The Buckeye Five

Navy Bean and Ham Soup

2012-02-02T07:14:00.004-05:00

Today is Groundhog Day and usually, here in central Ohio, we are excited for this day to come so we can find out, from an underground-dwelling rodent, weather spring weather will come sooner rather than later.

Here's the catch this year...we're still waiting on winter to get here!

Sure, we've had the gray skies and plenty of rain. But what we haven't had is bitter cold or measurable snow. It's getting a bit ridiculous. My husband went to the driving range to hit some gold balls yesterday. It's not the first time this "winter" that he's done that either. And for the past couple of evenings, my kids were outside rip-sticking, kicking a soccer ball or poking around the creek that runs behind our house. I even threw dinner on the grill! These are all activities generally reserved for sometime in mid-March when we are itching to get outside.

We're all predicting, without the help of a groundhog, that mid-March is when we'll finally get our winter weather. If that does, in fact, happen, you'll be glad to have this soup recipe in your arsenal to fight the late-winter blahs.

Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Here's What You Need:

1 pound dried navy beans

4 cups water

1/4 pound cubed ham

1 can diced tomatoes (16 oz.)

1 can chicken broth (16 oz.)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup diced celery

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Here's What You Do:

You need to plan ahead because the first step needs to happen the night before you intend to eat the soup. Rinse the beans in water and then place them in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Let stand overnight and then drain any remaining water off.

Add the remaining ingredients to the beans in a slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on high for 8 hours. Bake some corn bread to go with it and your dinner is on the table. Leaves you with plenty of time for a snow ball fight!

Family Weirdness - Chapter 3

2012-01-30T08:59:00.003-05:00

I'd like to say that this will be the third and final chapter of my family's weirdness. In reality, though, we're probably only at the beginning of the saga. I'll spare reporting any further chapters to the general public. How's that?!

It was bedtime one night. All three kids had bathed or showered, dried off and dressed in some comfy pj's. Likewise, they had all prepared and eaten a small bedtime snack as they are prone to do most evenings. I was trying to finish up a few dinner dishes I'd left to soak in the sink and wanted to get them done.

I loathe coming downstairs in the morning to find a pot with cold water and questionable "floaties" sitting in the sink waiting for me. Not the cheeriest way to start the day.

You know the saying about idle hands and them being the devil's workshop? Well, has anyone ever heard a saying about idle TOES?

When the dishes were finished, I came upstairs to gather up my youngest, pick out a book and get settled down to read a bedtime story and tuck him in. I found Owen in his sister's room with crayons stuck between his toes.

For. No. Apparent. Reason.!!!

And. AND! This is what his sister's hair looked like!

Yes. They were definitely calm and sleepy and just about to drift off to sleep at this point.

NOT!

Who ARE these people and who are their parents?!

Creativity

2012-01-27T04:30:00.000-05:00

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep!

Chicken Pot Pie - Pie Pilgrimage

2012-01-25T19:45:00.001-05:00

This is the perfect time of the year for today's recipe.

Bulky coats, heavy sweaters...

They will cover up those extra couple of pounds - until, spring anyway.

Go ahead, have another serving of this no-excuses heavenly rich Chicken Pot Pie that is, without a doubt, just like your grandmother used to make.

Though not a traditional "pie" in the sense of the word as most people would first think. A chicken pot pie is a pie, none-the-less. There is a pastry crust and there is a filling, therefore making this a bona fide, true-blue, honest-to-goodness P.I.E.

I had a very hard time reserving myself to eat just one serving, although, I might have left a little extra on the spoon while I was cleaning up after dinner so I could lick it clean.

It's that good!

This recipe came from a new cookbook I received from my ~~mom~~ parents for Christmas. The title is, "The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook" by Maggie Green. Admittedly, I wasn't blown away by this cookbook at first glance. No glossy, colorful pictures. That is always a must for me. But then, after the holiday craziness settled down and I had a few moments to sit down with it and really get into it, I realized that this was going to be a great read and a fun source for some new recipes. One of my favorite features about this cookbook is that Maggie presents her recipes in a month-by-month layout so that you are given recipes for when the main ingredient is either in-season or when it would be most suitable to serve it. For example, she offers a Super Bowl party menu and accompanying recipes in February. Likewise, tips for picking and baking with blackberries show up in the chapter on July. (Another reason to wish summer would get here fast!) The author has also included some spectacular writing, sharing anecdotes from her life. I plan to sample recipes from this book throughout the year, so stay tuned and plan to hear from this cookbook many times over!

Chicken Pie

Here's What You Need:

crust -

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks butter, cold and cut into 1-inch slices

3-4 Tablespoons ice water

filling -

1/2 stick butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth

4 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 large egg

Here's What You Do:

First, please don't become intimidated by the long list of ingredients. It really is very simple to put together. Just get your ingredients altogether and ready to go so you have everything out as you move through the instructions.

For the crust, place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse until the butter is chopped into pea-size pieces. Add 3 Tablespoons of the ice water and pulse the processor about 10 times, or just until the dough starts to form a ball. Add the final Tablespoon of water if necessary to form the dough. Place the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and fold the wrap around the dough to seal it. press the dough into a disc and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the pie, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until they are soft. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the flour and thyme and stir until all of the flour is absorbed. Stir in the milk, broth and wine. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer this mixture until it thickens. Add the chicken, peas, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour the filling into the dish. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about an 11x15 inch rectangle. Place the dough over the filling and crimp the edges or press them with a fork. With a thin knife, cut several V-shaped vents in the top of the crust. Mix the egg with about 1 Tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash over the top of the crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubble. If it looks like the crust is getting a bit too brown but there is a significant amount of baking time left, loosely place a piece of foil over the top of the baking dish.

Prepare for your family to fall at your feet thanking you for making them such a delicious meal!

I Made It Monday - Valentine Wreath

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to make this wreath for a couple of weeks and just couldn't find a big enough chunk of time to get it put together. Instead of constantly putting it off, I bit it off in about four mini sessions. I don't really enjoy that. I'm more of a sit-down-and-get-it-all-done-at-once-kind-of-person.

I collected my supplies on one of the first days all three of my children were back to school after the Christmas break. I headed off to Jo Ann's to get the red burlap and a heart-shaped foam form. I was kind of hoping they'd have pink'ish burlap since our front door is red and I was afraid the wreath wouldn't show up from the road with red on red. No pink burlap and no heart-shaped wreath forms. There is a really helpful woman that works at the fabric-cutting counter (she's given me great tips before!) and she was doing some re-stocking in the seasonal aisle. I truly believe she was right there at that moment just for me. I told her what I was looking for and what my project was. She suggested I form a wire coat hanger into a heart...

...then she recommended using corrugated cardboard and duct tape to further define the shape I was after.

The heart shape was crude, but I held out hope that once
my burlap was on there, it would take on a more refined look.

I honestly don't believe I would have ever come up with that idea on my own. In reality, I probably would have walked out of that store feeling defeated that I wasn't going to be able to make my homemade Valentine's Day Wreath.

I purchased 3 yards of red burlap and found an old cup that measures roughly 3 inches in diameter. I doubled the burlap over so I could cut out two at a time. I have no idea how many circles I ended up cutting out. I do know, though, that this was the step that took the longest.

So, take your circle and fold it in half...

Then, you fold it in half again...

Hopefully you have preheated the greatest invention for crafters near and far...

...and you squirt some hot glue on the wreath form and affix the folded-burlap-circle-thingy like so. I just started doing a row on the outside and then a row on the inside and then a final third row to fill in-between the rows.

As I was finishing and had some extra circles, I went ahead and looked for bare spots here and there. I didn't want any duct tape or cardboard to be visible once the wreath was hung up.

I really like how it turned out. I wish it had been a bit larger, but then, that means I would have had more circles to cut out! I held it up to our front door and decided I needed to add something to give a little more visibility. I had just picked up the pink-heart wire ribbon at Michael's a couple of days ago and decided to stretch a piece diagonally across. Another small piece of ribbon was used to make a loop on the back to hang on my wreath hook.

I got the idea for this wreath from a blog I follow called Little Birdie Secrets. On there, that blogger made a standard circle wreath with red burlap for Christmas. When I saw that red, I instantly thought Valentine's Day and decided I would make one for the upcoming February holiday.

I hope I have inspired you to make something too!

Easy Meatballs

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Kevin's girlfriend helped me cook dinner the other night.

Got your attention?

Yes, Giada de Laurentiis is my husband's dream girl. He thinks it's funny to flip through the channels and land on The Food Network and if her show is on, leave it there and watch it. Like he truly has an interest in how to make a caprese salad or marinara sauce or any number of Italian specialties.

Whatever. He has his eye candy. I have mine. (Helooo, Matthew McConaughey and Kirk Hirbstreit!)

Giada's private label pasta sauce, sold only at Target, is really delicious. I've only tried the Tomato Basil flavor. The price is relatively reasonable as well when you compare to some of the other famous-name pasta sauces that are now on the market. I know for a fact that Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batalli both have sauces with their names and faces on the label. They are nearly as pretty as Giada.

I prefer homemade pasta sauce, but when time is short, I like to know I have a couple of jars on the shelf that I can use when the need arises. Or, in the case of when I make homemade meatballs, it's nice to know I don't have to spend as much time in the kitchen making meatballs and pasta sauce.

Easy Meatballs

Here's What You Need:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 cup very finely diced onion

1 egg

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

salt/pepper to taste

Here's What You Do:

I forget where I got this recipe. I've been making these for 3 or 4 years. I think I copied the recipe down from a blog that I used to follow and it was on a blog that the blogger followed and I was in a moment where I just clicked from one blog to the next, to the next, and suddenly I was lost in Blog Land, didn't know where I was and didn't know how to get back. So I just clicked the X and it all went away. But I copied the recipe down first!

It's Yummy.

It's Easy.

Enough said.

Mix all of the ingredients together, but not for too long. You will have tough meatballs. Not appetizing. Shape the meatballs in to equally sized portions. I use one of my cookie dough scoops to make these and it's perfect. I usually get about one dozen meatballs using my medium scoop. You can either brown these in a skillet over medium heat or line them up on a cookie sheet and bake them at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. I usually just bake them. I really can't stand the mess of grease splattering on the stove-top.

Meanwhile, heat up your pasta sauce and cook your spaghetti. When the meatballs are done, toss them into the pasta sauce and "Wah-Lah!", dinner is served.

What is Weird? Chapter 2

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Let me prove to you just how weird my family is.

What kind of family engages in this sort of activity?

I mentioned before on here about my wicked looking owl that was purchased to scare the pooping birds off my back porch and front walk. My menacing owl sure did the trick for me last spring and summer. When I suggested to Kevin that the owl should be put away for the winter with all of our other outdoor things, he told me he wanted to keep it on the back porch to keep mice away from the grill.

Sidebar: Did I ever tell you about the time when after a winter of not using the grill, my husband offered to fix dinner one night in early March and upon proceeding to fire up the grill, found a family of mice taking refuge in the very vessel we use to cook food THAT. WE. EAT?!?!

So when he suggested leaving the owl out for that purpose, I heartily agreed. He positioned the owl on the ground next to the grill and has every-so-often, re-positioned the grill. I suppose he believes we have intelligent mice in these parts and thusly need to be fooled so it looks like our owl is moving around.

I truly am getting to the part of the story that matters most, however, I'm sure you are believing I have already supplied enough evidence to prove our weirdness.

The other day, I'm in the kitchen and walk past our back door. I happened to glance out the window and did a double-take when I noticed the owl. You'll remember from my previous owl story that it's eyes haunt me. It has had the same effect on Jenna and I told Kevin that the owl was starting to creep Jenna out.

Jokingly, I said to him, "You should find a way to rig that owl outside her bedroom window on April Fool's Day." I really wasn't being serious and I'm ashamed of myself for letting myself go to "that place."

A short while later, I hear Kevin up in Jenna's room and he has this waiting for her when she gets home from school:

At one point, he closed the blinds and curtains so that when she came home from school she would enter her room and go to open her curtains and then

BAM!

Hello Loony Bin!

You are definitely living in the nut house!

What kind of parent does this to their own child?

I know. I know. You are thinking that it's all of my fault because I came up with the idea. And, yes, I take full ~~credit~~ blame for that. But I would have never acted on it.

Long live our family weirdness...

Toffee Banana Cream Pie - Pie Pilgrimage

2012-01-19T14:07:00.003-05:00

So, here is my first installment on my year-long Pie Pilgrimage for 2012. It was hard to pick the first pie of the year. I have so many recipes stored up and when it's the first of many for an entire twelve months, it can be a bit daunting to know where to begin.

I sorted through all of my clipped recipes that are stored in one of my binders (Yes, one of; there is more than just one.). And I went through some of my favorite cookbooks. You know, the ones that have earned a spot on my counter rather than stored away in one of the cupboards (Yes, there is more than one cupboard full of cookbooks. It's a sickness.)

I was sold on the one I chose because it allowed for a few shortcuts if I so chose (which I did) and it combined a couple of flavors I hadn't experienced together before. In the end, this pie did not disappoint, even though is didn't set up well enough for me to get a good picture of just one slice.

Was it soup in a pie tin?

No, it wasn't.

I just couldn't get a nice, clean slice served up. So, the pictures you will see of it are a couple of step-by-step shots with really bad lighting (sorry folks - I'm no photographer!), the mile-high whipped cream and my oldest son drooling over the prospect of dessert-to-come!

Toffee Banana Cream Pie

Here's What You Need:

1 prebaked 9-inch pie crust or a 9-inch graham cracker crust

Custard:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon butter

Banana Filling and Topping:

5.9 ounce pkg. vanilla or banana instant pudding, prepared per package and chilled

2 cups whipping cream

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, divided

2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced in 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup toffee bits

1 cup coarsely crushed vanilla wafers

Here's What You Do:

I want to first share with you that I found this recipe in "A Passion For Baking" by Marcy Goldman.

