!NO, REALLY, YOU CAN EAT IT!

Use your noodle

2012-03-03T00:15:00.001-05:00

Who feels like pasta tonight?

special thanks to youtube.com, Epic Meal Time and icanhascheezburger.com

Touched by God

2012-03-02T00:15:00.002-05:00

Hey there...sooo, life kinda got in the way of me doing anything I wanted to do this week. Again, its a very long story that I must save for a later date, but look at it this way, when that later date FINALLY gets here, I am going to have one hell of a story for you all...so something to look forward to I suppose. I also know that I promised one of my grandma's dishes for today, but I swear, next Friday. Instead, I took the easy way out and found a really funny article, full of pictures of images of Jesus and The Virgin Mary in various food items. I wish I could find something like that in my food - then I could sell it on ebay and be rich. It will never happen, because I am too busy shoving the food in my mouth when eating to notice that my cheetoh looks like Jesus hanging on the cross. Oh well.

For those of you who were concerned...I DID get my shamrock shake the other day. Here is a picture of me holding it...I'm lovin' it...

Also, the song today is by one of my favorite groups...though not exactly the holiest of songs, its still a great track.

So, here's that article...enjoy. Check back tomorrow for some Epic Meal time!

Foods Touched by God

Special thanks to popcrunch.com for the awesome article, Cheezburger.com for the funny lolz cat, AND youtube.com, XTC, Virgin and Geffen Records and MTV for the use of their video...Dear God, I hope I gave props the right way because I don't want the Google police after me...

One giant leap...

2012-02-29T00:15:00.001-05:00

Yep...its that fourth year where we have an extra day in February. Whoo hooo...I don't know - I mean, if you weren't born on February 29 and you aren't a woman who has been waiting patiently to propose marriage on this once every four years day, is it really all that exciting? I don't know...I bet I can think of a way to make it more exciting...

Leap Year Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce Grand Marnier

1/2 ounce sweet Vermouth

1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

Directions

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon.

OK, I don't get the correlation, but whatever. Like I said yesterday, I am getting a Shamrock Shake. So there!

OH! I almost forgot....I have been very sad because I have had a lot going on the last couple of days and haven't been able to keep up everyone's blogs...after today, fingers crossed, I should finally have some time!!

8 Fast Food Nightmares and Forty Weight

2012-02-28T00:45:00.003-05:00

So...very...tired. Did...not...cook...anything...today. Ate...leftovers...

Anyhow...I have something tasty planned for tomorrow (involving a lot o bit o pork...or maybe I will save that one for Thursday...tune in to see!) but for now, I shall just share with you eight reasons why I do my best to stay away from fast food joints. Except, I will have to hit up McDonald's sometime soon to get my annual Shamrock Shake...because they are awesome, and they make them all fancy with whipped cream and a cherry and a see through cup now. I have decided that tomorrow, after my massage I am getting one. CAN NOT WAIT! That's a double happy day!

OH...also in the link I am attaching, there are videos of a web show called Forty Weight. Its about a cafe in Portland and all of the shenanigans their employees get up to...I kinda like it. I did chuckle a bit. So check that out...there's also a video about eating tarantulas. I could NOT bring myself to watch that because I did not feel like throwing up. (Me and Fear Factor were never friends.)

So, enjoy! And get thee a Shamrock Shake before they run out!!

8 Fast Food Nightmares | The KoldCast TV Blog

And the song...well...like I said...I am tired, and I love this song...soooooo soothing....

Lemony Good!

2012-02-26T00:15:00.000-05:00

I have been really feeling spring the past week or so...I got home from work the other morning and could see the tips of the lilies that run along the front of my house poking through the rocks in the flower bed. Also, you may all remember that I have planted seeds for a back yard vegetable garden (which are sprouting, by the way...I will post pictures of them on Thursday) and with Lent starting - that just gets me thinking about Easter eggs and jelly beans and to me that equals spring! Also, as things turned out yesterday, I was home alone with the kids and we were looking for something fun to do, so we decided on cupcakes. And with me all in the spirit of spring, I wanted something light...and different...so we made these....

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients

CUP CAKES

1 1/8 cup (9 ounces) Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed

White boxed cake mix

3 egg whites

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Baking cups

FROSTING

3 cups plus 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Enough red food coloring to turn the icing pink

Directions

CUPCAKES

Mix together cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil and lemonade concentrate on low mixer setting for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium for 90 seconds. (The batter will be a little lumpy - do not over mix or you could end up with dry cupcakes.) Place cupcake liners into a muffin pan and fill the cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 - 25 minutes - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a rack. Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the frosting and ice the cupcakes.

FROSTING

Mix together confectioners sugar, butter, salt, lemon juice and food coloring until well blended. Mix with a hand mixer on medium high until well blended and fluffy. Fill a pastry bag with icing or frost with a knife. Top with sprinkles or colored sugar if desired.

We used sprinkles!

So you could do all of that...BUT from what I understand, Pillsbury has a Pink Lemonade cake mix with matching frosting...and we have also recently established I am all about short cuts...now to find a store carrying them!

Happy Meal Time - Special Saturday Bonus

2012-02-25T12:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday! I am soooo glad that it is the weekend and am actually in a pretty good mood! What does this mean to you? A special bonus for you...

Happy Meal Time...Muscleglasses is ADORABLE!!

Thinking about breakfast...

2012-02-25T00:15:00.000-05:00

What to have, what to have??? EGGS!

Short Cuts...again...

2012-02-24T00:15:00.001-05:00

Hi there. I know its Friday, and its a lent Friday, so I should have probably thought this out a little bit better, but you can save it for Saturday. And some of you might just want some meat today because you don't observe Lent. I wouldn't want you guys to feel left out. AND...I promise that next Friday, I have another of my grandmother's meals to show you - and it is very Lent specific (gotta love an old Polish woman and her Lenten diet!). And speaking of Lent...can I tell you something?? Great. At least around here, Catholic churches tend to have fish frys on the Friday's during lent as a fund raiser for the congregation. Many of them offer take away service now too. Want some good fish and chips - check them out. I've only had it from a couple of churches, but it is way better than any restaurant or bar I've had them from. And the meal is made with Church Lady love. So there.

And as I have poor planning, you can guess, I had to take a short cut for dinner. I just wasn't feeling it...but again, sometimes short cuts are the best thing! Now, this may not seem like a lot of ingredients, but if you want to do it the harder way, check this recipe out... http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Beef-Tips. Or, you know, you could just do it my way.

Beef Tips

Ingredients

2 -4 pounds lean round steak

1 or 2 jars of beef gravy - enough to cover the meat plus room for the meat to swim around

1 medium onion sliced

1 bag of extra wide egg noodles

Directions

(Yes, you have to plan head, for you need a crock pot...) Trim fat from beef and cut meat into cubes. Pour gravy jars into crock pot. Add beef. Slice onion. Add onion. Stir together. Cook on low setting 7 - 9 hours.

Just before serving, cook egg noodles to package directions. Serve beef and gravy over noodles. Enjoy!!

Sorry about the off center picture. It was a rough day. Made all better by beef (and really good
gravy!)

Seedlings

2012-02-23T00:15:00.001-05:00

Sooo....despite the fact that everything is grey and dead outside, the calendar tells me that soon it will (ok, SHOULD) be nice out and ready to plant stuff! Last summer, I updated you all on the happenings in my garden - we had some VERY successful zucchini! This year, I am trying to be a bit more organized about things, and also trying to plant some more variety. As soon as the ground is thawed, my husband and kids will be clearing some grass in order to have a proper garden in the ground...only, they don't know it yet. Its my little springtime surprise, that I am SURE will make them all smile. Because who doesn't smile about some manual labor?? Anyhow, we have some sprouts already. Very exciting. I planted peas, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkins, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers - two varieties...one for having cucumber and one ideal for making pickles, onion, three kinds of peppers - two hot and one sweet, and some corn..and for the kitties, some cat grass and catnip. I'm good like that. I am looking forward to being able to walk out my back door and pick some vegetables!!

In the beginning...

Many seeds...

Where they sit and try to absorb as much sunlight as possible. The colorful pots on the side are the kids Miracle Grow kits we found at the end of last summer. All the same kinds of plants, BUT they also have eggplant.

Waiting game.

Meatless Wednesday...for Lent

2012-02-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

And now I have a food hangover. That's ok. I know that I was all gung ho about getting healthy at the beginning of the year, and I kinda fell off the wagon. I wouldn't say that I have gained any weight, but I certainly haven't lost any more either. Today shall be my new beginning. Maybe if my stress level would cooperate I could possibly stop eating to make myself feel better...vicious cycle. So what am I giving up? Unhealthy habits. Pretty broad, but then again, I am not the most religious person either, its just a set date on a calendar to begin that has a set ending date on the calendar.

But, out of respect and in honor of Ash Wednesday, here is a meatless recipe that is quite tasty.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 cup fresh or frozen green beans

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup whole wheat pasta

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan Cheese - optional, for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add in zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Stir in vegetable broth and water. Add beans, pasta, oregano, and basil. Simmer until vegetables and pasta are tender - about 35 minutes.

Season soup with salt and pepper and serve warm. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

And now for some chanting monks....

Eat, Drink and Eat! Its Fat Tuesday!!

2012-02-21T00:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome to this special Tuesday...call it what you like, Fat Tuesday, Carnival, Shrove Tuesday, Paczki Day, Pancake Day, Mardi Gras...even if you are not a religious person and gearing up for Lent, it is an excellent excuse to eat until you can eat no more. I myself will be doing the multi-cultural thing this morning by stopping at the EXCELLENT Italian bakery by my home that has the standard Polish style Paczkis (sounds like Poonch-key) and Italian Paczkis (which are richer and cost $1.00 more there). I will probably go for the Italian style as that is my heritage and, hello, they are richer! You can get Paczkis filled with fruit (think out of control jelly donut), custard or cream (and by cream I mean thick, creamy, almost frosting like filling.)...I will be going for the cream filled. I expect to slip into a diabetic coma withing minutes. It will be wonderful. My kids are excited too, because of all the sugar. Woot! One of these years I am going to have to visit a local town called Hamtramck. They have got some authentic Polish bakeries and Paczkis that are to die for! Nothing like the ones sold at the local grocery store (though, those aren't too bad either!). Anyhow, the signs to order your paczkis have been up for weeks, but I am just going to take my chances and walk in -I am positive there will be some left when I show up!

Last year on Fat Tuesday, I posted one of my most viewed posts of all time. If you would like to check it out (if you weren't with me yet, or if you forgot) click on the link here...http://noreallyyoucaneatit.blogspot.com/2011/03/mardi-gras.html (can I tell you how much I LOVE being able to look back at last year to see what I was thinking then???) You will find a recipe for the wonderful sandwich known as a Muffaletta. If you have never had one, I suggest trying it. They are super delicious.

This year, let's take another walk through New Orleans, shall we??

Creole Jambalaya

Ingredients

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) beef broth, undiluted

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds fresh, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a Dutch oven, saute onion, celery and green pepper in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the next 9 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

Add shrimp and parsley. Simmer uncovered for 7 - 10 minutes, until shrimp is pink.

PLEASE NOTE: Season this to your taste...if you like more garlic, used more than to cloves. Not hot enough? Throw in some hot sauce. Want some more meat? Add sausage or seafood or what ever you have on hand! Whatever makes you happy. This recipe is just a starting point. When cooking, I look at it like this - the recipe is a guideline. If I like more of something, it is going to taste better to me to put more of that ingredient into the dish. Unless I am baking. When baking you need things to rise and settle a certain way, so then you have to follow the directions. Your food should not only nourish you , but it should put a smile on your face too!

(Yeah...I don't get the correlation of that picture with the song, but whatever!) Have a great day!!!

Happy Pickle Day...ummm.....

2012-02-20T02:15:00.002-05:00

Before we get down to business, just in case you missed it yesterday, I did a guest post for a fellow blogger and the post went up yesterday (my post from yesterday will link you to it AND share a recipe that has something to do with what I wrote about...which has NOTHING to do with food. For those of you that did check it out already, I thank you. If you missed it and would like to see it, click here...http://www.moonerjohnson.com/2012/02/mels-adventures-in-chicago-songs-in-the-key-of-integrity/ Thank you in advance for taking a look. If you read my post from yesterday, you can learn how I really feel about my writing - if that is what you want to call it!)

Well happy day to all the presidents. You guys do a fine job for the people. How proud must our founding father feel knowing that 236 years after the birth of this fine nation, we celebrate their accomplishments with various sales for mattresses, appliances, furniture and whatever else retailers are going to try and make a buck off of...OH, AND all banks, post offices and government offices are closed. George Washington must turn over in his grave every time he finds out about another cheese ball commercial with some dude dressed like him, wig and all, chopping down a cherry tree. From what I read, the man preferred ice cream for dessert!

I gave the kids an assignment and they are feverishly working working on it right now, and have been for a couple days now. They picked a president and are compiling a comprehensive report about his life and accomplishments. Who did they choose? John Adams. Remember him? He was the second president, like, ever, from 1797 - 1801. I did a little research of my own. The man had some favorite foods...apple cider, kale, onions and pickles. Yep. Imagine a meal comprised of his favorite things. Holy heartburn, Batman!!

On a side note, I am going to make an attempt at canning later this year. One thing my

husband has made known (repeatedly) that he would like me to can for him would be....??? Pickles. Now I know how presidential he has to potential to be. So anyway....in honor of the late great John Adams, I give you PICKLES!!

Easy Freezer Pickles

Ingredients

8 pounds cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced onion

3 tablespoons salt

4 cups sugar

2 cups vinegar

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon alum

Directions

In a large container combine cucumbers, onions and salt; mix well. Let stand for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Let stand for 2-3 hours, stirring often. Pour over the cucumber mixture and stir well. Pack into 1 pint freezer containers leaving 1 inch head space. Cover and freeze up to 6 weeks. Thaw before serving.

How easy is that?? Who knew making your own pickles would be that easy? I guess this means I am going to have to make them soon...

Now this is cool...

And THIS one is FUN!!!

Oh me , oh my...somebody wrote a guest post...

2012-02-19T10:28:00.007-05:00

What did I get myself into? I have to let you all in on a little secret. I am positive that everything I write absolutely sucks. Also, I never think that anyone else gets my humor. I personally think I am funny as hell, but perhaps I have just gotten one too many looks over the years like there is something wrong with me, like I sprouted antlers or something, whenever I say something I find amusing. Knowing this, I thought it would be a great idea to write a guest post for another blog when asked. My instructions were to "Write something not about food, Mel." Well, like I said last week, there really is more to me than food, so thinking like that, and having actually thought of a story, I decided to write something. And write it I did. It didn't take long. It is an event from my past that has crossed my mind several times over the years, and now especially. (If you go read the post you will know why...)

