We have a winner!

And the winner is:
Comment #4-
neighbourhood.gal said...
We light candles in lanterns every night of Advent and say a short liturgy together. We also spread out the gift giving/opening over the twelve days of Christmas rather than one big hurrah where things get lost and ignored.Both of these things slow us down in a season where it is entirely too easy to rush around.

Please email me the name and address of the person you want your subscription sent to!
keelysteger@yahoo.com

Thanks for the entries, everyone! I loved reading them and was inspired by your traditions!

Just in time for the Holidays

When I was a Freshman in college, I started subscribing to two different magazines- In Style (basically because it was HUGE and wouldn't fit into my tiny mailbox and so they had to alert me of its arrival with one of the coveted Pink Package slips!) and Better Homes and Gardens.

I have long since moved on from In Style, but my Better Homes and Gardens subscription is still going strong. It is one of my favorite monthly delights. I get inspired by the homes I see, a clever idea, and almost always tear out a recipe or two from every issue.

Do you subscribe to BHG? If not, would you like to? If you already do, would you like to give someone the gift of a subscription of their own?

Enter my giveaway!
One lucky commenter will receive a year's subscription to Better Homes and Gardens sent to the address of their choosing. You have until Sunday night at 7 pm (central time) to answer this question:

What's a Christmas tradition from your childhood that you plan on keeping with your own family? or... What Christmas traditions are you starting?

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

If your child is anything like mine (or perhaps this is the case with you), breakfast is a bit hit and miss at times. Some days he's all about a big bowl of (healthy) cereal or toast with peanut butter, but other days it's simply a granola bar or a container of yogurt (after much weeping and gnashing of teeth). But every time I make these beauties and have them on hand, breakfast is a (delicious) breeze.

from Ellie Krieger

Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, salt, and spices.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil, and one of the eggs until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each one about two-thirds full, and sprinkle the surface of each with the pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold.
Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes 12 muffins

Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos

These were delightfully good. I've only tried out a few recipes that call for chicken thighs because I really prefer the white meat, but this dish had so much flavor, I'll make these again (and again). No doubt about it. I made them a bit too spicy for Noah, so I may cut back on the chipotle just a bit next time. Other than that, success all around. Make these soon!

From Everyday Food Magazine, October 2008

Serves 4

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tablespoon chili powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 hard corn taco shells
Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions
In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).
Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

Raising Foodies 8 Week Challenge

I don't have a clue what week we're on in the challenge, but I did have a successful meal this past week! Hooray!

I made Rachael Ray's Corn and Salsa Tortilla Soup but veered quite a ways off the recipe path and made a dish that we all loved! Yes, all of us- even that picky 3 year old I feed!

1 poblano chile
6 corn tortillas, halved then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Pepper
One container chicken broth (32 ounces)
One can fire-roasted diced or crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
One can black beans, drained and rinsed
Leftover roasted chicken breasts, meat sliced or shredded
1 lime, halved
1/4 cup sour cream


Pre-heat the broiler. Broil the poblano until blackened, 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel, seed and chop the poblano.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon oil and the cumin. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes; season with salt. (This took quite a bit longer for me, to get them really crispy and not just chewy.)
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook until charred at the edges, 10-12 minutes. Add the red onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and poblano. Add black beans and leftover chicken, heat through. Top soup with a squeeze of lime, a dollop of sour cream, and the tortilla strips.


So, the soup is done at this point. I looked at it, saw all the huge chunks of tomato, pepper, corn and beans, and knew that Noah wouldn't eat it. So I decided to blend a batch in my blender. It looked disgusting but tasted fantastic, so I buzzed the rest of the soup as well. He ate 2 bowls!

Unexpected

A computer crash, a new alternator for my car, a house full of sickness...I'm glad that's over.

And I'm glad to be back blogging!

(after roasting some tomatoes for soup)

Raising Foodies 8 Week Challenge- Week 3

Ok, can I just get an out-right winner already? Tonight's "challenge" was to get Noah to try lettuce. I thought if he could treat these like a fun taco, I might have a chance. And he was excited by the idea, initially, but gave up just shy of tasting it. I had him try the cashews at his afternoon snack time, to see if he would like those (and he did). It was a struggle getting him to eat the chicken, tonight, for whatever reason. I even had to resort to eating dessert in front of him, just to get him to finish the chicken on his plate. I guess he tried the water chestnut when I wasn't looking, because he pointed to it and said, "Mommy, this chicken tastes funny."
Husband and I enjoyed this meal quite a bit, though I think I'll add red pepper flake to the sauce mixture next time. It was a great combination of textures, though the husband also requested that I use iceberg lettuce next time, for even more crunch.

Chicken and Cashews in Lettuce Cups
Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 20m
Ingredients

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Directions
Combine the soy sauce and honey in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
Lower heat to medium and stir in the garlic and ginger. Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water chestnuts and half the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the cashews.
Divide the lettuce leaves among individual plates and spoon the chicken over the top. Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture for drizzling.

From Real Simple Magazine, By Kate Merker, May 2008