Update on the last post....

The boy is off his meds.  Turns out it was all in our heads and they didn't help.  In fact, they made things worse.  He was getting angry and aggressive - VERY unlike him.  So we stopped them and he seemed to think they were helping.  So I started giving him fish oil pills but not telling him what they are - just that they are supposed to help him focus but not make him angry.  He's not convinced.

It's been up & down the past few weeks in pretty much all aspects of my crazy life.  Busy with school stuff (THE vote happened and it was unanimous - I'm now the PTA President), spent 4 days in Vegas for the state PTA convention, this week is insane with happenings at school, work has been busy, FG has been busy and the new season of his fishing show is starting up, DD is busy with her social activities, friends and writing books.  I'm impressed with them too - for a 2nd grader, they are excellent! 

That's all I have the energy for right now.  I've been trying to keep up reading my favorite blogs but feel like I've been absent.

I will say I've been cooking some dang good food lately though!  One of my favorite meals has become grilled chicken tacos that I squirt with lime juice, topped with mango/avocado salsa in a corn tortilla warmed on the grill.  YUM!  I also made the most delicious grilled pork chops with a sweet pineapple sauce topped with grilled fresh pineapple slices. Hmmm, maybe I'm just liking grilled food?

Let go of the Eggo!

As crazy busy as I have been lately, I am trying to get back into the things that I enjoy.  I miss cooking exciting meals and trying new things and taking care of my family the way I like to.  I just have to force myself to stay on track and be diligent.  The kids and I went to the grocery store yesterday.  I am now armed with the items I need to cook (mostly) what I want to feed this family.  The organic fruit & veggie delivery will arrive today too. 
Last night as I was cleaning up before heading to bed I noticed ripe bananas.  I also knew that I bought and extra container of buttermilk to make a giant batch of waffles.  Instead of just stumbling up to bed, I took out two sticks of butter so they would be warmed by the time I hit the kitchen in the morning.  As soon as I finally got my butt out of bed & ready (another thing I need to be diligent about - I looooove laying in bed in the mornings!) I started right in on baking some banana bread and prepping for the waffles.  Now we have waffles for the rest of the month for busy school mornings!

One of the things I do is undercook them slightly.  They are thick!  When I take them out of the freezer on a school morning, I pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds then into the toaster.  If they are fully cooked, they get too done in the toaster.  I've heard of people using the waffle maker to heat theirs up but that's too much hassle for me in the morning!

I ended up with 27 waffles.  There are now 22 wrapped waffles (we ate 5 for breakfast as I made them) in Ziploc bags in my freezer, ready to be taken out as needed and warmed up.  They are sooo good too. Not only are they cheaper and homemade but they taste SO much better than the frozen grocery store waffles. Mine are definitely bigger than Eggo's too so if you have a smaller waffle maker, you may end up with more from this recipe.  I figured it out and these cost me a grand total of about $3.80.  I say about because I didn't figure exactly how much the dry ingredients other than the flour cost.  I added $.25 because how much can 1/2 tsp of salt or 4 tsp. of baking powder really cost?   So under $4 for 27 waffles!

Buttermilk Waffles

8 T butter (1 stick), melted & cooled

4 Cups Buttermilk

4 eggs, separated

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. sugar (I've substituted with agave syrup)

Melt butter & let cool.  Pour 4 cups buttermilk into large mixing bowl.  Separate eggs, putting whites into smaller mixing bowl and add yolks to buttermilk.  Add melted butter to buttermilk & egg yolks - mix.  Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Beat egg whites until fluffy or stiff and add to batter, folding in just until blended.  (This step is worth it for a really light, fluffy tender waffle).  Do not overbeat batter.  Cook until almost done and let cool on wire rack.  Once cooled, wrap each waffle in plastic wrap and put in large ziploc bag.  Freeze.

Now I'm hoping to get a menu plan done for at least the rest of the week.  Look at me go!

Macaroni Grill's Rosemary bread copycat & Spaghetti Carbonara recipes

I did it!!!  I copied the yummy bread at Macaroni Grill.  My whole family ate it up and then took the rest in their lunches the next day.  The kids couldn't get enough.  FG ate his at his office and wouldn't share because he had such a small piece.  But his office-mates were drooling and telling him it smelled exactly like it.  MMMMMMMMM!  I'll share the recipe...

I started with my basic french bread recipe and tweaked it.

Into bread machine place (in whatever order your machine asks you to place the ingredients, mine wants liquid first)

Rosemary Bread

3/4 cup warm water

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. pressed garlic

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

2/3 tsp. salt

2/3 tsp. sugar

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Run the machine on the dough cycle and remove.

On floured surface, separate dough into two balls. Knead slightly and pull to form two nice dough balls.

Place dough balls onto greased cookie sheet, a few inches apart and let rise.

Once dough has risen (I always place mine in my oven that I put on "warm" and it takes about 10-15 min. to rise) brush tops with a little olive oil, just enough to moisten but not soak.  Sprinkle with kosher or flake salt and more dried rosemary. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 min. until tops are golden and dough is baked through.

Since I just winged it on this, my measurements and time may not be exact.  So you'll have to experiment with it on your own. If you don't have a bread machine, I would imagine you could easily do this by hand or with a mixer/dough attachment.  I'm making it again tomorrow for a Girl's Night Out at a friend's house.  It was so easy and so worth it I can see myself making this regularly!

Here's what I served it with....

Spaghetti Carbonara

(adapted from Classico Alfredo sauce's recipe)

16 oz. spaghetti pasta

15 oz jar prepared Alfredo sauce (I like Newman's)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 lb. pancetta or bacon (I had bacon on hand)

2 large shallots, chopped (the store was, gasp! out of shallots so I used a mild onion)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta liquid to thin sauce later.

Mix eggs and Alfredo sauce in separate bowl.  Set aside.

Saute pancetta or bacon until crisp.  Reserve drippings (I skimmed off 90% of the grease and kept just enough to saute the onions in. I didn't want it too greasy or fatty).

