Menu Plan Monday

Nothing too exciting this week. I'm looking forward to getting back to "normal". We packed away all the Christmas decorations yesterday (I have an over-abundance and it literally took FG and I all day). We are all beat and all ready for some down time. We don't have grand plans for NYE, the kids will be with us. We are going to a basketball game and were also invited to a party. I told the hostess that we would see how the kids are and stop by to say hello. We definitely won't make it until midnight!

I'm having fun playing with my new ipod touch. Now I have the daunting task to getting all my contacts imported and my calendar. I've been using a Palm for so many years and they don't "talk" to each other. So there's a lot of data entry and transferring in my near future.

Here's our menu this week. Boring and normal, just what we are all ready for in this house! Plus, I promised the kids lots of playdates this week so the easier and low key I can keep it, the better for my own sanity!

• Sunday - Spaghetti, bread
• Monday - Balsamic pork chops, mashed potatoes, cauliflower
• Tuesday - BBQ Roasted chicken, noodles, corn (FG is working Tue instead of Thur this week so this will go over well with the kids).
• Wednesday - out to a favorite pizza place prior to the basketball game
• Thursday - Beef tips* & gravy over mashed potatoes (I usually do this over noodles but I need to use the potatoes this week)
• Friday - Chicken alfredo over noodles, veggies
• Saturday - ?? another basketball game.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Beef Tips and Noodles in the crockpot

1 lbs. stew meat -- (1 to 2)

1 med. onion -- sliced

1 tbs. oil

1 can beef broth

1/3 cup flour

1 cup water
Saute onion slices in oil until tender and browned.Remove from skillet and put into crock.Brown stew meat in same skillet in onion/oil drippings.Remove from skillet into crock.Pour broth over meat and onions - season if desired (we like things more seasoned so I added some seasonings to ours. I also salt & peppered the meat as I browned it.)Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.I hour before serving, mix flour and water until smooth. Pour into crock pot and stir to combine. Continue cooking until thickened.
Serve over egg noodles

Christmas "Didn't"

We had a wonderful holiday! I hope you did as well, my little imaginary friends in the box! It was all I could have asked for. White with lots of crazy snow, good food, good family, happiness, my dad resolved to not complain about his aches & pains for a day which was very refreshing! (I'm not sure if he realizes how hard it is for all of us to hear continually. It brings us down along with him. I know he's in pain and things can look grim but I also know that outlook is important. A break from the downers was very welcome for us all!)

This year I made some changes which I think helped me enjoy the holiday.

I didn't send cards. I didn't stress over getting a good picture, addressing them, paying for them, paying for postage... blah blah blah. I never had the time and I just let it slide right off the to do list. Maybe next year I'll send them again but this year it wasn't happening without some serious stress.

I didn't worry about gifts as much. We told our families that we couldn't afford gifts this year. We had our party which is expensive and a lot of work. I also put a lot of effort into making special stamped notecards for some family members. Those were my limit. I put effort and time and care into what we did do. I let it go that that was enough. I knew that the kids and I put our hearts into things and if the recipients didn't fully appreciate it, then they were the ones missing out.

I didn't go shopping on Black Friday. I had to work. I kept things in perspective that money is very very tight and if I wanted to get my family some gifts then I had to exercise a lot of self control. There was not one bit of online shopping either. We haven't used a credit card in months so we don't get trapped in a debt nightmare (any worse than we already are but that's mostly business bills we're under). All the "best deal of the season" emails went unread and were deleted immediately. No deal was good enough for me to jeopardize my family. No "thing" that anyone would just love to have was worth it.

I didn't feel guilty. I accepted the gifts that were given to me graciously. The only one I feel slightly guilty about is from SMA. He spoils me. I know he can't afford the lengths he goes to for me and my family. But he does it every damn year and makes me feel bad. He spent on me what I spent on my own husband. And he's so freaking hard to buy for that I feel bad we don't reciprocate equally. I think he knows that our efforts are how we do though. We picked him up (too snowy for him to drive his little car) so he didn't spend the day alone and he spent the entire day and evening with our family. He called his mom & sent a text to his girlfriend. But other than that, I didn't feel guilty when others made the choices they did. We told everyone, no gifts this year, just for the kids. If they chose to do more, then that was their choice!

I also let go of some of my control with the kids. If they wanted something open that has 10,000 tiny pieces, whatever. We'll deal with it later. Can I add that I am not a fan of Pixos? Yeah, 10,000+ tiny pieces. Save me and my vacuum.

I hope everyone felt as good about this year as I did. I really did feel much free-er this year with letting go of some of the pressure. I also realized even more the value of a true gift.

Happy Holidays!!!

Holiday Menu Plan Monday!

Oddly, I am feeling relaxed today. I still have plenty of things to get done but the "big" stuff is done. If the floors don't get a thorough mopping, oh well. If the rugs don't get all shaken out or every last bit of clothing laundered, oh well! I was happy to wake up whenever I woke up today and know that there was no timetable today. No deadlines, no bus to catch, no homework looming.... The kids are still in their jammies. DD is fighting off a cold. They played then they ate. Now they are indulging in cartoons and toys in the playroom. I have a basket of dirty laundry behind me waiting to be sorted and I may even start a few loads today (I generally try to do the laundry all in one day). We are going to make our notecards this afternoon with the stamp supplies I brought home from my parent's last night. It's going to be an easy-going day where we still get things done, just without the hectic rush. I have my menu planned for the week. Since I've been doing Christmas brunch for so many years now, it's not a big deal anymore. No one wants me to change anything. They all want the same things every year. That's ok. I can handle the no-pressure, no-frills meal on a day that I like to relax and enjoy as well. Though this year I opted to make a coffee cake (an easy one!) rather than the refrigerated cinnamon rolls.

• Sunday - Bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts, Stove-Top stuffing, glazed carrots


• Monday - Shrimp scampi w/ garlic pasta, steamed broccoli


• Tuesday - FG is taping the TV show instead of Thursday (duh!). Polish sausage dogs, french fries, corn


• Wednesday - Ham dinner at MIL's


• Thursday - Brunch here - sausage-egg casserole, cheesy potatoes, berry coffee cake, shrimp dip & chips, maybe cream cheese bacon crescents


• Thursday - Prime Rib dinner at my parent's


• Friday - Spaghetti or homemade pizza


• Saturday - an "after the holiday" open house party

* Exported from MasterCook *

Breakfast Casserole

6 slices white bread -- cubed

4 Tablespoons butter -- melted

1 pound bulk sausage -- cooked and drained

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

3 egg

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

salt and pepper
Place cubed bread into 9 x 13 glass dish. Drizzle with melted butter and toss to coat.Sprinkle cooked and crumbed sausage over the top.Top with shredded cheese.
Mix milk, eggs, mustard powder and salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the bread mixture.
Cover and refridgerate overnight.
Bake 375 degrees for 3- 40 min. until puffed up and lightly browned.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Cheesy Hash Browns
30 ounces hash browns, frozen

1 pint milk

1/2 cup margarine -- melted

2 cups Velveeta -- cubed

1 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
Place hashbrowns in greased 9 x 13" casserole dish.
Combine other ingredients and microwave until cheese is melted, stirring as needed until smooth.
Pour mixture over hash browns and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Shrimp Dip
1 cup mayonnaise

1 can small shrimp

1 tablespoon ketchup

8 ounces cream cheese -- softened

garlic -- to taste

onion salt -- to taste
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with potato chips or crackers.

