REAL Hot Cocoa

Is so much better than the stuff you get out of a packet.  LOVE it.

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 cups milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa and 1/3 cup milk in sauce pan to form paste.  Add remaining milk and stir.  Warm but do not boil.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Enjoy!

Honey Bourbon Pulled Chicken

So, I'm trying Honey Bourbon Pulled Chicken today.  I'm pretty excited about it.  Thought I would share...

Superbowl Sunday

Let me just say that I LOVE Superbowl food!  My Man and I were home all weekend with sick little ones.  So, any superbowl get-togethers we might have had planned fell through.  However, I was not about to let that stop me from preparing all the necessary accoutrements (meaning I still wanted to -ahem- pig out).  The food and the people is what I really enjoy about the superbowl, so I wanted to enjoy my family... and food.

Here's what I prepared corn dip, bruschetta, sweet potato chips, and brownie cookies (and leftover lasagna, but I really didn't bother with all the snacks - that was for the kids).  Now, I had never before prepared Pioneer Woman's bruschetta.  Let me just tell you that it was well worth it...  love, love, love this recipe.  Already looking for another reason to make it - soooo goood!!!

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
1 pint Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
Salt And Pepper To Taste (don't Oversalt!)
1 whole Baguette
8 Tablespoons Butter


In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden.) Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don’t oversalt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time. (I would like to add a little fresh shredded parmesan to this mix next time)
Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they’re nice and buttery. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other half of the butter and the other half of the bread.
To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, the spoon generously over the slices of bread. Serve on a big platter as a first course or appetizer.

Brownie Cookies

Some of my all-time favorite cookies!  I tried to look the recipe up on here and couldn't believe it wasn't here!!  Fave, fave, favorites!

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soday

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup + 2 tbsps butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Separately mix dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture.  Drop on cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 9 minutes (unless you're using stoneware, in which case bake for 15 minutes!).

Paula Deen has struck again

My mother-in-law gets me a subscription to Cooking with Paula Deen every year for Christmas.  Talk about a gift that my whole family has benefited from!  I love it!  And the January/February issue this year has been the source of my last three recipe posts!  Sooo good!  This is actually a slight variation on her 'Individual Chicken pot Pies'.
As is usually the case, I have been making Chicken Pot Pie for years now, but have not been entirely happy with the outcome.... until now!  All I'm going to preface this recipe with is this, it has bacon in it... I know, right?! 

Chicken Pot Pie
2 T butter
3 1/4 lbs bone-in chicken breasts, skinned (about 3)
1 3/4 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 slices bacon
1 (8oz) packaged sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)
2 crust pie-crust
1 large egg

Melt butter in large skillet and saute onion and celery.  Boil chicken in water, remove and shred.  Fry bacon, remove and saute mushrooms.  Combine onions, celery, chicken, soup, bacon, mushrooms, pepper, salt, flour and frozen vegetables.  Stir and turn off heat.  Prepare pie plate with pie crust.  Pour in filling, add top crust and brush with egg white.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Watch closely in last 5 minutes to prevent burning.  Let sit for 10 minutes upon removing from the oven.

Sweet and Sassy Chili

This is MY new favorite chili.  It doesn't sear your tongue right off ; ) (of course I skip the jalopenos).

Sweet and Sassy Chili

2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Pork
1 whole Green Pepper
1 whole Red Pepper
1 whole Sweet Onion
5 whole Jalopenos
1 can (15 Oz. Can) White Cannellini Beans
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Red Cannellini Beans
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Black Eyed Peas
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Corn
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Crushed Tomatoes
3 cups Spicy Tomato Juice V8
2 packages (1.25 Oz. Packet) McCormicks Chili Seasoning
1 cup Ketchup
1 whole Lime
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
Preparation InstructionsSaute the meat over medium heat until browned; then drain the grease. Add to a crock pot.
Dice and saute peppers, onions and jalapenos (de-seeded) over medium heat. When they are nice and soft, add them to the pot.
Rinse and drain the beans and peas; add to the pot. Mix all together.

Add remaining ingredients of seasoning packets, ketchup, juice of lime, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomatoes, tomato juice, and drained corn.
Give it one big stir and set the crock pot on low for 8 hours.
I like to serve this with a bit of shredded cheese on top and tortilla chips on the side. This recipe is great because you can alter the hot or sweet flavors by changing the amounts of jalapenos or brown sugar. You can combine everything at night and then turn the crock pot on in the morning. Enjoy!

