Make Ahead Meals

Yesterday it hit me that this could possibly be the last week I have pre- (4th)baby. (I tend to have my babies 10 days early.) Although I had all the baby stuff "ready" it wasn't organized at all... just sitting in a corner in my room. So, I organized, cleaned, washed lots and lots of laundry, started packing the kiddo's overnight bag and started wondering what happened to all those freezer meals I wanted to make. Oh, I never made any! Well, that has to change.

Last night I made spaghetti and doubled the amount of sauce so I could freeze half of it. Half a meal in the freezer! Here's what else I plan on making (if you are interested):

Muffins
Made a batch this morning- I omitted the chocolate chips (for certain people) and used cinnamon chips, a dash of nutmeg and pumpkin spice- they taste great! Yes, this recipe uses sour cream and I have used yogurt in it's place before with no problem. They are delicious.

Cafe Rio Chicken I made this for the first time last week and Tim thought it was amazing. I doubled the recipe so I can freeze half and make dinner with it tonight. I'm thinking it would be good for chicken enchiladas; we used it for tacos last week.

Mini Bisquick Quiches I'll be making these tomorrow. I like that I can freeze them and just pull out however many we want to eat instead of making an entire quiche that may not get eaten- picky children.

Broccoli Cheese Soup I've had broccoli cheese soup three times in my life- sad, I know. Anyhow, I'm going to try this out and hope it rocks.

Roast
Making a roast is not difficult. I just throw a 3-4 pound roast in the crock pot with salt and pepper and about a cup of beef broth. Set the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours and that's it! You can toss some baby carrots in there about half way through cooking and make some mashed potatoes and boom! Meal made with minimal effort, but tastes awesome.

Stuffed Pasta Shells
I made these a few weeks ago and the boys told me that they could eat them every night. Here's what you need: 27-30 jumbo pasta shells, cooked (or boiled, whatever). A large container of small curd cottage cheese, an egg, half a cup of frozen chopped spinach, basil to taste, a handful of mozzarella. Mix all that together and then spoon inside shells. Top with your favorite pasta sauce and generously cover with mozzarella. Bake at 350 until bubbly. *This fed our family of hearty eaters with leftovers*

White Chicken Enchiladas These are good! Not spicy, but obviously you can add whatever you want to make them spicier. I will probably freeze it with the sauce (I know, it says not to, but I'm a rebel) because I don't want to have to think about anything besides pulling out a meal and popping it in the oven when I'm surviving on 3 hours of sleep.

Chili and cornbread muffins
My recipe is pretty simple and sorry, I rarely measure any ingredients. 1 pound ground meat, chopped onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, tomato sauce + beef broth or water. I usually just add the spices until it smells right.

I will most likely make and freeze some waffles or pancakes, too. If I think of anything else I'll update this post, but I think for now this list will work well.

Tuesday Tidbits

I have a little bit of the nesting bug today (as soon as I type this out I'm sure it will disappear) and thought I would sit down and take a little break. I have done so much laundry today in the effort to make sure all the baskets/hampers are empty when this baby arrives, because who wants three baskets of laundry waiting for them when they get home from the hospital? Not me. So... I really have to keep up with it now.

Yesterday I was gone most of the day grocery shopping, dropping the kids off at my mom's and getting a checkup. The baby is growing wonderfully, especially with the steady diet of cookies that I've been on (the scale didn't hold anything back). That has to stop, though, so I made this potato soup yesterday for supper. I cut the recipe in half and it was more than enough and delicious. I will definitely be making it again and again. It's really budget friendly. As in less than a $1/serving by my completely accurate calculations.

I better get back to managing what's still left to clean up.... the kitchen has been sorely neglected today. More exciting things tomorrow. Maybe.

tiny tuesday

I made a batch of pumpkin cookies using a recipe that is simply a boxed cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. (Recipe here.) I left out the chocolate chips because I didn't want them and also I didn't have any. They are okay. They are super cakey (imagine that), light and airy and moist. I think they would make great mini muffins, but I'm enjoying them with a glass a milk right now and not regretting making them.

Now I have to figure out what to make for supper. And referee the kids apparently. Have a nice afternoon/evening!

food all the time

I'm so glad blogger is letting me post a picture! It's about time. This is from Sunday when the boys were out dove hunting. (They were really just observers.) Also, this picture has nothing to do with this post.

