12 years & Counting

Brent,

I love you.

I love us.

2001 & 2013

This is us, then and now.  I love our story.  I love our past, present, and the promise of our future.  Today, we celebrate and I feel so lucky to share, build, and creat this story with you my love.  Thank you for all the years so far and the many more to come.

Thank you to all of our friends, family, and children for supporting us, loving us, and helpign our marriage and family grow.  We so appreciate all you have done and love having you in our lives.

A Moment

I am going through my June pictures this weekend -remembering, deleting, tagging, uploading.  It isn't my favorite part of the memory keeping process. June was a huge month for photos - nearly three times as many as usual.  Every now and then I stumble on to moments, surprises like this.  I hadn't seen the above before and have no clue who took it.  What is going on is Tracie setting up our family shot at our anniversary party probably just after the pictures of Brent and I alone.  I love the light, the moment and Brent and I just chatting together.  Thanks to the unknown photographer.  Random little moment and images like this make the chore of processing and organizing worthwhile.

- In short, if you find my camera sitting around, feel free to take pictures as we love it!

Memory Gifts (Part V)

Just a few more and thanks again to everyone for the memories and to Brent for making me happy and helping make my dreams come true!


I loved all my visits to D.C. and touring the Nation’s Capital with you both. I loved watching Brent lose his mind in D.C. traffic, good to know he does lose his cool sometimes. It was great to be able to really get to experience D.C. and have my own personal tour guides. The lunches at Foggy Bottom were always great amidst my busy touring schedule while you were working. My favorite trips were the fantastic voyage, when we all drove up for Thanksgiving, the big family trip for your graduation, and one of my last trips when Zach and I came up together. There were great family memories of us all seeing D.C. together, complete with Dad initially thinking he needed to stay at your apartment because there was no way he could handle the metro system, to Dad loving the metro. As your family grew I flew out to do Aunt duty, which was just as fun. Being able to stay with you for so long after Brendan was born was just a blessing. It was just what I needed at that point in my life. Getting up with my new nephew and getting to feed him in the middle of the night really bonded me to my little man. You both are wonderful parents and it has been an absolute pleasure to be and Aunt to your beautiful babies! 
~Audra Korenak


I remember at your wedding - getting ready, you sitting on the stool, it being sooo hot (imagine that!) and dragging you out to Chili's the night before.  I'm so glad you found your other half, and I can't believe it's already been 10 years.  
~Sarah Fiala

The Bridge  

      Two days before Abbey and Brent’s wedding day we received a letter in the mail from the Priest who was supposed to say their Wedding Mass. In it he stated that his father was very ill and he would not be able to perform the ceremony for Abbey and Brent and he included the name of the Deacon (not a priest) who would be taking his place. We happened to know this deacon personally and were not at all happy about having him saying the Mass. I guess ‘not happy’ was an understatement; Abbey burst into tears and would not be consoled by either Danny or myself so we turned her toward Brent and left them to it.  He managed to get her calmed down, we contacted another priest, who was a dear family friend, and he agreed to perform the ceremony on Saturday, a happy ending.

       That moment, when we were powerless to comfort Abbey but Brent could, was the bridge moment when we realized that she was gone from us and belonged with him, which is the way it is supposed to be in a marriage. That hurts a little if you are the parent having to let go, but we were happy she had him to hold her.

~Mom

Memory Gifts (Part IV)

These are actually all from Audra, but I love them so maybe we'll just consider it a gust blogging post.  Audra sent us so many wonderful memories and I so appreciate all the time and love that took.  I love you sis!

Remember when I made hamburgers and Brent thought they were the greatest thing ever because I seasoned them.  It was a pretty impressive, I know.

I loved when Brendan was sick and refused to throw up anywhere but on Brent.  Brent tried desperately to get him to throw up in the toilet, a bucket, or on a towel, but when push came to shove, Brendan found Brent and threw up on him. That was a miserable day, one that probably pushed my having kids back a while, but still funny. 

