Making Christmas Easier

Christmas is a time to reflect on the gift of Christ and enjoy time with family and friends, not a time to be overwhelmed by a crazy to do list that never ends. This was the most stress free Christmas that I have ever had. I want to share with you what made it easier this year. Make sure you do the things that are most important to you and your family. Don't feel pressure from someone else to do something, just because. Like the Christmas card. If it is too much to get it out before Christmas, do it around the New Year, or even Valentine's Day. Here's what helped me this year:

Focusing on Christ - Our gifts to teachers were very Christ centered. We put together a book of 12 stories that they could read before Christmas. We also did a scripture chain, I printed out a scripture and then a question to go with it, or an act of service that the kids were suppossed to do. We also played with the child friendly Nativity Scene a lot (too much, they figured out how to take it apart and catapoult the figures all over the front room. So much for reverence.)

The Christmas Card- This year over Thanksgiving, my Dad was in the hospital in Las Vegas with some heart problems. I put my stress to work and ordered our Christmas cards on line at Shutterfly. It was really easy, took about as much time as it would have in the store, and I did it in my PJ's. I got free shipping, pluse 35% off. (You can google coupons for Shutterfly, it saved us an extra 5%). Then I wrote and printed our letter. I also took the time to get all of the addresses off of the hundreds of scraps of paper in my Christmas folder and entered them into the computer. Now I have them for labels instead of having to hand write everything.) So, I had the letter and envelopes addressed before the cards got here. If you don't get it done before Christmas, don't stress, do a New Year's Letter.

Make a list and On-line Shopping - My mom had a knee replacement in early November, so she got her shopping done in October. This forced me to get a list together. I knew what she was getting the kids. Then I gave a list of 2 or 3 things to Mike's parents, his mom let me know what she was getting them. I had my wish list made up at Amazon.com, so on Cyber Monday, I ordered everything and was done. (I only had to pay shipping on 2 items) When my dad told me to shop for him for the kids, I still had my wish list and did it all on line again. We became friends with the UPS man.

Have a "Battery Night"- My friend, Em in WI, and I started a Christmas tradition of "battery night". Pick a night close to Christmas, call your girlfriends, and go out to dinner. Then go shopping for batteries for the toys your kids are getting, and stocking stuffers. The stores are usually open insanely late, and we would ususally stay until closing. I remember a few nights when they started turning the lights on and off as a signal for us to check out. I guess we missed the "We will be closing in 10 minutes" announcement.

Wrapping - It is no secret that this is my least favorite part of Christmas. I remember one Christmas we were up until 3 AM wrapping, I was not too happy the next day. I enlisted my husband for help, he is good at wrapping, but not very fast. We started wrapping mid-December this year and finished Dec 22. I have to admit by the last 5 presents my pieces of tape were 4 to 5 inches long and the gifts looked like my 4 year old had wrapped them. I stopped writing who presents were from, because I was too tired to remember if it was us or Santa giving them. Oh well, they loved unwrapping them.

Christmas Treats - something I love to do at Christmas is make treats. This year I did 2 or 3 things that produce a lot of treats. I made cranberry bread, which I need to post, it was really good. I also did caramel popcorn, and my favorite new cookies. I will post links to this later. I had them ready or in the freezer too. When someone stopped by with something, I had a treat for them. I had to deliver a few, but it was nice to just have them ready.

Hope these suggestions will be helpful to someone, and I will certainly do this next year. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

Mexican Chicken Stew

I will add a picture of this later. We have had this every week since I found the recipe tucked away in my arsenal of recipes that I want to try. My friend, Erika, in Madison brought me dinner one time when I was sick. It was called "Mexican Pot Roast" and it was REALLY good. I didn't have beef, and I did some different things with this recipe to make it what is published below. My kids love it and I always hope there are left overs. This is a great meal to sneak veggies into. I have used onion, red pepper, sweet potato, butternut squash, and tomatoes in this one. I love that they can get 5 different veggies in this meal, plus protein and whole grains.



Chicken, you can have it cut in chunks, or the whole breast

1 to 2 cups salsa (start with 1 and then add more if you want)


1 onion, diced (or in chunks if you are roasting and pureeing)


1 red pepper cut in chunks


Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper, about 1 Tablespoon sugar


(Other optional veggies - butternut squash sweet potato -peel, cut in chunks, and roast with other veggies)- You will puree them to avoid picky kid detection)

1 hot pepper or jalapeno (totally optional, you could also use some cayenne pepper if you want it a little hotter)
1 14 oz can tomatoes, undrained

2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water as needed (I use chicken broth)

cilantro (optional, but tastes great and looks pretty too.)

Lime Juice (I use at least 2 to 3 Tablespoons. This really adds flavor and it is really good)

If I had some fresh limes I would use lime slices as a garnish and then everyone can add more lime juice if they want. We just have the bottle of lime juice at the table, really classy, right?

1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional, but gives it a really nice crunch)

brown rice, cooked

You could also serve this over a baked potato.



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine onion an red pepper (and other veggies if using). Drizzle with EVOO and put veggies in a greased 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sugar. Roast in oven 20 min and stir, roast another 10 minutes. Combine all veggies,vinegar and salsa in food processor or blender and puree. Pour into crock pot or large pot. Add spices and chicken. Cook until chicken is done. (Low or High depending on how fast you want it to cook) Serve over rice or baked potato.

"Can Someone, Anyone, Spare a Square????"

I love that Seinfeld episode where Elaine is in the public restroom and her stall is out of TP, so she asks the lady next to her to "spare a square." The woman refuses, and ends up being Jerry's date. Love that episode, as well as the one where George's dad celebrates "Festivus for the rest of us", and the Soup Nazi, I could go on and on. Anyway, my point...

My friend and I went out shopping and I had to use the potty before the 1/2 hour ride home. I finish my business and look to my right... to my alarm there is NO TP. NOT A SINGLE SHRED. And I had left my purse with my friend outside of the restroom. WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO??????????

Do I waddle to the next stall and hope no one comes in and is blinded by my huge white behind?

Do I drip dry, no that is too gross.

In the midst of my panic I see a way out of this mess. Below the wall of the stall to my right was a square. I pulled on it, and more came out. Thankfully, a mess and huge embarrassment was avoided that evening, I got some squares.

So, if you are ever stuck (I usually check if there is TP before I go, but I forgot, of course) in this situation, if no one is in the stall next to you, you can reach up into the next stall, discretely, and get a few squares. If someone is next to you, that would be creepy, so don't do it.

