Some Saucy Chicken

Another chicken dish! This was made with the remainder of the package of drumsticks that we used for the chicken and mango sauce and is our second new recipe of the year. The original recipe can be found here on Allrecipes.

The Recipe

Baked Chicken in Sweet BBQ Sauce

1/2 Cup Barbecue Sauce

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Sriracha

1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Onion Powder

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

2 Teaspoons Cumin

6 Chicken Drumsticks

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1 Cup Cold Water

Mix together everything but the chicken, cornstarch, and water in a bowl to make your marinade. Place the chicken and the marinade in a zip top bag and massage the chicken so it is well coated. Let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight. When ready to cook, place the chicken and marinade in a baking dish and bake in a 400 degree oven until the chicken is done (internal temperature is 160 degrees - about 40 mins). While the chicken is cooking, mix the cornstarch and water together. When the chicken is done, remove the chicken pour the remaining sauce in the baking dish into a small sauce pan. Bring this liquid to a simmer and then add the cornstarch slurry. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened. Spoon over the chicken and serve.

End Results and Final Thoughts

While it has a long list of ingredients, it's actually really easy and we had everything on hand. I didn't change much from the original recipe - just used red wine vinegar instead of red wine (because we didn't feel like opening a bottle of wine just for this), used a little less chili powder (other reviews said that much chili powder could overwhelm the flavor), and added some Sriracha (because it's delicious). And we really liked the results. The sauce is sweet, but does have a little kick to it. I wouldn't complain if it were hotter, but I do agree that much more chili powder would be too much - if I were to add heat to this recipe it wouldn't be that way. But maybe a little cayenne or adobo would do the trick? Anyway, this was really good on chicken and could probably be made into a good dipping sauce (just skip the whole baking thing and go straight to thickening) to serve with onion rings or chicken fingers or something. We ate this with some peas and garlic bread but for some reason desperately wanted some mashed potatoes to go with it. We would make this again, especially considering we'll probably always have (at least most of) the ingredients on hand. But we'll be sure to make some mashed potatoes too.

Concerning Hobbits

I've taken the first step in my mission to read twenty books this year. I decided to start with a book my sister gave me for Christmas titled, Hobbit Lessons: A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys. The author of the book, Devin Brown, is a professor where my sister attends school, Asbury University. She went to a special lecture he gave and picked up a signed copy of the book for me there. It's a small book, easily read, and divided into only a few chapters, each with its own little lesson. It looked interesting and I was curious to see what insights Brown, who is quite the authority on Tolkien and his works, would pull from The Hobbit. It also seemed appropriate given the origin of the this blog's title and the recent release of the second part of Peter Jackson's film adaptation. Plus, reading a fun, short book like this would hopefully keep me from getting bogged down in one of the thick biographies or other, longer books I have in my queue.

The book begins with a prologue stating the intended audience is anyone "undertaking an adventure and leaving behind a life that has been familiar, comfortable, and predicable." While I may not fit directly into the examples he gives - such as those recently graduated or moving to another country - I don't think that means I, or even you, can't get anything out of this book. The chapters, with titles like "When Adventure Comes Knocking, Let It In (Even If It Makes You Late For Dinner)" and "Have Your Friends' Backs (Someone Has Yours)" have words of wisdom any of us can appreciate. Each section has its own little message to impart, speaking on the dangers of greed, the value of humility and friendship, and how much of the world you miss out on if you're never willing to risk the comfort you cling to so dearly. Brown intermingles moments of The Hobbit - typically counsel Gandalf gives Bilbo or events that define Bilbo's transformation from complacent hobbit to accomplished burglar - with his take on the lessons Tolkien is telling us and bits of biblical wisdom. These short sections combine gave me a good bit to think on after each reading.