Brendan's first birthday party is a great memory. We started the tradition of things having from the ceiling at his parties, and the tradition of multiple cakes. I was so glad I could come up and be a part of the festivities. Another highlight was Brendan throwing up all his chex mix right in front of the woman in a white cashmere suit. Fun times!!!

I remember when Abbey called mom to tell her you were pregnant with Brendan. I was at the farm and answered the phone. You asked to talk to mom in a super giddy voice, to which I said "are you pregnant" and you said "can I talk to Mom" so I knew you were. Of course I already knew it was going to be a boy, thanks to the old Indian trick! You officially found this out while we were on our honeymoon.

I remember the multiple phone calls during the birthing process of Brendan. I kept calling expecting there to be some sort of action happening and there just kept being no progress. I went to bed on the 18th thinking for sure you would have him over night. I called Brent early on the 19th, super excited to ask if we had a baby. In classic Brent style, he calmly said no. I proceeded to go to SEMO, expecting a phone call all day, and finally gave up and went to bed. I was awoken by Able's drunken celebratory call, followed by Mom's call with the vital statics. I was overjoyed that my Godson was FINALLY in the world! On his due date, of course!

Zach and I were in the Bahamas when Maggie was born, so it was quite a process to call back to the U.S. to hear if Maggie had joined us. Of course, at that point Maggie didn't have a name and actually when I called to talk to Mom she told me all the statics first, to which I said "do we have a name?" and mom said ummm, they are working on it. So we went to the beach and called back a few hours later, happy to find out that Miss Maggie Jewel had joined our family!!! I went to the little computer lab at the hotel multiple times a day checking the blogs and my email for new updates or new pictures!

Memory Gifts (Part III)

More memories and more thanks to the contributors!

My favorite Brent story of all time was when Brent worked with monkeys. I know that this is probably Brent's least favorite time of his life, but it brought me all kinds of entertainment. I would constantly try to bring up in conversation that my brother in law got his PhD in Neuroscience from Georgetown and that he worked with monkeys. What a great conversation starter. This was made even better when I got word that one of the monkeys had bitten Brent and he then had to go on Valtrex, the herpes medicine. I am pretty sure I even sent him a card on this occasion. I know technically it would have been a horrible situation if Brent really had gotten herpes from a monkey, but I was confident this wasn't really happening so I went ahead and had a good time with it. 

~Audra Korenak

First Impressions  

The day I first saw Brent was Game Day at OU. I guess Danny hadn’t come to Norman with me that time because I sat over in the student section with Abbey, which Danny and I never did.  The day was very hot and I was sweating like a horse and uncomfortable. We were standing up all the time, which is what you do in the student section I came to find out. Over in the nonstudent section people sit down to watch the football game, unless something wonderful is happening.  

     After awhile Abbey nudged me and nodded to our left a bit saying, “That’s him. That’s Brent.” I turned to look and there he was and this is what I saw and thought.

He had that mustache/beard that was so popular then, had on a white t-shirt, was wearing his cap on backwards and had on shades. Sounds like normal Brent right? My first thought was,” Oh no, he’s a Thug. Abbey is dating a thug.”

     I realize that Brent is the absolute antithesis of a Thug but at that moment that is what I thought. Not long after that day Brent and Abbey came up to the farm for a visit and I realized the enormity of my mistaken first impression. I seem to have a habit of misjudging people right off the cuff and now I simply ignore that first impression and go on. 

~Mom

I’ve been taking a journey down memory lane ever since you sent the request out.  It’s hard to pick just one memory, with half a life’s worth with you Abs, and well, not as many with you Brent, but you’re catching up.   There seems to be one recurring theme though, Home.    So many of my memories with you Abbey, include sitting around a kitchen table and gabbing.  Be it at the Farm with tamac and diet pepsi, at Crystal Lake recovering after a fun day in the sun, or in Edmond playing with the little ones.  I am so glad that you decided to move back to Oklahoma. It allows me to have a front row seat to your wonderful little family that you’ve created.  You and Brent have this magical way about your relationship and with the kids.  The home that you’ve created is loving, welcoming, safe, laughter-filled.  You truly have a beautiful partnership, and you balance each other out.  Congratulations on 10 wonderful years, and I know there will be plenty more.  Abbey I’m blessed to have you as one of “my people”.  I love you both.   

