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Weekly Menu 12/9-12/15

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This has been one really cold week! It's been getting down in the 20's during the day and as low as the teens at night and when we go outside, we're all freezing our little booties off! I ran to Joanne's Fabric Store yesterday to get some new ribbon for our tree and a garland for our fireplace before I met Josh and the kids at the grocery store and the car never warmed up and of course I forgot my gloves. But, the good news is we FINALLY got our tree up and the inside of the house is decorated. Josh even put a few lights up outside. (I don't think we're going to do what we usually do because we are a bit behind on the outside decorating, but now at least it doesn't look like we don't have a holiday spirit).

While the weather is certainly nipping at my nose, it doesn't bother me to much. Christmas time is supposed to be cold and chilly. I just wish we had the snow to match the temperatures. Some states have all the luck! :)


This weekend, we're celebrating Christian's birthday! Can you believe he is going to be ONE years old on the 17th?? It's blowing my mind. I'm not really ready for his first year to be behind us. While there certainly are frustrations with having a baby under one, it really is such a miraculous time and I will miss it. But onto more exciting things right? I'm really excited for his party. We have all of his gifts and I figured out what kind of cake and cupcakes I'm making for the party. It will be low-key, easy, and full of love. I cannot wait to see him dig into his little cake!

Monday
(Meatless)
Tuesday
(Taco)
Taco Bake with a Salad
Wednesday
(Crockpot/Awana Night)
Thursday
Swiss Chicken, Green Beans, and Rolls
Friday
Pizza- Hawaiian and a Salad
Saturday
(Christian's Birthday Party)
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
Sunday
Fried Egg Sandwiches and Hot Apple Cider

How to Brown Butter

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how to brown butter

There are so many things in this life that just make food taste better. Dijon mustard, nutmeg, wine, and BACON being a few of those things. But browned butter is probably the most glorious of them all. Have you ever had browned butter before? If you've ever been to The Old Spaghetti Factory and gotten the Myzithra Cheese and Browned Butter pasta dish, then you've had it. Browned butter has a distinctive delicious smell and taste. It is almost nutty in flavor, and the smell, well, I can't even describe it properly. You'll just have to make it.

The reason for this post is because I have at least two recipes on this site using browned butter,  Pasta with Myzithra and Brown Butter and Grace's favorite, Carrot Cake with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. I've got a third coming to you next week, but I've never written a tutorial on how to make it. So, here ya go!

browned butter recipe

First, you are going to start with butter. The amount of butter you use can vary from recipe to recipe. In the recipe that I'll be sharing with you next week, I'm using one cup of butter, but only browning half a cup. So, place your butter in a small pot. (*butter does not have to be softened to brown. It can be cold and right out of the fridge.)

brown butter


Have your whisk ready and be prepared to stay at the stove until the browning process is done. It only take a few minutes, but do not leave the stove or stop whisking. Turn your burner on to about medium heat and start whisking the butter and don't stop.

brown butter recipe

Once your butter starts bubbling, you're in business. This is the beginning of the browning process. Keep whisking. The butter may also foam a bit. Mine usually does; this is normal. This is also the point you should start to see and smell the browned butter. If you don't, keep whisking until you do.

browning butter

The moment you see the speckles of brown butter, turn the stove off, remove the pot from the hot burner and continue whisking for a tad bit longer. I usually, whisk for an additional 30 secs - 1 min. See all those glorious brown speckles-that's awesomeness right there!

browned butter instructions

When you're done whisking, pour it into a little container, skimming the sides and the bottom of the potwith a spatula, making sure you get all of those little brown delicious bits.

In some recipes, you can use it immediately or cool it in the fridge. For baking, always cool it completely. Sometimes when I'm in a huge hurry, I'll pop it in the freezer for no longer than three minutes... that just speeds it up a bit for me because I'm kind of an impatient person, lol! But if you've got all the time in the world, let it chill in a special little place in your fridge until you are ready to use it. You could also make this with no special plans in mind. Just store it covered in your fridge and smear it on toast or use it the next time you bake chicken. It's kind of a nifty little thing to have hanging out in your fridge.

How to Brown Butter

Nutty in flavor...delicious in everything!

Total time: 5-10 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

Cooking Directions

  1. Place butter in a small pot over medium heat and begin whisking right away.
  2. Whisk as it bubbles and foams and after 2-5 minutes, depending on your stove and where your heat is set, you will being to see dark speckles appear on the bottom and sides of your pot.
  3. Remove from heat and continue to whisk for an additional 30 secs - 1 min.

*Note* There are a few ways to brown butter, this is the way I prefer to do it so I ensure it doesn't burn. 