My favorite chapter, "Be Fond of Waistcoats, Pocket Hankerchiefs, and Even Arkenstones (Just Don't Let Them Become Too Precious)", deals with appreciating things of the world, but at an appropriate level. It always seems that the more someone has the harder it is to give to others. I never want this to be said of me. Every blessing is an opportunity to bless others. Am I always good at this? No, not by a long shot. But it's something that I want to make an effort to do a better job at. Leslie and I even included a few goals (that didn't make it into our blog post) that deal specifically with this. But even beyond generosity, we need to appreciate the simple things of life. One of my favorite lines from The Hobbit that Brown cites is Thorin telling Bilbo that, "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." This serves as a good reminder for me to appreciate the value in the simple comforts of a warm home, a loving wife, a good job, adorable pets, and a full pantry and fridge. I don't need to chase after money or success to achieve happiness. And I think that's a worthwhile lesson, even if I take nothing else from this book.

Chicken in Mango & Bell Pepper Sauce

Behold, our first new recipe of 2014! We've had a few Food posts so far, but those were made around the holidays and don't count towards our goal of 20 new recipes this year. But this one does! It came out of the cookbook, "The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook," and does not disappoint.

The Recipe

Mango - Bell Pepper Sauce

1 Teaspoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Shallot

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

2 Cloves of Garlic

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne

1 Small Mango

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tablespoon Fresh Cilantro

Salt and Pepper

Start by doing all your cutting - mince the shallot, garlic, and cilantro; dice the red pepper; and peel, pit, and cut the mango into 1/2" pieces. Then heat your oil in a pan on medium. Add your shallot and bell pepper, cooking until lightly browned (5-7 mins). Add your garlic, allspice, and cayenne and cook briefly (about 30 seconds). Then add your mango, vinegar, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until the mango is soft (about 2 mins). Take it off the heat, add your cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

End Results and Final Thoughts

Just by looking at the recipe it's pretty easy to know that this is a good one. I didn't even change much - the recipe calls for molasses, but we used maple syrup instead (because it was on hand). We put this on some drumsticks we already had (baked in the oven with a little oil and salt / pepper) and it was a great fit. This sauce would also be good on pork or even salmon. One thing I might change, however, is add a little red pepper flake or something else to spice it up. It's nice and sweet from the mango, but we like a little more spice in our dishes. This was still really good and we liked it on the chicken with some rice and steamed veggies. We probably won't make this often, but would make it again.

Stairwell to Heaven - Part 1

So we have begun the dreaded painting of the upstairs hall and stairwell. We painted the ceiling on Saturday. Normally painting ceilings isn't too big a deal, but these took a little more prep work than the others. We needed to get up above the stairs somehow, so I made a platform that we could then put our ladder on. I used a bunch of 2x4s and plywood I had lying around to make it. It's very stable (and heavy), so I didn't feel too worried about supporting myself and a ladder on it. Worked pretty well, if I do say so myself. Even the cats liked it.

It wasn't too hard to get the ceiling done since Leslie could get both sides of the hall from the top of the stepladder without moving it. We managed to get both coats done in the same day.

The next day we were able to put up new light fixtures. Previously there had just been two cheap little fixtures that didn't give a lot of light. We put in new two-bulb fixtures that look a lot nicer and brighten it up a lot. We picked up these lights, along with fixtures for the bedrooms (as per our goal of adding lights to the bedrooms this year), at the Menards 11% rebate promotion. We got all six lights for a good price and will be getting back a nice amount, which I'm sure will be going towards the next project.

Now that we're done with this step it'll be time to do the walls soon. Leslie already has a colour in mind, so we'll just have to find a little more free time to go get the paint and get started - hopefully sometime in the next few weeks. We're making progress, people!

The Whole Family Settling In

It's been a good couple of weeks since the chaotic time we had there with the holidays. We estimated that we spent a full 24 hours in the car in the week and a half around Christmas / New Years, so it's been nice taking it easy for the last few weekends. But we aren't the only ones to be back on a normal schedule - Ellie, Frank, and Leo have all been settling in too! So how about I just post some pet pictures so you can stop reading and look at cute pictures instead.

