Yellow Split Pea Curry

Back when my husband was working on his Master's Degree and we were living in a cute little one-bedroom apartment, I became the Queen of Dry Beans. Not a very attractive title, I know, but it did fit. Our budget was very tight, so I cut most meat out of our menu and replaced it with beans to save money at the grocery store. If my friends had extra dry beans, they kindly gave them to me, and we used them! We went through about 6 lbs. of dry beans a month. While we don't eat dry beans that often anymore, I still keep them in the menu at least once a week. They're healthy and budget-friendly and we still love them!

I didn't come up with this recipe during that time, but that is when I became really good at cooking dry beans. Believe me, they're not as hard as they might seem at first sight. Haha!

Yellow Split Pea Curry

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cook Time: 30 min.

Yield 8 Servings

1 lb. Beef steak or your preferred meat (optional), sliced into bite-sized pieces 

1 C. Yellow Split Peas

4 C. Beef Broth

1/2 Head Cauliflower, Chopped

1 Yellow Onion, Chopped

1 Bell Pepper, any color, Sliced

1/2 Package White Button Mushrooms, Sliced

1/2 Package Sugar Snap Peas

1 Can Bamboo Shoots

1 Bottle Thai Yellow Curry
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and sort yellow split peas. Put split peas and broth in a small pot and boil for 30 min., or until split peas are tender. Meanwhile, saute beef in a deep saute pan over medium heat, salt and pepper to taste. Once browned, remove beef  from pan and set aside, leaving drippings. Return pan to heat and add in cauliflower, onion, and bell pepper. Remove split peas from heat and drain off broth. Once vegetables are softened, add the meat, split peas, and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and allow to simmer about 5 minutes or until reaches desired thickness. Serve over jasmine rice and enjoy!

Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You will love these delicious, chewy, perfect cookies. Make sure to follow all of the instructions and the next thing you know, you will be making these on demand regularly!

These cookies are soft, chewy and packed with flavor. Believe me when I say, there are a lot of bad cookie recipes out there. No one wants a puffy, dry, hard or puddley cookie. That is why when I find a good cookie recipe, I stick to it!! Enjoy the recipe and get in the mood for Valentines Day!! This cookie looks festive with its red cranberries and dark chips. They are perfect for whatever Valentine function you have coming up!

Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 c. Flour (leveled off)

1 tsp. Baking Soda

11/2 tsp. Corn Starch

1/2 tsp. Salt

3/4 c. Unsalted Butter

3/4 c. Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Granulated Sugar 

1Large Egg + Egg Yolk

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 c. Chocolate Chips or Chunks

3/4 c. Cranberries
1/2 c. Walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. White Chocolate Chips(optional)

Instructions: 

1. Mix flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt.

2. Separately mix MELTED butter, brown sugar, and granulated white sugar until there are no lumps. Whisk in the egg and yolk. Then add vanilla extract. 

3. Mix flour mixture with wet mixture. 

4. Mix in chocolate chunks (or chips), walnuts, and cranberries.

5. Cover and chill for 24hrs. (Or at least 8hrs.)

6. Take dough out and let soften for 10min. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll cookies into a cylinder shape. Make sure each cookie dough ball is taller rather than wider. 

Put 8 cookies on the cookie sheet if each cookie is about 3 tbs. Press a couple extra chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. 

Bake for 12 min. at 325 degrees. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 min. before removing. 

Enjoy! 

2 Simple Valentine Ideas Even a Toddler Can Do!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and so is Valentine making!

Helping O make special Valentines for his Dad, Grandma's, and Grandpa's usually goes much smoother and cuter in my head than it actually turns out to be. Such is life.

To help smooth out these Valentine woes, I've found two Valentine ideas I absolutely love!

Both of these went so smoothly, and he actually did the work and loved it!
 As an added bonus, they only take supplies you already have around the house. Bingo!

Yarn Heart Valentine

I came up with this idea on my own. It's so simple and so quick! Plus, you're little one gets to work on their cutting and gluing skills.

To help it go smoothly, I cut out some strands of Valentine-colored yarn ahead of time. If your little one is older, they can do this themselves. I also drew a heart where I wanted it on the card and glued on the first strand to make the outline. Then I let O put glue wherever he wanted and add the yarn on top. Just keep an eye to make sure there's an appropriate amount of glue happening so the card isn't swimming and the yarn is sticking.

Presto! Adorable Valentine!

Toilet Paper Tube Heart Valentine

I got this idea from Money Saving Mom.

I love that you get to do a little painting and it's a great way to reuse toilet paper rolls.

Just get your card ready, shape the end of the toilet paper roll to look like a heart, and let your little one dip it in some acrylic paint and use it as a cute stamp.

So simple and so fun!

I hope these fun Valentine ideas come in handy this season as you get ready to share some love!

Do you have any go-to ideas you love?

 Please share them with us in the comments below!

What's New in the New Year?

Happy New Year!

So, what's new in the new year?!

I'm excited to start a new line of posts this year about what I'd like to call the "Lost Arts."

I noticed last year, that my family is a little different from most modern families. We love old things. Not like that-pair-of-jeans-you-never-threw-out-from-high-school old, I mean antiques old. With this love comes an interest in those special arts that helped create these things.

From a young age, I remember sitting on the floor with Sarah as my mom helped us cut out a pattern to sew a new outfit for 4-H, tying a quilt for a sick baby in our ward, spending hours visiting with both of my Grandmothers as we quilted one of my wedding quilts, and getting new crochet patterns for Christmas to try out. Each of these special skills seem to be waning in the world today, so I'd love to share my love for them with you this year, as well as my journey as I learn the art of tatting! I will also be continuing to post about other projects I'm working on, but I'm excited to add these "Lost Arts" to our blog and I hope you enjoy them!

I love the new year, because it brings an opportunity to start with a clean slate.

One of my favorite activities for the new year is sitting down together and writing our New Year's Goals. This year I set goals in 4 areas: Physical, Spiritual, Social, and Intellectual. I'm excited to share them with you!

Physical- Return to Pre-baby weight and shape.

Spiritual- Memorize a new scripture each month.

Social- Speak only kind, non-critical things of others.

Intellectual- Read up on one current event each week.

On top of personal goals, we like to set family goals and marriage goals. I really love having these posted in the house so I can see them all throughout the year and assess how we're doing. It really helps us stay on track!

Do you set goals for the new year?

We'd love to hear them, please share in the comments below and we can help one another work toward them this year!

~Rachel

Not Your Average New Years Resolutions

I love the energy January brings. Everyone is welcoming a fresh start with determination to change. The stores are showcasing exercise clothing and protein shakes, while the gym's popularity increases by the second. This year I decided I wanted to step outside of my normal new year's resolutions and make a different type of resolution. Normally, my goals would look like this: 1. Get in shape 2. Eat Better 3. Be on time. From year to year there is usually a bit of variance, but you get the idea. This year I asked myself, "Who do I want to be at this time next year?" After I answered this question, I knew what my new goals were. This year I want to focus on being the best wife and mother I can, cultivating my talents, being kind in thoughts, actions, and words, and simplifying my home. These are the things I truly want to work on in 2016. These are not resolutions I feel inclined to make, they are goals I cannot wait to work on because I want the outcome so much. Don't worry, I am going to be eating well, exercising, and striving for punctuality, but in 2016 I am going to work beyond those things and hopefully grow inside. I want to share my endeavors with you through the blog and I plan on making my goals a priority. I look forward to this year and I hope you do too!

-Sarah