Ultimate Banana Bread

I already have a good banana bread that I really like, but if you like your banana bread to have more of a bread consistency and nut as much gooey banana AND you like walnuts, you need to try this.

Be sure to use very ripe, heavily speckled (or even checking for doneness five minutes earlier than advised in the recipe. The texture is best when the loaf is eaten fresh, but it can be stored (cool completely first), covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon baking soda


½ teaspoon table salt


6 large very ripe bananas (about 2¼ pounds), peeled (see note)


8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly


2 large eggs


¾ cup (5¼ ounces) packed light brown sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


½ cup walnuts , toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)


2 teaspoons granulated sugar


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.


2. Place 5 bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).


3. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.


4. Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.


5. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I gave up

I have given up on trying to produce a chilli that My Man AND my children both enjoy.  Maryanna thinks toothpaste and peppermint gum are spicy.  My Man adds jalopenos OR tobasco sauce to everything.  He adds dime size dobs of wasabi to EVERY BITE of his sushi.  It's impossible.

So.  I gave up.

And now I am going to start making two pots of chili whenever I serve it.  And guess what.  I found this amazing sweet chili that I love!  I'll post that recipe another day.  Today I want to talk about the chili I found for My Man.

Ok, so this is my process.  If I can't find a recipe for whatever I'm looking for made by the Pioneer Woman or Paula Deen I go to TastyKitchen.com or allrecipes.com.  And when I searched for spicy chili I found this particular recipe on both of those sites under two different names.  With high ratings.
 
And it was a winner.  I've got just a couple of different things i'd like to try in it, but I've only made it once.  So, without further ado.

Halloween Chili aka The Boilermaker
2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer (I'm going to try an ale next time)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.


Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

This smelled amazing while it cooked.  Can't wait to make it again!
 

My Revelation

Are you ready for this? 

Frozen.  Cookies.  It's the greatest thing ever.  It's a lifesaver.  It's my latest revelation.

I bake a batch of cookies and I throw them in the deep freeze.  Since they're not actually in the kitchen on the counter WE DON'T EAT THEM.  At least not in 2 days.  And then, when I need a special treat for the kids, or a lunch treat when I'm packing a lunch or I just want to send cookies home with a friend they are ready to go!  They're even already in ziploc bags!  I even have a selection of cookies in there.

So, that's what I've been up to.  As soon as the fall weather started I started baking.  It was almost comical.  Banana bread, cookies, pies, cake - it's been ridiculous around here.  Not to mention the chili and then Pioneer Woman's lemon blueberry pancakes.  Those were fabulous.

Anyway.  Bake something.  Then freeze it.  I love it.  And here's the recipe for those pancakes if you're interested.

Scrapbooking

I'm behind on my scrapbooking.  Like, years.  I usually have baby's first year scrapbooked and ready to view at his/her's first birthday party.  Um, this year his book's not even been purchased yet.  Well, I'm thinking I might start as the kids start settling into school.  We'll see.

We've had a couple of busy days.  Yesterday I got to have lunch with my dad, sister and brother.  Then, I got a little shopping in all by myself - Mom watched the kids for me.  Today was supposed to be a laundry/cleaning day but ended up being a playdate at the spraygrounds morning.  Which was nice - don't get to see my cousin (once removed?) or my SIL nearly often enough.  Hoping to get in a little reading and laundry this afternoon if naps allow : )

Also, thinking about doing a Julie and Julia type of thing.  I recently got my Best of the Best Pampered Chef cookbook out and there are just so many recipes I haven't made yet.  Hoping to do a couple a week atleast.  The one's I have done have been favorites.  Kind of getting excited about it...

Italian-Style Grilled Pizza

This was amazing!!  So glad I made this - multiple compliments from the kids and My Man!  And pretty easy too!  Especially if you're used to using a grill!

Italian-Style Grilled Pizza

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used cherry tomatoes - and I used more like 10)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into fine ribbons
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 t each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 pkg (16 oz) prebaked pizza crust (I used a thin wheat crust hoping to cut some calories : )

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium coals.  Place mozzarella cheese in bowl.  Grate Parmesan cheese into bowl.  Slice tomatoes in half, remove seeds and cut into small pieces.  Slice basil into ribbons.  Add tomatoes, basil and olives to bowl; mix gently.

2. In small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper.  Lightly brush top of crust with 1 T of the oil mixture.

