Family, Food, & More

Fiesta Rice Bowls

2012-02-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

This can be done in the slow cooker, or since I was late thinking about dinner, the pressure cooker! I have one of those nifty and cool electric pressure cookers that I use several times a week now! Very happy with my investment.

Start cooking your rice(yes, it goes this quick).

Add to the pressure cooker:
2 lbs. cubed cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of your favorite salsa(I used 2 cups home canned)
Cook 10 minutes on 40 psi in your pressure cooker. If you are using a slow cooker, I'd estimate about 2 hours on high.

When pressure has been released, add:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small package frozen sweet yellow corn
1 8oz. pkg. lower fat cream cheese(do not use fat free)
Candied Jalapenos if you like, or any other additions such as olives, diced chilies, etc....
Bring pressure back up to 40psi and cook another 10 minutes. Release pressure and stir well. Keep on warm until ready to serve.

Serve over brown or white rice with toppings such as shredded cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, green onions, crushed chips, etc....

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-12-10T09:35:00.001-08:00

I took this to a Christmas party for my husband's work and I got many compliments and requests. It's a combination of 2 recipes that I tweeked.

1 lb. block cheddar cheese
1 8 oz. Jar Cowboy Candy(candied jalapenos), undrained
2 8oz. packages Neufchatel Cream Cheese
1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
4 Tbl. Whipping Cream
Kosher Salt to taste
2 tsp. Sriracha Sauce(more or less depending on heat preference)
1 tsp. garlic powder(or 1 clove garlic crushed)

Crumb Topping
2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick(1/2 cup) melted, but not hot, Butter

Preheat oven to 350'. Spray the blade and inside of the food processor with non-stick spray(this just makes things easier, you can skip if you like). Cut up cheese into 1" pieces and chop in food processor until finely grated. Remove 3/4 cup and set aside. Dump in undrained jar of Cowboy Candy, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and whipping cream. Process/pulse until jalapenos are diced but not pureed. Add salt, garlic powder, and taste! It is good cold too(without the topping)! Add Sriracha Sauce to taste and combine. Spray 2 qt. casserole dish with non-stick spray and add cheesy mix or divide between 2 1 qt. casserole dishes and set aside. In another bowl melt 1 stick of butter on high 30 seconds, it probably won't melt entirely, and that's just perfect. Add Panko bread crumbs and cheddar cheese. Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles an even crumbly mixture. Spread over cheese mixture evenly and bake 15-25 minutes on bottom rack. If the top is not browned, cook another 5-10 minutes on the top rack so it will brown underneath the heat element. Do not over cook or the mayonnaise can separate from the cream and then it looks like a big greasy soupy mess. Serve with chewy bread slices or crackers.

The original recipe can be found HERE.

If you don't have Cowboy Candy on hand(which you are seriously missing out on then!), you can use 2 4oz. cans diced chilies and add some fresh chopped jalapenos.

Peanut Butter Caramel Apple Cobbler

2011-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

I didn't measure the ingredients, so feel free to splurge a little if you like cinnamon a little more, or want to add ginger or vanilla. It's an easy recipe to play with and hard to go wrong.

3lbs. apples, peeled/cored/sliced*
2 Tbl. cornstarch
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup(maple, agave, or brown rice would also work)

1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups brown sugar
1 stick(1/2 cup) cold butter
1/3-1/2 cup chopped dry roasted salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350'. Spray the bottom and sides of a deep 9x13" baking pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, coat apples evenly with lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, & sugar. Spread apples evenly in baking pan. Spray a small microwave proof bowl or measuring cup with non-stick spray. Pour in Golden Syrup and peanut butter. Microwave on high 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Drizzle evenly over apple slices. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, peanuts, and cold butter cut into small pieces. Use a pastry blender to cut butter into the mixture until resembling fine crumbs. Spread evenly over apples and peanut butter mixture. Bake 45 minutes. Then cover loosely with foil and bake another 15 minutes.

Let cool and serve over vanilla ice cream or with whipping cream.

* I used a mix of Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples, yum!

Breaking Dawn Part 1

2011-11-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

You're safe, no spoilers, I don't want to ruin all the fun. And that's exactly what it is, FUN! I've gone to the midnight showing of all four Twilight movies now because it is SO fun. The books became a great way to find something common with my oldest daughter. And then the youngest, well, she refused to read them. However she did manipulate me somehow to pay her $1 per chapter for Twilight, which was the exact amount she needed saving up for something she wanted. It had no everlasting psychological effects though, she hasn't read the other ones, yet. She is however hooked on seeing the movies. Last night was no exception, it was a blast watching it in a movie theater filled with all the energy and excitement.

I bought my tickets the first part of November and we were supposed to be in Stadium 10. At that time the cashier told us there were 60 seats sold in 1 and 45 in 10, but last night they had to open up more and it just gets busier and busier with every showing. So, we ended up being in Stadium 8 with mostly high school/college kids. Just a few of us moms. Along with extra showings came extra boys. When Twilight came out I noticed a handful of men, not teenage boys(they're kind of dumb that way). The men were also googly eyed over the women they were with. Smart. (Hoping the hubby gets a hint before the BD.2 comes out) But last night, the boys were out to be goofballs. It's no biggie, it's expected, they're in school with the girls all day anyways, and it's kind of a party atmosphere. However, I really could have done without the loud fart sound at the end of the movie while we're all hushed in anticipation of something we all knew was coming. I giggled at the fart last night with the rest of the audience, but this morning I'm irritated, maybe it's because I'm still tired. Girls, leave your "boys" at home. Women, your mature dates are welcome.

Now, having visually wet noodle slapped those boys, did I take this movie seriously? No. I thought it was a big can of cheese whiz, but so was the book! It was fun, I wondered how these scenes would play out. Taylor has uh, well, he's gotten older and I don't feel as bad now getting a few pitter pats when he's walking around with a tight shirt on. He was more covered up this time, and it didn't matter, the kid is still going to rule the screens, watch. Kind of the same way Benjamin Bratt took off. Oh, yeah, I told myself I wasn't going to even bother with Private Practice this year, but then I decided I really need to watch the Bratt every week. The acting did get MUCH better with this film. Forget Team Jacob or Team Edward, I'm Team Charlie now that I've seen him in a tux. ;) Besides, Jacob and Edward are definitely taken.

I can't wait for Part 2. Bella is supposed to come back and kick some...."booty". And I will be there at midnight with bags under my eyes and $ store candy in my purse(I forgot it last night though!).

Home Canned Apple Pie Filling

2011-11-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

18 cups(about 6 lbs.) peeled, cored, sliced apples
3 cups white granulated sugar
1-1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn starch
1 Tbl. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground all spice
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 64 oz. bottle unsweetened apple juice or cider
2 cups water
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract(or 1 tsp. double strength)
1 drop doTerra Ginger Essential Oil
1 drop doTerra Wild Orange Essential Oil
7 Quart Sized Jars with disks and rings for canning

Peel apples. Segment peeled apples using an apple corer/wedger* and place in a large bowl with water and lemon juice(1/4 cup per 4 cups cool water), set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil to blanch apple wedges for one minute, 6 cups at a time. Set aside apples in another large bowl and keep warm(I just covered with a towel). In a very large pot combine sugars, cornstarch, dry spices, and whisk. Add apple juice or apple cider, lemon juice, and water and bring to a boil. When it starts to thicken add apple wedges and cook another 5-10 minutes until thick and apples are heated through. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla, and essential oils. Ladle apples and syrup into sterilized hot jars, leaving 1" head space. Run a chopstick or canning tool through to remove bubbles. Wipe rims and add disks and rings. Process 25 minutes, or as recommended based on your altitude. Remove and let cool overnight. If any have not sealed within one hour, refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.

Recipe yields 6-7 quart jars. One quart for a 9" pie plate.

Do not use if seal breaks, if lid is bulging, or it smells. A few of my jars oozed pie filling a little while processing, but my canning expert friend assures me this is okay so long as they seal properly. Just wipe down any residue being careful not to break any seals. All but one sealed properly. Oh darn, if we MUST make a pie.

Whisk sugar, corn starch, and dry spices before adding apple juice/cider, lemon, and water.

Healthy Cherries Gracias Frozen Yogurt

2011-11-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

I love Greek Yogurt, specifically plain Greek Yogurt. It's rich in flavor and tastes so good with just an add-in or two. I had quite a bit, forgetting I had already stocked up so I needed to do something with it. I decided to try make Frozen Yogurt and this is what I came up with.

2 cups Frozen Dark Cherries
1/2 cup Apple Juice(not cocktail)
1/4 cup sugar(optional, you can also try your favorite non-calorie sweetener or honey)

1/2 cup each White & Dark Chocolate Chips, finely chopped
2 tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste
3 cups Plain Greek Yogurt

In a small saucepan combine cherries, apple juice, and sugar(optional). Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring and smashing frequently until it is reduced about 1/2. Let cool slightly and process in small food processor or blender until almost smooth. You're just trying to make sure there are no large pieces of skin. Allow to cool, refrigerate to speed this along. In a large mixing bowl, combine yogurt, chocolate chips, vanilla, and cooled mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight. Add to ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Optional: Add toasted slivered almonds, additional dark chocolate chunks, or brownie pieces the last 5 minutes of mixing ice cream.

Apple Cranberry Sauce

2011-10-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

I read a description online of a gourmet shop with these ingredients, well, almost all of them. Hers called for Allspice, I used Ginger instead. I of course had no measurements, but I tried to keep track so I could replicate this again in case we liked it. We REALLY liked it! And it's a gorgeous color too.

I used a 20 qt. large stock pot I believe.

Granny Smith Apples(approx. 20 medium size)
Fuji Apples (8 large size)
4 limes, juiced(microwave for 30 seconds first)
2-4 cups water(depends on how thick you like it)
1 bag fresh cranberries

sugar(optional, I thought 3 cups was perfect)

1 Tbl. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt

2-3 drops doTerra Wild Orange Essential Oil

Add 2 cups water and lime juice to large stock pot. Peel, core, slice, and quarter or half apples. Add the apples to the pot stirring often so that all of the apples are coated with the lime juice. They cook down as you keep adding so you can add more than you think you will be able to fit. If you need more water, add as necessary. Rinse and pick through the bag of cranberries for any questionable berries and toss the gross ones. When the pot is filled about half way, add the prepared cranberries. Add remaining apples. Stir and stir until all of the apples are tender and the berries are done popping. Remove from heat and using a long handled immersion blender blend until smooth, or your desired consistency. Bring back to a low rolling boil/simmer. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and taste. Add sugar if you desire to your liking. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Add doTerra Wild Orange Essential Oil and mix very well.

If you are canning: Remove sterilized jars and fill one at a time while mixture is still slightly bubbling after the low rolling boil for 5 minutes. Top with sealing disc and tighten with ring just until tightened. Process in boiling water with rack for 25 minutes(I'm at 2,600 ft, so you'll have to check your elevation requirements). Remove jars and set on towel to remain undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the sealing discs though after 1-2 hours to verify all jars have been sealed by gently pushing down in center. This yielded 7 1qt. jars.

If you are not canning, this would be great in the freezer as well. Use this sauce as a yogurt mixin or topping for ice cream. Or just plain like in my old book.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

2011-10-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

4 cooked chicken breasts, cooked & diced

2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup

1/2 container of Philadelphia Creme Original Flavor

8oz. fat free half n half(or whipping cream for really rich sauce)

1 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 1/2 cups chopped frozen veggies, thawed(leftovers are perfect)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 Tbl. Parsley

1/2 tsp. Turmeric

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 minced garlic clove

3 packages Pillsbury Grands Butter Biscuits

Makes 12. Mix all of the ingredients, except the biscuits(duh), in a large bowl. Add more liquid as needed, I added a little of the squash soup from last night(sneaky). Spray 2 large muffin pans(mine only has 6 spots in each) with non-stick spray. Flatten 12 biscuit dough and shape into muffin tins. Fill dough with chicken and cheese mixture. Separate 6 biscuits in half and flatten slightly. Top each tin and slightly press into tin. Don't worry about them sealing too much. Bake at 375' for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

*I had 6 biscuits left over and some chicken mixture so I used the leftovers in a small casserole dish for 2. I pressed the dough together, using 4 biscuits for the crust and 2 for the top. Baked for 25-30 minutes.

Curry Butternut Squash Soup

2011-10-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

1 Large Onion, diced
4 Whole Cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Tbl. Butter
1 Tbl. Coconut Oil

S&B Hot Curry Sauce, 2 pieces*
1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, & cubed into 1" pieces
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 Can Cannelini Beans, undrained
Vegetable or Chicken Stock
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Toppings:
Sour Cream, Plain Greek Yogurt, Toasted Coconut, Toasted Almonds, Croutons, etc....

Put diced onion, garlic, butter, and coconut oil in large slow cooker sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. DO NOT use slow cooker bags you will need the immersion blender and it will shred your bag and ruin your recipe(yucky plastic soup, no thank you). Turn the slow cooker on high and cover for one hour, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown. Add apples, squash, curry squares, beans, red pepper flakes, and just enough stock to come up to the bottom of the top layer of squash cubes. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, until squash is very tender. Turn slow cooker off, fish out the garlic cloves and discard. Use the immersion blender to puree until smooth, or use blender in batches. I prefer the immersion blender to avoid burns. Return to slow cooker to warm until ready to eat. Serve with a variation of toppings.