So, where do you find it??? http://www.moonerjohnson.com/2012/02/mels-adventures-in-chicago-songs-in-the-key-of-integrity/

As you will see by the comment I left, I still think it is dreadful. Mooner either thought enough to post it OR just had nothing planned for today and decided to run with it because he didn't want me to feel bad. You all can judge.

So, I will wait here while you check it out, and then you can read the rest of my post. It will make much more sense to you then (unless my mother is reading this, in which case, I will say "Chicago". Got it?).

Oh, you back??? What did you think?

Really?

OK, here's your recipe for today - maybe it would have come in handy last night, but you can save it for another weekend.

Jungle Juice

Ingredients (Please note, there are no measures - you need the whole bottle, at least)

Everclear

Vodka - 3 bottles

Peach Schnapps

Apple Schnapps

Rum

5 2 Liters of Lemon Lime Soda

Sunny Delight Fruit Punch

4 bottles of Boone's Farm (fine wine)

Various sliced fruits - strawberry, grapes, melon, pineapple

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a large tub or vat or container of some kind. Dump in fruit for garnish. Proceed to become drunk quickly as it really does just taste like Hawaiian Punch. You WILL have a wicked hangover in the morning. Also, as this is a drink of choice of underage drinkers, the liquor tends to be cheap. So nothing top shelf. Just DON'T skimp on the Everclear. And, of course, if you feel you will need more that what the recipe will make, then by all means, add more booze.

And in honor of those events which transpired all those years ago...

Spring Fever!

2012-02-18T00:15:00.001-05:00

I am getting REALLY sick of winter and have gardening on my mind...how perfect...where to get the seeds??

Happy Blogiversary to me!

2012-02-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Yep...on this day in 2011 I posted my first recipe. Wanna see it? I mean, I know I showed your during my year in review, but we can have a look again, right? OK, first, here is Looking Back. In this post I went back over some eventful posts from throughout the year. Have a look if you like. There is some stuff - I think its good, but that is just me. My absolutely first post was titled Why?. It was a very delicious recipe for Barbecue Chicken Pizza - which, incidentally, if you have not had this, try it. TO. DIE. FOR. I am not even kidding. I am a hard core pizza fanatic - and I do not go for gourmet specialty pizzas. I am on the side of greasy, lots of cheese, good sauce, and little pepperonis (because they curl up and form little pepperoni bowls of more grease and the rims get crispy and they taste SOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!). I am telling you. Worth the stray to the gourmet pizza side for a minute. For real.

Also pretty cool...I hit a very huge milestone this week with 300 followers! I am happy that anyone shows an interest in anything I write, but 300 people?!? Wow! Just wow!! I really do appreciate all the support.

So the blog has evolved over the past year. That is for sure. It has brought me much joy. It has also made me realize how much I love to cook and what I would try to do with my life, now that I am growing up (it only took almost 40 years...) and since I know some of you all aren't around on the weekends, here's a link to Everything Zen where I revealed my master plan. I had alluded to this maybe a month ago when I stated I would have a big announcement soon. It was in this post. Also, did you know they make Green Tea Liqueur? Neither did I. And they do.

I have also made it perfectly clear that I have a deep, undying love for butter (REAL butter) and bacon. I would show you examples of posts, but I have said it so many times, I don't think I could find them all! Anyhow, I was trying to think of a recipe to post today...what is my favorite dish??? The truth is, I just love food. A lot. I have to keep everything in moderation, because I need for my ass to fit into the kitchen for me to be able to cook!

So, I found this recipe for the "Bacon Bomb Explosion". I have never made this before, but I think I am gonna soon. I, of course, will show you the results. I PROMISE!! Instead of typing out the whole thing for you, the wonderful gentleman at bbqpitboys.com made a video for their youtube channel, and I think seeing is a lot easier than reading, so here you all go!! I am in love. Enjoy...

That is just like heaven.

And now for a song...a recent addition to my blog. I am always listening to music (and singing too - don't know how good it is since it has been YEARS since I actually sang for anyone but my kids) so it just seemed natural to post a song to go with the food. Many times I have gotten inspiration from a song...check these out...Elvis Has Left the Building, I wish I was in Tijuana, eating barbecued iguana, and I want CANDY! (which is a favorite of mine...subject matter and song and recipe!!). Now since I said that bacon explosion was "Just Like Heaven", I bet you think you know what song I'm gonna post. WRONG! Not that I don't love The Cure, but I wanted something that gets me moving whenever I hear it.

Ladies and gentleman, The Jam...

I want to thank you all for your support!! You are the best!

Oh...hi there again...

2012-02-15T12:29:00.002-05:00

I know some of you have checked it out, but I did start another blog to prove there is more to me than food. Or something like that. Anyhow, this past Saturday we had a bit of a snow storm and I got to deal with the stupid drivers that didn't need to be on the road. So...if you want to check out the latest post, you may do so by clicking on this link... http://ispytheworld.blogspot.com/2012/02/stupid-snow-or-stupid-people.html

I thank you for your support =D

Guard the boat, mind the tide... don't touch my dirt. ~Captain Jack Sparrow

2012-02-15T03:15:00.000-05:00

Hello again. Remember yesterday when I was all about taking shortcuts? Still totally there. Pretty much because I need to go grocery shopping and that just isn't happening until Saturday, I am thinking. But these people living here still insist upon eating, so make them dinner I will...

So, shortcut. My son loves the hell out of some Hamburger Helper. I was positive we had some. I was wrong. I really didn't have anything else to make with hamburger - and don't tell me hamburgers, because I am out of buns, and no one will just suck it up and eat the burger on bread slices. Pfffft....whatever. Its all bread. Anyhow, I then remembers this dish that I found somewhere a few years back, though I can not remember where. It was called "Pirate Dinner"

(hence the piratey feel today). Couple of little roadblocks. Didn't have the plain canned diced tomatoes I needed, nor did I have the bag of frozen peas. Improvisation. Its a whole new piratey dish.

Spicy Pirate Dinner

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or turkey, whatever you want or have)

1 box regular old macaroni and cheese

1 bag (12 ounces) frozen corn

1 can original Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

Directions

Brown ground beef then drain. Add box of macaroni, including cheese packet, bag of corn still frozen and can of tomatoes. Fill empty tomato can with water and pour in to skillet. Mix everything together well. Cook over low heat until pasta is tender.

Spicy Pirate Dinner. There you go. My son was super exited because its just so close to his beloved Hamburger Helper. Plus, bonus for the momster - vegetables are included!

Now the video...after watching the Firefly marathon that was on Sci-Fi this past weekend (still angry about the cancellation of that one...) and laughing at Wash and his silly antics, I was going to post a video of Steve the Pirate from Dodgeball (because the same guy plays both parts...) and I couldn't find one worthy...the one that looked good Fox pulled from Youtube. Whatever. So how's this?

"Valentine's Day: the holiday that reminds you that if you don't have a special someone, you're alone." ~Lewis Black

2012-02-14T10:35:00.001-05:00

Well, hey there and a Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I have a confession to make. I don't actually make everything from scratch all the time. If I did not have to work every night, then perhaps I would, but realistically, I have to take short cuts. And I do. A lot. I did this morning, and my kids were so happy, they didn't care if I had made their special breakfast from scratch or from a box. It was all about the love. Let's go back to Christmas. I found out a day or two before Christmas Eve when we had our big family celebration. I found out that one of my oldest and dearest friends was going to be alone on Christmas Eve, so I invited her over. Even though she didn't have to, she brought gifts. Knowing how much I love to cook, she got me this nifty little gift set....

See that heart shaped thing? That is a mold for pancakes. Heart shaped pancakes. And behind that is some Knott's Berry Farm pancake mix, some strawberry preserves on the left and some boysenberry syrup on the right (YUM!). I was thinking about making the pancakes Christmas morning, but pretty much already had breakfast planned, and there was already tons of food, so I didn't. I eventually moved the gift set to the pantry and forgot about it...until this morning. Perfect. I added the water to the pancake mix powder, and after a disastrous first attempt (and a very bloated, enlarged pancake heart) I got the idea and proceeded to make two almost perfect heart shaped pancakes (which were kinda thick and pretty filling) for my kids breakfast

this morning. Here is what they came down to...

Yep...candles even. And before anyone gets all upset, that is chocolate milk in those martini glasses. They were pretty excited. And it only took me a few minutes. What I am getting at is that taking shortcuts is perfectly fine. There is just no way I would have enough time to lovingly prepare every meal I make from scratch. BUT, just because it isn't from scratch, doesn't mean there isn't love going into the meal and that the food doesn't taste good.

Soooo....I hope you don't think that was too much of a shortcut of a blog for today, but I want to spend some time with my two little valentine's...who are currently attempting to build an igloo in the back yard.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all...now please enjoy this sweet little love song from my younger days...I have an igloo to help build!

Sushi Time

2012-02-11T00:15:00.000-05:00

I know how popular the couple of sushi posts I have done were...time for some more!!

Tastes like chicken...

2012-02-09T11:25:00.003-05:00

What the hell have I been doing?? Dealing with crisis after crisis, that's what! That or my level of stress is just so high that everything seems like the end of the world. I don't know...deep breathing and doing my best to maintain a positive attitude. Whatever...I think I need to make some bacon infused vodka this weekend or something. Anyway...I do now have a rear window in my car again. Major pain in the ass...really great how it happened in February. And while it was pretty warm the day it happened, it got cold the next day. I was also freaking out that the friendly neighborhood feral cats were going to take up residence inside. They did not. Its all good.

Soooo....I made something for dinner the other day that I had never actually made before. I have eaten it...my grandmother used to make it for me. I must say, it was a hit. I paired it with a side dish my grandmother would make too - fried noodles. Those are simple...cook some noodles according to package directions. After you drain them, get a frying pan out, throw some butter in there and drop the noodles in..then sprinkle with all the salt and pepper you like. I love them...they remind me of my grandma, so they taste even better! And what was the main course???

City Chicken

Ingredients

1 pound pork, lean and cubed into 1 inch pieces

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg

1/3 cup milk

6 short wooden skewers

Oil for frying

Directions

Mix egg and milk together. Set aside. Arrange meat on skewers. Dip in egg mixture and then roll in bread crumbs. Brown meat in oil until golden brown. Place in 350 degree F oven 15 to 20 minutes...until meat is done.

If you would like to learn a little more about the origins of City Chicken...which is pretty big in the whole Great Lakes Region that I live in...you can follow this link to the most reliable source of information on the internet...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_chicken

I guess a ways back, when my grandma was a child, it was cheaper to get cuts of pork that chicken, so they stuck it on skewers and told the kids it was chicken. Whatever...it tastes GOOD!

OMFG REALLY???

2012-02-06T12:50:00.004-05:00

make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop make it stop.

I swear, if one more thing happens, I will be living in a psychiatric facility this time next week. Who wants to place bets?

So, do this for dinner. Find menu that you have lying around the house for local pizza joint that delivers. Find phone. Call pizza joint. Place order for delivery of your food AS YOUR FRICKEN REAR WINDOW SHATTERED IN YOUR CAR TODAY THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN.

Have a great day, so someone can!

The Suberb Owl

2012-02-05T07:15:00.000-05:00

I am not gonna lie about which team I would like to win the Super Bowl. I have to take the Patriots just because of the whole Tom Brady factor. I may be wrong, because the Madden game picked the Giants, but whatever. I pick him because of the Michigan connection and because of the fact that he beat the hell out of Tim Tebow not once, but twice, and as some of you know, THAT makes me happy! I am not a fan of Tim Tebow. I could go on and on, but I won't...but I do have a gripe about today's big game. Madonna? Really? Halftime? Come on! While, yes, she does in fact have the whole Michigan connection too, she has been totally influential, blah, blah, blah. The Super Bowl Halftime Show. No thank you.

So what exactly will we be munching on during the big game?? Nachos and boneless wings. Now, I am not trying to take the easy way out, but I have posted BOTH of these before, so due to the circumstances that have occurred during the past week (details which I promise to disclose when I am able...) I am just going to link you back to those posts now...

Check out NACHOS

And BONELESS WINGS OH, and what a bonus, you get my tasty way to make onion rings with the wings too! By the way...I am still taking donations for a deep fryer...you know...if anyone was feeling charitable or something!

All right...gotta get cooking!!

Everything zen...

2012-02-04T15:39:00.005-05:00

Here I am, much calmer than I was the other day. I would very much love to share exactly what is going on and why I am under the extreme amount of stress that I am...but I can't. Not now anyway. What I can tell you is that while it really sucks now, far off in the distance there is a light at the end of a very long tunnel. I don't know how long it will take to get to the light, but I WILL get there. And when I do, everything will be better. Its just the getting there. Hopefully the biggest stress is behind me, and things will at the very least stabilize for the time being....THAT would be a relief that I would gladly take! When this journey is complete and I do make it to the end of that tunnel, I will have one hell of a story to share. And I promise to...just as soon as I can!

I also have to remember that this blog is very therapeutic for me, so I NEED to continue...I am thinking that perhaps daily posting may not be the best idea, just for the simple fact that I have about a million and a half things going on and some days there is just not enough time. My goal will be to post at least 3 or 4 times per week. If I can do more I will, if I run out of time I won't, but I will not be stopping. I made mention a week or two ago about some big plans I would be announcing soon. I suppose now is as good a time as any...I believe I have made mention off a suggestion that my husband made, an that is writing a cook book. I'm gonna....eventually. I just need to figure out what kind....but I think I have...baked items. I love cooking, but I really love baking. And it totally goes along with the next part of the big news. Maybe not right away, but I will be starting a website from which people can order baked goods from me. And then eventually, my dream is to open my own bakery (which I just might be able to do at the end of that tunnel...). That's kind of huge, right?? So, all of this stuff is going to take time for me to do, and time is a very precious commodity at the moment, so even though I have the plans, I can't really act on them just yet. But, I will be, and as things get up and running, I will certainly let you all know!

So...for now...I will try to ignore or at least deal with the bad to the best of my ability, and I will do my best to find my inner zen. I will do this despite the negativity that surrounds me. I will also try this drink later to help me reach it...

Zen Breeze

Ingredients

1 part green tea liqueur

2 parts white cranberry juice

Mint leaves

Directions

Shake both ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into an ice filled tall glass. Garnish with mint sprig.

Now that sounds kind of divine, I think. I would also like to that everyone for their kind words the other day. I had reached a breaking point of sorts, and my brain was on overload. Something had to be done. I needed a little bit of time off. This is honestly the first time I have turned on my computer since that post. It has been a little crazy around here. I am hoping, like I said, things will calm and stabilize. I will be doing everything on my part to ensure that happens. I can not account for everyone else though. They (and I think they know who they are) need to get with the program, and step it up! Anyway...thank you all again, and know that I have no intention of shutting down any time soon!

