Food For Friday: Bruschetta Chicken

I'm back!  With Food for Friday...on Monday.  When I plugged in my hard drive last Monday to back up all my photos, I had no idea that it would take an entire week to back-up! 

This week's recipe is easy, doesn't require a lot of prep time, and is fresh & delicious!  My favorite combination.  I have a confession to make.  I never ate tomatoes before our vacation in Italy this summer.  I would eat tomato sauces, or tiny diced tomatoes if they were cooked in something, but I've never been a fan of raw tomatoes or large pieces of tomato.  Maybe it was all the fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes bursting with flavor that we were served in Italy, but I've acquired a taste for tomatoes.  You still won't find me eating a salted tomato slice or taking a bite out of one like an apple, but I've expanded my appreciation for tomatoes.  I decided to use some of our favorite flavors from Italy to create this dish.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (I use organic)
1 ripe medium-sized tomato
bunch of fresh basil
ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
garlic powder
kosher or sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a glass cooking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.  Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and lay in the dish.  Bake for 45 min to 1 hour, until the middles are no longer pink and the juice runs clear. 

While the chicken is baking, wash and dice the tomato.  Wash and dry the basil leaves, then cut them into thin ribbons.  The easiest way to do this is to stack several basil leaves together, roll them up, then slice down the roll, each cut about half a centimeter apart.  Slice the mozzarella into 8 slices.  You may not need your entire ball of mozzarella. 

When the chicken is baked through, remove it from the oven and top with the diced tomato, the basil, and 2 slices of fresh mozzarella on top.  Return to the oven until the mozzarella is melted. 

I served our Bruschetta Chicken with Garlic and Herb Quinoa Pilaf topped with a little grated fresh parmesan cheese.  You can find the quinoa recipe here at Aggie's Kitchen.

Sew Easy Ruffled Camera Strap Tutorial

I've been eyeing all the super cute camera straps that I've been seeing, so I decided to sew one.  I searched online for some tutorials for inspiration, then adapted them to work for my camera strap and the style I had in mind.  I photographed the process to share a tutorial with you.  I am so happy with how my new strap turned out!  I love the extra padding that the interfacing provides.  It's extra comfortable on my neck now, and has so much more personality than the plain black standard strap.

Remove the strap from your camera and measure the length & width of your strap.  Measure the length from the spot where you want your strap cover to end on each side.  I wanted my strap to end in the middle of the leather piece on my strap, so I measured the length from the middle of the leather piece on one side to the middle of the leather piece on the other side.

Supplies:
*Strip of fabric the length of your camera strap +1 inch x double the width of your camera strap +1.5 inches (ex. my strap was 21.5 inches long & 1 inch wide, so my strip of fabric was 22.5 in x 3.5 in)*Piece of interfacing (fusible preferable, but optional) the length of your strap x double the width of your camera strap +1/2 in (ex. my interfacing was 21.5 in x 2.5 in)
*Strip of fabric for the ruffle that is as wide as your interfacing strip x double the length of your strap (ex. my ruffle strip was 2.5 in x 43 in)
*Thread to match or coordinate with your fabric

1.  Cut your fabric strips to the lengths specified above.  You should have one strip for the actual strap, your interfacing, and one strip for the decorative ruffle.  I used a rotary cutter on a self-healing mat and a yardstick to make my long straight cuts on my fabric. 

2.  Center your interfacing on your strap fabric strip.  If you have fusible interfacing, place the fusible side against the wrong side of your fabric and iron to fuse.

3.  Fold the 1/2 in flap of fabric over the edge of the interfacing (see above) and press.

4.  Stitch a hem along the folded edge about 1/4 inch in.

5.  Fold the interfacing in half lengthwise and press to create a crease down the middle.  Fold the extra fabric over the edge of the interfacing lengthwise and press.  (see below)  Put the strap strip to the side.

6.  Take your ruffle strip of fabric and fold both long edges of your ruffle strip in approximately 1/4” and press.  I use a piece of cardstock, folding the fabric over the edge, to help me press a straight crease.

After you've pressed both edges, it should look like this.