Sorry, My Name Is Mom Too

This weekend Mike took the older 4 kids to go see "Megamind" at our realtor's client appreciation day. (He rents out the local movie theater and invites all of his clients, it is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!). This left me a chance to go to the store to buy some essentials that were on sale for SUPER CHEAP (brown sugar and powdered sugar for 99 cents a bag) without the older kids who beg me to buy things that would totally eliminate the money I save buying something on sale.

So, I am pushing my 2 year old and 4 month old in the cart and my 2 year old is babbling about something. I hear someone say, "Mom, can I get this...plEASE?????????" (you know, the please that starts out low and then gets louder and higher pitched at the end as they beg for you to get something for them.) I hear myself reply, out of habit, "Sorry honey, we are not going to get that today, it isn't on sale." I look up at the kid, he is looking at me as if to say, "Who on earth are you?" and I am totally embarrassed. I apologize and say, "Sorry, buddy, Mom is my name too."

And then I push my cart away as fast as I can. Seriously, I need to change my name.

My New Favorite Cookies

These have become my new favorite cookies to make. They are VERY tasty, easy to make, and look really cute too. I never used mini-muffin pans a whole lot, until now. I love them. I think I found some for $4 at Walmart. This is a great time of year to buy Hershey Kisses too, all of the special flavors go on sale. I remember getting them in WI at Walgreens 5 for $5 and I can get them here for 65 cents a bag. My personal favorites are the Candy Cane and Mint Truffle flavors. Other flavors work, those are just my fav's. These are great because they make a lot in a short amount of time. (I have 4 pans, can make 8 dozen at a time.) You can use refrigerated cookie dough or brownie mix for these. I am including my favorite sugar cookie recipe. I found it at allrecipes.com and added more sugar, it just wasn't sweet enough. It is really good. Click here for some awesome Chocolate cookie dough recipe (double for 6 to 8 dozen mini muffin cookies, you can omit the extra chocolate chips, but why would you want to do that?), and Click here for some awesome brownie batter (double for 6 to 8 dozen mini muffin cookies).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (Optional, but very good, especially if you use hershey kisses with almonds in them. Not sure how it tastes with the mint kisses, but will find out today.)
5 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Hershey Kisses
M & M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Spoon batter into mini muffin pans. Bake for about 7 to 9 minutes, keep checking. While they are baking, unwrap Hershey kisses (I have the kids help by doing this, so that I can hurry up and make the batter without too much "help"). When they are done top the cookies with the kisses as soon as you get them out of the oven. After the kisses soften, top with an
M & M and push it down softly. Allow them to cool completely before you store them, otherwise the candy will smear. They are sooooo good and look so pretty. Enjoy. Merry Christmas!

Creamy Potato Soup (with Cauliflower, Carrots, and Onions snuck in)

I seriously have a problem. I am overcome with urges to see how many veggies I can sneak into one meal so my kids get enough vitamins and nutrients (they don't exactly like Total cereal or eating veggies, so this is how I do it.) This potato soup is really, really good, easy to make and has some great vitamins in them for the kiddos. No one guessed what "the secret ingredients" were either, they couldn't even tell.

Ingredients:
1 pouches of instant potatoes (prepared according to directions), or 4 or 5 potatoes cooked (I peel and boil them, but you could also use left over mashed potatoes)
1 cup pureed cauliflower (I cut up a large head of it, steam it, puree it, then freeze it until I am ready to use it again)
1 cup evaporated milk
8 oz. cream cheese
3 carrots, cut in chunks(or 1/2 bag of baby carrots)
1 onion, cut in chunks
4 cloves garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 to 6 cups chicken broth (depending how thick you want your soup)
salt and pepper to taste
Bacon (optional)
Cheese (optional)
Parsley (optional)

In food processor, chop up carrots and onions (this gets them small enough so that they can't be picked out). Heat EVOO in large pot, add carrots and onions and saute for a few minutes. Add garlic. Saute for about a minute longer. While this is sauteing, prep potatoes. Add, potatoes to carrot/onion mix. Add cauliflower, chicken broth, milk. While this is heating up, cut up cream cheese and add to soup. Continue to heat, stirring often to break up pieces of cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste (it will need salt, for sure. Unless you use a flavored pouch of instant potatoes). If soup is too thick, add chicken broth. If it is not thick enough, add some instant potatoes. Add parsley (I don't know that it actually adds flavor, it just looks pretty). Top with Bacon and cheese.

Minty Double Chocolate Cookies, A Taste of Heaven!!!!!!

I made these for Joe's scout pizza party. Oh, Baby, they are so good.!!!!!!!I originally found this recipe at http://www.marthastewart.com/ under "Double Chocolate Cookies". I changed it a bit and like it even better. It calls for the cookies to be baked on parchment paper, so I have always done this. You can also use cookie sheet liners, I have seen them at Target in their bargain section around Christmas time for $2.50. They work well too. I only make these when I am giving them away because the are so good.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Nestle mint and dark chocolate mix of choc chips, or Andes Candes chopped up.

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 325. In a bowl mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, set aside. Melt butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl in the microwave (I put it in for 45 seconds at a time and mix each time I take it out, until the tow have all melted together). Lick the bowl clean. Put butter/CC mixture in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture and then the minty chocolate chips. When well mixed spoon in Tablespoons onto cookie pan liners/parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Push on dough to make it a little bit flatter, they will cook more evenly. Cook about 15-17 minutes, the cookies will be soft, but that is how you want them, done on the outside, but chewy on the inside. Pour yourself a glass of milk and dunk a warm cookie. Enjoy.

Meanest Mom Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night older two kids were bickering at the dinner table and I warned them 3 times if they didn't stop they didn't like what was going to happen (it took 3 warnings because I had to think of something). So, finally I announced that I would tape them together while they did chores.

After dinner I got out the packing tape and taped a leg of each of them together, like they were in a 3 legged race. At first they were mad and the bickering got worse. But in the end they were both laughing.

It worked for a little while at least. There was little bickering tonight at the dinner table.

I know, I am the "Meanest Mom, Ever". Can I get that on a T shirt or something?

Baked Potato with Salsa and Grilled Chicken

These were surprisingly a hit, and incredibly easy, something I love!!

Ingredients:
Potatoes washed, stabbed with a knife or fork a few times, wrapped in AL foil, and baked (425 for about an hour)
Salsa (for something a little healthier than just your normal salsa in a jar use the recipe for "red pepper salsa", click here.)
Grilled chicken
Cheese
refried beans (optional)
sour cream (optional)
butter
salt and pepper

Slice open potatoes, top with beans, salsa, chicken, cheese. Enjoy!!