Kitty Cuddles

Sleepy Puppy

Frank Wants a Kong

Princess Ellie Watching Over the Kitchen

Stretchy Frank

Taking Leo on His First Walk!

Frank Also Wants a Crate

Window Watching

Such a Sleepy Kitty

Thanks for reading and we'll be back with more fun posts soon!

Peanut, Peanut Butter (But No Jelly)

For the last few years we've had a Christmas tradition in my family that, in addition to other gifts, we draw names and have to make something for whomever we draw. So far we've seen such things as a blueberry pie, a recipe book, framed artwork, and more. This year I had my little sister and made her something I knew she'd enjoy (plus she's a college student and I'm pretty sure food is always a good gift to college kids).

The Recipe

Amish Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/4 Cup Marshmallow Fluff

1 Cup Light Corn Syrup

Stir the ingredients together in a bowl. Yes, it's that easy.

End Results and Final Thoughts

I doubled the recipe so I could fill up that jar and have some extra for us. Definitely a good call. This family favorite is very easy and is good on loads of stuff. I like it on bread, apples, crackers (especially animal crackers), celery, pretzels, and just about anything else. It's light and fluffy and sweet and delicious. There are other recipes out there for Amish peanut butter, but this is a simple one that still tastes great without containing copious amounts of butter. Just go try it - you'll like it, I promise. Unless you're allergic to peanut butter...

Closet Lighting

These changes have been made for a few weeks now, but with the holidays and all... well, this is the first chance we've had to put them up. Leslie finished painting the bedroom closets a little before Christmas and two of the three of them have overhead lights in them, but one didn't have anything. In addition, the coat closet downstairs didn't have a light in it and didn't get much in from the room. I wanted to brighten these both up with some lights, so I got on Amazon to see what I could find. I picked out two wireless motion sensor lights for the coat closet and then a LED light strip kit with an on/off switch wired into the cord for the bedroom closet.

The wireless lights hung easily enough in the coat closet and work well. I put one up on the top left and one on the right. The ceiling kind of dictated where they went it, but it works. They really light it up and it's very convenient not to have to worry about turning the lights on and off. Definitely makes a big difference.

It was a little more involved to hang up the lights in the bedroom closet. I decided to put them up near the ceiling so that they would give light up on the shelf too. This is a good solution for now, but maybe we'll put in an overhead light later. The closet is hardly deep enough to justify that, but it might be nice. We'll see how it plays out.

And there you have it, another nice little project that makes a nice improvement without much work. Total for the lights was about $30 and it took me maybe a total of 30 minutes to get everything installed. Gotta love it!

It's the Great Pumpkin Cake, Charlie Brown

We were asked to bring a dessert to Christmas dinner at Leslie's parents house and someone suggested we make this cake. It was a nice contrast to the other desserts people brought and it seemed pretty popular. And by that I mean that a good amount of it got eaten.

The Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Cake (from Key Ingredient)

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

1 Small Can Pumpkin Puree - 15 oz.

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz.

1 Tub Cool Whip - 8 oz.

1/2 Bag Heath Bits

Caramel Sundae Sauce

Mix together cake mix and pumpkin puree in a large bowl until smooth. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake according to the cake mix directions. Remove from oven and let cake cool for 10 mins, then use the bottom of a wooden spoon, or other utensil, pokes holes in the cake. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake making sure to fill the holes. Refrigerate for 30 mins and then spread the cool whip over the top of the cake. Sprinkle on Heath bits and drizzle on caramel. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

End Results and Final Thoughts

This is a very simply recipe that produces a nice result. I followed all the directions (crazy, I know) and it came out wonderfully. The pumpkin puree (substituted for the typical ingredients the cake mix calls for) adds a good flavor (assuming you like pumpkin) and the Heath bits provide a nice crunchy accent to the soft cake. One warning, though - this will start to get mushy if it isn't eaten fairly quickly. We had some more about four days after making it and I wasn't a huge fan of the texture. The is a dessert best eaten quickly (can't say I see a problem there). Other than that, I don't really have any complaints. It turned out nicely and was enjoyed by everyone. I think we'll make this again, if nothing else just because it's so easy to make.

