What I'm Reading

I just finished this book.


You know when you finish a book and your mind is still going and thinking about the characters?  What are they doing now?  How are they getting along?  And then reality hits and I know these people were just made up and disappointment sets in all over again like it did when I read the last page.

One of my colleagues once said she wouldn't read a book if she couldn't like the characters.  But, I know that if an author has done his or her job, I can also grow to NOT like a character and still enjoy the book.  I am always in awe of authors' abilities to weave their writing in words to create this beautiful tapestry I can hold in my hands.  This book does not disappoint in this at all.  You will eventually fall in love with Ove and his grumpy, analytical antics.  Plus, you'll all of a sudden have an urge to own a Saab.

Here's one of my favorite parts from this story: (the love between Ove and Sonja was so sweet!)

"Loving someone is like moving into a house,"  Sonja used to say.  "At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this.  Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, be rather for its imperfections.  You get to know all the nooks and crannies.  How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside.  Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking.  These are the little secrets that make it your home."

Never have I ever compared love to moving into a house, but I see it now, thanks to this book.  When I married my other half, I was excited to get to know him and discover what it was like to live with him.  Now, as we approach our eleventh year of being married, there's a comfort to knowing him, just like I know when I close the front door, I have to push really hard to shut it completely.  It's a constant that I'm okay not having to fix it.

My other half has a tendency to use paper towels a lot and then not throw them away.  I find them all over the house in random places, like a Hansel and Gretel trail of breadcrumbs.  I know exactly where he's been.  But, I know I would miss this if he weren't around.

The windows in our kitchen don't stay open.  They will all of a sudden shut on their own, as if a ghost had done it.  We've now become so accustomed to it, it doesn't scare us anymore.

My guy snores when he sleeps on his back, so if I give him the slightest nudge to roll over he'll stop.

Our garage door controller doesn't work, and hasn't since we moved in ten years ago.  We tried to fix it, and it stopped working soon after.  We have to open the garage door by hand.  My handyman puts the cars in and out of the garage each day.  It's something simple he does that lets me know I'm loved.

My groom is ticklish in the strangest places, like his calves.  Who is ticklish on their calves???

The left side of our house is shaded in the afternoon, which makes for the perfect playing/shady spot in the summer time.

My beloved gets self-conscious about the meals he eats because when he eats something with a strong ingredient, such as garlic or even Italian dressing; somehow, the ingredient lingers and seems to seep through is pores.  He knows this happens because he'll walk through the door, kiss me hello, and soon after I say,"What did you have for lunch?"

I love that our house feels like a home.  It can be cluttered, but that just means my children played and made memories that day.  The sink can be full of dishes, but it shows we had food to put on the table.  There's dog and at hair everywhere, but our lives wouldn't be as full without our two fur friends.


  I love how my beloved has become like an appendage.  We've shared so much that it's almost as if we share the same pulse and breath.  Thank you Ove and Sonja, for the reminder to appreciate my husband and find comfort in him.

I can't leave without giving you all a recipe!  In the book, there is a coffee shop Ove stops by.  Here's a banana bread recipe you have to try, because what coffee shop doesn't have banana bread out to go along with the yummy drinks?  This is now my go-to banana bread recipe.
Adapted from this website:  http://heidibakes.blogspot.com/2010/05/starbucks-banana-bread.html

Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (I keep my bananas in the freezer)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp. buttermilk or milk
1 cup chopped walnuts (I usually omit because my family wouldn't eat it with nuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease one loaf pan
Mix sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, buttermilk, and bananas in a mixing bowl.  Combine compleely.
Add in flout, soda, and salt, and 1/2 cup walnuts (or not)
Pour into pan, sprinkle remaining walnuts over the top of the batter pressing in the walnuts.
Bake for 45-60 minutes.  Use a tester to check if cooked internally.  (mine always takes longer than this!)
Cool and remove from the pan.

Streusel Layer (I always include this part!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together and sprinkle the mixture over a thin layer of batter in a prepared loaf pan.  Cover with additional batter and bake.

Summer Passport: Mexico

Many of you all know that I take my time with my kids very seriously.  I am also a Type A personality.  If I don't have things planned out, then I get aggravated and frustrated and not a whole lot gets accomplished.  Because of these lovely personality traits, I start planning my summer with my kids starting in April.  With my new position as a reading specialist, I tested either an individual or small group of students every day during SOL tests.  These are our state tests here in Virginia.  Everything is now online, so the testing window lasts a little over a month with some kind of test happening almost every day in May and June.  The rules are incredibly strict, so during testing I cannot read, write, or go on the computer, but once the testing is done in my room, we can do all of that as we wait for the rest of the school to be done testing.  So, this is where all my planning began. 

I decided that the whole summer we would spend time learing about different areas of the world.  The World Cup was about to start, so I figured this was the perfect theme to help the kids understand that all these teams came from all over the world and this World Cup was a BIG deal!  With that idea in mind, I just needed to focus on one country a week. 

The first week of summer we learned about Mexico.  We decided on this as our first country because my brother-in-law's birthday was that week and his family is from Mexico, AND Kroger was doing a Taste of Mexico event for three weeks and all Mexican food was on sale.  Score!  Here are a few things we did together:

We made banderitas, or papel picados, during Make Something Monday.  These are flags that are hung up during any kind of celebration in Mexico.  All you need are scissors, construction paper, and string.  We folded the paper four times and then cut out shapes.  It's almost like making a snowflake.  My sunshine girl made the orange, pink, and red flags, and Little Bear made the purple one, can you tell?

Tuesdays are Time to Read Tuesdays.  Little Bear is at his daycare, so Sunshine and I head to the library so I can tutor and then we head to storytime.  We also use this time to check out books and look up books about the country we are studying.

Wednesdays are What's Cooking Wednesday.  I don't have a picture of our meal, but we made an authentic Mexican meal on this night.  The kids and I made homemade salsa and served it with guacamole, tacos, and all the fixin's.

On Thursday, we call is Thinker Thursday.  We are conducting science experiments on this day that doesn't necessarily go along with our theme.  Sunshine and I were so excited to make a rainbow in a jar.  This was a pinterest fail.

 

See?  Pinterest fail.  Do you see a rainbow in there?  I kept thinking in my head, "Nailed it!"  Sunshine and I had a blast trying it out togther, so that is all that matters!

 

Fridays are Fun Fridays.  We spent our fun Friday at the pool since we were going to head to my sis and brother-in-law's later that day to celebrate his birthday.  We made pinatas for him!

 

We took balloons and blew them up.  Then we made a mixture of one part flour to two parts water.  We dipped newspaper strips in this mixture and laid them on the balloon as our first layer.  That dried overnight, then we started our layers of tissue paper the next day to add some color.  It took us three days to make them since you have to let them dry in between layers.  Then you pop the balloon and fill it up with candy!  My brother-in-law was surprised!  We loved hitting them at his celebration and getting all of the candy.

I am loving my time at home with these two rascals.  We even made tie dye shirts!

And yes, he got a haircut this past week!

Love is...

