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Recipe for Successful Meals

We all need to eat. And I know lots of people who, as soon as they finish one meal, start thinking about the next one. Yet, I am constantly amazed by the number of people who don’t cook. How can people seriously enjoy eating out all the time? Especially when it’s fast food! Don’t get me wrong … I do enjoy going out to eat now and then, especially when it’s for sushi or crab legs or to celebrate something special. But I can’t imagine having to pick something up at the grocery store deli or at a drive-through window every day. I like my food with a little less salt and grease and fat. Now, I can’t say I cook healthy all the time, because I don’t. But when I make our meals, I can control the amounts of those substances that go in my food. I like that.

Plus, I guess some part of me enjoys cooking and baking. It’s my way of sharing a bit of myself and nourishing my family and sometimes my friends. I know some people really don’t like cooking at all; others simply don’t think they have the time. But with a little planning and all the cookbooks, blogs, and recipe sites out there, it is actually quite easy to come up with a few quick meals for really rushed days as well as some more substantial meals you can prep ahead of time and throw in the crockpot or oven.

RECIPES While my husband, Bart, would happily eat the same things over and over again (he’s fairly easy to please), I am always on the lookout for new recipes. I currently subscribe to a couple family and recipe-based magazines. Sometimes, I get behind on reading and they begin to pile up. But I keep them near the couch for when we are watching (non-recorded) TV so that when the commercials come on, I can pick up a magazine and quickly flip through the pages.

I look for recipes that sound yummy, but then I scan through the ingredients and preparation info. If it contains way too many ingredients, things I’ve never heard of, or too many steps or too much time to prepare, I skip it. If it looks like something I might actually make, I tear the page out and put it in my coupon drawer in the kitchen.*

I also subscribe to a couple weekly e-mails from different companies (see my suggested links at the end of this blog post). I look at the main page and if something catches my eye, I’ll go to the site and check it out further (or keep it in my in box to review later). If I get too busy, I just delete the e-mail as I know there will be more recipes to consider the following week. When I find a good recipe online, I print it out and add it to that same kitchen drawer or sometimes they even make it directly into what I would call my “working cookbook.” †

OTHER OPTIONS When I attend a gathering and someone makes a dish I enjoy, I ask for the recipe. Accumulating good recipes from friends and family members is another way to build up your collection of meal or snack ideas to try. And, of course, these days there is Pinterest. I don’t know how many recipes and recipe bloggers I have found from pinning yummy-sounding or tasty-looking photos to my own boards.

Then, there’s the old standby—the thousands and thousands of printed recipe books out there. If you have some cookbooks that you haven’t looked at in years, try to get them out during commercial breaks or maybe even take them with you to look through when you’re in the car pool lane. Bring some sticky notes with you and flag any interesting ideas you come across that you’d like to try.

I recommend three different options for keeping track of these cookbook recipes that you’d like to try. 1) You can write down the name of the recipe, the name of the cookbook, and the page it appears on in your working cookbook so you’ll know where to find it again. 2) You can make a copy of the page and add it to your working cookbook. 3) Or (and I know some people will shudder at this) you can actually tear the page out of the book. If it is not a special book that you’d like to keep intact, and you know you aren’t likely to keep pulling that cookbook out for one or two rarely used recipes, make things easier on yourself. Then donate the book or pass it on to a friend who may appreciate some of the other recipes. (I also suggest donating or giving away cookbooks, or any other books, that are just accumulating dust on your shelves, even if they were gifts.)

Recipes also come directly on product packaging and on index cards at your local grocery store. There is no end to what you can find if you look around. Just don’t go crazy collecting recipes you will never use. It’s a good idea to occasionally go through your collection and get rid of recipes that either didn’t turn out that well or that you still haven’t made after many months (or years).

Have fun collecting good recipes, but remember, the goal isn’t to see who can collect the most recipes. The point is to actually use the recipes to provide a variety of meals for you and your family. One hint though—if you already cook, don’t go crazy and make a new dish every night. Most people don’t like that much change. Continue to use your standby family favorites, but once or twice a week, try something new. It will either become another favorite or a flop. Believe me, you’ll know whether it’s a keeper or not.

Bottom line—you’ll find that you are spending less money, probably eating better, and maybe, just maybe, even learning to like cooking.

  • *Later, when I have time, all recipes will be reviewed again for feasibility (will I actually ever make this?); those that remain keepers get put in my working cookbook.
  • †My working cookbook is an ever-changing 3-ring binder full of page protectors. It usually stays on my kitchen counter and it sometimes contains a number of other useful pages, like lists of what’s in the freezer, what’s in the pantry, and what’s for dinner (menus for one to two weeks at a time), which I’ll talk about in another post.

Here are some of my favorite sources—in no particular order. Check them out!

www.betterrecipes.com/blogs/daily-dish/ (Easy. Elegant. Everyday.)

www.SavingDinner.com (menus, recipes, and shopping lists to get your family back to the dinner table)

http://www.bettycrocker.com  (recipes from Betty Crocker—sign up for their Dinner Made Easy newsletters)

www.bhg.com/recipes/ (recipes from Better Homes and Gardens)

www.TasteofHome.com (recipes from Taste of Home)

www.SuperKidsNutrition.com (saving the world one healthy food at a time)

www.EatBetterAmerica.com (part of Live Better America—healthy recipes/healthy living)

www.SixBurnerSue.com (cooking fresh and eating green with Susie Middleton)

www.UrbanPoser.Blogspot.com  (yoga & vibrant gluten free living)

www.BrokeAssGourmet.com  (recipes to keep your taste buds happy and your wallets thick)

www.Picky-Palate.com (original family style recipes for even your pickiest eaters)

www.EatWholly.com (tasty tips, yummy kitchen tricks, and entertaining videos from Wholly Guacamole)

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Things Are Looking Brighter

Yellow Leaves of Fall

Today, things are looking so much better than yesterday. About a week ago, I suddenly discovered that my blog site was no longer visible. Yikes! I figured that it had something to do with me renewing my domain name (FullerWayofLife.com) last month, but I didn’t know what I’d done wrong. I’ll avoid going into the technical details because some of you wouldn’t understand, but the truth is – sometimes I just fly by the seat of my pants and figure this techy stuff out as I go along. So, a small part of me was panicking, thinking that I might have lost all of my work. :( Very scary thought! But another part of me was determined to fix it somehow. I knew there were a couple people I could have called to ask questions, but, first of all, I didn’t want to tell them I might have done something stupid. And second, I’m kind of stubborn sometimes in that I like to try to “do it myself.” I’m a big DIY fan.

Yesteday, I thought I had fixed the problem, but was bummed when I tried to bring up my website and nothing happened. When I went to bed last nght, I told myself I wasn’t going to worry about it, but I was still determined to solve the dilemma. I knew there was something I had done when I first created my new blog that would solve the problem if I could remember it. And then today, after I got some of my work done, it came to me. I remained calm and focused, instead of panicking, and I figured it out. Fuller Way of Life is LIVE again. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, next time I write, I promise it will be something more interesting and meaningful, but for now, I wanted to share my joy at solving a problem and salvaging all my words and photos.

I’m probably going to need this site one day when my memory gets even worse than it is. I’ll be reading it saying, “Really? Was that me? Was I there?” or “What a brilliant writer/photographer.” ha ha

Happy Friday everyone! Things are looking brighter all the time.

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Finding Time, Making Time

Bees Buzzing

Buzzing around from day to day and project to project, I feel like there is no time to read, to relax, to create, or to write. With our recent move, we’ve had so much to do with unpacking and reorganizing, while continuing to work , but I get a little frustrated with myself because I can’t seem to get it done as quickly as I’d like. I have so many ideas I want to incorporate to get my office organized and my work files set up so that I am ready to dive into my next project. Instead, I continue to scrounge for files and paperwork and look forward to when everything is more organized. Simply put, I am challenged by disorder, and I often don’t feel like I can stop working until everything is in its place.

The thing is, I know unpacking after a move takes time. And we really have made pretty good progress. The large pile of boxes has diminished, I know where to find most of our stuff, I’ve completed some work deadlines and am getting prepped for upcoming projects, and, the truth is, this new place is already beginning to feel like home. I just need to keep reminding myself that there is time for everything that must be done. And it will get done, eventually. But I also realized that sometimes I need to forget about all the things that should be done and actually make or schedule time for the things that really matter to me – like writing, making crafts, and capturing images with my camera. I also need to try not to get so caught up in doing that I miss out on the chance to experience simply being.

