Happy Birthday, Kansas!

It's my home state's 153rd birthday today! It also happens to be one of my best friends birthdays too, so here is to hoping that today is going to be great. Its 30 degrees out with a windchill making it feel like 19. Other than that is looking to be a good one!

I wanted to share a post over at Kim's Country Line that says it so well about the history of KS and those who came before us. Check it out!  Kansas is so rich in history, I have posted in the past about KS ghost towns, ( I need to start that back up!)  and am proud of all Kansas and Kansas Agriculture has to offer!

Did you know:

1. Dodge City, KANSAS  is the windiest city in the United States.(step aside Chicago!)
2. Kansas inventors include Almon Stowger of El Dorado who invented the dial telephone in 1889; William Purvis and Charles Wilson of Goodland who invented the helicopter in 1909; and Omar Knedlik of Coffeyville who invented the first frozen carbonated drink machine in 1961.
3. Wyatt Earp, James Butler"WIld Bill" HIckok & William B. "Bat" Masterson were 3 legendary lawmen who kept peace in the rowdy KANSAS frontier towns like Abiliene, Dodge City, Ellsworth (This is for you "A"), Hays, and Wichita. 
4. Barton County  is the only Kansas County that is named for a woman; the famous volunteer Civil War nurse Clara Barton.
5. Sumner County is known as The Wheat Capital of the World.
6.  And this final one is for CP ....Silent comedian Buster Keaton, of early film success, was from Piqua, Kansas.

I could go on and on for days, but that should be a few for you to think on!

Bourbon Ham Sliders

HOLY MOLY these are so stinking yummy- developed by yours truly. I have seen other similar recipes but this is "the one"

1 can Grands Jr Butter Tasting Biscuits (10 count)
leftover ham slices ( great way to use up leftovers after the Holidays)
10 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
Whole grain mustard
Bayou Bourbon Glaze from Tastefully Simple
Miracle Whip

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly spray a 9-inch pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Separate each biscuits into two layers.   Place half of the biscuits in pan, spread with mustard, top with ham  in the bottom of prepared pan. Spread about 1 Tablespoon of Bourbon sauce on top of ham. Place a slice of cheese on top of ham. Then spread a light layer of Miracle Whip on the  biscuit and then place that on top.  

Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Optional to drizzle a little Bourbon sauce on top while still hot. Serve immediately.

Tomato & White Bean Soup

I found this tasty recipe in the magazine, All You, and I made a few tweeks.  I was looking for a soup that would go well with sandwiches and this seemed like a good fit. It would be heavenly with grilled cheese.
 Sorry the picture isn't quite as fancy as it could be, trust me it is amazing!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped 

1 rib celery, chopped 

2 carrots, chopped 

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

2 15.5-oz. cans white beans, such as cannellini, drained and rinsed

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup pesto, optional ( I didn't use this)

1 1/2 cups garlic croutons, optional

Preparation

1. Warm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and beans. Pour in broth, season with salt and pepper, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool slightly. Working in batches, carefully puree soup in a blender until thick but still a bit chunky. Return soup to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. If soup is too thick, thin with additional broth. Serve hot, topped with pesto and croutons, if desired.

Stay warm~Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

As most of you are aware the Midwest is experiencing a cold spell to say the least. Farmers and ranchers aren't slowing down or taking a day off to care for their livestock though. This is a great recipe to help you warm up. I found this on Pinterest (of course) and did a few alterations here and there. 

Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 jalapeno peppers diced, seeds removed (leave some seeds for extra heat) I used about 10 jarred jalapeno slices.
1 T garlic, minced
salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 (10 oz) can dice tomatoes with green chilies
1 + 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can cannelloni or navy beans, drained ( 1 time I used black beans)
1 (14 oz) can corn, drained
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled, divided


Instructions
In a large saucepan (deep enough for soup) heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion, jalepeno, and garlic until tender.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add to the saucepan adding another tablespoon of olive oil as well. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Toss chicken and seasonings together and lightly brown chicken on all sides.
Stir in can of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, and cannelloni beans and increase heat to bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Stir in 1/2 of the crumbled bacon. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper as needed. **Add more chicken broth if too thick.
Serve and garnish with cheddar cheese and the rest of the crumbled bacon.

