Recipes- Pizza

Need an idea for a fun dinner on New Year's Eve? How about homemade pizzas. Our favorite sauce recipe is Papa John's Copycat (Food.com #108447). I use tomato sauce instead of paste and water (8 oz = half batch = 1 pizza).


If you'd like to make your own crust, this is a good recipe for Stuffed Crusts (Food.com #36121).

We've been making pizza's each week on Friday night. The kids love making their own (from shaping and pricking the dough to making up their crazy toppings). I enjoy making funky toppings like Fajita's or BBQ Chicken to go on top the crust.

The other crust I've been enjoying is from the book "Breaking Bread with Father Dominic". What I find interesting (different) about his recipe is that it uses brown sugar and olive oil. I searched and searched online for a posting of this recipe but couldn't find one. Since it is copyrighted, if you are interested in it, I'd have to say to look the book up at your local library. ;)

My best HOME BAKING TIP comes from my cousin, Bobby. He taught me to precook your crust for 10-15 minutes at a VERY hot temperature (450°-500°F) then add your toppings and cook 10-12 more minutes. This will help your crust "hold up". ;)

As always, I love to hear if you've made use of any of my favorite recipes and how they worked for you. Enjoy!

Ahoy, Sourdough!

I recently requested (and received) a Sourdough Starter from my local Freecycle group.

This week, I have done some research and started using the sourdough starter. I have made: Pizza Crust, Pancakes, Banana/Applesauce Bread, Mannaeesh (think Pita-ish), and now English Muffins. I realize that one of the initial reasons I wanted a Starter was to make English Muffins. Still, they seemed a little scary and mysterious. Last night I started them (the dough has to sit for 12-16 hours) and tonight I cooked them.


How can a little pile of bread make me feel so happy!?

They look (and taste) great! I'll let you know how they taste tomorrow for breakfast! :D

Recipe - Chicken and Dumplings

Presented to you, by request of Mara Jade...

Chicken & Dumplings
Tom & Suzy, June 2004

Tired of super salty, quick-prep chicken and dumplings, my hubby and I set out to create a simple homemade version. In 2004 we came up with this, and we've been making it (to rave reviews from guests) ever since! Straight forward and simple, the trickiest part is remembering to put the flour and milk in AND remove the Bay Leaf. We hope you enjoy this "comfort food" as much as we do!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken, boneless skinless breasts, cut into one-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons oil

3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper, freshly cracked
1 bay leaf
½ onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
5 carrots, sliced
if desired, fresh chopped broccoli
if desired, fresh snipped parsley (3 Tablespoons)
if desired, frozen / fresh corn

1/3 cup flour
½ cup milk

1 package Pillsbury Grands Biscuits

Directions:
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven (or a nice big pt that you have a lid for) on medium high heat, add cubed chicken and garlic. Stir; cooking until chicken is white.
2. Add broth, bouillon, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and fresh vegetables to create a stew. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat on stew; simmer on low, covered, 30 minutes, or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf from broth.
4. While stew simmers, open biscuits and set out on a plate (to rise) or make your own biscuits.
5. In separate container, mix flour and milk. After 30 minutes of simmering, whisk flour and milk into broth on stove. Stir well.
6. Add biscuits to top of stew. Cover and continue cooking on low heat 15 minutes.
7. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Variation:
1. Make homemade or Biquick biscuits instead of canned.

Generously serves four.

As ever, I'd love to know if you make this and how you like it! :D

Ladybugs

Saturday (June 13th) I played around and made two delightful and "oh-so-cute!" Ladybug items.

I planned to make another Baby Shower Minkie-Taggie-Lovey-Blankie-Thingy. While looking for ideas, I found this cake. I really liked the angle of the photograph and wound up creating this ADORABLE item:


One of the fun things about this applique is that all the fabric for the background and bug is super-soft Minky... except for the antenna. They are made from an old (clean) shoelace, couched down. I really appreciate the texture difference (both visual and tactile) that the shoelace creates.


In addition, the gift was for a Baby Shower. The lady hosting the shower has had a downfall of bad luck this month, and when I saw her the day before, I could see the poor gal was seriously overloaded. So, I offered to make the Party Cake. I found this website with amazing cake ideas and photos (Coolest-Birthday-Cakes.com). I looked through dozens of ideas before basing my shape on this.