 7.  Hem both long edges that you just pressed. (see below)

8.  Change your stitch length to 5 (a basting stitch) and stitch down the center of the ruffle strip.  Do not backstitch at the beginning or end!  Leave a couple of inches of thread when you cut off at the end.

9.  Lay the ruffle strip with the hemmed edges on the bottom on a flat surface.  Grab hold of the bottom thread coming out the end of your basting stitch and pull.  Holding that bottom thread taught, bunch and slide the fabric back to create the ruffle.  As the ruffle bunches, gently move the fabric back, spreading out the bunches to create the ruffle.  (see below)  Work from both edges toward the center until the entire strip is bunched/ruffled and is the same length as your strap fabric plus an extra 1/4 in on each end.

10.  Fold over the unfinished edge of the ruffle on each end 1/4 in, pin, and hem.  Be sure you change your stitch length back to normal!

11.  You are going to pin your ruffle onto one side of your strap, not down the center!  Using the crease you pressed down the middle as a guide, center the ruffle down one half of the strap, lining up the end of the strap and the end of the ruffle on each end, and pin it on.  (see below)

12.  Sew one line of stitches down the center of the ruffle, attaching the ruffle to the strap.

13.  Following the crease you pressed down the center of the strap, fold the strap in half.  Tucking in the raw edges you pressed over the interfacing, pin along the edge.  (see below)

14.  Edge stitch down the long edge where you pinned, making sure the ruffle stays folded back from the stitching, so it doesn't get caught into the stitches.

You're finished!

Slide the fabric strap cover over your camera strap.  Depending on how skinny & firm your strap is (mine is thinner than a DSLR strap), it can be a little bit tricky to feed the strap through the opening.  I tied a piece of twine onto the end of my black camera strap, and knotted the other end of the twine tight around a wooden skewer, then fed the skewer through the strap cover, using the twine to pull the black strap through the fabric strap cover. 

The tutorials I found for inspiration:
Cluck Cluck Sew
Moda Bake Shop by Megan of Brassy Apple
Crap I've Made

Food For Friday: Homemade Granola

In my continual quest for us to eat fresh, homemade, and with as few chemical additives as possible, I wanted to get in the habit of making fresh granola for us to have on hand for breakfast.  Sure, you can find healthy and delicious granola at your local health food store, but at upwards of $4.00 or $5.00 a lb, I can make our own for pennies on the dollar.  My friend TJ made this recipe for our staff team when we were in Austin, and she shared her recipe with me.  It's a very simple and easy granola, but with a wholesome sweet flavor and some good crunch from the nuts.  It's perfect to sprinkle on yogurt or to toss in a bowl with some fresh fruit and a splash of milk for a quick and easy breakfast.

I have bookmarked a few other granola recipes to try to add in some variety.  I hope to find a few other favorites to share in the future!

Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats (not quick oats!)
1 1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola Oil)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk in vanilla.

Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand. Spread granola in a 15x10 inch baking pan.

Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Transfer granola-filled pan to a rack to cool completely. Stir in raisins or cranberries.

Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag. Store at room temperature for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.

Makes 7 cups.

Baby Nyla

On Friday evening, we had the opportunity to take newborn photos of sweet baby Nyla for a friend of ours.  She is four weeks old and just precious.  We were planning to get some shots of her with her two big sisters, but her oldest sister came down with a fever the day of the shoot, so we are hoping to reschedule soon to get photos with their whole family.  This was our first baby shoot, and we had so much fun capturing her little features and all her sweetness!

Food For Friday: Homemade Popcorn

In recent months, I've been on a homemade popcorn kick.  It's one of my favorite snacks, is a healthier alternative to other munchies like potato chips, and it is a whole grain and good source of fiber.  With the chemicals used in microwave popcorn having come under scrutiny as "likely carcinogens," a quick and easy batch of homemade popcorn is a tasty and healthier alternative.  If I can have a great snack in less than 5 minutes with no added chemicals and know exactly what ingredients I put in, I'd prefer to skip the unneeded chemicals that I can't pronounce!  (I don't miss the added fat either!)