*There are 5-4 squares/rectangles per package. I found 2 to be the perfect heat, and I like things hot. So, you may want to start off with one square and add the other after taste testing, they do dissolve pretty fast.

Mushroom Risotto

2011-10-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

This was dinner tonight. I missed the photo because we just couldn't wait to dig in.

2 1oz. packages dried mushroom blend, or your favorites*, chopped
4 Tbl. butter or reserved bacon grease
1 medium onion, diced
2 8oz. packages sliced, cremini mushrooms
2 cloves crushed garlic
splash of olive oil
fresh ground pepper
kosher salt, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 cups arborio rice
2 bottles non-alcoholic beer(you can us regular beer if you don't mind)
5 cups good beef stock(or use veggie broth)
3-4 cups reserved liquid from re-hydrating mushrooms

Grated Parmesan Cheese and sliced green onions or parsley for toppings.

Get all of your ingredients together, because you do not want to step away once you start this. Trust me. You need approximately 9-10 cups of liquid. Feel free to half this, but I promise, this will be devoured quickly. Pour 4 cups boiling water over dried mushrooms and set aside, allow to re-hydrate for 20 minutes, at least. Heat a very large deep frying pan and add bacon grease or butter and a splash of olive oil(to prevent burning). Add onion and cover, reduce temperature, and cook stirring often until translucent. Drain mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Measure 4 cups and add to a medium saucepan. Add hydrated mushrooms and fresh mushrooms, garlic, a large pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well and cover, reduce heat if needed. Cook, stirring often until fresh mushrooms cook down and reduce in size. Add beef stock to mushroom stock in a saucepan and heat to boil and then turn to low for simmering. Add uncooked arborio rice to mushroom mixture and stir until rice is coated and edges start to turn translucent. Add one bottle of beer and stir until it is absorbed. Add second bottle of beer and stir until it is absorbed again. Add beef/mushroom stock, one cup at a time stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Repeat until all liquid is incorporated. Add more kosher salt and pepper to taste as needed. Cover and let rest 3-5 minutes. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and sliced green onions.

* The blend I used has porcini, shitake, morel, oyster, and lobster mushrooms from Monterey Mushrooms
**The non-alcoholic beer goes better with beef stock than the white wine I had on hand. I've also made this using red wine though and it's seriously delish!

Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup

2011-10-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Mise en Place

(Unfortunately my camera died before I could take any more pics. Email me or leave a comment if the directions aren't clear.)

I've never liked French Onion Soup, I've just never found one that didn't taste like canned beef broth. So I decided to try THIS recipe. It's fall and I love my husband, and it's relatively healthy. I followed the recipe pretty darn close, except, I used beef stock I had reserved in my freezer and some from our pot roast last night. It's a lot of beef stock. But well worth it. I used non-alcoholic beer(2 bottles for tasty measure) so it has great flavor.

I tweaked the bread slightly. First, toast the bread under the broiler for a few minutes on each side. This helps prevent the bread from becoming instantly gummy. Spread one side lightly with one clove of roasted garlic. I made 2 bulbs of roasted garlic today and they spread like "buttah". Ladel some soup into the bowl, then plop the toasted bread garlic side up on top of the Onion Soup. Place a slice of Swiss Cheese or sprinkle generously with grated Gruyere. It's okay to overlap. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese starts to bubble and brown. Serve very carefully as bowl will be very hot.

This would be a FANTASTIC get together dish. Just toast up the bread as above, on a cookie sheet with the garlic and cheese. Leave on a side plate for people to top their soups as they dish it up. (We had a funky schedule tonight with meetings and sports, so I did this for the kiddos that came home later, it worked)

Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup

(adapted from http://www.howsweeteats.com)

makes 8-10 servings

4 med. sweet onions, sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup of butter, sliced into pats

2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 bottles non-alcoholic beer(such as O'Doul's)

8 cups GOOD beef stock

1 Tbl. dried thyme

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt

Sourdough or French bread(stale works best)

gruyere cheese, sliced or grated

Add onions, garlic, brown sugar, butter, salt and balsamic and mix until combined in a large slow-cooker. Cover and let cook on high for 60-90 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until onions are translucent and brown on the edges and just caramelized. Sift in flour and stir thoroughly, let sit for 5 minutes with lid on. Sprinkle in Thyme, fresh ground pepper, beer, and stir well. Add in remaining beef stock, and cover. Cook on high for 4 hours, then turn down to low and cook an additional 2-4 hours.

Slice sourdough or French bread into 1" thick slices. Arrange on non-stick cookie sheet and toast each side under broiler. Leave door open slightly and watch closely so they don't burn. Remove from oven and spread each slice with one clove of roasted garlic. Fill soup bowls almost to the top, cover with slice of bread and a handful of grated cheese or slice. Set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes(leave door open so you can watch carefully), or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Be careful when serving as bowls will be hot! Sprinkle with fresh parsley or fresh thyme.

Challenge!

2011-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

I need to kick this up a bit. This is how I cook: I find a recipe, or read the title of the recipe, and go from there. When it comes to baking, I make sure I have equal dry/wet ingredients, but often improvise. For example, a recent recipe I read called for a whopping 1 1/4 cups oil. Holy cow that's a lot when the rest is pretty healthy, so I swapped out 1 cup non-fat greek yogurt and used 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil. Gave the muffins a sweeter and denser taste, and healthier oil. I experiment without deviating too far from the recipe most of the times. And many times a recipe or menu just sound good and I don't even follow a recipe, but I use what I have on hand or turn my kitchen into a lab and experiment until I come up with something I'm satisfied with. I'm fairly good at making recoveries and preventing epic fails. I love Chopped, Challenge, and Iron Chef. If you'd like to challenge me to turning my kitchen into Kitchen Stadium, success or fail, I'll post it.

Pear, Carrot, & Ginger Muffins

2011-09-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cup Egg Substitute or 4 Whole Large Eggs
1 cup Non-fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt(or plain)
1/3 cup Coconut Oil or Canola Oil
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbl. Gourmet Garden Ginger(or jarred)
1 Tbl. Vanilla

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Kosher Salt

3 medium size Pears, finely diced
2 cups Grated Carrot

Preheat oven to 350' and line 2 12 count cupcake pans with paper liners, or spray generously with non-stick spray. Combine wet ingredients(first 6) in a medium bowl with wire whisk, set aside. Combine dry ingredients(next 6) in a large bowl with another wire whisk. Create a well in the center and add wet ingredients with large rubber spatula, just until mixed. Add pears and carrots and combine gently. Divide into 24 muffin liners and bake 18-23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with maple butter.

I love baking quick breads and muffins using the egg substitutes because they bake up higher and fluffier. And the added benefits of being low or fat free and a much healthier choice.

Spicy Apricot BBQ Sauce

2011-08-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

2 pounds apricots, pitted and halved

1 14.5oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, do not drain

1 sm. can tomato paste

3 cups brown sugar

1 ½ cup cider vinegar

1 onion, chopped finely

1 jalapeno, diced small, seeds removed based on heat pref.

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbl. Kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover, cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove lid last hour until slightly reduced. Use immersion blender to puree. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Half and pit apricots, and quarter each half.

Spray slow-cooker with non-stick spray, add ingredients.

Stir well, cover, and cook on high 5-6 hours.

It looked a little too soupy so I tilted the lid to vent for about 1 1/2 hours. Don't lean over the slow-cooker or you'll get a vinegar steam bath.

Use immersion blender to puree.

Makes approx. 6 cups. Remove lid to let reduce down if too thin and cook down some more, it was really thick though at this point, perfect!

Yummy over chicken, or anything.

Strawberry Angel Food Cookies with Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar

2011-08-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

These are really sweet, light, airy, and tart pleasing cookies. I pick up fun vinegars and oils at TJMaxx or Ross all the time. I picked up a Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar and it's this really thick and aged syrup, it's wonderful! Strawberries go great with balsamic vinegar so I had to try this. Add some cocoa powder for a truly decadent cookie. These cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. I used home made strawberry freezer jam, but it was too sweet. Reduced sugar or sugar-free jam works best.

1 box angel food cake mix(do NOT add water)

3/4 cup low-sugar or sugar free jam

1 Tbl. Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar(optional)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder(optional)

Preheat oven to 350'. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil and spray with non-stick spray(MUST!). Prepare all of the ingredients in a mixer bowl for 1 minute on slow. Scrape sides well and mix another minute. Use a cookie scoop and place 12 cookies per large cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, until they start to turn golden. Remove from oven and slide parchment onto counter. Wait 1-2 minutes before removing cookies to cooling rack.

I prepared most of the batch pictured below without the cocoa and decided to add that after I had baked most. This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

2011-08-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

I found several homemade laundry detergent recipes online, and I've been washing my own laundry using just this basic recipe. I have really dry & sensitive skin and prefer this over any "free" detergents on the market. I haven't noticed any dulling or issues getting stains out. I have never used anything but liquid detergents since I had babies in the house. So, I was nervous switching to the powder. But I prefer this over the liquid now. I put one scoop(1 Tbl.) into the detergent compartment for my HE front loading machine. My clothes smell really nice, it's not overpowering. I LOVE doTerra Essential Oils, Lemon, Wild Orange, or Lavender, or a combination. I buy mine from my sweet friend Crysty, HERE.

Basic Recipe:

1 cup Borax

1 cup Washing Soda

1 bar Kirk's Castille Soap(or Fels Naptha)

