Individual Quiches made in a muffin tin.

It's Potluck Day! 

And I am making Individual Quiches that are made in a muffin tin.

I love our monthly potlucks and this month's theme is Appetizers. Mini foods and smaller portions so that more food can fit on your plate!  This happens to be one of our most anticipated theme months.  Appetizers seem easy or maybe just sound easy and everyone really enjoys all the different foods that show up.  

My quiche is becoming epic - if only in our own home - but it is so good!  I wrote about our quiche making project about 3 years ago.  If you are looking for a full sized deep dish 9" quiche, Click Here to see that post. 

For the full sized quiche recipe - Click Here 

I've made mini quiches before and then made even more and froze them.  Oh my goodness, 2 minutes in the microwave straight from frozen and they are nearly as fabulous as when they are pulled out of the oven.  Those frozen muffin sized quiches have been one of my favorite go to morning breakfasts.  

Now that I am having to eat real whole foods with very little if any additives, it's very nice to have something quick.  It's also pretty awesome that so many others like it as well.  That is why all of the recommended cheeses are white or are white in the photos.  No added colors to help keep me well. 

I have to admit, last month I brought the muffin sized quiche for potluck, but I wasn't feeling well, so I was only able to make 12.  Not too many people were able to try them and those that did loved them.  For this month's potluck I prepped everything the day before, so I just had to mix the liquids and fill the muffin pan.  

Now that I have made the mini quiches a few times I have learned a few tricks.  

1. Fill each of the muffin cups up to the top with ingredients.
2. Pour the liquid in slowly and stop just before overflowing.
3. Make sure you have the muffin pan on a level surface and then fill each muffin up to the very top.
4. If done correctly, a the liquid egg mixture should fill all 12 muffins to the very top. 

If everything is prepared in advance, it should only take about 15 minutes to fill the 12 muffin tins and get it into the oven.  They bake for 35 minutes and you can eat them right away.  

Here are the layers I used for this particular batch.  You can use any combination of items that you'd like.  I just sprinkle the portions into each well.

-chopped spinach and mushrooms on the bottom
-a layer of sharp cheddar cheese
-green onions and bacon
-monterey jack cheese - I put a good amount in there.
-Then mix up the liquid egg and cream and pour that in
-top each of the wells with shredded parmesan cheese
-pour remaining egg mixture to the very top of each well.

As you can see, I don't stuff the quiches with ingredients.  I like there to be a cheese layer between and I want to make sure that the egg mixture can really bind everything together.

I add in dried dill, some garlic powder and onion powder into the eggs.  A pinch or two of salt if you'd like as well.

This is the first pouring of the liquid and the topping of each one with parmesan.

 This is the final pour and I got every drop of the liquid into those muffin tins.

Right out of the oven those quiches are an inch or two above the muffin pan, but even just a few seconds later they have already deflated.  I tried to get a photo of them really tall, but they deflate quickly! 

In this batch of quiches I added more spinach to the top layer, just under the parmesan.  I had extra spinach, so I decided to use it up.  I think it made the quiche look a lot prettier.  

We took 23 quiches to the appetizer potluck tonight.  (We ate one as a tester!) 12 will fit in a 9x13 baking dish and ours has a lid, so I put that lid on right away - an hour later those quiche were still warm.  Now that's potluck GOLD to have warm food.  I have 2 of those 9x13 baking dishes, so I used both to transport the whole shebang.

I have an electric skillet that I could have used to keep these warm, but I didn't want to fuss with trying to plug it in at our venue.  The quiche are good both hot and cold.

We came home with 3.

Quiche - Muffin sized
yield: 12 quiches
350 degrees F
35 minutes

The Filling
- as many of these as you'd like
10 - 20 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed nearly dry
*fresh mushrooms, sliced, sauteed
*sliced green onions
*onion, sliced, sauteed
*sundried tomatoes, chopped and patted dry
*chopped fresh dill (or dried dill)
*minced garlic (or roasted garlic or garlic powder)
*bacon cooked and crumbled
The Liquid Mixture
10 large eggs
2 cups whole milk - (or Half and Half and 2% milk) (or heavy whipping cream and 2%) all of these are good combos.  
salt and pepper, to taste
the dried spices if you chose to go that route. 

The Cheeses
shredded cheese - Use 2 if you'd like  (Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella, Swiss, Moneterey Jack)
grated Parmesan cheese or Dubliner

Slice, dice, thaw, squeeze dry, grate and crumble everything that you want to go into the quiches.

Spray your muffin tin with a nonstick cooking spray.
Fill the tins, making sure to leave each layer airy so the liquid egg mixture can seep through everything.

I like to use a hardish cheese (sharp cheddar) near the bottom, put my melty cheese like Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack in the middle and then top with the hardest cheese, Parmesan on the top.

