3 Tbsp to skillet. Saute onion 10 minutes or so. Add paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, and broth. Bring to boil, lower heat. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cook, covered, 30 minutes or 'til tender. Remove chicken. Stir in cream. Make paste of saved 2 Tbsp flour and sour cream. Slowly stir into pan. Cook, without boiling, 'til thick. Add chicken. Serve over spatzle.

Spatzle

3 C sifted flour

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

3 eggs, beaten

1 C water

1/4 C melted butter

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Make well in center. Add eggs and water and mix thoroughly. Scoop up dough onto spatula or lage spoon and cut off small pieces with a knife directly into a boiling pot of salt water. As dough bits rise, scoop off with a slotted spoon. Place in covered bowl with melted butter and keep warm as the rest cooks.

T Tuesday: Afternoon Tea and Thinning Out

Things have been a little quiet on the tea front lately, but yesterday I enjoyed a delightful afternoon tea with a friend and one of her other friends at a little tea house in the area. With my pot of jasmine and their Earl Grey, we enjoyed cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, samosas, and more. (I wish I would have thought to bring my camera!) It was a fun change of pace from the coffee in paper cups that is typically imbibed during dates with friends. This morning I am enjoying Tazo's Berryblossom White with my little dog stretched out by my feet, gnawing on a chew toy. His devotion is quite endearing.

I am slowly continuing my thinning-out project: pictured are a few items that have made their way to Goodwill. I had had them for a long time, and I found myself wishing that I had been taking more pictures throughout this decluttering process to remind myself of the progress I've made. The crazy floral tin was bought at a thrift shop during college in Vermillion, South Dakota; I began making the afghan in 2001 but never finished it and by this point no longer like the color choices I made or have the patience for it; the old lamp I bought at a garage sale in high school and after nearly twenty years of not having rewired it, it seemed time for it to go, hard as it was. I ended up keeping the marbles because they were so pretty to photograph. These items in particular carried memories with them.

Do you have any decluttering tips?

T is for Twin Cities

A week ago we returned from a quick trip to Minnesota to visit family. One of the highlights was visiting the Minneapolis Farmer's Market, which was hands down the largest one I've ever seen - two blocks' worth of vendors. I was enthralled by the heaps of bright veggies and couldn't resist taking photos, although I did feel a little self-conscious shooting in the crowd - hence quick decisions about composition, etc.! We enjoyed some of the produce grilled, some of it raw, some of it steamed. I had quite a bit of quiet time on this trip to read, so I kept it simple and drank decaf Lipton and Constant Comment when I wasn't eating veggies! I've visited farmer's markets in Santa Fe, Rapid City, SD, Cannon Beach, OR, and Minneapolis this summer, but haven't made it to any in my own neck of the woods. For as large as Houston is, the farmer's markets here just aren't that impressive.

T is for Tasty

S'mores, anyone? I wanted to share this yummy dessert from one of our meals in Oregon - skillet s'mores! Graham crackers on the bottom, chocolate in the middle, and the best part - toasted marshmallows on top. I know it's Tea Tuesday today, but I confess I drank some Sleepy Monk coffee with this dessert instead of tea. The coffee was delicious, and the next day, we stopped at Sleepy Monk itself for some of the best hot chocolate I'd ever had. The chocolate whipped cream was perfection, thick and substantial. I brought some of their coffee beans home with me...I think it's time to go brew some up...
Smore's memories you want to share?

Traveling Tea

Often when I travel, I bring along a little assortment of tea. It seemed especially important to do so for last week's trip to Oregon, since I knew the weather would be cool and I'd likely be spending a lot of time reading and wanting a warm mug next to me. Tazo's Joy - their Christmas blend - has long been a favorite, and I stock up as soon as it appears around Thanksgiving.

Tea, of course, wasn't the only yummy thing about our visit to the coast. Here are some other highlights:

~Many hours on the beach, walking and reading.

~Finding peonies at the farmer's market! In July!

~Freshly baked cookies from Waves of Grain, a local bakery - moist and perfect.

~Enormous sugar snap peas at the farmer's market, perfect for snacking on at the beach, a long favorite.

~The constant sound of the ocean.

~Being able to sleep with the windows open - so incredibly quiet and cool.

