Wednesday Eats and Treats: St. Patrick's Day Fresh Basil Hummus

I took this to a St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday. It received rave reviews, even by non-hummus eaters. The recipe is here, and you can see a video on how to prepare it here.

To avoid a gritty texture, it is essential that hummus is blended until it is smooth. Even though I have a super-sonic blender, I found I had to add extra oil and lemon juice to get the mixture to blend. I did this in a 1:3 lemon juice to oil ratio. Don't be surprised if you have to double the recipe amounts of oil and lemon juice.

WARNING: Unless you are purposely trying to burn up the motor on your blender, do not attempt to double this recipe. It must be made in individual batches. 

Chef John's Green Hummus

Rated: Submitted By: Chef John Photo By: Chef John Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 10 Minutes Servings: 6

"This simple, basil-spiked 'green' hummus is a great summer twist on everyone's favorite spread."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can white beans, drained salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the basil and cook uncovered until bright green, about 20 seconds. Immediately plunge basil in ice water until cold. Squeeze basil to remove excess moisture and pat dry with a paper towel.
2.	Put basil, garlic, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garbanzo beans, and white beans, salt, and black pepper, respectively, in a blender. Cover and blend until almost smooth; add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and puree until smooth.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2014 Allrecipes.com

Monday Musings Week 11

Esther and I returned home late Thursday evening. Friday, the three younger children and I volunteered at the food pantry prep day. That evening, Syd and I took Josiah to Oklahoma where he participated in a Disciple Now weekend. After attending the parent meeting and dinner, we headed back home. Saturday, I was out of the house by 7 (no small task for this night owl!) and worked at the food pantry distribution day. From there, it was straight to a St. Patrick's Day party.

On Sunday morning, we learned that Josiah and several other D-Now participants had fallen to a stomach virus. After church, we rendezvoused with him and brought him home where he languished on the couch for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Syd fell ill around 6 and headed to the bed. Both are better this morning, but not yet back to 100%. Miriam has a doctor's appointment today to look into some weird chest pains she's been having.

On Tuesday, Syd, Esther, and I will travel to Austin for a ceremony honoring Syd's grandfather, Dr. Evan A. Reiff, who was the ninth president of Hardin-Simmons University. He is being recognized for his many contributions to higher education including his role as a leader in the effort to integrate Texas colleges and universities. “Dan-Daddy” Reiff died when Syd was three. I think he would be proud of his oldest grandchild and the way in which he has carried on his grandfather’s legacy.

All of this is to say, I haven't had time to compose a detailed “Monday Musings” post for today. I'll try to get one together for later this week. In the mean time, I wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Wednesday Eats and Treats: Delicious Meat Loaf

Meat loaf is the ultimate comfort food. Every year, Miriam requests this meat loaf for her birthday dinner. Combined with mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade rolls, it's a meal full of deliciousness.

Delicious Meat Loaf

Loaf:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/3 cups Special K cereal (secret ingredient)
2 eggs
1 onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
3/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. sage

Sauce:
2 cups V-8 juice
1 T. flour
1 can green beans, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Combine the ground beef, Special K, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, mustard, and sage. Mix well, preferably with hands. 
Shape into a rectangle about 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick. Place on a broiling pan and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Place the V-8 juice, flour, chopped green beans, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Dissolve the flour before heating. Simmer over low heat until thickened.
Pour the sauce over the meat loaf and serve.
Serves 8.

Monday Musings: Week 10

We're still in Nebraska. The weather went from warm on Wednesday to snowing on Friday, and then a sunny 75 degrees on Sunday. It made me think we were back in Texas! 

I'll have to report Syd's spending while we were gone in next week's post. 

Here's a breakdown of my spending for the past week.

Tolls                       $12

Travel Snacks         $8

Food                       $19   

Total                      $39

Rachel has prepared a variety of delicious meals, so we've spent a minimal amount on food. If I'd been able to figure out how to operate her swanky coffeemaker while she was at work, I wouldn't have purchased coffee at the Pump N' Pantry, but my addiction took over. On Sunday, we went to church in Kearney, so I sprung for lunch for Essie, Rachel, and me.

This week I've learned the value of taking a break, being free of demanding schedules, and having long stretches of time to be together with people who enrich my life. Today, I was able to say "Happy Birthday" to dear Clara and hug her neck in real time. My heart was full as I watched Clara and Amelia, who I've known since they were 2 and 3 years old, interact with their own sweet children. They are amazing moms. Saturday, Rachel and I sat side by side, her knitting while I crocheted. We talked a lot, but we enjoyed just being together in the quiet. Wednesday, Lisa and I speed-chatted, catching up on about 100 different conversations and topics. Esther has reveled in the presence of girls and enjoyed playing with her new "sisters-in-law," Jacob's sisters, Margaret, Eleanor, Lydia, and Annie, 

While I appreciate social media, there is no substitute for face-to-face time with those we love. It's time to turn off the screens and tune into one another while we are in each other's presence. It's never been easier to "run away at home" -- to be present in body, but be miles away mentally, to pay more attention to the doings of others than to those God has placed in our own families.

This is the lesson I'm taking home this week. Be present. Be in the moment. Treasure the time I have with the ones I love. Life is too busy, and always will be, until I make a point of slowing down and making meaningful connections. 

We leave Nebraska on Wednesday morning and plan to visit Uncle Dick and Aunt Mary in Woodward, Oklahoma. On Thursday, it's back to the Boxed N Ranch. If you think of us, please pray we'll have safe travels.