Shopping & wrapping - DONE!

I finished today. Yahoo!!!!
Tomorrow - the kids and I are going to tackle making the notecards I planned to make & give to MIL, SIL & FIL's wife. Send me patience vibes.

I'm sooo thankful I get to sleep in.

DD is being a mean little shit. I had to hear all about it from my parents about how awful she is. Great. Thanks. I can't do much more than I am doing now. I tell her how words hurt, she needs to think about how others feel and how she would feel if someone said things to her like she does to others, remind her to be nice... blah blah blah. Fact is, she's four, she's opinionated and she's excited for the holiday approaching. Everyone but me has forgotten that DS went through this SAME thing at roughly the same age. Why am I the only one to remember how awful he could be?

The weather foiled my plans

The snow and bitter cold caused preschool to be cancelled. Normally, they cancel if the county school district cancels and/or has a delayed start. Neither of those happened yesterday but I think the preschool just had it in their heads that they would have a day off on Monday. So they called and cancelled preschool shortly after I sent my son off on his bus. That caused they to also cancel the preschool Christmas Program scheduled for the evening. That one I'm ok with because the roads were icy and I hate ice. Snow, whatever. Ice, ick.

BUT that ruined my entire Plan For The Day. I had to work from 10 - 2. I had it all worked out that my dad would pick up my DD from preschool at 1 when class was finished and bring her home until I got off work. Then I would bathe her and get her ready to go be an angel (ha ha! SUCH bad casting!!!) in her program. Then we would pick up take out for dinner and everyone would go to bed early. Well, that was not to be.
So her teacher happens to be a friend of mine and we've swapped watching each other's kids lots of times. She told me to just bring my DD over to her house while I worked. Yipee! She was happy to go play with her boys for a few hours. Then she and I had to go to the grocery store where I assume I lost one of my favorite earrings. Wahhhh!
I arrived home, put the few groceries away and got DD set up with cartoons while I went to go tackle the snow with the shovel and wait for DS's bus. I was hoping FG would have shoveled prior to leaving for work but no, he decided to just drive over it and leave some frozen tracks for me to chip away at. He literally arrived home 10 seconds after I put the shovel away. I think he was around the corner watching me.
My plan of take out was ruined. So FG suggests soup and grilled cheese. I had figured on that as an easy meal he could actually make the kids while I worked this week but no he was insistant and even DS told me he wanted soup. Purely to torture my family, I made homemade chicken noodle. The kids prefer the overly salted canned variety and I think FG had a big bowl of Chunky with beef in mind. But it was easy and quick and didn't have carrots (I don't like carrots in my chicken noodle and I have yet to find a canned variety that isn't Campbells that has no carrots!). Here's my loose recipe. It took about 30 minutes and paired great with ooey gooey grilled cheese and a big glass of chocolate milk.

Chicken Noodle Soup

4 cups stock

1 cup water

1 1/2 Tablespoons stock starter concentrate*

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken

small dry egg noodles (whatever amount you like)

Mix the cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in small dish and set aside.

Boil the stock, water and concentrate. Add cornstarch mixture and corn kernels. Return to boil.

Add chicken. Add noodles and cook just under boiling until noodles are done.

*Instead of bouillon I like to keep this stuff on hand. I use it a lot instead of canned broth. When I make white rice, I like to throw a teaspoon into the pan with the water, dissolve it and then add the rice. It gives things a nice flavor and I think it's pretty economical.

Menu Plan Monday

Here's my menu plan for the week!

I'm literally NOT cooking at all during this week!!! Ha ha!!

• Sunday - Whole chicken in the crock pot, yellow rice, corn, gravy
• Monday - take out
• Tuesday - We have a dinner to attend, Grandma's watching the kids
• Wednesday - I'm working, FG and the kids will have leftover spaghetti sauce from the freezer and he can make fresh noodles and toast
• Thursday - FG works, the kids and I will have chicken nuggets/frozen dinner
• Friday - I'm working again. FG can figure out what to make the kids (probably soup or spaghetti-o's)
• Saturday - the kids are going to my parent's for the night, FG and I have a party to attend

So there. No cooking! Yesterday I did the chicken and rice. Big deal though. I put the chicken in the crock pot and made the gravy and the rice. FG cleaned it all up. We were all dead tired from the day before. There was an afternoon basketball game and we got home just before 6. Love that dinner was practically ready!

Now I must go shovel snow.

Party Success

We had a party to attend at our friend's house prior to ours. Our started at 7 pm. Theirs went from 4 until 7. Santa arrived at 5:35. Needless to say, we threw the kids on his lap, had camera issues and then we bundled up and raced home. I'm SO bummed because 1) I obviously wanted pictures of my kids on Santa's lap 2) I was hoping to get a whole family picture on Santa's lap 3) Santa was a friend of mine in college, a football player who fills out his suit without extra padding and Oh I was going to tease him! I wanted to sit on Santa's lap and be a little naughty. FG has known this guy as long as he's known me. He was one of my "big brothers" in college so I warned FG that I was going to have some fun with Santa. Seeing as he is 6'2" and well over 300 lbs, FG just said, "Ok." We were also joking because Santa happened to catch my garter at our wedding reception. The pictures still crack me up, no one stood a chance with him in the crowd. So this is the best I got because a setting got changed on the Rebel and it wouldn't focus. grrrrr. Then we had to leave and I didn't want to throw my kids back on there for a picture when there were a bunch of other kids anxiously waiting. So my niceness won out and we didn't get a decent picture. But it was priceless to see my kids on there, happily telling him what they wish for and how they are being good (Ha!).

Matt was an awesome Santa. I was very impressed. I hope everyone will do it again next year.

Now onto what I've been so busy working on....

My spread. I made at total of 17 different things and I included the chocolate because I had to chop it and melt it!