10-15 drops doTerra Lemon Essential Oil

The first time I made this I used Fels Naptha soap, it's a large yellow bar, found in the laundry aisle, and specifically designed for laundry. It's really hard and took some muscle to grate it. I ordered the Kirk's Castille Soap online from Amazon.com, I love that site. It was easier to grate and a smaller bar. It's designed for use on people with sensitive skin and rinses clean. It also has a coconut oil base. Neither bars suds very much, so this is safe for the HE washers. I have read you can also use Ivory soap or Dr. Bonners. I chose to try using this powder recipe because it just seems a little more concentrated than the diluted down liquid recipes for homemade detergent. Just a preference, I have no idea if one is better than the other.

~~~~~

Grate the bar of soap on a sheet of wax paper and pour into the base of your food processor. Add 1 cup Borax, 1 cup Washing Soda, and 10-15 drops of your favorite Essential Oil. Process until very fine. Your house will smell unbelievably clean right now.

Divide the contents between 2 16oz. canning jars. Use 1-2 Tablespoons, depending on how dirty your laundry is. I have never used more than 1 Tbl.

The jar on the left is the Fels Naptha version(which is why it's a little yellow in color), and the right is the Kirk's Castille soap recipe version. Takes up so much less space. Store extra jars above in the cupboard. Use fabric softener if you wish, or a dryer sheet.

This is my laundry treatment area. Baskets and bar from Ikea.

Stove Top Cleaning

2011-08-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

It works!!!

Minimal effort, patience, and cheap. I have a combination stove top, it's ceramic and propane. I don't really love it, but it came with the house. It looks nice when it's clean, it looks beautiful when it's clean. And all I used is baking soda(Part I) and ammonia(Part II)(not together, I'm sure there is some kind of warning about that). I've bought expensive stove top cleaners, eh. My favorite by Scotch was discontinued years ago. I tried baking soda, it's a mild abrasive, but cuts grease, and voila. Just use a damp non-scratch abrasive pad and baking soda. Baking soda costs nothing compared to store cleaners.

I read HERE, about putting your stove top grates into a Ziploc bag with a little ammonia and letting it sit overnight. Her pics were really amazing and I was willing to try anything. Lemishine in the dishwasher helped a lot, but in the past I'd have to use oven cleaner to get the grates clean, and that was still a ho-hum result. Well, the ammonia in the bag worked. I have double grates and they wouldn't fit in a Ziploc bag, so I just used a plain old plastic trash bag, poured a few Tablespoons of ammonia into the bag and then sealed it up by folding the end over and sealing with a clip. Set them out on the porch overnight. The grates do not need to be sprayed with the ammonia, it's the fumes from inside the bag that break down the gunk on the grates. After 24 hours(I got busy), I pulled one out and DO wear gloves for this. I took a sturdy dish brush and scraped off most of the black gunk(boy am I embarrassed for you to see how awful this thing was!). I rinsed it off with hot water and poured a few Tablespoons of baking soda in the corner of the sink. Use a non-scratch abrasive pad and pick up a little baking soda with it's wet corner. It took very little scrubbing power and the rest of the cooked on crud was off in seconds! Really, hardly put any effort at all into it. And baking soda, what a great tool! Baking soda has become my favorite cleaning product now next to Mr. Clean Erasers. Oh, tried the Mr. Clean Erasers too on the stove top and grates, and it took several of them and they never really cleaned them as well as the baking soda and ammonia technique.

Before:

Put your grate into the bag and pour a little ammonia, I poured about 2 Tbls.

Fold the bag over and snap with a clippy. Allow this to set overnight/24 hours or so in a nice warm sunny spot. The fumes will break down nasty baked on food. And don't ask me how, but I somehow got paint on one of mine, instantly came off after months of cooking it in even more.

It does not come out as clean as what it pictured below. Put some gloves on! Get as much off with a scratch proof nylon brush, scrubby, sponge, etc... At this point you will probably remember like me that you need to call to get your roots done. Sprinkle some baking soda on the areas that still need a little TLC and scrub with brush or sponge. Rinse and voila.

After:

Check out that shine! Baking Soda only baby :)

Just like new, back to the day we moved in 4+ years ago.

Mt. Whitney Recap by Eric

2011-08-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Eric gave a great recap of the events and only some of what he learned on this trip. I'm so grateful for all of the Young Men and Adults that made sure our guys made it back safely. What an experience! These are notes from his speaking assignment on Sunday during our Sacrament service.

Sunday 7/31/2011

Intro

“We’re all going to die.” ~Brother E

“We’re all going to die,” were the first words said as we got in the car at 4:30 in the morning. It was then said by the hour, but as we got higher in elevation it was said more frequently to the point where it was said maybe every 5 minutes. We arrived at the trail head and were disappointed when Mt. Whitney was nowhere to be seen. I figured Ian was right when he said it was just over the hill so we started our trip. From then on we never heard “We’re all going to die.”

On the first day I remembered a scripture 1Nephi 3:7

In other words we will not be tested on something that Christ does not believe we will succeed in. So everything we do we are expected to prevail in. This thought changed my opinion on this trip. I started worried and scared, nervous that we were all going to die. I finished this trip to find that the entire time I was never worried, never once uncertain that we would not finish or be subject to harm or accident.

Brother D would frequently check on everyone asking if we where alright. For the first couple of days I would reply saying “Yes I’m fine.” Or, I’ll be alright.” On Friday when he would ask I replied a little differently saying “No. But that doesn’t matter anymore.” From that point it didn’t matter how I was feeling because I knew we would finish and everyone would be safe.

Friday was what the rangers said to be the worst storm since the 1980s. From the time we reached the summit of Mt. Whitney (11:00) to the time we finished (6:00) it was raining, hailing, snowing, there where lightning strikes every second (one hitting 30 yrds from my dad and Brother E) there were also rock slides, flooding, rivers that seemed to be impossible to cross and no trail.

Knowing that there was no chance of stopping and making camp we continued to travel in these weather conditions. We stopped to pray and after the prayer we found our speed to have increased at least 3 times faster and any pain we had was numbed, maybe from prayer or the fact that whatever was hurting was probably frozen solid.

As we were nearing the end we saw a sign that said Mt. Whitney Portal 1 mile. That sign brought hope and cheer to our group so we followed the trail. We walked maybe 100 yards to find a flooded river that seemed to be impossible to cross. All that hope and cheer was then crushed by the simple river but an unexpected angel appeared, almost perfectly timed. It was a fry cook from the Mt. Whitney portal restaurant. He had found a path that hadn’t been used since the 1907(?). He told us it is a safe trail and then he ran off to help other hikers in danger. We finished the hike safely but nervous for the rest of the hikers. Every single hiker that came down said the exact same thing “Thank God for the fry cook”. Four of the hikers in our group didn’t make it down until the next day but even the next day the fry cook was still up there helping other hikers.

When we stopped and prayed we prayed for something or someone to help us find the way and the fry cook did. Some doubted him and continued to go across the river but those who did follow him made it safely. D&C 4:5 if we have faith and hope then there is no doubt we will make it to the end.

Bear Testimony

Peanut Butter Mousse Brownies

2011-07-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

I combined two delicious recipes to make this. I will give credit to both sources at the top of this post because they really deserve all the credit!

The Original Recipes:
Baker's Scrumptious Brownies
Sweet Pea's Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownies

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

5 eggs

3 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in a large glass bowl. Add chocolate squares and microwave on high 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. This takes patience and it's nice to have a second set of hands for this. Cool slightly.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer and whisk attachment on high speed 10 min. Add slightly cooled chocolate mixture; beat on low speed until well blended. Gradually add flour, mixing until well blended after each addition. Spread into 13x9-inch baking pan, bottom greased only.

Bake 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool on counter for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate until cool to the touch.

Spread brownies with Peanut Butter Mousse and chill 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Mousse

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter softened(1 stick)

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl of electric mixer and mix on medium, and then high until whipped. Pause to scrape down sides often. Allow to rest 30 minutes covered. Mix again on high for 1 minute. (This is a process I learned in decorating class so you can avoid sifting powdered sugar and get a really smooth frosting.

Spread on brownies and chill 30 minutes. Top with "Ganache" Topping and chill another 30 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces.

Chocolate "Ganache" Topping

1 Pkg. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

1/2 cup butter(1 stick) +2 Tbl. cold butter pieces, separated

In a microwavable glass bowl, melt 1 stick of butter and peanut butter on high 30 seconds. Stir, and heat on high another 30 seconds. Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are melted and chocolate is smooth. Add 2 pats(Tbls.) of cold butter and stir until melted. This gives the "ganache" a shiny and smooth finish. Spread evenly over Peanut Butter Mousse Filling and chill 30 minutes before slicing into 24 pieces.

Going Green

2011-07-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

There's a little more to this being "green" thing than I expected. I'm not talking granola green, I'm talking "cha-ching" green. But, it turns out, granola AND cha-ching, work really really well together. Green Granola?

Here's what I did. I found a recipe online for homemade dishwasher detergent. I don't have really hard water, but the money savings was awesome. I have a great dishwasher(Bosch) so it really does do a nice job. But, I thought, "What the heck? I'm only out a few bucks if it doesn't work." And it did! It works great. I don't think I'll go back to store bought detergent again. My dishwasher looks bright and shiny, it really cleans the dishes and stained plastic ware, and it smells good afterwards, unlike the store bought $$$$ stuff. Here's the original post HERE.

And any time I can use my Cricut, even better yet.

And I don't have clip coupons for dish soap anymore!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

2 cups Borax

2 cups Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

2 cups LemiShine or 12 packets unsweetened lemonade Koolaid(ONLY lemonade flavor)

1 cup Kosher Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. There is a chemical reaction of some kind that makes these ingredients clump up and get hard. So, just set aside the large bowl on a counter away from children and pets. Give it a good stir every once in a while for a few days. Then store on the countertop in a sealed container.

Use Vinegar as a rinse agent.

I also just went paperless with my insurance for email Explanation of Benefits instead of mostly useless papers I just have to find a place to file, and find the time, and shred when I'm done, which also equates to wasted crap in my garbage can. Which saves me cha-ching again, along with the added benefit of less crap in the landfills. Which again, I'm not granola on it, but I do feel better about that.

Apps! Check this out. There are apps out there for your iPhone and other smart phones that save the barcodes right on your phone. Instead of all those little member cards and key fobs(that always rip off), you just open up your app, and show the cashier, gym, rental places, your little barcode on your phone. Just search "Key chain app".

I know there's more I've done lately, that have been little ah-ha moments for me. I do bake my own bread most of the time. I make a lot from scratch. It just tastes better too. Next up just may be homemade laundry detergent. My daughter and I both have really sensitive skin and it can be downright painful, especially this time of year.

Triple Chocolate Fluffernutter Cookie Sandwiches

2011-06-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

It's a mouthful, huh? Yeah, you will be stuffing your mouth full of these.

Cookies:
1 Package Devils Food Cake Mix
1 cube(1/2 cup) softened butter
2 squares(2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate squares
2 Tbl. Canola Oil
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350' degrees. In a large bowl, add butter and chocolate squares and microwave on high 30 seconds. Stir until squares are melted and incorporated into butter. If you need to, microwave again in 15 second increments. You don't want the butter to be hot, just enough to melt the chocolate. When incorporated and cooled to luke warm, add oil and egg(you don't want the egg to scramble). Stir in cake mix and then stir in chocolate chips. Using a Tbl. size cookie scoop place 2" apart on parchment lined cookie sheets . Take a flat glass or small bowl and spray bottom with non-stick spray and slightly flatten. Bake 8-10 minutes and remove to cookies to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. Makes approx. 36 cookies.

Frosting:
This is easy, and SO delicious. Use the 7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting. Add about 1 cup Natural Peanut Butter to 1/2 of the frosting recipe. Add to large tipped frosting piping bag. Generously pipe the bottom of one cooled cookie and sandwich with the bottom of another one close in size. Allow to set up in refrigerator or freezer for a few hours. The chocolate cookie gets softer and easier to eat in a few hours.

7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large egg whites(1/2 cup "Just Whites" pasteurized from carton works great)
6 tablespoons water
dash salt
2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla bean paste

Preparation:

Add brown sugar, egg whites, water, and salt in bowl of standing mixer. Put on top of double boiler over boiling water. Hold bowl steady using an oven mitt(no burns!). Beat sugar and egg mixture with whisk constantly until mixture is hot to the touch and starts to thicken. Remove from heat and position bowl in stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whip on high until mixture forms strong peaks and is dramatically lighter in color. Add vanilla. Continue beating until frosting is thick enough to spread. Makes enough to frost a 2 layer cake.

7-Minute Brown Sugar Frosting

2011-06-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large egg whites(1/2 cup "Just Whites" pasteurized from carton works great)
6 tablespoons water
dash salt
2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla bean paste

Preparation:

Pizza Pull Apart Monkey Bread

2011-06-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the link I used for inspiration. HERE I did a few things different.

Here is the recipe I used to make the dough, HERE, EZ White Bread. I do make my own bread, I double the recipe. Half went to a loaf of sandwich bread, and the rest for the Pizza Pull Apart Monkey Bread.

EZ White Bread
1 1/8 cups warm water
1 3/4 – 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tblsp sugar (you can use a little more sugar if you like your dough a little sweeter)
3 cups flour
1 Tblsp vital wheat gluten (remember you don’t need as much gluten if you’re not using whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
2 Tblsp nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 Tblsp butter/margarine or oil
1/4 cup potato flakes
(you don’t really need vinegar for white bread, remember the dough enhancers are primarily needed for whole wheat bread)
Add the ingredients in the order listed into a mixer bowl (like a kitchen-aid) with a dough hook attachment and mix on low for 10-12 minutes. Or mix it on the dough cycle in your bread machine.