Saute shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in wine and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

Return pasta to pasta pot over low heat.  Add shallot mixture to warm pasta and lightly toss.  Increase heat slightly and slowly add sauce mixture, stirring constantly so the eggs don't scramble. Cook for about 6-7 minutes until sauce is cooked and thickened slightly.  Add pasta water to thin if necessary.

Add cheese and pancetta. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.  Add salt & pepper if needed (I added pepper - it was salty enough from the bacon).

Place on plate and sprinkle with a touch more cheese and parsley.

All in all, it was a fabulous meal.  Not too difficult and FG and I ate the leftovers in our lunch the next day!  This is a meal I could see serving company because it's all in one and fairly easy.  I could see getting the bulk of it done prior to guests arriving and just keeping it warm.  I'll have to try it with the pancetta and shallots next time!   I'll also have to try it with my own Alfredo sauce.  The jar is easy enough in a pinch though!

Thanksgiving dinner cost - It's not as bad as you would think!

We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner again this year.  I usually do because 1) my mother doesn't like to cook 2) my MIL isn't a fabulous cook (she's a "let's get it done fast cook")  3) my MIL likes to make Christmas Eve dinner and my mother makes Christmas dinner.  So I get Thanksgiving.  Since I enjoy it and really don't find cooking a turkey all that difficult, I am fine with it.  FG and I were talking about how inexpensively we really can feed everyone on the big day focused on food.  This year we'll have 9 people with the possibility of having a few more.  We have a couple of open invitations out there to a few people.  One being a girl (woman?  it feels weird calling someone in her 30's either doesn't it?) in FG's office who's DH is a fireman and is working that day.  As long as I know before we sit down to dinner, I'm fine with it if an extra or two show up. I'm not changing the way I cook or the amount - there's always plenty!

So my breakdown of food and costs, not including the staples like flour & sugar and spices that I keep on hand anyway is this:

• Turkey  18.94 lb - $6.44 (my store sells them at $.34 per lb w/ a $50 grocery purchase)
• Red cabbage (a German tradition in my family) - $1.83
• Canned Pumpkin  - $1.58
• Evaporated milk - $.68
• 2 boxes of cubed herbed stuffing that I will "doctor up" - $2.78
• Large bottle of Raspberry Lemonade - $2.78
• Black olives (appetizer plate) - $.98
• Sm. carton of Whipping Cream (no cans here! gotta whip it myself!) - $1.43
• 10lb. bag of potatoes - $.97
• Cream cheese (for the mashed potatoes) - $.98
• Frozen corn - $1.76
• Canned broth - $2 (4 cans, I like to save my homemade broth for soups)

That brings my total for dedicated Thanksgiving Dinner purchases to: $24.39

Sure, I'll use my eggs and my flour and my sugar and celery and onions but the above is strictly dedicated to that one dinner and leftovers.  I'm having others bring things as well.  My mom will make cranberry sauce (no cans here!), rolls and maybe another pie made with Splenda for my dad, my MIL will bring a burned pecan pie and her boyfriend will bring some nasty Chardonnay (FG and I are "ABC" people - anything BUT Chardonnay!), SMA will bring a bottle of Fume Blanc because he knows me better.  I might go purchase some asparagus to roast.  I didn't want to get it too early and have it go limp. 

Thanksgiving really doesn't have to be such an expensive meal!  If you break it down and round up to include the staples I'll be using, I'm spending about $3 per person! (and as usual, the dog will get a good meal from the giblets!)

Balance

I can see why year-round or multi-track school could be appealing. 
I had a panic attack yesterday.  I couldn't breathe and I was alone and freaking out.  I don't know why exactly. Nothing specific triggered it.  Just maybe looking at my calendar of stuff to do, crap going on with the business, FG and I kicking around the idea of moving out of state (very very pre-mature but just the thought, the inkling of it makes me nervous) was enough to set me off.  I have to cut myself some slack but it's hard. I look at other people and wonder how the heck they get it all done in a day!  Then I realized that different people have different levels of abilities to balance things in their lives.  I'm sure the stressful things right now outweigh other things which can make even small things seem insurmountable.  

I want to write a post about my DD and how she's 6 now.  But I don't have the time to devote to it.  And since I have somewhere to be or someone to see at all times for the next several days, I don't want anyone to see my puffy eyes and runny make-up after I write it out.  But yeah, my little hell-fire is 6 now.  Sweet one minute and will give you the iciest stare the next. 

I will admit I am a lucky girl that today, at the age of 39, my grandma is going to teach me to make a family recipe.  It's one of my dad's favorites (he has so many!) and one that my  mother has attempted for years and years and never managed to get right.  So my grandma is visiting and she is coming to my house today & tomorrow to teach me how to make these rolls.  She has shown me how to make many things in my life that her mother taught her to make.   There are no real recipes for many of them, which is why a personal lesson is necessary.  Sure my great-grandma wrote things down but really, how do you truly interpret a "dash" a "dollop" "mix it until it looks right" if you aren't shown?  My grandma is proud of me that I make so many of her recipes and her mother's recipes.  I cook and bake a lot by feel. Which she does too.  I guess it's just in my genes.  I made dinner for everyone the other night.  My dad's sister and her husband were visiting too.  I got so many compliments.  When they asked me what I did to marinate the meat, I couldn't really answer.  When they asked how I made the potatoes, I sounded like I was repeating a page of my great-grandma's cookbook, "I just put in enough of this & that until it seemed right and I tasted it along the way."  My grandmother beamed.  She said softly, "You cook by feel don't you?"  Yep.  Sometimes it doesn't turn out, most of the time it does. 

Now I'm waiting for two kids to arrive that I promised a friend I would watch for her today.  I've got crafts ready to go.  I kept them the other day too.  It's nice to help friends and I am actually paying her back for taking mine recently for a couple of hours.  But eye yi yi.... why do I get myself into these things?!  As soon as these performances and rehearsals are DONE for the kids, I will be able to breathe a bit.  I looked at my schedule for August and was happy to see nothing but birthday reminders and days on the boat scheduled (besides some work here & there).  I am hoping to do some sleepovers and days at Tahoe with the kids.  I'm in denial that school starts back up at the end of August.