Broccoli Salad

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This delightfully fresh broccoli salad is at once crunchy and creamy! If you need a side that will serve a big crowd while also being a "crowd pleaser," look no further!
 
broccoli salad

I mentioned this broccoli salad in my November Cooking Class post and that I was planning on making it for Thanksgiving. Well, I did and it was a huge hit, as I knew it would be! And now, I'm going to share it with all of you.

You're welcome. :)

Like I mentioned in the cooking class post, we made this salad and it was love at first bite. I was so unsure about it because of the green onions. But let me tell you, those green onions help make the salad! This salad would not be the same without them, so don't you dare leave them out! I'll know. I'll find you and have you remake the salad according to the ingredients listed and sit there and watch you eat it and enjoy it! Wow, that just got scary.  #awkward

 

broccoli salad recipe

This salad is super easy to throw together ahead of time. Obvs, I made it Thanksgiving morning! I thought I was going to need to double the recipe, but I didn't have enough broccoli - it fed my whole army-sized family anyway, and I still had some leftovers!

Remind me to apologize to my Mother.In.Love for making two pies. I made three pies. My mom made a pie. And my sister's boyfriend brought a pie. That's seven, SEVEN pies people! We have pie overflow going on in my dining room and half the people took one slice! ONE SLICE! WHYYYY??? IT'S THANKSGIVING DAY, DON'T YOU PEOPLE KNOW CALORIES DON'T COUNT? #lotsofleftoverpie #Iatealotofpieonblackfriday #thereisstillpieinourfridge #pieisgoingtoconsumeme #itfeelsweirdtypingwithoutspaces

Okay, enough hashtags. Really? Can there be too many hashtags?

Anyway, this salad, whether you're making it for a large crowd or just as a side with your dinner, I promise that you will love it! (Sorry for the photo below. Oregon sun had gone and was replaced with kitchen lights, but we wanted you to see it with the toasted sliced almonds.)

simple broccoli salad recipe

 

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

This delightfully fresh broccoli salad is at once crunchy and creamy! If you need a side that will serve a big crowd while also being a "crowd pleaser," look no further!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups broccoli florets, cut small
  • 1 cup toasted almonds, sliced
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup celery, sliced
  • 2 cups red grapes, cut in half
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • ⅓ cup sugar

Instructions

    1. Combine salad ingredients (broccoli, onions, celery, and grapes).
    2. Mix together dressing ingredients (cranberries, mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar), stirring to dissolve sugar.
    3. Combine salad and dressing and let stand for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
    4. Top with toasted almonds just before serving.

Notes

Recipe by Lisa Pearson

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 293Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

© Catz in the Kitchen
Cuisine: American / Category: Salad

 

Tuesday's Tidings for December 3, 2013

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1. This is just some of the group from Thanksgiving, but we had like 23 people in our house! Yikes!!

2. I can't believe Paul Walker passed away this past weekend. It makes my heart so sad. He was an entertaining actor that I kind of grew up watching. :( RIP!

3. This week, our weather is supposed to drop down into the 30's. Brrrr! I'm going to need to bundle up.

4. Grace and I both came down with mild colds. She had a sore throat yesterday and is feeling better today and I've got a cough now...which I guess it means it moving right through me.


5. We started school back up this week. Not a fun week to start back up when recovering from colds.

6. Christian started crawling last week. FINALLY! I never thought he would get there. He was really kind of cautious about it at first, but now he is super fast!

7. Have you seen these Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars from SkinnyTaste.com? They look amazing!

8. I'm trying to plan Christian's first party. I want something kind of low key and simple. I'm not all about the fuss when it comes to first b-days. For one thing, the fuss is more for the parents than the kid because they will never remember it and it wears them out easily. So, low key is the way to go. I was going to make him, his own personal cake. But now I'm leaning more toward cupcakes all around. If I went with the cake, where would I get a small mold for one?

9. Josh went grocery shopping for us last night and he rocked it! He got me everything on my list. He got me stocked up on butter (Challenge was on sale), picked out my body lotion for me. I gave him two coupons to use on two different brands and he chose one with an awesome scent. Plus he scored me some holiday M&M's! Not to shabby!

10. Last night, Christian slept all night! You have no idea how badly I needed that!

Weekly Menu 12/2-12/8

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Here it is, the first week of December. Wow! That got here fast. Who is still recovering from last week's Thanksgiving? *Raises Hand* MEEE! Soooo glad I gave us a Thanksgiving Break from school. I'm not really quite sure how I would have fit in school on top of all that other stuff going on!