I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day!  What a fun day to remind everyone you love, just how much you love and care for them!  Parenthood has made me pretty sappy and I have had a few people around me go through some extremely tough situations lately, which have had a profound effect on my day to day thinking and actions.  I have found myself stopping more often throughout the day to pray and appreciate my sweet family and think of how blessed and thankful I am for them.

Love is...

Looking in the rearview mirror, making eye contact with a sweet face in the back seat, and smiling at each other.

Love is...

Bowing our heads to pray in church and feeling my husband's hand reach out to hold mine.

Love is...

That first moment I see my babies in the morning and how all they want is a hug.

Love is...

How each of my kids fits perfectly under each arm.

Love is...

Sitting around the dinner table, listening to music, and talking about our day.

Love is...

Knowing that God is in control and guiding my family through each day.

Love is...

Having a Savior who thinks I am to die for!

_______________________________________________________________________________

I know you all have missed me.  :)  Here are some recipes we will be having for our dinners this week:  Unstuffed Chicken breasts with ham, gruyere, and roasted broccoli, mu shu pork wraps, tuna melts, slow cooker chicken stroganoff

Unstuffed Chicken Breasts with Ham, Gruyere, and Roasted Broccoli adapted from America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook (a gift from my awesome aunt for Christmas)
*If you don't have gruyere, then Swiss cheese is a cheaper and just as good alternative

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, crown cut into large wedges
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded if necessary (I took 3 breasts, and halved them horizontally, to make 6 thin cutlets)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 ounces deli ham
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 cup)
15 Ritz crackers, crushed

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 475 degrees.  Brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil.

Toss broccoli with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange chicken breasts, side by side on one side of prepared baking sheet.  Spread mustard over top of chicken, then top each breast with 1 slice ham and 1/4 cup cheese.  Sprinkle cracker crumbs over cheese and press on to adhere.

Lay broccoli, cut side down, on opposite side of bakingsheet from chicken.  Bake until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is well browned and tender, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfwa through baking.  Serve.  (A dish with everything cooked in the oven at the same time?!  How awesome is that?)

***My sweet sunshine girl ate all of her chicken and only bites of her broccoli.  My sweet little bear boy ate seconds of broccoli and only bites of chicken.  Sigh.  If you put the two together, then I guess you can say they liked it!



Mu Shu Pork Wraps  Also adapted from the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
We had a pork chop dish last week for dinner and I had bought a value pack of pork chops.  I cooked up the chops I didn't use and will use the already cooked pork in this recipe.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced thin
6 scallions, white parts minced, green parts cut into 1 inch lengths
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 bag coleslaw mix
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Whisk 2 tablespoons oil, cornstarch, flour, and 2 teaspoons soy sauce together in medium bowl until smooth, then stir in pork.  In separate bowl, combine scallion whites, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking.  Add half of pork, breaking up an clumps, anc ook, without stirring, for 1 minute.  Stir pork and continue to cook until lightly browined, about 1 minute; transfer to clean bowl..  Repeat with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining pork; transfer to bowl.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now empty skillet and return to high heat until just smoking.  Add coleslaw mix and mushrooms and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Clear center of skillet, add scallion mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir scallion mixture into vegetables.

Add cooked pork, with any accumulated juices, scallion greens, hoisin sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, stack tortillas on plate, cover and microwave until soft and hot, about 2 minutes.  Serve pork filling with warm tortillas and extra hoisin sauce.


Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff adapted from AllRecipes (awesome website and app)  I wouldn't be able to plan meals each week without my slowcooker.  I always have at least one meeting a week that goes to 5:30.  This week is no exception-Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday until 6:30.  Hello slow cooker meal!!!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1/8 cup butter
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 package cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
(I know doesn't sound the healthiest, but come on, it's just one night!  And you can always use less cream cheese and use a healthified cream of chicken soup)

Put chicken, butter, and dressing mix in slow cooker.  Mix together and cook on low 5-6 hours.
Add cream cheese and soup, mix together and cook on high for another 1/2 hour or until heated through and warm.

Serve over egg noodles and with a side salad, and voila, you have a complete meal!

**If I don't use this recipe for conference night, my husband will just whip up a scrumptious breakfast for dinner meal. 


Tuna Melts adapted from Martha Stewart Living, but it's Emeril Lagasse's recipe
Need a cheap dinner idea???  Here you go!  I grabbed 4 cans of tuna last week, just in case we lost power with the snow last week.  We didn't need to use them, but it sure helped me plan a meal for this week!  My husband is not a fan of tuna, but when I made these he actually said they were really good!  Yeah buddy!

4 cans tuna, drained
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 slices crusty bread
8 thin slices tomato (we do not use tomato)
4 slices provolone

Heat broiler with rack in highest position.  In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayo, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir until combined.

Arrange bread on a baking sheet and spread a little mayo on each slice.  Divide tuna salad evenly among slices (I have found that this makes more than just 4), then top with 2 slices of tomato and one slice of cheese.  Broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

I would serve this with leftover salad from the night before and some chips. 


Happy Eating!

Christmas Magic and the True Meaning of Christmas

The holidays are here!  I married  a man who is OBSESSED with Christmas, and I inevitably, have inherited and obliged to this obsession.  Thankfully, our children also get caught up in this time of year and love getting the decorations down (as I think to myself, "Oh no...not more knickknacks.  That just means more things to dust!")  and playing Christmas music well before November is over.  This year God has laid on my heart to embrace the magic, but also ensure the true meaning of Christmas abounds in everything we do as December is fast approaching.  We enjoy thinking about Santa and making a list of gifts for the kids, but I also want our children to know this season is about giving, much like the life led by our Savior, Jesus.  I got to thinking about how we could accomplish this, and found this link on The Imagination Tree about kindness elves.  Yes, we partake in the Elf on a Shelf tradition and we love it because it contributes to the magic of the season, but love the idea of our elf encouraging kind behavior to report to Santa, instead of being a threat of reporting horrible behavior and our children being intimidated or scared.  We also want Jesus to be the center of our celebration, so this idea emerged.  Our children will find our elf tomorrow with this letter:

Dear Tessa and Dempsey,

 I have missed being with your this past year, but have been helping Santa get ready for Christmas.  As an elf, I enjoy helping Santa and being kind to others, just like Jesus did when he was born.  He spent his life serving others.  So, when I go back to Santa each night at the North Pole, I can't wait to tell him all about the kind things you have been doing for others each day.  I will even bring some ideas with me when I come to your house each day.

Today, I have brought a list of Bible verses for you to read with your family.  They tell the story of Christmas because I don't want you to forget the real reason why we celebrate Christmas-Jesus!

God bless and remember to be kind to others!

Love, Bernard (Ephesians 2:10)

I found the list of verses (at the end of this post) on pinterest to read each day that tell the story of Christmas.  This will be with our elf and letter.

Our elf will bring a different idea and materials if needed for an act of kindness each day.  Some ideas include: 

Let your sibling play with one of your toys.
Make a card for someone at school.
Give ten hugs today.
Take cookies to a neighbor.
Go through your toys and donate the ones you don't play with anymore.
Go through your clothes and give the ones that don't fit to someone else or donate them.
Take hot chocolate to a Salvation Army bell ringer.
Give the cashier at the store a note with your favorite verse on it.
Read your sibling a book.
Leave  a present or cookies for the mail carrier.
Make a card for a soldier overseas and mail it off.
Write a relative who lives out of town a letter.
Take cookies to the fire station.
Take a care package to a homeless person.