After all the mixing is complete, if the dough still seems too gooey and you are unable to handle it, add 1 Tblsp flour at a time, and mix after each addition until the dough is manageable with your hands.
Let rise 45 mins -1 hour, punch down and use to make bread, cinnamon rolls, cookie sheet pizza, rolls, or anything else you can think of! Let rise after you have made your creation and bake according to the direction of the recipe you are making.

If you are making it into bread, form into a loaf at this time, place in a loaf pan, let rise in a warm place 45 min -1 hour and bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

If you are making this recipe in a bread machine. Follow your bread machine’s directions and add the ingredients in the order listed in their recommendations. (only one loaf will fit in a bread maker)

Preheat oven to 350'. This is so easy! Grease a large angel food cake or bundt pan(I used a Pampered Chef Stoneware Bundt Pan, it's bigger than most). Poor just enough spaghetti sauce on the bottom to lightly cover the bottom of the pan, it doesn't need to completely cover. Drop about a dozen pieces of pepperoni randomly. This is where a 2nd set of hands comes in nicely, have them glove up. I had about 3 cups of spaghetti sauce leftover(Round 2 from freezer). Warm it up in a medium size bowl. Punch down the dough and knead for a few minutes. Pull pieces of dough off in 1" chunks. No need to roll or make look pretty, the more "raw" edges, the easier it is for the dough to soak up the sauce. Put the pieces in the sauce a few at a time and have your kitchen buddy cover the bottom of the pan in one layer of dough(about half of the recipe). Top with grated mozzarella(I used cheddar), sprinkle with a little Italian Seasoning, top with another layer of pepperoni slices. Coat remaining dough pieces in sauce and cover the bottom layer. Top with cheese and then remaining spaghetti sauce. Just lay a large enough piece of foil to cover the pan, but do not seal around the edges. This is just to prevent burning. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until recipe has doubled in size. You can remove the foil the last 10 minutes to brown up if the dough hasn't browned. Mine overflowed a little so you may want to bake on a cookie sheet, but you'll need to add a little time.

When it comes out of the oven, gently go around edges to free bread from pan. Invert on a large platter. If you're one of my children, serve with ranch dressing to dip. This is MESSY finger food, but finger lickin' good. :)

Please Remove Your Shoes

2011-06-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Most used words in the summer, enforced with vinyl(Cricut).

Low Fat Orange Shrimp

2011-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no picture. I wasn't expecting to like it this much and didn't think to snap a shot.

4 oz. Raw Jumbo Shrimp, peeled & deveined(I used jumbo size)
2 envelopes True Orange(LINK)
2 Tbl. No Sugar Added Applesauce
1/2-1 tsp. Spicy Mustard(I used Southwestern Style)
1-2 cloves Crushed Garlic
Salt & Pepper

In a small bowl combine applesauce, mustard, and True Orange in a small bowl and set aside. Heat small non-stick saute pan on medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray. Add shrimp to pan and season with salt & pepper. "Fry" for 2 minutes, spray tops of shrimp with non-stick spray and turn them over to cook other side. They should be pink and bright white. Add garlic to center of pan and cook until heated through. Turn heat off and add applesauce and orange mixture. Stir until shrimp are well coated and serve over a salad, rice, noodles, or wrap in lettuce leaves.

Chicken Taco Pasta Salad

2011-04-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

1 lb. box of Campanelle Pasta

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 medium sweet yellow onion, minced(reserve 1/4^th to blend with dressing)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 cups frozen yellow corn(try grilled)

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

3 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

Dressing:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

Zest and juice of one lime

¼ cup light mayonnaise prepared with olive oil(heart healthiest)

1 packet of Splenda or other zero calorie sweetener

1 Tbl. Chili powder

1 Tbl. Cumin powder

½-1 cup Pineapple-Peach Salsa

Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Cilantro(dried or fresh, to taste)

Prepare vegetables while you are cooking the pasta according to directions. Combine vegetables, beans, & chicken in large bowl. In a blender puree dressing ingredients and 1/4^th cup minced onions, set aside. When pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process and cool. Add to veggie/chicken mix in large bowl. Top with dressing, kosher salt, cilantro(I used freeze dried), pepper, and mix well, until all is coated. Serve with optional toppings such as: grated cheddar cheese, avocado, diced tomatoes, olives, sour cream, salsa, fresh cilantro, etc….

Makes 20 large servings = WW 5 points plus

Nutella Cake Pops

2011-04-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures!

1 Box of Triple Fudge Chocolate Cake, prepared as package directions.
1 small jar Nutella(13 oz.)
2 containers Chocolate Hazelnut Round Wafer Cookies(hint: $ store)
2 packages Milk Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Melting Wafers

Crumble baked, cool cake into bread crumb like consistency in a large bowl. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground. Add to crumbled cake. Add about 3/4ths jar of Nutella and mix with fork. You want the dough to resemble the texture of Playdough. Add more Nutella if needed. This is where I put on food grade disposable gloves sprayed with a little non-stick spray and rubbed in. Get your hands in there and "play" with it until it is all combined. Scoop out a ball with a large cookie scoop and roll into a slightly pressed round ball. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or non-stick foil This recipe makes 4 dozen and I needed 2 large cookie sheets. Melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in 30 second increments in microwave. Dip one end of a lollipop stick in melted chocolate and push about 3/4 way through the cake balls. Freeze for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime melt the remaining chocolate, again in 30 second increments in microwave. Dip each cake pop into the chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. Allow to set on counter or in refrigerator. Yum!

Orange Roasted Pork

2011-04-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite new way to cook pork and even chicken. I'll assume beef would also be wonderful.

3-5 lb. Pork Roast(or other meat, boneless skinless chicken breast, etc...)
All Purpose Seasoning, such as Pappy's or Lawrys
1 Medium to Large Sweet Onion
2 cloves Garlic, Pressed or Finely Chopped
1 jar Orange Marmalade
1 cup Non-Alcoholic White Wine or Chicken Stock
2 Tbl. Hoisin Sauce
1 tsp. Kosher Salt(or to taste)
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes

Rub roast or chicken pieces with all purpose seasoning. Place meat in a 5qt. crock pot sprayed with non-stick spray. Slice onions in have lengthwise, trim off ends, and slice into skinny half moons. Top meat with onions. In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients with a whisk. Pour over onions and roast. Cook on high one hour, reduce temperature to low and cook another 5-6 hours.

I served this over Turmeric Rice.

Aromatherapy Socks!

2011-04-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

I found these at Walmart this weekend. They are No-Nonsense Aromatherapy Hidden Cotton Liners. I know, sounds like a feminine product, and kind of smells like one too. But they're not bad! After several hours, when I was finally ready to kick off the shoes, they smelled fresh and light. The Rose scent(white liners) didn't smell too strong at all like some foot powders and sprays. So, now, my challenge is, for No-Nonsense to market a line specifically for stinky teenage boy socks! Maybe some Axe fragrances infused. That would make one happy mom!

Starburst Mirror

2011-04-08T13:54:00.001-07:00

When we gave K-Bug's room a makeover we knew we wanted to make this. I found a great tutorial HERE, at Under the Table and Dreaming.

I printed up her TEMPLATE HERE but didn't glue it to the back, I was afraid the paper might come off the back. The disk I found to use was about a quarter of an inch smaller than the template so I just marked the edges of the disk I used and then marked the template myself with a Sharpie. Our itty bitty town doesn't have a craft store, at least not until this fall(squeal), so I asked at our new Lowe's. When I showed her what I wanted to make she took me over to the garden center and found the perfect 6 1/2" circle for me, it's a coaster used for potted plants. But this filled the bill perfectly! I bought skewers from Walmart, .97 cents for a package of 100. I picked up 2 packages so I could find the most even skewers. I didn't use nearly as many as Under the Table did, but we didn't want a really full one.

Sort through the skewers to find the straightest ones. If you have a grouted tile counter top, this works perfect, roll the skewers between the straight tile. Mark 16 skewers 10 1/4" from the flat tipped end. Mark 32 skewers at 9" the flat tipped end too. NOT from the pointed tip, some skewers are not the same length, so you need to measure them from the flat tipped end.

Hot glue the first 16 at each marking, pointed tip in. What worked best for me was making a small line of hot glue about an inch long, putting the skewer on the glue and twisting it. If there is too much glue on the side then it makes it harder to align the next length next to it. I added an extra bead to give it a little 3D dimension so the skewers that were marked at the 9" mark were actually a little raised if looking at the back side of the starburst. When I flipped it, the longer skewers appeared to be raised. You'll see....

Keep gluing until all are fastened down.

I took it outside and spray painted glossy black on both sides. When dry, bring it back in and turn right side up. See how the shorter ones appear to be recessed?

Flip it back over and fill in the skewers with lots of hot glue. The back won't be pretty, but no one looks there anyways. Decide which part of the starburst you want to be the top when you hang it on the wall.

I took some framing wire, twisted some loops and bent in half. Hot glue it to the back.

Then, add even more hot glue. Turn over and attach the mirror. I found a grouping of peel and stick mirrors at TJ Maxx for around $6.00. I think the coaster cost around $4.00, spray paint around $3.50. The whole thing came to less than $20.00.

ENJOY!!!

Root Beer Cake Pops

2011-04-07T10:42:00.001-07:00

I've been playing with this idea for a while and so my Young Women are my guinea pigs for tonight. My kids have already sampled them as well and gave them two thumbs up. Caution: If you have a sweet tooth, this fits the bill.

1 Package Butter Recipe Yellow Cake Mix
Zatarains Rootbeer Extract(or another brand)
1 tub Vanilla Frosting
2 packages White Chocolate Chips
Lollipop Sticks

You're going to prepare the cake mix according to package directions, except.... Measure water as directed on the box directions, minus 2 Tbl. water. Replace with 2 Tbl. Rootbeer Extract. THEN, prepare and bake, and allow to cool completely. Using a fork break up cake mix into crumbs in a large bowl. Dump 3/4 of vanilla frosting into crumbs and sprinkle 1 Tbl. Rootbeer Extract evenly over the top. Mix with fork and then hands until the crumb mixture resembles more of a Playdough like consistency. I use food prep gloves coated, rub in a little non-stick spray on them or butter. Use a large cookie scoop to make uniform size balls and roll into balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or non-stick foil. Melt 1/3 cup white chocolate chips in 30 second intervals in the microwave and stir well in between(it took me about 90 seconds total). Dip one end of lollipop sticks in melted white chocolate and push about 2/3 way through cake balls. Freeze cake pops for about 30 minutes. In the mean time, melt remaining white chocolate chips, you may sprinkle 1 tsp. canola oil over the top before melting to get a smoother consistency. Remove one cake pop at a time from cookie sheet and roll in melted chocolate to coat. Return to sheet and refrigerate or allow to set out on counter for 2 hours.

I didn't have anything to stand them up, but you could use styrofoam to allow them to dry upright.

You can find rootbeer extract here, at Zatarain's.

Bedroom Redo...

2011-03-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

We decided to redo K-Bug's bedroom since the Mermaid moved out. Deciding exactly what to do has taken time, but we're happy with the results.

After:

The Reading Nook

New Bedding from Target

No cable in the rooms, but DVDs are allowed.

Repurposed Sconces and Scarves

Repainted Cubbies for Nightstand

Lots of bright colors

We made the Starburst Mirror Ourselves

Great Tutorial at Under the Table and Dreaming, and

my own step by steps at Sistas Procrastinate in Style.

During:

Vacuum up all the baseboards and clean them so you can mask them off.

Patch up any big nail holes. If they're small, the paint will just fill them in.

I like the kind that goes on pink and turns white when dry so you know when it's ready to sand and paint over.

Primed all of the color blocks.

Primed them TWICE!

Before:

St. Patrick's Dinner: Corned Beef & Roasted Potatoes, Cabbage, & Radishes, Beer Bread

2011-03-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Corned Beef

We had family over so I picked up 3 of the Corned Beef Briskets(not the points, but the briskets) in their packages. They're already brined and ready to go. In a sink rinse off briskets, trim any fat that needs to be trimmed, and set aside in a large bowl or a large platter. Rinse off spice packets and set aside. Heat a large saute pan to med. high heat. Drizzle a large roasting pan with high sides, big enough to hold briskets in a single layer, with a little olive oil and set aside. Drizzle hot saute pan with olive oil. Adding one brisket at a time, brown both sides and place in roasting pan. You will know the side is browned when it is releases from the pan easily. When you get to your last brisket, heat oven to 400 degrees.

I don't buy prepared chicken stock, but use a concentrated paste and add hot water to dissolve it. When all meat is browned on both sides, spread evenly in roasted pan so that you can cover meat with liquid. Cut open spice packets and place in a small bowl. Microwave on high uncovered for 30 seconds, stir, microwave another 30 seconds. Spices should be very fragrant now. Sprinkle over briskets. Add 2 or 3 bottles of non-alcoholic or alcoholic beer, I used O'Doul's. Add enough reconstituted chicken stock to cover the briskets the rest of the way. Cover with foil and place in 400' oven for one hour. Reduce heat to 300' and cook for 5-6 hours. Remove from oven and place briskets on large platter, covered with foil, allow to rest.

Potatoes & Radishes:

Turn oven up to 450'. Clean 5-6 large red potatoes, 5-6 large russet potatoes, and 3 bunches of radishes. Cut into bite sized, even pieces and put in extra large mixing bowl. Drizzle with enough olive oil, about 2-3 Tbl., to coat all pieces. Add about 1 Tbl. Lawry's, or Pappy's all purpose type seasoning and mix well with hands. Spread evenly in a large, greased, roasting pan. Roast 30 minutes, stir, and roast another 30 minutes, or until fork tender and most edges are browned. (I did this while the Corned Beef was resting)

Cabbage:

Remove outer layer of leaves and trim stem if needed. Do not remove the core, this will hold the wedges together for baking. Cut into 8 wedges with core still intact. Place in a greased roasting pan. Drizzle with a few DROPS of olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and a drizzle of the braising liquid from the Corned Beef. Roast uncovered for 20-30 min. in a 450' oven. (I did this at the latter part while roasting the potatoes and radishes)

Spoon potato mixture into a large bowl and top with roasted cabbage wedges to serve.

(The next time I make this, instead of doing cabbage, I think I'm going to try brussel sprouts in with the potatoes and radishes!)

Beer Bread:
This is the recipe I used. LINK HERE Because I used non-alcoholic beer I added 2 1/4 tsp. of active dry yeast and it came out beautifully. I thought at first that I had burned the bread, however, if you drizzle the butter over the bread before baking, like the recipe calls for, it does turn a dark brown. But, it's more of a "browned butter" flavor, vs. burned. It's a very yummy, deep flavor. And of course, serve with butter on the side.

Copy/Paste of the Recipe:

Ingredients:

Servings:

3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can beer
