KT Made It: Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

For the past two weeks I have been having chocolate sweet potato pancakes for breakfast, and I was hoping to share the recipe with you foodies out there today but I ran out of sweet potatoes! Shucks. What's a hungry girl to do? As usual, you've got to make use of what you have in your fridge. Lucky for me, I had some gala apples needing to be eaten! So, I decided to whip up some apple cinnamon pancakes. Yes, this is an original recipe ;)

What you need:
1 large gala apple
2 Tbl ground flax meal
1 egg
6 Tbl egg whites
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

First, I peeled my apple with a potato peeler, and then cut the apple into smaller pieces. Like my mini blender, my food processor is also teeny-tiny...gotta adapt!

After pulsing the food processor enough to finely chop the apples, I added my cinnamon and nutmeg. I continued to process the apples until it was almost at the consistency of an apple sauce.

Next, I added the flax meal, egg and egg whites. I also ended up added about 2 tsp of tapioca flour to thicken the batter. If I had any coconut flour on hand, I would have added that instead I think.

Turn your skillet on medium-high heat. I use coconut oil to cook my pancakes because it makes them a little crispy, which I love. I used a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop the pancake batter into the frying pan.

Ta-da! The batter makes four pancakes. I whipped up some egg whites on the side, and Eric and I enjoyed our delicious apple cinnamon pancakes for breakfast.

Happy cooking! 

P.S. I think I figured out how to open up the comments section of my blog to everyone, not just Google+ users, so feel free to write a message, suggestion, requests for cooking or crafts, etc. 

KT Made It: Avocado Dressing

So my sister and I had a discussion about the fact that salads can be deadly when you're watching your food choices because dressings can be super unhealthy (especially the good ones, ie RANCH). One solution is to make your own dressing - that way you're truly in control of the ingredients.

All calories are not created equal, and all fats are not created equal. As we know, fats are considered a concentrated source of calories. Why? Because each gram of fat provides a higher number of calories compared to either carbohydrates or protein. Furthermore, there are different types of fats and some are better than others. Specifically, saturated fats that come from animal products including milk and creams used in many of my favorite dressings are much less healthy than unsaturated fats, which come from plants. Examples of foods containing healthy, unsaturated fats include olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, flax meal, as well as nuts and seeds. And then of course there is the issue of Omega 3 vs. Omega 6 fats...but this isn't a nutrition lesson (although I'm happy to go off on a soap box if requested), I'm just trying to show you how to make some dressing!

I had this idea that I could use an avocado and some olive oil as the base for the dressing, and add some spices and herbs...and here is what I came up with!

What you need:

1 ripe avocado

3 Tbl Olive oil

2 Tbl Lime juice
1/4 cup almond milk

Dill, Chipotle seasoning, garlic salt to taste

First, you need a ripe avocado, which seemed to be a nonexistant commodity when I went to the grocery store a few days ago. No problem! To ripen your avocados, stick them in a paper bag for a few days. Works like a charm every time! They should be a little soft when you press on them, and the stem should pop out of the fruit very easily. Doesn't it look yummy when you slice it open??















In a blender, add the olive oil, lime juice and your avocado. I cut the avocado into small squares while it is still in the peel, and then spoon the fruit out. It's easier to blend in my mini mixer that way, but if you have a high powered big girl mixer, you'll be set! I added the almond milk as an after thought because my blender did not want to mix the other three ingredients very well. Luckily that turned out to be a good choice.

After you've mixed the avocado and your other "wet" ingredients, you can begin adding your seasonings. I added 1tsp each of dill and chipotle seasoning, and 1/2 tsp of garlic salt. Once blended, I ended up adding a little more of each until it had the taste that I wanted. I also added 1/2tsp of Stevia to sweeten it just enough.















The recipe made 8oz of dressing, which I am planning to put on some salad with the chipotle chicken that I made in the crock pot. Mmm!

KT Cooked It: Chicken Curry Stir Fry

HELLO OUT THERE! So glad to be back for another post. I'd like to thank those of you who have been checking my blog looking for more did-its (not to mention a apology for not having anything new for you for a while).

Right now I am on my surgery rotation, which is going really well, but also happens to be very time consuming. The days can be long depending on the cases that are going on. And there isn't always enough time in the day once I have gotten home to cook or workout, let alone craft!