It was a good party. I never know what to make of things though. Some years I am refilling and refilling and other years, hardly anything gets eaten up. It was about in the middle this year. I refilled a few things. People kept telling me how much they loved this or that. Everyone stayed for awhile and actually played in the game room. Again, some years no one goes upstairs and other years, everyone congregates around all the toys. I think that's why not as much got eaten because that meant leaving the pool table, dartboard, Foosball, slot machine (that does NOT pay out but comes with credits) and arcade game to go downstairs and refill their plate.

FG and I didn't get to bed until well after 1. I am a bit too old for that now! I'm really tired today. The kids were up until 11!! DS loves a party. DD could live without them. She hid for most of it, then decided she wasn't shy anymore and flitted from guest to guest. There was no way I was getting them into bed any earlier. 11 is when they finally decided they were done and ready for their pillows.

Now I have two small vents. One about guests and first about my neighbors. I just gotta get this off my chest because people never cease to amaze me. Our kids play together a lot. Either here or there. I'd say it's about even how much they are one place or another. This is just since this past summer that they've played together. I invited them to the party. Yes, it's adults only because that many goodies and little kids DO not mix. Besides, I just like it adults only. Good excuse for our friends to get out alone around the holidays. I handed the invite right to the mom. I never heard from them if they were coming or not. Then the kids show up to play here yesterday in the early afternoon! I about died. She sent them over on Thanksgiving day too. We turned them away. No way could I have functioned with them here. The girl, older than mine, whines a lot and then is sort of mean to my DD. I keep saying it's just a 9 year old girl thing but I'm not so sure. I had way too much to get done without everyone under foot. And really? Seriously? You get invited to a party that you don't RSVP for then you send your kids over to play? ARGH!

Second, and this may sound really snobbish but I don't care. Word of advice. If you get invited to a dinner or a party, spend a bit more than $2 for a bottle of wine that you bring to the hostess. Up it to $5 or $7 at least. I know who brought it, I know they can pay a lot more than $2 and I thought they had a bit more class than that. If you want to bring something for the hostess and you want to spend $2, pick up an ornament, a candle, a little trinket etc. But don't embarrass yourself with the cheap-o wine. (No it wasn't Two Buck Chuck). When ever FG and I get a bottle that we aren't familiar with, we look it up. I know we aren't the only ones. My friends all know I work in a wine store!

Holiday Baking #9 - Cookie Tarts

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cookie Tarts

1/2 cup butter -- softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons jam

2 tablespoons sugar
Cream butter and sugar. Then add the flour, milk and vanilla. Mix to make a soft but not too sticky dough.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Cut out rounds and place on greased cookie sheet. Spread a little jam on the base. Use small cookie cutter to cut out shape in another round. Place on top of jam & cookie base.
Sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until just golden brown.

Holiday Recipe #9 - Sparkling Pineapple Punch

MMMM. I always make a double batch because it goes quick! I put it in a punch bowl with an ice ring with lime slices frozen into it. Sorry, no picture because I make it right before my guests arrive.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sparkling Pineapple Punch
1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 3 inch cinnamon sticks

1/4

cup lime juice

1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice -- chilled

1 liter sparkling water -- chilled

1 bottle champagne -- chilled
Heat sugar, water and cinnamon to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove cinnamon from syrup. Just before serving, mix syrup and remaining ingredients in large punch bowl.

My son, the star!

A little break from recipes. I'm done baking and taking a little break from cleaning and preparing for this party by uploading some more recipes to Mastercook. I'm creating a Christmas Cookbook so I can find all these recipes in ONE place! Right now they are scattered all over the place.

Last night was DS's performance for his Acting Class. He kept telling me he was nervous. That's odd from him. He SHINES in front of an audience. He has no problem being on stage. He projects his voice well, is animated, remembers his lines... he just feels at home with people watching him perform. The only thing I notice is he chews his tongue too much. (You can clearly see it poking out his cheek in the pic above - ugh.) It's a HORRIBLE, ugly habit that FG and his family have. Oh I hate it! It must be a hereditary thing because I swore I would not let my kids do it. I look at MIL, BIL and FG sitting there when they concentrate on something and they look like a herd of cows. So I have to figure out how to get DS to NOT do that while on stage!

He was Aladdin. He worked hard on learning his lines. He knew them and did them very well. His good friend was Abu and they did great together. I took him, DD and my mom out to dinner after the performance and he had a complete performance rush. He was SO HIGH! He could not settle down. That's ok. He was happy. He was proud. He should be. He worked hard and did so well. This is his ability. He isn't physically blessed, he's pretty uncoordinated and not great at sports (the fact he's barely 40 lbs at almost age 8 doesn't help much either). But he can out-act 95% of the kids in his acting class!

I am so proud of him for his accomplishment. It's a 10 week class, on hour per week. The rest we have to do at home. It's a commitment on us as well but he really does love it. I wonder if someday I'll go the Academy Awards with him. I hope he would want to take his Mama. Though I don't know if it would make my heart swell anymore than it has for each of his performances so far. I am blessed with such a kid and glad FG and I don't feel the pressure to push him into sports because he's a boy. We realize that his abilities lie elsewhere and are happy to nuture whatever they may be.

Cookie Press

Madreadoptiva - this post is for you! :)

This is the cookie press my mom has. I think I'm the only one who uses it though. She may use it once a year as well. It is easy!

Holiday Baking #8 - Cream Cheese Spritz

These cookies uses a cookie press. They are easy, delicate and light.

Cream Cheese Spritz

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix margarine or butter and cream cheese. Stir in flour, sugar and vanilla. Place dough in cookie press. Press onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

I have used a "tree" shape in the past as well as the wreath shape. I tint the dough with food coloring to give them a little vibrancy. These are always popular at my party with the chocolate fountain!

Holiday Baking #7 - Chocolate Surprises

Chocolate Surprises

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

large marshmallows, cut in 1/2

Cream shortening & sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Mix in other ingredients except marshmallows. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and press 1/2 marshmallow, cut side down, on center of each cookie. Return to oven for 2 minutes - no longer.

Cool on wire racks.

Frost with mixture of 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, milk until correct consistency.

I baked some of mine too long this time and the marshmallow disintegrated! I also eyeball the frosting. I think those measurements make too much frosting actually. But I do follow the general guidelines, I just don't measure.

Holiday Baking #6 - Bell Cookies

These are my father's favorites. My Grandma, his mother, makes them every year (she's the one who taught me to bake) and I started making them a few years ago. They are by far my most time consuming and difficult cookie. These make whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies seem like a walk in the park.

I may have shared them before. I'm not sure if I did last year or not and I'm too lazy and busy to go look. I entered them into our local newspaper's cookie contest and was royally pissed off when I found out the main taster didn't like nuts. Grrrr.

Here they are. If you attempt them, feel free to email me any questions. The dough is super super soft and difficult to work with. Then there's the steps of the filling, cutting the cherries and placing them on. Ugh. These also work best stored in an airtight container with waxed paper between each layer. Because they have to be high maintenance until the end. They are worth it though. YUMMY!