If you have any other ideas for acts of kindness that are simple and don't require much money or prep work, please share!  Merry Christmas and God bless each one of you!

Spiral Bound Cookbooks and on the Menu this week: Chicken Salad Sandiwches, Crockpot Tortellini Lasagna, Pigs in a Blanket, Tex-Mex Roll-ups, Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles with Vegetables

Some people say that cookbooks are going to be obsolete in the years to come because of the internet.  I hope they don't!  I love my cookbooks and collecting unique, old-fashioned ones.  Ok, maybe not so old-fashioned, but ones that are fun, and quirky in their own way. 

My mom came across two spiral bound cookbooks that belonged to her mother who passed away in the late '60s.  When my mom and dad moved, she gave them to me.  I love these cookbooks because of how simple and down home the ingredients are in the recipes.  Many of which were put together by military wives.  One of the cookbooks is printed copies of the original submitted recipes, so they are all in the person's handwriting.  Hardbound cookbooks are fascinating, but the spiral bound cookbooks that you can come across in those unique bookstores are special in their own way.

During my elementary school years, I attended a school called Gayton Elementary.  My class was the second group of kids who went through the school from kindergarten to fifth grade.  We practically ruled the school in our stir-up pants, scrunchies, and sweatsuits rockin' out to the New Kids on the Block.  However, I digress...One of the coolest things our PTA did was put together a collection of recipes and titled it "The Gayton Gourmet."  So fun, right?  One of my favorite recipes in this cookbook is a layered Mexican Dip.  I made this so much back in high school for my family that I had it memorized.  My sister knew this, so I had a lot of phone calls from her as a freshman in college that started with,"I'm making that mexican dip, and I'm at the grocery store.  What do I need again?"  Serve this at your next get-together or football party!

Mexican Dip adapted from the Gayton Gourmet

1 can Fritos Bean dip
1 can frozen guacomole dip (refrigerated is fine)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 tomatoes
1/2 bunch spring onions
4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese

Mix sour cream, may, and taco seasoning mix.  Set aside.  Mix chopped onions and chopped tomatoes.  Set aside.  Grate cheese.  In glass baking dish cover bottom with bean dip.  Next spread guacamole on top of bean dip.  Add sour cream mixture on top of guacamole.  Sprinkle onions and tomatoes next.  Finally top with grated cheese.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight (f you can wait that long).  Serve with tortilla chips.

I hope you enjoy the menu this week!  Remember to throw in a leftover night and a breakfast for dinner night and you have the whole week planned!

These next two recipes are straight from food network.  The magazine came with this booklet that included 50 Chicken Dinners.  I had gotten one of those value pack of chicken drumsticks and didn't need to use all of them, so I went ahead and cooked up the whole batch, shredded the chicken from the uneaten drumsticks and froze the cooked chicken.  This extra work set me up for minimal effort during the work week.

  Creamy Chicken Salad
2 large chicken breasts
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 chopped celery stalks
2 tbsp chopped celery leaves

Cover 2 large chicken breasts with cold water in a pot; add 1 tbsp kosher salt.  Bring to a gentle simmer; cook until just firm, 15 minutes.  Plunge into salted ice water, 30 seconds, then drain.
Dice cooked chicken.  Mix with mayo, sour cream, parsley, celery stalks, and celery leaves.  Serve on lettuce, buns, or as is with chips and fruit and you have a nice meal!

Shopping List:  Chicken breasts, mayo, sour cream, parsley, celery

Tex-Mex Roll-Ups
2 large chicken breasts
2/3 cup mayo
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chiles
Chopped scallions
Juice of 1 lime

Cover 2 large chicken breasts with cold water in a pot; add 1 tbsp kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer; cook until just firm, 15 minutes. Plunge into salted ice water, 30 seconds, then drain.  Shred cooked chicken.  Mix chicken with mayonnaise, salsa, sour cream, green chiles, chopped scallions, and juice of one lime.  Serve in tortillas.
Serve with a side salad, refried beans, or spanish rice.

Shopping List:  chicken breasts, mayo, salsa, sour cream, green chiles, scallions, lime


Crockpot Tortellini Lasagna:  I found this recipe on the mostly homemade mom blog.  Visit her fun site at www.mostlyhomemademom.com.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tbsp dried minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh spinah
19 oz. package frozen tortellini
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain.  Add onion, garlic and spaghetti sauce.  Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in spinach and ricotta. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of slow cooker.  (I would use a 4 quart.  My 6-7 quart was too big.)  Top with 1/2 package of tortellini.  Repeat layers, ending with meat sauce on top.  Sprinkle mozzarella.  Cook on low 3-4 hours.

Serve with crunchy rolls and a salad.
 
Shopping List:  ground beef, dried, minced onion, jar spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, fresh spinach, frozen tortellini, mozzarella cheese


Pigs in a Blanket:  Seriously.  Serve these when you want something different than plain, ole hot dog on a bun.  The kids love 'em.  Give in.  Let your inner child out.  You know you want these, too.

1 package hot dogs (I've been sneaking the turkey franks.  Shhhh...No one notices the difference.)
1 can crescent rolls

Unroll crescent rolls.  Place hot dog on widest end of crescent.  Roll hot dog in crescent roll.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Follow directions on crescent roll package.

Serve with coleslaw and mandarin oranges.

Shopping List:  hot dogs, crescent rolls


Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles with Vegetables:  I got this recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that my sister-in-law got for me one Christmas.  I don't normally do two crockpot meals in one week, but sometimes busy weeks make you do the unthinkable. 

2 cups sliced carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 bay leaf
4 chicken legs, skinned
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 ounces dried wide noodles
1 cup frozen peas

In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker stir together carrots, onions, celery, and bay leaf. Place chicken on top of vegetables. In a large bowl stir together soup, the water, salt, thyme, and black pepper. Pour over chicken in cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 4-1/2 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker; cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, stir frozen peas into mixture in cooker. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Shred or chop meat; stir into mixture in cooker.

To serve, in a large serving bowl stir together chicken mixture and noodles.

 Shopping List:  carrots, onion, celery, chicken legs, bay leaves (if not in spice cabinet), 2 cans cream of chicken soup, dried thyme, dried wide noodles, frozen peas

Reading Lately and a menu! Finally! Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas, Crispy Onion Chicken, Tilapia Fish Sticks, Pasta Carobanara

What have you been reading lately???  My husband puts up with a lot from me.  One of my lastest quirks is my constant reading.  The books go with me wherever I go.  I read when I'm putting makeup on, doing my hair, brushing my teeth, while the kids are napping, when I'm riding in the car...I. can't. stop.  I have to have a really good book if I'm reading at this rate. 