However, today was an exception! Since I had time to cook, I took advantage of it, and tried my hand at making some curry chicken. Why curry, you ask? Honestly, I don't have any other explanation other than that I've always wanted to make it and I saw a little jar of red curry paste (yeah, I cheated) whilst at the grocery store today. I'm sure that there are way better homemade recipes out there, but if you want something super-duper easy, here is what I came up with!

What you need:
Vegetables to stir-fry - broccoli, onions, carrots, red and green peppers, zucchini
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 jar of Thai Kitchen red curry paste
1 can organic lite coconut milk
Agave nectar for sweetening
Tapioca flour for thickening

First, to make the sauce, I poured the can of coconut milk into a measuring cup so that I could stir it together since the contents seem to separate. I wasn't sure how much I was going to use, but I ended up using the whole can. Next, I poured the milk into a small pot, and brought the coconut milk to a simmer on med-high heat on the stove.

Once the milk was simmering, I added 2 Tbl of the red curry paste to the milk, stirring it in gently and allow the sauce to sit on medium heat. 

I tasted the sauce and it seemed a little bitter, so I actually added about 1 to 2 tsp of agave nectar to make it a little more sweet. I also added 1tsp of tapioca flour to thicken the sauce.

While the sauce was simmering, I started stir frying my veggies in a little olive oil. 

I used a separate frying pan to saute the chicken, which I then added to the veggies. Finally, I added the sauce and let the whole dish simmer on low for about 10 minutes. 

It was pretty much delicious, and I'd argue pretty healthy too! I actually added some cumin on top of my serving, which gave it a little kick. Also, I put Eric's helping over brown rice, so if you're into the rice thing I've heard on good authority that the chicken curry stir fry goes great on top :)

Thanks again for stopping by!

I'm looking forward to writing future posts on my half marathon training that I've just started with my sister as we get ready for our first race this April, so come back for crafts, food and fitness over the next few weeks!

Cheers!

KT Did It: New Year!

Greetings and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2013 was definitely an eventful year! Here's a couple of memorable moments/milestones of the past year:

1. I finished another whole year of PA school with seven months left to go!
2. I ran two 5k races!
3. I started this awesome blog!
4. I spent one whole year of marriage with my husband and best friend, Eric. Yay!

Seeing as this year was full of good times (and of course the downs as well), I was definitely looking forward to celebrating New Years Eve with my family in order to bring in the new year with some of our favorite traditions...and a few new things too!

To start off, I decided that I wanted to make a banner to hang in the kitchen by my mom's New Years Eve buffet - and when I say buffet, I mean a true smorgasbord of her best num-nums that have become famous among family and friends (e.g. Captain Crunch Chicken, tuna dip with Fritos scoops, beans and weenies, BBQ beef dip, etc). My little sister and I agreed that a classy black, champagne and gold theme would be nice so I used those colors and found lace scrapbook paper to make our banner. And here it is!

Once we put up our banner, we set the table with all the munchies and made a wine cooler. First, we put one bag of frozen mixed berries in the pitcher, followed by 1/2 of a 2 liter of Fresca and finally one bottle of white wine. 

Once the wine cooler was made, we set out on a true family tradition: confetti filled balloons. Every new years eve for as long as I can remember, we have all sat down together filling clear balloons with confetti which we then inflate, hang on a string and wait for the ball to drop at midnight when we scream "Happy New Year" and pop all the balloons! Yeah, it's a blast. 

Yes, we played our board games, drank wine coolers and brought in the New Year with a bang! Here's my mom and I, and her super cute pup, Lizzy, all ready to celebrate not only the new year, but also my mom's birthday which was on January 1! 

And now that the New Year has started, I'm happy to reflect on the past year and look forward to all of the did-its that I am planning to do this year! From crafting and fitness to GRADUATION and (finally) working as a healthcare provider, 2014 is going to be a big year for me. 

Thank you all for visiting my blog in 2013, and I hope that you will be back for a whole new year of did-its in 2014!

Cheers!

KT Cooked It: Captain Crunch Chicken

Hello out there!

