Garden Vegetable Soup

Happy Friday, y'all!

For me, soup is one of those comfort foods. It takes me back home to my grandmother's house because we used to make soup almost every Saturday. She always let me help her make it, except I wasn't allowed to use a knife. She did the knife parts which was fine with me. I was afraid I would cut myself. Now when I make soups like this I go right back to a stool in her kitchen without a care in the world. Do you have a food that takes you somewhere else? A food that every time you eat it lets you relive a particular time in your life? I'd love to hear about them!

Last weekend, my husband's friends came into town for his fraternity's Founders' Day which means I was by myself pretty much all day Saturday. Not cooking for my man means all VEGGIES for me, and I can finally eat SOUP! My husband doesn't like soup too much during the colder months and much less during the summer. Not me though. I could eat soup every meal of every day.
So, I took this opportunity to make a big 'ol steaming pot of vegetable soup using in season veggies. I had already put up most of these veggies in the freezer, so I just dumped the little zippy bags into the pot.

Garden Vegetable Soup 

(Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. I guarantee you probably have most of these in your pantry)

1 top-zip sandwich bag full of sliced okra
1 top-zip sandwich bag full of zucchini, quartered
1 top-zip sandwich bag full of yellow squash, quatered
1 top-zip sandwich bag full of diced tomatoes with juice (may substitute a 15 oz can of diced   tomatoes in juice)*****
1 stalk of celery (I will probably increase this next time)
1 can corn
4 shakes Louisiana hot sauce
4 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1/3 cup red wine (I used a red wine makers' blend)
2 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP cider vinegar
1 1/2 TBSP chopped dried onions
1 TBSP dry parsley
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
3 large carrots
5 potatoes, diced
pinch red pepper flakes
palmful of garlic salt
palmful of black pepper

Since my veggies were frozen, I just threw them all in the pot to let them start thawing. I turned the eye on Med-Low for just a bit with the lid on to quicken the thawing process. To make this meal a bit quicker, it wouldn't hurt to throw everything in the top until the potatoes and carrots are finished.

 Next I added the root vegetables. (not the corn)

Next I added the wine, tomato soup, and a can of water. (The cucumber and lemon snuck into the picture. I'm sure you know what divas they can be.) To be honest, the wine was an after thought. It has been sitting on my counter for quite a while, and I didn't want to throw it out. Thankfully this came along, so I didn't have to be wasteful!

Add your spices and the rest of the ingredients (hot sauce, etc.), and you're ready to go!

Let your soup simmer for a while just long enough to let the flavors deepen. Something special happens with the cinnamon in there. You know it is done when the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

YUM!

 Add the corn right before you take it off the heat and you're done!

I really surprised myself with the broth. I like a tomato-y broth, and that's what I got. It was sweet and spicy at the same time and had a nice warmth to it that just warmed me up like it was Christmas morning. 

Next time I make this I may try  simmering the potatoes and carrots in the broth until they are almost done then adding the rest of my veggies. The first time I made it I enjoyed it a lot but I thought the vegetables had lost some of their crunch. This could be from either being frozen or cooking them for so long. I'll definitely shorten the veggie cooking time next time. Other than that, I don't think I'd change a thing.

I didn't keep up with how much this whole pot of soup costs. All of the frozen vegetables came straight from my grandparents' gardens, and the other ingredients may total up to about $5.00. Even if you had to buy all of the vegetables, I don't think your cost would be any higher than $10.00. This recipe was about 6-8 servings which comes out to a little over $1.60 per serving (using a total cost of $10).

****For the tomatoes, if you want a super easy way to put up your own tomatoes, see Christy Jordan's post on Southern Plate. 

Have exciting plans for the weekend? I am getting to make a pretty cake for my husband's fraternity this weekend. Rush starts next week. I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes. 

Have a wonderful weekend, and remember that pretty is as pretty does!

-McKenzie


 

Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Nuggets!

My husband is a Bojangles addict. Well, he loves all sorts of fried chicken places. Then again, I guess its our Southern birthright to love chicken, especially fried chicken.

Did you know that poultry is one of the top commodities in Alabama (and Mississippi) and that Alabama ranks 3rd nationally in broiler (a broiler is a chicken that is produced for good eatin') production just behind Georgia and Arkansas. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 8.61 billion head of broilers were produced in the United States (most coming from the Southeast). It is no wonder that we eat so much chicken around here. If you get a chance, check out this article by my friend Caroline Black. 

At our house we eat chicken because it is cheap. We usually buy chicken for $1.99/lb. which makes that the cheapest meat in the grocery store. I've found all kinds of recipes for chicken and most of them work out pretty well.  One of our favorites has been baked chicken nuggets. It is a bi-weekly favorite for us, especially for me since there are virtually NO dishes to wash. Not having a dish washer is my least favorite things about our sweet little house. 