~Sarah Fiala

Memory Gifts (Part II)

I'm glad they didn't separate the college of arts and sciences (and I'm really grateful that something else didn't break up that same day).  Not sure if you remember it...

Brent talking about separating the school of arts and the school of science at OU:

Here is the next installment of the lovely memories from our friends.  I admit that I'd forgotten this story completely, which makes it all the more precious:

Brent:  I think we should break up...

(long pause as Abbey's heart drops)

Brent:  ... the college of arts and science.

So glad that breakup never happened :-)  I'm so happy for you guys.  We probably won't make the June event, but we hope everyone has a wonderful time.

~Brian Vo

A Mother's Tears 

    After the wedding was over, Brent and Abbey had headed off for their honeymoon, we had cleaned the entire Parish Hall and were packing up to go home, Jamie came in with some clothes in her hands. They were the clothes Abbey had worn into the church before she changed into her wedding dress.  Wait, go back.

     Let me say that the wedding was beautiful, simple, full of music and color, love and friendship. Abbey and Brent have a fantastic group of close friends who were so good to each other and took care of so many of the details of the pre-wedding days. Thanks to all of you. I loved it and was very happy that Abbey and Brent had found each other to love and share their futures with. There had been no tears, just smiles and hugs and beaming from the pews. But when Jamie handed me those clothes I was so tired and was missing Abb already and thinking about all the hard times that lay ahead for them that when I held them to my nose and smelled her scent on them, I burst into tears, all the emotion and worry that I had glossed over, came pouring out. Jamie took me in her arms and held me as I cried all over her shoulder. I think she was as surprised by my reaction as I was.  

~Mom

A memory that I have from your wedding was Able and I standing on the altar with Brent and the other groomsmen, looking at the bowl that was supposed to have holy water in it and wondering if we could load it up with chips and salsa?  Good times had by all...

~ Scott Hopper

Happy Anniversary!! 10 years ago, I was hugely preggo with baby #2, but Jeremiah (17 months old) and I came to your wedding. We were in Oklahoma visiting, but Jason was still working in North Carolina. I remember you looking absolutely radiant; so calm and cool on a HOT oklahoma day. I loved the flowers, too. And Kristen Dotter playing with Jeremiah pretty much the whole time so I could visit and stay off my feet. See you all in July!

~Jennifer Dotter

Anniversary Memories

Yesterday was our 10th anniversary.  It was such a lovely thing and somehow feels "big" even though there was never any doubt that it would arrive.  I find that I don't feel so much like blogging about it as I do quiet sharing it with Brent and enjoying our time together.  I am so looking forward to celebrating with some of our friends and family on Saturday as you have all been such a big part of making this amazing marriage that we share.  


As we prepared for our anniversary fun, we asked some of our friends and families to share stories of our dating years, wedding and marriage.   We have gotten some wonderful ones and I wanted to share the first three of  them here.  I will post a few more a day in coming days,  as well as I think of other stories that need to be told.  Meanwhile, enjoy these snippets and thanks for all your love and support.  We feel very lucky and blessed to have an amazing marriage and a wonderful support community.