Love. Love! Her books. Buy one. Get one from the library.

I bought a graham cracker crust to use. I should have made it myself. So much cheaper. But, I wanted to save a bit of time. You could also purchase Cool Whip in place of the whipping cream and powdered sugar. It was nice to have the real thing though.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to blend. In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, stir half of the milk with egg yolks and add the flour mixture. Increase the heat to medium and add the rest of the milk and vanilla, stirring constantly. Bring it to a low boil and when the mixture begins to thicken, add the butter and keep on stirring. Turn the heat down and simmer until the custard coats a spoon and is thick. I'm wondering if I didn't get it thick enough. I sure thought it was but I can't explain why the pie didn't set up better. Anyway, pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrapping making sure the wrap touches the top of the custard so a skin doesn't form on it. Chill for one hour.

Did I mention this pie takes some planning, time-wise? I had hoped to make this pie a week earlier but every time I went to make it I realized I didn't have time for everything to chill in between steps!

For the Banana Filling, after you have prepared and chilled the pudding, whip the powdered sugar and whipping cream in a mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Gold the whipped cream into the chilled pudding and stick it back into the fridge to chill for another hour. Lots of chillin' going on!

Remove the chilled mixture from the fridge. Fold 1/2 cup of miniature marshmallows into the custard. I misread the instructions and folded them into the pudding mixture. I doubt that caused the problem I had.

To assemble the pie, spoon half of the custard into the pie crust. Place a layer of banana slices on top.

Next, add half of the toffee bits and crushed vanilla wafers.

Spoon the rest of the custard on top and then sprinkle the remaining toffee bits. Put down another layer of vanilla wafers and another layer of banana slices. Now, you top the whole thing off with the banana pudding-whipped cream mixture. At this point, I am realizing that I am going to have some heavenly whipped banana pudding! There was no way all of this was going to fit in this dinky little 9-inch pie plate! Just look at how high I have this piled up! And I didn't use all of it. There was at least a whole measuring cup's worth of it leftover.

Refrigerate the pie for 1-3 hours or overnight. This may have been a problem for me. Mine was in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hours, so perhaps a little more time in the fridge might have helped out some. Who knows?!

Have I mentioned before that Evan loves pie?!

The instructions give one final step which I chose to omit. It said to preheat the oven to 400 degrees and top the pie with the remaining 1 cup mini marshmallow and bake on the top oven rack just to brown the marshmallows. Remove and serve at once. I'm sure the browned marshmallows would have added to the toffee-like flavor, but I just didn't feel like it was necessary.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T05:30:00.001-05:00

What is Weird?

2012-01-16T22:14:00.002-05:00

Tonight I was, once again, reminded of how weird my family is. There are little inside stories or jokes that only we get. Rituals that I am sure others might think are...well - WEIRD!

Last week, my daughter had someone tell her that a couple of her friends were weird. One of the friends overheard the conversation. Jenna was later talking to the "weird" girl in question and the girl proclaimed, "I'm not weird. I just like to do weird things!" I'm so glad this friend of Jenna's is secure enough in her individuality to be happy and proud of her own unique personality. I'm equally happy that my daughter can see past the quirks to see true value and worth in all people.

Here is what Webster's has to say about the word, WEIRD...

of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or magic
very unusual or strange

Okay, so the witchcraft and magic part has me a bit perplexed, but I can get on-board with the whole very unusual or strange part of the definition.

We do have some very strange and some very unusual moments in our everyday life.

But really, wouldn't life be boring if there were no weirdness? And what is weird to you might be perfectly normal to me!

So the next time I tell someone they are a big weirdo, I say it with the utmost love and affection!

Now, go do something weird today and enjoy yourself while you do it!

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Dessert, without a doubt, is my favorite part of a meal. I love bakery items like cookies and cake and pie more than candy. Bring on the sugar-laden carbs, I say!

I must be honest, though; I really do like healthy food too.

I sometimes crave a bowl of Cheerios. Not the Honey-Nut variety either. Just plain old lowers-your-cholesterol-high-in-fiber Cheerios.

And I really dig drinking Cheerios milk.

Am I weird?

Why is no one answering?

Anyway, I feel it's my civic duty to share a few offerings of what I like to call healthy food recipes. You know, the American obesity situation being what it is. I need to do my part too.

This recipe for Orzo with Spinach and Feta is one I tore out of an issue of Cooking Light magazine back when I subscribed to it many, many moons ago. Honestly, I stopped my subscription because I just wasn't getting enough out of it for it to make sense to pay for a subscription. Too many of the healthy recipes were just too healthy. Sorry folks. I don't like tofu and Kevin had had about enough of the salads. So I decided that moderation was the key. The subscription was worth it to get this recipe alone, though. I love it and when it's in the fridge, I can hardly stay out of it. It's a great side dish, but I've been known to make an entire meal out of it. You have your grain, dairy and vegetable all in one dish.

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

Here's What You Need:

5 cups water

2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

5 cups coarsely chopped spinach

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

a few grinds of black pepper

Here's What You Do:

Bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes and then drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Combine the pasta, spinach and feta in a large bowl. Combine all other ingredients and whisk together. Drizzle the lemon mixture over the pasta and toss well to coat. You'll get about 8 one-cup servings.

Fresh. Light. Filling. Healthy. Yum.

Wordless Wednesday (Happy New Year!)

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

How Bad Does It Have To Get?

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

How bad does it have to get for me to send a text like this to my husband?

Me: Whose idea was it to have children anyway?

Him: Urs.

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken

2012-01-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

I love the tangy sweet flavor of honey mustard. On the rare occasion that I eat chicken nuggets/tenders, I prefer to dip them in honey mustard instead of ketchup. There's a restaurant where we sometimes eat that serves a delicious warm honey mustard salad dressing. Mmmm! I'm getting hungry!

This recipe for Honey Mustard Baked Chicken caught my attention because of how quickly it's on the table. Our busy family of five requires meals like that on most any night.

I found this recipe in a cookbook called "The Deen Brothers Take It Easy." If you are familiar with Paula Deen, then you know who these guys are. Paula's sons have been in the restaurant business with her for quite a while now and they even had their own show on the Food Network. They have published more than one cookbook and I enjoy their perspective of the kitchen compared to their mother's. They like a few, shall we say, "healthier" dishes than their butter-loving mother does. And now that one of the Deen brothers is a father, he includes fun little anecdotes about kid-friendly food. Check them out at the library or look them up on Amazon. (not a paid endorsement)

Honey Mustard Baked Chicken
Here's What You Need:
3 Tablespoons honey mustard
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt/pepper, to taste

Here's What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey mustard, olive oil and tomato paste.

I know this is a really small amount of tomato paste to open up a can for. Here's what I do when I need only part of a can. I put a small piece of waxed paper on a plate and scoop the remaining tomato paste out in 1 Tablespoon spoon globs and place them on the waxed paper. Pop it into the freezer and once they are frozen solid, pop the globs into a freezer bag or container and keep there until the next time you only need 1-2 Tablespoons of this yummy stuff!

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place on the baking sheet. Slather the honey mustard glaze over the chicken and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

2012-01-06T09:51:00.005-05:00

A certain someone's half birthday was yesterday.

A certain someone is half-way to seven.

A certain someone that didn't have school yesterday.

A certain someone that I made the mistake of telling him over breakfast that he could be King for the day and the aristocracy kind of went to his head.

A certain someone who is lucky enough to have a Mom bake these for him.

These are not normal-sized cupcakes. The name alone kind of gives that away. I don't, however, own the "jumbo" size that Martha suggests so I had to go with the "ultra jumbo" size pan that I own which only bakes 4 at a time. So, I just baked four ultra jumbos and made the remainder of the batter in a normal sized cupcake pan.

One extra little treat about these...

Mmm.....

Heavenly. Marshmallow. Filling.

These are so yummy, almost brownie-like in texture and the marshmallow filling makes a frosting on top totally unnecessary, however, would be welcomed none-the-less!

Jumbo Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Here's What You Need:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or butter your cupcake pans and dust lightly with a simple mixture of additional cocoa powder and flour. This combination helps the cupcakes not stick to the muffin pan and doesn't leave a white residue (from just flour) on the outside of the cupcakes.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and give it a whisk to combine. Set aside. In a mixer bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not over-mix!

Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the pan filling each about halfway. Bake for about 25 minutes. This is all based on how big your muffin pans are. You might want to start checking on them around 20 minutes but might take as much as 30 minutes. My ultra jumbos took 30 minutes while the smaller ones were done around 23 minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool. When cooled, mix up the remaining butter and marshmallow cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up. Scrape marshmallow goodness into a zip top plastic bag and snip off a small corner. Using a sharp knife, melon-baller or small cookie dough scoop, scoop the center of each cupcake from the bottom. Squirt some cream inside and then replace the bottom section. You might want to tear off a bit of that section before inserting it so the cream doesn't ooze out. You can just put it in your mouth to make clean up easier. Anything to help make life easier.

Martha says that the cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container. I don't think these will last any longer than that anyway, so that's not something I'll worry about.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's CUPCAKES. Kevin's mom gave this cookbook to me a few years ago for my birthday. Love it!

Happy Half-Birthday King Owen!

Crock Pot Potatoes and Ham

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

It's cold out and we've already grown into our bulky sweaters and fleece from all of the holiday cookies and fudge and egg nog and other rich and filling meals. I know this is the time when many people choose to cut back and slim down or get back on track with lighter meals.

If you are not one of these people, read on.

If you are, keep web surfing and don't bother with this post.

There are two reasons why I like to make Crock-Pot Potatoes and Ham.

Hello?! Crock-Pot. I love how this wonderful invention allows me to start a meal hours in advance and leave the house knowing that when I come home later, the house will smell wonderful and I'll have little to do in order to sit down to a meal with my family. It's also especially nice if we're having a busy night and need to eat in shifts or don't know when we'll be able to sit down. BTW, the Crock-Pot people didn't pay me to say all of these wonderful things.
Who does not have leftover ham in their freezer from holiday dinners? I also love the fact that my freezer contains leftover turkey and pork roast!

Crock-Pot Potatoes and Ham

Here's What You Need:

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 onions, chopped (I just use one since my family is onion-averse!)

1 1/2 cups ham, cubed

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can Cheddar cheese soup (use the 10.75 oz. can)

1 1/3 cups water

Here's What You Do:

Layer the potatoes, onion and ham in a Crock-Pot. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and the pepper until it's smooth. Combine the soup and water in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Gradually add this to the flour mixture in the saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat stirring constantly, otherwise it will scorch and stick to the pan and smell bad. Not what you're going for in food prep! Keep stirring until the mixture becomes thickened and bubbly. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture over the ham in the Crock-Pot. Cover with the lid and cook on the low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

I usually start this around 9:00 in the morning and it is ready when we are! This meal serves anywhere from 4-6 people depending on how hungry everyone is. This recipe was found in a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook that I own titled, "Comfort and Joy." There are a lot of great recipes in this book for holiday gifting and holiday meals and even for the middle of summer!

Pie Pilgrimage 2012

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I really labored over this one.

True. My first inclination was to tackle pies in 2012. It only seemed natural to step from cookies to cakes to pies.

But then, I said to myself,

"Why does it have to be a dessert?"

So then I began to consider bread and pastries of all sorts that were included in the bread family.

Then I had a fast-forward image of July heat and the oven on for great lengths of time and that idea was quickly erased from mind.

Then I became thoughtful about side dishes. I'm not big on them in my kitchen. A typical side dish in our house is some brown rice, salad or steamed veggies. I tend to keep it simple and focus my time and attention on the main dish.

A couple of weeks ago, Kevin asked me what was going to be next and I shared my quandary with him. Oldest son, Evan, was listening in and put the kibosh on the side dish idea, paid no attention to the bread idea, and zeroed in on his favorite dessert of all time (next to brownies) - P. I. E.

I offered my concerns over baking pie so regularly and the weight I might gain.

"Nonsense!" was the general consensus.

"It's only once a month," my dear husband rationalized.

Then I realized I could investigate twists on the whole pie thing.

A tart here, a quiche there.

Both savory and sweet will be explored.

Webster's Dictionary defines a pilgrimage as a long journey. That doesn't really sound very encouraging or even the least bit enjoyable. I will admit, however, that pie-baking and I have not always had the greatest relationship. The crust is what trips me up time and time again.

Mixing it up without over-mixing so it isn't tough.

Rolling it out without it sticking to the counter and peeling apart when you go to lift it into the pan.

I could go on. Then I thought about all of the different kinds of crusts there are out there (and not just the ones Pillsbury very kindly sells in the refrigerated section at Kroger's!).

You've got your graham cracker crust. You've got your shortbread crust. You've got your cream cheese crust. And then, yes, the very handy puff pastry that sometimes serves as a crust for tarts and the like.

So, that's what is in store for me in the new year and it's what I'll be sharing on here. Be ready for some flukes and blunders here and there. Remember - I never proclaim to be an expert.

I am a student, always learning.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Alfred Lord Tennyson,

From "In Memoriam"

I had an English professor at Ohio State that had us reading lots of Alfred Lord Tennyson. Some of it was hard to decipher, and some of it was pretty straight-forward, like the excerpt found above. I really liked that class. There were no wrong answers. We contemplated, we interpreted, we discussed.

It was deep...

The Calm After the Storm

2011-12-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

Our family enjoyed a most blessed Christmas this year. And while the holiday season is still not yet technically over, I wanted to share a few of the highlights from our wonderful Christmas Eve and Day.