3. Place crust in center of grid of grill, top side down.  Grill crust, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Turn crust over and carefully remove.

4. Add remaining oil mixture to cheese mixture in bowl; mix well.  Spoon cheese mixture evenly over top of crust; return pizza to grid of grill.  Cover and grill 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bottom of crust is deep golden brown.

5. Remove pizza to cutting board; slice and serve!

We just happened to have leftover grilled chicken that we chopped up and added to this recipe.  My Man was helping me in the kitchen this particular day : )  I should mention that this is a Pampered Chef recipe.  I love Pampered Chef, have a couple of their cookbooks and several of their tools and cookware.  Their recipes are some of my favorites and I know I have other Pampered Chef recipes listed here. I cannot believe I have had this book this long and not made this recipe!

This is a definite keeper!!

This Salad is Fantastic!

Once again, I've picked up a recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  This one caught my eye as a break from the norm.  Really awesome.  Not sure how good it is for you with all of the bacon grease, but it might just be worth it : )

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Weight Loss

Someone once told me that if you don't lose your baby weight by the time the baby's a year old that you're not going to.  I think it's a bogus statistic.  But, coming up on the 1 year mark freaks me out anyway...  so, I've been working really hard to lose weight.  Let me back up.

About a month ago I was convicted to pray about the daily, small things in my life that I try to handle without talking to God.  The first thing that came to mind was my weight.  I'm not going to share any numbers or anything, but I knew I was overweight.  Obese according to the Wii.  :/  What's more is I knew I was unhappy with my weight.  So, I shared that with God and asked him to help me.  I don't seem to be able to control my choices/emotional eating on my own, I told God.

A couple of weeks later I went to a friend's house (a friend who is extremely fit and health conscious) for a swim party.  She made mac n cheese and watermelon and so on for the kids and put out salad options for the adults.  And I thought to myself, I can't just eat a salad for lunch!  I'm starving!  And the thought embarrassed me.  I thought, I bet she probably eats ONLY a salad as a meal all the time.  Well, I stocked up on different types of lettuce and lots of different toppings to make all kinds of salads.  And I bought  lots of healthy snack options.  And I started eating salads for lunch.  And I pretty much just stopped snacking in between meals.  And I made regular evening meals but I didn't eat as much and I didn't go back for seconds.  And in the last two weeks I have rarely had dessert, but when I did it was a small portion.  I also started making smoothies and shakes occasionally for a meal.  Not everyday, but occasionally.  And I've never been someone who steps on the scale very often.  Actually I haven't even owned one until we got the Wii.  But I saw a very slow gradual drop, and it was all I needed to actually keep going.

I've lost just a few pounds in the last couple of weeks.  And I had started to make somewhat better choices over the last couple of months - which resulted in a few pounds over an 8 week period that I hadn't even realized I'd lost.  So, in the last 2-3 months I've lost 14 lbs.  It's not that much, but it's a huge start, considering I've not really stuck with a concerted effort long enough to make a difference before.  And the big thing for me is that I'm probably at the lowest I've been in the last 6 years. 

All of that to say, I'll be posting a few more salad recipes and a couple of shake recipes.  Might seem weird considering what I normally post.

Also, if I continue to lose weight I'll get to post about it.  If I don't, I probaby won't!

Ah, Nursing

So, with Christopher's 10-month anniversary just around the corner, I've started thinking about weaning. Yes, I'm still breastfeeding. I've breastfed each of my babies right up until their first birthday's. So, this is the last couple of months of the fourth year that I've spent breastfeeding - not consecutively, thank goodness. And it's gotten me thinking. About all of the wonderful things about nursing and all of the frustrating.

Nursing in public. (sorry, but) Sore nipples. Bras. I hate bras while I'm nursing! Unexpected visitors in the middle of the afternoon send me running for my bedroom! TEETHING. Nursing makes me tired. I don't know if it's the hormones or the drain on my body - probably both. But, I have an energy boost when I'm finished. Exposing my back, side and sometimes my gut 4-6 times a day. And the diet restrictions. I'm not the type of person to add jalopenos or tobasco to everything. But three of my babies have been extremely sensitive. Tomatoes, beans, chili powder, almonds, garlic, onions - my diet has had to be pretty bland. I had no idea how many recipes I had that were just a little too spicy. I will be glad to be free to have two cups of coffee. Two of my babies would not take a bottle no matter what was in it, so the ability to go for an extended period of time when necessary will be nice.