The 3 Cs of Christmas gifts; Country, Classy & Cooking -Part 1

Just take a look at my Christmas gifts and you get a really good sense of the kind of person I am! My family and friends know we well. As I was getting ready to put away all my Christmas gifts I noticed themes and that they truly represent me. A few C's were County/Cows, Classy & Cooking,and you can add in Crafts & Coffee. (I didn't get as much crafty or coffee items as usual)

 I am going to take you on a little tour of my gifts and how they truly represent me! You will probably get to know me a little more.

COUNTRY >>>
-Muck Boots, I have been needing and wanting these for about a year now.
-Work gloves
-Show calf air freshener
-4-H mug
-Western jewelry
-Cruel Girl & Wrangler Rock 47 jeans
-Duck Dynasty playing cards

CLASSY >>>
- Same jeans, but they fall in the category, they are county n' classy on of my favorite themes on this blog
-"Nice" jewelry as in the kind you buy at high end jewelry stores
-Fun jewelry
-Purses & wallets
-Funky shoes from my momma! more about that in Part 2.

COOKING >>>

  This is the BIG haul!

- Deep dish skillet ( it was on my list, they did well!)

-Enamel coated pans (again, what I had been wanting)

-Cookbooks

-Cooking ingredients

-Cooking utensils

Its a NEW Year!

I want to wish everyone a Happy, Safe, & Blessed New Year.  My intentions were to write a great blog post, I had been reading others and thinking I needed to do something like this. Well, I found this list of 20 Things To Let Go Of Before The New Year and I thought you all would get more by reading this than anything I could probably say. I started to comment on the numbers individually, then I realized I could go on and on about almost each number. This list is great

 So here they are:

Here are 20 things to let go of in order to reach unlimited happiness.

1. Let go of all thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong.

2. Let go of feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do.

3. Let go of the fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself.

4. Let go of regrets; at one point in your life, that “whatever” was exactly what you wanted.

5. Let go of worrying; worrying is like praying for what you don’t want.

6. Let go of blaming anyone for anything; be accountable for your own life. If you don’t like something, you have two choices, accept it or change it.

7. Let go of thinking you are damaged; you matter, and the world needs you just as you are.

8. Let go of thinking your dreams are not important; always follow your heart.

9. Let go of being the “go-to person” for everyone, all the time; stop blowing yourself off and take care of yourself first … because you matter.

10. Let go of thinking everyone else is happier, more successful or better off than you. You are right where you need to be. Your journey is unfolding perfectly for you.

11. Let go of thinking there's a right and wrong way to do things or to see the world. Enjoy the contrast and celebrate the diversity and richness of life.

12. Let go of cheating on your future with your past. It’s time to move on and tell a new story.

13. Let go of thinking you are not where you should be. You are right where you need to be to get to where you want to go, so start asking yourself where you want to go.

14. Let go of anger toward ex lovers and family. We all deserve happiness and love; just because it is over doesn’t mean the love was wrong.

15. Let go of the need to do more and be more; for today, you've done the best you can, and that's enough.

16. Let go of thinking you have to know how to make it happen; we learn the way on the way.

17. Let go of your money woes — make a plan to pay off debt and focus on your abundance.

18. Let go of trying to save or change people. Everyone has her own path, and the best thing you can do is work on yourself and stop focusing on others.

19. Let go of trying to fit in and be accepted by everyone. Your uniqueness is what makes you outstanding.

20. Let go of self-hate. You are not the shape of your body or the number on the scale. Who you are matters, and the world needs you as you are. Celebrate you!