And I think you all saw this coming...

Taco night!

2012-02-04T00:15:00.003-05:00

Mmmmm....can I point out how much I love their constant use of bacon?

Too much

2012-02-02T11:41:00.002-05:00

Hello all. I am afraid that I am going to be taking a break from my blog for a bit. I just might be a couple of days, a couple of weeks, or months. I promise I will be back, but despite the fact that my cold symptoms have gone away, I still have many other health issues on my plate right now. Maybe I am just having a bad day and I will be back tomorrow. The way I feel right now, I have to have some time off. I really do love doing this, but I have got to "take care of business" for the time being.

I do have some posts scheduled, so look forward to those, please. Like I said, I could just be having a bad day, and I really do hope to be back soon. I am just overwhelmed, and have to focus on some other things at the moment.

I look forward to coming back just as soon as I can!!

Mel

I want it all

2012-02-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there! Feeling much better, head cold wise, today. The zinc and chicken noodle soup really did the trick. So far anyway. I really want it all to stop, but life doesn't work that way, so whatever. I am doing my best to maintain a positive attitude, ESPECIALLY since I got WONDERFUL news today!!! After twenty years, that is T-W-E-N-T-Y years, I am finally going to see one of my most favorite people in the whole world. Some of you were introduced to him if you read THIS post. Yep, I will get to hang with my cousin...finally! The last time we saw each other we couldn't even go out for a beer! Thankfully, with the internet and telephones, it is like we have still always been in each other's lives, despite the distance and big old ocean separating us. No worries...despite the stupid bullshit that was just thrust upon me and not being completely recovered yet, I am in a pretty good mood and I want it to be time for his visit NOW!

So that is the whole "I want it all" theme, kind of...or something. Now for the food...

Beef Ravioli

Ingredients

Filing

1/2 pound ground beef

1 small onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

salt

1 egg

water

Ravioli Dough

2 1/4 cups flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped (though I prefer way more...)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions

Filling: In a skillet over medium high heat, cook beef, onion, and garlic until all juices evaporate, onion is tender, and meat is browned. Remove from skillet, stir in parsley, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, then egg. Cover and refrigerate.

Ravioli Dough: In a large bowl, stir flour with remaining ingredients to make a stiff dough. On a well floured surface, knead dough until smooth and not sticky, about 20 times. Cover dough and let rest 30 minutes for easier rolling.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece into a 12x8 rectangle. With dull edge of a knife, lightly mark dough into 24 2-inch squares. Place a scant teaspoon of ground beef filling in the center of each square.

Roll second piece of dough into 12x8 rectangle, place over filing. Press around filling and along edges. With a cutter or knife, cut into 24 ravioli. Place in a single layer on a clean floured towel. Repeat with remaining dough. Let ravioli dry for 30 minutes.

In an 8 quart sauce pan over high heat, bring 6 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil. Add ravioli, stirring gently to separate pieces so they do not stick together. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until tender but firm, about five minutes. Drain ravioli, serve with sauce.

Sauce: In a 2 quart sauce pan, over medium low heat, in hot oil, cook garlic and onion until tender. Stir in sugar, basil, salt, tomatoes with their liquid, and tomato paste; heat mixture to a boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

That is a lot of work. Maybe save this for a weekend. I want it now.

Stupid virus

2012-01-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am still fighting the good fight - my zinc lozenges are helping I think...and all the water and vitamin C...but just to make sure...

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
12 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup water
3 cups diced cooked chicken meat

Directions
Cook egg noodles according to package directions.

In a large saucepan combine broth, salt and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil. Stir in celery, carrots and onions. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

In a small bowl mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles and chicken and heat through.

Or I could just open a can, pour it in a bowl and nuke it. Oh well...positive thoughts...but this really blows. Sad, sad me...

Cold Meatless Monday

2012-01-30T13:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I am happy to report that we had a beautiful snowstorm yesterday, and it is still coming down now. Granted, it is supposed to warm up by about 15 or 20 degrees tomorrow and rain so its all going to turn to mud, but its very pretty now! This morning when I went to my daily doctor appointment, it was COLD! My feet are still warming back up...but then again, I got myself a cold too, but it was bound to happen. Loading up on zinc and vitamin C to kill it. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow. I am becoming a broken record, and for that I apologize. It has just been a whole lot of crap to deal with all at once lately. Still waiting for karma to (PLEASE) swing her little pendulum back in the other direction so that I may have a break for a minute. Dare to dream...

So, once again, I am going to give you a very yummy and filling Meatless Monday recipe. I just got done making it and WOW did it ever taste good! And I meant it when I said it was filling. I will be good for a long while until I need more food!

Asian Greens and Noodles with Tofu

Ingredients

3 3-ounce packages ramen noodles

3 tablespoons sesame oil mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 12-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 12 pieces

Salt and pepper

1 11-ounce package Asian cooking greens

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

Large pinch red pepper flakes (though I think I used more like 3 large pinches)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Pinch of sugar

Directions

Cook the noodles as the label directs. Drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the tofu to the skillet and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon oil and the greens to the skillet. Cook, tossing, until just wilted Add the green onions, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce and sugar. Add the reserved cooking water, heat to create a broth. Divide the noodles and greens among 4 bowls and top with tofu.

Yep, very tasty and easy! I will be making this one again soon!!

Breakfast alternative

2012-01-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

I thought I might give you a recipe with a little less than 18, 521 calories for breakfast. That breakfast fortress looked good and all, but I think that spreading out my calories over the course of a week or more leaves me less hungry. It also has a tendency to keep the old blood sugar stable too...makes for a much happier and nicer me, I can tell you!

Anyhow, I was looking around and found some not so typical French Toast that I thought I would share with you!

Chili Cheese French Toast

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 cup half and half

8 slices French bread (cut diagonally about 1/3 inch thick)

1/3 pound shredded Jack cheese

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro

2 cups salsa

Directions

In a large bowl beat eggs and milk together. Dip 4 slices of bread into egg mixture - coating both sides of each slice.

Arrange slices evenly on a lightly greased baking sheet. Top bread evenly with cheese then add green chilies and cilantro.

Dip remaining slices in egg mixture, coating both sides. Top cheese covered bread with plain slices to 4 sandwiches.

Bake in a 400 degree F oven until they reach a golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes. Turn with a spatula and continue baking until they are puffed and evenly browned - about another 10 minutes. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise. Serve with salsa.

The picture is the closest I could find to it...if you would like to check that one out...http://www.evernewrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chili-Cheese-Toast-Recipe.jpg There are some variations!

As for the song I chose today (that I am thinking will now be a regular feature because I love music just as much as food!!) is because we are supposed to have a big old snow storm today!!! I will believe it when it happens, but the possibility is there! Fingers crossed =D

Where's the booze?

2012-01-28T00:45:00.001-05:00

Its in your pancakes!!

Oh hi there...

2012-01-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome Friday. And with a new day comes new worry. First of all, let me say that I honestly think there is something to this whole seasonal effective disorder. It has been soggy and wet and gray here for what now feels like forever. I wish it would snow, because the snow would cover all the dead plants. And it would be brighter. It would only be temporary though. So that means that I am now looking forward to the renewal of spring. And hopefully this spring is not a raging monsoon like last year. Sunshine and happiness will be much appreciated. I look forward to reporting the sprouts of my first crocus. In the meantime, I will enjoy my aromatherapy candle called "Peaceful". It smells like Lavender and eucalyptus. I like it.

So what do I have to worry about today? Well, my mother in law has been dealing with a chronic illness for several years. It just got worse. So she is on my mind. So I am going to post a recipe for something she loves and used to make (quite well too!) before she got sick.

Polish Stuffed Cabbage - Golomki

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or ground beef, pork and sausage mixture)

1/4 pound bulk sausage

1/2 cup rice (instant)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup onion

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Italian seasoning blend

1 can tomato sauce

1 medium head cabbage

Directions

Put cabbage in a large pot of water and simmer removing core to make it easy to take off each leaf of cabbage. In the meantime, put water in a small pan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and put in instant rice.

Melt margarine in small pan and saute diced onion; simmer until transparent. In large mixing bowl blend hamburger, bulk sausage, rice, onion, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well and fill each cabbage leaf with mixture; fold leaf to enclose mixture.

Line bottom of pan with large outer leaves, putting stuffed leaves on top, covering them with more leaves. Mix the tomato sauce with Italian seasoning blend to taste and pour over the top. Bake for about an hour and a half covered with foil in a 350 degree F oven, then remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes.

Just kind of feeling this one today...

Happy Australia Day!!!

2012-01-26T15:15:00.001-05:00

Well, a very happy Australia Day to those "down under"! There are a few blogs of the Australian persuasion that I follow, but one stands out. And actually, this is one of my favoritest blogs aside from the whole Australian thing she's got going on! She is an excellent writer and shares a diary post from sometime between 1970 and now. She has got some incredible stories to tell...especially if you are into music!! Now, you all go wish Hariklia a very happy Australia Day!! I will give you a minute or two...read her post...I can wait =D

She also helped me with some recipe suggestions...much like Independence Day here in the states, people enjoy a good barbecue. Now, hamburgers and hot dogs are all fine and well, but since kangaroo meat is so readily available...yep. Just season it up like you would some steak, throw it on the grill and have at it! Also, it is very lean - only 2% fat per serving, so you don't get that gamey taste. Take a look...

Doesn't look too bad, in my humble little opinion!

AND...now for the dessert...since I have a sugar addiction.

Lamingtons

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

Whipped cream for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8 inch cake pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

In a separate bowl, use and electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar mixture together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat well after adding each egg. Add the vanilla to the mixture, and mix well to combine.

Next, using a spatula, alternately add the flour mixture and milk to the butter/sugar mixture, in three additions, starting and finishing with the flour.

Spread the batter into the cake pan, making sure it is evenly spread. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about five minutes and then invert it onto a wire rack to cool.

Once the cake has cooled, cut into squares of desired size and place them in an airtight container. Leave the container in the fridge for at least two hours or even over night.

For the icing....place the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

Stir the mixture until it is smooth but still a bit thick. You don't want the liquid to get too thin, otherwise the spongecake won't absorb the coating.

To assemble, on a wire rack, place the pieces of cake on the rack and quickly coat the cake with icing on all sides and then coat with fine coconut pieces. Repeat the process until all cake is covered. Can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days!

OH MY YUM!! OK, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that I have added a converter over on the right...all you have to do is pick what you want to measure (distance, weight, etc.) and you are in business!

And finally...a song...

I bet you thought it was gonna be Men At Work...

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!!!!

I've said it before and I will say it again...

2012-01-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Wanna know why I have been so absent lately?? I'm not looking for sympathy (but I will take it...) just explaining what in the hell I have been doing....you can read why here...

http://ispytheworld.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-im-dealing-with-here.html

Thank you for your understanding...I hope to be back to normal soon!

Diamonds are forever...

2012-01-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

All of this health crap has been getting in the way of us having a history lesson...I mean, here we are, 25 days in, and I don't think I have posted a history related recipe yet! I must be slipping!! The time has come...and as you have probably guessed, it is all about diamonds today. Why? Because of this...(from history.com)...

"On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan," it was the largest diamond ever found.

Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's surface when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall just above him. His discovery was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine. Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain's King Edward VII as a birthday gift. Worried that the diamond might be stolen in transit from Africa to London, Edward arranged to send a phony diamond aboard a steamer ship loaded with detectives as a diversionary tactic. While the decoy slowly made its way from Africa on the ship, the Cullinan was sent to England in a plain box.

Edward entrusted the cutting of the Cullinan to Joseph Asscher, head of the Asscher Diamond Company of Amsterdam. Asscher, who had cut the famous Excelsior Diamond, a 971-carat diamond found in 1893, studied the stone for six months before attempting the cut. On his first attempt, the steel blade broke, with no effect on the diamond. On the second attempt, the diamond shattered exactly as planned; Asscher then fainted from nervous exhaustion.

The Cullinan was later cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller ones, valued at millions of dollars all told. The largest stone is called the "Star of Africa I," or "Cullinan I," and at 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the "Star of Africa II" or "Cullinan II," is 317 carats. Both of these stones, as well as the "Cullinan III," are on display in the Tower of London with Britain's other crown jewels; the Cullinan I is mounted in the British Sovereign's Royal Scepter, while the Cullinan II sits in the Imperial State Crown."

Fun stuff. Can you imagine? Why can't I find a 3,106-carat diamond? I know...because I have the shittiest luck ever. And probably because there aren't a whole lot out there.

And now how do I turn a diamond into a recipe??

Pink Diamond

Ingredients

1 ounce white Tequila

1-2 ounces white Creme de Cacao

1-2 ounces milk

1 splash Grenadine

Directions

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. "Paint" a large martini glass with cold, thick fudge from a squeeze bottle. Start at the bottom of a very dry glass and spin the stem while moving the stream of fudge up to the top rim. Strain contents into painted glass. Float a swirl of fudge and/or rim glass with large granule sugar to garnish. (As you can see, I like the idea of skipping the fudge and rimming with sugar!)

I need a Coke...

2012-01-24T13:25:00.004-05:00

I feel like I am dying. Not only is the weather playing games with my sinuses, but all of the fun stuff I got from my doctor's visit yesterday takes some getting used to! Needless to say, I am wiped out and could totally go for a Coke!

So, since I feel like I could sleep for a month, something easy sounds like a good idea. And wait a minute...it's got Coke in it!

Chili Coke Roast

Ingredients

3-4 pound beef roast

1 jar chili sauce

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 (12 ounce) can of Coke

Directions

Whisk together chili sauce, soup mix and Coke. Place roast in a crock pot and pour sauce over the meat. Cook for 7 - 10 hours, until meat shreds easily.

Serve shredded meat over mashed potatoes and with these on the side...

Garlic Butter Green Beans

Ingredients

2 cans green beans (14-15 ounce cans)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Stir ingredients well into a small pot and heat until butter is melted.

I don't like Mondays

2012-01-23T17:00:00.002-05:00

Remember the other day when I was bitching and moaning about not feeling good and I also said I promised a recipe for someone?? Well, I still don't feel good, BUT I have some at home physical therapy toys now - I literally left the doctor's office with a huge box - AND I have a tasty salad recipe per Alma's request!! So, I am going to start being positive again, and give you a salad recipe. Now, I mentioned to a lovely lady that I work with the other day that I was going to be posting a special salad for Alma and she got excited and gave me this recipe...so we can thank Marilyn that I work with for this one! AND....it also fits with the whole "Meatless Monday" thing, and sounds totally refreshing for someone who may be enduring some sticky humidity in the Southern Hemisphere right now. Me, on the other hand...it isn't sticky and humid here, but waaaaaaay warmer than it should be. All of the snow that we got the other day is now gone. I will eat this salad and look forward to springtime =D! Also...coming soon...bigger things on the horizon. I will fill you all in soon. It is exciting!!