Happy Foodie Friday, y'all! 


Baked Chicken Nuggets
(For Two)

2 chicken breasts
Seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian bread crumbs)
Panko bread crumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

 Before I get my hands covered in chicken, I like to go ahead and have everything ready. So, put equal amounts of panko bread crumbs and Italian bread crumbs together in a bowl. Add about a palm full of the cheese and stir it on up. 

 Next you need to cut your chicken into bite size pieces. 

 Season with salt and pepper. Then dunk it in a bowl of olive oil. Here's where the breading starts. I like to use one hand to put the chicken in the bowl of wet ingredients and then using the same hand drop it into the bowl of dry ingredients. I use my clean hand to make sure the chicken gets coated and that same hand to move the chicken from the bowl to the pan. It makes your hands pretty much gunk free. 

I like to use silicone baking sheets to keep clean up to a minimum. If you use only a pan, spray the pan...just in case. 

 
 Throw these bad boys into a preheated hot oven. I classify hot around 400 to 450. I did these at 425. 

Cook for about 8 minutes and turn 'em over. You'll want to cook them for another 5 or so minutes until the juices run clear. 

**Chicken is always done when the juices run clear. Even if you don't exactly know what that looks like (I didn't when I first heard it), just keep an eye on the chicken. You'll be able to tell. Or you could just wait until both sides are nice and brown like this...

 And there you have it. A delightful, semi-healthy chicken dish that tastes so much like fried chicken you can't tell the difference. 

I serve these with homemade baked fries. Before you start the chicken while your oven is heating, cut up some potatoes in thin slices, toss in olive oil, and sprinkle seasoned salt over them. Put on a greased baking sheet. Cook about 15 minutes, then turn them over. Keep cooking and turning every 5-10 minutes until they are to the crispiness level you like. 

And from a frugal standpoint, let's check how much this costs compared to Chick-fil-a nugget meals. (The nuggets taste a lot like Chick-fil-a nuggets. Yumm!)

**I did not weigh how much of each ingredient I used. This is my best mathematical estimate.

1 chicken breast per person = way over 15 nuggets = ~$1.00
Panko Bread Crumbs = ~$0.15
Italian Bread Crumbs = ~$0.05
Parmesan Cheese = ~$0.17
Olive Oil = ~$0.70
1 Potato = ~$0.10
Season Salt= ~$0.05

Total = ~$2.67

vs. 

Chick-fil-a 12 pack of nuggets = $4.15 (not including fries and drink)



I've discovered that becoming a food photographer is much harder than it looks. Please excuse these ol' ugly pictures. I'll work on getting some prettier ones. Until then remember that pretty is as pretty does! Have a wonderful weekend!

-McKenzie



This recipe is slightly adapted from Skinny Taste: Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

Farm It Maybe?

The ever annoying song "Call Me Maybe" has spawned tons of videos from pop stars to the USA swim team. I finally found one that struck my fancy.

Check it out.

DIY **Budget Friendly** Headboard

Since we got married, my husband and I have lived in a cute little farm house. It's a perfect first house (if you know what I mean). As with all houses it has several positives and several negatives. What it does have is tons of space, great hardwood throughout (original to the house), and a nice dining room/living room open floor plan. It also has a much bigger kitchen than what I had in my old apartment (Praise the Lord!). So I'll bet you are wondering what on earth could be bad about this house. Two words: wood paneling. There are only 2 1/2 non-painted wood paneled rooms, but those rooms are the bedrooms and half of the kitchen. This wood paneling isn't the good kind either. It is not a pretty white bead board or even a rustic looking wood wall. These look like the 1970's threw up on them. I'm talking That 70's Show wood walls. You can only imagine what a decorating nightmare that these walls have been, especially since our furniture is...well... wooden. 

It was a big problem in our bedroom especially since my grandparents gave us their beautiful bedroom furniture when they got new stuff. One thing we were missing was a headboard. Instead of buying a wooden one to match, I decided that maybe an upholstered headboard may draw some attention away from the woodenness of the room. I saw a ton of headboards I loved, but they were all too expensive.  My favorite was this one from Pottery Barn. 

Unfortunately, this Pottery Barn headboard totals to $774 + tax.

So, I did the only thing my budget would allow me to do. I (with my husband's help) made one. Here's how we made a super cheap headboard that looks almost professional. 

First, measure! My sweet man did this part for me. He is a bit of a perfectionist. Our headboard ended up being about 3 feet taller than where the mattress hits the wall (also it needed to go down about half the size of the mattress, just in case and about 1/2 inch longer on each side than the bed. 