A few years ago I was given a book called Summer by Karen Kingsbury.  I knew it was the second book in a series and I hadn't read any of the other books, but I read it anyway and LOVED it.  I always meant to read the other books, but just didn't find the time to get them in my hands.  Then my church just happened to have a library, which had almost every single one of the books by Karen Kingsbury.  It was my heaven on Earth.  If you choose to read her books, begin with the Redemption Series, then move to the Firstborn Series, and then the Sunrise Series.  13 books later you will find yourself totally in love with the characters and feel like if you were to visit Bloomington, Indiana (where the books' settings are) you would run into any one of them.  Every book has a lesson to be learned about your walk in faith with God.  I have learned so much from these books and will forever be changed by them!  Go check them out.

On another note, I haven't posted a menu in a LONG time.  Try some of these recipes this week:  Black bean and corn quesadillas, crispy onion chicken, tilapia fish sticks, pasta carobanara.  Leave some nights for leftovers or to go out as a family! 

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas:  These were so good!  My husband has caught on and is now more interested in cooking and often asks, "What's in these?"  When he asked me this time, I responded, "I don't want to tell you."  He said, "Oh, there's no meat in them."  Occasionally, we will have a meatless night, just so I don't have to spend part of my grocery bill on meat.  These were so worth it!  I found this recipe during one of my many pinterest perusings.  And while you are chowing down on these check out the blog these came from!  http://mostlyhomemademom.com

8 burrito sized tortillas
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, do not thaw
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
shredded lettuce

In small food processor, (or just with a knife, who wants to wash a food processor?), chop parsley and red onion.  Dum diced onion and parsley into a large mixing bowl.  Mis in black beans, frozen corn, taco seasoning, and cheese until well combined.
Place 1/2 cup filling on half of a tortilla and fold.  Cook over medium heat on a non-stick griddle.  Flip when cheese has begun to melt and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Repeat for remaining tortillas and filling.  Allow to cool slightly, adn slice each quesadilla in half.  Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc.  Serve with a side salad or fruit and you are set!

Shopping list:  tortillas, black beans, frozen corn, red onion, parsley, taco seasoning, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, lettuce


Crispy Onion Chicken:  This recipe is from the same blog, http://mostlyhomemademom.com .  I had stocked up on chicken breasts when Kroger had them for 50% off and needed to find a different way to cook them.  I liked how simple and kid friendly this recipe was!  We liked it, but I had forgotten to season the chicken before doing all the steps in the recipe.  Don't ever forget to season with salt and pepper!  It makes a huge difference!

1/2 cup melted butter (I think I did 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce (one of my fave ingredients)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
6 oz. pouch french fried onions
4 boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness, or if you are like me, just cut them in half through the middle of each half.  There.  No pounding needed.

Combine melted butter, Worcestshire sauce, ground mustard, and galic salt in a bowl.  Crush french fried onions in the pouch and place in a separate bowl.  Heat skillet to medium heat on stove.  Dip chicken one at a time in the butter sauce and then in the crushed onions coating both sides.  Cook chicken in skillet until both sides are brown.    Preheat oven to 350.  Put browned chicken on a foild lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  Use a thermometer if you can to check doneness.

Serve with roasted potatoes tossed in oil, salt and pepper, garlic and rosemary, with a side of a steamed veggie, and you have a simple dinner the kids will love!

Shopping list:  butter, Worcestshire sauce, ground mustard, garlic salt, french fried onions, chicken breasts, potatoes, veggie of choice

Tilapia Fish Sticks:  One thing I do every week is peruse my grocery store's weekly ad to see what's on sale and to plan my meals based on the sales.  Tilapia was on sale and I was looking for a fun and different way to serve it up for the fam.  The kids eat fish sticks at preschool and day care and apparently love them, so I figured why not try my hand at them?  These were simple, easy, and yes, delicious.  The kids loved them.  You can find this recipe and many more at www.epicurious.com

1 pound tilapia filets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cajun seasoning
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Thaw the tilapia filets if not done already.  Mine were still a bit frozen, but that just made it easier to cut into stick like shapes.  Slice the filets so that you get about 4-6 sticks per filet.  prepare the breading station by collecting three bowls.  In the first bowl, combine the flour and cajun seasoning (or salt, pepper, any other seasonings).  In the second bowl whisk two eggs.  In the third bowl place the panko bread crumbs.  (I don't usually have these on hand.  But I do save the heels of my loaves of bread and freeze them.  I put two or three of these heels into the food processor and use those bread crumbs instead.  LOVED them.)  Bread the tilapia sticks by coating in the seasoned flour then dipping in egg and finally coating in panko crumbs.  Place the breaded sticks on a plate until all of the sticks have been breaded.  Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp of veg. oil over medium/high heat.  When the pan is very hot it is ready for the fish.  You will know it's hot when you put a wooden spoon handle into the oil and the oil bubbles, or it will sizzle when you flick water onto it.  Place half the sticks on the pan and cook on each side until golden brown in color.  Drain the fish sticks on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Wipe out the pan, add the rest of the veg. oil and cook the second half of the fish sticks in the same way. 

You can visit the site www.budgetbytes.com to see step by step instructions in photos. 

I served this with homemade macaroni and cheese and sliced cucumbers.  I was going to make a cucumber salad, but ran out of time and energy.

Shopping list:  tilapia, flour, cajun seasoning, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, vegetable oil, boxed macaroni and cheese dinner or macaroni pasta, shredded cheddar cheese, milk, cucumber


Pasta Carbonara:  Another cheap way to cook is by cooking with recipes that have eggs or bacon in them.  If the recipe has both, then you are in for a delicious treat.  I have made something like this before and loved that I found it on a site called www.cookingwithcaitlin.com  It can be calorie dense, so just don't fill up an entire plate with it!  Eat in moderation!

1 pound pasta
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (I used milk watered down to cut back on the calories)
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
3 eggs beaten (I only had 2 on hand and it turned out fine!)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon

Fill one pot with water and place over burn on high heat.  Slice the bacon strips into little pieces and cook in a non stick saute pan until the bacon is golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.  Add pasta to boiling water and cook as box instructs.  Combine cream, parmesan, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, pepper and salt.  When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water, add the pasta bak to the pot, toss in your bacon and, stir in cream mixture.  Serve the pasta hot.

Have a side salad and you have a great, homey, comfort food meal!

Shopping list:  pasta (rotini, linguini, etc.), heavy whipping cream, grated parmesan (not the kind that comes in the green conainer), eggs, parsley, garlic, dried oregano, pepper, salt, bacon.

A Top Ten List

Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to see if this really is my life.  Did God really give me two gorgeous children who make me laugh and a husband I fall in love with more everyday?  Today was one of those beautiful fall days in Virginia that I love.  So much has happened in our lives that I figured why not make a top ten list of things that have made the past few months awesome and full of change.

1.  The 2012-2013 school year came to an end.  It was a year of adorable school babies and relationships built to last a life time at a school that is home away from home.  Little did I know the tears we shed together as we said goodbye on the last day of school would have an even deeper meaning.

 

2.  My husband got a new job in the same county where I teach.  Bring on the discounted family health care plan!  I am so proud of him and the way he strives to provide for our family.  We both turned 29 this summer and are looking at our last year in our 20s with excitement.  We think if our 20s were this great, then we can't wait to see what will happen in our 30s!