Clutter's Last Stand: Bathroom Organizing Tips

I'm in Nebraska visiting my oldest daughter, so I can't be decluttering back at the ranch. Since Rachel's Home of Adorableness and Newlywed Bliss has a tiny bathroom, I was inspired to share these bathroom organizing tips, all of which she has incorporated into her 25 square foot bathroom. (That includes the floor space occupied by the bathtub. Take that out, and she has 15 square feet left for the toilet, sink, and storage!)

If you're serious about eliminating clutter, a good place to begin is your bathroom. Since it's usually fairly small, you can get some pretty quick gratification, especially in comparison to organizing your kitchen or closet. J

This is NOT Rachel's bathroom!

 Here are 7 tips and strategies to get you started.

Clean out and edit.

Empty your cabinets and under your sink and find out what you have. Throw away half-used products. If you haven't used something in the past year you probably never will. For people like me who like to buy in bulk, there is no need to store 8 bottles of the same shampoo under the sink. Gather up all your duplicates and put them in a clearly labelled storage box. Place that box in a convenient place where you can keep track of your inventory.

Move the medicine. 

Don't assume that drugs and medical supplies must be kept in the bathroom. Many medications suffer in the humidity of a bathroom. Pick out the medications you use on a daily or weekly basis and keep those at hand. The rest can be put in a storage bin elsewhere in the house. We use a tool chest with a luggage combination lock for childproofing. Check the expiration dates on your drugs. Expired drugs should be taken to a pharmacy for disposal.

Clear the surfaces.

Nothing makes a bathroom seem messier than a cluttered countertop. Very few bath items need to be out in plain view. Stash them in a drawer or cabinet. Whatever you use most should be easiest to get to. Less used items can be stored in the back of a drawer or under the sink in storage containers. If you simply must keep some things on the counter, corral them in a pretty basket or on a tray. This makes it simple to move them when cleaning your counters

Cut down on decorations. 

If you have plenty of storage space you may have some leftover space for displaying pretty perfume bottles, candles, decorative soaps, etc.. If you get too carried away, your bathroom will look cluttered. I like to decorate my bathroom with accessories that are attractive, but also functional, such as a nice trash can or a pretty soap dish. If displayed with care, stacks of towels and toilet paper rolls can be quite attractive By placing them out on display you free up a lot of space in the linen closet and under the sink.

Get creative with your storage. 

If you don't have much storage in your bathroom, try baskets or bins to hide unsightly products. Invest in a wall-mounted cabinet if you don't have much floor space.

Keep extra toilet paper handy.

You can do yourself and your guests a favor by making toilet paper easy to locate if the current roll runs out. Place rolls in a nice basket on the back of the toilet or stack them on a toilet roll holder.

Corral your hair care supplies. 

Put your brush, hair care products and hair dryer in a single tote under the sink. You can pull the container onto the sink when getting ready and stash it all away when you're done.

If your bathroom is a mess, don't feel bad -- you're not alone. Watch this to see Katie Couric's bathroom and then watch this video to see how professional organizers transformed it.

For lots of clever ideas, search Bathroom Organizing Ideas on Pinterest.

Wednesday Eats and Treats: Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

My friend, Christie Pettibon, gave me this recipe several years ago. It's good for church fellowships, showers, and other parties, as well as to keep on hand for easy lunches. We served this as the main dish at my parents' anniversary party last month. It can be prepared ahead of time and keeps well in the refrigerator. It's also great for road trip picnics. I make a batch and then we stop at a nice park while traveling, stretch our legs, and fix chicken salad sandwiches. These little picnics, coupled with a steady supply of snacks and fruit for in-car consumption, really cut down on the expense of traveling.

Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

Ingredients

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (4-6 cups)

1 tablespoon walnut oil (Key ingredient!)

1 cup mayonnaise

2 stalks celery, diced

red seedless grape halves to taste

3 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 cup pecans, diced

Directions 

Mix and enjoy. 

Garnish with fresh strawberries and grape clusters.

Monday Musings: Week 9

In many ways, this week was better than last. I spent slightly less money. Because of my trip to Nebraska, I needed to stock up on groceries for the family, so that category is a bit high. Josiah and I spent Thursday and Friday at the home-school basketball tournament where they had a strict "No Coolers. No Outside Food or Drinks" rule, so I was only able to smuggle in a limited amount of rations in my purse.

Here's the spending breakdown for Week 9.

Groceries/Food                            $179.64
Piano Lessons                                $10.00
Clothing                                           $5.41
Toiletries                                          $31.06  
Total                                               $226.11

Savings from February -- $423.00

Between our January and February savings, we now have an emergency fund that exceeds our preliminary $1000 goal.

Since Esther and I will be traveling when this post is scheduled, I'm writing it ahead of time. I know we'll have some travel expenses. The trip from our house to Rachel's is 732 miles. We'll need to take breaks, but I plan to pack a cooler with sandwiches and snacks so we don't blow the budget. We travel on 3 toll roads between here and there, so there will be tolls to pay. They're well worth it -- the alternative is driving on Oklahoma 2-lane highways. Scary!

We've never had a debit or ATM card, and for the past several years, I've been operating on a cash-only basis for everything except gasoline. I'm considering opening a checking account for household expenses and using a debit card. It seems so easy to swipe a card, whereas it hurts just a little more to hand over cash. I wonder if using a debit card will affect my spending patterns. 

I'm going to be on the lookout for some budgeting or expense recording sites. I'm sure there's a smartphone app, but I don't have a smartphone. Can apps be used on an iTouch? One of my older children who has upgraded to a smart phone might have an unused iTouch lying around. Hint, hint...

Any advice on debit cards, budgeting sites or apps? I'd love to have your input.