You only need a large lidded pan, your stovetop, and three simple ingredients: olive oil, popcorn kernels, and salt.  And really, the salt is optional.  (I prefer to use yellow popcorn because it pops fuller, but it's a matter of taste preference.  You can use white or yellow popcorn.)  After experimenting with ratios of oil to popcorn, I've found my perfect combination to be 3 tbls. oil and 1/3 cup popcorn.

Put 3 tbls. olive oil in your 3 quart or larger lidded pan.  Add 2-3 popcorn kernels and place the lid on the pan, then turn on the burner to medium heat.  Give the oil a shake every minute or so until all the kernels have popped.  This lets you know that the oil is hot and ready for the rest of the kernels to be added.  Be sure that all 3 of the kernels pop or you risk getting "popped" with hot oil and a flying piece of popcorn if you remove the lid with an unpopped kernel remaining! 

After all of your test kernels have popped, pour in 1/3 cup popcorn kernels and quickly replace the lid.

Using oven mitts or potholders, lift and shake the pan side to side every 15 seconds or so, to move the kernels around in the hot oil.  It will start popping rapidly.  It's important to keep shaking the pan so the kernels don't burn.  If you have kids and a spot where they can see but not touch, they would probably enjoy watching it pop!

It usually takes just a few minutes for the popcorn to finish popping.  Listen for the popping to slow to several seconds between pops, and when it sounds like most of the kernels have popped, remove the pan from the heat.  Let it sit for a minute or two with the lid on, until any final pieces are done popping (since any remaining kernels usually continue to pop for a minute or so after you remove it from the heat.)

This is when I remove the lid, and add a little bit of popcorn salt to the top, give it a little shake, and dump it into a bowl.  Then I add a little bit more salt to the top of the bowl to make sure it's evenly salted.  It's that fast & easy!

Then grab a movie or your family & friends and enjoy!  I think popcorn is a perfect snack for the cooler temperatures of fall, and also a great snack for Saturday football marathons.  My hubby takes care of those in our family!

If microwave kettle corn is what you crave, there is one quick addition to this recipe that allows you to have delicious homemade kettle corn!  When you add the popcorn kernels to the hot oil after your test kernels have popped, pour in the popcorn, then sprinkle 3 tbls. of sugar on top of the kernels, and replace the lid.  Pop as usual.  I would recommend measuring the 3 tbls. of suger into a little bowl so you can quickly pour it in with the popcorn and get the lid back on before the first kernels start popping!  When the popcorn is finished popping, salt as directed above and immediately pour into a bowl.  If you let it sit in the hot pan for too long after it has popped, it will caramelize & burn.

A New Labor Day Tradition?

Ever since we moved to Denver a year ago, we've been talking about going camping.  We both went camping with our families growing up and love being out in nature, but we had yet to go camping together.  The leaves have already started to change up in the mountains, and in just weeks, it will be way too cold at night to camp outside (in my book anyway!), so our time was running out for a camping trip this year.  With the last days of summer looming, we decided that it was time to make it happen, and we headed out to Buena Vista for a Labor Day camping trip.

We spent 2 nights in the San Isabel National Forest and enjoyed these beautiful views of the Chalk Cliffs and surrounding Rockies.

Since we decided a bit spur of the moment to head to the mountains, and over a holiday weekend, the campground only had available sites for Sunday night, so we went a bit, uh, rustic (for me, not my backpacking-loving husband) on Saturday night and tried out dispersed camping.  Dispersed camping = a rock fire ring + no bathrooms and no water, but it was just us and nature, and these beautiful views.

We grilled over the open fire and enjoyed some delicious fajitas for dinner.

The views from our 2nd campsite were even better.  And there were toilets (a "luxury" even though they didn't flush).  I was a happy camper.

The weather was nearly perfect.  We took a short hike to see a waterfall.

We read in the warm sunshine while we listened to the Aspen leaves fluttering in the breeze, talked by the campfire after dark, and ate lots and lots of s'mores.

We played Scrabble in our tent at night by the light of a headlamp.

We had an awesome long weekend and made lots of fun memories on our first camping trip together.  We both love being out in nature and the slower pace that comes with camping.  Our time was refreshing and relaxing.  It felt like we were gone for longer than 2 nights and it was a peaceful, fun little getaway.

As we got in our car to head home, we decided this just might be the new Lo family Labor Day tradition.