Memory Gifts: Part 1
I remember talking to Brent on 9/11. Dad and I had been trying to get a hold of either of Abbey that morning, but it took quite a while before Brent finally called the high school to tell us that she was fine and walking to Georgetown from down town DC. I remember I was frantically asking Brent if you were alright, where were you, and how things were going in D.C. In true Brent fashion, he calmly told me everything was fine, you were on your way to Georgetown, listening to the radios of homeless people and he was continuing on with his mice research. That is when I realized that Brent was the most laid back person I had ever met. The fact that he could see the smoke from the Pentagon and had to drive right past it on the way home didn't phase him at all. I knew that you weren't going to be that calm, but Dad and I both took great comfort in knowing that you had such a strong, calm person to go through such a terrifying situation.
The footnote to this story is that after Dad died and I was looking through one of his many bibles I found the note that Brandi Wise wrote and took to Dad in class that said "Abbey is ok." I know that note meant the world to him, because he of course was envisioning the worst that morning. 
~Audra Korenak

Early days: I remember getting ready for an APO dance at your house (Starry night, 2008) - lots of curly hair with the girls, and then pictures when the boys arrived. Plus a fun dinner and dancing. That was probably the first time I spent any time at all with Brent, and at the time I didn't know you all that well, either. 

Recent days: I love the way you and Brent share parenting duties - the little looks you give each other to communicate when something has gone slightly amiss (grumpy kids, a little roughness, etc). No words need to pass your lips, you both know the next step - I think it is a great show of the strength of your relationship as partners.

~Jennie Palfreyman

I remember the New Years Eve party where we went clubbing at Zanzibar on the Water Front night club.  It was a lavish buffet and open bar with champaign.  We got all dressed up and danced until maybe 1 a.m-ish and swiftly went home to sleep well into the new year.  Unfortunately, I don't recall the actual year!  But it was great fun.  I remember the club was so packed that the floor felt like it was lifting with every beat.  It also had open air seating outside so we could get a break from the music and the heat.

~Sara Bakker

Larkspur

Every year, just about this time...

We take a trip to the farm and I take at least half a dozen pictures of these -- My mom's larkspur.  I love them.

Every year, about this time we think that surely they won't still be blooming by our anniversary...

Every year, so far, they have been.  My bridesmaids carried them as their bouquets and nearly all the table flowers at our wedding reception centered around these flowers.  A bit of a gamble with nature, but they are simply one of my favorites and worth the risk.  This year, they will show up at our anniversary party (God and weather willing).  They will again help us celebrate our love for each other.  Such happy, simple, easy flowers.  Ten years later, I still do... love larkspur.

(Oh, and my husband too, but you knew that already).

Ps.  Happy Birthday to my amazing, wonderful sister.  We love you so much Aunt Audra and hope you  have a wonderful spa day!

Recipe Week: I Make Pizza

I make pizza once a week, almost without fail.  For the first half of our marriage it was routinely out of a box in the freezer section, usually while watching West Wing or studying and mostly on Wednesdays.  When we moved to the Laverne Ave. house and Brent's parent's bought us a grill we started to experiment with grilling pizza.  I steadfastly refused any suggestion that we'd make it completely from scratch so we used store-bought dough.

Sometime last year, my song changed.

Now, I make pizza once a week always with homemade dough.  I make pizza using fresh mozzarella, not the shredded stuff -- the difference is huge.  I make pizza with two or three eager helpers, left overs, a blazing hot oven and a pizza stone.  Perhaps I should say -- we make pizza.

First - Ingredients:

Dough:  I make this every two weeks. I divide it in half and freeze the second half for the following week.  My recipe is a mix of Pioneer Woman, Smitten Kitchen and personal preference.

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1.5 c. whole wheat flour
1 T kosher salt
1 T yeast.
1 T Honey (optional)
1 tsp - thyme or other herb (Optional!)
2 T shredded Parm (Optional)

* I've only been adding the last three of late, but really like it.

1.5 c. warm water (often about 1/4 c. more).

3 T olive oil

Mix all the dry ingredients and then add the wet, mixing well until the dough comes together.  Pour onto a floured surface and need maybe 3-4 times and form a ball.  Oil the inside of a large bowl.  Press the top and then bottom dough onto the bowl's surface so there is a skim of oil all over the dough.  Cover the bowl with either saran wrap or a dish towel.  Leave unattended for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

When doubled - turn the dough out onto the floured counter.  Need 3-4 times, reform the dough ball and cover by turning the bowl upside down over the dough.  Let rise for an additional 20 minutes.

