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Make Things Beautiful

Making things beautiful makes me happy.
Truly.

And my “beautiful” strength is arranging vignettes.

A vignette is an arrangement of décor accessories
and when I’m looking for a little pick-me-up, I start rearranging.

So today, for your viewing pleasure (and mine) I’m sharing several vignettes from around my home over the past few years.
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Which is your favorite?  Pin it or share it on facebook!
(By the way – I got a new piece of furniture for my house that I’m LOVING!  I don’t have a blog-worthy photo yet, but I have a cell phone pic on Facebook.  Be sure to check it out!!! www.facebook.com/onthebanksofsquawcreek )

Shared at: Tuts and Tips not to Miss 
Shared at Funky Junk Interiors  
Shared at Metamorphosis Monday  
June Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick  
The Little Things party at Thrifty Decor Chick

Barbecued Turkey Drumsticks

(From the Iowa Turkey Federation Cookbook)
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Everyone loves turkey breast because it is so lean, but the drumsticks are great, too!  This is a delicious way to enjoy them at home! I made a few modifications to the recipe and they turned out great.

 

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

2 cups chili sauce OR ketchup ( I did 1/2 cup chili sauce and 1 1/2 cups ketchup; it would have been way too spicy with the full amount of chili sauce)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 turkey drumsticks (8 ounces each)

1. Wash hands.
2. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except turkey. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of sauce. Set aside.
3. Arrange turkey drumsticks in foil-lined roasting pan. Pour remaining barbecue sauce over turkey. Cover and marinate for two hours in refrigerator. Turn drumsticks occasionally in sauce. Remove from refrigerator and discard marinade. (I marinated them in the refrigerator overnight.)
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4. Spray grill with nonstick spray. Grill drumsticks over indirect medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes on each side. Turn and baste frequently with reserved sauce.
5. Continue to grill over low heat about 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
At steps 4 and 5, I baked them in the oven, covered, at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until they were almost 180 degrees (about 1 1/2 hours) and then finished the drumsticks on the grill (about 15 minutes).
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Served with green beans and corn bread makes a delicious meal!
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Nutritional information for turkey drumstick, baked, with skin (does not include sauce):

170 calories

8 g total fat

2 g saturated fat

70 mg cholesterol

75 mg sodium

23 g protein


vn9q2jozAnn is a Registered Dietitian who loves to cook, scour the earth for new recipes and share her love of all things food with family and friends. She has worked in food service for four years, including two years in India, where she has gained a vast knowledge of what it takes to serve the good food that people need in a safe manner. Turkey is a low fat, low sodium protein option. Its functionality makes a simple yet satisfying meal. Outside of the kitchen, Ann loves reading, hosting friends and family, and travelling to new and exciting places.



Shared at: Tuts and Tips not to Miss 

Taste of Home Cooking School with Common Ground

This morning I’m in a hotel room in Clinton, IA, after spending my yesterday afternoon and evening at the Taste of Home Cooking School as a volunteer for Common Ground.
Common Ground is a volunteer organization made up of farm women from around the country.  We use social media and live events to provide factual information about farming and food to consumers who do not have a link to the farm.
Last night, I really perfected my little “speech” about our organization and farm, and got asked lot more questions than ever before.  Some of the questions I was asked about our farm:
1.  Are the turkeys happy?
2.  Can they walk?  Or do you pump them so full of feed that they just sit there?
3.  If they were outside in the rain, would they look up and then drown?
4.  Why are your turkeys white instead of brown?
5.  Do you inject them with grease to make them taste better?
6.  Do you know the family from Wayland, IA, whose farm was hit by the tornado last week?


They were great questions, and I’ll address some of them when I’m not so tired, but right now I wanted to share a short video that shows how we set up our booth at the Ft. Dodge show…

….and a 2nd video featuring Emily Lynch, volunteer and farmer from Humboldt, IA. Emily talks about why she wanted to be a Common Ground volunteer.

Do you have any questions for me, or Emily, or any of our other Common Ground volunteers?  Please, please, please feel free to ask!

Card Catalog in the Kitchen

My kitchen is U shaped, and the corners of the countertop always collect junk.  It drives me nuts.
To remedy the situation, I rearranged a bit and “filled in” the corner with some beautiful storage.

antique card catalog

 

          

Before

kitchen countertop decor

After

card catalog kitchen storage

The card catalog came from Iowa State (our alma mater) and was a curbside find when we still lived in Ames. 
kitchen decor

black and white kitchenkitchen corner
The card catalog is still empty…what would you fill it with?


Shared at Metamorphosis Monday 
Creative Me Monday 
Tuts and Tips not to Miss 
May Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick  
Saturday Night Special 

Rotelle with smoked turkey,broccoli and peppers

This is a recipe I first had while I was in college. Several years after I graduated, I was reminded of it and decided to search the internet for a recipe. Today it is one of my family's favorites.

In fact, this time when I made it, two of my children told me they wanted me to write the recipe down for them so that when they move out of our house they can cook it on their own. (What?!!! They are 6 and 3 - what are they doing thinking about moving out of our house already!)



Rotelle with smoked turkey, broccoli, and peppers
(Recipe from www.recipesource.com)
Serves 4

4 c. small broccoli florets
10 oz. (about 4 c.) rotelle, rotini, or fusilli pasta
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (can use ½ the amount)
4 Tbsp. olive oil (can use ½ the amount)
4 garlic cloves, minced, grated, or pressed
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
16 oz. smoked turkey, skin removed, diced
2/3 c. jar-packed roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1 c. chicken stock or broth (or turkey stock or broth, if you have it!)
Grated parmesan or romano cheese



Cook broccoli in large pot of boiling, salted water until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to bowl of ice water to cool, reserving water in pot. Drain broccoli and pat dry.






Return water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain thoroughly.





While pasta is cooking, melt butter with olive oil in heavy, large skillet over low heat. Add (minced, grated or pressed) garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until garlic is tender (do not overcook garlic).

Add turkey and sauté until heated through, about 4 minutes.Mix pasta, roasted red peppers, and stock into turkey mixture.



Increase heat to high and cook until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Add broccoli to mixture long enough to heat through.







Divide pasta between plates and serve with grated parmesan or romano cheese.






We think this dish is delicious, and it's pretty healthy too, especially if you use whole grain pasta and cut down the butter and oil, which we have done many times.  Enjoy!


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Jenn is a full-time mom who loves to cook and experiment with new ingredients. She is dedicated to providing her three children (6, 4, and 7 months) and husband with nutritious, delicious meals, while sticking to a budget. Keeping turkey in her weekly menu rotation makes it easy to accomplish those goals. Turkey is so versatile, it's easy incorporate it into many dishes. When she's not in the kitchen, she's coordinating the crafts for our local MOPS group, attending a monthly book club, sewing, and busy homeschooling (during the summer).

Since You Asked: Isaac, attachment to turkeys, and picky eaters


It’s time for another edition of “Since You Asked” where I answer readers’ questions.  If you have a question about our family or farm, or just want to hear my opinion on something, please send me an email, a message on facebook or leave a comment here.  (katieolthoff@gmail.com)