#FreshTastyValentines: The Intro and Giveaway!!

So.

I'm back, with a new blog event!  Welcome to #FreshTastyValentines - a celebration of healthy foods for your loved ones.
When Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla put out the call for bloggers for this event, I knew I was in!  So have fun.  We're in for a whole lot of fun with some great bloggers!
I've been teasing on Instagram for the past few weeks as things have arrived from our amazing sponsors.
#FreshTastyValentines is almost here. A group of 22 talented food bloggers who will be posting recipes for an entire week that, we hope, will inspire you to make some healthy Valentines treats for your loved ones. Here we are...

The Bloggers
(with links to their homepages, in alphabetical order)

A Day in the Life on theFarm

A Kitchen Hoor'sAdventures

CafeTerraBlog

Caroline's Cooking

Cheese Curd In Paradise

Cindy's Recipes andWritings

Colie's Kitchen

Cookaholic Wife

Culinary Adventures withCamilla

Curious Cuisiniere

Dancing Veggies

Eliot's Eats

Famished Fish, FinickyShark

Jane's Adventures inDinner

Making Miracles

Poet in the Pantry

Rhubarb and Honey

Sew You Think You CanCook

The Pajama Chef

The Spiffy Cookie

Things I Make (forDinner)

Tortillas and Honey

From February 1st through February 8th, not only will you find nearly a hundred recipe posts, but you can enter to win our awesome giveaway, courtesy of some amazingly generous donations from sponsoring companies. See rafflecopter below.

The Sponsors

(with links to their homepages, in alphabetical order)

BenBella Vegan
Bob's Red Mill

Casabella
Envy Apples

Gourmet Garden
KitchenIQ
Mann Packing

Not Ketchup
Pacari Chocolate
Sun Basket
T.Lish
UncommonGoods
Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi

The Giveaway

For FOURTEEN Different Prizes
begins February 1st and ends February 8th
If you are visiting before the rafflecopter opens, please check back!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to #FreshTastyValentines sponsors for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #FreshTastyValentines recipe development without additional compensation. All opinions stated are those of the bloggers.

#BookClubCookbookCC: Gingerbread Pancakes

So.
After taking December off, the #BookClubCookbookCookingCrew returns in January with the Pajama Chef's invitation to make Mrs. Enger's Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Icing and read Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

I was excited about reading this.  I thought it sounded good from the synopsis in the cookbook.  I turned to my local library's catalougue...
...and discovered that I could only get it in audiobook form.  10 CDs.
I am not new to audiobooks.  My mom gives us one each year for Christmas, and we often read them in the fall as we go to and from football weekends.  All you need is time.  My old commute would have been perfect.  My 5 minute commute now is not so much.  I only made it through 3 CDs.
While the story was interesting, and I probably would have finished the book in paper form, I just couldn't find the time or the interest to sit and listen in the house to the book.  Not even Swede's poetry could get me into it.
I had, however, already decided what I was going to make as my recipe this month.  Pancakes!  Pancakes are mentioned a couple of times early in the story.  The first is as dinner when duck hunting, but it was the second time that cemented what I planned to make.
Reuben and his father go to a revival meeting at the local church.  Reuben sneaks out and shares an orange with his current infatuation before announcing that he can cook...and the 2 of them make pancakes in the church kitchen during the revival.  I giggled as they prayed in the sanctuary, aroma of frying batter heavy in the air, inspiring turns of phrase that were so, so awesome.
Reuben and Bethany didn't make pancakes like these, but they smelled so, so good on a cold Saturday morning in the house.  Say grace and dig in.
I present to you now from Judicial Peach, Gingerbread Pancakes:

Goals for the Year, and a Quick Roast Chicken

So.
It's been a month since I posted.  Yikes.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I'm either late or early, depending how you look at it.
I fell into the busy excuse over Christmas as to why I wasn't posting, and then it became a habit to not post.  I've also been reading a ton and not really internetting as much (the horror!)
But J and I spent a quiet holiday here on the mountain, eating at home for almost 2 weeks straight.  I don't think we've ever really done that in a good long time!  We had Prime Rib for Christmas and Hot Wings for New Year's Eve, and had chili while watching football until our eyes fell out New Year's Day.  Then I went back to work.
J and I aren't big into resolutions (although I often make a few here around the blog), but we have made a commitment to eating better this year.  He would like to lose some weight, and I know that I could stand to do the same.  Not that either of us are into counting calories or following a program.  There's too much good food out there!
But eating more mindfully isn't a bad idea.  To that end, we've made a few adjustments to our diet, and J's pants are looser already.  That doesn't really change what will happen around here:  it's still comfort food, and the things that are showing up on our table.  But we've made a decision to switch to water as the usual drink of choice around here, and I've made the promise that I will cook fish more often, cook meatless weekly, and incorporate more fresh produce into meals.
Here's what to expect around here in 2016:

1. The Magazine Challenge rolls on, and we're in 2008 now.  I've updated the Magazine Challenge page to reflect this, and have posted the recipes for January/February.  We've found some new favourites through the past few years.  I hope to find more.  I also wonder what I will do with 5 years of Everyday Food when I'm done this.  I'm going to regain the space that they currently take up.
2. I've told J that I want to cook a meatless meal every week.  Meat is expensive, and we eat too much of it to my way of thinking.  He's not so sure, but I've been pinning and reading.  There should be some good things coming.
3. I promised that I will try and cook fish once a week.  I'm still not a fan, but I'll try.  We've had some tilapia recently with a pistachio crust that was really good.  I'm making the Blackened Tilapia recipe from this blog this week.  I'm trying.
4. Blog events!  The next upcoming one is #FreshTastyValentines in February.  It fits in perfectly with what we want to do food-wise.  

So there's the plans, in a nutshell.  But I promised a chicken.
J has eaten salads for a long time for lunch, but we're making them larger, and have been looking for protein that he can add, along with more vegetables (I still take soup for lunch.  I heart soup, especially in this weather).  He suggested a rotisserie chicken, but I refused to spend what the grocery stores were charging.  But when whole chickens went on sale this week, I told him I'd roast a chicken and we could use the meat for his salads, and freeze some for a casserole later, and then use the carcass to make broth.
I found a video on Facebook from Martha Stewart of how to roast the perfect chicken.  I followed it, and it's super easy.  My oven is a greasy mess right now, but I'll clean it when it cools.  The house, however, smells amazing.
I present to you now Quick Roast Chicken:

Secret Recipe Club: Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Chicken Dinner

So.
Last week was Group A's reveal for the Secret Recipe Club.  I made Pumpkin Pecan Scones.  They were delicious.  Then Camilla, who I've worked with on other blogger events, was looking for someone to help out an orphan for Group B.  I thought it would be fun, seeing as my mom was coming for the weekend, and I was sure I could come up with a crock pot meal that I could serve after a day of Christmas shopping.
Camilla gave me the blog Cooking Mimi, and I was off!
Mischa has lots of everyday recipes that all look delicious.  She even has a crock pot category on her blog!  But there was nothing that tickled my fancy.  It hasn't been cold enough to be thinking chicken and dumplings (soon!), and I like my sloppy joe recipe.
But her last post...it looked intriguing.  And exactly like a Sunday roast lunch.  I've been seeing sheet pan dinners on Pinterest, and like Mischa, I finally decided I needed to try one.  So for lunch after church on Sunday, we had this.
I present to you now Cooking Mimi's Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Chicken Dinner:

#SRC: Pumpkin Pecan Cream Scones

So.
It's time for another episode of the Secret Recipe Club!  In fact, it's time for the last 2015 edition of the SRC.  I've so enjoyed spending the last 2 years delving into other blogs and making wonderful creations from other people's impressive recipe indexes.
This month's entry is no different.  I was assigned Mother Would Know, a wonderful blog written by Laura.  She dispenses the wisdom that you could get from phoning your mom while cooking (something I sometimes do) with none of the nagging (something I probably appreciate).  I stuck with what I know (carbs) when finding recipes to try.  While I was drawn to Chocolate Cranberry Streusel Muffins and Western Omlette Muffins, I opted for something that would use up things in my fridge:  namely heavy cream and pumpkin puree.
I present to you now Mother Would Know's Pumpkin Pecan Cream Scones:

#SRCHolidayTreats: Turtle Bark

So.
You would think that I would learn.
I am a procrastinator by nature, and that's why this post is a little...odd.  It's time for the Secret Recipe Club Bonus Reveal Day:  Holiday Treats.  With a fifth Monday in November, the entire Club has come together to celebrate the season by making treats for the holiday season from each other's blogs. Fun, right?
I was given the assignment of perusing Michaela's blog at An Affair from the Heart.  I spent a long time looking at cookies and squares, trying to decide what would be best.  I mean, there were so many good looking options!  I considered Peanut Butter Kiss cookies, and Chocolate Mint Candy Cookies, before deciding to challenge myself and make candy.
Every year for Christmas, I make a goody bag for my support staff of things like pickles, fudge, and nuts and bolts.  I figure that even if you don't like those items, someone will show up over the season who will enjoy the treat...or you can regift as a quick hostess gift.  When I saw Michaela's recipe for Turtle Bark, I thought that sounded like a delightful addition to the bag!
I present to you now An Affair from the Heart's Turtle Bark:

#BookClubCookbookCC: Mini Leek and Bacon Pies

So.
I missed last month for the Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew.  Things were crazy and I couldn't find the book.  I was thrilled this month when Erin of the Spiffy Cookie invited us to have a piece of treacle tart and read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone:

I know it's Sorcerer's Stone in the US, but this is Canada, and this is the British edition.
I devoured read all the books when they first came out, but that was a long time ago.  So I sat down and read this one again.  Now, I want to read the series again, and I really don't have time for that!
What I enjoyed most in the rereadin were the little references that I skimmed the first time, not fully comprehending.  It's kind of like rewatching Star Wars, knowing what is to come.
I was originally planning to do something with Butterbeer, but it doesn't make an appearance in book one.  I then considered doing something with Dumbledore's favourite muggle sweet, sherbet lemon.  But those are lemon drops, and that didn't strike my fancy as much as the potential ice cream.
I then happened upon this recipe on Instagram, and while it's not a direct tie-in to the book, it's definitely got a British bend.  It's also surprising when you start looking how many references there are to bacon...and this has it in spades.  While not a pasty, it is a bit of an homage.  Canadian Living recommends these cold with HP sauce, but J and I would tell you they're amazing hot as a side with soup.
I present to you now from Canadian Living Mini Leek and Bacon Pies:

Party Time: Raspberry Trifle

So.
The beauty of big family dinners is that they're often potluck.  Or perhaps that's just my extended family.  When you're the host, you provide the hot main, and the visitors provide the rest.  Last Christmas, my mom and I were asked to bring dessert for family Christmas.  My mother often makes a mincemeat pie with a sour cream top layer that people who like mincemeat love, and my aunt makes traditional Christmas pudding every year, so I was left to make something else.  You know, something light and decadent for the end of a large meal.
Enter the December 2006 edition of Everyday Food.  I saw this beautiful trifle and knew that I wanted to make it, but you need an occasion for a dessert that feeds 12 plus.  With frozen raspberries in my freezer, and my sad, sad sour cream pound cake, it was an easy decision to take this for Christmas.  By posting this just before American Thanksgiving, I hope you are inspired for your own feasting over the next few weeks.  This one's delicious.
I present to you now from the December 2006 Everyday Food, Raspberry Trifle:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Apple Crisp

So.
I was reading an article today about being a "mean mom".  Don't ask me why I was reading it, seeing as the closest thing to children that I have is 2 cats who do what they like and a husband who doesn't always listen to me either.  But there I was, reading about how to raise kids by being mean.
One of the things that the article said was to not give in and serve dessert every night so it would be a "treat".

*insert cricket sound here*

I grew up in a house where dessert ended lunch and dinner.  It could be a cookie or fruit, but there was always something.  J and I don't eat dessert every night, but we do often have something in the evening after dinner - perhaps a glass of chocolate milk, or one of the many things I bake up.  It's not an every day thing, but there's often something.
The October 2007 issue of Everyday Food included a dessert article called Sweet, Warm and Cozy:  sumptuous, soul-soothing treats that go straight from oven to table.  Of the 4, I wanted to make 3 of them. I bought a new, appropriate shallow dish and have already made 2.  The next one is coming soon.
Might I suggest a return to ending your meal with something sweet?  I'd also suggest returning to slow meals together with laughter, conversation and a distinct lack of mobile phones, but I don't want to be all crazy-like.
Let's start with desert.
I present to you now from the October 2007 issue of Everyday Food, Apple Crisp:

Son of Magazine Challenge: Cheesy Hash Brown Bake

So.
I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned in the past that the only thing my husband makes when I'm here is chili.  He likes to start with the Wick Fowler 2 Alarm Chili Kit and "makes it [his] own" by having me chop an onion to toss in along with a drained can of kidney beans.  It's really good, and thankfully makes enough for a couple of meals plus lunch for me for a couple of days.
The last time, however, I asked J if we could make this with the leftovers of the chili, and we actually ate this the next 2 days for lunch.  It's that good.  Trust me.
So if you're looking for something to do with the leftover chili from your last tailgate, and want a new twist on something delicious, might I suggest this?  It won't be the last time we try it around here.
From the March 2007 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Cheesy Hasbrown Bake: