The Cup, Answered 2 Questions for Me

I have often wondered why men complain about have to buy feminine products for their wives. Just get the box, pay for it and go. It isn't like the cashier has never checked out a box of tampons and will laugh at you. Well, now I know why.

My 9 year old is playing baseball and needed a cup. So, I went to the store with it all, Walmart, to get this necessary piece of protection. I do want grandchildren to spoil, so we have to protect the equipment.

I pick up the cup, looked at it. Is it big enough. He is a youth large pants, does that mean he would take a youth large cup? Looking at it longer I think, this thing is huge, I don't even know that it will fit into his pants. But if I get the small one, it might be too small. Decisions, decisions.

I go for the larger size and think, "He can grow into it."

He tries it on, clearly it is too big. He can wear it on the outside of his pants and does during dinner, just to make us all laugh. My husband told him he couldn't wear it. Fearing that I have to return the cup that I had purchased, I over ruled (never, ever happens) and told him to go put it on. He said it felt ok and he wanted to wear it. I had visions of him running around the bases with this cup down around his ankles. So, now he is the one on the field adjusting himself all of the time.

Which answered my other question. Why during baseball games are the players always adjusting something in their crotch? Now I know, their mom's bought cups for them that were too big.

Easy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

This meal was so easy to make and EVERYONE ate it and had seconds. That is always a plus. I make a version of it at least once a week. The sauce can be made in about the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. You could prep the sauce ahead of time and add everything except for the spinach.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans of undrained tomatoes, Italian flavored. (I puree mine in the blender because my kids are not big on chunky foods)
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 bag of fresh spinach, chopped (I have also used a box of frozen spinach, thawed, and it was good.)
Cheese to top (optional, I recommend the fresh Mozz, but shredded Mozz or Parm would be great too.)
Chopped fresh tomatoes to top (optional)
1 box of pasta (I used a 14.5 oz box of Rotini)

Cook pasta according to directions. Heat pan, add EVOO and let it heat up. Add garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, do not let it turn brown because it will be bitter. Add tomatoes. Heat for a few minutes. Add evaporated milk (you could also use cream but I don't have that on hand all of the time), mix well. Let heat through. Add chicken, mix in well. Add spinach when pasta is done cooking. Stir sauce into pasta and top with cheese (I recommend mozz or parm) and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

This is one of THE best salads I have ever had

I was craving salad, again. So, I looked at "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" (if you click on her site you will need a drool rag. She has some really awesome pictures with her recipes) website for some inspiration. She has some really amazing recipes. I had made a similar cabbage salad before, but her recipe blows mine out of the water. I used a regular cabbage instead of napa and red, and I used some romaine lettuce too. I also did not have bean sprouts. I followed her recipe for the dressing, it was amazing. I learned from my friend, Nicole, that to keep ginger for longer you can put it in the freezer. I had some in the freezer and grated it. I did not add the jalapeno peppers for fear of mad heartburn. Everything else I just dumped in the blender (cilantro you can just tear it up and put the stem in with the leaves, makes it was easier). It was worth the time it took to chop the ingredients. If you want a faster version, you could use coleslaw mix instead of chopping the cabbage. I will also add chicken next time (marinating and cooking it in the dressing would be soooo good). Click here to view her recipe. I am making it this weekend for the Memorial Day picnic.
ENJOY!!!

THE SOCKS!!!!!!!

I really don't mind doing laundry. It is part of my job as a domestic engineer and that is why I earn the big bucks, right? I even hang my wash to dry a lot of the time, I enjoy it. However, there is one aspect of doing the laundry that I despise....matching the socks.

Meet my sock hamper. Yup, all of those are clean socks that I have put off matching up for about 4 weeks now. Seriously, the last time I went to Walmart I was so tempted to buy everyone a 10 pack of socks. Then I looked at what was in my card and realized that would double what I was going to spend there that day and refrained.
I would rather deep clean all of my bathrooms, change and wash all of the bedding (7 beds is a lot), and clean out my car, including removing the seats and getting all of that crud out from under them, than match up the socks. So, lots of other things are getting done at my house right now, just not the matching of the socks. I used to match them while watching TV, I am having a hard time multitasking right now. My skill to do that will return, soon, I hope.

Is it that is requires too much concentration (like the matching game that I refuse to play right now because I will lose every time and look like a dumby)? Maybe. Is it that I will undoubtedly have 7 to 10 odd socks left over, therefor leaving the job unfinished? Could be. Oh sock hamper, I HATE you. You sit in the corner mocking me. I think I will have the kids go barefoot for the rest of spring and summer just to avoid confrontation with you. You will sit there and children will ask, "Mom, where's the sock hamper?" and will rifle through you, I refuse to look at you anymore... until...I need some socks.

What is your hated house chore?

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Spring and summer mean homemade ice cream in our house. I bought this ice cream maker (Rival brand, at Walmart or Shopko. I will look for a link to it.) last year and LOVE it. It has gel that freezes around it and keeps it cold while it churns the ice cream, so you don't have to worry about all of the salt and ice mess. It makes 1.5 quarts, which is enough for our family. I think I paid about $25 for it, my friend just got one at ALDI for about $20. So worth it. Anyway, I started making this after going to Coldstone Creamery and having their cake ice cream. It is so easy and we make it for everyone's birthday. I am not sure where I found the original recipe, but I did change it by adding more cake mix, and the sprinkles. It was not my idea originally, but I have to thank the genius who thought of this.

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar (taste it and see if it is sweet enough. You can add more sugar.)
1 cup yellow cake mix
1 cup milk (I use 1 %, but you can use whatever kind you want)
1 tsp. vanilla
sprinkles (optional)

Mix whipping cream, sugar, and cake mix in a bowl (I use a whisk) until sugar is dissolved and cake mix well blended into cream. Add milk and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into ice cream maker and watch it churn to perfection. When the ice cream maker is done add sprinkles and mix well.

The Word Ass-U-Me

One time I had finally had it with my kids fighting. They were continuously thinking the worst of the other's intentions. You know the "he looked at me like this" and "she meant this when she said that, blah, blah blah". I told them to "Stop assuming the worst of each other."

They looked at me and asked what that meant. I sounded out the word and said, "Do you know what it means when you break the word assume down? Assuming makes an 'ass out of u and me', you both look and feel like jerks when you ass-u-me the worst about each other."

They looked at me shocked that I had used the "A word" as we really try to have good language in our home. (The S word is stupid, the D word is dumb and the H word is hate. I had to tell them the real bad ones so that they wouldn't say them if someone told them to.) But, it worked. They stopped fighting for while, but then started to tell each other to stop "ASSuming" the worst. Oh well, at least it worked for awhile.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars

The "two great tastes that taste great together", these are addicting. I only make them if I can take half of the pan to someone else. I use half bran flakes and half Rice Krispies so that they are a little bit healthier.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 15 oz or 18 oz container peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups Bran Flakes (like total. I use the Aldi brand because it is cheaper and in 1 cup of cereal you get all the vitamins and minerals for the day - so I could just eat these all day and be set.)
1 12 oz package of chocolate chips

Over medium high heat, mix together sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and let it boil 1 minute, stirring often. Add peanut butter and mix well until it is blended in. Add vanilla. Pour cereals into a heat proof bowl. Add peanut butter mixture and coat cereal. Press mixture into a greased 9 by 13 pan. Melt chocolate chips (I use the same pot I used for the pb mixture). Spread melted chocolate over pb cereal. Let cool completely. I put mine in the fridge to speed up that process. Share with a friend so that you only heat 1/3 of the pan and share the rest with your family.

Chili and Cornbread Casserole

I made this with meat and beans that I had frozen in the freezer, it took less than 10 minutes to prepare. This is one of the easiest meals I have made in awhile and most liked it. If I had been more ambitious, I would have roasted some peppers and pureed them with the beans so that the kids would not have seen the beans. But, whatever, they can deal with it. If you only need an 8 by 8 pan, cut this in half)

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked meat (I used left over pork roast, but you can use beef or chicken too)
2 to 3 cups cooked beans (or 1 can of beans, drained), I used black beans for this one.
1 to 2 cups salsa (I had about 1 1/2 left in a jar)
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes (drained, I did puree mine so that it would be more like a sauce)
Chili powder (I used 1 1/2 Tablespoons, you may want more depending on your family's taste)
Ground cumin (I used 1 teaspoon, again adjust to your families taste)
Chopped Cilantro (about 2 Tablespoons, optional)
2 packages of corn muffin/bread mix and ingredients needed to make cornbread from package instructions. (Mine was milk, butter, and eggs)
1 can of corn (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat meat, beans, salsa, tomatoes, and spices in pan until heated through. Add cilantro if using. Spray 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray. Add chili. Mix ingredients for cornbread, add corn and cheese, and spread on top of chili. Bake for 30 minutes or until cornbread looks done on top.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

These are THE BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever made. I got the recipe years ago online when I was craving cinnabons and didn't feel like going to the mall to get one. You can make a pan of these for what it costs to buy one. All the boys in our family went on the "Father/Son Camp Out" for church. So, I made these for the girls who were left behind this weekend. They do take some time to make, because the dough has to rise. But they are SOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it. I used to make these for the clinic in Elkhorn as our Christmas and Valentines day treat to them. It has been requested often and never fails to please. It makes 12 to 15 rolls. I put 9 in a 9 by 13 pan, and then 3 or 4 in a pie pan or 8 by 8 pan.

Dough:
1 Tablespoon of yeast
1/4 Cup water
1 Cup milk
1 Large egg, beaten
1/4 Cup melted butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 Cups flour
1/2 of a 3.4 oz box of vanilla pudding (I have used instant and the kind you have to cook, both are fine. I have also used the entire 2.75 oz box, and it is fine, a little sweeter, that is always good)

Add all ingredients to a breadmaker. Or... heat water and milk in microwave (about 1 minute). Add sugar, melted butter, and yeast. Dump 2 cups of flour, salt, and pudding mix in mixer bowl. Mix so that ingredients blend. Add yeast mixture and egg to flour. Set on knead cycle, add the rest of the flour until all is mixed in. If you need to add more that is fine. The dough will be sticky. Set bowl in a draft free place and let it rise for about 45 min to an hour.

Punch down dough and roll it out into a rectangle. Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in 9 by 13 pan and 1 tablespoon of butter in pie pan.

Filling:
1/4 Cup melted butter
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Brush dough with melted butter. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together. Spread over dough. Roll dough up tightly and cut into 12 to 15 pieces. Put rolls into pans and cover with a dish cloth, let rise about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are a bit golden brown. Make icing while they are baking.

Icing:
4 Ounces cream cheese
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 Tablespoon milk (guestimate)
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Beat butter and cream cheese, add vanilla, almond extract, and milk. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon. Spread frosting on warm rolls. This is worth the work to make!!!

My 5 Year Old's Way of Helping My Body Image

The past few days my 5 year old has been helping me with my body image. I am 33 weeks prego, so of course I am huge. I have never been the lady that looks like she just has a volleyball in her belly and is stick thin everywhere else. I tend to swell up all over, like a lot of ladies, and I am ok with that. Instead of referring to something as a "Big Fat Mommy..."(Click here to see that post) she has been pointing out things that are fatter than I am. She has tried to make me feel better this week with some of the comments that follow:

"Mom, you do know that the world is fatter than you are, right?" As if that needs validation.

"Mom, our new pool is fatter than you are, right?" Really, she needs to ask me if she is right about that one too?

"Mom, that house is fatter than you." No validation needed, I guess.