The BEST Sweet Potatoes!!!!!!!! (from someone who really doesn't like sweet pots)

I am posting this before I have a picture of them, that will come after Wednesday. I make these a day ahead, just one less thing to do when worrying about the turkey or getting kids ready to go eat the turkey. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. I refused to eat them growing up and would never dream of ever making them, that was all before I had these babies. Then one Thanksgiving while we lived in Madison, WI we had Thanksgiving dinner at church with a TON of our friends who didn't have any family close by. My friend, Maggie Richards, made these and they are a part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. They are like dessert and I LOVE them. Try them, I dare you. You will become a fan too.

Maggie's Sweet Potatoes

3 C. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

1 C. sugar

¼ C. melted butter

2 eggs well beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C. evaporated milk

Mix together and put in greased 9x13 pan.

Topping (I actually doubled the topping from Maggie's recipe. So, do a few more push ups or something.)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

5 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce

I have been buying cranberries like crazy and freezing them because I love to make cranberry bread and cranberry sauce. This is really easy and packed with lots of vitamins to help boost your immune system. I puree mine so that is not so chunky and then add it to yogurt. I am going to try it in cheesecake this year. So, look for more cranberry recipes in the next month.

1 cup orange juice
1 cup (or a little more) sugar
1 12 oz bag of cranberries
zest of one orange, and then orange segments chopped (optional)

In a pot combine OJ and sugar. Bring to a boil. Add cranberries, zest, and orange segments. Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Let mixture cool. I puree mine in the food processor (since my magic bullet bit the dust last month. Sniff, sniff). Store in fridge and don't tell your kids how good this is for them.

Roasted Veggie Stew with Curry

This recipe started out at "Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup" from www.marthastewart.com. I found the recipe when a farmer sent 5 eggplants home with my husband one time. It was really good, but I changed it up a bit and this way was easier and has more veggies in it. I made this for a friend in WI one time and she loved it. It takes a little bit of time, but is so worth it and freezes well. Today I made a double batch, so I can freeze it. This is a soup that if you eat 1 serving of it, you are LOADED with veggies for the day. If I had fresh spinach, I would have chopped it up and tossed it in too.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 butternut squash

1 red pepper

1 eggplant

1 15 oz can of black beans

2 teaspoons or more curry powder

salt and pepper

1 28 oz can of tomatoes, undrained

4 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 teaspoons of minced garlic (or 10 fresh cloves of garlic chopped)

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Slice eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and allow it to sit in a colander in the sink for about 20 to 30 minutes. Peel and cut squash into 1 inch chunks, cut pepper into chunks as well. Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle squash and pepper with half of the EVOO and put it in a rimmed cookie sheet or 9 by 13. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Rinse eggplant slices and cut them into chunks. Drain beans, mix them with eggplant. Add remaining oil, curry powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and some pepper. Put in a separate rimmed baking sheet or 9 by 13 pan. Put both pans in the oven and roast veggies for about 40 minutes stirring them a few times during cooking. In a large pot heat up the other 2 Tablespoons of EVOO, add garlic. Saute for about a minute and then turn off the heat. When veggies are done add eggplant mixture to garlic and oil. Puree squash mixture and the can of tomatoes (with the juice), add to pot. Add chicken stock. If it needs it add extra curry powder. Let is simmer for about 15 minutes. Top with half a bunch of chopped cilantro. (I take a short cut and actually put the cilantro in with the tomatoes and squash when I am pureeing them. Saves me some time).

A Year Ago Today...

So, I am being a little nostalgic right now. Last November we sold our first home in Wisconsin and moved half way across the country to Pennsylvania, leaving some wonderful friends behind. It broke my heart to leave, yet I know that this is where we need to be right now. And, I love where we are, I just wish I could take all of my friends from WI with me.

A year ago today I had several friends help clean my house and pack up a truck to move across the country.

A year ago today I said good bye to some of the best friends I have ever had.

A year ago today a good friend let all 7 of us (at the time) stay in her home, another took care of my sick baby, and others watched, fed, and bathed my youngest kids. Others stayed most of the day helping us, one had her sick daughter lay on my floor and watch TV while she helped me. What a blessing to have friends who see your needs (and gently make suggestions) when you are too exhausted to make rational decisions.

A year ago today I learned that even though life is not fair at times, the unfairness of it can be what is really best for you in the end. As much as I hated to leave WI, the move here has been a huge blessing.

A year ago today I realized, once again, how very blessed we have been with good friends who have helped us to be better people. I consider knowing you an honor.

Thanks to all of you who have inspired me and been my friend, I love you.

Trick or Treat Blonde Brownies (with pumpkin), I also call them "Halloweener Brownies"

I have had a hard time getting to the blog lately, but I really wanted to post this one. Are you tired of your kids asking you for Halloween candy and wanting to get rid of it (we got 7 gallons of candy)? This is a great way to get rid of the candy fast, and you still get to enjoy some of it too. You also get to sneak pumpkin in, which adds some nutrition. If you don't add the pumpkin, then reduce the flour by about 1/2 cup. Make it for your family and then take left overs to your neighbors or send them to work. Then you are only left with the "Now and Later"s and other non-chocolate candy that does not tempt me one bit. I got this recipe from the little book that came with "The Perfect Brownie Pan" that my mom got for me. I tweaked it to make more and added the pumpkin.

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups sugar
1 can pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 1/4 cups flour
baking soda
salt
2 to 3 cups of unwrapped halloween chocolate candy (candy corns are okay too) cut up larger pieces so that they are about the size of chocolate chunks. Kids can help with this and love it.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 by 13 pan. Cream butter, sugars, add eggs, pumpkin, vanilla. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together. Mix two mixtures together, mix in candy. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 40 minutes (I think mine took more like 45), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (you may want to cover it with foil at the end if it is starting to brown too much on top.) I like to have mine right out of the oven, in a mug with milk over it. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

Mexican Shepherds Pie

Still have no idea why it is called Shepherds Pie, but... whatever. This took minutes to make and was really good. I am a HUGE fan of the cook once, serve 4 or 5 times theory. I had some taco meat that I had made and frozen, and instant potatoes I had gotten 4 for $1. Why did I only get 2 boxes, I guess there wasn't a ton of room in my cart or something. Anyway, this was a great alternative to tacos and if I would have had some pureed butternut squash or cauliflower I totally would have snuck it in.