Creamy Grape Salad

Ingredients

2 pounds seedless grapes - red and green

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces sour cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup pecans, finely chopped and divided

Directions

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add grapes and half of the pecans. Mix well. Top with remaining pecans and sprinkle with some extra brown sugar.

I can not live without this...

2012-01-22T22:40:00.005-05:00

Now, I wouldn't eat this one, though you do heat it in the microwave and it contains rice. I can not live with out this...I do not recommend making it too heavy because you could possibly give yourself a hernia lifting it. It does require sewing (and in my house that means many f-bombs are dropped as I loathe sewing and my stupid sewing machine hates me and goes out of it's way to piss me right off....). So what is it?

Its a rice bag. And it is wonderful to soothe aches that you want to put some heat on. I would type out the instructions, and believe me, it is quite easy to make...as I said, I am NOT a good seamstress. Sewing makes me angry. I make one...I actually made several a couple of years ago and gave them out at Christmas presents. Of course, I made one for myself, and I am so thankful that I did. I would not make it through a day without it. No joke. So here are some instructions... http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/ricefilledpad.htm

As you can see, you can get really creative with the shapes to suit your needs. Mine is a rectangle - it is big enough that I can put it on my neck and I can shape it to suit my needs. I also highly recommend adding the lavender too - when you warm it up the scent is really soothing.

Food later.

And the big deal was what??

2012-01-22T03:15:00.000-05:00

If memory serves, I made mention to what I would be posting today, but that I could not go into details, as it was to be a surprise. So, what was the surprise exactly? Well, evidently, not really much of one. My mom celebrated her 60th birthday two weeks ago, and my dad threw a surprise party for her last night. I say it wasn't much of a surprise, because as soon as he started cleaning up their basement, she knew something was up. She was a good sport about it, and gave us her delightfully surprised face, which was very nice of her! It was a very nice night, even though I had to leave early because I STILL FEEL LIKE CRAP :( Oh well...at least I got to go!

Anyhow, I followed my directions given to me by my dad and brought an appetizery thing...which will be the recipe for today. But first things first. I DID in fact, make some jalapeno ice cream. It was super easy to make. If I make it again, I will use spicier peppers. It was not as spicy as I expected...but that doesn't mean it wasn't good...because it was. I don't know how to describe it...different in a very pleasant way. How's that? Also, mine did not turn out very green....see??

But that is ok with me, because it was all about the taste, as far as I was concerned. I took it to the party. When I left, my dad was taking it downstairs to everyone having cake and he wasn't going to tell them what was special about it. I am interested to hear about reactions. I will let you all know if I hear anything!

And now my "appetizery" thing I made. I must say that Pig Day really inspired me...

Bacon Wrapped Sausages

Ingredients

13 ounce package cocktail wieners (I used about half the pack)

1 pound bacon

Directions

Cut bacon package in half. Wrap individual cocktail wiener with half strip of bacon. Place on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 - 60 minutes, turning once, and to desired bacon doneness.

Eat and ENJOY...these things were addictive and were gone when I left!

AND A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!!

This song is for her...

something new...

2012-01-21T06:02:00.001-05:00

its a healing process.

http://ispytheworld.blogspot.com/

check it out.

Epic Meal Time

2012-01-21T02:15:00.001-05:00

I declare, that henceforth, I shall feature videos these guys make on Saturdays.

Might I say, my arteries got clogged watching this...enjoy.

And now for a little side note...I had a really bad day yesterday, pain wise. I had multiple doctors appointments, and didn't even have time to eat. I apologize for not posting, because I got a really great recipe I wanted to share, but I promise to share that one on Monday (it is for someone, and I didn't want her to think I forgot about it, because I didn't!!) I hope you all enjoy the video. For tomorrow I have something that I can not go into details about at this time...its a secret!

So there is my story...talk to you all tomorrow (and I will also read all of your blogs and let you know what I think sometime this weekend. Promise. I am having withdrawals from not being able to on Friday!)

You scream...

2012-01-19T11:35:00.003-05:00

Well, well, well....seems we have some new master chefs among us as of late! Welcome to you all! If you take a look at some of the comments from yesterday, you will see that Sarge has got a grocery list of requests (which you all know I LOVE!!), and it really got me thinking about something that I have only recently seen (because I don't get out much) and I was intrigued, and he kind of inspired me into looking into things a bit more...and that is where the inspiration for today's recipe has come from (. I have at least one other request that I PROMISE to get it -tomorrow! (I am so excited =D)

Are you ready for this??? Don't knock it till you try it...

Jalapeno Ice Cream (yes, Jalapeno Ice Cream.)

Ingredients

4 jalapenos, tops removed and seeded

2 limes, peel of

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

Directions

Parboil the jalapenos in boiling water for 3 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK - jalapenos will lose their bright green color. Place in ice water to cool.

Process the jalapenos, lime peel and lime juice in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Quickly work the jalapeno mixture into the ice cream, put the ice cream back in its container and refreeze.

(It will taste better if you make it a day ahead.)

For Jalapeno Sherbet, substitute lime sherbet for the vanilla ice cream.

And oh, by the way...188 calories per serving.

Trying this Wordless Wednesday thang...'cause I don't feel so good...

2012-01-18T12:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Pig Day!!

2012-01-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

I am not going to lie to you. I have no idea what Pig Day is...I happened upon it while looking for some activity sheets for the kids to work on today. Now, you can go right ahead and Google "Pig Day" as I did, and you will see that some people celebrate the pig on different days than today - the big dates I saw were March 1 and 2, but there were also some random pig festivals and events that came up too. I don't care about that though...I already had it in my head that when I wrote my post today I would be featuring the pig, because were it not for them my favorite food would not be - BACON! (And please, don't push your turkey bacon on me. That is utter blasphemy. Its like telling me that margarine tastes as good as butter - sorry no, go smoke some more crack rock, because you don't know what the hell you are talking about...or that low fat cheese is just as good as the real stuff - YES MOONER...I know, I may as well "eat the napkin" but I am no good at figuring caloric counts, so I stuck with yesterday's recipe as is so I could produce that information! By all means, USE THE REAL THING! I would...even though I am doing my best to stick with the program - one must indulge on occasion, and real bacon, real butter and real cheese are worth it to me!) All that being said, and after some serious consideration, as well as some hefty respect to the pig, I have decided to go full out, non-diet, all about the fat on today's recipe. Because really, can you imagine eating bacon without the crispy fat? Of course not...those are the tastiest bits.

And while we are on the whole subject of bacon (one of my favorite subjects!), I recently came across this article and though it was interesting, and of course I am going to share. It discusses how bacon is a gateway meat for vegetarians. I have a theory why this is...because it is AWESOME! But that is just me. Check out the article...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/02/02/133304206/why-bacon-is-a-gateway-to-meat-for-vegetarians

Perhaps some sense was made there...but you vegetarians can keep on being strong...more bacon for me!!

Ok, next up in our pig extravaganza...some cat bacon desktop wallpaper for you...

http://www.joeydevilla.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/BaconSpaceKitty.jpg

Do like??

Something else fun to know about pork...

Now...that is straight from porkbeinspired.com. They know their pork. And on the the show...

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops with Seasoned Butter

Ingredients

4 6 -7 ounce boneless pork loin chops, 1 1/4 inch thick

4 slices thick cut bacon

Garlic-Mustard Butter

Directions

Dry chops with paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Wrap a strip of bacon around each one, securing with a toothpick. Cook by one of the methods below. After cooking, remove toothpicks and serve with Garlic-Mustard Butter.

Broil: Broil 4 inches from the heat source for 6-7 minutes. Turn and continue broiling until desired doneness, about 5-6 minutes, or until internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F, and then rest for 3 minutes.

Pan Broil: Heat grill pan over high heat, add chops and lower heat to medium-high, and cook for 6-7 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and continue cooking 5-6 minutes until internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F, and then rest for 3 minutes.

Grill: Prepare medium-hot fire in grill and grill chops over direct heat 6-7 minutes. Turn and continue cooking 5-6 minutes until internal temperature on a meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees F, and then rest for 3 minutes.

So the cooking it is all the same time wise, just choose your method.

I am liking the celebration of Pig Day...

Now, to wrap our little piggy party, a reading by none other than Christopher Walken. Enjoy!

Hello Mother Nature...are you aware of the date??

2012-01-17T12:13:00.003-05:00

No recipe or anything right now...but check back in a couple of hours because do I ever have a post and a half for you today!

Anyhow...I just have to get this out of my system. The weather this winter has been ca-razy this year. Not much snow to speak of and usually we are buried. I am about ready to build an ark because of all the rain, though. I would love to let the kids have some recess (for those of you who have recently joined us, WELCOME!! And also, I homeschool my kids, so they are home with me now.) and fresh air, but since my back yard is now a lake, not really a great idea. I am guessing if I stepped on the back lawn I would sink at least four feet. At least. And the funny thing is that all of this rain started last night. The kids played outside just fine yesterday, and there was not much mud to speak of...today, they would need to be hosed off before I would let them back inside. I went out to get the mail just now, and I should be wearing some shorts and getting ready to hide Easter eggs because it feels like it is almost April out there.

However, this IS Michigan. It is said that you can wear your winter coat and a bathing suit all in the same day. Well, I wouldn't go that far, but its not that far off. I will be going to bed shortly (also newbies, I work midnights) and by the time I get up the temperature will have dropped about 20 degrees and it is supposed to be snowing. Not sure how much we will get, but I am sure it will be enough for people to not be able to get out of their driveways in the morning because they forgot and didn't get up a couple of minutes early. Enough snow to cause this could literally be a dusting. Even though we can get feet at a time. Any excuse to stay home...

Anyhow, if Mother Nature could please just pick a season and stick with it, I would be very appreciative. My sinuses are pissed off and can't take it anymore.

Also...did you see my cute little button over there on the right??? If you love me and would like to add a little sparkle to your site, feel free to grab it!! And let me know if you do...then you get to pick a recipe and get a link back to you!

Until a couple of hours from now...

"I wish I was in Tijuana...eating barbecued iguana"

2012-01-16T18:30:00.001-05:00

What??? I am quite sure there are a couple of you that will get the reference. For those of you who do not, please see the video below....

So why? Well, it could be that I have been listening to a really great classic alternative online radio station a lot lately and that they play this...but I heard it on my Michigan radio too. So, it has been running through my mind on a continuous loop. Which is fine by me! Up until a couple days ago I hadn't heard this song in ages, and it just makes me smile. Plus, its way better than (at least) half of the other crap playing on the radio these days. Also, it has me craving Mexican food. And while I was thrilled to find out last week that Taco Bell has some lower calorie options available on their MENU, somehow I just don't think that making "run for the border" is gonna cut it. Welp, you know what that means...I found a recipe for some mini Tex-Mex casseroles that I think will fulfill the craving. I hope.

Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles

Ingredients

2 diced green chiles, drained and patted dry

3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed and patted dry

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded, reduced fat Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups non fat milk

6 large egg whites

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat eight 6 ounce or four 10 ounce heatproof ramekins with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.

Equally divide green chiles, corn and scallions among the ramekins. Top each with cheese. Whisk milk, egg whites, eggs and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the ramekins.

Bake the mini casseroles until the tops begin to brown and the eggs are set, about 25 minutes for 6 ounce ramekins and about 35 minutes for 10 ounce ramekins.

Hi..that would be only 217 calories per serving!! WOW!!

What's going on??

2012-01-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

Hey there...I know I have been posting and all, but, I totally feel like a big fat waste right now. Even thought I am not. Right now, it is Sunday evening, dinner is brewing in the crock pot (that awesome Red Chicken Chili I posted a couple of weeks ago), I made another batch of the butterscotch brownies that I posted Saturday (except I added some walnuts, because I can), we are watching the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants battle it out (and by the way...did you know that Green Bay Packers fans show up for games early and shovel for them...that is how they handle their snow removal. If the Lions expected that of me, I would tell them to shove it) and I am finally having that glass of wine that I have been saying I needed all week. (And since I typed this early, I can update you on the excitement that went down later. So, the Giants won, which made my husband happy as he is NOT an Aaron Rodgers fan by any stretch of the imagination. At the beginning of the fourth quarter I had to run upstairs for something, and my old man medication that I have been taking for my kidney stones kicked in....and not in that I passed a stone, but in younger folk, it makes your blood pressure drop. And it did, and then I did...right onto the floor. I hit the floor hard. HARD. So, now I feel like death. Hoping it passes. Gotta love side effects!)

OK, so the other night I was driving to work and listening to the radio (I usually listen to the music on my phone, but a port broke on it and I had to send it back to the manufacturer and I am without for a spell) and I heard a commercial for an upcoming concert that tickets were going on sale for Saturday. I will tell you who the headliner is now...there has been some press about them reuniting with a certain lead singer and announcing a tour.

After the recipe I will let you know who is opening.

OK, so, as I said, my phone is not with me at the moment, and it sucks because I had JUST found an app that has super tasty healthy recipes on it...that is where I have been finding a lot of stuff I have been eating lately. Well, I can't get to that right now and it is making me INSANE. Luckily I came across something for my computer that is FULL of happy healthy recipes. So YAY!! Here is one I found on that...

Red Lentil, Chickpea and Chili Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Large pinch chili flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion chopped

5 ounces red split lentils

1 1/2 pint vegetable stock

14 ounce can diced tomatoes

8 ounces of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped (save a couple leaves for serving)

4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt to serve

Directions

Heat a large saucepan and dry fry the cumin seeds and chili flakes for one minute, or until they start to jump around the pan and release aromas. Add the oil and onion and cook for five minutes. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for about fifteen minutes - until the lentils soften.

Move the soup to a blender or food processor and mix until it is a rough puree, pour back into saucepan and add chickpeas. Heat well and stir in coriander. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and coriander leaves.

Mmmmmm...all that fiber! And, in case you were counting...222 calories per serving. Also, just a little FYI, plain Greek yogurt is an EXCELLENT substitute for sour cream. Now you know!

OK, and WHO is opening for Van Halen?? In case you haven't heard....

Yep...Kool and the Gang. Going to be one hell of a show. I am actually pretty sad that I have to work that night. I can only imagine the crowd...and I so love to people watch! EPIC!

Until tomorrow...

Oh my...

2012-01-15T15:15:00.001-05:00

I just got so sad....(and I certainly hope you all are seeing that there is a link to an article below...)

The World’s Most Fattening Foods | The KoldCast TV Blog

Smashing success!!