Very excited voice: "Look, Mom, that car is bigger than you!!!" (It was a SUV limo. I responded, "Aren't most cars bigger than me?" She said, "Well, yes." Then my 11 year old piped up, "But that Smart Car Grammy and Grandpa have would be kind of small for you." Yes, that would be uncomfortable for me to drive, BUT I CAN STILL FIT INSIDE OF IT.)

and finally, "Mom, that cloud in the sky is fatter than you."

I like this approach to describing things better than the "Big Fat Mommy" way.

Pizza Bianca

My husband ordered something like this when we went out to eat one night. It was really good and was a hit. I tried to recreate it and came close.

Pizza Crust:
3 cups flour (I usually use 1/2 whole wheat or oats that I grind up in the blender and 1/2 white flour)
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
(Or you could just use a store bought crust)

Toppings:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic (Optional, I would use minced)
Mozzarella cheese, sliced (I prefer the kind that comes in a ball, but whatever kind you have is fine, shredded would work great too)
Roma tomatoes, sliced
Fresh basil, chopped

For Crust: Heat water in microwave for 1 minute. Add 1 Tablespoon EVOO, sugar, salt, milk, and yeast and stir. Let sit for a few minutes. Put 1/2 flour in mixer. Add water and put it on the knead cycle. Add the rest of the flour. There have been times when I have needed extra flour so don't put it away. Knead for a few minutes, the dough will be a little sticky, but will mostly hold together on the kneading paddle. Remove bowl from mixer, pour about 1 tablespoon of EVOO in mixing bowl. Turn dough. Cover, let rise for 1 hour.

Time for Pizza: Preheat oven to 425. Brush a pan (with sides) generously with olive oil. Roll out pizza crust and brush top of crust with olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes (I put it in the oven before it is done preheating). Remove from oven. Sprinkle with garlic (I don't do this because it gives me heartburn right now), add tomatoes, then cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add basil. It was really, really, really good. We like to dip the crust in a combo of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I Want a Big Fat Mommy...

This has been my 5 year old's way of describing things the past few weeks. Here are a few examples:

Mom, I want those big fat Mommy strawberries. The one's that are fat like you.

Mom, I went a big fat Mommy poop. Look how fat it is, like your belly.

Mom, I want a big fat Mommy cookie, round like you, please? (At least there was a please, right?)

Seriously, she said all of these. Yes, I have grown out and around quite a bit. I keep telling myself it is swelling, wishful thinking. I still love her to death and she makes me laugh when she says these. I just never thought of describing a strawberry, poop, or cookie as "a big fat mommy" type of thing.

Guest Blogger Recipe from Leca of "Leca-Unplugged"

One of my friend's from Elkhorn has a great blog called "Leca, Unplugged". She blogs about her awesome life, confessions, cleaning secrets (seriously, she has the cleanest house I have ever set foot in), Betty Crocker like recipes, and crazy things that happen to her. Check out her blog, she gives the address below. She was my walking buddy for a long time and reading her blog reminds me of our very early morning walks. My favorite entries are:
"The F Word", "My Little White Lie", and "The Trots". I love Leca and miss her a ton. Her blog gives me a laugh each day I read it. I didn't get a chance to make this recipe, sorry there is no picture. I will add one when I make it. I am sure it rocks!! Here she is:

Hello! I’m Leca from "Leca, Unplugged" I came for a visit today to share with you an amazing recipe for cake. Its super easy, really moist and an instant a crowd pleaser.

Danish Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. almond extract

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

Cinnamon sugar

In large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, almond extract, eggs and oil mixing until well blended. Spray bundt pan with cooking spray then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Pour mixture into pan and sprinkle more sugar on top. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.

Then go grab a book or watch your favorite show while it bakes. Take a load off—you deserve it. If you’re really lucky your husband will say those three magical words… Let’s eat out. When you are finished you’ll have a nice warm cake waiting for you.

OK, maybe not—but a girl can dream!

Enjoy!