Ingredients:

2 pouches (1 box) of instant potatoes made according to instructions.

1 1/2 pounds of taco meat

1 small can of tomato paste

salsa

nacho chips

cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put prepared instant potatoes in greased 9 by 13 pan. Heat up taco meat, add desired amount of salsa and can of tomato paste (I do this to make it a bit thicker and it adds more vitamins to the mix too). Spread taco meat over potatoes. Cook in oven for about 20 mintues. Add nacho chips and top with shredded cheese (I only had cheese slices) and heat in oven until cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

I don't think I had ever purchased buttermilk until I decided to try to make real buttermilk pancakes. Oh, baby, it is in my cart each time I go to the store now. I LOVE making these pancakes and they are always inhaled. I found a recipe for buttermilk pancakes at www.allrecipes.com ("buttermilk pancakes II") and changed it a little bit and found breakfast for dinner perfection.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup pumpkin
chocolate chips (optional)

In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips). In a seperate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Heat griddle and shmear with butter. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix until it is just blended. Scoop onto hot griddle using 1/3 measuring cup. Add 4 or 5 chocolate chips to each pancake, flip them and finishing cooking them. Enjoy with some good syrup.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (AKA Halloween Cheesecake)

I had to call this Halloween Cheesecake because I knew if I called it "Pumpkin Cheesecake" that no one would eat it. In fact, the child who helped me make this and knew I put pumpkin in it picked the chocolate out and refused to eat the rest of the cheesecake. Punk. Anyway, this was an easy way to get a serving of veggie in the kiddos.

Ingredients for crust
1 cup oats
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
water to add if needed

For Cheesecake:
1 can pureed pumpkin (I think it is a 15 oz can, whatever size can is closest to that)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (more if you want)
1 8 oz block of cream cheese (I prefer the 1/3 less fast kind)
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon flour

For topping:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients for crust and press into a greased 8 by 8 pan (or 9 by 9 pan). Mix pumpkin and cream cheese together. Mix flour and chocolate chips and set in fridge (the flour makes it so the CC's don't melt into one big layer). Add condensed milk, eggs, powdered sugar (you need to taste it to make sure it is sweet enough), pumpkin pie spice (add more if you want). Mix in choc chips. Pour into pie crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until it is set in the middle. Let cake cool completely. Melts choc chips and butter together and spread or drizzle on top of cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is what it looked like when my punk helper ate hers and just picked out the chocolate. Oh well, I tried.

Dear Lord...I Thank Thee...That Today Is Over

Need a laugh? Read the following. It's kind of long, but it will make you laugh, especially if you know my 4 year old, David.

Seriously, this was my prayer on Sunday. It was one of those Sundays. You know, the ones that happen where you think, "Is this seriously what I signed up for???" Every Sunday I get 6 kids and myself ready and on time to church because my husband has an early meeting (with the exception of the daylights saving Sunday when we forgot to set our clocks ahead, and I had to speak in church and was REALLY late.) Anyway, my Sunday started off like this...

Joe was upset because he still couldn't tie his tie right, he's 10. His Dad promised him $5 if he comes to church with his tie tied, and he does it himself. Mom has done it the past 3 weeks, at least I have learned how to tie a tie, while nursing a baby.

Joe showed us all that he had mad gas in the car, I couldn't wait until church.

After the music started David climbed over the bench to sit with the family in front of us, Sam crawled under the bench to sit with them.

During the sacrament (which is supposed to be THE most reverent part of the meeting) Joe passed an SBD, VERY DEADLY. Then the baby tooted so incredibly loud, filled her pants and Joe announced to everyone that it was definitely not him that did that.

Then it was time for the primary presentation - a meeting where all of the little children go up and get to say a part and sing the songs we have been learning in primary this year. I tried bribing David, told him I would pay him $1 if he says his part and sits nicely. He knew his part really well.

Well, apparently the dollar wasn't enough. He ran up and climbed under the sacrament table and refused to come out. When I got him out he started punching and kicking me. As I am carrying him out (in front of the whole congregation) he starts yelling, "No, mom, don't put soap in my mouth, don't spank me, don't buckle me in Abby's seat!!!" So, yes, my kids get punished when they misbehave, now it is out. As I carried him on my hip to the hallway he yells, "mom, your hurting my wiener." Apparently my hip is bigger than I though it was.

I wrestled him into the van, buckled him in Abby's car seat then closed and locked the door. I went back into the church for a minute to see if he had missed his part. All of a sudden I heard "BEEP!!! BEEP!!! BEEP!!!" Hmmm, wonder whose car that was? I got to the car and he is laughing because he some how managed to open the door, and set off the alarm. That is when the tears came... from me, we have a "discussion" (which included threats that Santa is going to give me any presents - I was DESPERATE) and David realized he needed to behave, and we went back into the chapel and he was really good for the rest of the program.

Then primary comes. Dad helped with him for awhile and then David went to class. I peaked into his room and he was wrestling on the floor with another kid, no shoes, so I took him out and went to put him back in the van again, planning on just sitting out there with him and cry. I turned my back and he was gone. He ran all the way to the other side of the building where the kids in nursery were blowing bubbles. At this point I picked him up and took him to his Dad............... where he gets popcorn. REALLY??? I guess it kept him quiet.

By the time I got out to the van after church, David not only had lost his shoes, but also had taken off his shirt and run around the parking lot.

That was just church, at home it wasn't much better. A big piece of "My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever" (click here for the recipe - sooooooo good) was in the fridge to comfort me, so that helped. At the end of the day I was thankful that I had not injured him, and that we were both alive. I gave thanks for the Savior, our home, the food we have to eat, and...THAT THE DAY WAS FINALLY OVER. I slept really well last night. And, we will be back next week.

Sneaky Veggie Loaded Leftovers Shepherd's Pie, Italian Style (I think)

Why is it called "Shepherd's Pie"? This picture does not do this dish justice. Anyway...this has been a "Whatever Is In My Fridge" week. I am trying to stay away from the store this week and just use what I have. This turned out really well and was SOOOOOOO easy to make because I used left over roast and instant potatoes. There was only a little bit left at the end of the night, ahhhhhh, success. (And there are a lot of veggies in it, shhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell my kids.)

Ingredients:
Left over roast (I had at least 1 pound of left over pork roast, maybe more like 2 pounds), shredded
1 red pepper (optional)
1 onion (optional)
1/2 bag spinach, chopped
1 14 oz can of Italian flavored tomatoes, pureed
1 small can of tomato paste
2 pouches of instant potatoes, made according to directions on box
mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese would be good too.