 

3.  I got to stay at home with my two babes all summer long.  We had so much fun together.  Yes, my type A personality came out and we did have themed weeks and days.  What's wrong with a Super Hero week?  That was my favorite of all the weeks.  When asked who the most powerful super hero there is, my five year old replies, "God."  Sigh.  Love.  Our theme days during these theme weeks were:  Make something Monday, Time to Read Tuesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Thoughtful Thursday, and Fun Friday!  I did some tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays while the kids were at preschool or daycare, which was also awesome.

 

4.  We went on our first beach vacation on our own.  Vacationing with two children, especially a one year old, is not as relaxing as one might think.  We were at Duck Donuts by 7:00 and this was after I had already fit a run in.  Mama and Daddy were quite relieved when nap time rolled around each day, which just meant hanging out at the house watching Good Luck Charlie, waiting for the kids to wake up and head back to the beach.

 

5.  My days as a classroom teacher came to an end as I was offered the Reading Specialist position at another school in our county.  This decision was heart wrenching, rewarding, scary, and promising all rolled into one.  I stood in my principal's office crying as we discussed my upcoming interview.  Just thinking about the potential for change and possibility of a new job that would bring about leaving the classroom, was daunting and unsettling.  Little did I know how God was working out his ultimate plan for me.

 

6.  My big sis and brother-in-law moved back to Richmond from San Diego.  And sometime in February we will get to meet our niece or nephew!  It has been so wonderful to just be able to pick up the phone to call them and be in the same time zone! 

 

7.  My sister-in-law and brother-in-law blessed us with another nephew!  He is a sweetie and Tessa cannot believe she has so many cousins now!  Granted it's only two, but she still gets overwhelmed at the thought, especially since my sister is expecting now.

8.  Speaking of Tessa, she turned five.  Sigh.  We are waiting to send her to kindergarten because of her September birthday.  I am so glad we did because I don't know if I was ready for any more change!  She is getting to be so independent and growing out of her princess stage.  Where last year she only wore leggings and skirts to school, this year she's leaning more towards the tomboy side and rarely wears dresses or skirts.  I am holding onto so many moments before she heads off to school next year:  The way she brings me a flower every day when we get home even if it's a dandelion, how she loves our "secret" book time of reading a chapter book before bed, how she loves her little brother and "mothers" him in everything he does, and how she sometimes just wants to snuggle with me on the couch.  She also started her first season playing soccer, which just warms our hearts and we are thrilled to be soccer parents.  I'm even the team mom! 

 

 

9.  Dempsey is getting 6 teeth.  The poor child will be toothless when he starts to lose teeth in elementary school.  It was a long summer of a lot of sleepless nghts due to these teeth.  We thought we were out of the woods after a molar finally poked through, but lo and behold three other molars are now coming in plus the two canines up top.  Some sleepless nights are in our future.  He is our wild child with the sweetest smile and hugs.

 

10.  My mom and dad are all moved into their condo and have been able to sell their old house and the river property.  It was bittersweet, but we know that simple is better!  My dad is a walking miracle and my mom is a rock.  When I look at them, I think of them as God's Warriors because with all that they have been through, God must really think they are strong people who can handle a lot and be an example to others. 

 

I don't want to hear the words "Ear Infection" for a long time...

Dempsey has been a handful and a half.  He has been incredibly fussy which has had us at the doctor twice in the past week, only to find out he's perfectly fine and his ears are clear.  I was surely convinced his ear infection had not gone away, but instead I had two doctors, a husband, daughter, and son looking at me like, "What's up with this overreacting mom?"  Sheesh, it's enough to put a wine glass in both hands and one around your neck. 

Oh and let's throw in the fact that we are attempting to have second graders take their first official test on the computer this upcoming week.  Whoever came up with this ingenious idea should be thanked and then held captive in a second grade classroom with no internet connection and attempt to have all the students log on and try to take an online test.  I am just praying to the good Lord the internet is working perfectly and everyone remembers their log on names and password come Monday morning.  Thank goodness Spring Break is only a week away.

In the midst of all the craziness, coming home to wonderful meals is one of the many highlights other than the hugs from my hubby and two little ones.  Feel free to try some of the recipes and let me know what you think!

Chicken Fajitas adapted from Food Network magazine
These were easy and delicious!  Corn tortillas make all the difference!

1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 bell peppers (any color) sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp grated lime zest, plus wedges for serving
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup prepared pico de gallo or fresh salsa
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (I have no idea what this is, so I did not use it)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Mise the chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and rub on the chicken breasts.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skilet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, turning, until golden 4 to 5 minutes.  Transfer to a baking sheet, reserving the skillet, and bake until just cooked through 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board to rest, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the reserved skillet over medium heat.  Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and the remaining 1/4 tsp cumin and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned, 8 minutes.  Stir in the lime zest and 2 tbsp water.  Season with salt.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in the oven, 5 minutes, then divide among plates.  Slice the chicken.  Top the tortillas with the chicken, bell pepper mixture, salsa, and cheese.  Serve with lime wedges.
372 calories, 13 g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 779 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 32 g protein

Farfalle With Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream found on epicurious.com
My husband complains that I don't make a dish more than once.  That's not true, because I KNOW I have made this a few times since it's one of his faves.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (use any kind you like)
1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz, can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup whipping cream

1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (Who has this on hand?  Not me.  just use Parmesan)

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and crushed red pepper.  Saute until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.  Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is tendeer and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.  Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. (This seriously makes a huge difference in any pasta dish you make)  Return pasta to same pot.  Add sausage misture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.  Transfer pasta to serving dish.  Sprinkle with basil.  Serving, passing cheese separately.

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe found on chow.com
This was yummy!  I served it with rice (Basmati) and green beans.

4 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 (5-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the onions, garlic, ginger, and bay leaf in an even layer in the slow cooker.

Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Arrange the chicken in an even layer on top of the onion mixture.
 Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and pepper together in a medium bowl and pour it over the chicken.
 Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone, about 4 to 5 hours on high or low. Remove and discard the ginger pieces and bay leaf. Serve with steamed rice.


Southwest 20 minute Noodle Bowladapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook
This was easy and fast.  If you want it to be more filling add some cooked chicken or ground beef.

1 14 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth or lower sodium beef broth
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups frpzen sweet peppers and onions. 2 3 oz. packages ramen noodles (any flavor, broken)
Corn chips

In a large saucepan combine broth and salsa.  Bring to boiling.  Stir in frozen veggies and noodles (discard seasoning packet).  REtun to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 3 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.  Divide noodles and broth amond four bowls.

293 calories, 12 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 532 g sodium, 39 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 8 g protein

A Few Money-Saving Tips and some recipes: Pork and Chicken Sausage mini meatloaves, simple perfect enchiladas, baked teriyaki chicken

A lot of things have happened since the last post.  Our little guy turned one!  This meant I got to plan another party with a theme, of course, which was bears, since he will always be my Demspey Bear! He is growing a mile a minute and has the biggest hands and feet!  Literally, his toes have poked out of one of his pairs of footie pajamas.