* Exported from MasterCook *
Bell Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup margarine

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon cream or whole milk

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons maraschino cherry liquid from jar

1 1/2 cups pecans -- chopped

1 tablespoon margarine -- melted

1/2 cup maraschino cherries -- cut in 1/2

Sift dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together margarine and sugar. When well combined add corn syrup, cream and egg. Beat until well combined.
Slowly add flour mixture until combined.
Chill dough until easier to handle. It is delicate and sticky.
Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, cherry juice, chopped pecans and melted margarine.
Roll dough onto floured surface. Cut circles with cookie cutter or top of a glass.Place circles on ungreased cookie sheet. Add 1/2 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon of filling into center and fold over tops at an angle so it looks like a bell. Place 1/2 marachino cheery at the widest part of fold on top of filling.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 15 min.
Cookies will be puffed up. Let cool slightly on cookie sheet and remove to cool on wire rack.
Store in tightly covered container with waxed paper in between each layer to keep moist and from sticking to each other.

And just to keep it real like the Pioneer Woman does, here's a portion of my dishes from Sunday. A portion, as in about 1/4 of them from Sunday.

Holiday Baking #5 - "Jolly Pretzels" One for the kids!

My DS came up with the name of these. I have made these the past few years with the kids and it's something they can help with, enjoy and the finished product is addicting. I like to use the Mint Truffle Hershey's Kisses. Oh my......

Hershey Pretzel Treats 1
Bite-size -- waffle-shaped pretzels

Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug

M&M's candy

1. Heat the oven to 170º. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.
2. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.
3. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons

Holiday Baking #4 - Butter Nut Balls

These cookies have lots of different names. Mexican Wedding Cookies, Honey Sand Balls among many others. We've always called them Butter Nut Balls. Which is really funny when you are 7 and your mom mixes up the name and calls them Nutter Butt Balls. (That would be me and my mom who mixed them up but I can guarantee my little ones would find it as hilarious as I did).

Butter Nut Balls

1 cup butter (NOT margarine), softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup chopped pecans (my original recipe calls for walnuts but my dad is allergic - use whatever nuts you want)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sifted powdered sugar

Beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and honey on medium speed until combined. Beat or stir in flour, nuts, vanilla and salt. Mix thoroughly, use your hands if necessary.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 1 1/2" apart on greased cookies sheets.

Bake at 325 degrees for 14 - 16 minutes, until very lightly browned.

While warm, roll in powdered sugar. Cool on wire racks. After they cool, roll again in powdered sugar.

Holiday Baking #3 - Brittle

I started making this several years ago but I have never made it with peanuts. Instead I use roasted, unsalted macadamia nuts. My parents usually go to Hawaii every year around Thanksgiving so I have them bring me back a pound. This is a bit time consuming but it's worth it! Very yummy!

Nut Brittle

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 pound (I use slightly less) shelled, unroasted peanuts (again, I use macadamia nuts)

Butter 2 cookie sheets 15 1/2x 12" (I use my jelly roll pan only). Keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

Mix baking soda, 1 teaspoon water and vanilla. Set aside.

Mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in a 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240 degree on a candy thermometer. (This takes quite awhile. At least 1/2 hour or more)

Stir in margarine and nuts. Cook, stirring constantly to 300 degrees. Watch carefully so mixture does not burn. Immediately remove pan from heat and quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.

Pour half the candy mixture onto each warm cookie sheet, quickly spread to about 1/4" thick. Cool. Break into pieces.

Just for kicks, here's a picture of me asleep on the couch with the cat. I've been working hard lately and am pretty darn tired by the time I get the kids to bed. It's hard not to drift off when you have a little motor running next to you.

~Menu Plan~

Yeah, I know, it's Tuesday!

• Sunday - Enchiladas made with leftover shredded turkey, rice, salad
• Monday - Shrimp in homemade alfredo sauce over penne, corn.
• Tuesday - Chicken picatta, parmesean cous cous, steamed broccoli
• Wednesday - Was planning on meat loaf but now I have to work so FG and the kids will either have chicken nuggets or a frozen pizza or soup - Daddy's turn to figure out what to feed these kids!
• Thursday - FG works so we'll be doing one of the options from Wednesday that FG didn't choose.
• Friday - Meatloaf, noodles, glazed carrots
• Saturday - Basketball game so I'm hoping we can go out for pizza beforehand

The homemade alfredo sauce is easy and yummy and full of fat!

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

1-2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken stock (I used turkey stock since I made it last week from our bird)

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

a couple of handfuls of grated parmesean cheese (probably about 2/3 cup total? I eyeball it)

salt & pepper to taste

heat olive oil, saute garlic briefly and sprinkle flour all over pan. Whisk in chicken broth until lumps are gone and it starts to thicken. (This is where I added the raw shrimp). Whisk in heavy cream and nutmeg. Stir to thicken and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. Add grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Let thicken over low heat and serve over pasta.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Parmesan Couscous
1 can chicken broth

3/4 cup couscous

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan; stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in cheese and parsley.

Introspective

• I am thinking that me working a bit has been really good for this family. Not only does it get me out of the house and around adults (though I work with mostly college kids, I feel REALLY old at work unless my friend who owns the store is there with me), it brings me a bit of extra cash and the best part? My kids are realizing that Daddy can do things too. DD was a "daddy's baby" but not a "daddy's girl". It's been "Mom, mom mom" for a few years now. Mom is the only one who can read good stories before bed. Mom is the only one who can take care of anything that happens in the middle of the night. Mom is the only one who can pour more milk. Mom is the only one who can fix a toy, play a game, blah blah blah. But since I've been working in the evening and on the weekends part time it has definitely brought the three of them closer. Last night they both snuggled on the couch - WITH DADDY. DS said, "Dad, you & I are best buds." DD said, "Daddy, I love you lots." It's been the BEST thing to come out of me working. It reaffirms my belief that my kids need to know the security of others besides just mom (and dad too). I think I'm still tops in their book but they know that they have two capable parents to count on, not just one.
• We had a pet tragedy on Thanksgiving. My parents came home from their vacation and their kitten was missing. The neighbor had seen her the day before but not since. The other neighbor found her drowned in his pool. She was a great kitty. Fun and very playful. She was also great company to my retired father. So my parents were late to our gathering because they were waiting for the neighbor to bring their kitty's body back. I told DS because he overheard me on the phone but I haven't told DD. I didn't tell DS how she died though.
• Our Thanksgiving dinner turned out good. It seemed like forever for the dang turkey to cook. But all turned out well. FG told me to never have his brother bring anything that involves cooking or preparing food again. That leaves rolls which um, ok, they brought last year and weren't what we asked them to bring. Wine, which future SIL likes the $3 cheap swill from the fine establishment of Wally World. She certainly sucked down the $20 bottle of Spatlese I had for us. We had TWO bottles left at the wine store and I bought them knowing that my mom loves it. I didn't let FG open the second bottle even though my mom barely got one small glass and I got one small glass. Next time SIL can bring her own wine.
• Still prepping for our big party. We did a Costco trip yesterday which was all the Black Friday shopping we managed. (Not buying presents this year is cutting the shopping way down!). Besides eggs and some more flour, I think I'm good with the giant bag of sugar, pecans, and four pounds of butter.
• I am actually letting my kids play OUTSIDE in our neighborhood alone. It's a beautiful day. They wanted to go ride their scooters and the safest place is in the court off of our court (we're like a lopsided figure 8). Usually the neighbor kids are out there with them but they had to leave to run errands. They told them to go ahead and use the ramps they play on. So my almost 8 year old and 4 1/2 year old are out there alone riding around. And I'm 98% ok with it. It's so hard to let go but gosh, I cannot stifle them! I was out alone at their age. If they can't play outside in their own neighborhood then there's a problem considering we're total suburbia. Another neighbor is out hanging his Christmas lights and he's a sweet guy, single dad with a teenage son. So at least there is someone closer when I'm not watching them. Now I MUST go get my chores done so I can relax and enjoy my eveing. I love having a free day with no plans, nothing set in stone, nowhere to be. It seems rare anymore!

Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving menu is B-O-R-I-N-G this year. Totally un-exciting. So I'm not sharing any recipes because they aren't anything fabulous. That's the problem with feeding this crowd we'll have. They like it traditional. So we'll have a completely carb-loaded meal. Basic roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, red cabbage (it's the German in me), pumpkin pie, pecan pie (made by MIL with, EEK!, a pre-made pie shell). I've asked the my mom make the red cabbage, MIL make the pecan pie and a small appetizer, BIL & fiance make a side dish and a small appetizer and SMA to bring me a newspaper and wine. I need to delicately explain to him that cabernet does not go with turkey nor do you start off sipping on a cab in the early afternoon prior to eating and having a riesling, rose or pinot noir with your dinner. I'll just make sure to pick up several bottles tonight at work (yay! LOVE working at a wine shop for the holidays!) and put his aside for the next beef roast or spaghetti dinner I make.
I have no idea what side dish BIL's fiance is bringing. Do you realize how nerve wracking that is for me?! As soon as I get home from picking up DD I'll make the pumpkin pies and mashed potatoes. I've never tried to do them ahead of time but this year I am going to attempt it. I want to spend the time playing board games, watching football and enjoying our company, not mashing potatoes. Tonight while I'm at work, FG will have got get out the extra banquet table and figure out seating. I worked my little butt off yesterday. Not only did I do ALL of the laundry, I also: scrubbed the bathrooms, scrubbed the kitchen sink, mopped the floors, poop-scooped the backyard, took apart the stovetop and cleaned all the parts, vacuumed, washed & dried the crystal, got out the silver serving dishes, washed the decanter, vacuumed downstairs and cleaned the carpets (LOVE my Bissell carpet cleaner!), made dinner, watched Charlie Brown with the kids AND gave FG a little action last night. To reward myself I polished off 1/2 a bottle of wine. Yeah, while I slept great after all that activity and wine, it was NOT a good idea as I'm having my "hormonal shift" when AF leaves the building. I get the worst headaches during that time and it's always due to those damn hormones. Add too much wine to that and my head is killing me today and meds aren't touching it. Though I have a feeling that the wine didn't make too much of a difference because I went through the same thing last month. Woke up with a headache one day and the meds took care of it. Woke up with another one the next day and NOTHING touched it. Same as yesterday and today. I woke up with one yesterday, took my meds and felt fine (obviously with all that damn work!) all day. Woke up today and they just aren't working. I'm praying that tomorrow is better. I have to work tonight so I can't even turn in early! We'll be busy tonight too with everyone scrambling to get their wine for dinner tomorrow. Hopefully that will keep my mind off the pounding pain in my head.

My good Samaritan moment for today: I listed a bunch of stuff on Craigslist. One thing being a Tickle Me Elmo Surprise plush doll. It's barely been played with as DS got it when he was, I think, 1. It's pretty much sat on the shelf for years. I listed it for $5. I've had a girl who wants it and said she would meet me at the wine store on Monday night. She called my cell phone and told me she can't leave her grandmother alone so she couldn't make it. Then she called me yesterday to say she would like to come pick it up. Well, in my busy-ness I didn't have my cell phone on so I ended up getting back to her 5 hours after she called. I felt awful so I told her she can just have it if she's willing to come by the store tonight to pick it up. She sounds young and I heard young kids in the background. I totally understand wanting to give your kids a good holiday but not having a lot of extra $$ to do so. I hope that silly doll makes someone very happy.

Menu Plan Monday

This week is, well, Thanksgiving! And I have to work 2 nights at dinner time so FG is on his own feeding himself and the kids. Thank goodness when I make spaghetti sauce, I usually freeze a meal's worth of leftovers. Hopefully FG can handle boiling the noodles. I'm sure he can. After all, he has to eat it too!

• Sunday - Sausage, mashed potatoes, veggies
• Monday - (I work) soup & grilled cheese
• Tuesday - Chicken & proscuitto tortellini w/ alfredo sauce & steamed broccoli
• Wednesday - (I work, FG has to work as well since he won't on Thursday AND he has to take the kids with him. He may end up wanting to switch out Monday & Wednesday's dinners) Spaghetti, garlic bread
• Thursday - A feast to be Thankful for!
• Friday - Enchiladas (leftover turkey meat), steamed rice
• Saturday - Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner

Holiday Baking #2 - Molasses Sugar Cookies

Another recipe from my Grandmother. This time it's from my paternal Grandmother and the only grandparent I have alive. She was very young when she had my father. She is the grandmother who taught me to bake by feel. So this is another recipe that could probably be made better with some better ingredients (butter instead of shortening) but I know that these turn out well and they taste wonderful. So I'll stick with the recipe for now. One day I'll get brave and try some others that use butter.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Molasses Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon
Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses and egg. Beat well until fluffy.
Sift together flour, soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Add to molasses mixture.
Mix well and chill until easy to handle.
Form into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Cool slightly on cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack.

My kids love 'em!

Holiday Baking #1 - Petite Cheesecakes

This was my maternal grandmother's recipe. I have it in the church cookbook from the Lutheran church my mother grew up next to and attended until she married my dad. I love the cookbook because it's got so many old treasured recipes in it. Ones that say "oleo" and aren't always the healthiest. But there are some excellent tried and true tested recipes by real women who came together over many potlucks, baby showers, picnics and birthday parties.