~The glistening shore at low tide, mist and fog.

~Exuberant gardens around town.

~The silouettes of mountains and evergreens on the horizon (Houston is really flat.)

~Being able to wear sweatshirts, scarves, and even hats in July (Houston is really hot.)

So make a cup of tea, close your eyes for a moment, and imagine you're soaking up some of this peace as well.

More Tea Tuesday here.

TeaForte

One of my most recent tea discoveries is also one of my favorites: my tea forte ceramic infuser. I had been using unbleached tea bags to brew my loose leaf jasmine vanilla because modern infusers always seemed to contain plastic (which I did not want to mix with hot water - all those chemicals) and the old fashioned spring-loaded types always seemed to leak tea leaves. This is an elegant solution. The metal base screws off so it can be filled with tea leaves, and it rests in its own little matching tray. I see they have several other plastic-free infusers displayed on their webpage. Thank you, Teaforte!

In the Kitchen with My Sister

Where have I been and what have I been doing? Driving through the West and now enjoying being home in the Black Hills again, staying with my sister and her family, for one. There are several adventures I hope to share here in the next month or so. We haven't been doing as much cooking together as usual during this spring's visit, but last night I did make soup using French green lentils for the first time, combining this and this recipe for a final dish that was quite yummy. We found these lovely spring onions at the farmer's market and used them as a garnish on the soup. Also at the farmer's market: little radishes and lots of canned goods, including chokecherry jelly, pumpkin butter, and raspberry rhubarb preserves that I look forward to using in Houston later this summer.

My brother-in-law is usually the one who whips up some of our Grandma Helen's Swedish Pancakes (really crepes) now and then for breakfast, but I also attempted them for the first time this trip. I'm thinking some of these green onions would be tasty in them! My sister and I fondly remember eating them at her house when we stayed overnight as kids, sprinkled with plenty of sugar. Here's the recipe - we now eat them with sugar and lemon juice or Nutella.

3 eggs

1 1/4 C milk

3/4 C sifted flour

1 T sugar

1/2 t salt

Beat eggs 'til thick and lemon-colored. Stir in milk. Sift dry ingredients; add to egg mixture, mixing 'til smooth. Drop batter by tablespoons (I used quarter-cup measure) onto moderately hot, greased griddle. Spread batter evenly to make thin cakes. Turn when underside is light brown.

Sweets

I've missed the last two Tea Tuesdays (in-laws in town), but I'm excited to share this Turkish dessert with you. It is delicious enjoyed with a strong little cup of Turkish tea. Don't ask me to give you its proper name! It's a wonderful concoction from a restaurant that we frequent often, a pudding of types with slivered almonds on the inside and generous crushed pistachios on the outside. Dessert can be such a sweet spot in the midst of life. My fb friends may have already heard, but last week I was in the juror pool for a murder trial - so glad I was not selected. That would have been quite a challenge. I also had a sticky accelerator pedal in my truck the same day, and luckily stopped to have it checked out. It jammed on the mechanic who test-drove it! Thankfully no one was hurt, and it was a fairly easy fix. As mentioned, my in-laws were also here. My FIL went to town on our yard, pulling out bushes that died in the freeze, planting new ones, and stringing wire trellises for my jasmine. I was so thankful for his help out there. I need to pull a few more weeds, have it mulched, and then will probably ignore the garden until autumn, as the mosquitoes and warm weather are returning. I look forward to catching up with all of you!

Tea Tuesday

Very belatedly, I am sharing a little Chinese New Year goodie-box that a sweet friend gave to me this Tea Tuesday. Chinese New Year was six weeks ago! One of the packets contains green tea, but they're all so cute, colorful, and unique that I haven't been able to bring myself to open any of the candy or tea yet. I'm just enjoying looking at it! The little coins have symbols embossed on them that stand for various New Year's greetings: good luck, prosperity, etc. We'd gone to lunch that day at a Chinese restaurant with crunchy egg rolls flavored with sesame oil (one of my favorites), jasmine tea, and a delicious chicken and noodle dish. I love that tea is very much a multi-cultural affair, one that crosses boundaries easily from one country to the next.