Also, we have found an awesome church, which also happens to be Tessa's preschool.  They are offering Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes for the past 9 weeks.  We have realized that this class is just what Ry and I needed.  With two children in childcare, there was a lot of adjusting that had to be done.  The class revolves around 7 baby steps towards financial peace.  We need to work on the first baby step:  Saving $1,000 for emergency savings.  With this being said, we don't have a lot of wiggle room in our budget, so we are learning to accept the fact that this will be a baby step which will take us a few months, not something that will happen overnight. 

Couponing is always something that I have done, but I"m really having to think about the meals I am planning and what's making it to the table and also doing double duty for me on another night.  One goal I have for this year is to make my leftovers work for me.  I know, I know, leftovers, yuck.  But seriously, one meal lasting for another night AND you don't have to cook?!  Sign me up!  One suggestion is to freeze those leftovers.  Today I sat down and planned this week's meals, but can also plan half of next week's meals because of the three dinner leftovers frozen in the freezer.  Oh, the little things that make me do a little dance around the kitchen...  Another thing I have started doing more often is buying ground beef in bulk.  I'll buy the three pound package and turn one pound into homemade meatballs and freeze them, another pound into hamburger patties and freeze them, and then brown one pound to use in tacos or some recipe that calls for ground beef. This gives me three meals! 

This week I have a few recipes for you to try:  Pork and Chicken Sausage mini meat loaves, simple perfect enchiladas, and baked teriyaki chicken. 

Pork and Chicken Sausage Mini Meatloaves (found on the Johnsonville site)  When I made these, Ry said, "This doesn't look like meatloaf."  He went back for seconds!

1 package Johsonville Pork and Chicken Italian Sausage (casings removed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce
1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (one of my fave ingredients)
2 tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in pan and saute peppers, onions, and garlic.  Set aside to cool.  Combine all remaining ingredients.  Add pepper and onion mixture.  Place in greased muffin tins.  Top with marinara sauce.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked through (160 degrees).  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Simple Perfect Enchiladas This is a Ree Drummond recipe.  She has her own blog and now has her own show called The Pioneer Woman on Food Network.  We love watching her show because of her country, simplistic ways.

Sauce:
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp flour
1 28 oz. can enchilada or Mexican red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Meat:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

Two 4-ounce cans diced green chiles

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 to 14 corn tortillas

Canola oil, for frying

1/2 cup chopped black olives

1 cup chopped green onions

3 cups grated sharp Cheddar

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Beans and/or rice, for serving

 

For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

For the meat: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Brown the ground beef with the onions. Drain the fat, and then add the green chiles. Add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a small skillet over medium heat, lightly fry the tortillas in canola oil just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortillas on a cookie sheet. Onto each tortilla, place some of the meat mixture, black olives and green onions. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.

Place the tortilla seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Stir the cilantro into the sauce and ladle a little sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake the enchiladas until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle extra chopped cilantro over the top. Serve with beans and/or rice.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken  (found on allrecipes) Chicken thighs and drumsticks are always affordable.  Look for the 99 cent sale or cheaper and stock up!

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 chicken thighs (I didn't use this much, the sauce will go with whatever amount you want to use)

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

New Year, New Menu: Slow Cooker Chicken with Rosemary, Red Potatoes, and Green Beans, Mustard Chicken, Fried Brown Rice and Eggs, Taco Chili

No lie, I got 5 cookbooks for Christmas.  Hey, you can't go wrong giving someone who LOVES to cook a cookbook as a gift.  I was so excited!  Those cookbooks and my new vaccuum were favorite gifts this year.  The vaccuum was VERY needed, so I was extremely stoked about it.

This week, I am trying out some recipes from Melissa d'Arabian's cookbook 10 Dollar Dinners and The $5 Dollar Dinner Mom's One Dish Cookbook.  On the menu for the week are:  Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans, Mustard Chicken, Fried Brown Rice and Eggs,  and Taco Chili.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom's One Dish Cookbook
3 rosemary sprigs
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
6 small red potatoes, quartered
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 pound green beans, stems removed

Using a sharp knife, crush the leaves of the rosemary sprig.  Place the rosemary sprigs around the edges of the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.  Arrange the chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Spread the potatoes over the top of the chicken.  Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the chicken and potatoes, and then season with the garlic powder with salt and pepper.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.  When there is 1 hour remaining in the cooking cycle, place the green benas on top of the chicken and potatoes to steam them.  Complete the cooking cycle.


Mustard Chicken adapted from Ten Dollar Dinners
**Just a heads up-this recipe requires a time commitment.  Either prepare ahead of time, like on the night you do the slow cooked meal or on a weekend, or just know you need ot have time set aside to get it done.

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (about 8), rinsed and patted dry
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound button mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomato, cored, halved, and chopped
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp dried tarragon (if you don't have this, substitute dash fennel seed)
1/2 cup dry white wine and a cup for you
1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove skin from chicken.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the thighs, smooth side down, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.  Turn over the thighs and brown the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil along with the onion and cook until soft, stirring for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook until soft 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 mins. and then add the tomato and flour and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to break down about 3 minutes.  Stir in tarragon.  Rais the heat and pou in the wine, letting it simmer for 1 min. before returning the chicken to the pot.  Pour in enough broth to read halfway up the sidesof the chicken, then cover the pot and place it in the ovento braise, until the chicken pulls away from the bone easily, about 45 minutes, removing the lid halfway through the cooking.  Remove the pot from the oven, use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside.  Add the mustard and sour cream to the sauce and stir to combine.  Then return the chicke to the pot and back into the oven to cook for about 5 minutes to bring the flavors together before serving.

Fried Brown Rice and Eggs with Garlic-Soy Vinaigrette adapted from Ten Dollar Dinners
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise with the grain
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp chili powder
4 large eggs
2 scallions white and green parts finely chopped

Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until crisp and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the rice and chili powder and cook until the rice is warmed through and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Fry the eggs to your liking, either sunny side up or over easy.  Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top each with an egg, some scallions, and some of the soy vinaigrette, and serve.


Taco Chili with Mix adapted from Paula Deen
This mix was what I gave my co-workers as Christmas gifts this year.  Cooking with beans, not canned ones, is one cost cutting way to reduce your grocery bill.

Taco Chili Mix:
1 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1 (1 1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz. ) pkg. buttermilk ranch dressing mix
3 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups corn or tortilla chips

Taco Chili:
4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can (16 oz.)tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef cooked and drained

For the mix: In a 1-quart wide mouth jar, layer kidney and pinto beans.
In a small bowl, combine taco seasoning mix, dried salad dressing mix, onion, chili powder, and cumin. Wrap seasonings in plastic wrap or cellophane and place in jar.
Put chips in a bag and place in jar. Decorate with ribbon or fabric.
For the chili: Place beans in a large bowl, cover with water and soak 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and add to a Dutch oven. Add seasoning packet, water, diced tomatoes and green chilies, tomato sauce, and ground beef.
Heat to boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Serve with corn or tortilla chips.

Happy New Year! Here's to 2013 and kicking cancer to the curb and outta this family.