I really got off point here didn't I?  What I started out saying is right now I'm 24/7 kid stuff with zero time to myself.  I'm either with my kids or at work (yeah, hello!, toystore - OPK!).  I told FG that while I don't want the kids to go back to school, a few minutes to myself, a trip to the grocery store alone, a chance to browse books at the library alone would be wonderful.  But with school comes homework, volunteering, papers to sign (and I am considering getting my sub teacher license this year) and less fun time with the kid - no lazy mornings of blueberry pancakes and cartoons in jammies.  So I can totally see how breaking it up could be appealing.  Make the most of the few weeks off school but then send them back and have a good routine (with some free time!) established for a few weeks too.  Then again, I don't know if I would like having them home for 4 weeks in November when I can't send them outside for hours or go to the pool.  Aren't we always struggling to find balance no matter what our situation is?

There is no global warming here? and a menu.

Yep, that's what some of our friends said the other day.  They are conservative republicans who hate Obama.  They said because we've had snow recently and cold temps, that Global Warming is all made up by the govt.  Uh, whatever.  I am amazed that intelligent people can be so stupid sometimes.  Ice bergs melting?  Nah!  90's in the midwest in May.  A fluke!  Warming trends in the oceans?  All a hoax.  ey yi yi.

So yeah, it's been a tad bit chilly here.  As in we've had snow. Accumulating. Are you freaking kidding me?!  Mother Nature is seriously pissed off at all of us right now. 

I'm hoping for a warm up this weekend but Memorial Day is typically not a warm weekend for us.  It always seems to bring cool temps and wind.  So not a lot of fun.  But we may be going to our new friend's cabin near a lake we love.  I told FG we'll watch the weather and if we think it's going to be nice enough, I'll leave it up to him if he wants to take the boat.  It would be awesome to start using it now!

So yeah, this family that I mentioned in my last post and in this one.... part of my "screw it, I miss friends" attitude.  Well I worked on Sat. day and when I got a break I called home and no one answered.  FG has been trying to take the kids to do some fun stuff while I work so I wanted to see what they were up to.  When I reached him on his cell phone he told me he was just leaving the B's house because they called and wanted our kids to come over.  We decided to just have The B's come over for dinner when they brought the kids home.  So they did and a few hour playdate turned into an all day/all evening playdate.  They left at 10 pm and we had 5 veeerrrrryy tired kids on our hands (thankfully, they took their 3 with them ;) ).  It's so nice though to have this seemingly very casual, comfortable relationship with another family.  We've tossed around the idea of going to their cabin this weekend and we tossed it around some more over dinner.

A side note of GOOD NEWS!!!! 
In the past 4 weeks, FG has had a new client on every week.  He's signed up 4 new clients and he's working on a few more.  That allowed him to write a letter to one that owes us quite a chunk of change and terminate their professional relationship.  These people are like getting blood out of a turnip (is that the expression?).  They are so far behind in paying us and when they do pay us a tiny amount, FG has to work his butt off to get it from them.  Lots of phone calls and sometimes driving to their office to pick up a check.  It's ridiculous!  Hopefully all of the new clients will be good, fast pays!  It's just nice that things seem to be moving in the right direction.  It's still going to be a long time before we are more comfortable but at least we are feeling better that things are looking more positive!

Now my wonderful menu for the week:

• Sunday - Fried chicken (I've been so hungry for it!), roasted russett potato wedges, artichokes, fruit, chocolate surprise cookies
• Monday - homemade pizza
• Tuesday - leftover spaghetti (I work)
• Wednesday - chicken nuggets, mac & cheese (FG's makin' dinner - I work)
• Thursday - beef tips & noodles in the crock pot with gravy, steamed broccoli
• Friday - Chicken fried rice w/ veggies
• Saturday - ??? cabin w/ friends.

Not all that exciting. Not even exciting enough to share on Org. Junkie's list!  I told you all I haven't been making much variation from my norm.  Nothing I haven't shared before anyway.  I've been cooking a ton and my dining room is seeing more action than me.  All good things (except the lack of action for me part - as I told FG at 12:30 when we fell into bed the other night.... social life can screw up a sex life) but it's not leaving much room for creativity!

Searching for a recipe

I'm going to stalk the internet for this and hope that someone out there has already accomplished it.  If not, I'll keep you posted on my trials!  I need to find a good recipe to make my own pizza Lunchables.  DS, my uber-picky eater, hates lunch. 
FG and I learned when he was very young, like before he was 2, that he simply could not eat in a loud restaurant.  He was always well behaved, didn't throw fits, throw food on the floor or scream to get out of the high chair (partially because I never gave him any other option.  He was in a restaurant, he sat.  In. The. Chair.  No opions, no fits to get something better.  Same went with shopping.  In. The. Cart.  No running around.  He had no idea there was any other way to go to a store.)
Enter in The Preschool Lunchtime.  ACK!  Kids! Talking!  EAT?!  It seemed like I packed the exact same thing 3 times a week  for 2 years.  It was a comfort thing for him.
Enter in The Elementary School Lunchroom.  Even worse.  Super noisy no matter how many times the lunchroom duty teachers turned off the lights and told them to quiet down.  The poor boy with the sensory issues didn't stand a chance. 
I loathe was I pack him for lunch every day.  He won't eat sandwiches.  Never has.  Literally vomits with peanut butter.  He has never ever liked peanut butter in any form.  Put lunchmeat on bread. Ewwwwww!  So yeah. I struggle daily with what to put in his lunch. He likes hot food so I got him a good Thermos.  But his all time favorite foods are not good for him.  He likes, and will sort of eat, pizza rolls, bagel pizzas, pizza hot pockets, pizza lunchables (ah, get the theme here?).  I hate it but I pack it because I would rather he eat SOMETHING than go all day without eating anything.  Yes, he gets some applesauce, juice or milk.  But the other stuff, pure crap.
When I had my Ziploc House Party one of the items they sent was the divided rectangle containers.  Holy Awesomeness!!!  It's a Lunchable container!!  I ended up with 4 of them.  FG and I both had the same idea - we'll use them for our boat lunches this summer.  One for each of us!  Yay!  But now, I want to figure out how to make my own lunchable pizza crust.  Since DS will eat that, I would absolutely love to just make my own and use this container.  I'm going to start with my regular pizza crust recipe, use 1/2 whole wheat bread flour and bake them in small rounds or small squares.  They just have to stay somewhat soft but still be cooked.  I also figure this will save me some money!  I can use my own pizza sauce and grate my own cheese.  The container is PERFECT-O for this and DS still gets to have the fun of making up his own little pizzas.
Thankfully DS's class is studying nutrition right now.  It's getting him to eat a few things.  Today I sent a hot dog with homemade "chili" (no beans, not a lot of chili powder. It's more of a meat sauce) in his Thermos.  He told me that hot dogs are one of the worst things you can eat.  No duh kid. That's why I don't buy the cheap ones. I buy the good ones or I get the TJ's ones with no nitrates because ALL YOU WANT IS PROCESSED MEAT!  So I asked him if I could pack some carrots and ranch dip.  "Eww! No!"  How about one of my homemade blueberry applesauce muffins?  "I don't like that stuff."  Would you like a ham sandwich?  "You know I don't like that!"  An apple? "No." I finally got him to settle on some grapes along with his hot dog/chili.  Baby steps I guess.  At least it wasn't pizza!