A rare peaceful moment for my three kiddos. I was able to get them to stand still in front of one of the many Christmas trees at our church following the services. Jenna graduated and joined Evan in scripture reading this year and Owen was a shepherd. It was too tempting to let him be a wise ~~guy~~ man.

Difficult as it may have been, Evan, Jenna and Owen paused just long enough for this shot before tearing into their stockings and other gifts found under the tree.

Jenna will be stylin' in her signature color this winter - nice purple boots!

Mr. Cool has spent many hours playing with his glow-in-the-dark marble vortex thinga-ma-jigger!

And some have cautioned that perhaps a snowboard might not have been the greatest gift choice for the child that has broken his arm twice in 3 years and maybe, just maybe, fate is keeping snow from landing and sticking on the ground here in central Ohio for that very reason.

Stay tuned...

And good ol' Oscar was here to spend another Christmas with our family. I was sure last year would be his final holiday and now I sadly wonder the same thing year. Thanks for hanging in there another year with us Oscar!

And then we were left with the typical scene found in family rooms across the country. The frenzy that preceded this mess was enjoyed by one and all. Then we got to do it all over again the next day at my parents' house and then again yesterday with Kevin's family. The gift buying and wrapping and giving and opening have all been done for us this year. Now, we settle back and enjoy the lights and decorations and calm for just a few more days before ushering in a new year, new activities, new memories to be made, new experiences and new lessons to be learned.

Hoping your holiday season has been equally enjoyable for your families as well.

And for those of you that have followed my Cookie Journey in 2010 and my Cake Odyssey in 2011, I'll soon be posting an update on what 2012 holds for me and my travels throughout the kitchen. How's that for a teaser?!

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes - December Cake Odyssey Bonus

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've had reason to prepare a meal or two lately for another family. Sometimes I feel like it's a major chore to get food on the table in the evening for my own family, let alone for another. But really, when you are fixing something for your own...it's just as easy to double it all and put together the same for someone that is going through a tough time.

One of my dearest friends from 6th grade on up is dealing with breast cancer right now. We haven't stayed in the best of touch over the years. She got married right away and started a family in our hometown, while I ran off to college and lived in, what seemed like, a different world than hers. Sure, we attended each others weddings and sent/received birth announcements, but it wasn't until our 20th high school reunion that we reconnected.

I was really torn up when I heard the news that Heidi had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had always heard that everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed. Secretly, I always thought to myself, 'I don't know anyone.' I wanted to keep it that way. And then the news about Heidi came out and then she became "my person." I didn't want to have "a person."

There's a wonderful website called Take Them A Meal and the long and the short of it is that it provides a forum for setting up a meal delivery schedule for families in need. You send out the email notice to the people you most think will participate, include any food allergy information and people just sign up with what they'll bring (so you don't get too many lasagnas!) and when it will be brought. It is pure genius and I wish I'd thought of it.

I remember years ago when I first decided to be a stay-at-home Mom. The job I had most-recently been in was in a small office with two other men. All of my girlfriends from college had moved away to other cities and to be honest, I did not have a lot of close friends who lived in the area where I was living. I panicked when I thought, 'What if something happens to me? Who will bring meals to my family?!' Thankfully, I have a wonderfully huge network of girlfriends that I know would keep my husband and children well-fed if the circumstances ever required it. Let's hope the unthinkable never happens to me. I just wish it had never happened to Heidi.

When I took a meal to her family recently, I wanted to bake something special (yet simple) for dessert - not the typical and ever-predictable chocolate chip cookies. Though I never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn't like. I just wanted something maybe they'd never had before, but would keep well sitting on their kitchen counter.

These Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes came to mind almost instantly. I first made these when I spied the recipe in the July 2007 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. I made them for a Fourth of July family cookout that year and they were so well-received that I decided to keep the recipe. I remember not telling anyone about the peanut butter surprise hidden inside. I get that sneaky trait from my Grandma Blue. She was known to put a fake ice cube containing a fake fly in someone's water glass one Christmas!

So watch out!

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Here's What You Need:

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

10 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

1 2/3 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

salt

1 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 Tablespoons milk

Here's What You Do:

In a bowl with the mixer on medium speed, mix the powdered sugar, peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Shape the mixture into 24 balls using a heaping measuring teaspoon. Place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners. To prepare the cupcakes, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Gently whisk to combine. In medium bowl, mix sour cream, milk and remaining vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, with a mixer, combine the sugar and remaining 8 Tablespoons butter just until blended. Increase the speed to high and beat for one minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat one to two minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat just until all ingredients are combined.

Spoon 1 heaping measuring tablespoon of batter into each cupcake liner. Then drop one peanut butter ball in the center of each cup.

Top each with another heaping tablespoon of batter. Bake the cupcakes for 25 - 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and 3 Tablespoons milk until smooth and blended. Beat in additional milk as needed for easy spreading consistency. Increase the speed to medium-high; beat until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl often. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes.

Not responsible for the hugs of pure joy you will get when you serve these!

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

2011-12-23T19:30:00.000-05:00

I pulled this recipe for Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding from an issue of Midwest Living many moons ago. The first time I ever made it was when my children were very little, in fact, Owen was not even born yet. I hosted a cookie exchange with some friends of mine and I served this dessert for the moms while the kids had their way with the cookies. I have made this again and again, usually for special occasions such as the holidays. I recently made it when it was my turn to host Bunco.

It really is as chocolatey and rich as it looks. I didn't make the brown sugar sauce for it this time either!

If you are in need of a last minute idea for a holiday dessert to serve or take to a get-together, this could be your ticket! Great with a cup of coffee...

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Here's What You Need:

6 cups dry firm white bread cubes

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Brown-Sugar Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Here's What You Do:
To dry out the bread cubes, just place them on a rimmed cookie sheet in the oven at 300 degrees for 10-20 minutes, tossing them occasionally. You'll know when they are crispy and dried out enough. You don't want the bread cubes to brown though.

Place the bread cubes in a 9x12, lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and then the nuts on top of that. You can use walnuts or almonds if you like. I prefer pecans for this dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over the bread, the chocolate pieces, and the nuts. Gently push down on the bread cubes with the back of a large spoon, making sure the bread absorbs the egg mixture, and the chocolate pieces and nuts are covered with the egg mixture.

Bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. You might want to place a piece of foil loosely over the top to prevent too much browning from happening. Cool slightly before serving with the brown sugar sauce.

To make the sauce: In a small heavy saucepan, stir together the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water. Add the light cream, corn syrup and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. It may look curdled. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the bread pudding. Cover and chill any leftover sauce.

This is it for me until after Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends over the next few days.

Merry Christmas!

Chasing Away the "I'm Boreds."

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

What are you doing during this holiday season?

My kids are officially on Christmas break starting today. I was reminding my 6 year old who is in kindergarten about that the other day at breakfast. You know how you just can't help yourself but to say, "See you next year?!" I made some comment about that and Owen truly believes that when he goes back to school in January that he'll be a first grader. Little kids take things so literally!

Many families pack up and take off to visit their "snow bird" grandparents who have relocated to warmer regions for the winter. I've never done that before. I've always been home sweet home for the holidays, except for the one time that my parents and I drove to Florida over Thanksgiving to visit my Aunt Clara and Uncle Wayne. Other families pack up and go other places, like skiing or Disney World.

We won't be doing any of those things.

We'll be here at home and making the most of the time off from our routines and schedules...I'll still be cooking and doing laundry and cleaning and...come to think of it, my routing won't change a whole lot.

One thing I do worry about is keeping my three children occupied so that they are not only enjoying themselves and the time off from school and studying (although, we do have a science project to finish up with Evan), it's the video games and television time that I try to keep a close watch on. I refuse to allow a free-for-all during those ten days they are off. And since it doesn't appear to be that we are going to have any measurable snow this entire winter, sending them out to sled or build snowmen isn't going to be an option.

Enter the Tub-O-Fun!

"What is the Tub-O-Fun?" you might ask.

It's the tub I bring out and let the kids create or fiddle with whatever they like. You can make your own Tub-O-Fun too. A lot of what's in our tub are things that can be found around the house.

empty tissue box
empty cereal box
empty toilet paper or paper towel roll
glue/glue sticks
glitter
tissue paper
string
tape
stickers
construction paper
scissors
paints
paint brushes
Popsicle sticks
pom poms
old greeting cards or photos
stampers/stamp pads
glitter glue
beads/buttons
craft foam

If you happen to be out at a Walmart/Michaels/Target/JoAnn's anytime over the next couple of days peruse the dollar bins or pick up a couple of kits if you're really at a loss. Kids of all ages love to craft and I find that if you sit down and craft with them, they'll open up and get to chattering about all kinds of things they probably wouldn't have shared with you otherwise.

Aside from the "free crafting" as we call it when I let them just dig into the supplies and come up with whatever on their own, there are a lot of wonderful age-appropriate craft ideas that can be found online. Here are a couple we are going to spend time on over the next several days...

We've made these ornaments before and they are fun to attach to a gift. Everyone appreciates a homemade gift from children. Instructions for these ornaments can be found on Disney's Family Fun at the following link: Wire Star

I know Jenna is going to love making this snowflake t-shirt. We'll have plenty of time to let the paint dry while she is off from school and it will be fun to have a wintry top to wear after we put away all of the red and green outfits. Also found on Disney's Family Fun, the instructions can be found at the following link: Snowflake T-Shirt.

Here's hoping I won't hear too many "I'm boreds!" over the coming days!

Matzo Toffee

2011-12-20T04:30:00.000-05:00

From Martha's Everyday Food (love that magazine!), I offer you Matzo Toffee. This makes for a great food gift to give someone this holiday season. Splurge on a pretty glass container to put the Matzo Toffee in so the person receiving the gift can see what a treat they are about to receive!

Matzo Toffee

Here's What You Need:

2 cups coarsely crumbled matzos

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Here's What You Do:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss matzo pieces with almonds.

Place the butter, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly. Working quickly, drizzle matzo mixture with syrup, and toss.

With a spatula, spread the mixture the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let chocolate melt 5 minutes then spread the chocolate over the toffee. Pop it in the fridge until the chocolate has set. With your hands, break it into pieces and serve.

About Christmas, A List

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Saying Merry Christmas to everyone even though I know it isn't PC to do so.
Eating special cookies that I only make for the holidays. If I made them any other time of the year, they wouldn't be as special.
Imagining the excitement and smiles on my kids' faces on Christmas morning while I am wrapping their presents.
Our church Christmas Eve service. No greater memories are to be made than those of our children re-enacting the manger scene with all of their church friends.
Digging out the many, many boxes of decorations and ornaments from the basement storage room and seeing, once again, all of the wonderful works of art my children have created, first at preschool and up through their elementary school years.
Never getting tired of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas on television.
Having my parents over for dinner on Christmas Eve for a pot of chili and corn bread after our church services.
Going out for dinner on any given night in December and then driving through the upper tax bracket neighborhoods to see their beautiful light displays.
Driving in and out of our own neighborhood and seeing our friends' homes lit up too!
Celebrating Christ's birth and reading from the Bible with my family.

Italian Pasta Bake

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's recipe is one I've been making since about the time my daughter, Jenna, was born. Friends of ours came over to celebrate our newest addition and as was customary when all of us were having our babies, we'd bring each other a meal. My friend, Nicole, who had two very young kids of her own and probably a third on the way (she has 4 total now!) was busy herself. She probably could hardly find time to prepare her own family's meals, let alone an extra one for another family!

She didn't let us down though. They walked in the door with a grocery bag full of all of the ingredients needed to make Italian Pasta Bake, and she included the recipe too, of course.

I wanted to share this recipe now because it doubles well and if you're having any family or friends in from out-of-town, this would make a great meal to serve. It comes together quickly, leftovers reheat nicely and all you really need is some bread and maybe a salad or steamed broccoli to complete the meal.

A nice bottle of wine would go well with it too!

Italian Pasta Bake

Here's What You Need:

1 pound ground beef

4 cups pasta, cooked and drained*

1 jar spaghetti sauce

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Here's What You Do:

Brown the meat in a large skillet and drain off any liquid. Stir in the pasta sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon the mixture into a 13x9 baking dish and top with shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes with the oven set at 375 degrees.

Told ya it was quick and easy. This is a great weeknight meal for a family if both parents work. I think even the most kitchen averse Dads could put this one together!

*About the pasta...I have used anything from penne to corkscrew to rigatoni shaped noodles. And then there are times when I have just a little bit in several different packages of pasta and I mix them all together. I figure it's okay as long a Martha's not coming to dinner.

Question

2011-12-16T09:34:00.004-05:00

Is 8:52 a.m. too early to eat an M&M Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie?

Just asking!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes - December Cake Odyssey

2011-12-15T05:30:00.000-05:00

I had planned for these wonderful little gems to be my November installment of my 2011 Cake Odyssey. Then about 2 days before Thanksgiving, I get an email from my Mom that goes something like this:

I am paraphrasing...

"April, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah stopped by today and brought your Dad and me a huge cheesecake. Don't bother to bring the dessert you had planned to make for Thanksgiving. The cheesecake and pumpkin pie will be enough. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."

While it was nice to have one less dish to prepare and take to my parents' house on Thanksgiving Day, allowing me to relax a little in the morning and actually watch some of the Macy's Parade on television, I was disappointed for two reasons.

I had planned for it to be my November Cake Odyssey installment and it was late in the month and I had yet to prepare a NEW cake recipe for November so I was suddenly on-the-spot!
I was looking forward to having Pineapple Upside Down Cake as I had not had it in eons! (Webster's Dictionary definition of eons: a unit of geologic time equal to one billion years) Okay, maybe not eons, but a long time, nonetheless!