2012-01-15T05:15:00.000-05:00

Yes....that little baby pretty much shows you what it is like around here when I cook something new. It is very rarely well received...that is until it is eaten and then it is the greatest thing ever. I don't understand it... I am also not always able to disclose what ingredients go into some dishes around here either. Even after it is eaten. Because, say there is sour cream in something and when the other adult that resides here, also known as my husband, finds out about it, even if he loved whatever it was that I made, he will no longer eat it any more. And OMG, if it is still in his mouth. Like a nine year old...spitting it out onto his plate. Nice. Not Saturday evening. Nope. The food was looked at, and the comment was made, "Ooh. That looks pretty good. Seriously. Really good." And then he ate it. I did good. Yay me!!

So, what did I make exactly? Let me show you...

Bourbon Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (although, I made way more than that...especially after the whole 4 things being bad luck we all learned about on Friday the 13th. Plus, I knew if anything I could eat the leftovers. Not that there are many,

because it was a hit!)

1/8 cup honey OR 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (I did the brown sugar)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard or honey mustard (I used Dijon)

1/4 cup Bourbon Whiskey (All we had was Maker's Mark)

2 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Place chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper; beat the chicken with a mallet or rolling pin. Place chicken in a shallow dish. Combine brown sugar/honey, mustard, bourbon, green onions, salt and Worcestershire sauce, stirring well. Brush mustard mixture evenly over both sides of chicken breasts. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least two hours. Remove chicken from marinade - saving marinade. Combine butter and oil in a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Saute chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until done. Remove chicken to a serving platter. Add reserved marinade to skillet, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over chicken.

"Never eat more than you can lift." ~Miss Piggy

2012-01-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yeah...stressing and dieting to not go well together. At all. Maybe if I have a spare 10 minutes today, I will make like this cat and attempt some stretching. Or maybe not. At any rate, I decided I wanted to eat something sweet today. And while I haven't been as strict as I was last week, I didn't gain any weight, so that isn't all bad. I am just super thankful that it is the weekend (finally) and that I can hopefully relax a bit...BUT (and there is always a but...) the husband informed me when I got home from work this morning that he is inviting a friend of his over tonight. That would be fine, except this guy makes me want to become violent...toward him. He never stops talking. And everything he talks about is dumb, dumb and dumb. He has zero sense. Oh, and he is also a freeloader. And did I mention he never shuts up? And I can't stand the sound of his voice. The only cool that thing that could happen, is that when he thinks no one is looking, he does his "moves" in front of the mirrors we have on either side of our fireplace. He thinks he has moves. He does not. Now...again...his voice...watch this video. I would rather listen to this for hours than have to listen to him talk.

Anyway, what the hell was I talking about?? (I got interrupted about 578 times while typing that paragraph. It took me an hour. Ridiculous.) Oh right...I wanted something sweet today. Also, I wanted to find something that would keep me on track. Found something I did...and it only has 57 calories per serving. Yep...that is it! Ready? Go...

Butterscotch Brownies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 9 inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.

In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

Add butter/margarine, water, vanilla and eggs. Blend well.

Spoon and spread batter evenly into baking dish.

Sprinkle with butterscotch chips.

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 45 minutes or until completely cooled before cutting into bars.

OK, I guess the finished product looks more blonde than brown, but whatever. They taste fricken' awesome!

Happy Friday...the 13th...

2012-01-13T11:05:00.004-05:00

Because I don't have enough crap going on in my life, I refuse to give in to the whole Friday the 13th being a bad day. Jason Voorhees can suck it...I will be having an excellent day. So there!

I did a little research, looking for a good luck recipe, and I learned that tangerines and oranges are good luck...read this..." Tangerines and Oranges. Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orangesound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck. “It’s good if they have leaves,” adds Lum, “because leaves symbolize longevity.” But don’t group them in fours, because, Dunlop says, this number is associated with death."

So, just make sure you don't make this in fours...or eat them in fours. I guess four is bad. But we aren't talking about four...we are talking about Friday the 13th and a reason for a recipe, a good luck recipe. (And preferably a stress reducer, because I still have some. I guess I will drink more wine with it. That will fix it. I hope.)

OK, so, recipe. Let us get this dog and pony show on the road, shall we?? (And I make no

promises about this being lo-cal, so live with it for a day!)

Tangerine Chicken

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

5 or 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (funny little thing...it actually called for FOUR chicken breasts, but I decided to change that since we established that four = death.)

Salt and Pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tangerines, peeled and segmented

1 tablespoon grated tangerine peel

Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet.

Add chicken, salt and pepper.

Brown chicken on both sides until cooked through. Set aside.

Add flour to skillet and cook over low heat for two minutes.

Add orange juice, water and cinnamon.

Simmer, stirring until the sauce thickens.

Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over chicken.

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, until heated through.

Add tangerine segments and zest and stir.

Serve as desired.

I'm a little stressed at the moment...

2012-01-12T10:42:00.003-05:00

Like, for real and stuff. I am not even thinking about cooking anything at the moment. I decided to see if I could find anything about foods to eat when one is under a lot of stress, and this is what I found...

http://www.bhg.com/health-family/mind-body-spirit/natural-remedies/superfoods-for-stress-relief/

And isn't if funny how it mentions that alcohol is bad for you when you are under stress...though I could totally go for a glass of wine right about now...

So, I basically need to get this day done, and hopefully tomorrow I will be back to my sparkly self...or something like that.

A great friend of mine sent me an email yesterday filled with all kinds of demotivational fun. There was one little cartoon that made me smile out loud, because I was thisclose to hitting the drive through of this place hard on my way to work. I did not. I am proud. I am also glad she is my friend. She knows who she is...

And some soothing music to go with the wine that I WILL be having, thank you very much!

Carrot Cake Re-Boot

2012-01-11T17:00:00.002-05:00

Hi. My name is Melanie and I like desserts. I would also like NOT to look like a beached whale this summer when I attempt to squeeze into a bathing suit. What is a girl to do? Well, seek out alternative recipes for sweets, of course!

And seriously...are you guys reading the whole post? I have been giving you all recipes that appear to be decadent, but are actually quite good for you...check out the caloric content when I post it...it is typically half of what the actual recipe is - and in some cases even less. How do you think I have been able to lose weight with out working out?? Don't just look at the picture...there is a healthy recipe behind it that REALLY is good for you!! Just saying...

So, did you know that the average piece of carrot cake prepared in the regular old manner with all the fat and what not has 25% of your daily fat allowance and 20% of saturated fat you should have in one day. That is A LOT in a dessert. Especially if you are eating it after dinner...which, let's face it, probably wasn't all that healthy if you are going to down that piece of carrot cake. AND...if you are counting calories, you are looking at at least 300. If you were looking to burn off JUST that piece of cake, you would have to walk for 83 minutes, cycle for 46 minutes, jog for 34 minutes or swim for 25 minutes....which you are most likely not going to feel like doing as you fall into your food coma. And that is why it is so easy to gain weight...usually, you just don't feel like moving a whole lot after eating a big, rich meal.

So, do you think that I could find a carrot cake recipe that contains only 175 calories per slice? Are you kidding me right now?

Super Moist Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 tablespoons apple butter

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup eggs (get some egg beaters)

1/2 cup of sugar (or, splendea will save you even more calories)

1/2 cup brown sugar (and I think there is splendea brown sugar now too...)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons cinnamon (which is EXCELLENT for your blood sugar staying stable)

3 cups grated carrots

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat baking pan with non fat cooking spray.

Combine apple butter, applesauce, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the mixture. Blend until all ingredients are moistened.

Mix in grated carrots.

Pour into baking pan and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Allow cake to cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or top with frosting.

Frosting???

Yes, you can have frosting...of course it will add a couple calories, but, its frosting for crying out loud! And would you believe FAT FREE??? Again, are you kidding me right now??

Low Calorie Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 ounces fat free cream cheese

4 ounces "Free" Cool Whip

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Optional: Cinnamon and Allspice to taste

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Now, I don't have an exact calorie count on the frosting, but for all of it, you are probably looking at about 250 calories. Again...for the entire bowl of frosting. So, divide that by 12 slices of cake and it isn't a whole lot.

Still on a health kick...

2012-01-10T17:00:00.001-05:00

First of all...its not too late to celebrate my birthday...I am just saying....I have been celebrating all day with some much needed relaxation. I am sitting on my little laptop, with a deep conditioning treatment on my hair (so that I may start out my new year with pretty hair) reflecting....I am a little proud of myself at the moment. I must say that this is the longest I have stuck with a healthy New Year's Resolution...I think the whole getting older thing today has just made my resolve stronger. I will NOT end up all sickly and overweight. I will continue getting carded when I purchase alcohol. I will be healthy and well to set a good example for my children. So there. Hopefully this health kick sticks.

So...let us keep the healthy food coming, right? Now, a while back...end of summer I do believe...I posted a recipe for a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich...and there are only about a million and a half calories in those, but they are SOOOO good! Now, what if you could eat one and it was GOOD FOR YOU? I found this while browsing eatingwell.com and gasped. Could it be true? Yes, yes it is...

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion sliced

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

2 ounces thinly sliced reduced fat Provolone cheese

4 whole wheat buns, split and toasted

Directions

Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and it begins to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushroom, bell pepper, oregano, pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce and simmer. Remove from heat, lay cheese slices on top of vegetables and let them melt - about 1 minute.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.

Yeah...there are 268 calories in that sandwich...AND its a vegetarian dish! How nice! Eat it up!

OK, next you need to get moving...and here is a little tune that ALWAYS gets me moving...one of my all time favorites =D

Well, maybe not today...but sometime this week!

2012-01-09T17:00:00.002-05:00

Birtday Me Graphics - Comments

Did you get me anything yet?? That's ok, you still have just a little time!! (But not much...) So what am I doing? Nothing too exciting...taking a long weekend from work...relaxing...perhaps a massage... Oh who the hell am I kidding? OF COURSE I'M HAVING A MASSAGE! My big hope is for some sleep. That would be incredible! And I gave myself a cute little pink and white crackle manicure, because I am, on occasion, girly as hell. Which explains the Hello Kitty addiction.... Wanna see my manicure??? OK..

Since I am the cook in the house, I will be making my own birthday dinner...some turkey lasagna, a big salad (gotta keep with the program, right??) and there will be dessert. I have all the ingredients, and everything I got to make this is low fat, low sugar...but its still going to taste good!! (And, by the way...I have all the motivation I need in the SIX pounds that I lost...and that is two more than my last report!!) Hoping that this is the year...I want to get my ass in shape BEFORE I turn 40....so I have a little time...but not much.

Now, I did have a recipe for this, but my stupid phone broke, so the app that I had the recipe on was lost, and I had to improvise...soooo, this is truly and original...much like the last recipe I posted...I just might be on to something. Or not....perhaps I should start working on a cookbook?? Thoughts?

Chocolate Cherry Angel Food Trifle

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 (2.1 ounce) boxes sugar free/fat free pudding

16 ounce tub lite whipped topping (like Cool Whip)

1 angel food cake (store bought or home made), cubed

1 (20 ounce) can lite cherry pie filling

Chocolate Syrup

Maraschino Cherries

Directions

Toast almonds in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes - keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

Prepare 2 boxes of pudding according to package instructions - except pretend you are only making one box and just add the second box after you make the first box. It makes the pudding thicker and easier to spread. (Also, do this in advance so it has time to set).

Cube angel food cake - I actually baked the cake, but a store bought one is perfectly fine.

Layer the ingredients in a trifle dish. I started with the pudding, cherry pie filling, cake, and whipped topping; repeat. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top, toss the maraschino cherries over that, and then drizzle the chocolate syrup over the whole thing.

So there you have it. I like cake, but I like other desserts better, so this is why I made this for myself! We are going to celebrate a little bit early tonight, so that should be fun! And the more I think about it, I just might make pizza. Healthy pizza, of course! And happy me...just found out there is a TWO HOUR episode of House on tonight!! I think its time for some jammies!!

I love him so...happy birthday to me!

A creation of my own

2012-01-09T09:15:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, you have a bunch of stuff in the cupboards and nothing that you can think of to make with them. This happened to be one Sunday a couple of years ago, and I came up with a creation that I can call my own. It was a really good creation and I got positive feedback from my family. Then I made it too much and they got kind of sick of it, so I stopped making it....until this past weekend. It was a big hit once again, but I don't think I will make it as often as I did before...because it is really tasty and I don't want anyone to get sick of it...again....

Marinated Chicken and Pasta

Ingredients

2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Lite Italian Salad Dressing

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced salt free tomatoes, undrained

1 (14.5 ounce) can asparagus, drained

1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts in oil, drained and chopped

1 (12 ounce) box whole wheat penne pasta

Directions

Chop chicken breasts and marinate in salad dressing for at least 30 minutes (it just so happened that mine marinated for about 36 hours - the longer you marinate, the more flavor). Cook in large stir fry type pan on medium high heat. Cook until salad dressing is reduced and chicken is cooked through - about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package intructions.

Add tomatoes, asparagus and artichokes to chicken. Cook until liquid from tomatoes is reduced completely (makes for more tender meat, as I have found), about five minutes.

I wish I could tell you how many calories were in this, but I do not know. It is pretty healthy, as long as you don't eat all of it in one sitting...

Elvis has left the building...

2012-01-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

How could I forget?? My biological father always made a big deal when I was kid about it being Elvis's birthday, because it is his birthday too...he always thought it was amazing that he shared a birthday with Mr. Presley. I was so pumped about my little weight loss that I totally forgot that The King would have been 77 years old today...you know, had he not died on the toilet. And yes, that picture of Elvis I chose was for a reason. But, before I tell you, why don't I share with you my favorite Elvis tune. Don't ask me why it is, it just always has been. I have no explanation...

And now for the recipe and the "fat" Elvis pic...Mr. Presley loved him some food. Fried fatty food to be exact. And I mean, I guess when you are bombed out of your mind, what makes you feel better when you wake up after passing out? Fried fatty food. It does me anyway. I know that I am currently on a health kick, and totally love the positive response I am getting from all that, but in honor of The King's birthday, I see no other choice but to post this recipe...

Elvis Presley's Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients

2 slices white bread

2 tablespoons BUTTER

1 small ripe banana

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Directions

Place 2 pieces of white bread in the toaster on light setting. Heat skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter. While bread is toasting, in a small bowl, using a fork mash the banana until the consistency is smooth. Using a knife, take both pieces of toast and spread the 2 tablespoons peanut butter, topping one side with the banana. Place the one top of bread on the other, forming a sandwich. Place sandwich in hot skillet, browning each side (flip at about 2 minutes). Slice diagonally, turn on some Elvis tunes, pop some narcotics and serve. OK, maybe skip the narcotics. Elvis face toasted into bread completely optional.

I love this too...little bit updated take on The King...