Preheat oven to 350. Make potatoes according to package directions. In a pot heat up roast, add pureed tomatoes and tomato paste. Chop and saute onion and red pepper (I drizzle the veggies with olive oil and roast them in the oven at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once. I just really like the flavor it gives to the veggies.) Add to meat (I pureed the veggies so that they are not picked out of the meal). Add to meat, add spinach. Heat through. Add salt and pepper if needed. In 9 by 13 pan spread potatoes. Then top with meat mixture. Top with cheese. Heat in oven until heated through and cheese melts (I think mine was in for 25 to 30 minutes.) Enjoy this meal on a cold day, I love comfort food that is actually good for you too.

My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever.

So, I have to admit that this is a combo of 2 recipes, with a twist of Kristen thrown in. Because I want to try to make everything on "the Pioneer Woman Cooks" website, I made "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever", and it was really, really good and gone in a number of minutes. But, I prefer a thicker cake, loaded with chocolate chips. Then I remembered a recipe that my friend, Leca gave me for "Awesome Chocolate Cake" - which lives up to it's name. So, wanting a taste of both of them and preferring butter cream icing to fudgy icing I came up with this combo for "My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever". The "my" not claiming the recipe - just that it is the chocolate cake that I LOVE!!! Just a warning DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN FOR THIS CAKE. (I tried and it collapsed, but we ate it anyway). I made it this weekend (in a 9 by 13 pan, cake didn't collapse) for a family get together and it was a hit. It is now gone and I am trying to invent a reason to make this cake again really soon.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 package of chocolate instant pudding
  
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I actually measured this out and it was about 3/4 cup cocoa last time I made it.)So, I would estimate it is really between 2/3 to 3/4 cup.
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt or sour cream
  
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips (I prefer 2 cups semi sweet or milk choc.)
  

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

• 2 sticks Butter, softened.
  
• 5 to 6 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, depending on how chocolaty you want it)
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar (I have to taste it after 3 cups, just to make sure it is sweet enough).
  

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pudding mix, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Stir it so that it cools a little bit and won't fry the eggs when you add them.

In a measuring cup, measure yogurt and add beaten eggs, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 pan (DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN, THE CAKE WILL COLLAPSE. IT WILL BE VERY TASTY AND YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE YOUR MISTAKE, BUT IT WILL BE VERY UGLY.) Bake at 350-degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Whip butter with whipping attachment for mixer, or use regular paddle. If using whipping attachment it is fluffier. Whip in cocoa. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whip until well mixed. Ice over cooled cake and make sure that all children are outside so that you can enjoy scraping the bowl yourself.

I put our cake in the fridge so that the icing would not melt. This was really awesome and I don't even have a picture for you because the cake is gone. Sorry.

What does nonixylocspx spell, Mom???

LYJMNOBFUAP

I have a daughter in Kindergarten who is dying to learn how to read. She wants to do everything her siblings are doing. She "reads" books that she has memorized out loud and does not like being corrected when she skips some words. Recently she has decided that any group of letters that she writes together is a word or a story. She will often write things and then ask me what word it is. When I sound it out she tells me that is not what it says and then tells me what she wants it to say. It is like filling out one of those security words online when you want to leave a comment on the website. I sat down and made a "sounds book" with her today so that she can start putting the sounds together. She is a trip, I know I will miss these days when they are gone - or so I am told anyway.

Asian Salad with Sesame Noodles

This is my new favorite salad. The picture does not do it justice. It is a combo of two recipes from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". She is my inspiration for dinner lately. She has got some amazing recipes, and I love trying new things. I sometimes have to improvise because I don't always have everything the recipes call for. But, they turn out great anyway. Explore her website, you will need some kind of water proof protector for you keyboard to keep drool from getting on it. Her pictures will make you salivate!!

One night I made the Sesame Noodles pictured here. Click here to get her recipe. I added left over pork roast, a red onion, and a red pepper. I didn't have the rice wine vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar instead.

Then I made her salad, Ginger Steak Salad, without the steak. A hint, I make this a lot. I just keep a big hunk of ginger in my freezer and then grate what I need, and keep the rest of later.

I added the noodles to the salad and Viola, it was really, really good. I added cucumbers, tomatoes, and yellow and red peppers. Add some left over grilled chicken and you are good to go. Did I say it was really good?

EASY Pizza Rolls

It has been a long time, so sorry. I have had to cut back on blogging because I have been trying to limit kid time on the computer. That means, it is not on a whole lot. But, I am trying to get back into it. Excuse me, I am laughing so hard, we are watching that show "Outsourced", it is pretty funny. Anyway, back to you.....

This has become one of my new favorite things to make because it is SOOOOOOOOOOO easy and everyone likes it. You can buy the dough or make it yourself. I made mine because I didn't have any on hand. If you are buying it, I would go with two loaves if you are trying to feed more than two people because the store bought dough does not make a ton. They heat up nicely and left overs are great.

Ingredients:
2 rolls of french bread dough, or homemade dough for 1 loaf. I will post that recipe another time.
Ground Beef, cooked
Pepperoni
Mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
Sauce (to dip rolls in. DO NOT put sauce on the bread dough with other ingredients, it will turn out mushy and you will have a MESS on your pan)

The How To:
Roll out dough. Spread pepperoni, then ground beef, then cheese.
Roll up dough.

Slice into one inch pieces.
Place rolls on greased baking sheet. (You do not have to let them rise. I love that!!!)
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
Dip in your favorite pizza sauce. (This is a picture of one loaf of homemade dough.)

"Mom, is my nose growin?"

One of my rules is that the kids have to have their clothes picked up and beds made before they can watch TV or play on the computer (doesn't always happen, but I try). My youngest son asked if he could watch TV, so I asked him "Is your bed made?" knowing full well that it was not. He gives me the sweetest smile and says, "Yes." I ask him again if it is made and he nods his head, "Yes, it is." I look at him and say, "David, I don't think your bed is made." Instead of asking me if my super power "X-Ray Eyes" are working he says, "Mom, is my nose growin?" I looked at him and said, "Yes, it is because you told me you made your bed and you really didn't." He raised his eyebrows and his eyes got super wide as he felt his nose. "No it's not, your just kiddin." It was really funny.

Occupation: Domestic Engineer

Whenever there is a form to fill out and it asks for my occupation I write "Domestic Engineer". Next to it I usually write in parenthesis "homemaker" in case no one knows what a DE is. I never thought anyone took it seriously. Well, on my child's information sheet for school under mother's occupation it says "Domestic Engineer". I smiled and thought, maybe this person gets what I do all day long.