Our Thanksgiving was great! Too much food. Too much pie. And here I was super worried that there wasn't going to be enough food for all 20-something people in our house! Thanksgiving evening, I came down with some sort of bug. Not sure what it is, but it's been living mainly in my throat. I feel like I'm definitely fighting it off because it hasn't really gone anywhere else. So far...I seem to be winning against whatever virus this is. *Knocks on wood* The photo above is our "Thanksgiving Chain" - or whatever you want to call it - every year, for I don't know how long, Josh's family has everyone go around the table after Thanksgiving dinner and write things they are thankful for on little strips of paper. Then, we read them all off and staple them together in a chain! This year's stays here because we hosted! :)

No worries, this week is going to be awesome and I'm going to be awesome because I'm not letting it interfere with my super awesome week. I've got my Cooking and Hospitality Class on Thursday and then Friday- EEEK, Imma gunna meet Ree Drummond, aka THE PIONEER WOMAN! HOLLA!!!! My whole life has led up to this point, hahaha! Just kidding. But I am super stoked. So stoked, I just don't even know what I'm going to do with myself. Actually, that's not true. I have school, laundry, blogging, cleaning, food making, etc, going on, so I'll probably be fine. Nevermind...just ignore the crazy girl. Or you could read this week's menu. Hey, there's an idea. Do that!

Monday
(Meatless)
Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce and Crusty Bread
Tuesday
(Taco)
Crockpot Fajitas!
Wednesday-Awana Night
(Crockpot)
Thursday
Cooking class. Josh and the kids are on their own
Friday
Pioneer Woman Cookbook Signing, Aaahhh!
Saturday
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
Sunday
Fried Egg Sandwiches and Smoothies

Chili Cornbread Bake

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chili cornbread bake

Well, it's over. Thanksgiving Day is over. Sooo, how did it go? Are you tired? I was more than ready to crash into bed last night. Though I was tired, it was so much fun and we had a very full house. I got up at 8 am and got ready so I could watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a tradition every Thanksgiving morning for all of us. Josh got the turkey in the oven at noon, and I got started on prepping the rest of the dishes about that time as well. All of the food turned out excellent. The only thing missing was my mom, who ended up staying home because she had a cold. She was missed. :(

But, now that Thanksgiving is over...how's that Black Friday shopping going? This is the second year that I've decided to not partake in the shopping. I had done it for a few years, but last year I took a break because I was eight months pregnant and super uncomfortable. I ended up doing a lot of shopping from home, which, surprisingly, I loved. So, I might be participating a bit in Cyber Monday.

chili cornbread bake recipe

Whether you decided to go out and fight the crowds and find the best bargains for Black Friday or stay home and take it easy, I've got a recipe for you that is super simple to throw together. This was originally a Pampered Chef recipe that I had years ago when I went to a Pampered Chef party. The recipe was great, but the steps in the recipe required a bunch of the use of their products, which I didn't buy. So, I adapted it so that anyone can make this delicious casserole-ish type dinner without having to buy specific cookware.

I had expected leftovers when I made this, but between the five of us (because Christian partook of it too) we cleaned the whole baking dish out. I think Grace and Josh had two or three helpings apiece!

What I think you'll like about this dish is that you can make this ahead of time, and store it covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake it. Super easy, and with a salad, it's the perfect dinner!

easy chili cornbread bake

Chili Cornbread Bake

Recipe by Pampered Chef (adapted)

A satisfying dinner that's easy to throw together in the morning, with all the flavors you love about a bowl of chili!

Prep time: 15-20 min

Cook time: 20-25 min

Total time: about 45 min

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 lb ground turkey breast
  • 1 can (15 oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
  • 1 cup chunky salsa
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 pkg (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
  • 8 oz fat free sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, finally chopped (optional)

Cooking Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large high rimmed skillet, begin browning ground turkey breast adding the chopped bell pepper and onion half way through. Season the meat with ground spices and combine with a spatula. Stir in the chili beans and salsa and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  2. While the turkey mixture is simmer, in a medium bowl combine the corn muffin mix, egg, sour cream, and half of the cheese. Set aside.
  3. In a 9x9 or 3 qt. baking dish layer the meat mixture on the bottom. Spoon the corn bread mixture over the top of the baking dish and spread evenly to the edges. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-35 minutes or until the edges of the cornbread become slightly browned or a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cornbread only comes out clean. Top with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

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We here at Catz want to wish you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving Day with all of your family and friends.  We also just want to take a moment and say Thank You to all of you, our amazing readers. We have so much fun creating, writing, photographing, and sharing recipes for you.  We are so very Thankful for you! Have a very blessed holiday!

Love,
Chels, Josh, Grace, Eden, and Christian (and our cat, Noel)

Tuesday's Tidings for November 26, 2013

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1. Sunday night, we went and saw Tran-Siberian Orchestra with Josh's sibs. It was incredible. Seriously, if you ever go to a concert, make sure its this one. Super incredible.