If anyone knows of a good pizza dough recipe that will work for my task, then please pass it along!  I'll let you know how it works with my regular recipe and my search of the internet to see if anyone else has success with this.

****UPDATE****

In response to Kim's comment.... I'm not sure he would eat pita bread. I may try that or have thought about trying english muffins also.  But I'm fairly sure that my best bet is a tried and true pizza dough.  Then I also have control over what is in it. I just have to figure out how to get it just right to pack.  I haven't had time to attempt it yet so we'll see how it goes when I can spend some time experimenting.  Here's a picture of the container.  I am really loving them!

The great thing about these little "bento boxes" is that each portion individually seals.  The best thing I see with kids is there is less chance to lose a piece.  The only problem I forsee is that they won't fit in a kid's lunchbox. At least not the kind that we have.  It is working great for when I pack up a lunch for FG though.  I called him at the office yesterday and he & the guys were having a Bloody Mary making contest.  Yes, on a Tuesday morning. These guys are bad influences on him!  Anyway, I figured he needed some food so I packed up a container and took it to him after the K teacher told me she didn't really need me in class.  I say Way to Go Ziploc for this great container (and for sending them to me free :P)!

Menu Plan Monday 1/18/10

Sorry it's been a whole week. Oh well. I doubt you have missed me much!

Last week's menu was fairly on.  The kids did end up having a sleepover on Friday at their friend's house.  They had a blast and did well.  I ended up working for a few hours that night but it worked out well because FG and I dropped them off, he dropped me off at work and then picked me up a few hours later.  We met friends out and had a great evening.  I worked the next day and the kids were dropped off at home with FG while I was still at work.  We DID get take out pizza on Sat. too.  We ended up spending about 1/2 of what we budgeted for Friday's evening out so when I went to make the Alfredo Chicken, FG and I both agreed it didn't sound that great. So we tried Domino's "new" pizza. It was ok, better than before that's for sure.  The price was right though!

This week is dreary and cold and we're expecting back to back storms with rain & snow.  ugh.

• Sunday - Potato Leek Soup*, roasted BBQ chicken leg quarters**, scalloped corn, roasted asparagus, butterscotch-oatmeal cookies
• Monday - Alfredo Chicken & broccoli over noodles
• Tuesday - BBQ Pork Ribs***, cabbage slaw salad, french fries
• Wednesday - I work, FG & the kids get leftovers
• Thursday - Pork chops, potato pancakes, veggies
• Friday - My 39th Birthday!  Out with friends!
• Saturday - Not sure.  I want to have people over this coming weekend but don't know who yet, which day or what I'm going to make. 

*Potato Leek Soup

4 medium to large russet potatoes

4 cups chicken broth

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1" pieces

3 leeks

1 - 1/2 cups half & half or milk

salt & pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese

Peel & cube  potatoes.

In large stock pot, pour chicken broth and add cubed potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender

In saute pan, fry bacon pieces.

Remove bacon from pan, drain grease reserving a few tablespoons.

While other ingredients are cooking, slice white parts of the leeks and wash in bowl of water (I swirled them around in the bowl of cold water and then let them sit so the grit would fall to the bottom.  Then I scooped them out carefully and drained them on a paper towel.)

Puree the potatoes & broth with a hand blender or in batches in food processor (I have comandeered my mother's hand blender and use it often now!)

Add the fried bacon pieces to potato/broth puree.

In the reserved bacon grease, saute the leeks for about 10 minutes until tender.

Add half & half to potato/broth puree.

When leeks are cooked, add to the soup.

I also added a bit of salt & pepper.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese when serving.  It would be good with a dollop of sour cream too.

My bargains this week:  **Chicken leg quarters for $.59/lb in a 10 lb bag.  I am not a dark meat fan but FG, SMA and DS are.  DD and I prefer white meat.  But it was too good of a deal to pass up!  ***Also, yes, we are having BBQ pork ribs again this week.  When I went to the store to buy the chicken, they had the pork ribs for $.99/lb.  I got a giant package for $6 which is easily 2 meals for the 4 of us once I cut them up.  They aren't as good cooked in the oven as on the grill but everyone still likes them and eats them up.  The asparagus I bought along with the chicken & ribs was $1.69/lb. For this time of year, that's pretty cheap.  So my bill at the grocery store buying those loss-leader items only was just over $13.  whoohoo! The meat alone is 4 meals of chicken and 2 meals of ribs.  No, it's not organic but we just can't afford that yet. Someday, someday.  Until then I'll keep avoiding over-processed foods, HFCS and as many food dye's as I can.

Monday rambling

Let's go with some bullets, shall we?