My whole life I've made birthday cakes. Actually, I cried on Jack's last birthday (on the phone, with my Mom, at the store) because I was BUYING him a store-bought cake. Frank was sick. I was exhausted. Still. Crying over a store-bought cake. It goes to show you HOW IMPORTANT it is to me that I make birthday cakes for my family and friends! In all my years of playing with decorating tips and looking through Wilton Year Books, somehow, I never picked up a magnificent tip.

When finishing the frosting, dip the blade in hot water, smooth frosting, wipe off excess and repeat.

I've never taken a cake decorating class, just looked at books and came up with ideas. Mostly, I want a cake that tastes amazing, and looks fun, but isn't "too much" work. I enjoyed the Coolest-Birthday-Cakes.com because it was full of Non-Threatening creative ideas by the common cooks like you and I.

Still, with that one little tip (plus freezing the cake between steps), I was able to create this very nice looking cake. By the way. If you are wondering. Jack helped me with the process of creating both these items... thus the "lined up on one side and zig-zaggy on the other" spots. Jack and I made the eye whites and mouth out of taffy, warmed slightly in the microwave, and then hand shaped, like Silly Putty. Putting the decorations on was Jack's big part of this cake. :D

I would love to hear the music to go along with this fun song:

Hello Ladybug

Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1972 Schroder Music Company, renewed 2000. a.k.a. "Ladybug."

Hello ladybug, little lady, ladybug
Hello ladybug, my little friend
Eating up the crawlers that eat up my roses
Fly around ladybug, come back again.

Hello, wiggleworm, little wiggle, giggleworm
Hello, wiggleworm, my little friend
Churning up the ground so the roots can go down
Wiggle, wig, wiggleworm, come back again.

Hello buzzy bee, little buzzy, fuzzy bee
Hello buzzy bee, my little friend
Carrying the pollen that makes food and flowers grow
Buzz around, buzzy bee, come back again.

Hello ladybug, little lady ladybug
Hello ladybug, my little friend
Eating up the crawlers that eat up my roses
Fly around ladybug, come back again.

Now. One more fun Ladybug thing for you. I found this poem that reminds me of how content we all can be in our lot in life:

Happy to Be Me- a Ladybug

I'm a ladybug
nothing more
but I'm happy to be me,
so free,
with so much beauty to see...

I'm red with black spot
found in field,
meadow,
or flower pot...
on blade of grass,
tree limb
shrub or flower,
perhaps even on the Eiffel Tower!
hill or dell,
by a stream
in wood serene-

I've been to so many places
it's hard to tell...
I'm very little
but please do not belittle,
just content to be a creature of this earth,
isn't that a measure of worth?

-Marie Lawrence

I hope you're having a great weekend! This creative break was wonderful, but now it's time to hit the books again! :D

An Update from the Nearly-Mute Girl

I'm feeling better still today... not so congested.

Tom took yesterday off, but today he's not had ANY calls... so, he's been able to spend the whole day playing on the computer... I mean resting!

Jack and Frank seem to be fine. Hard to keep tabs on their rambunctiousness while nearly Mute myself.

As of this morning, I've finished sewing FOUR Halloween costumes (pictures of all the kiddos will come after they wear them tomorrow) and am about 1/4 done on the second sock to make my FIRST PAIR of socks.

Also, I made my family's Zucchini Brownies Recipe and mixed in some chips / Reese's Pieces. They all sank to the bottom! My neighbor told me I should bake 1/2 the batter for 5-10 minutes, and then sprinkle the goodies on, and top with rest of the batter. I guess every so often, I need to have a cooking attempt flop! Oh well! You live and learn and they still taste good.

I'd thought about carving our pumpkin this afternoon, but it's a VERY tall and skinny pumpkin and I just don't feel like I have the energy at the moment, so, we'll see!

How did October get over? I have so many fun Halloween-y things to do and I did so few of them. I never even got out my Halloween decorations, and I know right where they are and I can reach them... it just didn't happen. And quilting, I have plenty of projects to do for Halloween that involve sewing... but wait, I did sew, and sew, and sew! Costumes times four kids! Se-la-vi (did I spell that right).

Oh yeah, and today's Heather's birthday! I hope you're having a GREAT DAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!!!