Let me just say that these little cakes would make a PERFECT addition to your holiday dessert buffet. The serving size is ideal and very easy for someone to add to their plate and move on down the line picking and choosing their additional square of fudge or decorated sugar cookie.

And.

AND!

These are so very easy to make. You MUST make these. The little maraschino cherry is so very festive looking after all.

Mini Upside Down Pineapple Cakes

Here's What You Need:

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

1/3 cup butter, melted

2/3 cup brown sugar

12-13 maraschino cherries, cut in half

1 package yellow cake mix

No Joke! This really is all you need to make these!

Drain the pineapple and reserve the juice. Stir the melted butter and brown sugar together. Evenly divide the brown sugar mixture among two cupcake pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray.

Next, evenly divide the crushed pineapple among the individual cupcake sections. Next, top the pineapple with half of a maraschino cherry, cut side up.

Prepare the cake mix* according to package directions. Replace the amount of water called for in the cake mix with the required pineapple juice and any water needed to even out the liquid. Evenly pour batter into muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and loosen the edges with a sharp knife. Turn out onto a cookie sheets to continue cooling.

An aggravating side-note: My daughter loves all kinds of food and trying out new foods. She is a little Foodista in the making. Maybe even the next Food Network Star! Anyway, the day I made these, I also made sausage jambalaya for dinner. She packed leftovers the next day for her school lunch. A girl in her class had the nerve to tell her that her jambalaya and pineapple upside down cake were GROSS FOOD! I want to simply shake these children who think bologna sandwiches and Little Debbie's are GOOD FOOD!

Okay, I'm done. It's outta my system. I will take a deep breath and the negative energy will leave my body.

For now.

*May I just insert here that I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes above and beyond all cake mixes on the market. Have I tried them ALL? No. But, among the major brands, Duncan Hines is The. Best. They didn't pay me to say that. Just speaking my piece/peace (?). Over and out.

Also...this recipe comes courtesy of the good folks at Dole pineapple. I clipped the recipe from the coupon section sometime this fall. So glad I did!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T06:59:00.001-05:00

Do It Anyway

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

This verse was reportedly written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and is widely attributed to her.

Some sources say that the words above were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives.

Is Your Family's Home "Smart?"

2011-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I read a blurb recently that was written by the Create and Learn! editors at Disney Family Fun. I'm not sure if their on-staff "experts" or some researchers came up with this list, but I agree with it, none the less. I'm hardly an expert, but I am a seasoned mother of three with children ranging in age from 11 on down to 6.

The information provided shared a list of "Six Must-Haves For Engaged, Creative Children."

Here's the list:

Dictionary
Table for jigsaw puzzles
Brain-boosting library
Domino set
Special reading spot
World map

I'm happy to report that we have all of the items on the list in our home.

Are all three of my children overly advanced students with insanely high IQ's?

No. They are not. But I'd like to think that some of what we do around the house with some of the things on this list have sure helped them be creative, quizzical, outgoing, self-assured young people. And it's just an added bonus that they get pretty good grades too.

If you're stumped for something educational to get your children for a Christmas present, maybe you could pick up one of the items on the list. Personally, I've been wanting to add a globe to our home for a few years now and I keep putting it off. I'm sure that once I make the purchase, several country names in the eastern Hemisphere will change and it will be outdated!

Holiday Goat Cheese Appetizer

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Now is the time of year for holiday parties and gatherings. Whether you have an office potluck or family get-together or neighborhood tree-trimming party, there's always a reason or need to put together food to share.

I don't remember where I ever saw this idea, I just know I didn't come up with it on my own.

I come up with some great ideas every once in a while.

This is not one of them.

Holiday Goat Cheese Appetizer

Here's What You Need:

one small log of goat cheese

1/2 - 3/4 cup finely chopped shelled pistachio nuts

1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

Crackers, such as Triscuits or another simple flavored cracker

Here's What You Do:

Toss the nuts and cranberries in a pie pan . Unwrap the goat cheese and roll the log in the nuts and cranberries. Use a bit of pressure to ensure the nuts and cranberries adhere to the cheese and don't fall off. Either wrap the cheese log in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it or display it on a pretty serving platter with an assortment of crackers.

This is a great appetizer to throw together last minute. I love how the green from the pistachios and the red from the cranberries make such a pretty and Christmasy presentation.

Monkey Bread

2011-12-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

The first time I ever had Monkey Bread was when one of my older brothers was a newlywed. I was in college and home for the Christmas break and his wife brought some warm-from-the-oven Monkey Bread up to my parent's house on Christmas morning.

It was a site to behold.

It was was a delight to the taste buds.

It was very filling in my tummy.

Ever since then, I pounce on the opportunity to enjoy Monkey Bread anytime I can. I just wish my metabolism worked its magic like it used to back then.

Carbs and sugars BE DARNED!

There are several different variations on Monkey Bread to be found around the country. Along with those variations are the different names. Some people call it Cinnamon Bubble Loaf or Pull-Apart Bread. Those are the most common that I have come across. I like the name Monkey Bread though. But those other two names make a whole lot more sense than Monkey Bread! There aren't even any bananas in it!

There are also different ways of achieving the cinnamony, sugary, sweet, bready heaven from the oven. Some just have butter/cinnamon/sugar, while other incorporate the usage of either instant or cooked butterscotch pudding mix. I'll be sharing the pudding recipe in the near future. For today, though, take a look at this one from my friend Martha Stewart.

Monkey Bread

Here's What You Need:

1/2 cup butter, melted plus more for pan

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 3/4 pounds yeast dough at room temperature*

Here's What You Do:

Grease a Bundt pan with the extra melted butter. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of the Bundt pan.

Cut the dough into 1/2 inch pieces and roll it into balls. Dip the dough balls into the melted butter and then roll it in the sugar mixture. Toss them into the Bundt pan and spread them out in the pan so they are situated evenly throughout. cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it stand in a warm place until it doubles in size. This will take about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. If the top looks like it's getting too brown, place a piece of foil loosely over the top while the rest finishes baking. When it's done, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully invert the Monkey Bread onto a large serving plate and let it cool 10 or more minutes.

Now, serve it to the monkeys in your family!

*I cheated a bit and used a loaf of frozen bread dough that had thawed out. I am not, after all, Martha Stewart. I just use her recipes and copy her craft projects!

Laughter in Literature

2011-12-02T06:58:00.001-05:00

I read to all of my children before bed.

Yes, I'm bragging.

FACT:   There are some nights when I race through a book or chapter so I can be done in time before Grey's Anatomy comes on.

FACT:   There are times when I do not read with expression as my third grade teacher, Mrs. Schurch, so wonderfully taught me how to do.

FACT:   On occasion, if one of my children has a question about the story, I tell them we can talk about it in the morning over breakfast.

FACT:   The first child to bed usually gets the best of me and by the time child number three is tucked in, they are sometimes lucky to get a high-five before I turn out the lights.

With all of that said, I love to read and oftentimes, during the course of my busy days, I do not have time to read much more than a magazine article while I'm on the treadmill early in the morning. So, reading to my children is a gift to myself too, not just for them.

I've read where "experts" say to read aloud to your children as long as they will sit still for it. I've also witnessed, first-hand, the inspiring conversation that can spontaneously erupt when I've left them in a suspenseful moment in a story and they are begging me to read one more page or one more chapter or in Owen's case...one more book!

That they are thirsty for more of something like this - I am proud.

So, enough of the serious, deep-thinking. It's Friday after all and we need to keep things light as we slide into the weekend.

Last night, I was reading to Owen before bed and I admit, I was feeling a bit punchy. We had gone to get our Christmas tree last night and by the time we got the lower branches trimmed, the tree in the stand, the lights strung and the Shop Vaccing done...

What? You guys don't have the annual tradition of Shop Vaccing your living room after bringing in your Christmas tree? Oh, you artificial tree people are really missing out on great fun!

I digress.

So, it's a school night and it's late and the tree still is not decorated and showers are to be had by the three juveniles in our house and it's rush and rush and rush around the house.

I had already instructed Owen to pick out which book he wanted me to read to him. I went in his room and realized he'd picked out the book we read the night before. Now, typically, I'll encourage him to pick a different one, just to keep things more interesting. But he pleaded and gave such a convincing argument for reading it two nights in a row. How could I deny my six year old one last piece of harmless enjoyment for the day?

The book was a new one I had reserved from the library.

Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long is a wonderful story with so many hidden lessons to be learned.

Here's the long and the short of it:

There is a bull on a farm and all of the other farm animals are scared of him.
He is in his own little secluded pen snorting and glaring at the others.
A tornado is approaching the farm and everyone runs for cover.
Otis, the tractor, hears a fearful wailing in the distance.

And that is all I am going to tell you about this story. If you want to find out what happens next,
read it yourself!

So, you're probably wondering where the laughter and humor can be found in a story about farm animals, farm implements and farm tornadoes that appeared to take place somewhere in Oklahoma.

Upon reading the passage about the bull snorting and glaring and flaring his nostrils, Owen asked me what it meant to flare your nostrils. So I showed him. And then he proceeded to practice some nostril flaring of his own.

I cannot the recall the last time I laughed so hard. Perhaps it was the late hour, the crazy day I'd had or the list of what I need to get done that was racing through my head. But I truly believe that moment was a wonderful act from God. The gift of laughter to bring back my sanity...although, at the time, I probably sounded pretty insane from all of the laughter.

Sit down and read a good book, either by yourself, or if you have children, by all means, do it with them. It's a gift for all of you!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-12-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a need for someone to bring a meal to you and your family? Perhaps you've been sick or there's been a stressful circumstance or you've been out of town or you had a baby? These are just a few of the reasons why one might prepare a meal for someone and take it to them. There are lots of other situations that might call for taking a meal to someone.

Heck! You could do it for no reason whatsoever! What a wonderful way to make someone's day!

Over eleven years ago, my mom made a few meals and brought to our house. Our first child had been born and she had just found this recipe for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. I think she found it in a magazine advertisement for Breakstone's Sour Cream. She made it, brought it to my house, put it in my refrigerator and left me the recipe with the directions on how to bake it.

The rest is history. I have been making Creamy Chicken Enchiladas regularly from that point on. Mom has been known to take it to church pot lucks. I have made it and taken to friends' houses when they've had babies or surgery or had friends over for dinner and served it then.

Bottom line...it's a good recipe and you should try it out. This is a great, quick meal and uses up any leftover chicken (or Thanksgiving turkey!) from a previous meal earlier in the week.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Here's What You Need:

2 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

1 cup sour cream

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

16 oz. salsa

12 flour tortillas (6-8 inch size)

Here's What You Do:

In a large bowl, mix the soup, chicken, 3 Tablespoons cilantro (if using), 1 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.

Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13x9 baking dish.

Once all of your little enchilada soldiers are lined up in the baking dish, top with the salsa and cover the pan with foil. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Uncover and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Make about 6-8 servings depending on how hungry you are!

Let The Madness Begin!

2011-11-28T06:48:00.001-05:00

I took a bit of a break from blogging over the last week. The kids were off from school for the Thanksgiving holiday and Kevin took a few days off of work as well. It's hard for me to produce clear-minded thoughts when the house is noisy and busy and someone is walking in and out of the office every few minutes.

I took a bit of a break from lots of things. I will consider that an early Christmas gift to myself.

So, today is Cyber Monday and I have a short list of items I plan to order online today to help me check even more things off my Christmas shopping list. Owen has school tomorrow and I have blocked off the entire day to do even more shopping. I'd like to have as much as possible done by the first week of December so I can focus on my home and family more during the weeks that are closer to the holiday.

We'll see if I can accomplish that task. I usually fall short a bit and the shopping tends to creep deeper and deeper into the month.

My mom told me yesterday about someone we know that left their house on the afternoon of Thanksgiving Day to go shopping and did not return until 7 am the next morning!!!!!!!!! We both clucked our tongues and passed judgement on how ridiculous that was. But, to each their own. If the stores are going to be open on Thanksgiving Day and into the night, then I guess someone might as well be out there shopping and spending money and helping the economy "bounce back!"

I heard on the news this morning (while I was on the treadmill trying to burn off that extra slice of pumpkin pie and the endless nibbling from the weekend), that "Black Friday" produced record-breaking sales. I'm not sure what records were broken, but it sounds good!

I'll share a few of the great deals I found in my in-box this morning that are good for only today:

At Aveda, you get Free shipping on all orders - no minimum order - PLUS 5 Free samples PLUS any orders over $25 (which isn't hard to do at Aveda) get a FREE organic cotton bag.

At Dick's Sporting Goods, you get 25% off any single item PLUS free shipping. Nice for anyone that doesn't want to deal with long lines or lives a bit of a distance from a Dick's.

At Life is Good, you get FREE shipping on all orders and FREE shipping on returns if you need to make a return.

Starbucks, ah yes, found on every corner and in every Kroger and Target in my neck of the woods! You get FREE shipping on any order over $10. So, if you don't live in my neck of the woods, or you live under a rock, this would be useful to you!

Also, the Groupon deal for today is really good in case you plan to make any New Year's resolutions to get in shape. Pay $25 for a $50 coupon to use at New Balance stores. Simply click on the Groupon box on the right side of my blog and it will take you right to the page.

None of these fine retailers paid me any money to list them on my blog. I just wanted to share some of the deals with you that were in my in-box this morning. Happy Shopping!

Pssst! It's okay to order something for yourself!

Texas Sheet Cake - November Cake Odyssey Bonus

2011-11-22T08:19:00.001-05:00

Today is Kevin's 40th birthday.

Happy Big Four-Oh, my dear!

As you can see, he's not too old to still horse around with his younger brother, Kyle.

Kevin's mom put together this beautiful quilted Block O (GO BUCKEYES!) for us Kevin. We love it!