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

Directions:

Prep Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 1 hr

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients and beer.
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over mixture.
Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.
UPDATED NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.
Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
I have had many email from you kind folks about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.
The final result should be a thick, hearty and very tasteful bread, NOT A BRICK! ;).
Thank you all for the incredibly nice comments and those of you who left a bad review - learn to sift sift SIFT! You will be amazed at the results you get.

Mustard Sauce:
SUPER easy!!! Mix about 2 Tbl. dijon with horseradish style mustard with 1/2-1 cup sour cream. Use this to top your meat or veggies.

A side note about this meal. I know St. Patty's day meals can often people even without heartburn problems grief. My father in law was fully expecting to have issues, and he is constantly popping down Tums and Rolaids, anything he can get his hands on on a daily basis. He had no problems after dinner or leftovers at lunch the next day. I didn't add any onions on purpose, but maybe another time I would. I didn't miss them one bit though, this meal was LOADED with lots of flavor!

Meaty Meatloaf with Veggies

2011-03-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

3 lbs. Extra Lean Ground Beef(93/7)
1 lb. Italian Style Sausage
2 Eggs
1 15oz. can pumpkin puree(sneaky)
1 bag seasoned stuffing cubes, processed fine in food processor(about 2 cups ground)
2 Tbl. roasted garlic, finely minced
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
sugar
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Add about 2 Tbl. olive oil to non-stick spray pan and heat to medium. Add onions, lower heat, and saute until almost translucent, be careful not to let onions burn or they will become bitter. Add a pinch of salt, about 2 Tbl. each of balsamic vinegar and sugar. Simmer until liquid is reduced to at least half. Add fresh ground pepper and mix well. Remove from heat and allow to cool to luke warm.

In a large mixer bowl(I use my Kitchenaid because I don't like to touch raw meat) add ground beef, ground sausage, ground stuffing, pumpkin, eggs, garlic, and onions when cool enough(you don't want to add them so hot they will scramble the eggs. Add about 1 Tbl. of kosher salt and more ground pepper to taste. Heat oven to 375'. Use a LARGE roasting pan(I buy the biggest I can find at the dollar tree, turkey size, with a large lip). Divide meat into two loaves and shape side by side in pan.

Veggies
1 lb. bag baby carrots
5 red potatoes
5 russet potatoes

Scrub and rinse veggies very well. In a large bowl throw in baby carrots. Cut potatoes lengthwise and then in wedges approx. 1/4-1/2 inch thick. You want them similar is size to the carrots so they'll all cook evenly. Add potatoes to bowl. Drizzle with approx. 2 Tbl. olive oil and your favorite seasoning, like Pappy's, Lawry's, etc.... Mix well with hands and surround meat loaf with veggies. Cook on large cookie sheet, uncovered, for 60-90 minutes. Check it after 45 minutes and cover the veggies if needed so as not to burn. Internal temp. of meat loaves need to reach 180'. Cover with foil and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

The pumpkin is a sneaky way of getting in even more veggies. You won't notice or even taste it. Pumpkin is very moist. A lot of recipes call for milk but I don't do dairy and it works as a perfect replacement.

Pumpkin Heath Coffee Cake

2011-02-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

If I owned my own deli or restaurant, this would be on the menu. I'd also top it off with a big dollop of maple whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. SO good!

Preheat oven to 375’

Combine wet ingredients with whisk attachment:

1 stick Nucoa margarine, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 whole eggs

½ cup liquid egg whites

1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree(not pie mix)

1 Tbl. Vanilla

½ tsp. maple flavoring

Whisk these wet ingredients together in large mixing bowl until combined well. There will be little butter lumps, that’s okay. This helps make an incredibly dense and rich cake.

Dry Ingredients: Combine in a medium bowl with whisk.

4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. kosher salt

Add half to cake mixture and mix until incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and pour into very tall 9x13 greased pan.

Streusel Topping:

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar(white or brown)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup toffee or Heath pieces

Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add butter in slices and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork. Fold in Heath pieces. Spread topping evenly over cake. Bake in a 375’ oven for 50-80 minutes. It is done when a skewer comes out clean.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

8 cups Shredded Chicken(slow cooker)
1 1/2 lbs. Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese(divided)
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 28oz. can Green Enchilada Sauce
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup 98% fat free
1 can evaporated fat free milk
1 can Fire Roasted Diced Chilies
1 cup Light Sour Cream
2-4 Tbl. Gourmet Garden Cilantro Blend
1 med. onion, diced
2 Tbl. garlic, chopped fine(refrigerated jar stuff is just right)
1 Tbl. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbl. Sriracha Sauce
20 Fajita size flour tortillas

In a very large mixing bowl combine enchilada sauce, cream of chicken soup and evaporated milk. Pour one cup of mixture into 2 9x13 inch pans sprayed with non-stick spray. Remove 4 cups of mixture into a separate small bowl. To remaining mixture in large bowl add diced chilies, sour cream, Gourmet Garden Cilantro Blend, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and sriracha sauce and mix well. Add shredded chicken, 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and corn and combine well.

Spoon 1/3-1/2 cup mixture into center of each flour tortilla and roll. Place seam side down in baking dish. Each pan should hold 9-10 tortillas. Repeat until both pans are filled, may need to turn some enchiladas sideways to fit in pan. Divide remaining liquid that was set aside and pour over rolled tortillas to coat. Split remainder of Jack cheese and cover with non-stick foil, or spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and cover sprayed side down. Bake at 350 for approx. 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese is golden and browned.

Root Beer Float French Toast

2011-01-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine mentioned a great little breakfast place in Colorado that serves Root Beer French Toast. I've never eaten there, but I could only imagine. So, I told the family about this and we all agreed I needed to come up with something too. I think it was really funny that as I was cooking and taking pictures for my blog Julie & Julia was on in the background.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep tweaking this recipe here and there so check back!

The Root Beer Syrup

1 1/2 cups White Sugar, 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp. each butter extract and vanilla, 1 tsp. Root Beer Extract

I used this measuring cup only so you could see through it. Use measuring cups and pour both sugars into a microwavable container. Add 1 cup of very hot water and stir. It will be cloudy. You want to microwave it on high for 30 second intervals until it is clear and all sugar is dissolved like this....

Add 1 tsp. Root Beer extract, 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir and set aside.

Ingredients for the Root Beer French Toast

One Loaf French Bread

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Milk

1 tsp. Root Beer Extract

Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch of Salt

For Topping

Whipped Cream(in the can for the diner effect)

Maraschino Cherries

Butter

In a bowl or pie plate with at least 2" sides mix together eggs, milk, root beer extract and salt. Oops, I forgot to take a picture of it, I also added about a tsp. of vanilla bean paste(or you could just use vanilla extract). Not the prettiest color, huh.

Slice your French Bread into 1/2 inch slices.

Get your pan nice and hot.

Get your dipping station ready.

Spray the pan with non-stick spray(I use butter flavored). When pan is very hot(water droplets should bounce off when sprinkled on the pan). Dip bread in egg mixture, coating both sides, and add to pan.

When bottom of bread is brown and golden, spray the tops of the bread pieces with the non-stick spray.

Flip.

Mmmmmm.

Top with butter, syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry.

I couldn't understand the reviews as their mouths were quite full. Something about mmmmhhhhuuuhhh whipped cream is mmmmhhhhuuuhhh so good with this mmmmhhhhuuuhhh.

By the way, the left over syrup was fantastic on some German Pancakes this morning!

Lindsay D's Sugar Cookies

2011-01-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

Mix:
3/4 cup shortning, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla
Add in:
2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt
Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8" and cut. Bake @ 400 for 6-8 minutes

They are my favorite. I just use pre-made frosting from the tub but I'm sure homemade frosting would be great too. Enjoy!

Guilt Free "Ice Cream" (WW pts.+)

2011-01-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

1 mashed banana (0 pts.)
1 8 oz. carton Dannon Caramel Delight Light & Fit Yogurt(or any other fat free yogurt) (2 pts.)
1 Tbl. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Just mix them all together and freeze for at least 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Vanilla Frosting

2010-12-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe has to be my favorite decadent dessert ever. I don't like the texture of pumpkin pie but love the taste, and this was positively delicious!

Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Cheesecake-with-Marshmallow-Sour-Cream-Topping-and-Gingersnap-Crust-350478

Pumpkin Cheesecake

"For crust:

· Nonstick vegetable oil spray

· 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces)

· 1 cup pecans (about 3 1/2 ounces)

· 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

· 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For filling:

· 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

· 2 cups sugar

· 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

· 5 large eggs

· 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

· 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For topping:

· 2 cups mini marshmallows or large marshmallows cut into 1/2-inch cubes

· 1/4 cup whole milk

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/8 teaspoon salt

· 1 cup sour cream

ppreparation

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Grind cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ginger in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, process to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate each addition. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release crust. Chill cheesecake uncovered in pan overnight.

Topping:
Stir marshmallows and milk in medium saucepan over low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Cool marshmallow mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Add sour cream to marshmallow mixture; fold gently just to blend. Pour topping over cheesecake and spread evenly, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered around edges. Chill to set topping, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cheesecake can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled."

I was lazy, and mixed 1/2 cup lowfat sour cream with one tub of Marshmallow Fluff and a Tbl. of Vanilla Bean Paste. Perfection of the taste buds.

Pomegranate Spinach Salad

2010-12-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

Potluck size:

10-12 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed & spun dry
1.5 cups Salted Caramel Walnuts, chopped
1 cup Pomegranate infused Craisins
1 cup Feta Cheese(or Bleu Cheese, my fave)
Pomegranate Dressing(recipe follows)

Combine spinach leaves and dressing JUST before ready to serve. Top with walnuts, Craisins, and Feta Cheese.

Pomegranate Dressing:
2 Tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Tbl. Dijon Mustard
4 Tbl. Pomegranate Infused Vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbl. honey
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. soy sauce

Whisk all ingredients well. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Shake or stir well before using.

Salted Caramel Walnuts

2010-12-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

The caramel flavor comes from the brown sugar. They're crunchy, sweet, and the kosher salt balances them out perfectly! Don't skip the course kosher salt. I will try sea salt next time just to be different. And yes, I can tell the difference, I love kosher and sea salt. Do yourself a favor and throw out your plain old iodized salt and make the switch, you use less and it tastes SO much better.

3 cups walnut halves
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar(unpacked)
course kosher salt

In a large non-stick pan combine walnuts and sugar. Stir constantly(a slim silicone spatula works great for this) over medium-medium/low heat until walnuts are heated through and sugars are liquified into a deep brown(but not burnt). Watch closely as you will need to stay in front of the stove top the entire time. Pour out onto a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil. Spread out. While still warm sprinkle with kosher salt.

I'm using these for a spinach, cranberry, feta salad with pomegranate vinaigrette. You can also store them in an airtight container when completely cool. Be careful not to burn yourself when you sneak a warm one, because you will not be able to help yourself.

Ravioli with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

2010-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

No fat grams were left out in this little impressive dish. Don't hesitate to substitute fat free or lower fat versions though if you're trying to be reasonable. This came from some leftover ingredients floating around in the fridge so even the amounts are eyeball estimates.

2 lbs. fresh or frozen jumbo ravioli, cooked and drained.
Bring large pot of water to boil, add about 2 tsp. kosher salt. Boil according to package directions. Turn off heat when done, but do not drain. Reserve a little pasta water for sauce.

Sauce:
2 Tbl. olive oil or butter
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
5 cloves garlic minced
kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 Tbl. sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup canned pumpkin puree(not pie mix)
1 cup whipped cream

Heat large sauce pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil to pan, diced onions, and spices. Saute until onions are near translucent and then add sugar. This will help caramelize the onions, just watch closely so they don't burn or it will make the sauce bitter. Add garlic and a little broth until garlic is tender. Whisk in remaining broth and pumpkin. Simmer on low for a few minutes. Strain raviolis from water and slip gently into pumpkin mixture. Add pasta water if needed to coat all raviolis.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and candied pecans.

2010 Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Turkey: Brined in PW Favorite Brine
Balsamic Green Beans
PW's Cornbread Sausage Stuffing(minus the apples)
Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
Gravy
Pretzel Jello Salad with Blackberries
Jannet's Rolls
Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce

Dessert:
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding(added white chocolate chips to mine)

Notes:
Turkey: Brined for less time because it is injected with a solution, just overnight. Rinse again, season inside cavities. Put neck in bottom of pan with 1 onion wedged into 8 slices. Cover bottom of pan 1/2". Cooked upside down on rack for one hour at 375. Flip over for remaining time, truss and cover with melted herb butter(fresh parsley, rosemary, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, and French Thyme). Add a foil tent and reduce heat to 325' for 3-4 hours. Remove foil tent last hour or remove tent and turn on broiler for a few minutes to brown up the top of turkey.

Potatoes: Added 1 whole cube of cream cheese, 1 stick of butter, milk, salt & pepper to taste.

Stuffing: Used PW's recipe ingredients, minus the apple.