Time for breakfast

2012-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to report that my week of healthy eating has paid off in weight loss. Now, it always seems to work out that you can drop a lot of weight at first, so I am not overly concerned that I have dropped FOUR POUNDS this week alone! I know that ideally you want to keep it to 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week, but to drop the equivalent of a bag of sugar in the past few days is pretty satisfying and exactly what I needed to keep me on track and not want to cheat! I have even gone so far as to find a "healthy" recipe to replace my birthday cake this week...don't worry, I'll share! I even did well with the take out we got for dinner last night - usually I would eat the ginormous portion that is supposed to be one serving for a person but is really enough to feed two or three people...I don't even think I had half of it, so that means, I have something yummy left for lunch today! Oh, and I didn't feel like a bloated cow after eating. That was very nice too! So now I feel just a little bit lighter and quite pleased with myself!

After all that I couldn't just throw it away with some cinnamon rolls or pancakes for breakfast! No, no...instead I made myself something VERY satisfying and filling. Also, I am all kinds of proud of myself for making an omelet that looked like it was supposed to - usually they fall apart, I give up and turn it into scrambled eggs. It tastes the same, but you just don't get that presentation satisfaction...and I will share with you how I did it after the recipe...because I am guessing that I am not the only person without the ability to properly fold an omelet over without breaking it to pieces!

Egg White Omelet with Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 large egg whites

4 dashes pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 medium whole tomatoes

Green Onion (optional)

Directions

Spray pan with low fat cooking spray. Fry egg whites on medium heat.

While the eggs are cooking, dice two tomatoes.

When eggs are cooked, move to plate and toss the tomatoes (and green onion if desired) on top.

Season with hot sauce and pepper to taste.

So...what little trick did I use to properly cook my omelet? When the egg is almost done on top, place a dinner plate over the top of the pan and flip the egg circle onto the plate, and then flip the egg over and slide it back into the pan for a few minutes to finish cooking. When it is done, fold it in half with a spatula. (Almost) Perfection!!

And for everyone keeping track, that is only 149 calories of very filling and delicious goodness to start your day with!!

Have a great Sunday!!

WOW!

2012-01-06T18:30:00.001-05:00

Has this ever been a bizarre week! It actually went by super fast, which has NOT been happening lately...you know, other than when I am on vacation. Oh well, whatever. So, what I am getting at is that I am ALL kinds of thrown off. Which is probably why I am posting this earlier than usual. Or something like that.

Ok, so, the other day speakers4u asked if I might post some tuna recipes. I am happy to! And seriously, after finding this gem of a recipe, I really wish I had everything to make it, because I could totally go for it right now!

Grilled Pepper Yellowfin Wrap

Ingredients

6 ounce canned tuna in olive oil, undrained

2 tablespoons red pepper, grilled and julienned

2 tablespoons green pepper, grilled and julienned

2 tablespoons onion, grilled and julienned

4 - 6 inch flour tortillas

Optional: Shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and/or sliced black olives

Directions

Grill vegetables, cut julienne

Toss vegetables with tuna (undrained)

Serve wrapped in 6 inch flour tortillas Source

And since we are counting right now, there are 371 calories in this wrap. And I still really want one.

Eat your greens!

2012-01-06T00:15:00.001-05:00

Yes indeed, eating vegetables is good for you...and since I know of someone who was getting hopeful that I just might post a vegetarian recipe yesterday, and I just so happened to make a meatless entree today...the time has come! This is very simple to make - it just takes a few short minutes! I also modified it from the recipe that I found, so this is all mine, and if you don't like it then I am all to blame.

Also, as for the whole diet soda debate yesterday, I choose not to drink it for a couple of reasons, one, just like regular soda, it bloats my belly, and I do not like that at all. And as for all of the artificial sweetners, they do not agree with my body one bit, so I just don't have anything to do with them for the most part. I also never understood how they could make something zero calorie and NOT have it be harmful to your body in some matter. There have been studies that show that people that drink diet sodas actually weigh more because it tricks their body and makes them crave more sweets, so you more than make up for the zero calorie soda you just injested by binging later. I know not everyone does this, but I have in the past, so I figure I may as well not even take the chance. Plus, water and lemon water are MUCH better for a person living with (what I found out are going to be) chronic kidney stones.

Now, onto the food busines...

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
2 Red or Green peppers (obviously, I used green)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 -2 cups cooked white or brown rice (depending on size of peppers to be stuffed)
1/2 cup red or green salsa, spice level to your liking (green salsa for red peppers, and red salsa for green peppers)

Directions
Cut the top off of the peppers and remove the seeds and spines. Put the peppers in an oven or toaster oven to soften to your liking.

While peppers are roasting, saute onions in the olive oil until they start to brown. Add rice and salsa to the onions and mix well.

When peppers are roasted to your liking, remove from oven and fill with rice mixture. You may top with additional salsa if you desire.

Serve and enjoy!

The original recipe I modified said it was 378 calories, which for a dinner is not too shabby. I am guessing since I didn't use the higher measurements THIS version might not be quite as many. But what do I know. I am not a dietician, I just like food.

I might just find a tuna concoction for tomorrow since someone very nicely asked to that too...!

My nemesis...

2012-01-05T00:15:00.001-05:00

See that Coke can there...THAT is my nemesis. I love me some Coke. I could drink it all day long....which is part of the reason I need to lose weight. Drinking all of that soda bloats you and it full of empty calories that turn to fat...which makes for a very ugly bikini season. Not that I wear a bikini often, but if I wanted to it would be nice to not look like a beached whale in a bathing suit. Also, I don't think the Coke was doing anything for my health, which I am also working on improving so that I can get on with my life. I am doing pretty well so far. I haven't had any coke since before the first of the year - I have been sticking to green tea, water and lemon water. What a good girl. AND, as far as the eating healthy goes, I have been doing that too. While my husband did not appreciate the veggie burger I ate for lunch, I was quite surprised that I didn't want to throw it up. I guess all of that ketchup (and the ketchup I use is Heinz with Tabasco...if you can get your hands on some, grab it because it is awesome) and mustard made me forget about the lack of meat taste on my hamburger bun. My husband settled on a turkey burger and was quite pleased with the taste and even went as far as to say he prefers the ground turkey to ground beef! Good for that heart condition he has going on!!

So when we food shopped the other day, we bought no red meat (which makes me want to cry, but it is for the best)...just chicken, turkey and fish. So I am on the look out for healthy recipes involving those meats, because all it takes is a little too much butter or oil or cheese or something and you may as well be eating a vat of lard. OK, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but you get what I am saying. Anyhow...I am giving you all another chicken recipe today, for one because that is what I have the most of, and two because it looks really good. I have not yet made this, but you best believe I will be.

Chicken Piccata with Pasta and Mushrooms

Ingredients
6 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/3 cup flour, divided
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken cutlets, trimmed (about 1 pound chicken total)
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 10 ounce package mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 teaspoons BUTTER (because a little bit is OK)
Source
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, whisk 5 tablespoons of flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides with flour. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their juices and brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add garlic and wine to pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the broth-flour mixture, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about five minutes.

Stir in parsley, capers, butter and cooked mushrooms. Measure 1/2 cup of mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with chicken and reserved sauce.

And if you were counting, that is 397 calories. Not bad for a dinner. Its a little bit of work, but I am guessing totally worth the effort!

As promised...

2012-01-03T23:25:00.003-05:00

Hi there. I'm back. I've been busy. So, I promised some tasty healthy dishes, right? Yep. I got 'em. Here is the first one. I threw this together really quick before I took a nap before work and tossed it in the crock pot. I also added some corn, because I like corn. So there. YUMMY!!

Red Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

1/4 cup chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups chicken stock

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (with green chilies if you can get them)

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a ready made rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and skipped having to cook the chicken!)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1/2 cup low fat sour cream (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in skillet, add onions and brown. Pour into crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients (up to the cheese and cream). Like I said above, I also added a can of corn. I just can't remember how many ounces of corn were inside - the can was the same size as the kidney beans...so around 16 ounces. Cook on high setting for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.

Yeah, and there are about 220 calories per serving, it is filling and tastes AWESOME!

And since I have decided to take you all on this lifestyle change ride with me, what are some recipes or ingredients you would like to see in use??

Welcome to 2012!!

2012-01-02T12:00:00.007-05:00

Grab a new Myspace Layout

What the hell have I been up to the past couple of days?? Well, we headed "up north" to my parent's cabin. If we wanted to see snow, we kind of had to! Even that was looking iffy...until we got off of the expressway and onto the dark winding back roads to get to the cabin...then the snow started coming down like crazy! We got up there around 9pm Friday night and as soon as we did, the kids went sledding! We had a fun New Year and came back late yesterday. Great way to start 2012 off! So...here are some pictures (and if you would like to view them in chronological order, you will need to scroll down to the bottom and come back up....sorry...I loaded them backwards!!) Hope you enjoy!! Happy 2012!

In the next day or two we will get back to business...AND, as I am making 2012 the year I got healthy, I am going to find yummy HEALTHY recipes for you!!

Party bear...the morning after...

Various necessities for a proper New Year celebration

Outside fire just before the new year

Smoke was in the air...

OK, this is actually New Year's Day breakfast (out of order...minus the eggs)

The view out back...

New Year's Eve spread

And from further away...

Grilled crab legs

This is what my daughter looks like...cute, eh?

Cake vodka

Various beverages...and some vinegar???

Veggies!

Reck...this is for you...Hoppin' John...simmering (and it was SUPER yummy!!)

Snow trees

Looking up

The stump down the hill

The cabin

Out back next to the fire pit

So happy new year! Doing my best to make it the greatest year ever!!

Auld Lang Syne

2011-12-31T00:15:00.003-05:00

I could not be happier that today is the last day of 2011. This has, by far, been the worst year of my life. Every single time I was sure things could not get worse, they did. I have experienced stress, pain - physical and mental - and loss. The absolute worst kind of loss imaginable. (I have to tell you now, that I started writing this post on December 1. If your memory serves, or if you want to go back and look, you will remember that I had the worst attitude imaginable on that date. I am hoping by the time this posts that my attitude will be adjusted and that I will have had an amazing Christmas. At this moment, I am not feeling overly positive about that happening. But a lot can happen in 31 days. Let's hope that it is nothing but good, otherwise, I will be sitting, most likely restrained to a stretcher in the mental facility of my husband's choosing. Hopefully he picks a nice one...you know, if it comes down to that!)

So, let us review, shall we? I started 2011 very excited and positive. I was eight weeks pregnant and very excited. I had only just started getting food sick - meat. Couldn't eat it. I blame the antibiotics that I was taking for a cat bite and the movie "District 9"...you know the part where the lead guy is eating the cat food and he is starting his transformation into an alien and one of his teeth falls out while he is eating. That is all I could picture in my mind when I would attempt to eat meat, so I was done with it. Also, the antibiotics were making me very nauseated. I actually had my last dose at about 1am on January 1, when we got back from my neighbor's house where we rang in the new year, and I threw it up in the kitchen sink. Soon after, the headache I had every day since my car accident a little more than a month before, started getting worse. And worse. And worse. I spent my birthday in early January (yep, that's right...its coming up!!) lying on the couch with a cool compress on my head trying to deal with the pain. Soon after I was in and out of the hospital for pain management.

In February I started blogging - and thank goodness I did. It has helped to keep me sane throughout my ordeal that is known to others as 2011. Initially I started the blog to share all of the recipes I wished I could make that my husband didn't like....because he could just eat pizza every day and be perfectly content. I was still feeling crappy, but it was nice to have something to do and to get responses from people who actually seemed to want to read what I was writing. Very exciting for me.

My grandfather died that February. Right before I started the blog. He was ready. I thought that would be the only time I would be spending in a funeral home for the year at least.

Spring came, and I was starting to feel more positive about things. I found out I was having a girl and we named her Summer. The kids were very excited about having a baby around and could not wait to meet her. From the profile of her sweet little face in the ultrasound pictures, she looked just like her older brother. Only too soon would I find out how much she really did look like him. My water broke at the end of March. I was due in August. For a whole day, I thought everything would be fine, I just had to stay in the hospital until she was born - or maybe it was just a small tear and it would repair itself and maybe I would even be able to go home and just be on bed rest. Nope. The next day right before lunch I started having contractions - strong contractions. For a couple of hours they kept getting worse and worse. And then they stopped. I thought everything was fine, and needed to use the restroom. As soon as I got in there I knew something was wrong. I delivered little Summer all by myself. I sat there holding her, afraid to open my eyes and was just wailing for what seemed like forever. My husband was trying to get someone to come to the room, and suddenly there were about 20 people there. (He later told me that it sounded like I was getting stabbed.) I knew it before anyone told me that she was still born. That was the most awful moment of my life. I hope to never experience anything like that ever again. NO ONE should have to go through that.

The next couple of months were just a blur. I remember bits and pieces, but not much. I know that I kept blogging. I was off work. My husband tried to keep me busy by taking me places. All I wanted to do was sleep and play solitaire on the computer. I returned to work in early June. Totally not ready...since I work in the hospital where everything happened.

Summer began. The rain finally stopped. I planted a lily garden in Summer's memory in the back yard. At least everything I touched didn't die. That helped. Work continued to be difficult for me. Oh and then, I got kidney stones. Not just a couple either. Lots of them - big ones and in both kidneys (and I am actually STILL passing stone fragments. Oh the joy that is my life.). So that turned into a few surgical procedures. It couldn't get worse than that, right? Wrong. (Hi, update at of December 21...visited my favorite Urologist today and he is giving me a medication that will hopefully keep me from needing a very painful stent inserted in my right ureter. I also found out that I have a chronic condition that essentially means I will have problems with kidney stones for pretty much ever. Not life threatening, just very uncomfortable and annoying. Fingers crossed I don't end up having a Christmas Day stent insertion.) As of December 30, I have passed one stone, but there is still more trouble brewing. I can feel it in my back. Still no surgery, so that is happy!!

I was in ANOTHER car accident. Again, not my fault. (I was like a magnet). All my pain came back. I would panic when I had to drive. What made this accident even better was actually two things - one, my car was just shy of totaled...and my kids were with me. NOT cool.

Then my husband had a heart attack.

Then I broke my finger.

Then I broke my tooth.

Wit's end.

Seriously.

For the most part, life has been on the calm side...I mean in comparison to the rest of the year...recently. It is my goal to keep the calm. It is hard, though, to try and be happy and to find the good in everything. Yeah, I am still alive. That is about it. Or that is how I feel anyway. (And honestly, there were loads of details that I left out, but I didn't want to lose anyone before we got to the recipe!)

So, I hope that 2012 is a better year. I hope to have another try at the pregnancy thing, I hope to be healthy, I hope for resolve. I also hope that you will all continue to join me every day for more food fun, because I have no intention of leaving here anytime soon. To all of you who have become a part of my daily routine, I thank you for your support. You really have no idea how much it has meant to me over the course of this year.