2012 was a year of mixed emotions. Happy occasions included our little man, Dempsey, joining the family in February and completing graduate school in May. We have a happy family of four and there are new adventures each and every day. I've watched little Tessa become an amazing big sister and enjoy the presence of her little brother who seems to be growing faster than Usain Bolt in a foot race. 2012 was also full of disappointment, sadness, and confusion with my dad's cancer returning. Who knew tonsil cancer could return??? We are approaching the one year mark of this discovery and continue to wonder what is next? Dad has his PET scan on Friday and with that we are anxious to see if the cancer is gone. Then we have to figure out if the doctors will be able to fix his jaw and improve his ability to speak. As we have traveled on this journey, I have learned a few things about this disease called cancer.

1. Cancer SUCKS. Yeah, there is no other way to describe it because cancer doesn't deserve any kind of light language affiliated with it.

2. Cancer doesn't leave anyone out. I look at my father who is in amazing shape. He's otherwise healthy and an upbeat person, but still, cancer found it's way into his body. Not once, not twice, but now three times.

3. You find who truly cares. Our family has been blessed with so many of our past friends and neighbors who have reached out during this time. It stinks that it took this horrible disease to bring us all together, but wow, we have been truly overwhelmed. When mom and dad were in Baltimore for dad's surgery and when they had to live up there during the week for him to receive radiation and chemo, we had no problem getting someone to watch their dogs. We got constant offers of, 'How can we help?" and most often we heard from so many people who had been impacted by dad's positive and selfless attitude.

4. My mom is amazing. My mom is truly the rock. I know she has her weak moments-we all do, but every night she puts together a milkshake for daddy to eat in the morning to help start his day off on a high calorie count. She is constantly cooking up food that she thinks he may be able to handle. She loves him no matter what-in sickness and in health is what I think of when I look at the two of them together.

5. People give unwanted advice and say awkward things. I remember when I was pregnant so many people wanted to come and tell me their horror stories of labor and delivery or give me suggestions on how big my belly was and ask, "Are you sure there aren't two babies in there?" Really? I mean come on, telling me I would be the perfect spokesperson for teenage pregnancy just because I LOOK young and pregnant is NOT what I want to hear. The same goes for someone with cancer. They don't need forwarded e-mails with the top 10 ways to prevent cancer. Hello! They already have cancer, so trying to prevent it is not going to help.

6. Instead of this advice and awkwardness, just listen. The person with cancer is still the same person. Don't treat them like they are below you or contagious. Don't constantly bring up serious topics and feel like a discussion is needed everytime you meet. Stop the unwanted advice and suggestions and take the time to listen. Listen to the person with cancer, listen to their family members who are impacted by this horrible disease, and stop giving advice on cancer. These people are already in touch with the experts and you are not one of them. Become an expert listener.

7. Don't blame God. I have found solace and comfort from our heavenly Father in this whole ordeal. Prayer is like the hot cocoa on a cold day for me. If you are not sure what to do for someone with cancer, then just pray. Seriously, it goes a lot farther than you think.

8. My family is awesome. I already knew this, but these two years have once again proven the fact that this family is awesome. My husband understands how sometimes I need a few moments just to shed a few tears or talk or just go visit with my mom and dad. Our family has always been tight, but we are even tighter now.

9. Young children can figure out what cancer is. It stinks that my 4 year old knows what cancer is, but I am also proud of her for how empathetic she is because of all this. She has been known to go up to her Granddaddy and ask him how he's feeling and I think she subconsciously knows she and her brother are the best medicine for him.

Yes, this is not a list of my resolutions, but the lessons I have learned in the past two years about cancer. If you make any resolutions, think about how you might be able to fit in more family time or just to get in touch with someone who you've lost touch with. God bless each one of you as you go through 2013! Mom and dad got married on the 13th of September, so they're hoping this is their lucky year!

Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving!

We had an awesome time on Thanksgiving with my parents, my grandmother, my aunt, and her 2 kids-my awesome too grown-up cousins. I contributed the cranberry sauce and the green beans. My mom and aunt did the rest. Yes, they did it up nice and proper with tons of food and LOTS of pie. Now, the only thing about going to someone else's place for Thanksgiving, is no turkey leftovers. Ry Guy and I try to do our own Thanksgiving meal at some point over the holiday weekend, for the leftovers and the practice for the time when we get to host our own Thanksgiving meal for the family. This year we had Ry's parents and youngest sister over on Saturday to help us enjoy our turkey dinner! Now, this leaves us with leftover cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey, potatoes, gravy, green beans, and corn. As I was organizing my recipe binder this morning (Yes, a recipe binder), I came across this awesome idea for Thanksgiving leftovers in an old Better Homes and Garden magazine. All you need is leftover pie dough and Thanksgiving leftovers. Here's the drill: Make mini pies with leftovers. Press pie dough into muffin tins; bake in a 425 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until golden. Spoon whatever you want-stuffing, turkey, potatoes, even cranberry sauce-into the pie shells. Serve at room temperature or warm in a 350 degree oven about 8 minutes. Top with fresh herbs. These look so cute and I can't wait to eat them!

My first linky party!

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/search/label/THIS%20WEEKS%20CRAVINGS" target="_blank "><img src="http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/ThisWeeksCravingsButton.jpg" /></a>

Do I have cravings?  I definitely did when I was pregnant with my daughter.  Anything from Hostess cupcakes to salt and vinegar chips-yummmmmyyy.  And yes, cravings very often sneak up on me, like the NEED for chocolate at 12:00 and 2:30 while I am at work.  Yeah, I go searching for chocolate if I don't have any of my own.  It's sad, but so worth it!

I stumbled upon this linky over the weekend and thought it would be fun! I'm probably not following the rules because what I crave is something I have not made yet, but my sister did!  We both got our Food Network Magazines a few months ago and were drooling over the picture on the cover. 




I mean seriously, tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons?!!  Personally, tomatoes are my least favorite food, but when you pair tomato soup with grilled cheese, I can get past the tomato taste!  I think the hubby will like it too because the soup isn't too thin since it is thickened up with some orzo.  Hopefully, the power will hold out so this can be made sometime this week!

Easy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Croutons By Ina Garten, courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grilled Cheese Croutons (see below)

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.
Grilled Cheese Croutons
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.
Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Sunday is for Suppers: Convenience Cooking- Quick Chicken Tacos, Crunchy Chicken Strips, 20-Minute Noodle Bowls

We are getting ready for a hurricane.  Yes, Hurricane Sandy is supposed to hit sometime tonight and into tomorrow morning.  It will make landfall mainly by New York and New Jersey, but we will feel the effects all the way down here in good ol' VA.  School has already been closed, so this means my Sunday was full of family time and no blues about work starting back up on Monday.  With that being said, the dinners for this week are kinda up in the air.  We are wondering, are we going to have power?  Luckily, my hubby has learned how to grill just about anything, so the grill is our back up this week. 


We always have chicken on hand-who doesn't?  You'll see that this week's meals are full of chicken since we need to either get rid of it or have something quick to eat.