Rolls: Doubled Jannet's recipe. Makes 64 rolls! Divide dough between 4 9x9 baking pans. Before baking, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Balsamic Green Beans

2010-11-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to try adding my favorite way to saute onions and mushrooms with the green beans and I'm glad I did!

8 slices of bacon
2 lbs. green beans
1 onion, diced
several Tbls.-1/4 cup good Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbl. brown sugar
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
sliced almonds

Cut bacon into small 1" pieces and put in a medium size stock pot. Add diced onions. Cook on medium-high heat until bacon is cooked through and onions are almost translucent. Add approx. 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar and cover. The liquid will help cook the onions. Put lid on. Check often as you do not want the onions to burn, then it becomes bitter. When onions are translucent remove lid and add remaining balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, salt & fresh ground pepper to taste. Cook on low until liquid is reduced by half.

Trim ends of green beans and cut in half, into bite size pieces. Rinse well and steam in microwave cooker until fork tender but still bright green(about 6 minutes). Drain beans. Add mixture to onion/bacon mixture and toss to coat well. Add sliced almonds and mix well.

Rootbeer Cookies

2010-11-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

My FAVORITE cookie. Rootbeer extract is hard to find, but I have found it online.

Rootbeer Cookies
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermillk
1 tsp. root beer extract
1-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk, rootbeer extract, flour, soda, and salt, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Heat oven to 400'. Place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on rack and glaze with recipe below.

Rootbeer Glaze for Rootbeer Cookies
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
2 Tbl. hot water

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in rootbeer extract and hot water. Place wax paper under cooling rack. Spoon glaze over the cookies. This glaze will do a double batch of cookies.

Dana's Grape Salad

2010-11-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

3-4 pkgs of red and green seedless grapes(just get a good mix of each)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (Fat-Free OK)
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and enjoy!

Cranberry Delight Salad

2010-11-18T07:24:00.000-08:00

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (either regular or light)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple
3/4 c chopped pecans
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

In a large mixing bowl, combine cram cheese, mayonnaise and sugar; mix well. Stir in cranberry sauce, pineapple with its juice, and pecans. Fold in whipped cream. Pour mixture into an 8x8x2 inch pan. Freeze until firm. Let thaw 5-10 minutes before serving.

2010-11-18T07:21:00.001-08:00

This is copied from the Lion House Desserts cookbook, however, I usually use a graham cracker crust instead, shortbread is my favorite, and I double up the lemon mixture. You can never have too much lemon custard in my opinion. This is the dessert I'm "expected" to bring to Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers.

Lion House Lemon Truffle Pie

Baked 9-inch pie shell
½ cup water
2 Tb. Sugar
1 egg
1 Tb. Cornstarch
1 Tb. Sugar
Zest of ½ lemon
1 ½ Tb. Fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. butter
1 cup vanilla chips
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
½ cup whipped cream, sweetened
1 Tb. Toasted almonds

Put water and 2 Tb. Sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. In a large boal, mix egg, cornstarch, 1 Tb. Sugar, and zest of lemon. Slowly add hot water to egg mixture in bowl; then pour entire mixture back into pan. Heat until thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and butter. Stir until mixed and cool.

Pour 2/3 of filling in bowl. Add vanilla chips to the filling remaining in pan. Stir until chips are melted. Place cream cheese in bowl. Add filling with vanilla chips to cream cheese and beat together. Spread this mixture in bottom of pie shell. Spread remaining 2/3 of lemon filling on top. Chill for 2 hours.

Top with whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds or sprinkle toasted almonds over whipped cream and serve on side. Makes 1 pie.

One Dish Turkey/Chicken & Stuffing Bake

2010-11-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

Great for leftovers!

1 1/4 c. boiling water

4 Tbl. butter or marg.
4 c. seasoned stuffing mix
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Paprika
1 can(10 3/4oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c. milk
1 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley.

Mix water and butter, add stuffing, mix lightly. If using leftovers, skip the water/butter/stuffing mix, and just measure out cooked stuffing, about 6 cups. Spoon stuffing across center of 3 qt. shallow baking dish. Arrange chicken on each side of stuffing. Sprinkle paprika over chicken. Mix soup, milk, and parsley. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 400' for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Mashed Cauliflower

2010-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

1 lg. head Cauliflower
1 pkg. cream cheese
milk or half and half
salt and pepper

Steam cauliflower until very soft, add cream cheese and mash with a potato masher with with tines that are close together. Add milk or half and half until you reach the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. Serve just as you would mashed potatoes. Can also be topped with grated cheese, bacon bits, chives, etc....

If you like, add a few wedges of Laughing Cow Cheese. Yum!

Potato, Mushroom, Sausage "Stuffing"

2010-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

4 Tbl. Olive Oil
3 shallots, finely chopped(or 1 c. sweet onion)
3 cloves garlic
3 lb. mashed potatoes(russet, red, or gold)
1 1/2 lb. portabello mushrooms, chopped
3 lb. sweet Italian Sausage
2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 c. finely chopped chives
1/2 c. Italian parsley
2 tsp. thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Over med. heat, combine 2 Tbl. oil, shallots, and garlic. Saute until soft. Add shallots and garlic to potatoes. Over med. heat combine 2 T. oil and chopped mushrooms. Saute until golden brown and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add to potato mixute. Cook Sausage, breaking it up so that it isn't clumped, about 5-7 minutes. Add to potato mixture. Add rosemary, chives, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper, and mix throughly. Cover with foil and cook at 325' for approximately 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes. If using dried herbs, cut measurements by half. This replaced the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing in our family. It seems like a lot of steps, but it's SO worth it.

Blueberry "Crack" Cookies

2010-11-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter flavored shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. real vanilla

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1 package white chocolate chips
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350'. In large mixing bowl cream brown sugar, sugar, shortening, eggs, & vanilla on high speed for about 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl as needed to incorporate all the ingredients. Add oats, flour, salt and baking soda and mix well. Add white chocolate chips and fold in slowly with mixer. Fold in frozen blueberries just until mixed. Immediately scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets, 2" apart. Bake at 350' for 11-13 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes and then remove to cookie sheet. Refrigerate any leftover cookies, but know, these are best eaten warm.

The kosher salt really makes this recipe amazing, just a hint of salt that makes all the flavors explode. You'll see why, this why this recipe is "Blueberry Crack", and you'll never look at blueberries the same way again. And since I added real fruit, they're totally healthy ;)

Pumpkin Spice Dump Cake

2010-11-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

1 large(1lb. 14oz) can pumpkin puree
4 large eggs
1 can(12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin spice
1 package spice cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans(optional)
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin, eggs, milk, sugars, and pumpkin spice. Pour into pan. It will be runny, but it will set up. Sprinkle evenly with dry spice cake mix. Sprinkle nuts of you want to use them. Drizzle melted butter evenly over cake mix, the more even, the better. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or when it doesn't "jiggle". If it starts to get too brown while cooking cover with a loose sheet of foil. Allow to cool. Serve with ice cream(butter pecan is the best) or whipped cream.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

2010-10-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

2 leeks
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 large head cauliflower, diced
Vegetable or chicken stock
Seasonings: Fresh grated black pepper, white pepper, bay leaf, ground mustard, nutmeg(all to taste)

Discard any leek leaves that look questionable. Slice leek lengthwise down the middle and then into half moons. Place in fine sieve strainer that fits inside another bowl. Cover with water and soak. Rinse several times to remove all sand. Pour all ingredients into large crockpot. Add enough stock just to cover veggies. Cover and cook on high 4 hours, turn to low another 2-3 hours. Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion(stick) blender puree until smooth, it helps if you use a potato masher first to break up large pieces. Optional toppings: bacon pieces, Parmesan cheese, shredded chicken, pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of flavored olive oil, etc....

Ratatouille over Drunken Beef

2010-09-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion(or Maui), diced

approx. 1 cup chicken, beef, or veggie stock

2 firm eggplants, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced(or 1/4 cup minced chopped from jar)

1 Tbl. dried oregano

fresh ground black pepper

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 packets Stevia(or any other sweetener, sugar)

2 med. zucchini, diced

2 yellow crookneck squash, diced

Prepare all veggies ahead of time

Spray large pot with non-stick spray, add diced onion and 1/4-1/2 cup broth. Cover and simmer until onions are nearly translucent.

Add eggplant, peppers, spices, garlic, and remaining broth. Mix well, cover, and let simmer for approx. 10 minutes. Stir often as eggplant begins to reduce in size.

Add stewed tomatoes and stevia and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer about 15 min.

Add zucchini and squash and mix well. Cover, and let cook for 5 minutes.

Mix well again, remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes.

Zucchini will also reduce in size, and should be slightly al dente.

(Use veggie broth and omit beef for vegetarian Ratatouille.) Serve over couscous, quinoa, or rice for a starchy base.

Paleo would not use sweetener. I used homemade beef stock

Drunken Beef
1-2 cups red wine(NOT cooking wine)
Any lean steak(such as London Broil) with all visible fat trimmed
5-6 sprigs Rosemary, fresh, cleaned
2 cloves pressed garlic
Seasonings: Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Salt(optional)

Spread steak out on a large cutting board and season both sides, rubbing in spices and garlic. Place in large crockpot and pour wine over, enough to cover the meat. Turn on Low for 6-8 hours, until meat begins to fall apart when pressed with fork. Remove from crockpot and rest 20 minutes. Shred for serving. Serve approx. 4-5 oz. beef on place and smother with Ratatouille.

Politics & Sundays...

2010-09-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

I go to church on Sunday to renew my covenants I made with the Lord partaking of the Sacrament, and to be uplifted and edified. Politics and government do not fall under either of those categories.

I have way too many pet peeves, but ranking up there, my number one right now, is discussing politics in church. Zaps the Spirit right out of the meeting. I'm the Bishop's wife and I not only want to be there, but I really need to be there as well. And when I hear politics or government being discussed I want to just go home and put on nice soft music. It's like someone just popped my Spiritual bubble. It starts off my week with a nasty taste in my mouth. Sunday is the first day of the week for us and when I feel that way it makes the rest of my week stink.

Even when I walk by two people discussing government or politics I feel like I'm walking passed a heated argument. Even if they agree, the conversations are naturally heated and temperaments are visible in body language and audible in voice tone and inflection. Definitely not spiritually uplifting. Conversation in the church should comfort and be around the Lord. Regurgitating highlights of radio talk show hosts excited comments, best be done at another place, on another day.

I know He sees all of these in the public sector as His children as well, so I feel it best not to demean or talk down of any of His children. I think we all agree that some/much of what is read on the internet or said over the air is embellished or unfounded. You might be interested in this ARTICLE regarding why we believe even obvious lies. The best quote, "Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true."

Catching up...

2010-09-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, I've been terrible about blogging lately. Now that the kids are back in school though, I've been trying to find my new rhythm. So far it's been all about doctors appointments since my old pulmo left town and so did his wife who was my primary care, and then getting my foot well enough to go back out in the work force. The foot has been S-L-O-W. But, I see a hike at the end of the tunnel. No surgery still, but we're one step away from it. But I'm pretty confident in this, it's called EWTS, and I have to go to the bay area to have it done. So, in the mean time I decided to find a way to liquidate all of my craft supplies and use my new sewing machine that I've hardly touched since I got it. I'm working on jewelry, purses, wallet key chains, and some whatnots to list in an Etsy store. When I get it up, hopefully the end of the week, it'll be here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/accidentaldesigner .

Here are a few pics:

And here's the "PROTOTYPE" of a key chain/wallet I'll be adding too. That was just some old fabric to practice on and work out the kinks.

Easy Refrigerator Pickles

2010-08-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

12-15 small pickling cucumbers
2 cups cold water
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbl. sugar
1 Tbl. kosher salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
about 10 twists of fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Scrub and rinse cucumbers. Put cleaned cucumbers in a large ice bath(lots of ice) and let set for at least half an hour. In a measuring cup add remaining ingredients except garlic and stir often to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove cucumbers from ice bath, cut ends off and quarter lengthwise. Put pickles in large gallon size ziploc type bag. Add garlic and cold pickling mixture to bag. Add fresh dill, jalapeno, citrus peels, or other flavor enhancers if you like. Refrigerate for 2 days before eating. Will keep for 1 week after pickling is done.

I'm not a pickle fan, but I saw someone make some on t.v. and thought these looked easy enough and worth a try. I'm SO glad I did! What I did learn is that the ice bath is crucial to keeping the pickles snap crisp. And they are! I picked up these organic pickling cucumbers at our local farmers market.

Broccoli Salad

2010-08-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Salad:
1 lg. head broccoli, cut into small pieces
6 oz. dried cranberries
1 pkg. chopped walnuts
1/2 cup reduced fat bacon pieces(such as Hormel)

Dressing:
1/2 bottle Maple Farms Fat Free Raspberry Dressing
1/2 bottle Maple Farms Fat Free Poppy Seed Dressing
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 lg. clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 tsp. reduced calorie soy sauce
1 packet stevia sweetener
3 packets True Orange

Combine salad ingredients in large bowl and set aside. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour over salad and mix well. Let sit for at least an hour in refrigerator and serve.

I didn't realize Maple Grove had high fructose corn syrup listed in it's top ingredients. Next time I make this I'll be trying another brand. If you prefer a creamier broccoli salad you can also add light mayonnaise. This is unbelievably high in anti-oxidants and fiber with just a little guilty but lower fat bacon.