I make these every year for my Christmas party and I literally have to save some out or I never get any! They always go fast. The perfect little bite size cheesecake to pop in your mouth and let it melt.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Petite Cheesecakes
16 ounces cream cheese -- softened

3 egg yolk

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg white -- beaten

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons butter -- melted

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese with mixer until fluffy. Add egg yolks and mix well. Add sugar. Mix until fluffy and creamy. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter and brush mini muffin tins generously. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and shake until well coated. Tap out excess.
Fill cups with cheese mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 13 - 15 minutes.
Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Pour 1/2 teaspoon into the depression of each cake after baking. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes.
Let cool slightly and remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
Store tightly covered in refrigerator with waxed paper between each layer. They may also be frozen.

Yield: "4 dozen"

EDIT: Yes, that is a mini-cupcake pan. There are 24 to a pan. I really should make these more than once per year. They would be excellent with fruit topping as well. You are right Liz, the possibilities are endless!

Let the Holidays begin!

And the pounds pack on.

I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner next week. I have to work three days next week, including the night before the big turkey day and the morning after. Yeah, I'm crazy. But my last paycheck which FG told me I can go spend however I feel it needs to be spent, was 100% spent on new clothes for my amazon daughter. Yeah, she's FOUR and I had to buy her size 6 clothes. I couldn't handle her crack hanging out, her skirts barely covering her girly parts and her pants all being way too short. So anyway, I will willingly work 3 crazy days next week to go buy them toys for Christmas and let Santa get all the fucking credit.

In the meantime, I've started my holiday baking as well. I'm a bit on the insane side when it comes to that. I throw a big ass party every year so I don't FG doesn't eat everything I like to make at Christmas time. This year between family, his golf friends, preschool parents we've gotten to know, school parents we've gotten to know, playgroup moms and our neighbors that we boat with I've got over 70 on the list. Damn. I had some friends asking me in SEPTEMBER when my party was so they could plan around it.
This year I'm baking the minimal to avoid 1) the huge grocery bill that comes along with it 2) the outrageous gas bill that shows up after running the oven for 3 weeks straight.

I started my baking today. I start with things that freeze well and work from there. Today, Petite Cheesecakes. I took pictures, I'll share the recipe. I'm hoping to do that with many, if not all, of the goodies I make. I wish I could bring all of my cyber-friends over and share so this will be the next best thing. Now I must go do the dishes and head to a basketball game. Stay tuned for goodies, hopefully tomorrow!

I need to find that elusive happiness again

I don't even know where to start. I know I'm not alone in the fact I'm not looking forward to this holiday season. FG is just worried and stressed. That makes me worried and stressed. That makes both of us snap at each other and the kids more than, well, more than we should at all. It's not pretty. I hate this. I hate this struggling. I keep reminding myself that we are lucky ones. We have our home, we have food, we have warmth, we have each other. Only so much reminding works though. There's the constant struggle of exactly where and how to spend the little money we have. I went to the store yesterday to do the shopping for Thanksgiving. The pricier turkeys were calling me but I opted for the super cheap one. We're feeding a lot of people again (there will be 11 of us this year - I've put my foot down on SMA bringing any more "dates" because I'm done with a 40 year old acting like a 16 year old but that's an entire other post). I've asked that they bring things. The controlling part of me is uncomfortable with that. But I have to let go because we simply cannot do it all. Anyway, I managed to get a 17+ pound turkey for $4.88. My store has a great deal where if you spend over $50 you get the turkey for $.23 or something per pound. Crazy huh?
After that, I'm not looking forward to the holiday season. I feel like I can't get my children the things they want and that really bums me out. I need to find something for FG from the kids because the lessons of giving shouldn't go away because we can't afford the pricy presents. I'm at a loss with him anyway but even finding something for the kids to make him is a tough one!
Speaking of that, we are planning on making lots of presents. I feel like I'm running out of time though. I have to get ready for our annual holiday party AFTER hosting Thanksgiving. Ugh. Way too much to do! But I am planning on having the kids help me make notecards with stamps for some family and I'll do some beading and make some jewelry for family and friends. Neither of those really apply to Daddy.
I dread the thought of even buying a Christmas tree this year. Damn those things can get expensive. We'll be getting a smaller one, I know that much. I'm cutting back on the amount of sweets I make for our party and beyond. Presents will be few. It all puts a big damper on the holiday to have so much stress in our lives.
There are few people that seem to be either oblivious or they simply are not affected by the economy. They continue to spend and buy. It amazes me I guess because the majority of people I know are struggling. All extras have been cut out. Shopping for anything beyond essentials and necessities has ceased. So when I read and hear things from these people who are still buying up things it now throws me for a loop.
How have you been affected? Is it just that I have so many friends who are independent business people that they are hit a bit harder because they, like us, do not get a "regular paycheck"? Even still, people I know who get a regular salary are not getting their bonuses this year or the rising cost of everything has made their dollar go less far. Has it hit you and how are you dealing with it? What have you cut out that has made it easier to get through this? Finally, do you have hope that this will soon turn around? Someone told me this weekend that they don't see it getting any better for 5 years. I'm wondering if they voted Republican.

Menu Plan Monday, on Tuesday

Boring day around here. Lots of little things to just get done. That's ok, I'm looking forward to having the day to do it all, even if they are incredibly boring tasks!

Here's this week's menu. I'm making banana bread today. Maybe I'll post that recipe since I don't have any others that are worthy of sharing.

• Sunday - Lemon Chicken w/ veggies over rice, scalloped pineapple (needed to use up some stale sliced bread), chocolate peanut butter chip cookies
• Monday - Leftover buffet! Chicken noodle soup for FG and me and leftover spaghetti for the kids. I used the french bread from spaghetti night last week to make toasted garlic cheese bread
• Tuesday - roasted chicken thighs, roasted squash, mashed potatoes w/ gravy
• Wednesday - Tacos, rice, beans, salad
• Thursday - whatever the kids and I feel like eating
• Friday - kielbasa sausage, mashed potatoes, veggies
• Saturday - 1st home basketball game and I'm hoping we can go out for pizza before the game with friends