We then went to Lowes to get a piece of plywood, staple gun, and staples. They will cut the board to length for you (for free). Then, we went to the only fabric store/craft store within a one hour radius, Wal-Mart. We looked at thick foam in the craft section but it would have cost around $75...TOO EXPENSIVE. We opted for foam bed toppers. Those cost us about $20 for two. They should have them out right now and maybe discounted for all of those college-bound students. We also got adhesive spray, thread, high loft batting, and buttons. This cost us about $40 total (including the foam toppers). Earlier that day, I took a visit to the thrift store Dirt Cheap where I found a really pretty sheet for $2. That's it!

At this point, the total for the headboard comes to about $75.00. Pretty good, huh? 

There are a ton of different instructional videos and posts about how to make your own headboard but none of them seemed as easy and efficient as possible. 

Step 1: Glue foam to pre-cut board using spray glue. 

Please excuse our messy guest room. It is where our boxes of things come to die.

Step 2: Cut foam to fit board. (I found that a rotary cutter works nicely.)

Good Enough. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Step 3: Cover the whole thing with batting, and staple. (Sorry, no picture.)

Step 4: Cover the batting covered headboard with the fabric of your choice (in my case, my

Dirt Cheap sheet), and staple the fabric on the top and both sides. LEAVE THE BOTTOM UNSTAPLED. Sorry, no picture again. It was pretty difficult to run the staple gun and the camera.               **Make sure you fold the corners the way you like them.**

Step 5: If you want to create tufts, staple those. It took both of us to do it, but it was well worth it. I held the fabric tight, and my husband stapled the fabric, foam, and all to the wood. Work row by row. Start with that will be your center tuft and work to the outside tufts. This will make sure you don't have too much fabric between the tufts and look funny. 

Step Six: Staple bottom of fabric to the back of the board. Pull as tight as you can!

Step Seven: To make the headboard look finished, you'll need to somehow put the buttons on. Since I didn't have a long enough needle, I glued the buttons on. I used tacky glue and put all over the backs of the buttons. Pushed them as into the staple as I could, and held the buttons in place with 4 tacks surrounding the buttons until they dried. 

I let the glue dry overnight, and the next morning we had a headboard! 

We secured it to wall by mounting the top with three picture hanging hooks, and used three screws where the headboard is below the mattress. It hasn't fallen on us yet. I'd say the two headboards are comparable, but you can't beat my total price of about $75 (especially when compared to over $700 for a similar headboard!).

That's all for today, y'all! 

Remember: pretty is as pretty does!

-McKenzie

An Extra Chromosome

**Please check out this blog post. This blog post is written by a girl near my hometown. I've known her mama for as long as I can remember. It is one of the most touching posts I have read in a long time. An Extra Chromosome

First Foodie Friday!

This cake is wonderful in its completely processed, chocolatey goodness. So here it is.... my first Foodie Friday. It's exciting. 

I am having company over this weekend. We have new neighbors who, thankfully, are married. It's hard to find those in a college town. We're having our first get together. What's on our menu? Well my sweet husband has been dying to smoke something lately, so we are smoking a brisket. Sides and snacks will be included of course. I'm heading to the Farmers' Market first thing in the morning to see what all we will have as sides. I'll bring you those recipes next Friday, but today is a special post.

A favorite at my house, Sinful Chocolate Cake. It is a delightfully moist, rich, and decadent cake that is sure to wow everyone! Even better than that, it's super simple! 

I cooked this cake before I had the thought for Foodie Friday, so this post will have a very limited amount of pictures. I promise that won't happen again. 

These pieces are all that's left! Oops!

 

Sinful Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (I use whatever is the cheapest)****

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil (I'll bet butter would make this cake even better...if possible)

1 cup water

Mix all of this up, and pour the batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes. 

Right before the cake is done combine: 

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 stick of butter

in a saucepan to boil. As soon as it starts boiling, take it off of the heat. At this time your cake should be fresh out of the oven. Poke holes all over the cake while it is still in the pan. (I use a butter knife.) Here's the fun part. Pour the sugar/butter all over the cake. Let that soak in, and after about 20 minutes, turn the cake out onto a cake plate. 

I personally think it is best to eat while it is still warm, but cold is good too. It is cold and about 3 days old in the picture above. See how moist? It really is a delightful cake. I've been wondering how great it would be if you treated a couple of slices like french toast, add strawberries and whipped cream. Yum.... a really good "special occasion" breakfast if you ask me.

****While this time I bought cake mix, there are some pretty good sites that will teach you how to make your own cake mix for a few cents. I found a ton on Pinterest. 

Feel free to experiment, and let me know how it goes! 

Happy eating, and remember, pretty is as pretty does. 

-McKenzie