We celebrated with family over the weekend and he requested, once again, Texas sheet cake for his birthday cake. I'm so glad he asked for something that is so quick and easy to put together.

Really.

Texas sheet cake is nothing more than a great big pan of brownies.

Easy. Peasy.

Texas Sheet Cake
Here's What You Need:
CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
FROSTING
6 Tablespoons milk
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Here's What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a jellyroll pan with cooking spray.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and then stir in the water and the 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. While it is cooling, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix in the sour cream and then beat in the eggs. Very slowly, add the melted butter/cocoa mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until blended.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. I rotate my pan halfway through since my oven tends to sit on a very slight angle that seems very obvious when I bake something like this. Test the center with a toothpick to be sure it's done. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring it to a boil after the butter has melted and then remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until all of the powdered sugar is dissolved and the lumps are gone. Fold in the nuts. I left the nuts out for three reasons and none have to do with allergies.

Our kids don't like nuts and even though it's their Dad's birthday cake, I still wanted them to be able to enjoy it.
I mistakenly thought I had some walnuts in the freezer but I was wrong. There. I finally got in my one time of being wrong for the year. I was getting worried what with it being late November and all. It would have been a shame if I had to go all year with being right - Every. Single. Time.
We're nutty enough!

Spread the frosting over the warm (not hot) cake. The reason I say 'not hot' is because your frosting will melt over the sides of the pan, off the cake, and onto your counter. Then you'll have a big mess to clean up and your cake won't have much frosting on it. Now you know. Heed my advice.

Here's some more advice: Eat this cake warm with a great, big scoop of coffee ice cream. That's what we did at Kevin's party and it was the greatest flavor combo. You might consider taking Texas sheet cake to a Thanksgiving get-together this week. Believe it or not - not everyone likes pumpkin pie and it's nice to offer a sweet alternative to the squash-o-phobes of the world.

P-Dub's Sloppy Joe's

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Besides your local McDonald's drive-thru window or pizza shop, nothing says busy-family-night like Sloppy Joe's. I've been known to turn to Manwich on a few occasions to quickly turn a pound of ground beef into a "meal."

I admit to many short-cuts in the kitchen.

This recipe for Sloppy Joes is so delicious and really doesn't take that much extra preparation than getting out the can opener. Make a double batch and freeze the extras for those nights when what you had planned becomes "un-planned." (Is that a word?)

And with the holidays upon us, how about inviting a couple of families over for a relaxed night of games?! Make the Sloppy Joe's ahead of time and keep it warm in the Crock-Pot. Offer some fun toppings, like shredded cheese or jalapeno pepper slices. Have a variety of buns too. This is where my eleven year old son chuckles over the fact that I used the word buns.

I digress. Put on Jingle Bell Rock. Keep it simple! By the way, this is another from The Pioneer Woman. Thanks once again Ree!

Sloppy Joe's

Here's What You Need:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 large onion, diced

1 whole green bell pepper, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced....I used 3 cloves to suit our tastes

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Worcestershire sauce, to taste

2 Tablespoons tomato paste*

Tabasco sauce, to taste - optional

Salt/Pepper, to taste

Here's What You Do:

Add butter to a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned all the way through. Drain off most of the fat and discard.

Add the chopped onions and green pepper, as well as the garlic. Cook for a few minutes or until the onions and peppers begin to soften.

Add the ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. After it has simmered, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Adjust seasonings as needed to suit your family's taste buds. The red pepper flakes and chili powder can be dialed up or down depending on how you roll.

Now, here's where you treat yourself to a bit of a splurge, a la Paula Deen...Spread the buns with butter and brown them butter-side down on a griddle or skillet. Once the buns have a nice crispiness to them, spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture on them and add any toppings you might like to add.

How To Achieve Sibling Harmony

2011-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

I've finally got it all figured out.

You know.

This parenting thing and trying to create peace and harmony among your offspring.

If you're anything like me, your kids argue with and pick at one another.

Endlessly.

Relentlessly.

Ruthlessly.

Mercilessly.

I have finally determined the way to achieve this...

Notice the close proximity that they are to one another and no one is crying or screaming or retaliating any misdeeds?! Ignore the fact that my oldest is sticking his tongue out at me. I guess I can't expect absolute perfect behavior.

So.

The secret, you ask?!

It's simple.

Nothing like a little "Gnomeo and Juliet" to bring peace to the home front.

Thank you to the creators of televised animation!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze - November Cake Odyssey

2011-11-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

This month's new cake recipe is a coffee cake.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear:

This is NOT something that should be eaten for breakfast.
This is dessert.
Plain. And simple.
Or - at the very least, it's an afternoon snack.

No one should start their day eating something this over-the-top sweet. Unless, of course, you are treating yourself to a Der Dutchman cream-filled, chocolate frosted long john donut. And then, all the breakfast rules go straight out the window!

From one of my past sources, the recipe for Pumpkin Coffee Cake was found on the Pioneer Woman's sister site, Tasty Kitchen. Give it a gander. There is a wide assortment of recipes to be discovered on there.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Here's What You Need:
1/3 cup water
1 can pureed pumpkin (15 oz.)
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoo vanilla
1/4 cup heavy whipping creamj

Here's What You Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice (I just used cinnamon since I didn't have pumpkin pie spice). Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined. Lightly oil a 9x13 pan and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts and melted butter. Use a fork or your fingers to mix it and then evenly distribute over the top of the cake batter in the pan. Bake at 350 for 24-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Prepare for the aroma to over-take you. Your house will smell like heaven.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, white sugar (yes, more sugar!) 1 teaspoon vanilla and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all...SUGAR is dissolved.

When the cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick or kabob stick. Pour the glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve the cake warm. If you're daring enough and have a high metabolism, you might even want to add a dollop of whipped cream to the top!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Boredom Busters 101

2011-11-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

Go to your local dollar store or raid the dollar bin at Target.
Purchase several cans of silly string.
Send your kids outside.
The end.

Spray or be sprayed, Owen!

Evan, please don't point the nozzle at your face!

Jenna, you wouldn't dare!

Oh yes I would!

So take that!

Owen, I'm so sorry the silly string is all gone.
All good things must come to an end...

Ham and Cheese Stromboli

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

My family loves. Loves. LOVES. L-O-V-E-S.

This meal.

And I wish I could lie to you and say that I mix up fresh bread dough and slave over this meal for hours on end.

Full disclosure. It is easy. as. pie.

So long as you put frozen bread dough on your grocery list. This is a very handy product to keep on-hand. There are a myriad of delectable foods you can produce with frozen bread dough. Another will be featured here in the near future.

Today, we're talking ham and cheese Stromboli.

Ham and Cheese Stromboli

Here's What You Need:

1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed

9 ounces shaved deli ham

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the risen bread dough on a lightly floured surface and flatten it out slightly with your hands. With a rolling pin, gently roll the bread dough into a rectangle that is approximately 12 inches by 8 inches in size.

Top the dough with the ham, over-lapping slices. This go-around, I happened to have some ham leftover in the freezer and just used that, so I didn't need to get any from the deli. I love using leftovers for a brand new meal! Leave a 1/2 inch border when laying out the ham.

Mix up the shredded cheddar cheese and the mayonnaise and spread it over the ham. Use your hands. It's too thick to use a spoon or knife to spread it out.
Moisten the edges of the dough with water and fold one long side over 1/3 of the way. Bring the other long side over and then bring the end up and pinch all of the edges to seal it in.

Now! Make like a magician and flip it over so the seam sides are down and on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Using kitchen scissors or a knife, cut 3 diagonal slights in the top of the dough. This allows the steam to escape and keeps the bread from being doughy
Brush the top of the Stromboli with the egg and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 34-40 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6 people depending on how hungry they are!

This is a great recipe to fix if you're having friends over to watch a football game, your kids are having friends over and you want an alternative to pizza or you want something quick and easy for a family dinner on a crazy night. All you need are some veggies and you are good to go!

Garfield on Vegetables

2011-11-08T12:46:00.002-05:00

"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie."

Jim Davis, creator of Garfield comic strip

No wonder Evan likes to read Garfield comics so much!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

2011-11-07T08:34:00.003-05:00

The first few days of this week look like they are going to be great, weather-wise. I love it when we've had some chilly, wet weather and then we get this wonderful gift of warm, mild weather. A lot of people stop grilling when the weather gets cold. We used to grill more in the winter. I guess old age has made me into a wimp. If you are experiencing some nice weather where you are too, and you aren't a big griller in the winter either, maybe you'd like to try out this recipe I found for Rosemary Ranch Chicken. It was a new recipe for me this summer and was a big hit with our friends at our Labor Day cookout. For that occasion, I cut the chicken breast in long, thin strips and skewered it to make it easier to eat without a fork and knife. Rest-assured, this recipe does a great job in the oven too!

Rosemary Ranch Chicken

Here's What You Need:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup good ranch dressing

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon fresh, minced rosemary

1/2 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon sugar

5 skinless, boneless chicken breast

Here's What You Do:

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

If you wanted to do kabobs, just cut the chicken into chunks prior to putting in the marinade. Then you can put them on your kabob sticks alternately with whatever veggies you like. You can also leave the chicken breast whole or cut into "tenders" size pieces so they grill up faster.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and throw out the leftover marinade. Grill for about 8-12 minutes depending on how you've chosen to prepare the chicken. Just make sure the juice runs clear before you consider it done.

I found this recipe on All Recipes, a site I refer to as my recipe encyclopedia. A truly great resource.

My fresh rosemary that I've been snipping from all summer is still hanging on. My basil, sadly, was the first to go. Basil is my favorite and I hate paying high dollar for it during the colder months. I really need to try growing some inside the house. Have any of you done this with success? If you have any tips, let me know in the comments section! Thanks!

Post Halloween Post - the final episode

2011-11-04T04:30:00.000-04:00

This is the last post I will publish regarding Halloween in 2011.

I promise.

There were just too many great moments and great fun and great food to share. Although, be forewarned, I see a pumpkin recipe (or two) to come during the month of November.

Hey! It's a fall season food, not just Halloween!

Here are my three kiddos and all their Halloween finery.

This year, in sixth grade, Evan and his classmates were directed to choose some friends to team up with to dress in a costume that reflects teamwork. Some kids came as parts of a s'more, some were members of the rock band KISS and my son and his friends? Mario and the gang, of course! It's fitting, really, since these three are typical video-game obsessed adolescents.

I got off easy this year, having only one costume to make. Evan's required a simple point and click on the Target website. Jenna's chef's costume was easy with the hat and apron and a few embellishments added for good measure. Get it?! Good measure?! She's a chef. A chef measures ingredients??

Why are there crickets chirping?

Jenna with her friend, Alivia and younger sister Kailie.

Owen's Angry Bird costume was decided on last summer. Of course, I waited until October to begin making it because that's how I operate these days. I never used to be a procrastinator before I became a mother. I drew inspiration for his costume from this blog, but it really just served as a springboard and I pretty much simplified the whole thing. Luckily, trick or treat night ended up being a bit chilly, so that bird costumer kept him nice and toasty!

It was a fun night for the Mom friends too! Hi Marla and Michelle!!

And now we come to the motherload of all motherloads. The amount of candy that my three children brought into our home the other nigth is beyond ridiculous. Feast your eyes upon this mountain of high fructose corn syrup nirvana.

As frightening as this is from a mother's point-of-view, there is also the side of me that is secretly excited at the prospect of these being in my house:

A cookie lover at heart, if I have to eat candy, this is what I reach for every time.

I always set the Heath bars aside for my Mom. One of her few indulgences.

These are the candies that automatically go into the donate bag.
Yuck! Yuck! And triple YUCK!

Jenna, with her "Dr. Evil" impersonation.
Put down the peanut butter cups Jenna and no one gets hurt.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

I know Halloween is long gone, however, the season of pumpkins is still in full swing. Pardon my Halloween-inspired serveware in the photographs. I took these shots before the holiday of spooks and never got around to getting this post up on my blog.

I made these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins twice during the month of October. Let's take notice that this recipe produces a rather large batch. More than two dozen! And yet, my brood devours them so quickly that I was ~~asked~~ ordered to make them again...soon!

Here's a sneaky little tidbit I'd like to share with you, but please don't tell my boys this. These muffins are a little bit good for you. Half of the flour called for in this recipe is whole wheat. And I go a step further and substitute half of the oil with applesauce too. Now. I do realize the whole chocolate chip thing might make you think it's not so healthy. But haven't your heard about the antioxidant claims and health benefits regarding chocolate?!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Here's What You Need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups sugar

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil (or substitute unsweetend applesauce for half the oil)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Here's What You Do:

I pulled this recipe from the Nestle web site a few years ago and have been making these muffins every fall ever since then. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil the insides of muffin cups. You can line them with cupcake liners if you want, but I prefer not to use them for muffins.

Combine the two flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin and oil and mix well. Stir in th eflour mixture until moistened. Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure the muffins are even in size.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. All them to cool in the pan for five minutes and then remove to finish cooling on a wire rack. Be sure to eat one while it's warm. If you can time it right to bake these right before your kids get home from school...bonus Mom points. The welcoming smell of pumpkin and cinnamon with the hidden surprise of chocolate will render your children helpless when you insist on getting their homework done now rather than later!!!

**Note: My parents took a recent two week trip to Europe to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. I froze several of these muffins (sans the chocolate chips) to greet them upon their return for their first breakfast back in the States. These also make a great fall food for sharing. I've been known to "Boo!" neighbors with these muffins on Halloweens' past!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

I know this is supposed to be a Wordless Wednesday post but I wanted to let you all know that Owen took this picture about a month ago when he had spent the day with my Mom and Dad. Mom is known for packing picnic lunches and taking any number of grandchildren to the local lake and park for some memory-making, play time and feeding the geese. Mind you, this is the very same location my grandmother used to bring my brothers and me from time to time to go fishing. I've never liked fishing, but I do harbor warm memories of those opportunities when Grandma gave her time and love to us. All children should be so loved.