Imagine how people would reply when they ask you what you do and you say, "I am a domestic engineer." Sounds very professional and technical, right? I can see the "Wow, she must have a PhD in that or something." Hey, it takes brains and talent to brush a child's hair, help another put on her shirt, while nursing a baby. I did it this morning. It takes guts to sign up your kids for sports, knowing you will have to be at the field 5 days a week, taking dinner, snacks, things to do not to mention trips to the nasty port a potty or the tricks it takes to get us all out the door on time (and all of this while nursing a baby. I have become ampidextrous.) And, it takes know how to put together a meal in 5 minutes that everyone will eat and will have some kind of nutritious value.

Yes, I am a Domestic Engineer. It doesn't pay a whole lot of money, but the long term benefits are worth it.

Things I Love About Where We Live

Although I do still miss WI, there are so many things I love about PA. It is close to where I grew up (so I am a little biased). We are in Myerstown, PA, definitely very rural. I love that we have a...drive thru Dairy. We go to Patches family dairy twice a week for milk and eggs. They just need to sell bread and that will eliminate my last minute dash to the store. I would rather drive the 10 minutes to the dairy than lug all of the kids inside the store for 4 gallons of milk and then spend another $20 on things I don't really need.

I also love...

the patriotism of the people in this area. There are several people here descendant from those men who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. People fly the flag in their yards all of the time. I drove to my sisters yesterday and in Robesonia the streets were lined with flags for about 2 miles (this is a picture of a couple of the flags). It was a beautiful sight. The people here are God loving people. The kids got to sing REAL Christmas Carols at school, not just "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." They got to sing "Joy to the World" and "Hark the Harold Angels Sing."

My last love is...the farm stands. I got all of these peppers for $2, and they were THE SWEETEST peppers I have ever had. I got a HUGE, GINORMOUS watermelon last week for under $2, honey-dew for $2, and tomatoes for super cheap too. There are produce stands all over and I love being able to buy farm fresh food. Mike brought home a bushel of peaches from a farm. I canned 1/2 of them and was done with that chore (it was only 90 that day, too hot to be canning.)

As much as we miss WI, there are a lot of awesome things about his area. We are settling in and wish we could move everyone we left behind here, I am home sick for my friends. It has been a great move for our family, but we do miss our Wisconsinite friends.

Grilled Pizza

Wow, it has been awhile since I have done this. I took a break because I was tired of hearing "When is it my turn on the computer?" So, we didn't turn the computer on during the day for awhile, which means, I don't get my time to go online in the afternoon. I have been making some really good dishes, and continue to manage the chaos at our house. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOO hot last week and I didn't want to use the oven and stove, so I decided to use the grill (our garage sale purchase a few weeks ago). I made grilled pizza, and this was really, really good. I found this website, simply recipes.com, helpful for the "how to" of grilling pizza click here to see it. The dough I used was 1/2 reg flour and 1/2 whole wheat. I will definitely make it in the near future, like tomorrow for Labor Day (which we will honor with a day of labor at the Nelson home. I have my long list ready.)

Ingredients:

Pizza dough. Click here for my recipe or use the recipe from Simply Recipes. Mine will make 2 small pizzas, the one from Simply Recipes will make 2 large pizzas. You can also try store bought pizza dough.

Pizza sauce

Cheese

Toppings

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dab a paper towel with olive oil and wipe it on the grill. Heat up grill, I would do it on Med-Hi. Brush top of pizza dough generously with Olive oil. Put the oiled side down on the grill and let it cook until done on that side. While it is cooking, brush top side with olive oil. Flip crust (I used a large grill spatula) and then top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Close grill and continue to cook until cheese is melted. I actually turned the grill off because I was worried about the crust burning. It was really good and the kids liked it a lot.

Sweet Potato Waffles

It has been awhile since I have been motivated to cook up a ton of veggies to sneak into my kids food. But, I am back to that point and loving it. First of all check out the size of this sweet potato. It is HUGE!! That is the biggest burner on my stove that it is on.


I got this recipe at Cooks.com, but changed it a little bit. It is really good, but while I was making it I remembered why I don't make waffles that often for our family. It takes a long time to make enough. I think I need to invest in a second waffle maker. I love fresh waffles. I doubled the recipe to make enough for all of us. I didn't have OJ, so I used apple juice and it was great. I also ended up adding about 1/4 cup of milk to think it out. These weren't crispy, but seriously, the kids loved them. I also added about 1/2 cup of ground up flax seed (would be 1/4 cup if not doubled).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cooked, mashed sweet potato
3 eggs
4 Tablespoons of butter (I melted mine, I think next time I will use 1/2 butte rand 1/2 applesauce or canola oil)
2 Tablespoons sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 Cup flour (I used whole wheat) I also added
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I didn't add this, not a fan of cinnamon all of the time)
1/4 Cup orange juice (I used apple juice)
2/3 cup milk (I used a bit more, at least 2 more tablespoons, if not 1/4 cup)
few drops of vanilla

Mix ingredients in mixer (the recipe suggests a food processor, but my mixer worked fine and you could probably do it by hand too). Batter gets thicker upon standing. Add milk if needed.
Bake in waffle pan according to directions. Top with fresh fruit and syrup. Mine are topped with fresh sliced peaches.

The Joy of Motherhood Comes in Moments

I have often heard this said by several wise mothers who I admire. Today was one of those moments, and it was great.

I really enjoyed working with my kids today to take care of the yard. My two oldest mowed their share of the lawn without complaint.

I weeded the flowerbeds with my 5 year old and learned that she loves crickets and worms, but is afraid of spiders.

My 4 year old is great at picking up sticks.

My 2 year old brought me every piece of play food she could find to feel to her new baby sister.

I painted my 11 year old's nails.

I helped my 10 year old write a talk for church about how Jesus is a God of Miracles. I really just had to type it. He knew his stuff.

My newborn smiled at me.

EVERYONE ate dinner.

My husband took the oldest 5 kids for a bike ride.

The kids played in a huge dirt pile after dinner, and were totally filthy. They had a great time, and of course, I had just cleaned the tub that morning. But that is okay.

I got to go for a 45 minute walk. A police car drove by and DIDN'T go to my house. Thoughts and fears I had about that when I saw the car drive by are for another entry.

These are the days when I am okay with school NOT starting so soon. My prayers will be full of gratitude tonight for the great day I had with the family.

SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! T minus 17 and counting

One of my favorite, (I say that about just about all of them) episodes of Seinfeld episodes is when George's dad tries to lower his stress by saying "Serenity Now" to himself when he feels stressed or upset. By the end of the episode he is raising his fists to the heavens shouting "SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, school starts in 18 more days and I am shouting from my roof top "SERENITY NOW!!!" I love having the kids home and spending time with them. But it is the:

"Mom. can I get up yet? Are you awake?" at 6:30 ( I have made a rule that before 7 AM is my quiet time, but it is not adhered to.)
"Mom, when can I play the computer?" at 7:15 AM My new answer is "never o' clock"
"Mom, what are we having for lunch?" - Seriously, we just finished breakfast, I'm not telling (because I have no idea).
"Mom, can I hold Maddy when she wakes up?" I just got her to sleep for a 3 hour nap (I hope).
"Mom, I'm bored." We had a family home evening and made a whole list of what you can do besides watching TV and going on the computer. "But I don't want to do any of that." Well, then I guess you need a job to do. Here's the broom.
My threat for when they refuse to work together and get along is: If you can't work hard and get along with your brother/sister I am going to take you to an Amish farm where you can wear hot (not attractive, but uncomfortable) clothing and work outside in the sun all day. Is that what you want? Their eyes get big, No, I don't want that.

I know, I know, "I will miss these days." I am enjoying summer, most of it. We have just had a crazy time between moving and the baby coming that it is hard for me to get out and do all of the fun things that I would like to do with them. They are great kids and I know I will cry the first day of school, I always do.

Pasta with Summer Veggies

Not sure what to do with all that zucchini and those tons of tomatoes? This meal was so easy, I think it took maybe 15 minutes to make, gotta love that. You can use many different veggies, these are the ones that I had on hand.

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 or 2 small zucchini, cubed (or diced, cut in small squares, whatever)
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (you could probably use way less and be just fine)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white grape juice (or white cooking wine)
salt and pepper to taste
5 to 10 fresh basil leaves, torn (or more if you wish)
Cheese to top
1 pound of pasta (I had bow ties)

Boil water and cook pasta according to directions. While that is happening, cut up veggies, heat oil in pan. Add garlic and saute, do NOT let it turn brown. Add zucchini and let it cook for about 4 to 5 min. Add chicken broth and white grape juice. Bring to a boil and then turn down for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Ladle over hot pasta and top with cheese. Serve immediately. I also had some cooked chicken in the freezer that I added too.

Garage Sales

I used to go to garage sales all of the time. I stopped because I realized that I was getting too much stuff. I would go looking for something, but then come home with 5 other things, but not what I originally went there to buy. I am not a snob of used things, ask any of my friends. Used stuff is fine with me. I just end up buying stuff that I don't really need. My husband got to see how addictive the shopping can be...

So, my husband decides that he needs a bike to go on bike rides with the kids and that he is going to go the garage sale route to get one. That is fine. He even left the house on Saturday around 7:30 to go on this shopping adventure.

He called at 7:35. "Do you want a grill?" Absolutely, since the grill I make him use now is a small, wimpy, camp grill that he begs me not to make him grill burgers on one more time. The house on the corner was selling one. So, we got that.

He calls at 8:30. "Do you want a shovel?"
Me: "No, I got one when we moved. Where are you?"
Mike: "At a flea market. They just have some yard tools here, but I won't get any." Which, he didn't, he is better than I.

He calls at 9:00.
Mike: "Do we need a baby swing? This one is $5, battery operated, and works."
Me: "Yes, I sold ours at our yard sale in WI when I thought we were done having kids for "awhile".

Then my friend calls: "We are at a yard sale, did you say you were looking for a play kitchen set? Oh shoot, this one just sold. We'll keep our eyes out for you."

See, I don't need to go to yard sales, I just have people call me. Then I am not the one who is the impulsive shopper. Needless to say, we did not get a bike this weekend. We did get a grill, grill utensils, a tie rack, and a swing. $40 well spent, and I didn't spend any of it.

Chicken on a Stick

These were so easy and a hit with the kids. Who knew that skewers could make chicken more popular. Fortunately, no one lost an eye or had any major puncture wounds when this meal was over. We had some close calls, but all eyes are intact.

Ingredients:
Chicken breast cut into strips(I had chicken tenders, which made this way easier. I didn't even have to cut the chicken up)
Skewers
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup Sprite or other lemon lime soda
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
chopped fresh cilantro to taste (I used about half a bunch from the store)
2 hot peppers, chopped and seeded (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix oil, soda, lime juice, soy sauce, cilantro and chopped hot peppers. Pour over chicken strips. Marinade for awhile (I made this in the morning, but you can probably do it up to 30 minutes before you are going to grill). Soak skewers in water (I soaked ours for at least an hour and they still burned. I will soak them longer next time.) Fire up the grill, put chicken on skewers and cook until no longer pink inside. I used the left overs we had on top of a salad the next day.

My Kryptonite

These are pictures of my nemesis. And a few pictures of something that removes it.

I saw something very disturbing the other day. It was about 97 degrees outside, very, very hot. As I walked through the parking lot a car drove by and I noticed something stringy attached to the tire. It was gum it had run over about 10 feet before. YUCK. Melty gum sticking to the tire, blah, yuck, yuck, YUCK!!!

Seriously, bubble gum is my "Kryptonite". I cannot take the smell of it (ask my husband. If he chews bubble gum I will not let him within 3 feet of me). I gag through that scene in "Elf" where Will Ferrel eats the gum that has been stuck to the bottom of the railing. GAG!!!

When my kids were given "bubble mint" flavored toothpaste by their grandmother, I hid it because it makes me gag. And the thought of scrubbing my kids mouth with a combo flavor of bubble gum and mint grosses me out. Sad, I know.

So, in primary (our classes for young children at church) I was in gum hell. I was teaching the lesson in front of all of the kids and my daughter walks up and spits her gum out in the trash can (WITHOUT wrapping it in something, which is my cardinal rule). I called on one child for an answer and as she starts talking, her gum falls out of her mouth (making me shudder). Then to top it all off the kid in the very front row starts pulling his gum out of his mouth, just playing with it in his fingers. I had to stop and ask anyone who has gum to keep it in their mouth, it grosses me out.

Totally pathetic, I know. But seriously, I gag when I smell it. I think it may be from going to the dentist and getting that nasty fluoride treatment? I don't know. I need to talk to someone about my issues.

What's your "Kryptonite"?