Quick Chicken Tacos (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens) 
I love cooking with anything that can be turned into a taco!  I love making these because it's basically just assembling the toppings that takes the most time.

Ingredients:
1 16-ounce can refried beans
2 6-ounce packages refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips, cut into bite-size pieces
1 10.5-ounce package 6-inch flour tortillas (10)
2 cups shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
2 cups shredded greens or iceberg lettuce
1 large chopped tomato
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup dairy sour cream

Directions:
In a saucepan, cook refried beans over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat chicken breast strips according to package directions.  Spread about 2 tablespoons refried beans on each tortilla.  Top with chicken, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Fold tortillas over filling.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

Crunchy Chicken Strips (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)
Goldfish and Ranch dressing are two of the ingredients?!  How can you go wrong when you have to cook for kids?

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
7 cups bite-size cheddar fish-shape crackers or 14 cups pretzels (14 ounces)
1 1/2 cups bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing
2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line two 15x10x1-inch baking pans with foil.  Lightly coat foil with cooking spray; set aside.
Crush crackers (put them in a freezer bag and roll a rolling pin over them) and transfer to a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish place the 1 1/2 cups ranch dressing.  Dip chicken tenderloins into dressing, allowing excess to drip off; dip into cracker crumbs to coat.  Arrange chicken in prepared pans.  Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray.
Bake uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, rotating pans halfway through baking.  If desired, serve half of the chicken strips with additional ranch dressing.
Cool remaining chicken strips for 20 minutes.  Place in an airtight container, cover and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.  To reheat strips, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange chilled or frozen strips in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake, uncovered, until heated through. (allow 15 min. for chilled and 20 minutes for frozen strips)

20 Minute Shrimp Noodle Bowls(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)
Very often, we have shrimp in the freezer because our local grocery store always has it on sale.  These are soo so good.  Just thinking about them makes me want to cook them up right now!

Ingredients:
1 14-ounce can reduced sodium chicken broth or lower sodium beef broth
1/2 cup bottled peanut sauce
2 cups frozen stir-fry or mixed vegetables
2 3-ounce packages ramen noodles (any flavor, broken)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Cooked shrimp

Directions:
In a large saucepan combine broth and peanut sauce.  Bring to boiling.  Add grated ginger.  Stir in frozen vegetables and noodles (discard seasoning packet).  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 3 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.  Stir in cooked shrimp and heat through.  Divide noodle mixture among four bowls.

Sunday is for Supper: crescent burgers, shredded beef tacos, slow cooker breakfast casserole, slow cooker spaghettie sauce italiano

I want to challenge you.  I want to challenge you to sit down and have a meal with your family.  There are so many positive outcomes that comes from just reconnecting with your family over a shared meal.  We were blessed to have the chance to sit down together at every meal today:  breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It was awesome and a rarity.  During the work week we are usually rushing out the door to work and preschool, and breakfast becomes a grab and go type of event.  Lunch, of course, is on or own at our workplaces and preschool, but dinner is a time for us to be together.  I know this may change as the kids get older and we are pulled in different directions, so realistically for most, would be to sit down together at a meal 2-3 times a week.

When we sit down for dinner, we turn music on and talk about our day.  We all share what our favorite part of the day was.  Tessa loves this and will often look at us and say, "So, what was the favorite part of your day?"  Ry and I are taking a parenting class through church and they suggested playing a game over a meal called, "Sad, mad, and glad."  You take turns going around the table sharing one thing from the day that made you sad, mad, and glad.  We have fun with it and makes for a fun dinner conversation and I think Tessa thinks it's interesting to hear about things that actually made her parents sad and mad.

I hope you have a chance to sit down to a meal together this week!  My wish is that maybe one of these suppers will be one you can make for your family. 

Pinterest has become one of my go-to sites for recipes.  I usually spend part of my weekends scouring the internet and cookbooks for recipes to use for dinners for the week, but pinterest has it all in one place and it has been so fun to find new recipes to try.  Have fun trying these recipes:  crescent burgers, slow cooker breakfast casserole, shredded beef tacos, slow cooker spaghetti sauce italiano.

Crescent Burgers: (thanks to www.budgetsavvydiva.com)  Tessa took one bite of these and threw her arms around me and said, "Thank you Mommy!  These are so yummy!"  No lie, this actually happened.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of ground beef
worcestshire sauce
1 egg
1/3 packet of dry onion soup mix
1/2 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 roll of crescents

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  In a skillet heat a small amount of oil and brown meat.  In a medium size bowl mix – 1/2 cup of cheese, onion soup mix, couple drops of Worcestershire sauce, pepper; meat.  Unroll the crescents. Place a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture towards the larger end of the crescent dough.  Place crescents onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.Brush the tops of the dough with an egg wash ( simply break and egg in a bowl and whisk egg until well blended and 1 tablespoon of water to the mix).  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg wash and bake for 10 – 15 minutes.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole: (thanks to the http://crockingirls.com)  I love my slow cooker and love when dinner is already done for me when I get home.  I think my slow cooker is too big, but it still does its job.  I think I need to go get a 4 quart one, though.

Ingredients:

1 Package of Frozen Hash Browns

1 Pound of Cooked Sausage

2 Cups of Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

1 Cup of Diced Peppers (green, red, yellow and/or orange)

1 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms

1 Can of Diced Chilis (optional)

1 Quart of EggBeaters (can also use 16 eggs)

                      

Directions:

Spray the slow cooker with Pam.

Starting with the frozen hash browns, layer the ingredients, repeating twice.  Shake the EggBeaters well and pour over the top.  cook on LOW for 8 hours on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

 

Shredded Beef Tacos: (thanks to http://userealbutter.com)  These were a true OMG moment.  These are amazing tacos!  Ryan and I totally stuffed our faces and did it again when we had leftover night!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs eye of chuck (which is NOT beef chuck roast)
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsps vinegar
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tsps ground cumin
1 1/2 tsps chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef stock
salt to taste
~ 24 corn tortillas
lettuce, queso fresco, salsa, guacamole, etc. (for toppings)

 

Directions:

Trim the fat and cut the beef into 1 inch thick slices. In a ziploc bag, combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Place the meat slices in the bag, seal, mix it around and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature. Place all contents from the bag in a baking dish with the beef stock. Cover the dish and bake for 1 1/4 hours (I baked it for 2 1/2 hours) at 350°F. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes and then shred it with forks or process it quickly in a food processor with the plastic dough blade (I prefer the forks method). Salt the meat to your liking. Fry the tortillas lightly in a little hot oil.  Double the tortillas and stuff them with shredded beef, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, and salsa.

 

 

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Italiano:  (adapted from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

 

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

2 4-oz. cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 bay leaf

2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 cup chopped green sweet pepper

12 to 16 ounces hot cooked spaghetti

 

Directions:

In a large skillet cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat browns.  Drain fat; discard.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Add meat mixture.  Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  Stir in sweet pepper.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve meat mixture over hot cooked spaghetti. 

 

553 cal, 23 g fat, 51 mg chol, 1,506 mg sodium, 62 g carb, 6 g fiber, 27 g protein.