Hello Jacks!

2011-11-01T13:24:00.003-04:00

We carved our jack-o-lanterns on Sunday afternoon. Can you guess whose is whose?!

Jenna's is on the left, Owen's is on the right. They are really into using eyebrow shape to convey expression on faces that they draw.

Mine is on the left and Evan's is on the right. Great job guys! I think we'll light 'em up one more time tonight even though Halloween is over and out for the year.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T05:30:00.000-04:00

Did You Know? (Halloween Factoid)

2011-10-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

In the 1960 thriller Psycho, the "blood" from the famed shower scene was actually chocolate syrup.

Now! You know.

Running For Stefanie

2011-10-27T09:34:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I ran a 5k to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. The run was called Step Up For Stefanie. Stefanie Spielman was the wife of Ohio State Football and Detroit Lions great, Chris Spielman. Stefanie lost her long and very public battle with breast cancer not so long ago. The morning that I found out that her battle was over, I was on the treadmill and I began to cry. I cried for a woman I never knew. I cried for her young children that would meet many of life's milestones without their mother there to encourage them. I cried for a man who'd not only lost his wife, but undoubtedly, his best friend. I cried for the future breast cancer patients that would never know Stefanie and hear her ever-present optimism for finding a cure to this terrible disease.

So that is why, even though I am not a runner and I have run in only one other 5k in my life, I took about two seconds to decide to run in this race. I asked Kevin to take the day off work so he could watch the kids and allow me to do this. There are some things I think about doing and then there are things that I do.

Chris Spielman addressed the more than 4,000 participants in the 5k walk/run and the 2 mile run that morning. The first time I ever heard Chris Spielman speak publicly, I was a senior in high school and he was a senior in college. I had been awarded a college scholarship and was invited to attend a luncheon to receive it. All manner of "grand pubahs" stood behind the podium and talked about excellence and achievement, but it was when Chris Spielman addressed the attendees that I really listened. I still chuckle when I think back and remember the obvious sweat stains on his button down shirt. Clearly, this 21 year old who was known for his intimidating power on the football field was nervous beyond words to speak in front of that room full of people.

Kevin gave Owen a lift to see the OSU Marching Band a little better.

Jenna hoped to sneak some of her Dad's coffee.

On a brisk morning, Evan was thinking he'd rather be home and still in bed!

Here I come...

...and there I go!

A great day.

A great event.

A great cause.

Hope I can get some friends to join me next year!

Fourteen Years and Counting

2011-10-25T10:57:00.001-04:00

Kevin and I have been married for 14 years as of today. Excuse my antiquated photograph below. It was before the everyday usage of digital photography.

We've come a long way!

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

2011-10-24T13:17:00.000-04:00

Some people have an aversion to meat loaf. I don't know if it stems from a bad cafeteria lunch experience from when they were in school or if their Mom made bad meatloaf when they were a kid or what. But I have always liked meatloaf. My Mom made it every so often when I was growing up and I remember loading it up with ketchup, a la hamburger on a plate, hold the bun!

I wanted to share yet another stick-to-your-ribs meal because, yet again, it is raining outside and there is a chill in the air. I'm not going to lie. My food photography skills aren't great and the lighting in my kitchen isn't great either. Take my word for it. This meatloaf is so flavorful and so moist. Not the dried out lump of greasy, bread/cracker crumb filled stuff of your youth.

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Here's What You Need:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup very finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup minced Italian parsely

3/4 cup salsa

2 eggs

1 1/2 pounds ground beef OR half ground beef and half ground turkey

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 pound sliced mozzerella cheese

1 1/4 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 teaspoons chili powder

Here's What You Do:

Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you. This comes together very quickly and very easily. This recipe came from a very old issue of Family Fun magazine which I have been subscribing to for at least 10 years. I remember first receiving it as a gift subscription when Evan was a baby. I'd say I've been making this meatloaf for maybe 7 years now. If you click the link, their picture looks more appetizing.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet or saute pan, toss the celery and onion in the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. It's important to very finely dice the onions so your children don't detect its presence! Sneaky Mom cook strikes again! Add the parsley. I've made this many times omitting this ingredient. It's not crucial. Saute until softened, not browned. Combine all of the ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl. Careful not to overmix. Ground meat doesn't like to be handled too much - which is good, because I don't particularly enjoy handling raw meat! Transfer half of the mixture to a loaf pan. Gently pat it down, then lay the mozzerella cheese slices on top. Add the remaining meat mixture and bake it in the oven for 75-80 minutes. If you aren't sure if it's done yet, simply insert a meat thermometer and be sure that it reads no less than 170 degrees in the middle.

See? Told ya it was simple!

Juniper Berry

2011-10-22T05:44:00.000-04:00

Evan, Jenna and I recently finished reading Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky. It was the latest in our bedtime reading ritual. I like to choose a chapter book of length that I think they would both enjoy. Translated: no references to smelly bodily functions (for Jenna) and no overly-exaggerated OMG's about who went to who's sleepover (for Evan).

Juniper Berry was released back in April and it's been on my radar for a while. We just had not gotten to it until this fall. The teaser on the front jacket describes this book as "a tale of terror and temptation." How ironic that we finally got around to reading this book during the spookiest time of the year!

I especially like the single sentence on the back cover:
"Be careful what you wish for."

Let me just say that this is a great book. In my opinion, anytime you have your kids begging you to keep reading, you have succeeded. I'm so grateful that all of my children enjoy listening to me read to them. Sometimes at the end of a cliff-hanger chapter, we'll contemplate what we think will happen next or how the story will eventually end. One time, during one of these conversations, someone spilled too many beans and I realized that someone had read ahead and really did know what was going to happen next. It was at that point that I had to begin hiding the book so we'd all be on the same page. Literally!

I don't want to spill too many beans here about Juniper Berry but I will say that at the end of the book, we were provided with some truly thought-provoking discussion. There was a true moral lesson in doing the right thing and sacrificing your own desires for the betterment of others. I think it was a good reinforcement of what we're all trying to (or should be trying to) teach our children.

All in all, a great read for or with your 'tween kids. The link at the top of this post takes you to the book on Amazon, or check it out at your local library.

Smothered Pork Chops

2011-10-20T07:13:00.001-04:00

I've been making Smothered Pork Chops since about the time Kevin and I began dating. That was 15 years ago. We met in the fall and I would occasionally have him over and cook dinner for him. I had a decent recipe collection at the time (for a young, single girl, anyway) and yet I found that most of my collection was for cookies and other desserts.

Not much has changed since then.

There used to be a bookstore near my apartment called Little Professor Book Company. I loved that place. I would go in there and while away a couple of hours leafing through books. It was one of those stores with lots of comfy chairs and couches. There were tables with note cards and pencils. It almost seemed more like a library where they encouraged you to use the books, rather than buy them. Maybe that's why Little Professor Book Company isn't around anymore!

In the cooking section of the bookstore, on the tables, they had actual lined recipe cards with the store logo printed on them. They encouraged you to jot down a recipe that sounded good. And that is where Smothered Pork Chops came from. I didn't have the fortitude to reference my source, so I cannot do it here. I will tell you, though, that I have been eternally grateful time and again that I have this very basic recipe when the weather turns wet and cold like it has been this week. The house smells wonderful and the oven is on for 2 hours, so there is that warm kitchen feeling that I so appreciate this time of year.

Smothered Pork Chops

Here's What You Need:

6 pork chops (I typically use boneless, 1/2 - 3/4 " thick cut)

1 medium onion, optional

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

salt/pepper, to taste

1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 jar of sliced mushrooms

Here's What You Do:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork chops and fry in a skillet till well browned. Place the chops in a baking dish. Top each pork chop with an onion slice if you're using them. If your family doesn't like onion, you can leave them out. Sometimes I'll put the onions on and then remove them before I set the dish on the table. That way we have the wonderful flavoring but my kids don't wig out over onions being in their food! Sneaky, I know. You do what you gotta do to have food with flavor sometimes.

Drain the water from the mushrooms (you can clean and slice up fresh mushrooms if you want). Pour the mushrooms over the pork chops. Let me just add here that the original recipe did not call for the mushrooms, but I decided the pork chops needed a little something more. To me, though, the dish wouldn't be the same without them. Mix together the rest of the ingredients creating a sauce or gravy. Call it what you want. Pour over the pork chops. Cover the pan with foil and pop it in the oven for 2 hours.

When we have Smothered Pork Chops, I always serve either brown rice or mashed potatoes on the side. The gravy that is produced during those 2 hours is heavenly. My kids love this meal. Add it to your fall/winter meal rotation.

Note: This dish easily adapts to the Crock Pot. Get it started in the morning and turn the Crock Pot on low. The steps are all the same as listed above, the only thing that changes is the cooking vessel. Enjoy!

Happiness Is...

2011-10-17T01:03:00.002-04:00

Happiness is already having dinner "ready" by 9:00 a.m. (thanks to a Crock-Pot)!

Author: Me!

Ham and Beans!

From 9 to 19.

2011-10-16T08:37:00.000-04:00

My family and I attended my high school's Homecoming game and pregame festivities this weekend. My niece was part of the Homecoming "Royalty" and we wanted to be there to support and celebrate with her. My older niece, who is in college, my daughter and I left the bleachers and walked down onto the track surrounding the football field to get up closer and take some pictures.

Here's the conversation and the observations as they took place...

Says my 9 year old daughter who is wise beyond her years and very practical:
"Mommy, why are some of the girls wearing skirts that are so short?"

Says I with a carefully worded response, hoping she'll remember it when she's 16:
"Because, Jenna, sometimes young girls like to dress like they are older."

Says my can't-wait-to-get-out-of-here-and-see-the-world niece who is 19:
"And when they are older, they dress to look younger!"

It took me a couple of seconds for that to sink in. And then I laughed out loud!

How true.

So true.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-14T15:07:00.000-04:00

I always give my maternal grandmother overwhelming props for influencing my love of baking. She was an accomplished baker and cook and won several local and state awards for her recipe creations. I've often thought in the back of my mind that I would like to honor her someday by creating a recipe and entering it in a contest like she was known to do so many years ago.

Today, however, I'd like to share a recipe that I recall my paternal grandmother putting together this time of year. She called them the "Great Pumpkin Cookie." They combine the wholesomeness of oats and pumpkin with the sweetness of chocolate chips. In her recipe, you're instructed to make the cookies super big and add a little glob of dough at the top to serve as the pumpkin stem. I like to make them the traditional way. I've never been much of one for shaped cookies.

I baked these last weekend and took several dozen to my church for a bake sale that was part of a fundraising benefit for Nationwide Children's Hospital. I'm happy to report, there were none leftover when the bake sale ended!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's What You Need:

4 cups flour

2 cups quick oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Here's What You Do:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set it aside. Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Gradually, add the sugars to the butter beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin puree. Add the chocolate chips. Scoop cookie dough on the cookie sheets leaving 2-inches in between. Bake for 10 minutes depending on how your oven runs.

These cookies are heavenly when they are warm right out of the oven. Be sure to eat a light breakfast and lunch the day you bake these because you are going to lose control when they come out of the oven!

Note: A typical can of pumpkin puree holds 2 cups. Since this recipe calls for just 1 1/2 cups of the puree, I suggest you save that last bit in the fridge and the next morning, just whip up your favorite pancake batter and toss in that little bit of pumpkin puree. Butter the pancakes once they come off the griddle and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Creamy Potato Soup

2011-10-13T06:35:00.001-04:00

The air has had a chill to it and the calendar tells me it is Fall. So bring on the soups and stews and roasts and casseroles! Bring on a larger size pants! Ugh. I hate that last part.

I loved when my Mom made potato soup when I was a kid. We didn't have it very often, usually when there wasn't anything else in the house. I can guarantee that it was a much lighter soup too. Nonetheless, I love making this soup every once in a while. It warms you up completely and comes together quickly too!

This recipe was clipped from the food section of The Columbus Dispatch back in 1998. So I've been making this for a few years now!

Creamy Potato Soup
Here's What You Need:
3 cups water
1 can cream of celery soup
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 cups diced and peeled potatoes, uncooked
2 cups milk
9 oz. can mild cheddar cheese dip
4 oz. sour cream
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

Here's What You Do:
Combine the water, celery soup, bouillon, potatoes, and 2 cups milk. Cook until the potatoes are almost done. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook until the cheese dip and sour cream are melted.

Ta Dah!

"This is not rocket surgery." Name that movie...

Just so you know, I do all I can to lighten this up. I use 1% milk, I use the hearty healthy version of the condensed soup and I use light sour cream. Those are about the only corners you can cut and still make this yummy soup. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger-Ganache Glaze - October Cake Odyssey

2011-10-10T05:54:00.001-04:00

Okay, with a name like this, you might be expecting a cake that if complicated with several steps and hours and hours assembly, not to mention exotic, expensive ingredients.

Unless you pay attention to that one little word that lets you know this will, indeed, be an easy cake to put together.

Bundt.

Nothing says "simple dessert" like Bundt.

Here's something I'd like to know. When I read recipes that utilize a Bundt pan. Why is the word Bundt always capitalized? I mean, I realize that means that it's a proper word. But, who the heck is/was this Bundt person anyway?

Looks like I have some research to do.

From one of my favorite, newest cookbooks, "Cake Keeper Cakes," I decided I had to try this recipe out over the weekend. What better combo than peanut butter and chocolate and the Butterfinger sprinkled on top made it a no-brainer for me. The house smelled divine while the cake was baking. The kids were going nuts!