Thanks to bleubeard and elizabeth for mentioning my blog today - she has quite a fun blog herself!

As an Orthodox Christian, this week is the high point of the year: Holy Week, leading to the feast of feasts, or Pascha. I am looking forward to attending services this week and then staying up all night Saturday as we celebrate with a midnight Liturgy! A blessed Easter/Pascha to all of you!

Jasmine Vanilla

Tea Tuesday again today, and the theme is 'where we live.' This idea could be explored on so many different levels - my disorganized house with the big kitchen that I adore, the suburb I'm in, the metro area I'm a part of, Texas pride (which still entertains me), or even the place that I consider to be my real home, the Black Hills, even if I don't currently reside there. On a ledge in my kitchen, I sometimes place flowers from my yard or bargains such as these daffodils.

I could also mention other areas I've lived, such as Bakersfield, CA, home of Sweet Surrender, a bakery with the most amazing chocolate cake I've ever had. I would enjoy the cake with friends and with a cup of looseleaf jasmine vanilla tea, sold in the canisters seen above for $12.00! Once again, Staple & Spice in Rapid City came to the rescue, where I could buy looseleaf jasmine and vanilla in bulk at a much cheaper rate and mix them together for the same effect. This blend lives in a jar in my kitchen and is one of my favorites.

The Black Hills have been mentioned a lot on this blog, but I've also mentioned Texas often. I live near Houston and have shared a few links below that provide images of some of my favorite parts of living in Texas. And there's so much more to enjoy about this region: tons of art museums and cultural activities, great and varied restaurants, our church, lots of houseguests coming our way, the Gulf Coast. On the flip side, I don't handle the heat, traffic, allergies, and crowds that are a part of living here very well, and am preparing to hunker down soon in my house for the long summer season. What are some of your favorite parts of where you live?

Local Flora and Fauna

My Backyard in Early Spring

Where I'm From

Jordan Pond

I don't think I ever posted any photos of our time in Maine, or if I did, I can't find them in my archives. Today is Tea Tuesday again. Jordan Pond is a lovely little lake in Acadia National Park with the Bubbles peaks behind it, featured in Martha Stewart Living last summer. The restaurant there is famous for its popovers and tea, which we enjoyed on a chilly afternoon during our week there in October. Earlier that week, we'd hiked around Jordan Pond, much of it on a little boardwalk constructed over the mossy shoreline. The fall colors were near their peak and it was a beautiful time. Jordan Pond Tea is a blend of black and green that produces a refreshing flavor. I find I really enjoy blends of tea, such as Tazo's Joy, which is a blend of black, green, and oolong. Next time I visit Staple & Spice in Rapid City, I will need to buy some looseleaf black and green and blend them together!

9 Days Up North

As previously mentioned, I was blessed to spend nine days up north in South Dakota a few weeks ago to meet my new nephew, play with his brother, and try to help my sister and her hubby out. It was a time of cooking, staying indoors (even the cats quickly returned despite their pleas to go out), playing, admiring the new baby, and time with family. The weather wasn't terribly cold, but I relished sleeping once again in my sister's most comfy guest bed under a down duvet - so cozy. We visited a few favorite local restaurants, threw a baby shower, and watched the Olympics on dvr. Nothing terribly exciting, perhaps, but it was refreshing and good for my soul to be home again.

My sister asked me to make our mom's beef vegetable soup along with fried bread, very much a favorite when we were children. I hadn't made fried bread in many years and remembered it being a challenge, but it sounded so good that we decided to go for it. Using frozen bread dough, thawed per instructions, it was much easier than I recalled. My almost-three nephew absolutely loved it, so we were happy to see the family tradition continue. Basically, all you do once the dough has thawed and raised, is to break pieces off, flatten them on a floured counter, and then fry them in an inch or two of oil over medium-high heat. We used an electric skillet. Heavily salt immediately after removing from the skillet, and place on paper towel-lined plate. Serve with hot soup, if you don't eat it all before dinnertime!

Tea Surprises

I'm a day late for Tea Tuesday, but still wanted to share. Martha included this Inuit cloudberry tea in a recent ATC swap we did. I was surprised and delighted to know that even after all the tea I've drank, there are still flavors I didn't know existed. I'd never even heard of cloudberries, but what a dreamy name they have! The tea had a delicious, unique aroma and taste - all enjoyed in the 50-cent tea cup I brought back from a thrift shop during my recent trip to SoDak. What surprises have you had lately?