* I do this usually just as I turn on the oven to preheat and begin prepping ingredients.

Pre-heat oven to 515F  (or as high as your oven will go).  If available, oil a pizza stone or alternatively the back of a metal cookie sheet.  Add to oven during the pre-heat so it gets hot.

Toppings:

8 oz ball fresh mozarrella - sliced
1/4 c. Parm
tomato -- fresh if you have it, Alternatively sauce or dried tomatoes
Herbs (fresh basil!!) or dried pizza or italian seasoning
Meat, veggie, fruit, etc... as you like it. Our most common toppings are: left over steak, turkey pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, asparagus, pineapple, left over meatballs or hamburger (cut up), obviously not all together!

Roll out the dough or stretch it out if your talented -- just to the size of your pan.

Set the dough on the pan and skim with olive oil.  Shake some dried herbs over the crust or add your fresh herbs.  Then add cheese, veggies and/or meat.  Place the tray in the oven for 8-13 minutes (depends a bit on your crust, temperature, pan and toppings).  Remove when golden and the cheese is melted.

We make pizza and love both the process and the taste delight.
Enjoy!

Ps. Unless someone else sends me a recipe, I think this will conclude recipe week for now, but I promise we'll do it again soon if there is interest.  I'd love to hear what you're cooking and share it here if you're willing! Thanks for reading!

Recipe Week: Creamed Peas and New Potatoes

In looking across the week it appears I really like soup and dessert (true!)  I wanted to share one of our family's favorite spring dishes as well.  We made this growing up with fresh peas and potatoes from the garden.  Now, we make it mostly with frozen peas and red potatoes from the store unless we're really lucky and my mom shares her bounty with us.  This year we are growing potatoes, mostly so B can learn about them so perhaps we'll have our own new potatoes to enjoy.

Our Creamed Peas and New Potatoes
Attempted from the rough guidelines my family has for making this dish-- we don't write down recipes much, until now!

Ingredients:

• New potatoes --- really small potatoes of any kind "could" work. I would avoid russet and look for things more like red potatoes, yukon gold or even fingerling potatoes, if available.  Quantity varies by how many people you are cooking for, but for recipe purposes lets say a pound (or maybe 5-6 small/medium potatoes).
• Peas - preferably those you just shelled after picking them in mornings early light--- wait, you didn't pick peas and don't even have any peas in your suburban garden? Ok, how about a cup of frozen peas.
• Chicken broth or water
• 1 cup Milk - preferably whole, but anything will work-- some portion being cream would be even better. 
• 3 T Flour 
• 3 T Butter 
• salt & pepper to taste - a fairy sizable amount of both in my pot
• Optional - additional herbs or garlic/onion to bump up the depth of flavor, but we rarely use them as fresh vegetables sing on their own.

Instructions:
1.  Cut the potatoes up so each is about an 1-2 inches in size.  If they are already that small let them be (but you'll probably need closer to 8-10 of that size).  Peel them if you prefer, some, like yukon golds have such tender skin that you are probably fine to leave them.

2.  Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with stock or water just to cover them.  (Alternatively, put water in and add some cut of onions, garlic, salt, pepper and maybe an herb or two if you have some around).  Boil until tender and strain out the water -- reserve it for later!

3.  Melt the butter in the same, now empty, pot.  Add the flour and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly.  (For the savvy among you-- yes, you are making a roux and feel free to follow your own typical method for this).

4.  Meanwhile, warm the milk and 1/2 cup of the reserved water in the microwave -- we are looking for just warm, not boiling so maybe 2 minutes at most. (This is optional, but will make things go more quickly).

5.  Gradually, add a bit of the warmed liquid at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Continue adding until it is all in the pot.  Continue to whisk for several more minutes until the mixture thickens. We want it just a bit thick not all the way to cream gravy thick. If it progresses too quickly and is thicker than you like add some more of the reserved water from cooking the potatoes to thin it out again.