Suzy :D

Delicious Dinner

Yesterday I started cooking dinner at one in the afternoon. I continued working on it until it went on the table at 6:45. I was on my feet from the time my friend arrived to help at 3, until 6:45. Today I'm sore and tired, but the dinner was DELICIOUS! Here's our Menu:

• Au Jus ala Jessica (see recipe below)
  
• Homemade Buns - Wonderful! Terrific! Amazing! Even great COLD and PLAIN, straight out of fridge, the next morning!
  
• Steamed Rice - A good, simple side for this. Not really necessary, but nice to enjoy sauce on.
  
• Microwave Steamed Frozen Broccoli Pictsweet Deluxe Baby Broccoli Florets) - which was surprisingly delicious!
• Perfect Pie Crust (The Pioneeer Woman)
• Carmel Apple Pie (The Pioneeer Woman)

Actually, the dinner was so delicious, that even thought the pie looked amazing, we still haven't tasted it. After lunch we'll cut into it! ;)

Here's the recipe for the Au Jus & Roast:

Au Jus ala Jessica
by Jessica Cecrle
Summer 2007

Ingredients:

• Center Rump Roast
• S&P
• Onions – 3 med – sliced thinly
• Mushrooms – sliced thinly
• Butter
• Johnny's Au Jus Concentrate

1. Rub generous amounts of salt & pepper into roast.

2. Roast in oven 2-3 hours low heat (250 F' ish) to internal temperature of 145F.

3. Once the roast reaches about 145F, remove from the oven, be careful not to overcook this roast. (It's easy to do!) It should be a little pink when it comes from the oven because it will continue to cook a bit more on it's own. Let sit 10-20 minutes.

4. Thinly slice the meat (which will still be a bit pink – if it's too pink, just warm it a little in an oven),

5. Melt 2 T butter over medium-low heat. Add onions. Sauté slowly, adding more butter as needed until onions caramelize. At the end, add Mushrooms to onions or cook mushrooms separately.

6. Use drippings plus water to make Au Jus sauce according to directions on bottle.

Serving Suggestions:

1. Serve over steamed white rice.

2. Serve with Asparagus or other fresh green veggie.

8-10 Servings

Repercussions

I'll apologize now, because I think this post is going to be disjointed and "all over the place!"

Repercussions, as defined in Merriam Webster Online:

Main Entry:

re·per·cus·sion

Pronunciation:

\ˌrē-pər-ˈkə-shən, ˌre-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Latin repercussion-, repercussio, from repercutere to drive back, from re- + percutere to beat — more at percussion

Date:

1536

1: reflection, reverberation2 a: an action or effect given or exerted in return : a reciprocal action or effect b: a widespread, indirect, or unforeseen effect of an act, action, or event —usually used in plural

— re·per·cus·sive \-ˈkə-siv\ adjective

Tom had a headache. A very bad headache. It lasted for MANY hours and was so intense! Noise and light became unbearable. He thought he was experiencing his first migraine. Upon further inquisitions, I discovered that all the pain and trouble were on the right side of his head. I said "it doesn't sound like a migraine, it sounds like a tumor" ... because it sounded like pressure on his brain causing the trouble. Then. I thought about an injury from last Monday.

While in Riverton, he walked into an open door (one on his truck that lifts up, but couldn't go all the way up because of an awning or something). When he hit the door, he knocked himself to the ground... not an easy thing for someone who's 251 pounds (he's lost 25 pounds recently! YEAH TOM!!!) Afterwards, he reached for things that weren't there and stumbled about until he found the cab of his truck. He laid his torso down on his seat and left his feet outside. He says it was "ten minutes" before he could see again. Of course, since he couldn't see, who knows how long it really was. He'd cut himself right at the hairline on his right temple. The next morning, he said it felt like someone'd been kicking him in the head... since I'm sure he's had this happen in Bar Fights, I believe he wasn't exaggerating.

So. I thought back to this walking into something (again... he'd hit the same part of his head about a week earlier, though not quite as hard) and all the pain he was having and decided he must have a concussion. He was in A LOT of pain. I'd called around and got him an appointment
the first thing the next morning with a Chiropractor.

That night the pain in my hip / thigh / sciatica / lower back returned with a vengence (thanks to my FINALLY starting a garden with the boys...