2. Josh comes home tonight and I'm so happy. Christian got me up a million times last night (I swear it was living with a newborn all over again) and I think its because he had no idea where his daddy was and I was the one laying him in his crib. Josh always puts him to sleep at night. Needless to say, I'm tired. Maybe a little grouchy. A little coffee deprived (I haven't had a chance to make it yet). But I've been cleaning all morning. So at least something is getting done.

3. I saw Catching Fire over the weekend! AMAZING! Go see it...in IMAX preferably.


4. I'm taking advantage of Josh being out of town and doing a little holiday shopping today. Josh's sisters and brother are coming over for a bit to watch the kids. I'm a little excited to shop and dawdle as I please for a little bit.

5. My turkey is nearly thawed. Gotta make the brine this afternoon so it has plenty of time to cool. Almost Turkey Day!!!

6. These kids are amazing! They helped me rake a ton of leaves yesterday afternoon. We didn't get them all taken care of, but I've got a few large piles in my side yard now. Any bit helps.

7. What are you the most Thankful for this year? I'm the most Thankful for my kids and their beautiful relationship with each other.

8. Josh got me an awesome Black Friday deal the other day-Light Room and Photo Shop! I'm excited to learn how to use them. Wish me luck because I'm a slow learner.

9. This makes me want to set up a Hot Cocoa Bar for Thanksgiving. Isn't this awesome!

10. Did you guys watch Parenthood last week? So cute! I wish it was that easy to vote publicly, lol! Who's your favorite character on Parenthood. I think I'm a lot like Julia...kind of a control freak without the working outside the home thing.

Weekly Menu 11/25-12/3

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Happy Thanksgiving Week!!! Do all of you already have everything you need for Thursday? The kids and I are going to run to the store today and grab the rest of the stuff we need. Wish me luck. Three kids, one parent, big grocery store, on Thanksgiving week? Eeek!!!

How was everybody's weekend? Josh and I went and saw Catching Fire in IMAX, Saturday afternoon. It was so good! I was very impressed and I want to go see it again! Then last night, we went and saw the Tran-Siberian Orchestra! Holy Moley! That was one incredibly fun show! So much talent!!!!

Our menu this week is a little on the wonky side as I don't have a real plan for anything. Josh found out in the middle of the week that he had to fly to Boise for a business trip till Tuesday night. A complete bummer. But thankfully it is just one night and two long days, lol!

Monday
Chicken nuggets, Mac and Cheese, and Sliced Peaches
Tuesday
TV Dinners...yes, I'm going there
Wednesday
Honestly, I don't have a clue. Maybe Spaghetti
Thursday
Thanksgiving
Friday
Leftovers???
Saturday
Swiss Chicken, Rolls, and a Salad
Sunday
Fried Egg Sandwiches and Smoothies

November Cooking Class

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November's cooking class is exactly like all the others. SO MUCH FUN! I love getting to know all the woman so much better with each class.

This month's class was all about Thanksgiving cooking and making the home a comfortable, relaxing place to gather. We didn't make anything super traditional for our evening dinner, but what we did make had us all just as stuffed.

For the main entree, we made Swiss Chicken. So so good! In fact I'm going to make it this weekend for us. I've been craving it since that night.

We made Sweet Bread, which is an eggy bread that reminds Lisa and her sister of the bread they used to get in Switzerland. She said, "it would make an incredible French toast." I'm going to have to try that sometime. You guys all know how much Josh and I love French toast.

Lisa had prepared Autumn Sippers for us which is this beautiful drink of ginger ale and orange juice with cranberry juice ice cubes. So delightful!

The broccoli salad was out of this world!! I've never had a cold broccoli salad (is there a warm version?) and this one blew my socks off. I was a little hesitant at first because I am not the biggest fan of green onions, but the onions really added to the flavor. I'm going to be making that salad for our Thanksgiving dinner next week.

For dessert-super simple, super lovely pumpkin mousse. I'm going to have make it for the girls as a super easy and fun dessert.

I love seeing how Lisa decorates her dining room table. I always get so many ideas! I was a little unsure about our Thanksgiving plans prior to go to the class. But a few days later, all my hesitations and worries faded and now I'm over the moon. I'm excited. I'm motivated. We are going to have a very full house at around 25 people and people are going to be sitting on the floor. We're going to borrow chairs from our church, but you know what? I'm not stressed. I'm excited. I have a game plan of how my whole next week is going to go and this class really help put my thoughts in order.

So, my wonderful readers...I know the holidays can be stressful. Don't worry about everything going perfectly or the food staying warm all the way through. The point of Thanksgiving isn't just about the food. It's about family. Friends. The blessings in your life, and even the trials in your life too, because they make us stronger.

I wish you all have happy, non-stressful Thanksgiving week! Love to you all!