What's for Dinner?

Jan here, with that age-old question...

Have you seen the meme going around social media that says something like: "No one told me that being an adult meant that I had to decide what to fix for supper every day for the rest of my life!"

Because the struggle is real!

When I was a young mom, many afternoons would find me and my two neighbors (also young moms) sitting on our front steps while our children played on the sidewalk that ran in front of our houses. Each of us would be armed with a cookbook or two, and the conversation would go something like this:

Mom #1: "What are you fixing tonight?" 

Mom #2: "Something with chicken. Do you have any good ideas?"

Mom #3: "There's always Shake and Bake."

These conversations would happen between 3:00 and 4:00 - and suppertime was our deadline!

*sigh*

Do you have that problem?

These days life is different. Recipes and eating habits have changed (that happens when your toddlers and preschoolers turn into adults and move away!) I'm cooking for two instead of six. And I'm more disciplined about writing out my menu and following it!

I see your eyes glazing over! I have a few friends who just can't be tied down to a menu and you might be one of them. I get it!

But before you stop reading altogether, I have a suggestion.

Make a list of five dishes your family enjoys, and then add two more recipes that you keep saying you want to try "someday."

Write down the ingredients you need to buy for each recipe and head to the grocery store.

Now when you can't figure out what to have for supper tonight, just look at that list. What looks good? Lasagna? Great! You know you already have everything you need to make it because you went to the grocery store and bought all the ingredients already!

Wasn't that easy?

Since we've moved out to the country, trips to the store are biweekly rather than weekly events. So when I make my menu, I write it out for two weeks ahead. When I wrote out my last menu, I gave myself the challenge of using my pantry for every meal. :-)

So, what are we having this week? One night we're having Egg Roll in a Bowl (you can find my recipe here, or Mindy's here, or Ruthy's here - it's a favorite!) 

Another night we're having Butter Chicken on Rice. This dish is so delicious, and the garam masala is key! You can find the recipe here.

I'm trying a new recipe later in the week: One Pot Beef Stroganoff Soup. Will it be tasty? If it is, I'll share the recipe next week.

It feels so good to have this chore all planned out. Nearly as good as a full pantry! And it saves so much time. Instead of spending thirty minutes to an hour searching for a recipe midway through the afternoon, I just have to look at the menu I posted on the refrigerator.

What do I do with all that extra time?

Well, writing and marketing books takes up a lot of my day. I have two books coming out next week!

On Tuesday, October 20th, the third book in my Amish of Weaver's Creek series will release!

You can order "Softly Blows the Bugle" here!

On the SAME DAY (unless the dates change again...) An Amish Christmas Recipe Box will be available. This is last year's Christmas novella released as stand-alone in e-book form. You can order it here!

But even with all the writerly stuff going on, we make sure we head out into the Hills whenever possible. The other day, we took Jack and Sam out to one of our favorite trails in the National Forest.

They really are best friends. :-)

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

Southwest Chicken Soup AND a Book Birthday

Yes, I'm celebrating because the last book in my Rocky Mountain Heroes series releases today!

Learning to trust can be the greatest adventure.

She’s always played it safe…Can he reach her guarded heart?

Ready to open his camp for young cancer patients, Daniel Stephens must impress foundation overseer Blythe McDonald to ensure she approves funding for next year. But the cautious former cancer patient was once let down by a similar program, and she’ll leave no stone unturned in her evaluation. Can he convince her his camp is worthy of the money…and that he’s worthy of her love?

I love this story so much. When God first laid it on my heart, I didn't think I could write it. But you know how God is, He likes to get His way. The good news is that He always equips us. He graciously put people in my life just when I needed them.

But enough about that, because I'm on a deadline. It's also cool again, which means I can not only make soup, I can do it in the CrockPot. And when you're short on time, that's a win-win.

Another wonderful thing about this Southwest Chicken Soup is that it's low-fat. Score one for the old waistline!

Here's what you'll need:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 this time)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used the petite diced)
• 1 - 10 oz can Ro-tel diced tomatoes with green chilies (they have original, mild and spicier varieties; I use original, but it you want the flavor but not the spice, use the mild)
• 3 cups chicken broth (I prefer the low-sodium variety)
• 1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 cups frozen corn

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a CrockPot or slow cooker.

Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, Ro-tel, chicken broth, black beans tomato paste, onion and bell pepper.

Stir, trying not to disturb the chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

See, I told you it was easy. Now you have the rest of the day to write.

Approximately and hour to an hour and a half before cooking is done, stir in the frozen corn.

You could add it at the beginning, if you prefer, but I like a little crunch to my corn.

When cooking time is up, remove chicken breasts and shred the meat.

Return meat to slow cooker, stir and serve.

Yum! My tummy is happy.

Now it's time to chat. Has God ever given you a task you felt ill-equipped for? Did you throw up your hands or forge ahead, holding lightly to His hand?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Celebrating with Lemon Bars

Today's the day!

Book four in my Rocky Mountain Heroes series releases today. 

A fresh start...and an old love reignited?

For widow Kayla Bradshaw, restoring a historic Colorado hotel means a better life for her and her soon-to-arrive baby. But she needs construction help from Jude Stephens, the love she lost through a misunderstanding. Working with Kayla, the police officer finds himself forgiving her--and longing to rebuild her shattered confidence. But can they trust each other enough to forge a future together?

So let's celebrate with one of my favorite desserts.

Lemon bars are a quintessential southern tradition. One problem I have with these tasty treats, though, is that sometimes they're too sweet. I prefer mine with a little more tang. And this recipe has the perfect balance of sweet and citrus.Best of all, they're really quite easy to make. For years, I opted for a box kit but, really, this scratch-made version doesn't take much longer.

**FYI - refrigeration time is required, so plan accordingly**

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil.

For the crust you will need:

• 2 sticks of cold butter (I prefer unsalted)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together, then cube butter before adding.

Cut butter into the flour, sugar, salt until crumbly, yet incorporated.

Then dump into foil-lined pan.

And press to cover bottom of pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden.

While that's baking, let's make the filling.

For the filling, you will need:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 eggs
• Zest and juice of 5 lemons

Okay, so this is where homemade versus a box-kit might cost you a little more time, because you have to zest and juice the lemons.

First, you want to wash them. Yes, that means soap. Just be sure to rinse them well before drying.

Now I'd like to introduce you one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.

This is called a microplane. You can use it for finely grating lots of things, like citrus peels, whole nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. I used to just use the fine grate on my standard cheese grater, but I was over the moon when I found this in my stocking one Christmas. I can't tell you how much easier it makes things. And no more bloodied knuckles or chipped fingernails.

Simply drag the grate across the peel and it traps everything in this little channel. Then you simply tap what's there into the bowl. 

Once all you're lemons are zested...

Simply cut them in half and squeeze out all the juice, taking care to strain out any seeds. A task I usually just use my hands/fingers for.

Now, whisk together your flour, sugar and eggs until smooth.

Then add the lemon zest and juice...

And stir to incorporate.

Once your crust is done...

Pour the lemon mixture over the top.

Put it back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or until just set.

Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.

When ready to serve, lift foil from pan and dust with powdered sugar.

Cut into squares and serve.

So pretty. SO tasty. And that citrusy tang is perfect for summertime or a nice compliment after any rich meal.

As the title reveals, Reunited in the Rockies is a reunion romance. It's a story of broken hearts, broken promises and learning to trust in love again. Because true love, the way God intended it, never fails. It beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things and endureth all things. 

So grab you a lemon bar, pull up a chair and let's talk books. What are you reading? I'm currently reading The Soldier's Redemption by Lee Tobin McLain and I can't wait to read the final book in her Redemption Ranch series, The Nanny's Secret Baby. How's your TBR pile looking?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.