Lucky

This week's new recipe ~ Lucky Chinese Soup




And it really is lucky, because I don't have to type out the recipe! Find it here.

I really liked this soup, and I also liked that it was different than anything I've ever cooked. It was also the first time I've ever purchased or used tofu. I still have half a brick (I guess that's what you'd call it) of tofu left, so I'm hoping to find a use for it.

It wasn't hard to make, but it was so much like something you'd get for take-out or off a chinese buffet, that after a few bites, I was thinking, "Wait...I made this? I started with ingredients and made this??"

Seems a little amazing to me.

New (Old) Pictures

Hi everyone...well, I finally got over my Flickr hang-up of wanting every photo on there to be my best, most perfect, most wonderful and I figured it was time to not be quite so picky...

So there are a bunch of new (old) pictures on my Flickr page...makes it a jumbled mess of Spring, Fall, Winter, Wyoming, Kentucky, South Dakota, Milwaukee, Seattle...but I'm really happy with it...I'm also hoping to get some more local, Kentucky pics up in the near future (have to take them first...)

Baby goats!

If one baby goat is this cute, imagine how cute 44 baby goats are!!

Livestock Club went to C2H2 Farms to visit this evening, and they have all sorts of animals, tons of goats, chickens, cute dogs, rabbits, cows...such a beautiful farm and a perfect evening! I hope I can go back and take some more pictures!

Mmm...

My new recipe for this week was...

Orange Cookies!

I have to say, I am VERY partial to chocolate in all desserts, but I decided to try something new. These are good...and since they taste like fruit (kind of), you can eat several without feeling guilty (if you don't think too hard about the sugar, shortening, and icing). I also halved the recipe (didn't need 12 dozen) but I'll put the whole recipe in here, in case they look so good that you must have 12 dozen ;)




Orange Cookies
From: Taste of Home's "Best Loved Cookies and Bars"

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
4 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Icing
4 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup orange juice

• In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the buttermilk, eggs, orange juice, and orange zest (it looks really funky after you add that stuff--don't worry, it'll turn out okay once you add the dry ingredients!). Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture
• Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• For icing, combine the confectioners' sugar, orange extract, and enough orange juice to acheive desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookies. Yield: 12 dozen
  

And, in case you're not in a baking mood...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjxY9rZwNGU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ0jRuASVEQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qdhbkTko4

I do love embroidery and kittens...

;)

Glories of the Garden

Pictures of my pictures in the UK Arboretum "Glories of the Garden" Art Show. The artist reception was last Sunday, and even though I've seen these pictures about a million times, I can't get over how nice they look all framed and hung up (especially the picture that's up at the Singletary Center--the one with the white wall and the fancy name tag).

Spring Foward is "ruff"

I love it being lighter in the evenings BUT the mornings are terrible (well, more terrible than usual) for at least a week.

Anyway, despite my not wonderful feelings about the time change, I got a TON of stuff done today. I caught spring cleaning fever and have been cleaning, and cleaning, and cleaning all day long. Everything in my apartment is cleaner than it's EVER been...except for my second bedroom, which is a wreck. I'm hoping I can tackle it sometime next week...after I got finished with my bedroom I was done for the day.

I did have energy to make dinner and it turned out lovely (!!) and incredibly easy to clean up, which was good because I didn't have the heart to mess up my perfect kitchen ;) This wonderful, incredible meal was...

Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Sauce (and a baked sweet potato)




Seriously, the best porkchop I've ever had (the picture doesn't really do it justice, but when it comes down to it, I really wanted to EAT the porkchop, not take a picture of it or style the food or do whatever people do to make food look really appetizing and not just like mush on a plate) . I guess part of being inspired by food blogs means I should actually be including the recipe...which I'm planning on doing, but right now I think I need some ice cream. ;)

ETA: Recipe Time!

Pork Chops with Apple-Cranberry Sauce
From: Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook

4 boneless pork chops (3/4 to 1 lb)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/2 tsp. dried majoram
1/4 cup Craisins
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup..I think I used more than this)
2 tsps. cornstarch

1. Spray 10-inch non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over meduim high heat, sprinkly pork chops with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet, turning once, until brown.

2.Stir in 1/2 cup apple juice, cranberry juice and majoram. Cook over medium low for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and onions. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning pork once, until pork is slightly pink in center.

3. Mix cornstarch amd remaining 1/4 cup apple juice until smooth. Remove pork from skillet and cover to keep warm. Stir cornstarch misture into skillet; cook and stir until thickened. Serve sauce over pork.

Yum!

hmm...

I'm getting inspired by all the food blogs I've been reading (and I'm getting very, very hungry) so I'm thinking I might start adding pictures of the new recipes I try to my blog...then I'll have more reasons to post AND more incentives to actually try new recipes

=)

A few clicks and...

...when it's not in black and white, the water in this picture is murky green with floating, fuzzy-looking, dark green accents (algae?)...the boys I was with thought it was filled with goose poop (which, it turns out, is a very similar color green)...

Oh, the things you learn during a field trip to Salato Wildlife Center...