Fill each well with the liquid egg mixture and fill each one to the very top.  I found that my 12 pack of quiches bakes for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  I do not have a convection oven, so I do not know how they they would take in one of those fancy ovens.


Please be sure to read the step by step above with the photos.  It's easier to explain with pictures, but once you've done it once or twice you won't need anything but the numbers for the liquid egg mixture.  That's all I have on a sticky note on the inside of one of the cabinet doors.

That's all she wrote for tonight.
Have a great day!
Kristin

Faith in Humanity

Photo by Jonas Vincent on Unsplash

Have you ever read or watched a video that started off with... this will restore your faith in humanity? That has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves, because you see no matter how bad it may seem on any given day or year, I have never lost faith in humanity.

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

Every day there are millions upon millions of people doing good in our world. From a baby kissing a kitty to people willing to help someone cross the street. Libraries being filled with donated books and people being given life saving blood by people willing to give of themselves, literally. Neighbors helping neighbors in times of need or writing a Thank You letter to someone.

 It all matters.

Photo by Ashley Whitlatch on Unsplash

I love the idea of good vibes being sent out from me, making a ripple throughout the world.  What happens when my good vibes hit someone else's good vibes and someone else's?  A never ending vibration.  It's there, I just know it is.

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

I'm sure everyone in my life has been a volunteer at some point in their lives. More often than not, my friends, family and even acquaintances are regular volunteers. I see and hear about it all the time. You all coach soccer, drive half the neighborhood kids to their games, make costumes for the local theater, take people to the airport or just volunteer your time sitting with someone at a doctors appointment.

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

My faith in humanity is strengthened by just the nice things that people do on a daily basis. Simple things like smiling, holding the door or letting someone pull into traffic in front if you. I know many people who make food for a friend, if they find they aren't feeling well. I hear all the time about those that pay for the coffee for the person behind them at the drive thru, but just as often those that have received that random act of kindness.

Photo by Ty Williams on Unsplash

I have not lost faith in humanity. I will not lose faith in us. We are the strong, the loving, the beautiful and the giving. We make this world a joy to behold and we make people laugh, smile and feel loved.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Give me your tired, your poor... election day.

Statue of Liberty inscription

On this day of our National election, it's good to look back on a bit of the inscription on pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, written by American poet Emma Lazarus

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Kristin and Steve
KNS Gear

Hungarian Potato Soup

Hungarian Potato Soup

This potato soup recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  I know that my Mom added the cauliflower to the soup, probably to make it a bit more healthy.  It may make it healthier but it gives the soup a great crunch.  I love it.  My husband wasn't too thrilled about having cauliflower in the soup, but he loved it too.  The soup doesn't taste like cauliflower, I promise.

 Here are most of the ingredients that you need for making the soup.  My goal in making food is to use ingredients that have as few additives as possible.  This is so I can minimize the free glutimate acid and MSG that is found in so many prepared or manufactured products.

The Daisy sour cream is made with one ingredient - cultured cream.  Compare that list to others and you will see a huge difference.  Fairlife 2% Milk also has very few ingredients and no thickeners.  Tabasco Sauce is made with peppers, vinegar and salt.
For having several manufactured products, it's a great soup for me.

The onions are being cooked in butter

This soup is as pure as it can be and still be more than just potatoes and water!   The photo below is the mixture of sour cream, paprika, salt, and flour.  I added the Tabasco in there as well because I knew I was going put it in and I wanted it to cook in a bit.  You can add it later or not at all, it's totally up to you.

Sour cream and the spices

I used flour in today's soup but when I take it to potluck, I always make it with corn starch to make it gluten free for those that may have a gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease.

This soup cooks up pretty quickly, doesn't need to simmer for very long at all before it's ready to eat.  It's just as good the day it's made as it is the next!

Hungarian Potato Soup
½ c onion
2 T butter
4 med potatoes, diced
½ t salt
1c water
¼c flour
1½ t paprika
1c sour cream
2½c milk
½ head of cauliflower, chunked into bite sized pieces
Add Tabasco and garlic powder as needed

Cook onion in butter until tender - add potatoes, salt and the water.
Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender.
Blend four, paprika and sour cream until smooth.
Stir into potato mixture.
Add cauliflower and milk.
Heat to boiling while stirring.
Let simmer until cauliflower is tender.
Taste and add Tabasco sauce and garlic powder as needed.
Serve hot with a sprinkle of paprika on the top of the soup as garnish.

ENJOY!

Have a great day!
Kristin

I Will Live Forever by Robert Test

I Will Live Forever

by Robert Test

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital; busily occupied with the living and the dying. 

At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped. 

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine.  And don't call this my deathbed.  Let it be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead longer lives. 

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman. 

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. 

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play. 

Give my kidneys to the one who depends on a machine to exist wee to week. 

Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk. 

Explore every corner of my brain. 

Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that, someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window. 

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow. 

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weakness and all prejudice against my fellow man.

Give my sins to the devil.  Give my soul to God.

If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. 

Poem by Robert Test

Little Cookbooks from the Michigan State University Library

Do you ever look for the original recipe or the old fashioned way of making something?  Sometimes recipes get so manufactured or low fatted, sugar freed and skinny that it in no way resembles the original dish. 

In my quest to become MSG free and eliminate nearly all processed foods, I am constantly looking at vintage recipes.  It's back before Cream of Mushroom soup that the cook in the house made everything from scratch.  (Obviously that's not entirely true, but it's certainly easier to find an entire cookbook with everything made from scratch from that era.)

For example, lately I've been looking for a cake recipe to take to one of my monthly potlucks.  Just a plain cake to add to make an "easy" dessert.  Those ubiquitous dump cake mixtures are pretty good, but I can't have the regular cake mixes anymore.  I have found plain cake recipes, that aren't vintage, but they aren't in the middle of an old cookbook.  I'm having more fun looking at the old photos, I bet. 

Front cover of Kate Smith's book

All the photos in this post are from the MSU Library - Kate Smith's Favorite Recipes.  It's one of the small cookbooks, just 48 pages long, from the Brocker Collection.  

Lately on Pinterest I have been finding a bunch of vintage cookbooks and many of them have linked back to Michigan State University.  MSU has an extensive digital library of cookbooks and I keep finding more and more of them.  The books have been scanned from the front cover to the back.  If the books aren't useful to you, they sure are an interesting look at life in that time period.  I've been entertained for several hours on the ins and outs of how to dig cellar and store crops for winter.  After reading that one, I know for sure that I wasn't cut out for that life! 

Back cover of Kate Smith's book

sponge cakes

Brownies, economical cupcakes and more

If you would like to see what other digital subjects are available at the MSU digital library, you can search here.

I haven't found the perfect cake mix yet, but I'm sure it won't be long.  I'll be sure and tell you all about it when I do.  For now, I keep all of my vintage handwritten recipes and vintage cookbooks on my Recipes board in my Pinterest.  You are more than welcome to peruse and pin at your leisure.  

If you have any leads on some awesome digital cookbooks let me know!  

Have a great day!

Kristin

Cat toys show up for food, too!

Cat toys show up for food, too! 

This morning when I woke up I noticed that there was a group of cat toys that had been assembled in and around the cat food. 

I thought that one of the funniest was that little black and white cow was perched on the edge, just sort of peeking in. 

The poor pink fish bones cat toy was flopped over the side and the Dali horse, had jumped right in. 

Loki, the kitty, sniffed all of the toys and agreed that they were OK to have a meal with.

He decided to dine with everyone.  Here it is a dozen hours later and the toys are still there, but nearly all the cat food has been eaten - except from under the horse.  The horse always hides some.  It's the emergency stash, I believe. 

Have a great day!
Kristin

Mini cupcakes

Have you ever gotten a pack of those mini cupcakes?  Our local Publix Supermarket has these all the time and usually around a holiday they come decorated in the current theme.

At our monthly potlucks, someone always seems to bring a pack of these and they are so good -- but I can never figure out how to get them out of the plastic without picking up the whole thing or getting my fingers into all of the surrounding cupcakes.

I know it may not seem like a big deal, but I was thrilled to pieces when I discovered how to pick them up!  We had a pack of these mini cupcakes left at our house from our Halloween party last weekend.  We had so many desserts that this little mini pack was totally ignored and wasn't opened.

So here I was, at home and looking for a treat and those mini cupcakes were just staring at me.  Since I was home and not in public, I was able to make a mess trying to get the first few cupcakes out of the plastic container.  At some point, after dinner a few days later, I had a fork in my hand while going by the cupcakes.  I realized I could stab my fork into one and pull it right out!!

I swear lightning struck.  The cake came right out.  I didn't have to try to push from the bottom, touch other cakes or get frosting all over my knuckles.  It was pure genius.  Even if it took me three tries to spell genius, it was a genius move.  Trust me.

The next time we have potluck - I'm going to put a couple forks into the mini cupcakes and I bet it will catch on and there will never me any leftover minis.

Enjoy your day!
Kristin

Southern Pecan Bread

Kristin's homemade Southern Pecan Bread

Pinterest can really get you into some deep spirals of craving and the past few weeks I have been craving pecan bread.  I just looked at one recipe and the next thing I know Pinterest is showing me every form of pecan bread, pecan pie, pecan bread pudding, pecan cookies and so on until I absolutely HAD to make one of them.  I picked two recipes for a sweet pecan bread and proceeded to bake.

The photo at the top of the page was taken on my patio and was the result of the recipe below.  I am pretty sure that top piece never made it to the freezer.