Changes for 2014

I don't know about you all, but we had a pretty good 2013. And now it's 2014, which should be pretty good too. And with the New Year comes a time for resolutions, making fresh starts, and scribbling out the 2013 when you write the date incorrectly. And while I'm not too into resolutions, this seems like a decent time to make a few changes and maybe set a few goals (which are totally different than resolutions...). And hopefully by sharing some of these with you it will motivate us to follow through.

House Goals

Just as scarcity drives the economy, our inability to do all of our projects at once will mean that some things will get done this year and some won't make the cut. But we have narrowed our list down to at least a few things we would like to tackle this year.

We barely touched the yard or exterior of the house in 2013. There was enough work to be done inside of the house that we didn't make it priority. So we would like to get started on some projects outside this spring/summer. I've updated the "Outside" section of Our List to roughly show the order in which improvements can or might happen.

There are a few larger projects that we want to get done inside the house this year: paint the upstairs hallways and stairwell, add overhead light fixtures in all the bedrooms and stairwell, remodel and organize the master bedroom closet, and remodel the bathroom downstairs. We already have paint picked out for the hallway, we're hoping to be able to work on the lights as early as next month, and the closet shouldn't be too bad to do either. The bathroom will be the real challenge. Bathroom remodels are usually very time consuming and expensive, so hopefully we can git 'r done.

We also would like to buy a few things. I'd like a manly recliner in the family room so that I can watch football while lounging in brown leather comfort and Leslie would like something to store our sheet music in. We currently have a big Rubbermaid tub full of music, but that isn't exactly the aesthetic that Leslie would like in the living room next to the piano. We'll probably hit up the antique store I lived by a few summers ago to try to find something a little more out of the ordinary.

I also have a few things that I'd like to make this year. We have a lot of bottles of wine, thanks mostly to a monthly wine club subscription that we got as a wedding present. Right now they're stored in the dry sink we use as a bar, but I'd like something a little more fun to keep them all in. I want to either find a cool looking piece of furniture and modify it or build something from scratch. I also want to build a shelving system to hold all of our movies. Our current DVD storage shelving (picked up at Meijer or Target when living in our apartment) is overflowing.

Family and Personal Goals

It's way too easy to spend an entire evening watching TV. We both like reading, but don't make nearly as much time for it as we would like (and by that I mean that I don't make time for it at all). I've made a goal for myself of reading at least 20 books this year. That's a little less than one every two weeks, so hopefully this will give me enough flexibility that I can meet my goal even if a few weeks are really hectic or if some of the books I read are pretty long.

Another thing we would like to start doing more is meal planning and trying new recipes. We used to do a good job planning out what we would eat for the week, going to the store to get what we needed, and then following our plan (or at least mostly). This has dropped off in the last six months and it would be nice to get back to it. We also want to try at least 20 new recipes (again, not quite one every two weeks). Time to put all these cookbooks we have to use!

These two goals should affect the blog a bit. Ideally, we would add a third post that would alternate between books and food each week. With that system we would maybe go to a "Life" post on Monday, alternate between "Books" and "Food" on Wednesday, and then a "House" post on Friday. Plus, for those of you who may not care too much about one of those categories, it would be easy to know which day to skip reading. I think we would have to see how that works out, since it's a lot of posts. But it's an option.

And that should about do it for this year's goals. Like I said, hopefully by putting what we want to accomplish on here it will help us get it all done. Thank you all again for your continued interest (it's amazing to see that people actually read this!) and we wish you all the best in this New Year.