6.  Add back in the cooked potatoes and the cup (or more as you like) of peas.  Cook for 5 minutes or so to allow everything to warm and flavors to meld.  Taste to see if it needs salt or pepper.  If you still think it is a bit bland consider some onion powder, but I'm usually happy at this point, particularly if I have fresh ingredients.

This is technically a side dish, but the first time of the season it is almost always an entire meal for us and a true taste of spring.  Also, you could make it into a main dish by adding some chicken or other meat and possibly another veggie or two.  Enjoy!

NOTE: No one really ever taught me to make this so I do it mostly by feel/observations.  I loved learning to cook by observing my Mom, Grandma Blakley, and Grandpa Dotter and so hope my kids learn that way too.  Meanwhile, I'd recommend checking the comments to see if my mom has caveats or additional instructions as she is much more the pro than I, which is why she is the recipe presenter on Sunday's blog!

 - Tomorrow begins a series of guest recipe posts beginning with my Lil' bro (Able) who is making his second guest posting foray and is, thus far, the only two-time contributor!

Recipe Week: Chicken Avocado Soup

This is one of my recent favorites from Skinnytaste.com.  I am a sucker for things including avocados and lime and to my great delight my chicken apparently love plain chicken the best.  This keeps us all happy.  Brent and I had the full deal and the kids mostly just ate the chicken.  



Chicken and Avocado Soup
Adapted slightly from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes  
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 bowl • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 285.8 • Fat: 16.8 g • Carb: 14.4 g • Fiber: 7.5 g • Protein: 22.1 g  

• 5 cups chicken broth (I admittedly used bouillon)
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast --- I boiled mine in the broth for 20 minutes and then took it out and shredded it as I rarely have any pre-cooked chicken available - it was about two breasts.
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups scallions, chopped fine ( I used the green onions from my garden courtesy of my Mom's walking Egyptian onions)
• 2 ripe hass avocados, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine (Optional - I omitted it as always)
• 4 lime wedges
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt + fresh pepper to taste
• pinch cumin
• pinch chipotle chile powder (optional - I added a pretty hefty pinch)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup of scallions and garlic. Sauté about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and sauté another minute, until soft. Add chicken stock, cumin and chile powder and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered on low for about 15-20 minutes.  (If you don't have pre-cooked chicken, your chicken would be in the pot for this time as well and then removed to shred.)

In four bowls, fill each with 1/2 cup chicken, 1/2 avocado, remainder of the scallions. Ladle 1 cup chicken broth over the chicken and serve with a lime wedge or do what we do and squeeze at least one wedge of lime over each portions-- maybe more as we love limes.


Light, delicious and both kids and parents were pleased.  That makes it a winner and another of my Skinnytaste favorites.

Recipe Week: Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

These used to be my absolute standby thing to take to parties/events/gatherings when we lived in DC.  I haven't made them much since our return, but still keep all the ingredients on hand just in case an opportunity presents itself.  They are so delicious and I think I'll make some once I'm sure we're all past this week's stomach bug.

NOTE: These are "light" in theory and at only 138 calories and 4 g of fat are pretty good on that account, but it does require a small serving size (est. 36 brownies per recipe) and I have trouble sticking with that with this recipe as they are so gooey delicious.

Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Adapted slightly from The Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook (Which apparently is now on sale for less than $4).

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (12 ounce) can of fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided
1/4 butter, melted
1 egg white
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 c peanut butter morsels (you can substitute chocolate chips or other types of chips here, but peanut butter is very popular here)
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional--- we NEVER add this as Brent is anti-nuts cooked into things and here I actually agree as I want it gooey, not crunchy).

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F and coat a 13x9x2in baking pan with cooking spray.
2.  Mix together the cake mix, 2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk, margarine and egg white.
3.  Pat 2/3 of the resulting batter into the bottom of the prepared pan (the batter will be stiff and sticky-- I sometimes add a tablespoon of water if it just isn't working).
4.  Bake for 10 minutes.
5.  Mix the remaining sweetened condensed milk and the marshmallow creme.  Stir in the peanut butter or chocolate chips. (Maybe even 1/2 of each?)
6.  Carefully spread the mixture evenly over the partially baked brownie layer.
7.  Drop the remaining batter from step 2 by spoonfuls over the marshmallow mixture.
8.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set.