The first recipe I made was very good.  Steve and I ate it up.  Then I froze the rest of what was left that night so as not to eat the whole thing.  I thought the bread was real good but it sort of stuck in my teeth a bit and seemed a bit chewy.  None of it was bad, because the taste was fantastic, but I thought I'd try another recipe to see if maybe a small shift in ingredients could make it even better.

Well, I'll tell ya, this recipe, below, is some fine pecan bread. It doesn't stick in my teeth, has a nice chew but doesn't need any effort to eat.  It has fewer pecans than the first bread by just a little and the sugar ratio is different.  It is so much better in my opinion.  I bet this would be real good warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.   Hmmm, why didn't I think of that earlier?

I certainly picked a winner from the hundreds of recipes on Pinterest.  The recipe states that it's good sitting on the counter for up to 3 days.  That's all well and good if you can keep out of it!  It might not last that long.  This bread freezes beautifully, too.  Make now, eat at Thanksgiving!

No sense keeping you all waiting -- here is the recipe!


Southern Pecan Bread
adapted from Cookies & Cups recipe
350°F - 9x13 baking dish

Ingredients
1 1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/4 c butter, melted
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 t kosher salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 c chopped pecans

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a nonstick cooking spray into a 9x13 baking dish.

In a bowl combine both the sugars and butter, mixing on low until combined with either a stand mixer or hand held mixer. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix at a medium speed for 1 minute until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add in the flour until just combined. Fold in the pecans by hand.

Transfer mixture to your prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just set and the edges are lightly golden.

Cool completely in the pan, and then cut into squares.

NOTES
*Store, airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
*If you want to use self rising flour - Omit salt and baking powder, then add back in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
*If you want to make several batches, line your baking dish with parchment paper to lift right out of the dish to use again. You could also freeze the whole batch this way, too.  Lift out, wrap in foil, freeze.


Let me know if you try this recipe. 
Have a great day!
Kristin

MSG and unbound glutamic acid

I have been researching MSG and unbound glutamic acid for some time now.  I can tell you with certainty that they MSG effect is indeed true.  Glutamic acid may be an amino acid that our body needs, but in the unbound state it's not useful to the body.  Unbound glutamic acid can act as MSG in the body as it can cause headaches, nausea, diarrhea, intestinal distress, body aches, overwhelming sleepiness, fatigue, confusion, full body shaking, buzzing of the nervous system and so much more.  The symptoms described are all the ones I experience.  Some of happen independently of one another, but others come as a group of symptoms, all at the same time.

One of my favorite days of the week was Tuesday because we went out to lunch with a group of friends. It started slowly, just a few times each month, but a few hours after eating lunch I starting getting sick.  I couldn't pinpoint what was causing the illness because the symptoms were never the exact same, but it absolutely had to do with food, it was the only thing that was different.  The symptoms could come about as quickly as an hour or even 24 hours later. Dr. Google is a helpful tool, but looking for something unknown can lead a researcher down some crazy paths, but as I researched I was discovering that MSG was probably the issue.

The tater tot incident really woke my husband and I up and made us realize that this wasn't going to go away.  I had a book and I was writing down everything that I ate and I hadn't had any trouble with fries.  When I saw tater tots on the menu at this burger place I ordered them, I was kind of excited - little crispy potato bites.  I hadn't had any of those in years.  It never occurred to me that they might cause an issue. I was so very wrong.  Within an hour, I had severe cramping and diarrhea.  The diarrhea lasted several hours.  Everything I had eaten had liquefied and anything in my intestinal system prior had also liquefied.  It was awful. I swear, I was dying.

I knew, from past experiences with MSG, that this was an extreme reaction, but it was most definitely MSG.  I have since learned that I should look up the ingredients in foods, if possible, before I eat them, instead of after.  When looking up "tater tots MSG" I discovered that there probably isn't a tater tot out there that isn't loaded with the stuff.  Ignorance isn't bliss. 

I started my in-depth research on MSG and what I read was not easy to hear.  Some websites say that MSG is perfectly fine and my reaction to it was not typical.  Other blog sites, web pages and studies say that MSG and unbound glutamic acid are terribly harmful and that what I experienced was the end point for my body.  My nervous system had been dealing with MSG and unbound glutamic acid for so long... drip, drip, drip ...that my body could no longer contain the overflow.  It doesn't mean that everything I ate had been laced with the stuff, but that for me, I had reached my toxic amount.  MSG and unbound glutamic acid consistently lined up with what I was going through.