And as far as all of that Mayan nonsense goes, I am not buying it. This is going to be a great year!!

Several years back a good friend of mine (who is from the great state of Texas) shared a southern New Year tradition with a bunch of us at a party. Eating black eyed peas. Check it out HERE to see just how lucky these little beans are...there are lots of ways to prepare them. This is just one way...and might I suggest a side of bacon??

Good Luck Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

4 (16 ounce) cans black eyed peas

2 jalapeno peppers (canned), seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons of salt (or to taste)

1 large onion, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Combine black eyed peas, onion, jalapeno peppers and salt and pepper in a 2 quart sauce pan and simmer very slowly over low heat until most of the liquid evaporates, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

One last thing...I would like to share with you all a song that has new meaning to me now. I may have posted it before - I can not remember. I don't know that I will every be able to make it through this song now without tearing up (at the very least). I think you can figure out why.

On a side note, I hit kind of a milestone today...this is my 300th post. Suddenly I want to yell something like "THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAA", but will refrain! Kind of cool that it worked out to fall on the last day of this year! AND...I have been doing this for almost an entire year now! I didn't think I would stick with it, but I now look forward to it every day, and hope that I continue to do so!

Be safe. Be well. And I wish you all the happiest of New Years!!! See you in 2012!!!

Really Denny's?

2011-12-30T19:50:00.000-05:00

I see the commercials and really can't understand how they can serve some of this crap, let alone advertise it. I love me some bacon, but a maple bacon sundae? Pass...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/dennys-worst-menu-items_n_1172671.html?ref=food

How about we all get healthy together in the new year??

2011-12-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

Deal?

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/the-best-foods-for-winter-foods

Get your drink on...

2011-12-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

And another link...this one filled with all kinds of fun cocktails for that holiday that is happening this weekend!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/imbibe/sparkling-cocktails_b_1171602.html?ref=food&ir=Food

Rasputin

2011-12-30T08:07:00.004-05:00

Source

Well why not come to the end of the year and have a little history lesson?? While in college, the Russian Revolution and all the creepiness that went down with it was very fascinating to me...hell, it still is! The creepiest part of the whole story, hands down, is Rasputin.

Here's a little blurb from history.com:

Sometime over the course of the night and the early morning of December 29-30, 1916, Grigory Efimovich Rasputin, a self-proclaimed holy man, is murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his influence over the royal family.

Rasputin, a Siberian-born muzhik, or peasant, who underwent a religious conversion as a teenager and proclaimed himself a healer with the ability to predict the future, won the favor of Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra through his ability to stop the bleeding of their hemophiliac son, Alexei, in 1908. From then on, though he was widely criticized for his lechery and drunkenness, Rasputin exerted a powerful influence on the ruling family of Russia, infuriating nobles, church orthodoxy, and peasants alike. He particularly influenced the czarina, and was rumored to be her lover. When Nicholas departed to lead Russian forces in World War I, Rasputin effectively ruled the country through Alexandra, contributing to the already-existing corruption and disorder of Romanov Russia.

Fearful of Rasputin's growing power (among other things, it was believed by some that he was plotting to make a separate peace with the Germans), a group of nobles, led by Prince Felix Youssupov, the husband of the czar's niece, and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, Nicholas's first cousin, lured Rasputin to Youssupov Palace on the night of December 29, 1916.

First, Rasputin's

would-be killers gave the monk food and wine laced with cyanide. When he failed to react to the poison, they shot him at close range, leaving him for dead. A short time later, however, Rasputin revived and attempted to escape from the palace grounds, whereupon his assailants shot him again and beat him viciously. Finally, they bound Rasputin, still miraculously alive, and tossed him into a freezing river. His body was discovered several days later and the two main conspirators, Youssupov and Pavlovich were exiled.

Not long after, the Bolshevik Revolution put an end to the imperial regime. Nicholas and Alexandra were murdered, and the long, dark reign of the Romanovs was over.

He just would NOT die! Maybe he didn't....maybe he is some kind of immortal or something and is still out there, preying on the weak... Anyway, you know he would have loved a drink after all was said and done...

Rasputin's Revenge

2 parts vodka

1 part orange curaco

Shake together and pour over ice

Source

Using your noodle

2011-12-30T07:46:00.001-05:00

I found this little pasta quiz and thought I'd share!

http://www.yumsugar.com/10-Different-Types-Noodles-19473234

Looking back...

2011-12-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I should be saving this for February when I hit my one year anniversary blogging, but with all of the year in review stuff on television, its making me want to look back and see some hits, misses, and some of my personal favorites. Fun, right??

Also, I know a lot of you don't tune in on the weekend, but I promise a big old year in review (that will no doubt explain A LOT) on Saturday. It is set to publish right after midnight, so you will have all day to check it out...if you are so inclined.

Now, obviously, all you have to do is look to the right to see the biggest posts ever....people really dug that New Orleans Mardi Gras Muffelata, and the NHRA Roast Beef Sundae (which I will not be having this coming year because they moved the races in Ohio from the week before July 4 to the weekend of July 4 - the holiday weekend whenever it falls in there - and I love me some Independence Day, so I will not be going), and of course the whole Star Wars thing - because who doesn't love Star Wars? Seriously, who doesn't??

So by the numbers, my handy little gadget over there tells us all what my most popular posts were. If you haven't taken a look, please do. I look back from time to time and am impressed with myself. Because it doesn't take much...

And what were some of my favorite posts??

Well, my very first post, which I made before I even had my own Google ID and posted it under my husband's name. Initially I started the blog to share the recipes he refused to eat. I probably could have kept it going that way, because he could eat pizza, spaghetti and cheeseburgers everyday all the time and be happy. And when I say pizza, I mean with meat on it, and nothing fancy...like my first post was...and I still stand by this one because it tastes so damn good...I give you my first post titled "Why?"

People had some opinions about this next one - in favor of and against. There are many steps involved, but damn, does it ever look good right now. What is funny is that I couldn't eat meat at the time. I really wanted to, but hormones were not having it. "This one speaks for itself"

I really like to incorporate little history lessons into my posts from time to time, and I posted this one right before all hell broke loose in my life. I mean RIGHT before it happened. "Three Mile Island"

In my pit of depression that I was in this spring, I wasn't posting much, so my husband had to step in for me. This quickly got me back into working on my blog as he was threatening to post one of his best dinners - frozen pizza. He's quite a cook. He did get this one in there, which always makes me laugh, "My favorite recipe"

And then he got himself in trouble when he forgot our wedding anniversary. I wrote this one while he was passed out on the couch recovering from his hangover. Good times were had in "Clever plan to make your wife angry" although I don't think it was a plan, but more of a natural talent he possesses. Skills. He has them.

Right after that it was Memorial Day, and the family went to my mom's cabin, "Up north" and while there we visited The Elbow Lake Bar (where I hope to go some time this weekend!). The food is awesome...almost as awesome as the atmosphere. Well, see here for yourself..."Elbow Lake Bar"

My post for "Hatian Voodoo Sticks" had some people hoping for something other than spicy meat sticks...

"Happy Canada Day, Eh"...oooh...this sounds kind of good right now...perhaps a day trip to the Great White North today...because I can...

And then it was a big old American feast for our big birthday...I really had a great July 4 this year! "Happy 235th Birthday America"

I was feeling pretty uninspired during the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn. And then the Virtual Zombie Walk 2011 came into my life. Holy inspiration!! "Something Wicked This Way Comes"

And we all found out that I have "THAT" house on the block that gets all crazy for "Happy Halloween"!!

I could keep going, but the rest of it all is still pretty new! Hope you enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane with me!

First things first...

2011-12-29T07:13:00.004-05:00

So, I totally should NOT have made that toffee yesterday. Why, do you ask? Because it tasted too effing good. Now my stomach hurts. Now, it is entirely possible that I didn't get the butter to brown sugar exactly right, (and there is NEVER too much butter) but the toffee itself solidified, but never got as hard as a toffee candy bar, which is nice because I had a crown put on one of my teeth a couple of months ago and I really don't want to damage that! And to answer the question everyone was wondering about all day (whatever if you weren't, it just makes me feel somewhat important to think you were!!) YES, it was just that easy to make. For real.

As for today, these damned kidney stones are on a mission to kill me. I really don't want a stent inserted, despite the pain in my back and side - so I am pushing the fluids, taking my old man medicine, and hoping they just come out. Soon. Then my kidneys can start working on making more, since they will.

All the sugar yesterday and the pain that is ongoing are working against my creativity. Because of that, and because there is a big alcohol holiday coming up, I will share with you something that I can not have right now, because my goal right now is to remain hydrated...

Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini

Ingredients

4 (16-ounce) jars or 1 (1/2-gallon) jar maraschino cherries
1 (750-milliliter) bottle Vanilla Vodka
2 cups chocolate liqueur, such as Godiva Dark or Crème de cacao
Additional maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions

Drain cherries, reserving juice. Put 3/4 cup juice in a 1-gallon pitcher or other container. Save the rest of the juice for another use, such as a topping for ice cream or a flavoring for milk.
Add vodka and chocolate liqueur to the cherry juice; mix well. Add maraschino cherries. The liquid must cover cherries. If not, add more chocolate liqueur. Let stand at room temperature for 2 to 12 hours. If not using within 12 hours, refrigerate mixture. It will keep up to one week, if cherries are covered with liquid and mixture is in a sealed container.
To serve beverage, pour liquid into a drink shaker filled with ice. Shake well and pour into martini glasses or other drink glasses. Garnish with a fresh maraschino cherry.

Makes 15 to 20 drinks.

Cook's Tip: After drink liquid is used, cherries can be drained and covered with melted chocolate.

Chocolate-Covered Cherries: Melt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Dip cherries in melted chocolate; let set on waxed paper for about 30 minutes. Use as gifts or favors, or use as a garnish for the Chocolate-Covered Cherry Martini.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of National Cherry Growers & Industries Foundation, through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services.

The waiting is the hardest part

2011-12-27T21:43:00.005-05:00

I have been saying this all year in regards to this year ending once and for all. To be honest, I was done with this year by about March. Tune in New Year's Eve for a recap of this past year and why I felt that way. I would like to say that you will laugh and cry, but probably, you will just cry or maybe even think that I am totally full of crap and making it up....I only wish I were making it up. Anyhow, after you read all about it, you will totally understand why it is I am so looking forward to the end of 2011.

And can you believe that after all the moaning I did about not wanting my Christmas tree up and what a total Scrooge I was until about a week ago, I a now getting kind of sentimental about taking it down? Would you have told me that I would feel this way two weeks ago, I would have looked at you like you had antlers growing out of your head. Now I kind of like it. Go figure.

I have to try and keep this short, because between the kidney stone pain meds and the muscle relaxer I just took for my neck, I am going to get incoherent pretty fast. I am already making use of my spell check about three times more than usual!

So as I stated in the title of this post, "the waiting is the hardest part", so now do I not only have to wait for what I just made (though I think I will be sleeping momentarily and won't care) but I will have Tom Petty singing those words in my head...(and I am just all over the place tonight!!) A few days ago I picked up stocking stuffers, because the moms and dads pick up stuff for their stocking and leave them for Santa to stuff. At least that is what my kids tell me. Anyhow, I was going to get myself a Heath bar for my stocking because I LoOOOOooooOoooooOoove toffee, but then thought that no, I will be good and healthy and won't give in. Then I came across this recipe....and had to have it...needless to say, I am waiting for it to cool...(and sorry if I was a raging lunatic tonight...soooo sleepy....and the fact that we were visiting family all day is also a contributing factor...)

Super Easy Toffee

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup BUTTER

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Spray the sides and bottom of a square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with chopped pecans.

Place sugar and butter in a heavy medium saucepan, heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Immediately pour the mixture over the nuts in the pan, covering evenly.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture and then cover with a cookie sheet to keep heat in and melt chips. Remove after about a minute and spread the melted chocolate over the top of the candy.

While candy is still warm, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.

So, as you can see from my picture, mine is still in the process of cooling...which is why waiting....you get what I am saying. Also, I think I am keeping mine, so I don't think I am cutting it into squares at all...we will just break it apart as needed!! I also learned that January 8 is National Butter Toffee Day (amongst other things) so keep that in mind I guess....

Food coma...time for detox...or not...

2011-12-26T20:14:00.005-05:00

See that puppy?? Between all the food and the pain meds for the kidney stones, that has essentially been me since Saturday. So much food to eat. So much pain. By the way, kidney stones really, really suck. Just in case I did not emphasize that point over the summer when they were being a total bitch then. And did I mention that my urologist informed me that these stones will be a chronic condition for pretty much ever for me? Great news. BUT, at least I know and recognize the symptoms now so hopefully I won't need a stent again. Because those hurt a lot too. Anyhow, these things are called Randall's plaque, which are essentially plaques that form inside the kidneys and then get bigger and turn into kidney stones. Mine are calcuim oxalate stones, which are the most common form. They are pretty rough on the outside, but I take comfort in the fact that they are not staghorn stones (I linked to a page if you want to see what kind of pain those could inflict. Unless you are sure you will night be frightened, I wouldn't look, but if you want to scroll about half way down. It would be the picture of the wicked claw like thing.) So, anyhow, I will just be patient and continue to drink more water than I ever thought humanly possible. And I get to follow the calcium oxalate diet. Luckily, I can live with most of the food.

source

Mushroom and Onion Quiche

Ingredients

1 9 inch pie shell

1 or 2 large sweet onions (really just depends on how much you love onions. I like them a lot...)

1/2 pounds mushrooms sliced

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

3/4 cup half and half

1 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper (low oxalate content)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake frozen pie shell for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onions and mushrooms in all the butter until soft and translucent. Meanwhile, beat eggs, add half and half, grated cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Add in cooked mushrooms and onion. Pour filling into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes or until set.

So there is that. Other than that, we may actually have some snow accumulation on Tuesday, which would be nice because I am soooo sick of mud and if it doesn't snow soon, I am going to need to mow the lawn soon. We actually got a dusting of snow Saturday morning, which was completely gone by lunch time. My crazy neighbor (the one I don't really like...whole other story...let's just say, he doesn't take kindly to women who speak their minds...) had his snowblower out. For what I do not know, since we didn't even need a shovel and he got no more snow than we did....whatever. Maybe his wife had an opinion about something and he needed to drown the sound out.

So, anyway...what are you all doing for New Year's?? Let me know if you are looking for any special recipes for your celebrations!!

Leftovers...

2011-12-25T23:15:00.005-05:00

Just a few pictures from Christmas Eve...

I woke up after Santa had left...

The trifle I posted the other day

Of course there were cookies

And that Santa bread

Barbecued Cocktail Wieners

Antipasto tray

Appetizer wreath

The spread...