ALL I did was dig and rake a SMALL bed for the corn. REALLY! It was just 4' x 6'. That's seriously a small amount of gardening!!! Of course, I've been having trouble for the past three weeks since grading the front yard for sod... so, my body still wasn't healed. But REALLY we have a VERY short growing season here, and I wonder if these will even beat the frost... the corn should be productive by the 12th of September. We still "need" to get the carrots in the ground. All they have are corn, and marigold seeds mixed in with the strawberry plants (which I don't expect any production from until next year).

Anyway, my left hip/back was hurting, BAD! So bad that when I tried to lay down and go to sleep, I **literally** jumped out of bed to "get away" from the pain. I wound up on the couch. Standing doesn't hurt it. Sitting doesn't hurt. Just laying down. I've been completely deprived of sleep the past three weeks and Tuesday night was THE WORST!!!

Tom fetched me from the couch around 2:30 am. His head felt better and he wanted me to go to his appointment in the morning. I poo-pahed him. At 7:55, when he got up, he came downstairs and told me to get myself ready, because I'd be going to the Chrioprator.

I did. I've been going to Chriopractors since I was eight. Every one has their own unique approach and touch. Usually, I feel a little "tightness" or a "pull" in the area(s) worked as I'm walking out. This doctor did a different approach AND I felt better when I left. Relaxed. No pain. The true test came at bedtime though, when I was able to sleep without pain in my left hip!

This turn of events was good for me, but, the doctor whom I'd spoken with the day before, wanted to know where my husband was. I described things and he too thought a concussion might me the culprit. The doctor STRONGLY urged me to get Tom to a doctor. In fact, I was on the phone making the appointment when the doctor came in to see me. He realized whom I'd hung up with, handed me my phone, told me to call back and make the appointment before he'd treat me, then left the room! That's pretty amazing (to me). That a doctor would thank you for hanging up, but ask you to call back.

So. Yesterday afternoon, 10 days after the injury. Tom went to a doctor where a concussion was confirmed. His right eye-lid (unnoticed by us) is still droopy. His right eye is having trouble tracking. And of course, all the pain he's still having, all on the right side of his head. The doctor wanted to order a CT Scan as a CYA procedure. Since it's been so long, he's not too worried about more complications... just need to let things heal up. Rest and Time.

I'm still concerned though. And, quite honestly, tired of listening to all the "my head hurts" every afternoon and evening. So, today Tom had to drive back to Evanston, about 1 1/2 hours. I told him I'd take him. So he could rest and his head wouldn't hurt so bad. I thought it would be a good test to see if it would help, him being able to relax and sleep while riding instead of having to focus while driving. It also would be safer than him continuing to drive with this obvious pressure in his head.

Well. His lead found out that we were with him and why. Then, not an hour later, his boss called. We were headed to another call at the time, but, we got sent home. Apparently, my driving him is a liability for the company... because if we got in an accident, la-la-la... So. Even though Tom can do his job and I can drive him to-and-from his job. We're not allowed to because of the risks to the companies legal department. I understand. I get it. But really, I think of Tom and I as a team. He's hurt (a little) and I can help. Why shouldn't I be able to? If your spouse / friend drops their vehicle off at the shop for the day, you can drive them to work, right? Their boss usually appreciates them getting to work. Especially when there have been LOTS of personnel conflicts about coverage in the past few weeks. It should be okay that a wife A) wants her husband to be seen and treated when he's hurt himself, and B) wants to help him continue to do his job.

I feel sad that our society has disjointed it's members to the point where all the parties of a family are suppose to report separately to work / school all day, every day, and aren't "allowed" to help each other out.

[Okay. End of RANT. It's safe to come out now!]

So. About thirty minutes from Evanston, I discovered that the "fix" was likely to take ALL day... like five or six hours! In the past, I've always gone along for the drive, been there 20-30 minutes, then headed back. So, the break and stretch would be nice, but I hadn't "planned" to be gone ALL DAY.

After dropping Tom off, we headed out to find the Chamber of Commerce. On our way to it, we found several photography worthy old buildings, but this really caught the eye of our camera...


I tried to explain that phones use to be fixed objects, not mobile devices. I'm not sure if the message got through. I'm also not sure the boys saw the humor of my wanting to pose with my cell phone against a phone booth...