Cool completely before cutting.

Note - check on these while baking as the marshmallow bits can get a little too brown if left in too long.

Enjoy!

One a related note, I mentioned being tempted by the white and dark hearted brownies on smitten kitchen.  I have tried the chocolate version thereof and they were delicious.  It did take me a couple more minutes of cooking for them to fully bake through the middle, but this is my ongoing issue with brownies for some reason.  They do use only one bowl though and tasted delicious!

Look forward to a guest post from my Mom's recipe collection as the week continues.  I'm excited to see what she chooses!

Recipe Week: Best Oatmeal Cookies

Recently, I purchased Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours in an attempt to increase our consumption and enjoyment of whole grains.  So far, I am really enjoying it and have something like 7 kinds of flour now to prove it!

Oatmeal Cookies (Abbey's version - adapting the Kim Boyce recipe from the above book)

Hint - if you want a simpler take on this with fewer flours the Smitten Kitchen has that for you here.

Dry Mix:
2 cups rolled oats - pulsed for 10 seconds in a food processor
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. barley flour
1/2 c. oat flour
1/4 c. millet flour
1/4 c. buckwheat flour
1 T plus 1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Wet Mix:
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs

Frosting --- I did not make this, but think it would add a nice sweetness
2 1/4 c powdered sugar
5 to 6 T whole milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1.  Preheat oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets (I use Silpat instead).
2. Sift the dry ingredients and then add back any grains that remain in the sifter.  Add the ground oats to the dry ingredients.
3. In a small bowl whisk the butter and eggs.  (Confession - I forgot and added the sugars here as I think of them as wet and it still worked fine).
4.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients to combine.

  NOTE: If you want crisp cookies back immediately. I wanted mine chewy so I took her advice and waited an hour to bake them which did help.
5.  Scoop balls of dough about 3 T in size (I used an ice cream scoop).  There should be about 6 per sheet with three inches in between.  Be prepared for them to spread.
6.  Bake for 16 to 20 minutes.  They should be evenly brown on top when ready to remove.

7.  Once all the dough has been cooked and the cookies cooled they can be frosted. (We skipped this).

Make the frosting by whisking together the frosting ingredients, adding more milk if it is too think.  Then you just drizzle the frosting all over and let them set for 30 minutes before eating.

We found that reheating for 20 seconds in the microwave gave us the "feel" of just out of the oven cookies when we ate them later.  I would highly recommend it.

Recipe Week: Spring Trail Mix

When preparing to go to the cabin earlier this month I began my snack packing ritual.  We travel with a lot of snacks in the car in an attempt to avoid junk (at least somewhat) and as a distraction for fussy kids.  This time, the kids and I made spring trail mix.  It was a hit!

Spring Trail Mix

2 c. Chickadee Crackers (Target's generic fish crackers - much more spring like and tastier)
1  bag Easter M&Ms
2 c. Dried Cranberries
4 c. Multigrain Cheerios
2 c. Lightly salted roasted peanuts
1 c. Dried Apple Chips

Mix well. We bagged this up into 8 snack size baggies (which I stashed all over from diaper bag to my camera bag and replenished frequently).  The remainder we had in a larger ziplock in our car snack bag.  Possibly not our healthiest snack, but very tasty and well-loved by our little traveling crew.

Recipe Week: Chicken and Dumplings

It has been awhile since we've had recipe week so in conjunction with my anniversary food related musings and general "savoring" I'm going to share a recipe a day this week starting with Chicken and Dumplings.