For years, a decade or more even, I had taken packaged foods out of my diet.  Or so I thought.  I didn't buy frozen dinners, vegetables with any kind of sauce added, no frozen anything but pie crusts and the occasional box of ice cream.  My food pantry was stocked full of real food -- kind of.  I had Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, for my most favorite rice salad, I had a few cans of soup for when either of us were sick and needed something quick -- I bought low sodium soup and the best brand I could find.  I had a box or two of Triscuits and Wheat Thins, graham crackers and a whole host of pasta sauces, pasta and Asian specialty sauces.  We had tortilla chips and potato chips, mostly plain, but Steve liked trying the new flavors so we had a few of those.  Candy, I had candy, too.  Steve and I love chocolate and we had chocolate kisses in every flavor, M&Ms, Trader Joe Chocolate bars and melting chocolate for Christmas candy making.

Once I started reading about MSG and the ingredients in food that sound like food but are really unbound glutamic acid I realized that my pantry was full of food I couldn't eat.  We are still culling food.  Steve is able to eat the food I'm not, but he really doesn't want to eat all that processed food either. So we are in a bit of a quandary at times. 

I have learned that the way a food is prepared can also cause me to have toxic MSG symptoms.  I had a pot roast that I cut in half and froze.  One day I made one half of the pot roast and was in very good, no problems at all.  A few weeks later I made the other half, almost identical to the way I made it before.  The first time I made the pot roast I used the slow cooker and put it on low for about 6 hours.  The roast was very nice, but not as tender as I had hoped.  The second time I used the slow cooker but turned it up to high and cooked for about 8 hours.  The roast was absolutely tender, fall apart glorious and I was ill within a few hours.  It turns out that the glutamic acid that is naturally in the meat will stay bound to the protein when the temperature stays below 300 degrees.  When I turned the crock pot up to high, the temperature rose to 350 or more and that glutamic acid released itself from the protein, essentially making it a free radical.  The now unbound glutamic acid gives that salty, rich flavor which chefs like to call umami flavor.  That flavor is undeniably good, no wonder why it is sought after.   Unfortunately the unbound glutamic acid excites the cells in the stomach and digestive tract and can cause a myriad of MSG symptoms.

For me, the excited cells cause a buzz through out my entire nervous system.  My husband can feel it when he touches me.  The buzz is exhausting, my head is so fuzzy that I can hardly put an entire sentence together, my balance is compromised and I can hardly keep my head up.  Sometimes if I push myself and say, do dishes or make a meal, the buzzing becomes visible and my entire body starts shaking uncontrollably.  The only thing I can do is go to bed and sleep.  The buzzing lasts for 12 hours all the way up to 36 hours for me.  When it's over, I pop up like nothing happened - except I missed a day. 


There are many lists out there that have the hidden names for MSG and free glutamic acid (which I call unbound glutamic acid) and the list below is one of them.  They hardly differ, so I have offered up one that I found at Truth in Labeling.  Personally, I don't seem to react to the last group for Highly Sensitive people, but I avoid those ingredients as much as possible anyway because now that I am no longer ingesting MSG, my sensitivities have increased when exposed.  I like to keep that exposure limited.

Group 1

Names of ingredients that always contain processed free glutamic acid:

Glutamic Acid (E 620)
Glutamate (E 620)
Monosodium Glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium Glutamate (E 622)
Calcium Glutamate (E 623)
Monoammonium Glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium Glutamate (E 625)
Natrium Glutamate
Yeast Extract
Anything “hydrolyzed”
Any “hydrolyzed protein”
Calcium Caseinate
Sodium Caseinate
Yeast Food
Yeast Nutrient
Autolyzed Yeast
Gelatin
Textured Protein
Soy Protein
Soy Protein Concentrate
Soy Protein Isolate
Whey Protein
Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey Protein Isolate
Anything “…protein”
Vetsin
Ajinomoto
Balsamic Vinegar

Group 2
Names of ingredients that often contain or produce processed free glutamic acid:

Carrageenan (E 407)
Bouillon and broth
Stock
Any “flavors” or “flavoring”
Maltodextrin
Citric acid, Citrate (E 330)
Anything “ultra-pasteurized”
Barley malt
Pectin (E 440)
Protease
Anything “enzyme modified”
Anything containing “enzymes”
Malt extract
Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Anything “protein fortified”
Anything “fermented”
Seasonings

Group 3
The following are ingredients suspected of containing or creating sufficient processed free glutamic acid to serve as MSG-reaction triggers in HIGHLY SENSITIVE people:

Corn starch
Corn syrup
Modified food starch
Lipolyzed butter fat
Dextrose
Rice syrup
Brown rice syrup
Milk powder
Reduced fat milk (skim; 1%; 2%)
Most things labeled “Low Fat” or “No Fat”
Anything labeled “Enriched”
Anything labeled “Vitamin Enriched”


I will be writing more on this subject, as this is my new lifestyle and I'm positive that I am not alone in this.  Getting to a place where I wasn't sick 5 days out of 7 is incredible.  I am now averaging 5 days a month or less of sick days.  I can see a future ahead of me. 