My persuasive child

That would be my darling son who is 7 3/4.
We recently got his 1st report card of 2nd grade. It was the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary except for his music grade. That he just can't seem to get up there.
We had is Parent Teacher conference. I like it that FG goes to these as well. It's important. He and DS have similar brains, which work very differently than mine. So I don't always understand what's happening with DS but FG can.
FG and I sat down on the little chairs with the teacher and we talked to her for awhile. I like to take the last spot of the day, that way no one is kept waiting and I know we have extra time for discussion. I don't like to be or feel rushed when it comes to talking about his school performance.
We discussed how we wish for her to handle his sensory issues. I think she's dealing with him just fine so that was a short discussion.
We talked about his academic performance and the fact he's freaky smart.
I read some of his journal and clarified that he does not spend all weekend watching TV and playing video games and eating candy. (Obviously my encouragement of writing down some of these crazy stories he comes up with did not do well because DS insists he only likes to write about what actually happened and obviously in his head he does nothing but screw around all weekend. Where were the family activities? Where are the games, crafts, cookie making, outside play?Forgotten in the buzz of an electronic device that just zaps it out of his head. )
We talked about how he gets along with other kids and how it bothers him if he thinks someone doesn't like him. He can and will win you over if he thinks that you are not his #1 fan. He is relentless in his pursuit! But he also prefers to play alone a lot of the time. I've come to accept it. He'll be fine.
We discussed his "red" status earlier in the week. The teacher kept saying she felt just horrible having to do that to him. I gave her my theory as to why he couldn't calm himself down that day. FG and I gave her some of the language and tools we use to get him to calm himself down. But she just kept saying how awful she felt putting him on "red" because his reaction was so strong. I honestly think she came close to moving him back because of the way he reacted! He just has this way of making you feel like shit for something he did.
We discussed why his music grade is poor. The kid LOVES music and always has. He has a good musical ear as well. She found it odd that his grade was poor from the music teacher as well. She promised to look into it.

Fast forward to today when I took DS's backpack to school. I intentionally went while the class was at recess so I didn't disrupt class. The teacher was in the classroom grading papers. She told me she talked to the music teacher and the music teacher now felt awful. She looked up his records and realized that he has excellent tone and is enthusiastic in her class. She said she had forgotten that he has sensory problems and was thinking he was just not paying attention, thus the poor grade. She wanted to apologize to both DS and us. I'm glad that his class teacher told her that isn't necessary. We were just wondering what was going on, that's all.
Then I also told the class teacher that I didn't want her to feel bad for disciplining my son. We, as parents, have a philosophy we are raising him to be an adult, not an overgrown child. And with that comes acting appropriately and paying the price when he doesn't. She thanked me for that and told me again how she just felt so awful because of how he reacted. That's his persuasive personality I told her and it will serve him well but it doesn't mean he gets off easy every time.

I've been robbed!

I feel so cheated.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/clips/baby-shower-1016/767481/

Check out #1 on my list.


Busy crazy day here that started with meeting friends for breakfast before getting both kids to school. Now I'm full and lethargic and it just feels so odd to start the day like that. Then DS forgot to take his backpack with us and he was a minute or two late to class. I brought him his backpack while he was on his morning recess break. This afternoon both kids get the flu mist squirted up their nose. So I have to pick him up from school early and he'll miss dissecting an owl pellet. I think today is just going to be a weird weird day all around. I am wearing my new jewelry that I made over the weekend. I will have to have one of the kids take my picture. I used very pretty blue stone beads with a touch of silver. Though I think I'm going to re-string them. I'm not pleased with the spacing.

Gone

Gone is the bloggy post I had running through my head in the middle of the night. Damn. It was a good one too but I'll be a monkey's uncle if I can remember even the idea of it. I guess that's why people put notebooks at their bedside huh? Though I was mostly sleeping so maybe it was all just a dream.

Gone is FG. Another business trip. Blah! It got extended so I have to handle the work he normally does here that he scheduled for tomorrow thinking he would be home tonight. So I get to do it. I've never done it. Not all of it. Not on my own. holy shit

Gone is DS's good standing in class. They use a "traffic light" system and the little bugger got on RED today. He claims he can't remember why as he was fighting back tears. I didn't yell. I didn't have it in me. I just told him I was really disappointed in that. I guess I'll find out what happened later this week at his Parent/Teacher conference.

Gone will be my parents (ok, I realize that is horrid grammar!) tomorrow as they fly off to sunny & 82 degrees in Hawaii. If only my dad would realize that we 1) don't want to go to Oahu 2) FG is really not comfortable taking up a room at the military resort when so many men his age have to be away from their families risking their lives and they deserve it more than we do. Dad keeps mentioning how we should go with them and how he can get us a room at the resort. I don't say anything because I've already tried to explain it and it hasn't seemed to work.

Gone are our kitty's bladder stones! She had her surgery last week and is doing amazingly well. Now I want her medicines to be gone. Giving an unwilling cat 3 meds, 2x a day is no walk in the park. But she's already feeling so much better and thankfully, not peeing anywhere but the litter box!

Gone is my complete SAHM status. I'm doing holiday work for my friend who owns a wine store.

Thus, I will be gone quite a bit. Holding down the fort, dealing with 1/2 school days for DS, working both for our business and scheduled hours at the store, still volunteering at school, attending a Parent/Teacher conference, disciplining over the "red" today, caring for our aging dogs and ailing cat... this all leaves me little time to blog, no time to bake anything new or try out new recipes. It leaves me time only to exist and get through this week and hope next week is slightly better!

A quick guide to pancakes

I grew up with my mom making homemade pancakes. I never knew a mix existed. Mom always mixed up the flour, milk, eggs and cooked them up on a weekend. I do the same now. I do keep some mix on hand for school days or days that it's just the kids who want them. Quick, easy and they are happy. But for the over 14 years I've been married, I've made big weekend breakfasts for FG and I and now the kids.

Pancakes do not need to be scary. They are quite easy, even from scratch. The ingredients I use are basic and common and generally on hand in most kitchens. Except now I started making buttermilk pancakes and waffles and oh yum! The buttermilk gives them such a light texture they just melt in your mouth!
The recipe I use is from The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Here's my step by step on making pancakes:

The ingredients

1 cup buttermilk (I usually add a few table spoons more after mixing to thin the batter a bit and get it the consistency I want it)

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 beaten egg (I just toss it in the milk & oil and mix it in there)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder (2 t. if you are using regular milk)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (omit if you are using regular milk)

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Mix wet ingredients in large bowl with pour spout (I like to use my large measuring cup or my PC Batter Bowl). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

While you are mixing up the ingredients. Start warming a griddle or pan. The biggest mistake most people make with pancakes is having the pan too hot! Start warming it on medium heat.

Get the pan warm but not sizzling hot.

Pour the batter on the pan. I like to do smaller pancakes so I get 4 on my one-burner griddle.

Then wait. Patiently. The pancakes will look wet and bubbly in the middle and dry on the edges. Wait just a tiny bit more and THEN flip!

Then they only take a minute or so until they are finished!

If you like blueberries in your pancakes (I'm the only one in the house who does!), wash, drain and add them AFTER you pour the batter.

I have frozen cooked pancakes before. I cool them then put waxed paper between each one, put them in a Ziploc bag and freeze. They are ok. Not as good as fresh but most food isn't.