EVENTUALLY (EIGHT) photos later (many of them more of the sidewalk than *ME*) Frank took the one you see above (well, I did tweak it with Pioneer Woman Adobe Photoshop Actions).

Back to playing in the booth...


I did warn you that this post was bound to jump around a lot, didn't I? I don't think I mentioned that it would probably turn into a book though!

One more shot to show you near the phone booth. Not because it's such a great / clear shot, but because it'll show you my haircut. I had my hair cut last month. First "new" style for me in... EIGHT YEARS!!! I *always* get an undercut, all-one-length cut. The length fluctuates slightly between my chin and my shoulders. It gets cut every six weeks - religiously. So. My first NEW STYLE in eight years and NOT ONE PERSON notices or pays enough attention to comment. Here. you can see the layers falling around my face...


It's a slight layer / stack at the back, but still pretty much all the same total length. I'm enjoying it, although my round brush broke and so when I do blow it dry, it's just been with a flat brush. Anyway, I know My Mom wanted to see it, and I thought I'd share with you. I had my hair cut differently and *no one* cares! Boo-hoo! :*(

[And now for something different...]

Frank and I trotted on over to the first Farmer's Market of the season. It looked promising to start...


Turns out. This was one of TWO produce vendors. There were also TWO bread makers and ONE Salami. The rest of the TWENTY or so vendors were all arts and crafts and wares. This is okay and everything, but shouldn't it be called a "Craft Show" instead of a "Farmer's Market"? I'm just sayin'!

We came home with this patehtic lot.


I mean, I'm sure they'll TASTE good, but the price? They lot of it was $21. The cantaloupe fits in the palm of my hand. The asparagus is pencil thin. The beans and potatoes are nice, but they were $5 each.

I guess we're just spoiled by Lander's Farmer's Market at Sprouts in Lander last year. They had eight to ten produce vendors each week, just one jewelry vendor and the price was 1/4 to 1/3.

Anyway, we enjoyed going, but we'll probably go to our Sister City's Farmer's Market next week, but I doubt we'll go back to this one. Maybe in a few weeks, to see if some other vendors come.

So. There you go. No posts and then THIS! The Mega-Post from hell! Enjoy!

Recipe - Chicken Cordon Bleu in a Pot

In honor of, and for, Mother's Day, here's one of my Mom's newest recipes that is quite simple to make, even for novices. So... if you're still looking for ideas of something to do for your Mom/Wife tomorrow, take a peek at this recipe. It's rich and creamy and definitly a Holiday / Company recipe.

I've posted Chicken Cordon Bleu in a Pot on Recipe Zaar. It is a rich, creamy soup with all the flavor the popular baked dish, and all the warmth you need on a cool day. Take a look and try it out. I know you will find it as delightful as we have!

Enjoy, and please let me know (in this forum OR on Recipe Zaar itself) how much you love it!

Recipe - RecipeZaar Resource

Frequently, others ask me to share my recipes with them. This has now moved into the blog-o-sphere. I already have a couple of my most-requested recipes posted online at RecipeZaar. I'm always intending to post more of my favorites out there. Since I've been receiving online requests, I'm now starting to add more to my que on online offerings. (Is this post making any sense? I'm a *little* tired!)

Take a peek at these two that my hubby and I created:

• Flavorful Chicken Enchilada Soup - Not to sound concieted or anything, but I created this recipe ALL ON MY OWN. The first batch was PERFECT! People always ask for the recipe and then make it on their own. Honestly, whenever we make a batch, I'm always tickled at MY CREATION and how DELICIOUS it is! :D
  
• Chicken and Rice Soup - My hubby came up with this soup. It's simple and tasty. We usually have all the ingredients on hand. Whenever anyone in the house starts to feel sick, we make a big pot of this and all start eating it... did you know that scientist have now PROVEN that Chicken Soup helps you feel better faster! Really, it's true! I read about it. Oh yeah, I also like to swap up the grains... you know, barley, rice, pasta. It freezes well, but PRE-pasta, if you please!
  

And these are a few of my personal favorites from other RecipeZaar contributors:

• Oven Fried Southern Style Cinnamon Honey Chicken
• Papa John's Pizza Sauce
• Chops and Chunky Applesauce

RecipeZaar is the only recipe site I tend to go to, and I do go there, usually when I'm feeling bored with my kitchen repertoire and wanting a little inspiration. I really enjoy the search features there, like I can tell it a few ingredients or tools I want to use and get a list of recipes. There are also all sorts of themed "cookbooks" you can "thumb" through.