Now, the things that I will miss... Those chubby hands on my skin. The way his eyes roll back in his head when he's tired and hungry and it's just so comforting and it must just taste so good. Those moments when our eyes lock and we share that precious bond. The ability to comfort when nothing else will. Holding him close. The ability to take off with baby and have the nourishment he needs ready to go without preparation. And, let's face it, sometimes it's nice that I'm the only one he wants because it's time to eat!

I've had many ask me lately how I feel about being so close to being finished. It's bittersweet. No matter how you look at it, by the end of a year I'm ready to be finished. But, the prospect of being finished for good seems awfully sad. I can't say that I'll ever regret it. 

strawberry poppyseed salad

If you're eating salads a lot - which I have, lately - it's nice to have a lot of recipes to choose from.  This is my rendition of the salad at Panera (love that place!).

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce
1/2 cup blueberries
8 oz. quartered strawberries

1 cup cubed pineapple

1 small can mandarin oranges drained
Poppyseed Dressing

Clean and cut/tear up lettuce, add fruit and top with dressing - enjoy!

Onion-Smothered Pork Tenderloin

2 T butter
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 t minced garlic
1/2 cup beef consomme
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 T coarse-grained mustard
1 t crushed rosemary
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins, trimmed

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in consomme, cream, mustard, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Place pork tenderloins in prepared baking dish. Pour onion mixture over tenderloins. Bake for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 155. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve sliced pork with wild rice and steamed green beans.

There are so many things I did wrong on this recipe and it still came out delish. I substituted the pork for turkey tenderloin. I substituted the consomme for broth. And I substituted the coarse grained mustard for regular old ground mustard. Also, my rosemary wasn't crushed. Oh well. I'll be making this one again!

Jumping Jack's Sloppy Joes

2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopping celery
1T minced garlic
3 (8 oz( can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T firmly packed brown sugar
2 t yellow mustard
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 t salt
6 hamburger buns

In a large skillet, combine ground chuck, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook over meduim heat until beef is browned and crumbply; drain. return beef mixture to skillet.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over hamburger buns with fries and pickle spears.

I have a sloppy joe recipe that works for me. It's a slow-cooker recipe that is just super-duper easy. Or uber easy. Whatever you prefer. However, if you want a really hearty sloppy joe recipe that will make plenty and makes you think of a filling fall meal, this is the recipe for you. i served it with sweet potato fries and salad rather than regular fries and a pickle (but, we were having company : )

Five Days of Paula

I'm getting ready to try Paula's Mon-Fri. menu. I'll let you know how it goes. The menu includes...

Monday: Orange-Tarragon Chicken Linguine and Steamed asparagus

Tuesday: Onion-Smothered Pork Tenderloin Wild Rice and Steamed green beans

Wednesday: Hearty meatless Taco Salad and fresh orange wedges

Thursday: Jumping Jack's Sloppy Joes with Steak Fries

Friday: Slow-Cooker Swiss Steak with Mashed Potatoes and green salad

Here's a few pics to update you on the last few days. My mother's birthday dinner here last Sunday. Yummy : ) I must, must, must share this icing recipe and the mashed sweet potato recipe. I'm not a huge sweet potato fan and this is one of my new favorite dishes.

Lo put my brother's size 14 shoes on and had herself a gigle fit : )Popsicle break!

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, I found it! Here's the recipe I printed a year ago and couldn't find for you. Eureka. If you like carrot cake, you will like this. And it's a fun, yummy dessert to make if you've got zucchini multiplying in your garden. Here's the link, followed by my own pics : )

Pineapple Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

And here's a photo I posted earlier with some tweeks I enjoyed making. That's my girl there. She looks a little sad that her watermelon's all gone, huh?

Happy Father's Day! (tomorrow)

So, My Man enjoys many different desserts, but his all time favorite is the classic apple pie.... and I can't make a decent apple pie to save my life. It's, like, the one thing that no matter how good the recipe is, perfection continues to elude.

However, I'm going to attempt another one. This is Rustic Apple Pie. And it might just save me this weekend : )

Happy Father's Day, Baby. You are an amazing father and I'm so excited about life with you. Enjoy your day! The kids and I have some surprises up our sleeves! : )

p.s. I don't know if it was my oven or what but the pie needed to bake atleast 10 minutes longer. I think I'll have to try again!