Welcome back to my blog. Before we begin with today's did-it, I have to address my absence from Katy Did It. Specifically, to all of you who have been visiting my blog looking for more Kraftmas since December 17th, I apologize. Honestly, a craft-a-day turned out to be WAY too much for me - I pooped out! I'm certainly no Martha Stewart. I did however make a few cute presents for my family, which include:
(1) A ribbon picture board for my mom



















(2) Wine glasses for my sister and future sister-in-law















(3) Crochet boot cuffs for my little sister, which I am kind of in love with and think I'm going to make a matching pair for myself!

















































(4) And these awesome painted Redskin beer glasses (because drinking beer is about all Redskins fans can do to comfort themselves over the bust this season...*sigh)















But here I am now, back with a few more did-its before the new year!

Today I am going to share with you a favorite appetizer recipe among our family and friends - my mom's Captain Crunch Chicken. I'm calling it "my mom's" simply because (a) she is the only one who I know who makes it, and (b) she found this recipe when I was about 8 years old. My mom makes this recipe twice a year, once on New Years Eve and the second time at her annual Super Bowl feast. I've never made it myself, but was requested to bring it to the holiday party of a childhood friend of mine who always loved this stuff!

What you need:
1 lb of chicken breast strips
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup of Captain Crunch cereal that has been crushed or processed in a food processor
1 cup of Cornflakes that has been crushed or processed...
Olive oil for cooking

Okey-dokey! First, whisk the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl.

Next, set up three mixing bowls to get ready to coat your chicken: (1) one with the flour, (2) one with the whisked egg and milk, and (3) the last with the combined cereals.

Now get to coating your chicken! Dip each piece in the flour first, then the eggs and milk, and finally coat with the cereals.

Place the chicken strips in a skillet with olive oil on high temperature, and brown the chicken. This isn't a healthy recipe...so don't be shy with the cooking oil...

Finally, cook the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees until cooked all the way through (more accurately to an internal temperature of 160 degrees).

Once the chicken was out of the oven, my mom always laid it on a paper towel with some paper towel overtop as well to soak up some of the grease.

When you're ready, serve your chicken with some honey mustard!

Kraftmas Day 17 - Heavenly Hash Candy

I'm excited to share this recipe because this is absolutely my favorite Christmas goodie! I am not sure why this rocky-road chocolate and marshmallow candy is known as "Heavenly Hash"... it certainly tastes divine but it is also sinfully delicious. Since Eric first tried the candy last year, it has become more fondly known amongst the family as "Angel Poop" :)

There are various versions of the recipe, but here is the version that we like

What you need:

1 (12oz) pkg semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cup mixed Planters nuts

Place the chocolate morsels and the peanut butter into a sauce pan on low heat, stirring constantly until the ingredients are melted. 

Next, fold in the marshmallows and nuts. 

Pour the mixture into a 9x13" dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. 

Break the candy into pieces, and enjoy!

Kraftmas Day 16 - DIY Christmas Cards (Part III)

Welcome back for the conclusion of DIY Christmas cards! Today I am going to show you how to make your own envelopes for all of those holiday greeting cards that you made.

What you need:
Construction paper (size 10x12")
Paint, ink and stamps for decorating

First, lay the paper lengthwise on your work surface. Place the card in the center lengthwise, but on the bottom 1/3 of the width of the paper.

Next, fold the bottom of the paper over the bottom of the card. The folded part should be about 1" in width. 

Then, fold the sides of the paper over the card, and then the top so that you've made the dimensions of your card. 

The next part is a little tricky. Unfold the top part. With a pencil or pen, draw diagonal lines from the top corners of the card to make a center point as you see below. Make sure that the point at which your two lines meet is not any lower than the top piece that you initially folded over the card, since this is the top of the envelope. 

Cut away the excess paper along the line that you drew on either side. Also cut along the vertical folded line connecting the excess paper to the top of the envelope (see below)

Using double-sided tape, tack the bottom fold of the envelope to the side segments. Now, for the top of the envelope, you can either keep the shape as a rectangle as you see here...

OR you can cut the sides of the rectangle so that the top is a triangle as you see here

Now these seem a little boring! So let's decorate the inside of the top of the envelope. A couple of ways to do this are:

1. Use a gel pen to write some holiday phrases. Here I wrote "Merry Christmas!"

2. Stamp the inside

3. Paint stripes

Finally, you can make the front of the envelope pretty. I used a gold gel pen to make a border around the envelope, and then stamped a pine cone in the bottom left corner. 

And here you have it! All of your cute DIY cards ready for sending