Luckily, our new home makes that more possible than ever. Behind our house, we have a wooded area that slopes down to a small creek. This creates a wonderful atmosphere for slowing down, relaxing, and breathing in the peace and tranquility of nature. Every day, Bart and I go out on our deck either in the morning or the evening (or both); we enjoy the breeze rustling through the leaves, and we watch the woods for wildlife. So far, we’ve seen deer, woodpeckers, chickadees, squirrels, and a chipmunk.

Sometimes I bring out my camera to take photos. Other times, I try to simply live in the moment and enjoy the experience. Watching wildlife, for us, is fun and relaxing; it somehow makes me feel more a part of creation rather than a cog in an industry wheel that is turning and turning and going nowhere. That’s what I begin to feel like when I let “all work and no play” become my focus.

To encourage our wildlife friends to come around, we recently put up a deer feeder, a bird feeder (in the front and back yards), and a hummingbird feeder right outside my office window. I’ve had the joy of seeing hummingbirds drinking from the feeder right outside my window for the last few days. It’s so cool to be working and then peripherally catch sight of somthing zipping around outside. Watching the hummingbird drink the “nectar” always causes me to pause and smile. It sort of creates a bunch of mini-breaks in my day. When I saw the first bird or two, I took a few photos with my phone, and I keep wanting to get out there with my telephoto lens to get some really good shots. Once again, though, I have to remind myself, it’s okay to just enjoy the scenery. I don’t always need to be in pursuit of the next awe-inspiring image.

It’s funny how such a quick bird is helping to teach me that it’s okay to slow down. Anyway, right now, I have a little work to do, but soon enough (next week to be exact), I will be taking a vacation and I promise not to think about boxes or work or “to do” lists. I will simply enjoy the magical experience of Hawaii with my wonderful husband who earned the trip through his own hard work and diligence. Of course, I’ll take lots of photos too though, and I’ll be sure to share some of them later. :) Aloha, my friends!

[Some of you may have been waiting for my post on our "challenging" moving experience. I've just had too much to do, and I seriously didn't want to think about it for a little while. But don't worry, I will definitely be sharing it with you at some point. All in good time.]

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Sorry for My Absence

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Much is happening in the Fuller household with a job promotion for my husband and a move to a new state. There’s organizing, and packing, and house hunting, and waiting for answers, and setting up services, and trying to think of all the little and big things still left to do so that everything comes together smoothly in the end.

But overall, everything is going well and we are making progress. Above is the house we will be renting in Shelbyville, Kentucky. We love the surrounding nature, and when I finally have time to get back to blogging again (I think I might sit on our deck to write), I hope to have some wonderful photos to share with you.

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Seasons of Life

Spring

As time moves on, our individual seasons or stages of life pass and change–sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. Regardless of the speed or whether we are currently where we want to be, it’s a lot easier to navigate if we are open and receptive to the continual ebb and flow of life. If we hold too tightly to where we are and resist change, our hands will not be open to receive the new gifts before us, and we may find ourselves forcefully swept off our feet. On the other hand, if we wish away each day until a “better” season comes, we’ll miss out on the beauty and wonder of the here and now and that wonderful feeling that comes with knowing (regardless of the “bad” times) and accepting that you are where you are supposed to be.

You know, even if you are going through a difficult or uncomfortable time in your life, you can’t let it fill the entire window of your view on the rest of the world. You’d be better off, perhaps even happier, seeing it as simply one of the many panes to view your life and the world through. Whether you realize it or not, there is so much more going on around you and inside you: growth, change, learning opportunities, loving moments, blessings. If you make an effort to adapt your focus, you will begin to think about things that may not be readily visible … things that really matter.

When you look at your life, what do you see? I found these words from Lysa TerKeurst: “Do I see the incredible spouse I married, or do I just grumble about his faults? Do I see the health of a son who can play sports as a good thing, or do I just grumble about his sweaty laundry? Do I see how fortunate we are to have enough food to eat, or do I just grumble about a kitchen that never stays clean?” Think about it. What do you see?

It sort of reminds me of conversations I have had with friends about my job as a coypeditor. Overall, the evidence of my work is not visible to most people because they don’t see the mistakes that were caught and fixed. However, if I’m not doing my job or I do it poorly, people notice; some might even be quick to point out the mistakes. Similarly, some people tend to focus more on what is wrong in their lives than what is right.

Do you ever think about all the good things God is doing for you every single day? Things that you don’t even notice? I imagine the good things that go on in our lives because of Him are not noticed nearly as much as the things we determine are wrong or inconvenient or “shouldn’t have happened.” And we sure seem to pray or talk to Him about all the things we wish he would take away or fix more than we thank Him for all the good He has done. I know I am guilty of that.

For example, sometimes when I’m driving, my mind goes elsewhere. Suddenly, I find myself at my destination with no real recollection of the drive. (I do pay attention most of the time. Really.) Have you ever thought about how many wrecks you didn’t have because God was watching over you? Do you thank God every day that you can get up in the morning and you can breathe easily and walk steadily and you aren’t in pain? If you’re like me, I think we tend to take stuff like that for granted, until we experience the opposite.

After suffering whiplash from an accident and dealing with some other issues, my sister Elizabeth commented on a Facebook post recently:  ”so today was totally opposite from yesterday and was a very bad day mostly. woke up in severe pain, baby is teething and in tons of pain, lost all my contacts in my phone, power went out, etc. But like I told my brother, today has made me realize how many wonderful days I have and how very very few bad ones. I love my life even when it is a bad day :) ” She’s got the right idea. Thankfulness and prayer can help turn your inner turmoil into peace. Peace about who you are, where you are, and what is going on in your life, no matter what the season. And with that peace comes hope.

My friend Matt Wagner wrote this: “Hope can spring up in any circumstance, any scenario. Like joy, it’s not a product of our surroundings; it’s a product of us. At times it is a simple, inexplicable feeling. Just as often, it is a conscious decision that we make. Either way, hope is always a good thing. It is a catalyst to inner strength, the root to persistence and a defense for happiness.”

So, if you haven’t already, take a moment now to be grateful for who you are, who is in your life, what you have as well as what you don’t have … and be sure to truly experience and learn from the here and now of this season in your life.  It will be gone before you know it. But you won’t need to look back with regrets; there will be a new day to live right in front of you.

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And now, moving on to something a little lighter:
I’ve got an easy ”seasonal” recipe to share with you.
Anything Goes Pizza

 

I started with a Freschetta wheat crust. You can use whatever you want: Pillsbury pizza dough, a Boboli crust, pita bread, tortillas, English muffins … it’s up to you. (If you choose muffins, pita bread or tortillas, and put out a variety of toppings, everyone in the family can create their own personal pizzas.)

Next, I got my selection of toppings together. I was going for a Greek pizza, so I chose Prego Veggie Smart sauce, grilled chicken breast strips, black olives, spinach leaves, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese. Here is where you can mix things up by selecting seasonal veggies and/or adding in your own personal favorites. I would have made it without the chicken, but I added the meat for Bart.

I layered all the ingredients and baked on 350 for about 8 to 12 minutes. If you choose a crust that needs to be baked, you’ll need to follow the directions on the package before adding your toppings and popping it back in the oven. The only part of this recipe that takes a little time is chopping your toppings. Other than that, this is a quick and easy meal and could turn out to be a fun/creative event for the family. Enjoy your time together and your fabulous pizza!

To those who follow my blog, I apologize for not posting anything for about three weeks. I was enjoying family time with my stepson who was in town visiting us, and then I had to get caught up on work. Thank you to Angela who checked up on me and requested a new post. :) It’s always nice to hear you are missed. 

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Monkeying Around

Monkey Bread

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Live the life you have imagined.” —Henry David Thoreau

Today is the first Monday of my new adventure as a stay-at-home copyeditor/writer (Friday was actually my first day “on the job”). My favorite part so far — not having to get up at 6:30 with the alarm. I can sleep until I’m ready to wake up, which so far has been around 8:30. Such a wonderful perk!

Other benefits? I get to spread my work out over the day — working a couple hours at a time and then “breaking” to go wash some dishes or throw a load of laundry in the washer or dryer or run up to the store. It’s a pace much more conducive to creativity, and it allows me to make sure that I am at my best when focus and diligence are required (which is all the time with editing).