Now, go make pancakes! They really aren't scary!

Follow up!

Everyone vote today? Ha, listen to me.... the girl who spent as little time as possible in past years dealing with politics! I think I last voted, um, yeah.... Anyway, I DID register to vote this year and I voted early. I read the two sides of every issue I voted on, discussed it with various people, paid attention to the presidential debates... all of it. I was a much more informed voter! That was my problem in the past. I didn't have (or take) the time to really pay attention and make informed choices. When I last voted, I hated how I felt because I didn't know enough about what or who I was voting for. So I stopped and let FG deal with all that politics stuff. This year, as soon as the VP nominations were made, I realized this was a very historic year. I guess I sorta grew up. I thought about what a privilege it is for me to have a say in how my life is governed and as a woman, how past women have fought for my right that I had been so passe about. DS was WAY into it as well. From before the tickets were decided he was interested in who and what and where. So I took him with me to vote. Which was a big reason I voted early. Also, they closed the schools to students today and I knew I would be waiting in a line with two squirmy kids. (Though FG just came home and said that there was NO line. Probably because I saw a gazillion people voting early this year.) I have the TV off right now. I'll watch later. I am so over the political ads that I rented a movie for myself last night. I snuggled on my bed with my glass of wine and watched. It was great. The only attacks on anyone's character were against Anne Boleyn.

Today we're having a slow day. I'm wasting time on the Internet. The kids are hanging out and I just gave in and let them watch some cartoons. They have been good today and I need to scrub the bathrooms. If I don't occupy them they come in and bug me and slow down the process. Do you know anyone who wants the process of scrubbing a bathroom to slow down for one second? Didn't think so. My dad called and he's going to take us to lunch. I freaked him out yesterday. I started crying on the phone with him. I'm an only child and a girl. Therefore crying does not go over well with a Daddy. He's worried about us so he's going to help us out. We'll be fine in the long run, we just have to get through this financial mess the country is in. So when I was crying over our kitty and the possibility of having to put her to sleep because we simply cannot afford her expensive surgery, he drove over here. It's a 40 minute drive. He brought me money. The cat will get her surgery tomorrow and will be as good as new. We just simply do not have the extra money at this moment to help her. That or literally no Christmas presents for the kids. I was sick over it. Sick over the thought of killing a fairly healthy cat and beloved member of the family just because I want to be able to get my kids a Wii. It made my dad sick too to hear me cry, to think about what the cat faced and the sadness that would bring to the kids. So Daddy to the rescue with half the money for her surgery! Aren't parents great? I know FIL has always been a willing helper for both FG and his brother. Help getting into our first house, help getting into our second house, help getting a car when we were 23, newly married and dead broke with only one car and two jobs each. I don't ask much of my parents except time with my kids, even though they are willing and able. And I didn't ask this time, I was sort of forced. He's on his way here now to take the kids and I to lunch. Part of that is he's bored and he knows we're all home. He's retired and my mom still works. He gets very lonely and very bored. Sounds better to me than doing more laundry or scrubbing more bathrooms!

Per my Menu Plan yesterday.... Karly, yes, we have had the MM sandwich before and YUM. Last time I made them I didn't have the kids eat them. Last night I did. They liked them as much as we do! I was shocked when their sandwiches were gone and there were still french fries on the plate! I didn't use as much butter as she does in her recipe but they were still yummy. It's a once in awhile thing around here because I try to cook fairly healthy. Except when I feel like DS needs a little fat and I make homemade Alfredo sauce with heavy cream and Parmesan over tortellini. Definitely not a dish to eat before a cholesterol test!

Happy Voting Day everyone! I'm entirely too anxious to see the results tonight!

~Menu Plan Monday!~

This past week was a busy one! This week will be a little bit better then the following week is going to be another doozy! FG is going back out of town this weekend for work. I start working at my friend's wine store again starting this weekend and DS barely goes to school this month. He's off tomorrow for Election Day (schools are polling places and there's no way they can use the Multi-purpose room for voting AND school because the kids eat lunch in there), then he has an early release day on Friday, off next Tuesday for Veteran's Day and all of next week is Parent/Teacher Conference week so they get out early every day. The following week is a full regular week of school and the week after is Thanksgiving so they barely go that week as well! Between FG working out of town, me going back to work part time and the kids going to school only part time, it's going to be a busy time around here!

This past weekend, I decided to take my ripe bananas and bake some yummy banana bread for my friend. To the party, we took a bottle of wine and I gave her a little birthday gift as well. She said she didn't want to share her bread and I told her that I figured she may want to just save it for breakfast the next day to help herself feel better from her night of dancing and celebrating. It worked out well. I made a delicious apple pie for our dinner at FIL's house last night and every last bite was eaten. I think I'm going to have to go get more apples and make another pie. I am already craving more!

Last week's menu was barely followed. Things just kept getting in the way! This week's we should be on track a bit better, even with FG out of town the end of the week through the weekend.

• Sunday - Dinner at FIL's house
• Monday - Pioneer Woman's Marlboro Man Sandwiches, french fries, salad
• Tuesday - Chicken & Broccoli Wreath (Pampered Chef recipe), apple slices
• Wednesday - Balsamic Pork Chops, roasted acorn squash, mashed potatoes
• Thursday - Just me & the kids from her on out... Hot dogs, noodles, veggies
• Friday - DS's Request! Homemade pizza & garlic knots (pizza dough rolled out, cut into strips, tied in a knot, baked & then tossed with olive oil, granulated garlic and Parmesan cheese)
• Saturday - Stir fry shrimp & veggies over pasta

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chicken and Broccoli Wreath

2 cups cooked chicken -- coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups broccoli -- coarsely chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic -- pressed

1 egg white -- lightly beaten

1/4 cup slivered almonds

16 ounces crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In mixing bowl, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, mayonnaise, dill, salt and garlic.Mix well.
Unroll crescent rolls and divide into 16 triangles. Arrange 8 triangles in a circle on large round baking stone with wide ends 3 inches from edge of baking stone and points towards the outside. (points will extend off the edge of baking stone).Arrange remaining triangles in center of stone matching wide ends with triangles already in place. (points will overlap in the center).Flatten seams of triangles where wide ends meet, creating a smooth surface for filling. Do not seal center of triangles.
Scoop the filling mixture evenly over flattened part of the dough in a continuous circle.
Beginning with last triangle placed in center of baking stone, bring point of triangle straight across filling. Next bring point of opposite outside triangle diagonally across filling, covering point of previous triangle. Repeat, overlapping points of inside and outside triangles to form a wreath.Tuck last end under first.
Brush wreath with egg white and sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Source: "Pampered Chef"

Go check out Laura's site I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu plans!