This falls easily into the long searched for recipe.  We mostly had chicken and noodles, rather than dumplings growing up, but I love the soft dumplings so much that I set out to find one that works for me.  The Smitten Kitchen's version is definitely my inspiration, but a bit too time consuming for my lifestyle so I've modified it as follows:

Our Chicken and Dumplings 
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, February 2005 and Smitten Kitchen 2007

CI notes that you should not use low-fat or fat-free milk in this recipe, and that you should start the dumpling dough only when you’re ready to top the stew with the dumplings.

Serves 6 to 8

Stew
2.5  pounds boneless chicken breasts (or assortment of chicken pieces as you please).
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

2 green onions white and green parts (optional)
1 large onion, minced
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk

2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen green peas

Dumplings
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. For the stew: 

Step 1- optional - This is nice to do, but can be skipped if you are in a rush. Start with Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. 

Step 2. Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the green onion, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour. (NOTE: sometimes I just use pre-cooked/left-over chicken and simmer it for about 10 minutes in this mixture after I've shredded it). 

Step 3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, then return it to the stew.

Step 4. For the dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

5. Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas, and season with salt and pepper. Following the steps below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

To make the dumplings: Gather a golf-ball-sized portion of the dumpling batter onto a soup spoon, then push the dumpling onto the stew using a second spoon. Cover the stew with the dumplings, leaving about 1/4 inch between each. When fully cooked, the dumplings will have doubled in size.

It is delicious!  The broth is so rich and creamy because you take the extra steps above.  However, if you are in a rush and have some cooked chicken, chicken broth, peas and the dumpling ingredients you can make a very quick (although a bit less spectacular) version in a rush for a great quick dinner.

Such a comfort food!  This turned out to be perfectly timed as B and I are fighting the stomach bug to various degrees and this is just what I would want to have.... if I felt like eating at all.

Stand-by Recipes: Baked Potato Soup

Our ten year anniversary is fast approaching and I find myself thinking back on what has changed and what we've learned.  When we were first married, we almost never had the same recipe twice.  We were constantly trying new recipes, techniques, ideas, and flavors.  Cooking was what we did together while slaving through graduate school.  We could justify the time because we had to eat, right?  It wasn't expensive and was basically a necessity.

Fast forward ten years and we still cook a lot, but not nearly as often do Brent and I cook as a team.  The "dance" is still there and if the opportunity arises we can cook seamlessly together.  Now days, he is usually juggling kids or I've finished most of the prep before he gets home.  Those early years, in retrospect served as my search for my own idea of the "perfect" recipe for various things.  I have landed on several that I rely on now and no longer search for new versions of them consciously.  They are the staple meals that we almost always have ingredients for if there is not a meal plan list for that week. I have decided to record them here in blogland so my kids will have them and so that you might enjoy them too.

The first in this series was my preferred Macaroni and Cheese (which you can read about here).

This time, I want to share a very new favorite: Baked Potato Soup.  We just discovered it a few weeks ago, but have made it twice.  Brent LOVES it and everyone else does too.  It has a tricky secret ingredient that my crew never guessed until I made the "reveal". This is an instance where just last November I thought I'd found my go-to soup recipe, but I think this one is the new champion.

 I found the recipe at Skinnytaste, which is fast becoming my favorite healthy recipes site.  I made a couple changes, but will note what she had as well.  Here is the link to the original too. 

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup
Based off recipe from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts  (This assumes sour cream as in the original)
Calories: 207.6 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carb: 22.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g  • Protein: 11.9 g

• 3-4 small yukon gold, washed and dried  (She used 2 russet potatoes, but I like the flavor more this way)
• 1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
• 1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese (she used light sour cream), cut into small cubes
• 10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 tbsp chopped chives, divided
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon if you prefer)

Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Or if you prefer to use your oven, bakeat 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.  Chop into small bite size chunks. 

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, half of the potatoes and bring to a boil. 

Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add cream cheese (or sour cream), remaining half of the potatoes, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cream cheese is fully melted into the mix.

Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese, remaining chives, and bacon.

(Note: original pureed all of the potatoes, but I think the chunks of potatoes enhance the taste and texture as well as, perhaps, the trick).

Enjoy!