Fresh Tomato and Basil Salad

Whenever we go to a good Italian restaurant, my husband and I always order "Caprese". It is a delicious mix of fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese with a yummy dressing. I tried to copy it, but I don't know how close it is to the real thing. However, Mike and I downed this salad and only one of the kids got a piece, and he really liked it. The others had watermelon and we didn't encourage them to eat the tomatoes because we wanted them. Totally selfish, I know, but it was really good. Fresh tomatoes and basil are 2 of my favorite products of summer.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 large, ripe tomatoes

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (I prefer the kind that comes in a ball, packed in water, but you can use a block of cheese too)

10 basil leaves (or more if you like) torn

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes and cheese. Layer tomatoes, cheese, and stick part of a basil leaf between them. Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, and sugar together (I mix it in my magic bullet). Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes and cheese. Top with any left over basil. This is so good over garlic bread. Enjoy!!

At Least She Was Listening

During lunch I try to tell scripture stories to my kids using the pictures that we have. We came to the picture of Peter trying to walk on the water, and then sinking when he sees the big waves.

That evening while my 5 and 3 year old were in the tub I was cleaning the bathroom (the multi-tasking crazy lady that I am at times) and I hear my 5 year old saying, "Help me, Jesus. Save me, save me" over and over again.

I peeked around the corner and she has the bath toys (a boat and captain of the boat) in the bath and she is holding the captain under water. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "It's the story we did today, you know, the guy sinking in the water." At least she was listening. I guess you never know when what you say and do will make a difference. I guess I should keep on doing it then.

Blueberry Morning Cake

So incredibly easy, and VERY moist and tasty. I made this and ate about 1/3 of it before anyone else got any. So sad, but none the less, true.

Ingredients:
Blueberry muffin mix, enough to make 12 muffins (I got a sweet deal on the fiber one triple pack)
Water, oil, eggs, or whatever the directions call for to make the muffins
1 pint of fresh blueberries, or 2 cups of frozen berries, thawed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 by 8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Prepare muffin mix according to package directions. Add blueberries and pour mix into pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Check to make sure cake is done by inserting toothpick or knife in center, and if it comes out clean it is done. In a saucepan melt butter, add milk and sugar and mix well. After cake has cooled, poke it several times with a fork. Pour glaze over cake and let it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

Peach Ice Cream

I love making homemade ice cream, one of my favorite parts of summer. I found this recipe on line, "Deluxe Peach Ice Cream". For some reason the link won't work for it so I posted it below, but I got it at www.food.com. I had to cut it in half for my ice cream maker (I have one that is 1.75 qts), the recipe I posted makes 1 gallon. I think next time I will leave out the eggs and skip the cooking step, just to save time. It was really good and I could have just had it as a shake after it cooled in the fridge. This very refreshing, I want to serve it with peach cobbler sometime, sounds good.

Ingredients for 1 gallon of ice cream:
6 cups mashed peaches (I boiled them for a few minutes, peeled and pitted them then mashed them)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 quart milk
1 cups whipping cream (I used a full 1 cup in mine, and then only used 2 cups of milk)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract.

1. Mix mashed peaches and 1 cup of sugar in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until they are frothy
3. In another bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour, and salt
4. Gradually add sugar mixture to eggs, mixing until thick.
5. Add milk, mix well.
6. Pour egg mixture into a large pot, cook over low heat stirring constantly (I had mine at heat level 7 and it took about 5 minutes to thicken), about 15 minutes until mixture thickens and coats a metal spoon.
7. Remove pot from heat and set in cold water, stir gently until it is cool. (I just put mine in the fridge and stirred it when I remembered it was there, tasting it several times to make sure it was still edible (It was really good!!!)).
8. Add cream and vanilla, mix well.
9. Add peaches, mix well.
10. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions for ice cream maker.

If you skip the eggs and just do the milk and cream it would make the recipe much easier. But it was really good this way too. Enjoy!!

Hot Ham, Cheese, and Pepperoni Roll-ups

It has been one of those days. Not a whole lot of time to plan dinner and not a whole lot of motivation to go all out (you know a normal day). I had crescent rolls, ham, cheese, and pepperoni in the fridge and decided to try something new. And, it was a hit.

Ingredients:
2 packages of crescent rolls (8 count each)
Ham
Cheese
Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a cookie sheet. Roll out crescent rolls. Top each roll with 1 slice of ham, 2 pepperonis, and some shredded cheese. Roll dough up as you would to make regular crescent rolls. Bake for 13 minutes.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread and/or Cake

I got this recipe from my friend, Julie, that I met in Madison. She got it from our friend Bev, also a fellow Madisonite for awhile. I miss those days of playing out at the playground with all of the kids all afternoon. But, it is also very nice to be done with school.
This bread is like cake and my kids love it. I put 4 cups of Zucchini in instead of the 2 cups it calls for. You can make 5 mini loaves or 2 large loaves. Make sure to have some milk close by. I made it as a cake also and baked it in a 9 by 13 pan for about 40 to 45 minutes. I topped it with chocolate butter cream icing (recipe is listed under the recipe for PB cup cake) and it was awesome.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
6 Tablespoons cocoa mixed with 2 Tablespoons of oil (or 2 oz bakers chocolate, which I never have)
2 cups Zucchini (I use 4 cups)
1 cup oil (or applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour (I have used 1/2 whole wheat before and it turned out well)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I never add this, not a fan of cinnamon and chocolate mix)
1 cup of chocolate chips (I usually use 1 1/2 cups, because I like too)

Preheat oven to 350, grease pans. Beat eggs, add sugar, oil, stir in vanilla and cocoa/oil mixture. In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients together. Add liquid ingredients to dry (I think that is what you are supposed to do to avoid lumps, or do it the other way if you wish). Mix until well blended. Pour into greased pans. Bake large loaves for 45 min, smaller loaves about 35 minutes. Test with toothpick, if it comes out clean they are done.

Chef's Salad

Another crazy day, not a lot of time to plan a meal. I had some salad left over from last night, and a head of lettuce. So, I used that to double the salad and made the dressing that my kids have come to love from Jayna's Junior League Salad. I had some lunch meat that if it didn't get used in the next few days was going in the trash. So, mix it all together and you have "Chef's Salad" and it was so easy and everyone (even my 2 year old who wants nothing more to drink milk all day) ate it. I love this dressing!!!

Ingredients:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Croutons
Cheese, shredded or slices
Lunch meat

Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic in a jar)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix salad dressing (I use my magic bullet or blender). Mix salad together. Just before serving add dressing and mix well.