• I am feeling very inadequate! I realize there are 3 gazillion food blogs out there and I don't really consider mine one of them. Sure I share some recipes and show some pictures but I don't classify myself as a "food blog". But I like to read them for ideas! However, they sure do make a girl feel inadequate! I love love love to bake and cook but I look at their stuff and realize mine can be Hamburger Helper next to some of those! Slice & bake cookies from the tube! #1 problem. We don't eat enough of it! DS is so damn picky (more on a new development later!) FG and I try not to gorge ourselves on sweets. Those chocolate chip cookies I made last week? Even after sharing some with our dads, I still ended up throwing 4 cookies away. ACK! That kills me! Maybe I'll shoot for once in awhile stepping out of the basic recipe box and going for it. That's a start.
• I am loving the new kitchen. My family is loving the food!
• I've been pretty much sticking to my menu plan from last week. The only changes are that after work and DS's first REAL audition on Saturday, I didn't feel like a big meal. None of us really did. So we went out and that altered things. We'll have the stuffed chicken breasts tonight.
• I mentioned that we went out on Saturday. I was hungry for sushi even though FG and I just had it recently. DS has been asking to try it. The kid loves shrimp and now likes rice (especially with soy sauce). So we went for it. He was so excited. I was thrilled he was going to try something new. What is the first thing he tries new? A big glob of wasabi paste and no drinks to be found on the table to wash it down. Uh huh. The kid now says "I HATE wasabi!" Can't blame him. But he ate his shrimp, crab and fried tofu. He tried a piece of my crystal shrimp long roll. I was proud of him! DD wanted to try too but she just ate the shrimp and said she didn't like anything else. She stayed hungry because sushi ain't cheap!
• Last night DS also decided to finally try my pulled pork sandwiches and the potato pancakes. He asked for seconds! I've made both of these several times and every time he has turned up his nose at it. I finally told him that the meat is just like ribs but with no bone and the sauce is bbq sauce. I didn't tell him it's my own homemade bbq sauce though. I let him douse the potato pancake with applesauce (because really, who the heck cares! It's APPLESAUCE with no sugar, pile it on kid!). He gobbled it down and requested another immediately. Yay for him finally trying new things AND eating a lot!
• He also had two helpings of the chow mein I made. Don't ask me for a recipe. I have no idea what I did and if I'll be able to do it again. Dang.
• DS is frustrated because his younger sister weighs more than he does. There is a 3 1/2 year age difference. Oops!
• DS also had his first REAL audition on Saturday. Now we wait and see. I am nervous. I think it would be awesome for him to get a part but right now he's got a nasty snaggle tooth. I fear that will keep him out of the running.
• I need to get the kid to a dentist. It is soooo expensive without insurance. Insurance is sooo expensive in itself and as far as dental, not really worth paying it! But I have to find something for this kid and get his tooth pulled. The adult tooth is coming in in front of it and going forward. We even traumatized the poor kid and tried to get it out ourselves this weekend. Didn't work. I have to find a way to pay to have it done. I fear the bill and the terror for DS.
• It's been hot here. Now we will have a 30+ degree drop in daytime temps. So fun to go from shorts & sandals and 95 degree temps to 58 - 68 degree temps in the span of 2 days. Yes, yesterday we were swimming in my parent's pool and Wednesday we'll be in sweatshirts and long pants. Today, mid 80's, tomorrow, upper 60's. Lovely.
• The weather makes me want to make soup. Any favorite recipes that don't involve carrots, mushrooms or tomatoes? Please, pass them my way!

It's Monday, time for a menu!

It's slowly warming up but still pretty cold here for this time of year. The snow, eh, I'm just not ready for it! I don't like going from sleeping with the window open to sleeping all bundled up, heat running and long jammies on. I prefer the gradual change. But the past few years that certainly hasn't happened. We've just jumped right from one season to the next here.



That said, my meals have changed. Saturday night when it was so cool, FG requested soup & grilled cheese. Now this week I'm planning pretty much nothing on the grill because I don't mind having to run the oven - it keeps me toasty warm in the kitchen. Here's my menu for the week. Lately things have been fairly "Fly By The Seat Of Our Pants" with FG gone so much.

• Sunday - Roasted Turkey, roasted acorn squash, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing (in the bird), corn (for the kids & SMA because they won't eat squash), pumpkin cheesecake.


• Monday - Enchiladas (with leftover turkey), rice, cabbage salad.


• Tuesday - Leftover turkey dinner - meat, gravy, stuffing and I'll make a fresh veggie.


• Wednesday - I'll make creamed turkey for myself and whatever the kids request for themselves - they have tried it and don't like it. FG is gone.


• Thursday - FG gone again. The kids and I will have quesadillas w/ beans, veggies and fruit on the side.


• Friday - Homemade sausage & pepperoni pizza


• Saturday - out.

Right now I'm making the stock out of the turkey carcass. I am going to freeze it in small containers of 1 or 2 cups each. ***

It really wasn't bad to save the carcass. I just had the pot out with the neck in it when I cleaned and prepped the turkey. Then I stuck it in the refrigerator and pulled it back out when I was cleaning all the leftover meat after dinner. It was a 12 lb. turkey for 3 adults and 2 kids. I sent a bunch home with SMA and still have plenty to feed us for the rest of the week. Now I'll get a great stock from it as well. I bought the turkey last year and kept it in my big deep freezer. I think I paid around $4 or $5 for it when they are super cheap around Thanksgiving. Ok, I just paid that for a chicken the other day as well and the turkey will get us more meals than 1 chicken will! FG kept asking, "WHY are you making this big turkey for just us?" Then I explained the $$ side of it and he got it. How economical is that?! I get 4 dinners for us out of it (two for SMA with what I sent home), lunches for me by way of sandwiches then the stock to make a great soup or whatever I need stock for later! ***

That should make up for what I paid for pumpkins last week.

Sorry, DD never looks at the camera! And I got my hair done this weekend - whew!

***I got over 15 cups of yummy smelling and looking stock! I used six 2-cup plastic containers and put them in the freezer then I have one 1-cup jar and one 2-cup jar in the fridge. Whoohooo!!!!!