Thank you,
Kristin

Shredded Chicken

Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

Do you cook and freeze chicken in batches?  I do.  Those buy one get one deals that come around every so often are just too good to pass up. Anyway, I cook up about 6 - 12 chicken breasts in my pressure cooker and then I usually shred all of it.  Most of the time I buy chicken breasts with skin on and ribs because the meat is so much more flavorful when cooked altogether.  The stock is real good, too.  I keep that, freeze it in ice cube trays and use later.

Shredding chicken is one of my least favorite tasks.  It takes forever, even when it's hot as heck just out of the pot, and my poor hands are so sore after shredding half a dozen chicken breasts.  I usually clear off a spot at the dining room table and set up a little shredding station so that my back doesn't hurt from standing, hunched over the counter.

I've seen on Pinterest that by using an electric hand mixer, a couple chicken breasts can be shredded in seconds.  If you know me, you know that I probably have no idea where my hand mixer is and that I like to do things the hard way.  I wash all my dishes by hand, for crying out loud, when I have a perfectly good dishwasher just sitting there in the kitchen.

Well, over the holidays I had my electric hand mixer out from the dungeon and I had a dozen chicken breasts that I needed to shred.  I was exhausted and just wanted to be done with the day.  So what a better time to try out the too-good-to-be-true Pinterest story that says chicken can be shredded in seconds.  Oh my goodness!  It was crazy wonderful!

The photo above is 6 chicken breasts and it took me approximately 30 seconds to shred all of them, at the same time.  The chicken was cooled, not cold.  The beaters on the mixer were hardly even messy.  It took me just a few moments to wash them.  All of the things that I thought would make getting out the electric mixer a hassle was erased when the task was finished. No mess, fast clean up, and 30 seconds to shredded chicken!

I honestly can't believe I waited so long to try out such an easy shortcut.  Now that you know, don't you wait so long to try it out. If I only had ONE chicken breast to shred, I would get out the electric hand mixer.  It is seriously that wonderful.

Shredded chicken is so good in Mexican Chicken and Chicken Salad.  I have written a blog post about each of them.  I make chicken salad as often as I can, so I keep plenty of shredded chicken in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Have a great day!
Kristin

Currently, this week

week of Jan 28th - Feb 3rd 2018

I've thought this was a neat list to use, but never had.  I don't think it would be enjoyable to me, to do every day, but for some reason it felt like the perfect thing to for this week.  I thought about this image several times recently and I've learned, when you think about something several times, you might as well use it or acknowledge it.  So I did both. 

Photo by sean Kong on Unsplash

Thinking - My husband had trigger finger surgery on Monday.  He actually had two fingers that locked on him, so he had them both done at the same time.  So, I've been thinking about what his hand will look like when we take off the bandages tomorrow.

Enjoying - Since Steve has been relegated to the couch for the past several days, I have been enjoying having him near me for so many hours of the day.

Photo by Trinity Treft on Unsplash

Feeling - Excited!  I started painting a cabinet today.  I can't wait to see what it's going to look like in a couple of days!

KNS Home Decor

Wearing - A new bag. I had used my previous bag for over two years.  It was time to give it up. This is one of the many bags we sell in our Zazzle store,  I love the watercolor designs and they are really beautiful on these bags. 

Needing - Very little.  I can't even think of anything I need right now, except for Steve's hand to heal perfectly.

Photo by Sami Mititelu on Unsplash

Wanting - Wanting, now there's something that I always have a long list.  Lately though, I have been wanting to go an auction.  I miss the excitement of the bidding and seeing all the goodies up for sale. We don't need anything new introduced into our home, so I've avoided the auctions.  No more stuff, I keep telling myself.  No more stuff. 

Listening - to music and lots of it, which is unusual for me. I host a trivia show on Tuesday nights and I need music for the show, so I've been putting together music playlists.  It's been a lot of fun.

Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash

Making - Food!  Goodness, ever since I have self diagnosed myself with an intolerance for MSG and Free Glutamic Acid, I have been cooking at home a lot.  Half the fridge is full of food I made that somehow has something in it that I can't eat and the other half is safe food.  We learned this past week that meat cooked in a slow cooker is poison to me.  Hard lessons.

Eating - Almonds.  Some friends of ours from California brought us almonds from their farm and they are the best raw almonds I have ever tasted.

Photo by Ethan Sykes on Unsplash

Drinking - Water.  We have the best water at our house - I love our reverse osmosis water system.  I will do almost anything to not buy water.  I take a gallon or two with us on our vacations and always take water with us when we go out.  If I buy bottled water, I feel like I'm buying water two or three times because I've already purchased water at home from the city and again when we purchased the reverse osmosis system (and filters, although they last a couple years.)  So why shell out more money for bottled? 


That's it for now.
Have a great day!