Working from home will also allow me to be more flexible about fitting in a daily devotional time, exercise, craft time, and time off with my husband, and it gives me more time to monkey around in the kitchen trying new recipes that I can then share with you!

In honor of this sweet benefit, the recipe I decided to try this past weekend was Healthified Monkey Bread from EatBetterAmerica.com. It was so easy to make and soooo delicious! I will definitely be making this again.

The ingredients: sugar/cinnamon, refrigerated biscuits, chopped pecans or walnuts, caramel topping, and vanilla. That’s it. You can click on the blue link above for the recipe specifics, but I think once you make it one time, you won’t even need to measure the ingredients; you’ll be able to simply throw it all together and still create a masterpiece. Notice that I used a pre-mixed cinnamon sugar combo, and I didn’t use fat-free ingredients as listed in the recipe. I will probably try the fat-free next time; I simply used what I already had on hand. You can decide for yourself which you prefer.

Preparation: Pour the cinnamon and sugar into a 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Open up the cans of dough and separate the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. (I placed about eight quarters at a time into the sugar mixture, held the bag closed and shook the bag to coat the biscuit pieces.)

Once biscuit pieces are coated, begin to layer them with pecan (or walnut) pieces in a bundt or fluted tube cake pan. I used a stone Pampered Chef pan.

When layering is complete, mix caramel topping with vanilla. Since my caramel sauce had been in the fridge, I took the lid off and microwaved it for about 20 seconds first. Then, I poured it into a small bowl with the vanilla. After mixing, I drizzled it over the biscuit pieces.

With this pan, and my oven, it only took about 30 minutes rather than the 40 – 45 suggested in the recipe. I recommend checking it early.

Now you just have to have the patience to let it cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before you invert it onto a serving plate. Since it is best served warm, dig in and enjoy immediately. (It does warm up well in the microwave if you have any left over the next day.)

We took this over to my sister-in-law’s house to share and it was a hit. To those of you whom I used to work with — I’m thinking about making this for you when I come to visit sometime. Meanwhile, don’t be afraid to try the recipe yourself. Even if you are not a regular baker, you CAN do this. 

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Super Simple Meatballs

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Enjoyed a pretty low-key three-day weekend. Did a lot of pinning on Pinterest. Watched a few episodes of NCIS.Took a couple naps. It was nice to NOT be super busy for a change.

The only work I did do was something for my husband Bart. Because he works retail (Mattress Firm), instead of having time off for the holidays, he and his team members always work extra hours. So, we have made it a bit of a tradition now for me to deliver food to everyone at the stores he manages as a bit of a moral booster and thank-you. Usually that’s four stores.

Well, this year we decided to go a bit bigger with all of the new people recently brought on board through Mattress Firm’s purchase of Mattress Giant. Over the last two days, I delivered meatballs to almost all of the stores in his district – that was 17 stores. Now that’s a lot of meatballs.

Luckily, I use a super simple recipe that is easy to prepare, and I’m told by some that it’s better than their Mom’s meatballs. High praise. :)  To keep my post for the week simple as well, I’m going to give you my recipe.

Super Simple Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • Bag of frozen, fully cooked meatballs
  • Bottle of chili sauce
  • Can of whole cranberries

I believe the bags come with about 48 meatballs; I serve 12 per person, so that makes 4 servings. (Increase the ingredients above as needed for more servings.) Sometimes if I am doubling the recipe, I choose cranberry sauce for the second can – it seems to create more sauce.

Directions:

  • Pour meatballs into crock pot.
  • Add canned cranberries.
  • Pour in chili sauce and stir to coat all of the meatballs.
    (I add a little water to the chili sauce bottle and shake it up to get everything out of the bottle; then pour it over the meatballs too. This helps me avoid waste [something I learned from my Grandmother], and it adds more liquid to the sauce.)
  • If I’m going to be home all day, I’ll put it on low and stir occasionally to heat all of the meatballs all the way through and keep them simmering in sauce until we’re ready to eat.
  • If I need them done more quickly, I usually turn them on high for a couple of hours.

And that’s it! Makes a great appetizer or meal. Can be served as is (maybe add a little Parmesan) or add to rolls for meatball subs. Yum!

Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend and paid tribute to those who have served and still serve our country. 

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