Back to School

2010-08-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

You can almost hear the sass in their attitudes. Not kewl for mom to take back to school pictures.

And someone asked who was going to take a picture of Mermaid so I stole this from her Facebook page. Mermaid's friend on the left, and Mermaid on the right. Already started school on the Central Coast.

Spicy Peanut Shirataki Noodles (WW=4pts)

2010-08-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 oz. sliced, cooked boneless skinless chicken breast (130 cal./2 fat/0 fib.)
1 package Shirataki Noodles (40/1/4)
1 Tbl. Better n' Butter Peanut Butter (50/2/2)
1 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce (3/0/0)
1 tsp. Gourmet Garden Cilantro Blend(5/0/0)
1 tsp. minced garlic(use less if you're not a fan of garlic) (0)
a few drops each of sriracha sauce, sesame oil, and liquid Stevia(if you prefer it a little sweet) (approx. 10 cal)

Rinse noodles and squeeze out all liquid, set aside. Spray a non-stick skillet with a light coat of non-stick spray and heat pan to medium heat. Heat chicken breast slices in pan. In a small bowl with a tiny wire whisk, combine the remaining ingredients. Add a little water to bring the sauce up to 1/4-1/3 cup liquid. Set sauce aside. Add noodles to chicken and stir until noodles are heated through and "dry". If you don't squeeze out all the liquid the noodles will taste gummy and feel slimey. When noodles and chicken are heated through add sauce and mix well. Let reduce a little until slightly thickened. (238/5/6)=4 pts. on Weight Watchers. Make without chicken(108/3/6) = 2 pts. (13 TOTAL carbs, 5 NET carbs)

Was a Little Peanut Sittin' on the Tracks. 'Long Comes a Train, WOOOWOOO! Peanut Butter!

2010-08-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

We refer to peanut butter as "Puppy Crack".

Golden Butterscotch Blondies

2010-08-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

1 stick butter flavored Crisco shortening stick (Or ½ cup shortening, ½ cup Nucoa marg.)
1 C packed brown sugar
½ C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ C all-purpose flour
1 package butterscotch chips
Gold Glitter Sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350' and spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray well, set aside. Cream "wet" ingredients together(includes both sugars) until creamy and smooth. Add flour and baking soda all at once and mix until combined. Pour in butterscotch chips and mix. Spread mixture evenly in 9x13" pan. Sprinkle top with Gold Glitter Sugar. Bake for approx. 23 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool. Use a knife and go around edge of pan to make sure bars are not stuck to pan. Flip onto cutting board and cut into pieces.

Blackened Chicken

2010-08-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves, pounded thin
3-4 Tbl. Olive or Canola Oil
2 Tbl. Paprika
1 Tbl. Cayenne Pepper(you can use less but we like a lot of heat)
1 Tbl. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. Salt(kosher or sea)
1 tsp. White Pepper
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. Ground Thyme

To De-Glaze Pan:
1 cup red wine
2 Rounded Tbl. Brown Sugar
1/2 Stick Cold Butter, Sliced into Tablespoons

Bring chicken up to room temperature, about an hour on counter. Combine the spices together and spread evenly on the bottom of a 9x13" pan, reserving some. Press each side into the spices until well coated and rub reserved spices into chicken. Set aside. Using a large non-stick skillet turn heat on to medium/medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until pan is hot. Add oil and when "ripples" start to appear it is hot enough. Add chicken, spread out as even as possible. If chicken doesn't fit well in pan you may need to do this in batches. DO not move the chicken around, just leave it alone. Cook about 7 minutes on one side. Flip and do not move the chicken around again, it's tempting, but you can do it. Turn heat down to low-medium. Juices should run clear if you cut into it after about 5 minutes. Put lid on and turn off heat. Let rest about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

To De-Glaze Pan:
After removing chicken from pan, turn heat back up to Medium. Add wine and scrape drippings and spices from pan while bringing the mixture to a boil. Add brown sugar and let reduce by about half. Remove from heat. Add one pat of butter and mix until incorporated. Add another pat and mix again, repeat until all butter is incorporated. Pour over chicken if desired.

My Favorite Salad Dressing

2010-08-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

We love Melissa D'Arabian from Food Network's Next Food Network Star. I've started making my own salad dressing for all of my salads now. I use a lot less olive oil though, or even some homemade chili oil or white truffle oil. It has SO much flavor! Sometimes I'll throw in a splash of agave nectar or honey, even a packet of Stevia to have a sweetened dressing. Play with your vinegars too! Rice Vinegar is REALLY good. I also use a golden balsamic almost daily, and champagne vinegar. And try different mustard types, Jack Daniels is good, and there's a cranberry mustard that is really tasty too. Just play, it's really hard to go wrong! The soy sauce was a surprise, but I found it really does make a difference. Yummmmm!

LINK

Ingredients

Mustard Vinaigrette:

1 garlic clove, sliced in 1/2
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Small splash soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

3 cups mixed greens, the darker the better (not iceberg)

Rub the inside of a large wooden bowl with the garlic clove and then either discard it or save it for another use. Put the mustard in the bowl and whisk in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce (a French secret!) vigorously for about 10 seconds to get a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the olive oil as slowly as possible with 1 hand while whisking as quickly as possible with the other hand to emulsify. Lay the salad greens on top of the dressing and toss just before serving.

Rootbeer Cookies

2010-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermillk
1 tsp. root beer extract
1-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk(you can also use milk curdled with vinegar or lemon juice equaling the same amount), rootbeer extract, flour, soda, and salt, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Heat oven to 400'. Place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on rack and glaze with recipe below.

Rootbeer Glaze for Rootbeer Cookies
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp. root beer extract
2 Tbl. hot water

Mix powdered sugar and butter. Stir in rootbeer extract and hot water. Place wax paper under cooling rack. Spoon glaze over the cookies. This glaze will do a double batch of cookies.

Another easy option is:
1 box yellow or spice cake mix
1 tsp. rootbeer extract
1 egg
1 stick of melted butter(but not hot)
Combine all ingredients. Use a cookie scoop to get equal portions. Flatten with the bottom of a flat glass that has been dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes, don't let the edges brown. Let cool and spread with the same icing as above or add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it up. Spread a generous amount on the bottom of one cookie and sandwich with the bottom of another. These are best if you let them sit overnight. Good luck with that though. :)

PW Blackberry Cobbler

2010-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

We've sent the kids to pick wild blackberries around the neighborhood the last few days. We've had them over pudding, over ice cream, in salads, etc... But today I challenged them to get enough to make a pie. Well, I didn't really feel like make pie crusts, so I looked up The Pioneer Woman's recipes and she had many possibilities. I used THIS recipe, Blackberry Cobbler #1(doubled). If only there was smell-a-vision.

20 Years....

2010-07-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is a special anniversary for Mr. D and I. He proposed to me 20 years ago, standing in a giant cheeseburger float, wearing a hula skirt and a bikini top in Cayucos' 4th of July Parade. This year, we left the parade with one less child, leaving her behind to go to school there. It was an emotional week, but it's all good.

We started off the week going to Hearst Beach and hung out with old ward members, it hardly felt we've been away for 3 years. It's always fun to visit with old friends, in fact we NEED to visit our old friends, they are family.

While we had some time we headed a little farther up the coast to San Simeon. The gates were closed to the lighthouse so I had to take the pics from there. Then on the way back down to the beach we pulled over to see the Elephant Seals, they're always so impressive even though all they seem to do is lay out on the beach and snore and snort.

Then the boys and dad went on a hike out at Montana de Oro, even Grandpa went. You'll notice the "extra", that's my nephew, A, who LOVES Avatar. He's visiting Grandpa & Grandma for the summer.

Then we ALL headed over to Montana de Oro for Mr. D, his brother C, and his daughter, Long Lashes to go try to do an ocean entry dive. It's not the greatest place to go, but it can be done. They got there and there were no waves, it looked perfect. But, by the time we gathered all the dive stuff out of the back of the car and they started getting geared up, the waves were curling and it wasn't exactly the best conditions.

Mr. D went in first and now looking back I probably could have gotten some great training pics as to how to attempt an ocean dive under these conditions. But I pulled my camera down and missed it. But, you can tell by the look on Mr. D's face, he was WIPED out, literally.

So then Mr. D helped C and Long Lashes get into the water and they did it!!! Yay! But then he had to try again. Long Lashes sister was such an awesome help! She's always looking for an excuse to get wet anyways, but she really is always just right there to help.

Mr. D ALMOST made it. A few more tries and he called it quits. With all those added weights and the waves, it really sucked the breath out of him. We saw C and Long Lashes heading back in anyways. They couldn't dive, the water was too choppy. So, Mr. D helped them in. Long Lashes had to take her tank and vest off to get back in. It was tough getting back in with the currents, and one of her fins also broke. :(

C wanted his fins off NOW. lol They packed it all up and headed over to Morro Bay where they could just slip into the water. The rest of us packed it in and headed for a pool since we knew it would be much safer. Like there was anything we could do anyways at the beach for them.

Little A couldn't resist burying himself in the sand. LOL I'm still cleaning it out of the back of car ;)

Marco! Polo! Marco! Polo!

The Parade: Cayucos, CA

This lady was just smiles ear to ear and a huge bounce to her step.

The SS Sea Shanty!!!!

The Yellow Submarine Meanies

The Whole Gang

The Brothers: C and Mr. D

MMMMMmmmmm Chocolate Mousse

Carol brought out this, tons of ice cream, loads of whip cream and lots of spoons :)

And then, we hugged, I cried, and we drove home without our big girl. Thank goodness for texting and Facebook, and unlimited long distance calling.

More Graduation Pics

2010-06-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

I didn't get any pictures of him with his friends, you know, that's not cool. He was off and hanging out with his buddies, the new "hot stuff" species, High School Freshmen.

Graduation Day!!!!

2010-06-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

Lots of pictures, lots of emotions, and lots of big smiles. Mr. D had the privilege of handing Mermaid her High School diploma, something he has been looking forward to for a LONG time.

My Latest Project?

2010-06-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

I actually started this over a year ago, but I finally filled the frames! I have room for more, so since kids grow it will keep changing. I love the way it turned out! The other grouping of frames is Mermaid's photography assignments. She's taken photography for 2 years and is graduating tomorrow(sniff sniff).

I {heart} My Phone.....

2010-05-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I'm addicted. I love my iPhone. I love it's apps and all it's bells and whistles. I was hesitant to make the switch over from my Crackberry. Which don't get me wrong, I do miss it's shy red sleek skin, the little click click noise it makes when I text, the ease of customizing ring tones, and using any song on it as my alarm clock. But, the iPhone is also equally cool. It's easy to use, it's cute, and I had to giggle when I noticed how many people were using the scripture app in Sunday School. With all my Young Womens' garb in my bag it was nice to lighten the load of my bag. I love using a diet app I downloaded. Oh, the apps! So many to pick from. It's camera rocks. Love this thing. Oh, and I was even able to attach the E15 Video) posted below) on it. Just amazing tech here!

Brown Sugar Baked Bacon

2010-05-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Some of these entries aren't exactly recipes, but techniques on how I prepare food. Cooking bacon has always been a simple but messy no-brainer, right? Fry it in a pan, wear long sleeves so you don't burn your arms, cook it until it's crisp, remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. But tonight, I tried something else for our BLT's and my family all agree they were the best BLT's they've ever had. I can't guarantee your house won't smell like bacon for days or weeks to come, but this is SO worth it. And the smell drives the dog wild, lol.

Line a cookie sheet(2) with foil. I used non-stick, which makes clean up easier too. Lay bacon out on pan and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper. Using a scoop or measuring cup sprinkle sparingly with brown sugar. You may need to spread it out a little more evenly using your hand. Don't use your bare-touched-raw-bacon-hand to get more brown sugar if you need more. Place cookie sheets in COLD oven(I used the bottom and middle racks). Turn oven on to 400' and set time for 17-20 minutes. This will all depend on how thick your bacon is. I used thick cut bacon and had to cook it for a total of 28 minutes. Switch the sheets half way through(move the bottom sheet to top oven rack, top to bottom, you get the pic) to ensure even baking. Just watch the bacon closely after 20 minutes to prevent burning.

We all agreed, this is the BEST tasting bacon ever. Yummmmy!

Tonight we had BL's(no tomatoes, I was out) on Homemade Cheddar Rosemary Onion Ciabatta Bread. I just added about a Tbl. of dried rosemary, 2 Tbl. Dried Minced Onion, and 1 cup of grated Medium Cheddar Cheese to the dough. The BASIC recipe for the Ciabatta Bread can be found HERE.

Oh, and how I ate mine: I used a low-carb tortilla to make a wrap. Spread about 2 Tbl. Edemame Pesto(see below, I told you this stuff is a must) on the tortilla, leaving about 2" all around. Layer bacon, about 1/8th of an avocado sliced, about a 1/4 roma tomato sliced, a little lettuce, salt and pepper to taste, and wrap up like a burrito. It's not your vintage/classic BLT, but it's GOOD! (burp) I figured out these to be about 160 calories!

I know it looks extremely greasy, but the brown sugar actually makes a beautiful glaze for the bacon.

Every 15 Minutes Video

2010-05-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

LINK TO VIDEO BY CLICKING HERE

This is the Every 15 Minutes video put together by the students. This was played at the assembly the next day. I loved, "What did you do?!" It is a choice. It is a decision. It is a matter of life and death. And you have no control over the consequences. Make the right choice. Make your decision NOW, BEFORE your decision making process is tainted by alcohol or drugs. It's an easy choice if you've already decided under no circumstances would you ever drive intoxicated or get into a car with someone driving under the influence. We have enough hard choices in this life, and this should be the easiest!

Prom Pics

2010-05-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Mermaid & Jamie

Every 15 Minutes