Peanut Butter - Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger-Ganache Glaze
Here's What You Need:
cake:
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
ganache glaze:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Butterfinger candy bar, chopped

Here's What You Do:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour your Bundt pan. Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Turn the mixer on medium-high and mix until fluffy for about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and alternate adding the flour mixture, then sour cream mixture. Continue alternating, being sure to end with the flour mixture. I'm not sure why it's necessary to end with the flour mixture. Anytime I come across a recipe with this kind of instruction, they always say to end with the flour. I know there's likely a perfectly good reason for this. I have a friend who's a pastry chef. I really need to write these burning questions down sometime and invite her out to lunch and then force her to educate me on the science of baking.

I digress.

After that last addition of flour mixture, turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.

Scrape the batter into the Bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will take anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes. Le the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is completely cooled, go ahead and make the glaze. It's super easy. Something with a fancy name like ganache really should be more complicated than this. I'm so glad it isn't though. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium0high heat until it comes to a boil. Careful to not let it scorch! Pour the cream over the chocolate and butter and let it stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

Place your cooled cake on a cake stand or cake plate and pour the warm ganache glaze evenly over the cake. Let it drop down the sides. Sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger over the glaze and let it stand until the glaze is set. It will take about 1/2 an hour. Or do like I did. Tuck the kids in and slice up a big piece for yourself and your husband!

I know. I know. I timed the baking of the cake out terribly and it was too late in the day for my kiddos to be eating anything of this nature. Please don't think I'm a terrible Mom! Honestly. It was truly 9:00 pm before this cake was finished and that was without that 1/2 an hour wait time. My kids had school the next day for crying out loud!

Okay. Not only do I digress, I also rationalize.
Very. Very. Well.

Burlap Jack-o-Lantern Door Decoration

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

I had some fun recently getting my Martha on. I really do enjoy a variety of crafting. I'm not super into like some people. There are many times that I'd rather just buy something already made. Oftentimes, I can buy it for cheaper than what I could make it myself and save a ton of time in the process. But I am, by nature, a somewhat creative person. I've been known to make my kids' birthday party invitations, and put together some pretty great (if I do say so myself) birthday cakes as well. Many a cold, snowy days have been spent with my kids crafting the days away in our basement when they were much younger.

I bookmark great ideas all of the time, but alas, time just never presents itself to me. Now, with my youngest in kindergarten this year, I am finding myself able to do a few more things now that I simply had no time for before.

I made myself a new decoration for our front door to greet the Halloween season that is upon us. It was very easy to make and required no supplies that were overly expensive. I love it! I wanted to post this early enough in the month so you could make one yourself if you decided to get crafty as well.

Wish I could share where I got this idea from. I won't lie and say I came up with it myself. I did a copy and paste from a website and emailed it to myself and now I can't find where it came from.

What You'll Need:

2-3 yards of orange burlap

1 foam or straw wreath form

glue gun

black felt or craft foam

cardboard

scissors

pillow stuffing

How To Do It:

The original instructions said to use a foam wreath form but I couldn't find any at Michael's so I got the straw one. It was messy, but easy enough to work with and not that heavy either. A foam wreath form would be very light weight those. If you can get a foam one, I would choose that.

Trace around the wreath onto the cardboard. Cut out the circle shape making sure the cardboard circle is NOT wider than the wreath. Using the glue gun, glue the cardboard circle to one side of the wreath. Once it's dry and holds tight, move onto the next step.

Cut out several, maybe 15 or so, long strips of the orange burlap. Make the strips about 3 inches wide. They don't have to be perfect. I wasn't totally Martha, after all! Be sure your strips are long enough to wrap over and around the form. You'll understand what I mean when you see the next step.

Pile the pillow stuffing into the center of the wreath form being sure to pile it higher in the middle. This stuffing literally came from an old pillow I removed from Evan's room last week. That thing had become so flat. I can't believe he hadn't complained about neck pain!

Okay, so you just take the strips of burlap and hot glue one end of the strip to the back on the cardboard, wrap it over the pillow stuffing, securely without mashing it down, and hot glue the other end to the back on the cardboard. Keep doing that until the stuffing is all covered and all you can see is the burlap, no stuffing or wreath form. Cut out your eyes, nose and mouth shapes from the felt or craft foam. I preferred felt for this project. It has a more natural look to match the natural fibers of the burlap.

Affix the face pieces with the glue gun and you can either rig up some florist wire, twine or do like I did and raid your daughter's hair accessory box for some green ribbon. Use that to hang your friendly (or scary!) jack-o-lantern to the front door and you will be ready for trick-or-treat night!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T05:50:00.001-04:00

Buckeye Brownies

2011-10-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

Typically, these brownies are celebratory brownies. I bake them when we have friends over to watch "the big game." Well, this year, I fear, will not hold a lot of celebrating for our beloved Buckeyes. It is, sadly, a year of rebuilding, of transitioning, of reevaluating.

So, this season. These brownies are for drowning our sorrows. These are definitely worthy of falling "off the wagon" for. These brownies are so over-the-top, they border tipping over the edge into the candy category. Prepare yourself for such an indulgence. You won't regret it and best of all, there's no hang-over the next morning! Just don't wear your skinny jeans anytime soon...

Buckeye Brownies
Here's What You Need:
1 1/2 cups butter, divided
3/4 cup cocoa, divided
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 jar (18 oz) peanut butter
1/3 cup milk
10 marshmallows (regular size)
2 cups powdered sugar

Here's What You Do:
In a saucepan, melt 1 cup butter. Stir in 1/2 cup cocoa until smooth. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute. Combine the flour and salt and gradually add it to the egg mixture. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into a greased 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch jelly roll pan. Bake for 18 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool on wire rack.

Meanwhile, place the peanut butter in the microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes, stirring once. Stir until the pnb is blended. Spread over the warm brownies after they come out of the oven. Lick the spatula. You can't let warm pnb go to waste. Not to be confused with going to Your Waist! Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until the pnb is set.

Put the remaining cocoa in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the milk until smooth. Now add the marshmallows and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until the butter and marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar. By now you are going to be feeling like this was a bad idea. All the smells and the sneaky licks of the spoon keep telling you that you are going to be consuming a lot of calories in the very near future. After you've talked yourself off the ledge, spread the chocolate mixture over the pnb layer on the brownies. Refrigerate for at least another 30 minutes. It's okay if you go ahead and cut a little corner piece out for yourself. I'll give you permission.

Cut into squares. Small. Squares. You'll get about 4 dozen allowing you plenty to share and still make a pig of yourself! Now, here's where I try to share my recipe source with you. Someone from my Mom's church brought a pan of these to their church bake sale several years ago. Mom talked about these perfectly beautiful brownies and how nicely they presented for the bake sale. When she told me there was chocolate and peanut butter, I stopped her right then and there and told her she MUST get me the recipe. She did and the copy that was given to me was taken from a cookbook and the title wasn't with it. Furthermore, the name of the brownies was something else. Something generic like, "Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies." Being who I am and where I live and where my allegiance lies, I renamed them "Buckeye Brownies" and they've been a repeat offended in my recipe box ever since. Go Bucks! Win or lose, we still love you!

Goo Goo Clusters

2011-10-02T02:19:00.002-04:00

I remember one of the first vacations I went on with my parents that my two older brothers did not come along with us. They were teenagers with summer jobs and add to that the drag of going on vacation with your parents and little sister and you can understand why they chose the option to stay home. I think they might have stayed with our grandparents or something that week. Those details, I do not recall.

On that vacation, my parents and I drove down to Tennessee, camper in-tow, and we visited the beautiful city of Nashville. We toured Music Row and the Grand Ole Opry and had a great time at Opryland. There were some historical side trips here and there as well.

And that was when we discovered Goo Goo Clusters!** We had never heard of or seen them before, but we quickly realized we had been missing something. These chocolatey, marshmallowy, peanutty (spell-check is going berserk over these adjectives I'm using!) globs of heaven were irresistible! So on a final visit to a Cracker Barrel restaurant, (which were only located in the South back then) we picked up a box of Goo Goo Clusters to bring home to each of my brothers.

There's a blog I follow called Confessions of a Cookbook Queen that featured homemade Goo Goo Clusters a while back. I tagged that page and just knew I had to make some, and soon! So here's my rendition of the homemade Goo Goo Cluster. These would be great to make around the holidays and package up in a fun way for a neighbor, teacher or friend.

Goo Goo Clusters

Here's What You Need:

3 dozen flat marshmallows (the Kraft brand calls them "Stackers")
11 oz bag caramel bits...these melt way faster than the square-shaped wrapped caramels
2 TBS heavy cream
2 1/2 cups lightly salted, roasted peanuts
32 oz chocolate almond bark/candy coating

Line a large cookie sheet with waxed paper and lay the marshmallows out in rows on the cookie sheet. Microwave the caramel bits with the heavy cream for about 2 minutes on high, stirring every 20 seconds or so. Make sure it's all mixed together and completely melted.

Work quickly to spoon a small amount of caramel onto the top of the marshmallows and then press in several peanuts. Make sure they are stuck on there really good. I did about 5 at a time. Otherwise, the caramel will begin to set up and the peanuts won't get stuck down in there.

After you have them all dolled up with the caramel and peanuts, let them sit out for about 30 minutes. This way, your caramel won't drip all over the place.

Melt the chocolate according to the package directions. You can either dip them in the chocolate with small tongs or a fork like the Cookbook Queen did, or you can spoon a glob of chocolate on top and coax the chocolate to ooze down and around the sides. I used less chocolate this way, however, then the bottoms were not coated with chocolate, making my Goo Goo Clusters less like the real thing. I'm okay with that if you are. Enjoy!

**Note - If you visit the hyperlink I provide at the top for the Goo Goo Clusters, you will find that on their home page, they offer a free iPhone app so you can locate the nearest Goo Goo Cluster retailer. Good to know they have you covered in case of an "emergency!"

Runner Girl

2011-09-30T09:08:00.000-04:00

Jenna has developed a love for running in the last year or so. It all started when she and I would go for run-walks to begin conditioning for soccer season. We'd walk a block, run a block, walk a block, etc. in our neighborhood. It was good for us - physically and emotionally. And then it got to be where she wanted to do nothing but run. No more walking every other block! Finally, I told her to just go ahead without me. We're not supposed to hold our children back. Right?

Kevin and I do the occasional 5K run and when permissable, we sign Jenna, and sometimes the boys too, up for the kids' fun runs that typically go before the actual race. She's been griping about how those fun runs are anything but fun and she wants to run a "real race."

Our local town had a 4-miler recently and there were two kids' fun runs that followed the early morning full-length race. There was a really short one for the much younger kids and then a 1-mile run for the older kids.

Jenna ran the 1-mile race and was the first girl across the finish line! I was so proud of her. We talked to her about stretching and pacing herself and not pushing too hard right off the starting line.

But, of course, she didn't listen to us and about fainted after she crossed the finish line. I admire her determination and spunk, but honestly, when I child who loves to run claims they're never running another race again, you know they are hurting!

A drink of water and a medal around her neck, Jenna was finally able to muster a smile.

Way To Go!

Apple Cake - September Cake Odyssey Bonus

2011-09-29T17:28:00.001-04:00

Today's recipe is one that I always make an effort to bake at least once every year when this season rolls around. I baked Applesauce Muffins last week and ate Apple Crisp at my Mom and Dad's house the week before that. This week, it's Apple Cake!

I found this recipe for Apple Cake in the September 2000 issue of Woman's Day magazine. Did you get that? It was from the year 2000! I've been making this cake for 11 years!

Yes. I'm smart that way. I can calculate, in my head, that 2011 minus 2000 is eleven years. Amazing that I can handle this kind of higher level mathematics.

Okay, enough of the smart aleck comments and on with the recipe.

Apple Cake

Here's What You Need:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 stick butter at room temperture

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

8 ounce container apple-cinnamon yogurt

1/3 cup apple juice or cider

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored and chopped smallish

Topping: 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup softened butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease rectangular cake pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl. Mix it a bit with a whisk. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar for two minutes. Add the eggs. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, apple juice and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add some of the flour mixture, then yogurt mixture than flour. Continue alternating until you end with flour. Do not over mix!

Stir in the apples by hand and spread the cake batter into the cake pan.

Mix up the topping ingredients and evenly distribute over the top of the cake.

Bake for 50 minutes. Cool a bit and serve warm. This cake is great on it's own or you can dress it up for a special dessert with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or warm up some caramel sauce to drizzle over the top!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T13:04:00.000-04:00

Something's Bugging Me

2011-09-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

I've got a little bit of an insect mystery on my hands. A few weeks ago, before school started, I was out in our backyard and found this strangely creepy thing on the side of a tree.

Take a closer look...

Is this not the most odd thing?

I was hesitant to get very close. Those pincer looking things had me spooked. Literally, the hair on the back of my neck stood up! I'm not a fan of the creepy, crawly things of this Earth.

I did get closer, however, upon noticing that this thing was not alive.

No.

This thing that was attached to the trunk of our maple tree was actually a SHELL of a former insect.

But WHAT insect was it?

And, WHY was this shell here and stuck on the side of the tree?

Now...the plot thickens.

This EXACT SAME THING happened two summers ago.

On the Very Same Tree.

In the Very Same Spot on said tree.

As I said, I'm not a big fan of creepy crawlies. And to top it off, my kids' latest issue of Ranger Rick magazine came in the mail yesterday and there was a huge close-up of a spider on the front cover and an enlarged picture of a bat with it's mouth stretched open on the back cover.

The magazine has been banished to a hidden spot under the couch. No one wants to touch the magazine for fear the spider or bat (or both!) morph into reality and take a bite from our hands!