Weekly recap

I am feeling a thousand times better, thank you! I did nothing but rest on Monday. There was plenty of housework that needed to be done, games that went un-played with DD, meals that could have been cooked but nope. I did nothing but tried to get myself better. I informed FG that from the time he got home from work, he was in charge of the kids - dinner, homework, toy-pick-up, bedtime - all of it. Sure enough, he handled it all and I slept on the couch! I really think that with me being so direct with him and telling him exactly what was expected (basically act like I'm not even home except to fetch me something when I asked for it) he stepped up and handled it. It was nice. With the help of some Zicam, some tea with honey, lots of rest and doping myself up before bed by Tuesday I was a new woman! The housework waited for me as well as the laundry but I felt well enough to tackle it all and make dinner.

Speaking of dinner, I think I need to put down the Kraft Food & Family magazines. I feel like everything I'm making is coming from them right now. I certainly can't complain about anything I've made though. It's all been good and easy too.
Tuesday's dinner (not from KF&F) was simply grilled shrimp kabobs drizzled with a balsamic vinegar & honey mixture. I added zucchini slices to FG's & my kabobs. We had wagon wheel noodles tossed with butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese (one of DD's favorites knowing she doesn't care for shrimp).

Wednesday & Thursday FG was gone so it was just the kids and I. We ate Dino nuggets & mac & cheese one night and a casserole that only I liked the other night.

Last night we had an impromptu dinner with my parents. They decided to pick up the kids and take them fishing after DS got off the school bus. The only thing he caught was his sweatshirt, which thankfully my mom manage to get the hook out of without snagging it. But I ended up making BBQ Spare ribs, my grandma's baked beans (she adds sugar AND molasses - mmmmmm!) then I made cornbread and after baking spread a mixture of melted butter and honey over the top. A "non cooking" friend taught me that and it is SO yummy like that!
Out of the KF&F mag from this fall I made the Ranch & Bacon Coleslaw. It was good. I warned my dad because I think he was expecting regular coleslaw. This looks similar but tastes very different. With the bagged cabbage, I generally make the Oriental Salad I've posted before but wanted to try something different. FG really liked this version but that almost goes without saying for anything with bacon in it.

Now today I have a few little things that we need to go do then a 2 year old's birthday party to attend. FG and I have a dinner to go to tonight. And tomorrow I have NOTHING planned but dinner. Oh I can't tell you how good this feels! Sometimes I'm glad my kids aren't into sports or I could rushing around only to end up sitting on a soccer field. DS is going to start acting class again as he really is sooo at home on stage. But it's too cool to go swimming at my parents house (and I think they actually have other plans anyway!), the boat has be winterized until next spring, I could do some yard work but eh, I hate yard work. It just feels so nice to know there's not a lot of commitments this weekend! The kids are playing together right now and happy. I think that's important to keep them close. They are looking forward to the birthday party at the bounce house place and the sitter coming tonight. I think we all feel good having some FREE time. Well, except FG who has a golf tournament but hey, that's his own fault!

All falls on my shoulders....

I have this nasty little habit, and I know I'm not alone here, of procrastinating when I have a lot to get done. It's overwhelming and I get more & more stressed thinking about it. I know somewhere within the marbles rattling in my head that I would feel better if I just tackle it and start ticking things off my list. There are times that I do tackle large lists with gusto. But not today. Today I was just off. I am here getting ready for our trip. FG had a crappy business day yesterday which made me stressed out and uneasy. I have been assigned appetizers and desserts for our group meals plus a breakfast item. For, like, SEVEN families with teenage kids! Ok, yeah, so that gets me off the hook for all portions of our nighty dinners and one breakfast of the weekend. But see, I have this little reputation for making fabulous desserts. JUST NOT WHILE CAMPING! So I made a double batch of cookies and have S'mores fixings. It's my vacation too, dammit, and I don't want to be making something complicated while everyone else relaxes. Then I made these cheesy hash brown things that I think I shall rename White Trash Hash Browns (no offense to anyone reading who may possibly be WT ;) ) They just have so much Velveeta in them that completely disqualifies them from being healthy or gourmet! Then I wanted to make a dip for my raw veggies but I didn't want to make boring ranch dip and besides, I didn't have enough sour cream. I DID have an abundance of cream cheese though. So I dumped some canned roasted red peppers, a brick of cream cheese, a cup of sour cream and a packet or ranch dip mix into the food processor. I think it will be excellent and in the very least, it seems impressive.
That left me with a mountain of dishes. I procrastinated on those as long as possible.
I remembered to put fresh batteries in all the flashlights.
I remembered to get 3 pairs of binoculors.
I packed clothes for the kids and myself yesterday (thankfully!)
I also baked a batch of delicious muffins and had the forethought to freeze 1/2 of them for our trip.
I did some laundry.
I cleaned spots on the carpet from where my doggie got sick in the middle of the night.
I had my friend's two year old here all day.
AF is visiting. grrr. Great timing for a whole weekend on the lake in a bathing suit! I've been reading Madre Adoptiva's post on the subject and am way way off from her recommendations. Does making a frozen pizza for DS, a quesadilla for DD, yogurt tubes for each and a frozen dinner for me count? Reading that I thought I should not have put so much on my shoulders but if I want to have a good weekend and relax then, I need to take care of these things now. And watching my friend's DD, well, she's way worse off than me at the moment and I helped her out in a big pinch. I allowed her to know her child was safe and cared for and being played with and loved so she could run her business. At the moment my friend has the equivalent of 3 full time jobs. Her MIL died just over a week ago and she's not only running her own retail store, managing her family with two small children, she's helping her FIL settle in and make sense of his own household. Playing baby dolls and Little People with her DD and my DD for a few hours and putting her down for a nap is really the least I can do to ease her burden now.

I have several recipes and posts to make on here. I have pictures too! I have a whole tutorial on how to make pancakes with step by step pictures (a friend told me to do it). So that will all have to wait while I bust my butt to go enjoy my long weekend and relax. Next week it's back to school life for us all. More regimented, more work, less play. Now I'd better get off my butt and get my wrinkled daughter out of the tub! Just please tell me I'm not the only procrastinator! If I am, give me some advice to overcome it!