We were also just blessed with a 6-day visit from our friend and little godchildren from Pennsylvania - always a fun, riotous time.

Edible Tokens

I'm back from another trip to South Dakota, this time to visit my brand-new nephew. What a sweetie he is! I also spent many fun hours playing dinosaurs with his older brother, who at almost-three is quite fond of imaginative play. Between cuddling the baby and pretending to be a triceratops, I enjoyed cooking for my sister and her family, drinking lots of tea while we stayed indoors, a few small snowfalls, and shooting photos. I hadn't been home in the winter in about seven years, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. 30 in South Dakota actually felt warmer than 30 in Texas! And I'm happy to report that flying continues to get easier with each trip. Sister and I made a few quick shopping trips during the week, including one to a favorite kitchen store that always holds surprises. They were sampling The Tea Spot Vintage Oolong (pictured above) and it was good enough that I brought some home with me. Purchasing tea on my travels has become a bit of a routine, an edible token of my time away, and sometimes my sister and I send each other tea after one of us has traveled somewhere. This tea will happily remind me of my February week up north.

Monastery Tea

I've been meaning to join Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons for Tuesday Tea for quite some time, given how much tea I drink! This weekend we finally visited St. Paraskevi Monastery up near Brenham, Texas. Unfortunately we forgot our camera, or I would share some photos. Their temple was astoundingly beautiful, radiating peace and quiet. My husband and I and two friends from church were the only visitors that day, perhaps owing to the rare chilly weather. The abbess kindly visited with us for quite some time, sharing stories about the founding of her original monastery in Greece and plans for her monastery in Texas. She brewed a delicious pot of Greek mountain tea for us, which I'd never before had. It was lovely! Fortunately, they sell it in their bookstore so I was able to bring some home. The nuns served a delicious meal to us that included some of their homemade feta cheese and wine from the winery that helps press their own grapes. We were blessed to spend a few hours there. At home yesterday, I brewed some of their tea and added honey from St. Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania in my new Charley Harper mug. I am sure this tea will always remind me of a chilly Texas day under the pine trees.

January Garden

The last several weeks have been rather busy due to home improvements and a visit from dear friends. My garden has been thinned considerably since our rare heavy frost a bit back, but some things are pressing on in their lovely little ways. These diminutive wildflowers have popped up everywhere. My Savoy cabbages (not seen) and Brussels sprouts (second photo) are slowly growing and I look forward to preparing them for a meal later this spring. And, finally, for some reason I didn't believe the nurseryman when he told me the variegated wormwood (bottom photo) would take over, but now I see that he is right. One plant has produced a 4-foot patch of seedlings. They're pretty when they're small but not so much when they're mature. I will be transplanting them to a bare part of the garden!

I have returned to the pottery studio this month but have had to use a different, much softer, clay and have found it rather a struggle - although today I threw the largest bowls I've ever managed (still not really that large!) Loved ones are having babies right and left, so I also have several small sewing projects in mind. And for craft group next week, I found this lovely wreath project. Can't wait to put it together!

Little Observations

~ I am thoroughly enjoying the manual milk frother that my sister sent me for Christmas, seen in the second photo. It turns milk into a foamy wonder that is better than that from a coffee shop!

~ Today I am attempting to bake bread from scratch for the first time. Results will be known within the hour.

~ I haven't seen as many birds in my yard lately and think I know why. I put out a feeder of black oil sunflower seeds to try to lure the cardinals back several days ago. Lured they were, but whenever they got close to the feeder, a very territorial mockingbird swoops in and chases them off. Said mockingbird doesn't seem to care about eating from the feeders, however - they are still full. It also chased off the bluejay. I hung out a second feeder and hope the cardinals and jays will keep trying, because I miss them.

~ We've lived here for 4 years, but only yesterday finally visited Brazos Bend State Park for a much-needed walk in nature. Compared to western mountains and pines it's far from pretty, but it will do!

~ A large gathering of Bradford pear leaves awaits me in the backyard. They were gorgeous while they lasted. And I actually love to rake.