So. For now, entertain yourselves surfing around RecipeZaar. I'll be posting more recipes there soon!

Fit for Life - Action Plan

I just wanted to give you an update... or maybe I should just be informing you in the first place. I recently realized that I gained weight this past winter. This was a surprise for me. It's never happened to me before. I mean, well, once, I worked - consciously - for a FULL YEAR to gain almost 20 pounds. But since last fall, I gained 25 pounds... without even trying OR being aware of it. Okay, maybe on some level I knew I my clothes weren't fitting quite the same, but I had NO IDEA that such a thing would ever happen to me! My whole life has been one of those "I can eat whatever I want and I'm still always skinny and healthy." It's just been like that for me. Always and forever. Well, then I had two babies (does this story sound familiar) and with each pregnancy I gained about 50 pounds... I grew 'em big! (10 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 3 ounces big!) Still, it was three years ago when I birthed my last child and since then, things have been sitting pretty much the same. I've been fluctuating around a size 14. I just figured the weight would slip away without much effort on my part, because I never had to think about it before.

I think I'm rambling. Yep! The size of the previous paragraph says I'm DEFINITLY rambling! (I do that when I'm tired, which I am).

This wasn't suppose to be a rambling or a whiny post. Just a quick little update, and then relax for the night...

So. Suffice it to say I recognized *something* had happened and it needed to be corrected. With the assistance of my Aunt, I devised an ACTION PLAN to help me get back to a size 10, around 128 pounds... I liked that weight. That's where I plan to get back to.

This plan includes:

• regular water consumption
• vitamin and mineral supplements
• regular, nutritious food choices
• yoga
• meditation
• self-reflective periods
• consistent sleep patterns
  
• walking
• stair-climbing
• bike-riding
• swimming

Now, for the original point of this post, the quick update...

I've been "doing" the exercise portion of my Action Plan for two weeks now. Yesterday I noticed a bit more of a spring in my step and also more energy. I'm glad to feel these things, even though all of the parts of my plan have yet to be implemented and even though I'm still working to forge better habits.

So far, I've been doing the following:

• regular water consumption
• vitamin and mineral supplements
• yoga
• walking
• stair-climbing
• bike-riding
• swimming

Oh, one other thing... I'm going slow and taking it easy on myself. I started with 10 minutes biking and 10 minutes swimming, three times a week. Also, walking and stairs and yoga each day, but just in small, manageable portions.

Now, this next week I need to get my sleep and eating habits on track. Then my meditative periods (or maybe visa-versa, I'll have to think about it.)

High Altitude Cooking / Baking Adjustments

My Aunt's have had a cabin in the mountains since before I was born. It's actually the only "place" in my life that has remained constant. I've noticed that when I get there, I'm often sleepy and able to rest. I'm still pondering if I rest there because I instinctively know I can, if I take myself there when I "need" some downtime, or if it's some combination. I digress.

My Aunt Ginny was a great cook. Over many years, she gathered information for adjusting recipes to cook / bake at high-altitudes. Since I now live at a high-altitude, I was given these little treasures of info on my last visit. Now, I'd like to share them with you.

• Increase flour 2 teaspoons per cup.
• Increase liquid 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Decrease leavening agent 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon.
• Decrease sugar 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Decrease shortening 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Increase baking temperature 10 degrees.

When I ask about the source, I was told that this info was discovered by trial-and-error or that it was gathered a piece at a time, Here-and-There. I hope that they help you sometime.

It’s Been A Great Day!

I’ve had a great day today. I’ve visited. Crossed 4 out of 5 things off my list. Had a tasty and super-simple homemade meal. Relaxed. Finished some projects. And now, for some reason, I’m just wiped out and can barely keep my eyes open or focused. And so. I’ll tell you about my super-simple dinner and then I’m “over and out!”