Easy Baked Manicotti

2011-09-25T06:30:00.002-04:00

It seems like all of my mom friends have been lamenting the same old dinner woes lately.

They are tired of making the same things for dinner over and over. Or they are looking for something new that's quick and easy. I think this recipe definitely fits that bill.

In one hour, start to finish, you can have a dish of cheesy, hot manicotti on the table. Just add some bread and a salad and you are done. And while the manicotti finishes in the oven, you can help your kids with their homework or go for a quick walk together around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Easy Baked Manicotti

Here's What You Need:

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese

1 1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup basil pesto sauce (optional)

12 manicotti shells, cooked and rinsed in cold water.

Here's What You Do:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Mix the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese with the pesto sauce until well blended.

Spoon the cheese mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Using scissors, cut off a small hole from one of the bottom corners of the bag.

Fill the manicotti shells by squeezing the cheese filling into each end.

Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce on top of the filled manicotti shells. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until heated through. With six servings, you are sure to satisfies your family's appetites!

An Ode to the Last Day of Summer

2011-09-22T18:54:00.001-04:00

The summer of 2011 was a great one for a family.
And let's not leave out the fact that it was a busy one as well!

Let's recap some of the highlights...

The unofficial start to summer -

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a big deal in our town as we kick off the start of the summer recreational league baseball and softball season with a big parade and games that start late and end late. We broke out the bug spray for the first time that night!

Jenna's softball team was decked out in patriotic leis for their parade float.

Owen loved being in his very first parade on his very first float with his very first t-ball team.

Evan is Mr. Cool having "been there and done that" many times over with baseball teams over the years.

We celebrated Evan's 11th birthday in June with Ho Ho Cake and cherry pie. He was in dessert heaven!

Happy Birthday America! Fireworks were enjoyed once again with our friends and neighbors on a beautiful July evening.

For some reason, video games were necessary while passing the time waiting for the fireworks display. Boys, boys, boys, boys, boys...

Our own little firecracker turned 6 in early July. Way to go Mr. Angry Bird!!!

Very proud of his first t-ball medal, Owen was all smiles at the end of the baseball season.

Once again, Jenna had the good fortune of playing on a winning softball team. Losing only one close game in regular league play, her team went on to win the league tournament championship!

Not taking a summer vacation meant I was home all summer to keep the flowers watered everyday. Our flowers thrived this summer with the consistent rainfall.

Oh what fun parenting is when two of your three children break their arm 48 hours apart!

A successful first year in 4-H for Jenna. Her skirt earned her an "Outstanding" at the county fair judging.

Another "Outstanding" for her cooking project and an opportunity to represent her county at Ohio State Fair competition!

Don't forget about our end-of-summer whirlwind trip to Wisconsin!

Fun times making memories with cousins at Iowa's Pike's Peak.

Our rainy one day stop in Chicago on the way back to Ohio. Who could forget our James Denton sighting at Harry Caray's?!?!

And then we go back-to-school. Evan's over-exagerated enthusiasm is a sign of his natural sarcasm.

Jenna and Owen strike a sweet pose as my youngest FINALLY starts kindergarten. Way to go Owen!

The final family celebration of the summer was Jenna's 9th birthday in early September. Make a wish sweet girl!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T05:29:00.002-04:00

Banana Donuts

2011-09-19T09:36:00.000-04:00

Owen doesn't have kindergarten everyday, so on a recent day when he did not have class, we got busy in the kitchen. He loves to mix and dump in ingredients and when I'm not rushed to get it done or not taking the food somewhere and wanting it to look "perfect," those are the times when I like to let him push up his sleeves and help me out. It makes him feel good about himself, not to mention it's quality time spent together. My Mom was always good about turning me loose in the kitchen when I was a kid, so I am trying to provide the same opportunities for my kids when I can.

I like to make baked donuts. There's no messy deep-frying and they are quicker and easier to make. I tagged this recipe for Banana Donuts from an issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray. The article the recipe accompanied was about hosting after-school study sessions for your kids and their friends. Or, as one photo showed, after-school Wii tournaments! I can testify that my kids gobbled up these donuts when they got home from school. At least, what was left from what Owen and I didn't inhale!

Banana Donuts

Here's What You Need:

1 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 3/4 cup mashed, ripe banana

4 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup shortening, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 nonstick, 6-count doughnut pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. The whisking part is any easy job for Owen to help with.

Owen also finds mashing bananas to be a fun job too!

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the oil.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Over-mixing makes for a tough donut. Spoon the batter about three-quarters full into the prepared donut pans.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out dry, 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I made a simple powdered sugar/milk glaze to dunk our donuts in. I'll give you the banana frosting recipe that was in the magazine.

Banana Frosting:

In a food processor, combine the shortening, confectioners' sugar, remaining 1/2 cup mashed banana, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Glaze the donuts with the frosting.

An Apple For The Teacher!

2011-09-16T09:15:00.000-04:00

I went back to work this week.

Yes, after 9+ years as a full-time stay-at-home Mom, I took a paying job.

I now put in a grueling and very exhausting 2 1/2 hours every Wednesday morning teaching two year olds!

Okay. Not all of that is true. Yes, I'm teaching mostly two year olds.

And, yes, it's exhausting. But I don't know if you can really call it work, or teaching for that matter. For the most part, it seems like we're just playing together!

Nonetheless, my husband was kind enough to bring home some of these the other day...

...in recognition of my going "back to work."

My co-teacher and I planned a very predictable first-day-of-school lesson for our toddlers.

Apples!

In honor of our salute to the ever-popular, crunchy, Fall fruit, I made some applesauce muffins this week. I love these muffins and have been making them for several years.

These yummy muffins make for a great afternoon or bedtime snack or breakfast. I had one problem making them this go-around. The recipe calls for chunky applesauce and Target had no chunky applesauce, so I had to go with the smooth variety. It made a big difference. The muffins weren't ruined, mind you; they just weren't as good. You really get a lot out of biting into a chunk of apple and they give the muffins more "heft." Be sure to pick up the unsweetened variety too. The brown sugar in the batter makes these plenty sweet enough!

Applesauce Muffins
Here's What You Need:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Here's What You Do:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin pan lightly with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar. Stir in the applesauce and the melted butter until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly pour the apple mixture over the flour mixture. Mix gently with a wooden spoon just until combined. Mix until you no longer see traces of flour. Do not over-mix. You want a nice crumbly texture for your muffins.

Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes of until light brown.

Makes about 12 muffins. I don't recall where I got this recipe but I am thinking it might have come from an old (very old!) issue of Family Fun Magazine many moons ago.

I Dreamed That I Was Dreaming

2011-09-13T12:26:00.000-04:00

My kids dream a lot.

I know "experts" say that all of us experience brain activity while we sleep, but my kids' brains seem to be in maximum overdrive during the night. Perhaps they are making up for the times during the day when their brains seem to simply stop working! Or maybe that selective hearing thing is true.

Either way, it is not uncommon for Jenna to have one of her elaborate, highly detailed dreams to tell me in the morning during breakfast. It never fails that I will, at some point, have to tell her give me the Cliff's Notes version of the dream or she is going to miss the bus.

Evan's dream storytelling is usually quick and to the point. God bless that boy.

Owen's usually spill out something like this (note - this is an actual recount of this morning):

Him: Mommy, I have good news and bad news. I'll tell you the good news first.

Me: (smile and nod while I blow dry my hair)

Him: The good news is that I had two good dreams last night. The bad news is that I had one bad dream.

Me: See?! Good prevails after all!

Him: (walks away wondering what prevails means)

I don't dream a lot these days. Not to be confused with day dreaming. I do a lot of that!

I had one particular dream this past summer though that centered around this sinister looking dude...

I love the word sinister. I also love the word ominous. What exactly does that say about me?

Never mind. Don't answer that.

So, last spring, we had this bird poop problem at our house.

It was everywhere!

On the front sidewalk.

On the back porch.

It. Was. Gross!

I decide to get myself an owl to scare off the birds. I know about this little trick from growing up in the country. Those owl decoys can be credited with a whole host of other benefits as well. In my case, I just wanted to get rid of the doo-doo birds!

My trusty owl was doing the trick and he earned himself a permanent spot on the porch railing. One evening, I step outside to water some flowers and I happen to feel as though I'm being watched. I look over and sure enough, that owl is staring me down like he's not too fond of my being out there. He's also looking as though he'd like to sink his talons and/or beak into me!

I finish my flower watering and head back inside, only briefly looking over my shoulder as I seek safety in my house.

That very night I had a dream about an owl watching me from a tree that doesn't even exist in our back yard. Was it a real owl? Was it my trusty decoy? Who knows? But for once, I was glad the alarm clock went off to bring that story to an end!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake - September Cake Odyssey

2011-09-09T08:26:00.000-04:00

We celebrated my girl's birthday recently and what is an automatic when it's someone's birthday?

CAKE!

My mom and I swap issues of magazines when we are done with them. We were doing this years before recycling became mainstream. Anyway, mom gave me her August issue of Southern Living about a month ago and while I was working up a sweat on the treadmill thumbing through the colorful pages one morning, I happened across a recipe for a beautiful Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake. In that very moment, I knew this was going to be Jenna's birthday cake.

I cheated on a couple of steps of this recipe. It called for making homemade chocolate ganache at the last minute and pouring it over the top. I was entertaining company and didn't want to be bothered with that detail so I poured some warmed, high-quality hot fudge sauce on and it was just as heavenly. Likewise, I omitted the crushed up chocolate cookies in-between the layers of the cake. I just didn't feel like this ingredient was necessary. Sometimes it's true what they say...Less is more!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake

Here's What You Need:

1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

10 chocolate wafers, coarsely crushed

Devil's Food Cake Batter -

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Chocolate Ganache
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
4 Tablespoons whipping cream

Here's What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line them with parchment paper and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar at medium with a mixer until creamy. Add the egg, beating just until blended. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the coffee, beating until blended. Stir in the vinegar. Spoon the batter equally between the three baking pans. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Allow the layers to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely (about 1 hour) on the wire racks.

When you are ready to assemble the cake, be sure to have already set out the ice cream to soften a bit. It will make it so much easier to work with. Place one cake layer in the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Top with 1/3 of the ice cream. This is where you are to sprinkle half of the crushed wafer cookies but I just drizzled some hot fudge sauce instead. Do what you like. Like what you do!

Repeat with a cake layer, more ice cream, more crushed wafers or drizzled hot fudge sauce. Add the last cake layer and the rest of the ice cream. I generously poured some more hot fudge sauce on top and stuck it in the freezer. Once I knew the sauce was "set", I loosely covered the cake with foil. Freeze for a total of 8-12 hours.

Let the cake stand for roughly 15 minutes before serving.

If you want to make the ganache, here's what you do: Microwave the 4 oz. of chocolate and the 4 Tablespoons of whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl at High for one minutes or until melted. Stir it at 30 second intervals. Stir in up to 4 Tablespoons additional cream for desired consistency. Immediately pour on top of the cake prior to serving.

Little Labor on Labor Day

2011-09-05T10:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day!

It's been a busy weekend for our family. As it comes to an end today, our calendar is clear. What an unusual joy that is for us!

On Friday, the kids had an early release from school.

Translation: I had fewer hours to myself to clean the house, buy groceries and prepare food for our cookout later that night.

Luckily, Kevin was able to take off work a couple of hours early and came home to help me out.

And. And! The kids were unusually well-behaved making it easier to get everything done. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I didn't pay attention to their tv-watching or video game-playing...

Saturday was Jenna's 9th birthday! We celebrated with extended famiy last weekend and she'd had a French-inspired birthday party with some girlfriends a few weeks before school started. So this day was very low-key for us as birthdays go.

Happy Birthday Jenna!

Jenna was thrilled beyond words with two of her birthday presents. The gifts that brought the biggest raves were a new set of chalk pastels (my little artiste!) and a trunk featuring peace signs. Just look at her face if you don't believe me!

We also enjoyed a fine OHIO STATE VICTORY on Saturday! GO BUCKS!

Sunday was filled with church and homework and trying to get the house back in order. Since Kevin had to work on the evening of Jenna's birthday, we delayed going out to eat to celebrate so we ate out on Sunday night instead.

As if on cue, the weather has turned much cooler today. The gray, rainy skies will change many family's plans. Our plans? Well, we might have chosen to visit the pool today, one last time, had the weather been nicer, or maybe even go to the park.

Instead, I believe we will just lay low and take it easy...right after I finish this load of laundry.

Off They Go!

2011-09-02T12:49:00.000-04:00

My two older children, Evan and Jenna, began school last week.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that my oldest is in the 6th grade this year. (Nevermind the fact that I have classmates from high school who have children in college!) I still remember my 6th grade year, so I am hoping that will help me empathize with Evan and understand where he's coming from, the confusion of emotions he might be feeling, the stress of school work becoming more difficult, the social pecking order kicking into high gear.

Jenna has always seemed wise beyond her years to me. When she was three years old, people would mistake her for a five or six year old. Not because of her size, but because of her articulate vocabulary and mature conversational skills. Nowadays, we sometimes wonder when her stories will ever end! I know her natural gift will serve her well throughout life though. Have a great year in 4th grade Jenna!

And then there is Owen. Owen began kindergarten this week. The youngest in our family that we have tried so very hard not to baby. At the end of the day, though, he is the baby of the family. He is the last to experience most of what goes on in our lives. As he grows older, Owen is beginning to have some of his own unique walks through life and I am trying hard to help create those for him to help build his confidence and self esteem.

He looks pretty confident here!

I have met all of my children's teachers and I am so excited for this new school year. I can't wait to see all of the new things they and I learn!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T04:28:00.002-04:00