~ I am finally reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and am quite inspired by it. I do think I will try making cheese and will put in a small spring veggie garden.

~ Likewise, I've just started Life is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition by Wendell Berry and am very grateful for his thoughtful words and clear vision.

Life as a Christmas Elf

Today I mailed off my last packages. Here are a few things that I included as handmade gifts, some of which might be quick for you to make as last minute gifts if you need ideas! (If you're a family member and have secretly discovered my blog, I guess your surprises are ruined! ;-)

Desk calendars for those with office jobs (4x6 inches), using wallet-sized prints of my flower photos and free yearly calendars downloaded on the web.

Beaded earrings - copper, glass, minerals, sterling silver.

Guilty pleasure - pretzels in almond bark with sprinkles.

Typed, printed, and bound booklets of the favorite family recipes my MIL wrote out by hand for our wedding.

Herbal sachets (many of these are for my own closets, fabric stash, etc.) They do contain lavendar, but also whole cloves, thyme, mint, and rosemary. They smell wonderful! I tried out a few decorative stitches on my sewing machine for embellishment, and even broke into my vintage hankie collection for a few of them.

I also did some simple scrapbook pages, easy cookie cutter clay ornaments, pottery for one lucky person, and made a pile of photo notecards. I haven't been able to craft much this year with study and travel, so it has been rather fun to get back into it. The hardest part of Christmas prep remains: cleaning and straightening my house before visitors arrive! I hope your Advent season is going well.

Smiling

I'm taking a break from Analyzing Prose for a few minutes - so many things from my trip to SoDak and from Maine! that I keep thinking about. (We just returned from Maine yesterday; I've survived another flight and handled it ok even though it was quite bumpy at times. Lots and lots of photos from that trip.)

But for now, here are a few things from my time in SD recently that really made me smile. I spent a rushed hour helping a friend harvest all of her tomatoes before the first freeze. This box is only a small part of what we picked; I'm guessing the total was around 40 lbs. I love getting my hands in the dirt and in the garden, so this was a fun treat for me. And they tasted as good as they looked.

My stepsister has acquired a new Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy (along with two goats and two little ponies). Here, he's only 4 months old and 45 pounds! Obviously, he will be huge. He's all legs, and quite a mellow little guy. I loved meeting him, and seeing him try to get the rat terrier to play with him. Makes me want another puppy...

On my last Saturday in Rapid City, my sister, little nephew, and I went down to the first annual Pumpkin Fest. Have you ever seen a 713-pound pumpkin? I can now say that I have! We were suitably impressed. The best part was watching my nephew's excitement at the tractor parade and grinning at one old very authentic farmer who waved at us from his perch.

Something that is not making me smile right now is trying to deal with my mail-order pharmacy, an option that we were forced into by our insurance company. Has anyone else used them? I have had more problems than I can list right now, but it has been a very frustrating experience. Communication issues are only the tip of the iceberg and I now asked to be transferred to the American continent immediately upon connection.

But I'm smiling today because it has finally cooled off in Texas!

What are you smiling about?

Late August Impressions

There have been things I've wanted to share, but suddenly blogger won't let me copy and paste from Word, as is my usual m.o. for longer posts. Has this happened to you? So I'm just stopping by to share some simple pleasures I've squirreled away this week in between long study sessions. These $6 roses to start with. A late afternoon weekday matinee by myself, much needed escape from the books - Julie & Julia, which left me dreaming about roast chicken and beef stew. Playing with solar print paper in the backyard. Selling some old bookshelves through Craig's List - cash! 99-cent French bread from Whole Foods, toasted with butter - butter nearly rivals chocolate as one of my biggest temptations. Drinking the looseleaf jasmine & vanilla tea that my sister sent me this spring from the little organic grocery in our hometown, nibbling on small squares of dark chocolate with it while I study. Getting my first glazed and fired pieces back from pottery class. A hilarious package from my sister that left me giggling all day. New-to-me books from PaperbackSwap, setting them aside to read once this exam is behind me. Anticipation! Neighborhood children back in school, which makes afternoon shopping much quieter. A sleepy dog, who gives me something cute to look at while I study.

What simple pleasures have you had lately?