Kristin

Loki, aka bobble head

Have I mentioned that Steve and I have 4 cats now? I know the Facebook world knows this fact, but I'm very sure that my blogging world does not.  The way we came about getting an additional two cats is interesting but not up for discussion right now. Let's just say that the two boys that joined our household are a JOY to have and I'm grateful we got them.

Loki, the youngest in our group and one of the orange tabby boys, is nicknamed bobble head.  He is just barely 2 yrs old and he loves to play with everything. He keeps his head moving, making sure not to miss a thing.  He lets us touch his paws, play with the pads of his feet, rub his belly, anything really just to keep all the attention.   He is our little lover. 

Whenever anyone isn't feeling well, he is the nurse in charge.   Loki will hardly leave the side of the designated patient.  If you're in for a full day of bedrest, he's got your back - literally.   He loves to lay sprawled out all along your back.  With me, he loves to lay on my hands when I am sleeping and one of his favorite spots with Steve is curled up at the top of his head.

Steve had surgery on his hand yesterday and Loki spent all night next to Steve.  As soon as I brought Steve home he's had a ginger shadow following him.  

Habi on the bottom and Loki sprawled out over the top.

Loki is such a sweetheart and both of our girls (kitty cat girls) love him, too.  Bobble head thinks that he's a vampire.  One of his favorite tricks is to pounce on any of the other three cats and bite them in the neck.  The girls find it funny, while Loki's brother, Habi, gets positively ticked off and usually some form of cat wrestling gets started.  There's rolling and hissing and more rolling and running.  The funny thing is, the only one upset is Habi.  (Little brothers are so annoying, aren't they, Habi?!)  The girls usually whack Loki in the head with a paw or run away, which leads to room to room tearing around for several minutes. They love it!

We have a wonderfully fun and happy household.   We are evenly divided, too. Three girls and three boys. Steve was outnumbered for awhile there, but the addition of the boys quickly evened things up.

 ...but if anyone asks, no, we don't need any more cats. This is plenty! 

Have a great day!

Kristin

Bacon and Green Onion Pasta Salad

We've been making this pasta salad for a few years now and it's absolutely delicious.  In the original recipe it calls for a dozen slices of bacon.  I commented on the blog post to see if it was a mistake, as I couldn't imagine anything needing 12 slices of bacon but I was assured that it was not a mistake.  Steve and I use thick sliced Wright Brand Bacon and I know I haven't used a dozen slices, but I bet I've used 9, because that's what my tray holds.  OK Maybe only 8 slices makes it into the pasta, I'm sure we sample a piece.

Eating has become a chore of late, for me anyway, because I have discovered that I am extremely sensitive to MSG and its counterpart Free Glutamic Acid.  I will be talking more about it in future blog posts, but for now I'm putting it out there -- this dinner, however, is nearly perfect.  We added some crunchy veggies on the side, extra cucumbers, some sweet peppers and fancy tomatoes. The pasta has balsamic vinegar in it and can be a trigger for some people as it's fermented, but so far I haven't had any problems with it, except when it's been heated.  So if you have a sensitivity, do not mix the vinegar into the hot pasta -- let the pasta cool first.

Bacon and Green Onion Pasta Salad

adapted from Erren's Kitchen original recipe

• 9 strips applewood smoked bacon, thick sliced, cooked and chopped
• 1-16oz box Cavatappi pasta, cooked and drained
• 3-5 green onions, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard 
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise plus more to taste, if necessary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, if desired

In a large bowl combine the bacon, pasta, green onions and cucumber.  In a small bowl whisk together the dressing - mustard, balsamic vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.  Cool in the refrigerator a few hours before serving.   Store in the fridge, covered for up to three days. 

Have a great day!
Kristin

Please Release Me, Let Me Go

I Intended to be further along.
I was just sure by this time that I would have a mountain of stuff shoveled out of the house and distributed to donation bins, recycling bins and trash bins. I was sure I'd have pounds of furniture sold to the next buyer or hauled off to charity.  I was nearly positive that my clothes would all be in the closet by now and not piled up on the floor at the end of my bed.  I have been on the right track for RELEASE, my word of the year, but my hip pain has seriously derailed me.

I have sorted and tossed (recycled or trash) - that's a good activity for sitting.  I have listed and sold a few items online.  I made a huge dent in the kitchen clutter a week or so ago.  THAT felt real good!  I have also slept and sighed.  I've moaned and carried on that I was too fragile to move out of my spot.  I have made a list of the 100+ things I want to accomplish as soon as I get my next cortisone shot in my hip.  If I've only got a few weeks of comfort, I'm not going to waste them.  I hope to find out when I can get this hip replaced and not be so dependent on the cortisone shots.

Here I am getting anxious again.  It'll come, it'll come.