2010-05-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Trying to put this into words is difficult, yet I have SO much to say on the topic of driving under the influence. As my husband tells his students, the worst day of his life was sitting across from me and telling me my sister was dead. That has to also be the worst day in my life, hearing those words. I was 4 months pregnant with my own daughter at the time, my first, my baby.   When she entered high school and heard about the Every 15 Minutes program, she knew she wanted to be a part of the solution with her passion of educating people about the effects of alcohol and driving. Today, was special, in many ways. Ariel took on spearheading Every 15 Minutes as her Senior Project. Since this is only offered to the Seniors and Juniors to witness, every other year, we were blessed with her involvement. Amid her busy schedule between church, school, being editor of the yearbook, track, and being a teenager, she took on coordinating meetings, attending city council meetings, designing the t-shirt logos for Every 15, passing out fliers, talking to parents of students that will be involved, and seeking support from local public officials, the schedule of events,.... It's obviously a HUGE undertaking and it has to be done right because you hope everyone is affected emotionally.

A few weeks ago, she came home with the mock 911 tape they recorded with law enforcement officials. I don't know the girl on the tape that called with a terrifying plea for help, but the voice could be any one of our children. And I hope NONE of our kids ever have to really go through that real scenario. I listened and cried. And cried some more later. I showed up at the school early and waited in the office while they set up the crash scene. I looked out the windows of my husband's office and could see the tow trucks taking cars that were involved in real life collisions down to the staging area. We were waiting for Mr. D to give the go ahead for his secretary to air the recording over the school's PA system in every classroom. I headed down just before he gave the go ahead to show up and find kids already staged in the cars, photographers were there, many emergency personnel were already there, parents, friends, neighbors, the committee and administrators, and a few students.

The go ahead was given and I heard that scared voice again over the loud speakers. The kids started trickling down, it wasn't a surprise, but they met the scene somber and quiet. It wasn't fun. It wasn't a game. It was fake, but it was sad to think about how it could be real. How it IS real. How this happens every 15 minutes, at least.

I wanted to scream at this point. I wanted to yell at all of the kids, "DO YOU SEE WHAT YOUR SELFISHNESS CAN DO!" This drill was providing the necessary emotion, even better than anything I could say. Just then my lips started to tremble, I felt the tears rolling down my face, my hands were shaking, and I even felt my heart go from cold to hot, to cold and hot again. I felt flushed and I wanted to run but even my legs were trembling. But I also couldn't take my eyes off of the kids. They were being respectful and drawn in as well by the scene.

The sirens were getting louder and the police were the first to show up on scene. The accident was a head on collision with a truck and sedan. In the truck was Alex(the driver), his female passenger next to him, and Brendan who had gone through the front windshield. He was face down and his arms stretched out. The emergency personnel didn't pay any attention yet, because they were focusing on the girl and another passenger in the other car that they might be able to save.   Their attention was on the sedan. This car was also full of students. The firemen pulled out their jaws of life to try to save them. The grim reaper kept a quiet profile in the background. There were crime scene investigators taking pictures of the dead boy and the scene. The paramedics gave another Alex, the girl in the sedan that they pulled out CPR, and loaded her into the ambulance. After the two students in the sedan were taken away with sirens, the coroner came for Brendan. His limp body was pulled back to reveal critical wounds and he was placed on the gurney. Just before they pulled his body from the truck, I saw the coroner tearfully retrieve the gurney and blue velvet blanket they use to cover him.

Alex was submitting to a sobriety test on the side and arrested and taken away in the back of the squad car. Alex possibly had the hardest role to play in this mock accident. As the kids started to come down, I saw him start to really fall apart and wondered if he'd be able to carry out his role. Imagine being a real murderer. Insert some real honesty here: IF you participate in or witness this program and still choose to drink and drive you SHOULD be charged with murder if you kill someone.   If Alex happens upon my blog, thank you for playing such an awful person.

The personnel dispersed and left the scene as Mr. D started to address the students. He told them of his worst day, of my worst day. He charged them with understanding their actions have consequences that they have no control over. He talked about Alex and Brendan. Brendan is a big guy, a football player, and he has a tattoo on his arm. He asked the students that knew him, "What does it say?" It seemed like half the students responded, "Family." Family.

Everyone is then sent back to go about their business, which is difficult. The school has counselors in the office to speak to students if they so need. The rest of the day is usually much more somber and they're reminded as every 15 minutes the grim reaper will come and take a student out of class. Tonight is a retreat for those students that have "died", and tomorrow will be a funeral to bring a close to the program. The parents have been asked to write obituaries for their sons and daughters and read them. This has been no easy task!

I headed back to my car to pick up Mr. D's black suit for the funeral at the cleaners. On my way there and back, I was processing. Processing a lot. The sadness, the anger, and a few thoughts I have for a fellow alumni of mine that was recently arrested for DUI, and for classmates of my late sister that seem to still have much growing up to do. I thought how easy it is for some people to get behind the wheel, yet, they would never "unfriend" someone on Facebook for fear of hurting their feelings. Yet, they're gambling "unfriending" people permanently each time they get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Never downplay ANY drinking and driving. It IS a big deal. It IS playing Russian Roulette. I had wiped my face and cleaned up enough to head into the post office. I was shipping off the last of Ariel's graduation announcements, and thinking just how proud I am of her hard work. Grateful for the community that supports this program. Grateful for the parents that teach their children not to drink and drive, and even better yet, not to drink at all. Grateful for the leaders that fund raise for schools and kids programs and have the class to NOT involve wine and alcohol in their events. Grateful to the drivers that phone in possible drunk drivers. Grateful for the emergency personnel that respond to these scenes, VERY grateful. Grateful for the 17 years, 362 days I had my sister here on earth. And grateful for my husband and children and all of their love.

Just Breathe...

2010-05-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

That's what I keep telling myself. Busy doesn't begin to describe right now. Getting the Mermaid ready for graduation, her senior project, prom, senior trips(Great America & Disneyland), ready to move off to school, Mr. D's calling and job, overnights for work, 2 temple trips this month(youth and a ward), banquets(tonight is his only night home until next Sunday), getting the house ready for guests and a party, the dog, and oh yeah, another foot problem while trying to contain the chaos. The tube in the air cast came out Friday, so I was immobile all weekend(left heel, good foot this time) so I whined to the Dr. today and he fixed it so I can walk, I think I kind of bug him. He said the problem with patients like me is we don't know we're broken and need to take it easy. I told him I KNOW I'm broken, but I don't have a choice, so make me mobile. I'm sure Drs. just adore stubborn patients with no patience like me. I would like to think some of my stubbornness though helps pay for him to go on vacation, so I'm kind of a "bonus" patient. That's what I tell myself. Just get me through the month. Of course July, is pretty exciting too, moving the brat, Girls Camp, Scout Camp, Adventure Trip, Leadership Camp, etc.... Summer will zoom by I'm sure.

Edamame Pesto Spread or Dip

2010-04-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 cups Edamame, shelled & blanched

1/4 cup olive oil

Basil(1/2 bunch, or 1/4 cup Gourmet Garden Basil Blend)

1/4 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

salt & pepper to taste

Sriracha sauce, a few drops

3 cloves Garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

Blend all of the above ingredients together in food processor, add water if needed, continue to scrape down sides until you get a pretty smooth consistency or leave chunky if you prefer.

Slice Ciabatta bread into toast size pieces. Spray with butter flavor non-stick spray and broil just until crisp. Spread toasts with dip.

Also a tasty alternative to Mayonnaise on sandwiches.

My kids LOVE this.

White Chocolate Lemon Filled Cream Puffs

2010-04-24T09:34:00.001-07:00

Puffs:

1 cup water

1 cup butter(2 sticks)

1 cup flour

4 eggs

Electric mixer

Preheat oven to 400’. In a medium size saucepan bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a large ball, about 1 minute. If you have a Kitchenaid, transfer mixture to bowl and using whisk attachment beat on high. If using a hand mixer, you can use the pan, turn off heat and whip fast. Add one egg at a time until mixture is well mixed and all eggs are incorporated. Use a small cookie scoop and drop level scoopfuls 1 1/2” apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to cookie sheets right away. (They’re full of air and almost cool to the touch as soon as you pull them out, but be careful still). This recipe yields about 48 good size cream puffs. If you use an even smaller cookie scoop(I played around with extra batter using a tsp. size, and they puffed up to the perfect bite size.

Filling:

1 8oz. block light cream cheese

1 tub whipped topping(not fat free)

1 box vanilla instant pudding mix

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

Juice & zest of one lemon, separated

1 egg

2 Tbl. Cold Butter

1 pkg. white chocolate chips.

In a large mixer bowl, allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. When soft, beat on high using a whisk attachment. Add pudding mix and milk and whip on high until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat egg with lemon zest and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a low boil, until sugar is dissolved. Slowly add hot water to egg mixture, whisking, and then add the mixture back into the pan and return to heat. Keep stirring with whisk until thickened to custard like consistency. Remove from heat and add cold butter and lemon juice. Mix well. Add in bag of white chocolate chips and whisk. Let set for a minute and come back and stir again. The heat from the mixture will melt the chips and it will be just about room temperature by the time they’re done melting and mixed. Pour lemon mixture into cream cheese & pudding mixture and blend well. Fold in Whipped Topping, you can just use the whisk attachment on low spead.

Fill a decorators bag with a large star tip attached with mixture. This will have to be done in batches, so don’t overfill or it will make a BIG mess. Poke tip into side of puff and fill, you’ll feel the weight of the puff change. Overfilling is not an issue, but may be slightly yugly(my word for yummy/ugly, it’s all good though). Spread a little of the cream filling on the bottom of the plate you’ll be serving them on, this acts like a glue so the cute little guys don’t roll off! Layer, and sprinkle with powdered sugar, layer again, more powdered sugar. I use a tiny fine sieve strainer or shaker. Randomly place fresh raspberries around the platter.

Raspberry Dipping Sauce

Okay, this is the EASIEST and BEST dipping sauce ever, use it over brownies, ice cream, cheesecake, etc…. A friend told me about this. Literally, 1 minute!

In a large mixing bowl, pour in one bag of FROZEN raspberries and 1 jar of strawberry preserves and mix. Set in fridge, covered, and allow the mixture to thaw and set up just right. Give it a good stir before serving. Something about the juices from the berries with the pectin from the jam. Yum. I made mine last time using strawberry freezer jam, and my oh my!

Love This! Frazil Ice at Yosemite...

2010-04-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

I just want to hold out a cone and pour some flavorings on. I know, sick, it's loaded with all kinds of fun gastric love, but it LOOKS cool.

Chili (I served this at Girls Camp Fundraiser)

2010-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans black beans(do not drain)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 can tomato soup

2 Heaping Tbl. each Chili Powder & Cumin
2 Tbl. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1 Medium Onion, Diced

1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely diced, most of the seeds removed

1 Anaheim Pepper, finely diced, most of the seeds removed

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tbl. Beef "Better Than Bouillion"

1 3 lb. lean Beef Roast, cooked and shredded

1 lb. chorizo, cooked and drained

Sriracha Sauce to Taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large slowcooker, combine all ingredients EXCEPT meat. Add enough water to the cans of beans to rinse all of the grainy fibery goodness out, about half to two thirds up the can. Swirl around to loosen up all the residue and add "bean juice" to the crockpot. Stir all the ingredients. Cook on High 1 hour and turn down to Low for 5-6 hours, until onions are translucent and soft. In a large non-stick pan, cook chorizo. Pour into a fine sieve strainer and drain. Go back and scrape the "bits" left in the pan, you can add a little water to help. Pour the "bits" and drained chorizo into the chili mixture. Add shredded beef and stir well. Cook for one more hour. The beef will soak up a lot of the liquid and it will thicken up. Add Sriracha Sauce to taste if you'd like to add more heat.

**I slow-cooked the roast the day before in the crock-pot. I use London Broil in the crock-pot A LOT, and this would also work well, any cheap cut will do, even pork.

Serve with Honey Corn Bread or Muffins.

S'mores Cupcakes

2010-04-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe I used: http://annies-eats.com/2009/11/16/smores-cupcakes/

I did do a little tweaking, as usual.

Doubled the Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Use half a square of Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar with Caramel Filling Instead of Chocolate on Graham Cracker Crust

Used Lowfat Buttermilk instead of Whole Milk

Did Not Torch Frosting

For the graham cracker crust: (Doubled this)
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped(See Substitution Above)

For the cake:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk ( I used lowfat buttermilk instead)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: I found the bottom of my squeeze bottle to be the perfect size to do this job neatly and quickly.) Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

To make the cake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. (Note: I just set my clean, dry mixer bowl over simmering water, to avoid dirtying two bowls.) Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker segments (optional).

Source: adapted from Lovin’ From the Oven, originally attributed to Trophy Cupcakes, cake clearly from Hershey’s

Crockpot Turkey Breast Dinner & Mashed Potatoes

2010-04-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

This was SO easy. I purchased a seasoned turkey breast, ribs removed but leg attached. Looked like half a turkey.

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray(don't use a liner, because you'll mash the potatoes in the crockpot). Layer one large finely chopped onion, and 2 lbs. cleaned baby red potatoes, and 3 cloves crushed garlic. Season with black and white pepper(to taste) and stir in one can of fat free cream of chicken soup. Top with 4 sprigs of rosemary. Top with turkey breast. Cook on Low 7-9 hours. You can also do this with boneless skinless chicken breasts, turkey loins, etc....

My turkey came with a pop up "done" insert, so after it popped, I let it still continue to cook for a while longer, it just comes out fork tender. Remove the turkey breast and allow to "set" for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Pour out most of the juices and remove sprigs of rosemary. Use a non-stick masher to make smashed potatoes, adding in liquid as needed. Serve with steamed veggies or salad. EASIEST turkey dinner ever! You can also use the reserved liquid to make a gravy, but I didn't even feel the need, it was SO flavorful and moist. But great stock for another meal. :)

Central Coast Part 3

2010-04-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is Montana de Oro's Buchon Trail. We hiked in 1.5 miles in to Disney Point and back. Gorgeous day!