Wishing you...

2011-12-25T02:13:00.002-05:00

...a very Merry Christmas!

"SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!" ~Buddy Elf

2011-12-23T22:56:00.003-05:00

Myspace Graphics, Christmas Graphics at WishAFriend.com

And here I sit. On vacation! Because I made it through my last shift and was even smiling despite the fact that I was busy!! And when I left work today I was even productive. I still have a bunch to do before our celebration tomorrow night, but I think I will get it all done with time to spare even!! Oh, and I don't have to work until January 5...did I happen to mention that?

So here's something kinda of cool that I wanted to share...NORAD Tracks Santa. In the next couple of hours you can log on and see Santa and his elves loading up the sleigh, getting the reindeer ready, and see Santa saying goodbye to Mrs. Claus. Then you can keep track of him all day long until he gets to your little part of the world. You can see Santa flying over famous landmarks around the world and see in real time where he is...I am guessing that my daughter will be up around 3am our time (about four hours from now) to make sure I log on so she can watch the action unfold.

As of right now I am watching Christmas cartoons with my son because he is a total night owl and won't be falling asleep for a while. Our neighbor brought over a box of Godiva chocolates and he had several pieces. Sugar rush. I don't care....its Christmastime and I am on vacation!! And we are making memories, so there!!

And our recipe for today I will be making tomorrow, just a little modified. My mom has a totally jacked up digestive system, and I want her to be able to eat everything, and a couple minor adjustments will make that possible! I found this recipe at A Taste of Home...love them!!(And I will be doing the same thing I did at Thanksgiving and posting pictures of all the food after the party!)

Christmas Trifle

Ingredients

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple

3 medium firm bananas, sliced

1 jar (10 ounces) red maraschino cherries

1 jar (6 ounces) green maraschino cherries

3 1/2 cups egg nog, chilled (I will be using lowfat lactose free egg nog for mom!)

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix (we are using the sugar free variety)

1 prepared angel food cake (8-10 ounces) cut into 1 inch cubes

1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (and the low fat kind here)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Dip bananas in juice; drain and discard juice. Set aside pineapple, bananas, 3 red cherries and 3 green cherries. In a bowl, whisk the pudding and egg nog for two minutes or until slightly thickened.

Place half of the pudding in a 4 ounce trifle dish; layer with half of the bananas, pineapple, cherries, cake and whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with walnuts and reserved fruit.

Tick tock...

2011-12-23T00:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I am thisclose to being done with work. I have ONE SHIFT LEFT this year!!! (Yes, I am just a tad excited!) I have a bit of running around to do today, a couple more things to wrap, straightening of the house, reindeer dust to make and then my cooking!!!

Wait just a minute...reindeer dust?? Yes. This is a crucial element to our Christmas Eve. Why? Because it helps the reindeer find your house!

So here is your recipe for the day...though I don't recommend that YOU eat it...because it's reindeer food!!

Reindeer Dust

Ingredients
A bunch of plain oatmeal
A bunch of glitter in the color of your choice

Directions
Mix oats and glitter together well. Sprinkle on your lawn or on your roof (if you are daring enough to get out on your roof this time of year!!) Santa's reindeer will see the glitter sparkling in the moonlight and the smell of the oats will bring them in to eat. Just make sure you leave some carrots with Santa's cookies so their meal is complete!

I will be back tomorrow with some a super yummy appetizer for Christmas Eve!! Until then...

And right now I am all irritated because I can't post a video for today...so I will try later. My apologies to those looking forward to my choice of Christmas tune today.

Almost there....

2011-12-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve! I have been meaning to do this and keep getting sidetracked - which really doesn't take much these days, BUT, over the course of the past month and a half or so, the number of readers of my little blog has increased quite a bit. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you all and thank you for joining me on my daily food journeys! If there is ever something that you were looking for a recipe to make, just leave it in the comments section and I will do my best to find something to help you out! For real!!! Again, thank you for your support! I really do appreciate it!!

Well, I braved the grocery store today...with kids in tow. What fun. So glad I did because it is only going to get worse. So now I just have a couple of errands to run on Friday and I am pretty much ready ready for the big dinner Saturday! I also delivered cookies to some very (now) happy co-workers. It was a good night. So...another of the cookie recipes....

Swedish Spritz Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup BUTTER
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour

Directions
Cream butter. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour. From dough into four balls. Chill thoroughly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Working with one ball at a time, put dough in cookie press and press out various designs onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

But, you know, since my cookie press wasn't functioning properly, my cookies turned into cut outs. Christmas tree shaped, as a matter of fact!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j4GLKr4Pc18" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Getting there....

2011-12-21T00:15:00.002-05:00

Soooo....I am so close to my vacation starting!! Just a couple more shifts =D. Looking forward to it more than I can express! Also, see all of those pictures above...yep, I packed all of the treats for presents. WHAT AN UNDERTAKING. Though I must say that doing it not at all rushed and putting the packages together right before people arrive for Christmas Eve dinner! Also, those little frosted looking Christmas trees...sugar cookies made with kind of nesting star cookie cutters. That is what my boss and the two charge nurses that I work with on the midnight shift will be receiving from me tonight (and tomorrow morning..HOPE THEY AREN'T READING THIS!!) I LOOOOOVE frosted sugar cookies - especially with sprinkles - so it was all I could do to not eat them up!

Ok, and also, I love Squeeze, so there's a little Christmas music from them....and how about some awesome cookies?? Yes? Ok then....

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup softened BUTTER

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 (10 ounce)maraschino cherries

1 (8 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl, set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until well blended.

Gradually add in the flour mixture and blend well until smooth.

Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Using thumb, press down in the center of the ball making an indentation.

Drain cherries, reserving the juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

FROSTING

In a small sauce pan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add 1 tablespoon of cherry juice and stir (save the remaining juice...just in case!)

Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If frosting gets too thick, add a little more cherry juice.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

2011-12-20T00:15:00.000-05:00

Remember a while back when i was talking about those super yummy Archway Wedding Cake cookies?? If not, these are them HERE. I think I also said that I was going to give some away....and then I completely forgot about it. Soooo, since it is almost Christmas and I haven't sent anything out yet and there is no way anything that large would make it anywhere by Christmas without me spending a small fortune shipping anything, how about I give you the recipe for them?

Huh? Yep. I can give you a recipe for them! How do you like that? Also, as it turns out they are very easy to make...just a little messy...and you need to make sure you don't over bake them.

OK, so what does that have to do with the title of today's blog? OK, in its native alphabet it looks like this: Поздравляю с Новым годом и Рождеством! Recognize that alphabet?? It is Russian. And what does that translate to in English? "Because our Christmas is after New Year's Day" but if you google how one would wish someone a Merry Christmas in Russia, that is what you find. So I learned something today. OH...that still isn't an explanation?? How about this????

Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients

1 cup butter (REAL butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup confectioners sugar for finishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the 6 tablespoons sugar and flour; stir into butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Roll into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE!! When cool, roll in remaining confectioners sugar. After settled, roll in sugar a second time if desired.

So my picture is just before finishing. (Sorry...I made so much stuff Saturday, I didn't remember!) Now, I swear, these taste even better than those store bought cookies I told you about...FOR REAL!!! I actually made a double batch. Yep. Waaaay better. (And those store bought ones are to die for, so can you imagine??)

Just one more thing...just in case you were to ever need it, I added a little conversion tool over there on the right. I find it helpful, so I thought someone else just might too!

Monday, Monday

2011-12-18T20:35:00.004-05:00

Christmas Countdowns

Yep...the frantic last week before the big day are upon us. I am happy to say that I am (pretty much) done with my wrapping, just have a few little gifts to pick up, and have to food shop. I do, however, have our big Christmas Eve dinner planned, and think I am organized enough that as long as I don't get lazy this week, next weekend should be enjoyable instead of a mad rush and a big forgettable blur. Oh, and, four more shifts until my vacation begins. I can not even tell you how excited about THAT I am!!!

So...I mentioned a whole slew of goodies that I made yesterday, and now I share with you another of my grandmother's recipes! Now, when you see the picture, please keep in mind that one is supposed to use a cookie press to shape these yummy little treats. I, however, have the worst luck with cookie presses. The one I bought last year cracked the first time I tried to use it this year, so I went to get a new one, and Target was completely out of manual ones, so I opted for the electric one and figured that it would be way more powerful and hold up better. Nope, wrong. I didn't break it, but it sounded like it too was going to crack in half. It has a cake decorating adapter, so I will try it for the festive trifle that I am making later in the week (JUST WAIT! It is soooo pretty!!) and if it doesn't get the job done, Target will be getting it back and they can send it back in to the manufacturer as defective, because it is...so there.

Grandma's Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/3 cups flour

Directions

Cream butter. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Gradually blend in flour. Fill cookie press with 1/4 of dough at a time; form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven, 8 to 10 minutes. (As you can see in the picture, I put a little Maraschino cherry bit in the center - when I have a functional cookie press, I make the cookies in a flower shape, so it makes a pretty center. And since that is how my grandma always made them, they just don't taste right to me). Remove immediately to wire rack to cool.

And, since there is a big old holiday this week, how about a bonus creation?? Since I did the cornucopia at Thanksgiving, I thought I would try to find a Christmas bread thing to do, and boy did I ever. Say hello to...

Santa Bread

Ingredients

2 frozen loaves of bread (or you can make your own dough...find a recipe HERE, and remember, you will need 2 loaves)

1 egg

Red food color

2 raisins

Directions

On a lightly floured surface, shape one loaf of bread into an elongated triangle with rounded corners for Santa's head and hat.

Shape and flatten half of the half of the second loaf dough into a beard. Using scissors or a pizza cutter, cut the beard into strips to within 1 inch of the top of the beard.

Carefully pick up the beard and place it on the bottom of Santa's "face". Twist the cup strips slightly and curl the ends to shape the beard.

Now, the instructions I found kind of skipped the hat part, so what I did was, cut a strip of dough and rolled it out, it was about 2 inches thick and about 12 inches long. I also cup a couple of pieces for Santa's nose and the ball on the end of his hat and rolled them into balls. I rolled out a triangle with an extra long and 1 1/2 inch wide end to fold fold over. Put one ball at the end of that hat and one ball on his face for his nose. Place the long strip over the bottom of Santa's hat.

Beat one egg and brush over the beard and the top part of Santa's face. Add red food coloring to remaining egg wash. Brush over Santa's hat, cheeks and nose. Place raisins on face for eyes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 - 40 minutes on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, until beard is golden brown.

Long day in the kitchen

2011-12-18T00:19:00.001-05:00

Wow. I just sat down and started writing this at 11:43 pm. I did have to stop and take a nap for a few minutes...I mean, I DID work all night! I will also admit that I took a couple of short cuts too...I made my gingerbread from a boxed mix (although I was very pleased with how easy the dough was to work with, so I might make my own next year...I have never made any kind of gingerbread before) and I also made some chocolate peppermint cookies that were from a box mix too. Other than that, I made A LOT of stuff today (including a Mexican Fiesta dinner for the family because they got hungry!). What recipes do you have to look forward to this week? Butter cookies, Swedish Spritz cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies and your recipe for today...SPONGE CANDY!

OK, so sponge candy is not for everyone, I will give you that. I personally love it because my grandmother always made it and it tastes like Christmas to me...plus, it is pretty easy AND it is cool to watch when you add the baking soda and get a little chemical reaction!

Sponge Candy

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon baking soda

Directions

Mix first three ingredients in a 4 quart pot - heat on low - stir until

smooth. Let cook to hard crack (300 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Take off heat and mix in baking soda immediately. Pour into buttered cake pan - let cool.

The first picture is right after the baking soda was added to the mix. The kids thought it was going to bubble over (but it did not!) .

And here it is all cooled off and shiny. Tomorrow I will break it into pieces when I package up all my goodies! (And I will take a couple pictures of the whole spread for you all too. Everything is all packed up so it doesn't dry out!)

Like I said, sponge candy isn't for everyone...but give it a try. At least making it is like making a science project volcano that you can watch grow...its very cool...that is, if I don't say so myself.

And your song for today...kind of bummed -they were in town in concert tonight, and I think it would be cool to see them live at least once. Maybe next year!!

How NOT to bake cookies...

2011-12-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

First of all...gotta give props to the kitties as it is Caturday...

CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE ~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ! ! !

1 cup water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups dried fruit
1 bottle Jim Beam

Directions:

First, sample the Beam to check quality. Take a large bowl. Check the Beam again, to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour 1 level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Beam is still OK. Try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy, break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in 1 cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off the floor. Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, just pry loose with a screwdriver. Sample the Beam to check for um, er, toxicisity, yeah that's it. Next, sift 2 cups of salt or something.

Who giveshz ! a sheet. Check the Beam - Now shift the lemon juice
and strain your nuts. Add 1 table. &nbs! p; Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Beam and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS
(and I would LOVE to give props to whomever wrote this, but I have seen it so many times over the years in emails and stuff, that I would not even know where to begin...so wherever and whomever you are, thank you!)

Sorry there is no picture to go with that, but by the time you get done making these you kind of forget to take a picture. Because you are probably drooling on yourself while passed out in a corner. Or on top of a toilet...like this guy...Ok, in all seriousness, I will be undertaking Bake-a-Thon 2011 today, as I try to finish everything I haven't done all month because I am just not in the mood for Christmas. Though, I must admit, the closer it gets (and the closer I get to my vacation starting) the more excited I become... So, Sunday there will be all kinds of pictures of what I accomplish today...or maybe Monday. I also have some cute ideas I will share with you of a couple of things that I am thinking about making for our Christmas Eve celebration...because after making that cornucopia for Thanksgiving, I have to come up with some new bread creation, right??? Well, I think I found one! So...until then...wish me luck!

Over the moon...

2011-12-16T00:15:00.001-05:00

So...I recently started following this blog...and this person started following my blog (and asked for a recipe, and you all know how I LOVE requests) and he also has a book that I started reading and it is killing me because it is just so damn funny. Check him out HERE. And you can get his book there too..ask him, he will tell you! My friend....Mooner Johnson.

Here is that recipe that supposedly taken to the grave by a friend (at least I HOPE it comes close...)

Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
Cooking Spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour with next three ingredients (through salt) and stir with a whisk. Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a TUBE pan (that is a bundt cake pan, Mooner), that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for about 35 -40 minutes, checking after 30 minutes with a toothpick. When it comes out clean the cake is done. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

If you would like to add a vanilla glaze...

Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, softened
3-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions
Combine all ingredients until mixture is smooth and glaze-like. Drizzle over the top of completely cooled cake.

And Mooner, I know you said a song you could not hear, so you will just have to turn your speakers down, or hum or something. I can honestly say that I HAVE been reading your book and remember the part about your worship of the Beatles, so will this do?? Hope the cake is to your liking...!