My friend Bob (my BFF Jennifer, who I call Bob) also took on Release as her word of the year but she's been doing a totally different kind of release and it's so cool!  She's been releasing fears, doubts, insecurities, joy, love, etc.  She's been posting a small paragraph each evening of what she's releasing and why.  It's brilliant!

I love her entry for 7 Jan 2016

Amazing things are happening in 2016. Maybe it is in the stars, maybe it is what I am willing to release, but it has been amazing and it is only the 7th day of the year! Today, I release joy, simple joy, into the universe. Thank you for all the lessons, life, thanks for all the joy. Be joyous. 7/365

 She's a school teacher and I often wish I could be a student in her class.  The imagination, excitement and wonder that she has is totally infectious and her classes are always full.  I love it when her former students tag her on Facebook because they always say how much they miss her and love her.  I've known her as my goofy, silly, giggling best friend, but I'd love to see her in the place where she shines the brightest to those that can't wait to be in her presence.  All of the Releasing she is doing this year is going to free her so much she just might fly into class in the fall!


I have a pretty good idea that February is going to be a very productive month for me and for Bob.  If you're the sort to do such things, send out some productive vibes our way!

Love Heart Graffiti Greeting Card

KNS Gear News!
Our "I Miss You Cat Postage Stamp" was approved by Zazzle & the USPS and can now be ordered!!  You can order a sheet of stamps with this adorable sweet kitty and put it on all of your best correspondence with friends and family.  Stamps come 20 stamps per sheet but you may choose from twelve postage denominations. One denomination per sheet.

Found in the KNS Card Shop

Remember, Zazzle always has some sort of sale going on.  Find the items you want to purchase and put them into your shopping cart.  When a great sale comes along - 20% off all orders, 50% off white T-shirts or 30% off all mugs - then purchase the items that correspond to the sale.  Please don't pay full price.  But please do use the link I provide as we will get a referral credit and every cent makes us more excited to create more designs.

Thank you!
Have a wonderful day!
Kristin

2016 Word of the Year - Release

Source

Welcome! Welcome! to 2016.  Holy Smokes, 2015 flew past so fast that I was still questioning what year it was at the end of December.  Let's hope I can get the date change right before summer arrives.

In the past I have chosen a word of the year to help me keep focus and to keep going even when I was wearing out. The long hot summers in Florida can really wear a person down.  Air conditioning and a cold drink seem like the only thing reasonable to want on those days.  My goal word for the year of my divorce from Tom was Intention.  I intended every single thing I wanted to do or have done.  I wanted the divorce to be drama free and I wanted to be able to keep Tom as my friend.  I intended it and made it happen.  I still use intention to guide me. Funny how doing something for a year helps create a path in the brain to help keep the habit going.

The next year my word was Action.  Now that I was a single gal, living on my own (briefly) I needed to take action and get all the little things accomplished that was previously done by my ex-husband or someone else.  I wasn't about to let myself sit down on the job - I had to take action!  I got a lot accomplished that year, too!

Then, I skipped a few years and didn't create a goal word.  That was all well and good as I was in love, stars in my eyes, snuggling and cooing and just being pretty happy.  I moved in with Steve, we got married and now we are starting our first full year together as Mr and Mrs. or as we call it, Hubband and Wifi.

Love can keep us together, but an over stuffed house, over stuffed life and over stuffed bellies can be overwhelming and not so loving. I decided I needed a word goal for this year and it came to me within moments. After analyzing it for awhile, I realized it was the perfect word for all of the things I wanted to work on this year.  RELEASE was it.

My year is the standard Jan 1 - Dec 31 and my first very big goal is to get the garage cleared out so that Steve's car can get back into the garage and he and I can both get into the car while it's in there.  One of the Christmas presents I gave to him was a inside-out detail of his car and when the crew was done with it, he would be able to pull it into the garage for the duration of the year (and longer!)

Getting the garage cleared out is going to be 85% release of my stuff and about 15% of Steve's.  But in order for Steve to even get to his stuff, we have to get rid of mine.  Thankfully I have another storage space to put things, but with the RELEASE mantra in my head, I hope that very little goes into storage.

Release!
Release!
Release!

Do you have a word of mantra for the upcoming year?
Have you ever done anything like that before?
I have had huge successes choosing a word for the year. For me it's so much better than writing down resolutions.  There is never a fail for using a goal word.  

Wishing you a great day!
Kristin

Missing You - greeting card

This is one of our greeting cards Steve and I have designed from one of my photos.  It's my Mom's cat looking under the guest room door at me.  She really really wants to come in and lay on all that cat free bedding.  I love that the door is so short that she can almost get her whole face under it.  She's such a cutie.  

We have a couple dozen greeting cards in our KNS Card Shop - most of them are Christmas related, but keep checking as we are going to fill it full of my photography and other designs that Steve creates.  

We're looking forward to a great year!