I really want to make some pumpkin bread, but since the mercury is still stuck in the triple digits I am waiting ever so patiently until Saturday when the high is only supposed to be 92. That's practically sweater weather! Juuuussst kidding.

Speaking of food, I made this Honey (Bourbon) Chicken on Monday and I am becoming slightly obsessed with when I will make it again. I want it right now, but I'm making stew tonight and I don't have enough honey or any chicken, so I can't make it now anyhow. What would I do different with this recipe? Make more. You could probably use close to 2 pounds of chicken (I used 1.5) since I ended up with lots of sauce (I poured it over some green beans at lunch the next day). I didn't sprinkle any sesame seeds on it and I didn't add any red pepper flakes since the kids were eating. When I first read the recipe I almost discarded it because it called for a whole cup of honey! Have you bought honey lately? It's not cheap. Anyhow I almost didn't use a whole cup, but I tasted the glaze before I added it to the crock pot and ended up making it a cup. So, just follow the recipe. (I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.) And... no, there's no bourbon in the recipe, but I read through a lot of comments from that post and someone said it originated on Bourbon Street in Louisiana. I'm sure if you really wanted to make it with bourbon you could have a few sips while you were waiting for it to cook in the crock pot. I'm giving this recipe a million stars.

That's all for now. I need to find a snack so I can replenish my energy and finish making supper. Basically, I just said I have to eat so I can make something to eat. Stop judging, I'm pregnant- best excuse ever!

thoughts on tuesday

Tuesday might just become my baking day. This morning I made banana muffins (a new recipe) and pizza crusts for D's homemade "lunchables". I may be becoming that mom. There's no sense in fighting it if I enjoy doing these things and D actually eats and enjoys his lunch.

We're experiencing some sort of End of August Cool Front in the weather department. I really enjoy 90 as a high instead of 101. There is a remarkable difference in eleven degrees. I hope this wonderful trend continues.

D rode the school bus home (well, to the agreed upon pick up/drop off location) yesterday. He really seemed to like riding and was thrilled when I told him he was riding again today. My favorite part of him coming home in the afternoon is the hug he gives me without me asking.


Ry and Rose are playing better together. I think they are getting used to our new schedule. Yesterday and most of this morning they were relatively quiet while playing instead of screaming because they accidentally looked at each other!

I guess I better clean up the mess in the kitchen. It's now or never.

Banana Muffins

(from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 12th Ed.)

 Makes 12 regular sized muffins
(dry ingredients)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
(wet ingredients)
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup mashed banana (or a cup for more banana-y flavor)
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I didn't use- picky eaters)

Also optional: Streusel Topping
Combine 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Again, didn't use, was not in a sweet food mood.)

1. Grease 12 regular muffin cups, preheat oven to 400

2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, make a well in center of mixture, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl combine wet ingredients. Add to four mixture and stir until just combined. (add optional ingredients now.)

4. Spoon batter into muffin tin (2/3 full). If opting in favor of, sprinkle streusel topping over batter, if not, that's okay they taste great without. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes (if you can last that long). Serve warm (with butter and a cold glass of milk).

Make, eat, repeat. You are welcome.

Random Ramblin' on Tuesday

Guess what? I just ordered a pair of sneakers from Amazon. My foot is somewhat of a monstrosity (long and skinny) and I rarely find shoes in my size (12) that I like or am even willing to try on. I believe a majority of shoes made in my size are designed for cross dressers... so finding nice flats or sandals is always a challenge. Sneakers are nearly impossible. At one point I broke down and bought mens, but they are just ugly. The ones I've had for the past 6 years finally broke down and I am left with flip flops and a pair of brown flats. I searched the stores and unless I wanted to pay a ridiculous amount of money for good looking, comfortable sneakers I was out of luck. I am a little anxious about ordering shoes online, but the reviews were all good and now I can't wait for Thursday to get here! I hope they work out.

Have you ever tried chocolate soy milk? Same price as my coffee creamer, but way healthier. I had my banana milk shake with it- so good!! The boys don't notice a difference between it and the regular chocolate milk they sometimes get and there's no artificial food dyes or preservatives to worry about.

Yesterday I decided to buy guacamole instead of regular avocados since it was the same price. Terrible decision. Only after I got home, opened the quac and started reading the label did I realize I was eating FLAVORED guacamole dip. "Made with skim milk, soy beans... contains less than 2% avocados" lesson learned- always read the ingredients in the store. It tastes gross, too. I ate my last avocado yesterday for lunch and now I am just sad. (I know I just said how great soy milk tastes, but soy guacamole is a fail.)

I am thinking about making some flourless peanut butter cookies. It's too late for that today, but maybe tomorrow morning.

I just read that watermelon has more lycopene per ounce than tomatoes. What?! And it's super beneficial during pregnancy because it eases heartburn, reduces swelling and helps prevent muscle cramps during the 3rd trimester. I should have bought a watermelon yesterday! It's on the grocery list for next week now.

Okay, so sneakers and food is all that's on my mind today! Now off to tackle the laundry mountains...

Recipe Links

Yesterday I mentioned food in almost every other sentence. Steph requested recipes and I'm more than happy to share where I found these great meals.

First up is the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. I had never made this before, but it sounded easy (especially since it's made in a slow cooker/crock pot). The recipe calls for boneless pork shoulder, but I couldn't remember that at the store and bought what was labeled "pork for carnitas" and assumed it would be just fine since carnitas is pulled or shredded pork for tacos... right? (That was all that was on the label so maybe it was pork shoulder?) I think I had roughly 3-4 pounds and it cost under $6. We loved it. Even my picky eaters were asking for thirds! I didn't make my own BBQ sauce, instead I chose two different store bought sauces because we like options around here. I did not follow the shredding-adding bbq sauce-reheating method that is in the directions. Instead I just took enough pork for a few sandwiches, added a tablespoon of the cooking liquid and a few tablespoons of bbq sauce and then made a sandwich like that. We definitely didn't use a whole two cups of sauce, either, but maybe you like more while we were happy with less. This recipe is a keeper and using the "pork for carnitas" ended up being a very inexpensive meal.

Next up I mentioned pizza. You can find my method for homemade pizza here.

I made nachos for lunch on Sunday. I just spread refried beans on chips (my favorite right now is On the Border brand), covered with some leftover taco meat I had, jalapenos and shredded cheese. Heated it in the microwave for 45 seconds to a minute. Easy.

Alright, biscuits and gravy. Or, The Best Breakfast Ever.
Sometimes making gravy is a trying task. Sometimes it's perfect and other times you want to throw your skillet out the window. I received The Homesick Texan Cookbook for Christmas and it's definitely a little treasure of mine. I made the biscuits (recipe here) and substituted shortening (half cup) for the butter and they turned out perfectly. (Also, the recipe says to "beat" the biscuits, but in the cookbook this is left out so I didn't do it, and I believe is why mine turned out so fluffy.)
Tips for making biscuits- don't over work the dough, when cutting biscuits never twist your cutter- simply push it through the dough and then pull straight up. This will help them rise and you'll be able to split them in half exactly like you're supposed to- with a fork.

For the gravy you can use this recipe. I first browned a half pound of breakfast sausage and then made the gravy and added the sausage to it. Or you could commit a sin of sorts and use a cream gravy mix.... I um, have certainly neeevvveeeer done that before.

And one more! Last night for supper I made Skillet Lasagne. It made more than enough for one meal so I froze half of it for another night. It's very simple, uses ONE skillet (or pot, that's what I used) and tastes delicious (unless you are a very stubborn four year old that won't even try it). I followed the directions, but added basil and oregano to the meat before adding the tomatoes which made it more like my usual lasagne. It was really good and will be added to my recipe rotation. It's also fairly quick to make, something like 30-45ish minutes from start to "on the table".

So, there you have it. Consider them all highly recommended and try them out soon!

meal planning

Grocery shopping day is almost here and I've been busy searching store ads and coupon sites for deals. I also made a menu for the coming week, which is probably something most of you do. I should be more organized and sometimes I am, but often I end up picking three meals and then winging it for the rest of the week. I've come up with a good menu and am going to try to stick with it this time!

Here's what I have planned:
Thursday- attending class at church with provided meal (yeah!)
Friday- Fish with pasta and veggies
Saturday- chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans
Sunday- Pizza
Monday- Asian glazed drumsticks (I plan on using chicken thighs), rice and broccoli coleslaw
Tuesday- Lasanga, garlic bread and steamed broccoli
Wednesday- depends on t-ball practice, probably crab cakes and homemade fries
Thursday- cheese enchiladas, beans, Mexican rice

I didn't write out lunch or breakfast because those are somewhat easier to plan. The better I plan the fewer times I have to ask T to pick something up on his way home from work, although there is almost always the milk and yogurt stop on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Do you meal plan a week or month in advance? We have been eating less beef and I made a lot of chicken dishes last week and got tired of it faster than I thought. I try to keep a variety of pasta on hand for night where I need a quick meal of spaghetti or the like. Tortillas, cheese and frozen veggies for quesadillas or omelets or usually stocked up as well.

I'd love it if you would share a meal that is easy to make or keep the items on hand for. I almost always reach for pasta of some sort when I am running out of time or energy in the evenings. Share away!

yes, I'm sharing food pics & where are my advisers at?

The kids loved their "valentimes/balentimes" pizzas and strawberry topped vanilla-coconut cupcakes. I made the cupcakes from scratch, which is something I don't think I've ever done before. The icing finally, after many years and attempts at making it, turned out perfect. It's my favorite icing of all time. My mom has been topping chocolate cakes with it since before I can remember and it was always what I requested my birthday cakes have on them. (Unless my Oma was making my cake and then it was either German chocolate or orange with real orange pieces with cream cheese icing and chopped pecans on top.) Anyhow, I was really, really happy that it whipped up the right way. I would be lying if I said I didn't do a real happy dance.

Shrimp linguine was super easy to make and was delicious. Sorry, I have no pictures because we ate it before I remembered to take any. I gave T his card and he kept asking why I put "intentional" on it. He never questioned "superhero".

(yo, all you people reading this are now officially my advisers and your comments would be really helpful in easing my psychotic research freak out tendencies.) 

I am still figuring out about getting smart phones with data plans (because you can't get one without the other anymore). Does anyone use their phone's service to blog or read blogs? How much data do you use in a month and what do you use it on? I need all the information I can get. So help me out. Pretty please?

Well it looks like I better be going. It sounds like someone is doing some unsupervised and unauthorized demolition in the living room.

some random things from today

Not much to say as I felt like I was in a fog all day. I woke up tired and it never really went away despite popping vitamins this morning. I had planned to try to take a nap while the kids did, but never got the chance. T suggested I ride the (stationary) bike this evening and what do you know? I felt pretty good, if not totally out of shape, just in time to take a shower and wind down before bed.

In other news, I ordered some I Spy books for the boys to look at when they get bored in church and caved to the "buy one get one half off" sale on the Hunger Games books. Apparently these books are so popular they have a movie coming out based on them? I don't usually read the bestsellers while they are a big deal, but I was able to read a chapter online and it kept my attention so... you know what I did. Has anyone read them or have anything good or bad to say about them?

One more random thing. Supper tonight was "what can I make with sausage and rice?" Here you go: Make 2 cups of rice. While rice is cooking chop some onions and red and green bell peppers (about half a cup all together) and saute in butter for a few minutes. Add one can of crushed tomatoes, a can of drained red kidney beans and two links of sausage that have been diced/cubed. Season with creole seasoning OR seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder and garlic powder. Simmer for 5-10 minutes allowing flavors to develop and serve over rice. T said he really liked it, so it's hungry man approved! And it's budget friendly. Win-Win.

I'm off to bed now. Have a delightful evening everyone!

ten happy things friday

Making blueberry muffins with D at 6:30am because he woke up early and hungry. Plus, he remembered that "blueberries make you smart!"

Ice cream.

Going on a walk yesterday.

 Homemade "chimichangas" for lunch. (I made up this simple version a few days ago: spoon taco meat into flour tortilla, roll, place seam side down in hot oil, fry both sides until golden and crisp, pour queso over. Eat. Be happy.)

Our Brita water pitcher. Otherwise I'd never drink water. Ever. Unless it was SmartWater because that stuff is amazing. (also, I must have three drops of lemon juice per 10oz.)

After a very hard day with the potty trainee yesterday (I'm talking outrageous temper tantrums for even walking into the bathroom and stiff legs so as not to be able to sit on the toilet), this morning she has gone three times: twice she told me and once with me asking.

Possibly going to the store tomorrow and maybe finding a new pair of dressy shoes that hopefully will be under my strict budget and miraculously fit my flippers.

Chilling out, relaxing and watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. I really don't care for either team, but I dislike the Patriots more than the Giants.

Towels that are still warm from the dryer.

It's Friday!!

Weekend Details

Guten Tag! We had a wonderful weekend. Friday night we went to a rehearsal dinner, even though we were not part of the wedding. The food was yummy and it was nice to hang out with our friends before their wedding the next day. We got home late and surprisingly we all slept in on Saturday morning. It was a rainy/cloudy day. I spent the morning cooking waffles and then grocery shopping and figuring out what dress to wear. I decided on a old classic black dress I've had for years. (I smartly paired it with a cropped sweater since I am prone to freezing.) We packed up the kids and dropped them at my parents house for the evening and started out to the wedding venue. Since we left early (and the Longhorns were playing) we met some friends at a family bar/grill/Chinese restaurant/ice house to watch what we could of the game. When we left the ice house collaboration they had a live "band" playing Celtic music... so walking out was almost like taking a world/culture tour. It was... different.

We made it to the venue with time to spare and this was one of the best weddings I've ever been to. They started serving drinks prior to the reception (a big hit with all the guys) and due to the weather they moved the ceremony inside (to the reception area since there's no chapel) and we unknowingly picked the best table to sit at for watching the processional. I must say Matt and Jessica had told us Friday that they had a surprise that only T and I would understand... it was the music. They played the theme of Lonesome Dove. I think I almost hyperventilated I was so thrilled. The bride walked down the aisle to Canon in D (which made me tear up because I had that at my wedding). The ceremony was short and sweet. One of their friends is an ordained minister and performed the ceremony (very cool). The atmosphere was relaxed and laid back (which is a great reflection of Matt and Jessica) and really beautiful at the same time.

It was a late night! We didn't get home until about 2am. Sunday we got to sleep in again! It was raining (hallelujah!) so we hunkered down and watched football. The kids wanted to "cook" and we don't have a play kitchen so I improvised and drew a stove top on a piece of cardboard, took a small shoe box and turned it into a microwave and gave them a small pot that I was going to throw away. Rose has some tiny stainless pots and some food that she got for her birthday last year. I really want to expand on that for her birthday and Christmas this year. She has a blast cooking and playing with her tea set. They have a little table with two chairs and I gave them some small paper plates to play with, too. One of their specialties was tomato and pea soup. They really get a kick out of that cardboard stove... imagine if I got them a real fake kitchen!

Last night I made pizza (like always), but someone has started requesting three pizzas instead of our usual two. Well, I ran out of pepperoni and didn't have enough mozzarella for another pizza... So, I turned on my thinking cap and remembered I had bought a rotisserie chicken and bbq sauce on Saturday. BBQ chicken pizza was born. I really liked it and am waiting patiently for lunch time so I can eat the last two pieces!

I guess that's it for now. I have some important Internet browsing to do for Christmas. Who knows, maybe it'll spark some decorating spirit in me because I'm sort of surprised at how unmotivated I am to put up a tree this year. I almost just want to throw a construction paper tree up on the wall... classy.

later wonderful friends!

prehistoric black friday: chaper 3: happily ever after

Are you tired of my pictures yet? This is definitely picture overload, but I don't scrapbook or even get prints of my photos most of the time so I will keep the memories here for now. 

chapter one      chapter two

After we left the museum we decided to walk through the campus (since it was a lovely day) and see if the LBJ Library was open. (It's free, by the way!) We did make it there and yes, they were open. It was busier than the museum and I think we were the only people that brought children under 15 years old. It was also lunchtime and the kids were getting restless so our visit was verrrry brief (we have been there before though and it's really interesting).

oh look! downtown Austin construction! That's always a nice addition to great photos. (yes, that's the UT tower in the background... we didn't make it over there, but there's always next time.)

I really like this picture. It has a retro feel to it (at least to me). It's like we had the entire place to ourselves... which we sort of did. Inside was a different story as there were many older(ish) folks milling around (wait, does this mean we are old?)

We went to the 10th floor and saw LBJ's Oval Office (replicated) and then someone or maybe all of us started feeling really hungry. Apparently cinnamon rolls will only hold you over for so long (especially if you accidentally burn them.) T suggested bar-b-q or my favorite Mexican restaurant, Maudie's. Seeing how the last time I was going to eat at Maudie's I was experiencing contractions and was on the phone with my doctor's nurse when we pulled into the parking lot only to be told, "No, you can't eat lunch. Go to the hospital." I jumped at the chance for my favorite enchiladas! 

The food was perfect. The kids' behavior was exceptional. The tacos, chips & salsa, rice and beans and, of course, the enchiladas were all I had hoped and dreamed of for over 2 years. As many times as I make tacos and enchiladas at home I fail so badly to replicate my favorite.

she was worth missing Maudie's... although I still don't know why no one brought me some in the hospital

I know it sounds terrible that I hadn't been to Maudie's in over two years when I have frequently gone to Austin for doctor visits and such. It's just that my Maudie's is not close to my doctor's offices. And I like it being a special treat. It's a special place to T and I. I remember lunch breaks spent there while we were both working/living in Austin and childless. It was really fun to take the kids and reminisce about those days. We even drove to our old apartment complex (and I went in and asked how much they were going for just for fun). We stopped by our friends' place (they are getting married this weekend!) and said hi. Then we thought of going to Mount Bonnell (very cool, holds some great memories, too), but it was packed (what's with that?) so we just drove around and looked at all the awesome houses out there. Very much like back in the day. By then the kids were falling asleep so we drove home and rented Captain America and Horrible Bosses from redbox to end the night. Awesome daytrip vacation. I can't wait for 2012 Black Friday.

We had such a great day. I'm looking forward to next year! I'm glad I could share it with y'all, too. 

this sums up our lovely, lovely day

This makes for a fun day

Just in case you were procrastinating (as I was) Thanksgiving is TOMORROW. That means I have to bake two pies, cinnamon rolls and prep celery and onions for dressing. (I know, it doesn't seem like a whole lot, but I do have those children getting into everything... it's sort of distracting.) I've got the cinnamon rolls started and I have 25 minutes until I have to mess with them again. I've not changed out of my pajamas and neither have the children. (In all fairness it's only 8am.)

I'm making this apple pie. Did you know apple pie is somewhat labor intensive? I have only made it once before, but right now I'm just thinking: peel four apples, core & chop four apples, make, chill, roll out 2 pie crusts. Pie crusts: grate 16 tablespoons of butter. (what? 16 tablespoons is totally acceptable for dos pie crusts.) (Grating butter is something I learned from Dwija from a simple little tweet back in October.)

That brings to mind the talk radio show I was forced to listen to yesterday morning. They were talking about how Thanksgiving dinner is full of sodium and it's just terrible for you (even once a year it supposedly makes you more susceptible to heart disease and blood pressure issues) and I out loud strongly disagreed with them. Take, for example, the average person that eats out on a weekly basis. (I actually said monthly, but T said that was really low-balling it and that most people eat out weekly.) Okay, so on average, you go out to eat (I realize most of my readers may not do this because most of you have children and restaurants are a thing of the past or very far off future...) and are served outrageous portions and usually eat them all up. Full of sodium and preservatives. How is this so different from gorging on a Thanksgiving "homemade" meal once a year? If you are smart you don't go adding extra salt or butter or even eat excessively. Maybe you eat more carbs than you would usually and you probably indulge more than you normally would. Come on, it's Thanksgiving. I will not go "light" for the holidays. End rant.

I had to make the cinnamon rolls before I was done with this. My house is smelling so nice right now.

The kids are really quiet, too. Probably because they are busy stuffing their faces. What a wonderful sound.

I guess I better get them dressed and do some housework. The pies are on the afternoon docket as I now have to clean the giant mess up in the kitchen. (and sneak another cinnamon roll without the kids seeing me. not an easy task.)

Have a delightful day.

Honey, Oil and Pumpkin

Hello! I'm having a nice Saturday playing nurse/mother to a sick child. I have a little window of opportunity to share some things right now so... real quick:

 uno

This morning I made this pumpkin spice creamer. It turned out alright, I think I'll need to add more syrup/sweetener to it for my taste and maybe a tad more pumpkin? It just wasn't as pumpkin-y as I'd hoped for. Still, I think it's a great base to start from. 

dos

Since I had the pumpkin open and was making waffles for breakfast I went ahead and experimented some more. I was going to make them from scratch, but honestly I've been feeling a little worn out so I made them from Bisquick. To that mix I added 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and a couple of dashes of pumpkin pie spice and a teaspoon-ish of vanilla. They turned out great, but again, not pumpkin enough. I'll probably add more spice next time. However, delicious with maple syrup! Liked them better than plain ol' waffles.

tres

In response to my hair's cry for help yesterday Grace sent me a link for a shiny hair mask. First off, I was ecstatic that it was 2 ingredients and I had them on hand! So, I went with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of honey (after some more research about honey and oil hair masks with Ms. Google). Guys, it was messy. After I stood there contemplating how exactly to apply it to my hair I grabbed my silicone basting brush and applied it with that (to dry hair). I focused on my ends; they needed the most care. Oh, I should mention I warmed this concoction up to slightly above room temperature before applying. After I had saturated my hair I proceeded to wrap my hair in saran wrap and then totally creep out my husband for thirty minutes. (hahaha)
I'd advise you, if you have children, to not do this in their presence. Rose already likes to put ketchup, gravy, applesauce and such things in her hair while eating.... this would only encourage that behavior! Also, your hands are going to be covered in oil and sticky from honey so any attempt at child wrangling while trying to beautify yourself is likely to go awry.

When my thirty minutes was up I hopped in the shower and used a 2in1 shampoo & conditioner (2x) and did a final rinse with cool water. My hair feels nice and soft (so do my hands) and it's a bit more shiny (not like in the advertised pic in the link, but I have coarse, wavy hair and didn't expect that). I let it air dry and my ends are definitely more subdued and not frizzy and straw like. If I actually styled my hair I bet it would look really amazing, but I have sworn off my hair straightener (except for special occasions) so that's not happening right now. My hair feels silkier than usual, even with that 2in1 shampoo (it usually feels really coarse when I use that) so if I used my regular shampoo and conditioner it'd probably have an even better result. I was worried about using it since it's a shine booster and I didn't know how well the honey and oil would wash out. (It rinsed easily for me.) My hair is just below my shoulders, so I'd recommend using more if you have longer hair. This was just enough for me.

Okay, well, I have to go take care of the children now. I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Mmm... Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had to make it myself. I found a couple of recipes online and studied them for a bit and then came up with a mix/mash up of them. It certainly isn't the healthiest soup, but it's so good that it doesn't matter.

servings: 4 hearty helpings
easy peasy

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked chicken (cubed or shredded) add fajita seasoning for extra flavor
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup fajita veggies (red & green bell peppers & onions)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/3-1 cup salsa (depends on how much heat you want)
• 6-8 oz velveeta (shh. just use it.) cubed
• 1 cup milk
• fritos

How I cooked my chicken: 
I took 2 chicken breasts and boiled them in  chicken broth and water (totaling about 3 cups of liquid) I seasoned the broth with salt (we had low sodium broth), pepper and a little tony chachere's creole seasoning (not taco or fajita seasoning, I know! thinking outside the box). When the chicken was done cooking I removed it from the pot and let it rest while I poured the broth into a measuring cup.

Shred or cube up the chicken. Set it aside and gather your remaining ingredients and measure them out.

Now, take a large pot and over medium heat add the butter and fajita veggies. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add the flour and whisk it in til it's smooth. (this will be thick)

To this add the 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth and stir together until smooth. Let this simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the cheese and salsa and let it melt and become smooth (a-gain) for about 2 minutes more

Now turn your heat down and add the milk and chicken. Let this combine and warm, but not boil.

Serve with fritos on top. (I think sour cream and some fresh green onions or cilantro would be good, too)
 
next time I might add a finely chopped jalapeno for more kick
 

I loved it. It was pretty close to my favorite from a sandwich shop (theirs had more spice, but I had children to think of). T said it was amazing and had seconds and even Rose ate most of hers. I'll definitely be making it again (probably experiment with some other add ins, too). Enjoy!!

pictures (sans clever title)

Last night we celebrated my brother's birthday. I mentioned yesterday that I was going to bake some cookies and give some to him for his present.... didn't go like I planned. I halved my recipe (no biggie) and substituted butter for shortening... apparently this is where it went um, flat. I think I should have chilled the dough before plopping the cookies on pans and shoving them in the oven. Were they tasty? Yes. Did they look good? Nah. See for yourself.

I was so happy to be baking but this kind of ruined it. How do I mess up cookies?

I didn't box them up and gift them. I just went and ate tacos and let my presence be my present. I didn't even have a card (I am such a thoughtful sister).

Then there was the free entertainment provided by the children

Rose practically tackling D cause she needed a lift

Ry was oblivious to his siblings' shenanigans and watched Toy Story 3

Opa, my sis, D & T.J

Beard-O (playing the role of uncle) and T.J

I know I'm editing pics!! I like the sketch effect on free photoshop.... maybe too much?

Well, I took uno photo of my bro and it's not exactly flattering so I will be a good sis and not embarrass him. (I don't think he even knows I have a blog so I could very probably, almost, maybe get away with it if I did.)

I'm off to the grocery store now. Three people are about to have some serious words with me because they are out of juice, yogurt and cheese sticks... Please let them have pumpkin pie spice creamer for me; it's like a little reward if they do. I am hoping that my early morning trip will prevent the little ones from doing a repeat of last week. I did not appreciate them mocking me in the produce section. (I'm being a smart(ish) lady and taking a ziploc of animal crackers with me... will they stop a potential meltdown? We shall see. we.shall. see.)

Apple Pie

I finally made apple pie yesterday. (and crossed it off my list!) You know how most of the time apple pie has a double crust? Yeah, I forgot and just made one crust and then was too lazy to make another so I searched through my cookbook and found "Easiest Apple Pie" and boom. Made. Here we go... this is the combination of two recipes that I married together; twas a beautiful event.

*make a pie crust*

1. Peel, core and slice 3-4 medium Granny Smith apples. I sliced them up into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.

2. Combine the following in a medium bowl

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch 
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt

3. Pour 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I didn't have any so I just used white grape juice... totally improvising!) over the apples.

4. Add the sugar mixture to the apples and stir to coat evenly

Set aside your apples while you mix the crumb topping together

5. Assemble Crumb Topping:

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter- melted
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 1 cup all purpose flour

 mix together and set aside a few minutes.

(you could also have your apprentice do this for you)

6. Roll out your crust and pour in apples

 7. Dot with (more) butter

8. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples.

9. Throw it in the oven (okay, I put mine on a baking sheet and gently placed it in the oven) for 45-50ish minutes. By the way, your oven should be preheated to 400 and then immediately turned down to 375 after the pie is in the oven. Don't ask me why, I just did what I was instructed.

10. Find some vanilla ice cream while your pie is cooling... and then I think you can figure out how to eat the thing.

I'm pretty sure making this pie helped the Rangers win game 2 last night. And I shared it... obviously (and begrudgingly) with Beard-O and the kids, but I also sent a 1/4 of it with my brother-in-law to share with my sister. (I haven't heard from her, but he said it was really good... and would like some more.)

Pizza Sundays

We have pizza every Sunday. Well, almost. It's very rare we don't have it on Sunday, but if not then I make it during the week. I am 99% sure you could figure out how to make pizza yourself but since I talk about it a lot I decided to just go ahead and post it. (it's super fancy)

     1. Make The Pioneer Woman's pizza dough about an hour before you want to eat. *I usually use canola oil* (I have used several different dough recipes and this one is really good, easy and makes enough for two 13in pizzas. which is enough for my very hungry family)

     2. When the dough has risen divide it up (make individual pizzas or divide for two pizzas), spread it over your pan(s) as thick or thin as you want. (I like mine right in the middle; pizza joints probably refer to it as "hand tossed") and preheat oven to 450 degrees (F)

     3. Open some tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and spread over dough. (or a jar of pizza sauce if you're into that) Season with garlic powder, fresh or dried basil, salt, pepper. (you could blend it together if you have whole tomatoes)

this particular day I had no fresh basil although I do prefer it

     4. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella or use fresh mozzarella (oh so good!) if you are feeling fancy and it's available. 

fresh mozzarella is really good. again, use what you have.

     5. Now, is where we choose our toppings. I love peppers and jalapenos. When I don't have them I'm sad. So, I keep frozen fajita veggies in the freezer. Add whatever you want but I go with seasoned ground beef, pepperoni and the peppers. Sometimes black olives and Canadian bacon or diced ham.

     6. Put that pizza in the oven for 10-12 minutes depending on how thick your crust is, how many toppings you have.
    
     7. Open oven and be amazed and what you have created.

  and enjoy every bite!