A few days ago, I made The Best Ever Lasagna from The Pioneer Woman. I made one modification to the recipe… I made fresh pasta, which made it AMAZING! I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had homemade pasta in lasagna before… it was very interesting. You didn’t really “notice” the pasta while you were chewing (like, it wasn’t all rubbery and chewy). Also, the denser, fresh pasta seemed to “hold” the whole thing together. As in, when you put a piece on your plate, it all stayed together (instead of sliding apart into separate pieces). Using fresh pasta also allowed me to fit the pieces just right into my dishes (including an Oval Shaped Pampered Chef Stone). I cooked one pan immediately and froze another (which is why my dinner was so easy tonight, just heat (for 90 minutes) and eat! ) The ONLY thing we would have changed, was the sodium… between the pasta, the sauce, and the cheese, the lasagna had THREE TEASPOONS of SALT… a bit much for our tastes (although we didn’t notice it so much on the reheats). By the way, this lasagna was equally good fresh, leftover, or frozen… all of which were cooked in stoneware in the oven or toaster oven. We will MOST DEFINITLEY be making this again and again!

To Microwave or Not?

Yesterday my microwave smelt like burning electronics. Today. It turns on, it spins around, it makes noise, but, it doesn't heat.

I cleared the counter quick as could be, happy to have some more space (even if for a little while). Now though, I'm wondering if it's worth buying a new one. The only three things I can think that I use it for are:

1. heating milk for hot cocoa (can do on stove)
2. POPCORN! (can do on stove, in air popper (currently don't own one), or down at the apartment club-house)
3. reheat dinner plates (rarely, I usually find they taste better when heated on stove or in toaster oven)

That's it. I actually have a friend that got rid of their microwave a couple of years ago... said it wasn't healthy to use it, etc. I wonder if she (Gabby?) is still microwave-free.

This microwave was a Freecycle item... and perfect for us, like new, clean, white, and a little thing (more counter space.) I've put out a request to Freecycle, but I'm not sure if I even want a free one.

What do you think? To Microwave or Not? This is the question.

Suzy

Running Out of Carrots

What happens when you run out of food, a three year old is serving, and he likes the food?

How about, he gets all of the said food, sparing just one piece per other person, in this case, raw carrots. :D

And yes, those are HOMEMADE NOODLES on the plates, thank-you-very-much! And the pork chops that went alongside of them, and the gravy, and … mmmmmm, it was delicious!!! Even though I burned the original veggies (which is why we switched to raw carrots) while I was making the gravy and pasta and all of it.

Postscript: when I logged on to post this, I realized I forgot to post yesterday. It’s the first time in about three weeks I haven’t made a post. I.just.plain.forgot. I don’t even know what happened to make me forget. Guess it’s one of “those things”, we'll just know!

Cooking for Picky Eaters

I enjoy cooking. BUT. I often find myself dragging my feet about meals for my family. I think it's because I put so much into the cooking and then sit down to a table full of "I don't like this!" or "I don't want to eat this." or "I'm not hungry." or "You put ___ in this!?" I'm sick of it! So. What are my options?

1. Eat the same three bland meals twice every week.
2. Make what I like, get zero appreciation, and eat most of it myself while starving my family?
3. Yell, scream, and issue threats at each dinner.
4. Make four different plates of food at every meal.

I go round and round with this. Actually, while cleaning out some old notebooks today I found a list I made in Arizona titled "foods the boys LOVE to eat"... so, obviously I've been working with and struggling over this for a while. Today I was thinking, "what if I make sure to make at least one dish that each person likes at each meal, and I rotate them to make certain everyone's eating a balanced diet..." Then I thought, "that sounds like a lot of work!"

I've never been one for making lots of special foods, I've always thought they should "eat what I fix". I also think it's my responsibility as a wife and mother to cook foods that are healthy, economical, and satisfying for the whole family.

I always have struggled to plan menus. For some reason, that's just a hard thing for me to sit down and do. I've been doing better at it, but as I do better with planning a menu and shopping for it, it feels like my family does worse for the eating of it.

I'm just not sure what to do. Any bright ideas?

On a related note, here's a super-simple treat I came up with a few years back. I call them my "cheater smores". You take whatever vanilla frosting you like (homemade or store bought) and spread it on two graham crackers. Then, sprinkle a generous layer of M&M's on one of the crackers. Top it with the second cracker and enjoy with a glass of milk. Mmm, yum! Here are a few pictures.

Like I said, super-simple and totally yumilicous!

Suzy :D