Beyond picky to food snobs

Hee hee hee. That would be my kids sometimes. They stayed at their grandma's for the very first time this weekend. FG's mom has babysat for us but never kept them overnight. When I called on Saturday morning to find out how it went, DS informed me that he ate French Toast for breakfast and "paper thin, soggy bacon." oops! I told him beforehand that he was to eat what was offered to him and if he didn't want something to make sure he said "No thank you" and not "I don't want that!". I just hope he didn't hurt MIL's feelings. She also told me she wanted to make cookies with them. I had to find a very polite way to tell her that they aren't really into cookies. DD is. She will eat them. DS loves my snickerdoodles but won't eat many other cookies (I have no idea why. Textures maybe????). With my past experiences with MIL and cookies, I have found that she buys the "break & bake" kind and bakes them 5 minutes longer than recommended. No wonder FG likes his cookies like little hockey pucks. That's what he grew up eating! Thankfully over the past 16 years I have brought him over to the brighter side of cookies, even if he still does like them crunchy and not soft. At least he now likes them homemade and not burnt. Needless to say, I discouraged the cookie making for her own good. I feared the kids would be awfully brutal.

Now onto this week's menu. I'm starting with Saturday because, well because I already started with Saturday! It felt like Sunday anyway. And I wanted to be sure to share the dry rub on the meat and the Blueberry Crumb Bars.

• Saturday - Tri-tip roast w/ dry rub*, Grandma's Baked Beans, tossed salad, sweet corn on the cob (farmers market corn, YUM), Blueberry Crumb Bars from smitten kitchen. Excellent but I will cut back the lemon zest next time I make them.


• Sunday - BBQ pork ribs, cous cous, more corn on the cob, more tossed salad, Avocado salsa


• Monday - Creamy chicken enchiladas, rice, grilled veggies


• Tuesday - Grilled cheeseburgers, pasta salad, steamed veggies


• Wednesday - Shrimp scampi over pasta w/ veggies


• Thursday - Make your own pizza night w/ the kids


• Friday - out?


• Saturday - Brats, saurkraut, french fries, tossed salad.

* The dry rub I just tossed some things together and it was excellent. I have no measurements but mixed up enough to coat both sides of the meat and let it sit for a few hours before we grilled it. I used: kosher salt, fresh pepper, granulated garlic, white sugar, paprika, a dash of cayanne, thyme, basil, dried lemon peel, toasted minced onion.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Avocado Salsa
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

2 medium avocado

2 medium roma tomato

1/4 red onion

2 tablespoons cilantro -- chopped

1 lime

2 cloves garlic

salt

tortilla chips
Peel and seed avocado, cut into chunks.Chop tomato into similar size chunks.Finely chop red onion.Chop fresh cilantro.Juice the lime.Press garlic through garlic press.Add salt to taste.
Mix all ingredients in med. size bowl and let rest for 1/2 hour.
Serve with tortilla chips.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

2 pounds boned and skinned chicken breast halves -- cooked & chopped

2 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup -- do not dilute

1 medium onion -- chopped

2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 pounds shredded jack cheese

12 large flour tortilla
Boil chicken for 20 minutes in water (bring to a rolling boil then simmer - add a bit of salt & pepper to the water) or grill chicken. Cool & chop into small pieces. Combine soup, onion, sour cream in large bowl. Reserve 1/3 of the mixture in a separate bowl. Stir chopped chicken into soup mixture. Spoon 2 heaping spoonfuls of chicken/soup mixture into tortillas. Top mixture with shredded cheese. Tuck ends in and roll sides up. Place seam side down into oblong baking dish. Repeat until all mixture is gone. Spread reserved soup mixture on top of rolled tortillas. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

(I will only make 1/2 the batch because it's enough for our family for dinner. I generally make these to use up leftover chicken or make extra chicken when we grill or bake it with the intent to make these. They can also be made up to 1 day ahead, brought out of the fridge to warm up a bit then baked as directed. Good time saver for those crazy days!)

Menu Plan... Sunday

I've been a busy little girl! I haven't been cooking much but now I'm ready to get back into it. Here's my menu for the week!

• Sunday - Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches, scalloped corn casserole, tossed green salad, onion bread, fresh berries w/ vanilla whipped cream * recipes below
• Monday - Grilled Shrimp kabobs, tossed green salad, pasta w/ parmesan cheese & butter
• Tuesday - Tacos, rice, salad, fruit
• Wednesday - Bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts, parmesan cous cous, steamed broccoli
• Thursday - FG working, leftovers for the kids and I
• Friday - possibly going out???
• Saturday - SMA's 40th Birthday party

Here's the pulled pork sandwich recipe. It was one of my favorite things my Grandma made me. I cannot get it exactly like hers and it frustrates me. I try, I tweak, I don't know what to do! I wish I knew exactly which cut of pork she used. I do know that she used a pressure cooker to cook it and I can almost guarantee you it was one of the cheapest cuts (she was a bit on the thrifty side most of the time). I usually use a butt or shoulder roast (aka cheap) and slow cook it for hours in the crock pot. But it's still never exactly the same. Here's what I go by though. Oh and I have to bring the Brooks Ketchup home with me from IL! Can't get it here!

* Exported from MasterCook *
BBQ Sauce (for ribs or shredded pork sandwiches)

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1/3 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 small bottle Brooke's Ketcup

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic -- minced
Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.Mix into shredded pork for sandwiches.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : Regular Ketchup can be used - add a few drops hot sauce.

Here is my other Grandma's scalloped corn recipe :) My Grandmas were/are good cooks!

* Exported from MasterCook *
Scalloped corn
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 can creamed corn

1 can corn -- do not drain

1 cup sour cream

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1/2 cup margarine or butter -- melted
Mix all ingredients and pour into greased casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Can add shredded cheese to the mix as well.

Now I want to try to make salmon burgers soon. I have been searching recipes. If anyone has one that they love please pass it on to me! I bought a can of salmon knowing I want to make them soon but now I need to find a recipe that sounds perfect.

