Indian Fry Bread Tacos

Ingredients

• TOPPINGS:
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 
  
• FRY BREAD:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

Directions

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey with taco seasoning mix according to seasoning mix package directions. Cover, and keep warm while you prepare the fry bread.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, and mix until the dough comes together. Add more flour if necessary to be able to handle the dough. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, at least 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large, deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep. Break off 3/4 cup sized pieces of dough, and shape into round discs 1/4 inch in thickness, making a thinner depressed area in the center. Fry breads in the hot oil until golden on both sides, turning only once. Drain on paper towels.
4. Top fry bread with your favorite taco toppings!

Cream Cheese-Stuffed Chicken/Lemony Brown Rice

Ready in: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs (I'm going to use Rice Crispies)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chicken breasts between sheets of wax paper. Using a wooden mallet or rolling pin, flatten to 1/4 inch thickness.

I used thicker chicken breasts, so I sliced a pocket in them and stuffed them that way.

In small bowl, mix cream cheese, 1T Parmesan cheese, 2t dried thyme, 1t garlic salt, 1/2t lemon pepper until blended. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in each breast or more if you want more. Coat rolls in corn flakes or rice crispies.

Place 1/4 inch of oil in a medium-size skillet. Over medium heat, brown chicken. Place chicken rolls in a in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Weight Watchers Lemony Brown Rice Pilaf recipe

Ingredients
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups chicken stock (heated)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1-2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
additional lemon juice, to taste

Preparation
1. In a heavy saucepan, saute the onion until soft in about half of the butter.
2. Add the rest of the butter and allow to melt.
3. Stir in the rice and cook for about two minutes, stirring to coat the rice with butter.
4. Add the chicken stock and the two tablespoons lemon juice.
5. Bring to a boil and cover tightly (if your pot lids aren’t very tight, put a clean tea-towel over the pot and jam the lid on over it).
6. Turn the heat low and simmer for about 50 minutes (or until the liquid is absorbed).
5. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and additional lemon juice to taste.

*My Banana Bread Recipe*

Here's my banana bread recipe for everyone! Time to start blogging again!!

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter (or room temp)
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Surgery

So I had my surgery on September 7th. Everything seems to have gone well. After surgery they put a cast on my ankle and could NOT put any weight on it. All I could do was sit with my ankle elevated... it was quite boring. No working for 2 full weeks, doctors orders!

Ten days after my surgery I had my follow up appointment. The nurse removed my cast, took out my stitches and suture, and I got a walking boot. Funny thing was I still couldn't put any weight on my ankle. No weight on it until 2 weeks after surgery.

It's now been 2 1/2 weeks (18 days) since my surgery... I started putting weight on my ankle this week and even was able to walk a little bit yesterday. It's going to be a long process to be all the way healed, but so far everything looks good.

Below are a few pictures of my ankle after my cast came off... it's kind of cool.


More to come as my recovery continues. I start physical therapy on October 5th! Yay!

Another Adventure in Baking

Okay... so my surgery is in 2 days and I have to get as much done as I can. Today I made more Chocolate Chip Almond Zucchini Bread and I ventured into making a homemade Carrot Cake. So here's the Carrot Cake recipe. I hope it turns out!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (I use Powdered Sugar) a 9" cake pan or 2 - 9" pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in almonds. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake. Top with a small handful of slivered almonds.

Recipes

Well I've been on a baking kick... it's become my obsession. I've baked something every week for about the past 4 weeks. I've made Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes, Black Bottom Cupcakes, French Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes, Zucchini Bread... I love it!

People keep asking me for the recipe to all baked goods I've made. So... I've decided to start posting them on my blog. Today I made Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread.

Here's the recipe!

Mallori's Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 eggs	1 cup vegetable oil 2 1/4 cups white sugar 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1.	Grease two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2.	Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. (Or just mix them together using a fork)
3.	Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. It will be VERY thick. Fold in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4.	Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

It's a recipe I found online, but I altered it to make it my own! Hope you like it!

It's been too long...

Well it's been a while since I've blogged! The summer is over and I can't wait to fall to be here! This summer just completely flew by. My sister, Alli, was here from California. She was here for 5 weeks. It was really nice having her here! She got to spend time with Sage... and with me!! We also moved into our new apt while she was here. That was a lot of fun... not! Moving sucks, but I totally love living in our new apt! Nate was gone for his 2 week annual training the first 2 weeks of August. That wasn't fun! But we did have Nate's cousin come stay with us. She was a ton of help and Sage absolutely loved her! It's great to have Nate back... we had such a busy summer, it's nice to get back on our regular schedule and have it be just us again.

We went through the worst heat wave a couple weeks ago... mid to high 90's with about 90% humidity. Gross! It was even too hot to go swimming!! Glad that's over, it's been in the low 70's this week, no humidity! The perfect weather. I can't wait for Fall to be here! I love October... pumpkins, apple picking, cool crisp air! Ooh... yeah!

Last weekend we went to a friend's birthday party and Sage got to ride a pony. She had a blast! Her first time riding a pony and she wasn't scared at all! My 23rd birthday is TOMORROW!! Yay!! I'm going to go to work... then I have a massage at 2:15pm... then a big birthday bash dinner! I can't wait!!

I'm having my ankle surgery in a week and a half... I'm getting really nervous, but I can't wait. My ankle has been hurting so bad!! It's getting stiff now and just aches!! I hope my surgery fixes all that! I know it's going to be a few months before I really notice any difference... I have to go through physical therapy and everything too. *sigh*

I've really been into baking and cooking lately. I made Black Bottom Cupcakes from scratch last weekend. They were good, but very chocolaty! I'm going to venture into making some Zucchini bread this weekend. My friend from work grew some huge zucchini, so I have plenty to work with. I'll let you know how it goes.

Well as busy as the summer has been that is all I have to say... ha ha. I'll definitely start writing more. Hopefully I'll have more to write about too.

Here are a few pics of our summer!