Off to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast - well, ok, I'm the only one who will eat the blueberry ones but I can't wait! I'm just bummed because my buttermilk expired. I have found that I adore making pancakes with real buttermilk now! WHY I never attempted before is beyond me but dang they are soooo good!

For more menus of the week - head over to Laura's site at Organizing Junkie!

Garlic crust calzones

I made these the other night for the kids and I when FG was working. They were sooo yummy! I had two extra and wrapped them in foil to store them. I popped one in the toaster oven on about 350 for 20 minutes to warm up for DS to take in his lunch. I knew it wouldn't stay warm all day but it would be better than icy cold from the fridge. I personally love cold pizza but my kids have not inherited that from me, at least not yet, we'll see when they get to college.

Basic Garlic Thin Crust Dough

from The Best Pizza is made at home cookbook by Donna Rathmell German

1 tsp. active dry yeast

2 cups bread flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 Tbs. olive oil

2/3 cup lukewarm water

mix in bread machine on dough setting.

I make pizza often for my kids. They love it, I like that I make it all from scratch so I know what's in it and it's a fairly balanced meal for them when I add a glass of milk and some fruit. But this week I wanted to do something different so I told them I was going to make Pizza Pockets. Much easier for them to understand than calling them Calzones.

General Directions for Calzones

Roll or stretch dough into four or five 6" circles.

Place 2-4 tablespoons of filling (I used parm cheese, moz cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce) on half of the circle, leaving 1/2" space around the side. Do not overfill.

Moisten the edges of the circle with water or egg white.

Fold the dough over the side to encase the filling. Seal the edges with fingers or the tines of a fork.

Brush each calzone lightly with beaten egg, olive oil or cold water. (I chose a beaten egg with about 1/2 tsp. of cold water added to it. Then I sprinkled the tops with grated Parmesan cheese.)

Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them. I baked mine on my PC stoneware bar pan that I had preheated in the oven.

I let them cool for about 15 minutes and then the kids were able to pick them up and eat them. They looked and smelled heavenly! They were all perfectly puffed up and golden brown and the smell of the garlic crust was terrific! FG was leaving for work and I think he was a bit jealous that we were eating them and he wasn't. Well, PHHHHHHTTTTT on him because he gets to go OUT to eat every Thursday after work while I'm stuck at home cleaning up my cooking mess!

The mixer got a workout!

Ahhhh! I love days where I can spend all day in the kitchen. I know, I know, to some that is pure hell and torture but for me, I usually really enjoy it!
I started off with assembling the baked ziti. I had the sauce made from the spaghetti earlier in the week (made a double batch of sauce knowing I was making ziti on Saturday for our friends). I even had enough to make a small one and pop it in the freezer. It is the perfect size for just us four on a night when I don't have time or energy to cook. The only thing I have to do is remember to thaw it soon enough! Anyway... the baked ziti. I got the recipe from an online friend of mine and make it often. It is my "you just had a baby, here's a good meal" meal. I add a bag of salad and some fresh baked bread and everyone has raved about it. I make it for the family, gatherings with friends, pot lucks etc. and it's always very popular. I make my own spaghetti sauce but you can use whatever you like. You could tweak it however you want as well - add spinach, make it vegetarian. Use your imagination! Oh, I want to try ricotta instead of sour cream too but DH isn't a big ricotta fan. Someday I'll sneak it in ;)



BAKED ZITI


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound ziti pasta -- cooked and drained
52 ounces spaghetti sauce
4 ounces provolone cheese -- sliced
6 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded
3/4 cup sour cream
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

Brown onion and ground beef. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 min.

Layer as follows in a greased 8 x 12 (or similar size) baking dish:
1/2 the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 the spaghetti sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce.
Top with parmesean cheese.

Bake 30 min. or until bubbly

NOTES : This can be made ahead and frozen or made a day ahead and kept in the fridge before baking. I make it with my lefotover spaghetti sauce. I have made it with ground sausage and it is just as good.



After I got those done I started in on the desserts I wanted to make. I have been really craving pumpkin flavor. I didn't want to do pumpkin pie but I did want to do cupcakes. So I searched my trusty MasterCook where I knew I had saved a few pumpkin and/or cupcake recipes from my favorite cupcake sites. I got this one from Chockylit but didn't do the ginger cream or the chocolate ganache.
Before the oven


Instead I made a sinful cream cheese frosting with 8 oz. of cream cheese, a stick of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and poured in powdered sugar until it was the consistency and taste I wanted. OHHHHH YUM!!!
I let the kids decorate them.


They are delicious. I even had one for breakfast.

Then because DH doesn't like cake (yeah yeah, I know. When our DS learned that he thought maybe Dad came over on a spaceship from some weird cake-hating planet.) I made him his favorite cookies - oatmeal with butterscotch chips.
Just the basic oatmeal raisin recipe from the Quaker Oats canister - replacing the raisins with butterscotch chips.


A good day for me in the kitchen! For me, it's theraputic and relaxing. Busting out a batch of cookies is no big deal. I don't make really complicated ones on a daily basis. A lot of drop cookies in our house :) With my Silpat mat or parchment paper, I don't even wash my cookie sheets! The tablespoon sized scoop makes it fast. My mixer, ohhh! I don't know if it's possible to be in love with an appliance but my goodness I love my mixer. I have the 6 qt. Kitchenaid professional. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. And I recently got these bowls. I am so pleased with them!

We had a nice dinner with our friends and their baby. Today I'm just making chicken fajitas, rice, some beans (for me and DD - no one else eats them!) and salad. DH's good friend is coming over for dinner as he usually does on Sundays. I'm going to scour some websites/cookbooks for a good recipe to jazz up the rice. Most of us just like it plain white in this house but I'm on a roll and in a mood to try something different. DD is running a fever so looks like we are homebound today anyway. Though I do have to get to the store at SOME point this afternoon. Either I drag the kiddos out of hope that DH gets done with his golf tournament sooner than expected. Fat chance.