Life With the Rostens

Diary of a Recipe Addict

2010-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hello. My name is Megan and I am addicted to recipes. I love to read cookbooks, cooking blogs, and try new recipes every day of the week. My family sometimes begs for me to make the same thing that I made before and I often have no idea where I got that recipe/what the heck them are talking about. So, I have decided to start a blog just about cooking! I plan to fill my blog exclusively with recipes that are loved by us (at least those of us with taste buds;P) Some of my recipes will be healthy (I promise!) others, like the one I blogged about today will most definitely not. I believe in moderation and occasional indulgences. If you think you might be interested, please follow me!

Here is my link!: Diary of a Recipe Addict

Parmesan Garlic Wedges

2010-01-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I see it has been FOREVER since I have been on here again. Call me crazy, but I am toying with the idea of starting ANOTHER blog. You know, since I keep up so well with this one? I am thinking about starting one that is exclusively about cooking. That way, I can keep things a bit more seperate and people that don't want to look at my food don't have to ;0P I really do LOVE reading cooking blogs, as you can see from my blog list! I also kind of like the idea of having a blog with just my family favorite recipes. It would be like a modern day cookbook of my own!

In the spirit of New Years Resolutions, I am going to share a recipe that is pretty darn good for you. I am sure many of you, like me, are trying to lose a few pounds. My kids loved these, so I would consider them a definate hit!

Parmesan Garlic Wedges

4 Lg. Russet Potatoes (cut into wedges)

1/2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 c. grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 450*. Place potato wedges in a bowl and toss with italian seasoning, pepper, minced garlic, and olive oil. Lightly spritz baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place wedges in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle wedges with garlic salt and parmesan. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Here is the Nutritional Info, for those that desire it.

Calories: 232

Fat: 3.8g

Carbs: 44g

Protein: 6.9g

Oven Baked Meatballs & the dog trainer

2009-11-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

First, I want to share my Oven Baked Meatballs recipe. There is nothing fancy about this but I CRAVE these. I found the recipe a few years back in my MOMS Club group's cookbook. I love to have them over mashed potatoes.

Oven Baked Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/4 c. ketchup

1 T. mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Dash Garlic Powder

Sauce:

10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup (I use reduced fat)

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

1/3 c. milk

Dash Tabasco Sauce (I add several dashes;)

Combine meatball ingredients. Shape into walnut-sized meatballs. Place in casserole and bake, uncovered, at 350* for 30 minutes. Drain meatballs.

Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over meatballs. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes more.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Also, here are a few pictures of Quinn, 'training' the dog.

Halloween 2009 in Photos

2009-11-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

Some shots of the kids right before Trick-or-Treating.

Here are the kids acting the part:

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Supergirl!

Quinn: Megatron looking very ready to attack

I'm open!

The kid's pumpkins. Quinn's is the face, Kade's is the Grim Reaper, & Gracie's is the spider.

The kids watching a Halloween flick on TV & having their annual Halloween candy binge.

2009-10-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving, Part 1

2009-10-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

When Kade & I returned from hockey last night we were greeted with these signs.

Quinn had games placed strategically throughout the house "for Halloween" and these were the informational posters that he made:0) Looks like he is preparing quite the party for us!

The cheif pumpkin carver, Tony, decided it was time we got our pumpkins carved. Unfortunately we just didn't have time for all 3 kids to do theirs last night, we only ended up getting Gracie's done. The boys will do theirs tonight. Here are some pictures of her with her pumpkin!

BBQ Beef Cups

2009-10-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get much easier than these BBQ Beef Cups. I got home from Kade's hockey practice last night at 7 o'clock and I had these on the table at 7:30. I even did some laundry during that time;0) I have made these many times and I always know that it is one of the few things everyone will eat HAPPILY. Give them a try!

BBQ Beef Cups

1 pound Ground Beef
1 cup BBQ sauce
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 cans Refridgerated Biscuits (Grands- I always use Reduced-Fat)
8 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat the oven according to the biscuit instructions.

Brown beef in a skillet. Add barbecue sauce to the beef- you want the beef to be well-coated but not soupy. Add the brown sugar and stir until smooth.

Grease muffin tins. Stretch the biscuits until they are big enough to make a “cup” in the muffin tin. Press into the tins.

Fill each cup with about a 1/4 cup of the beef mixture. Top with cheese Bake according to the instructions on the biscuit can.

Enjoy!

Featured Recipe!

2009-10-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

My friend, Pam, recently started writing for examiner.com. This week she asked me if it was okay if she featured my Zuppa Toscana recipe on her site. I, of course, said YES! I was honored Pam! Thank you!

Here is her article: http://www.examiner.com/x-25527-Bismarck-Budget-Meals-Examiner~y2009m10d28-Zuppa-Toscana-makes-a-warm-comforting-autumn-meal

My Amazing Daughter

2009-10-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday my baby turned 4. I can hardly believe it still. Time is just flying by way too quickly. My Grace is certainly turning into a girl that warms my heart & makes me so proud. She is one of the kindest, most thoughtful, confident people that I know. She amazes me daily.

Before her party, we went outside to snap a few photos of her in her new birthday outfit.

I purchased some face paints that I had intended for Kade to paint the little kids' faces with. He ended up having a friend at the party that he disappeared with and he never did do it. Grace wasn't going to miss out though. I found her in the bathroom with a friend about 15 minutes into her party with the face paints.

I will let this picture speak for itself. Really- the above pictures were taken not more that 30 minutes before the below picture. That's my girl;-) She is such an exuberant little person.

Today Grace was lucky enough to get to wear her costume to preschool. The boys are very jealous. At their school, they are just allowed to wear "fall colors". Anyway, I just love her Supergirl costume. I love it so much more than the princess girly costume I thought she was going to pick. And I swear, she picked it totally on her own.

Pumpkin-Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

I made the most fabulous pumpkin muffins tonight that I have ever encountered. I also think I have found my most favorite frosting EVER. My 10 year old even said, "these are so good they should win an award, or something." Now that is high praise coming from a 10 year old boy. He also said that he would like them instead of cake for his next birthday. The thing is, they ARE healthier than cake. I told him, "Heck! These aren't so bad! You can take them to school for snack tomorrow too!" With all that pumpkin, they should fill the schools fruit/veggies for snack recommendation...right?

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. She has awesome recipes & is a downright cool person. Check out her blog if you never have!

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 heaping cup pumpkin puree (I actually just used an entire 15 oz. can)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!)- I left these out
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!

Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

Zuppa Toscana

2009-10-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it is about time I posted on this blog. It has certainly been long enough! I admire the dedication that some of you must have to blog daily. To make up for my badness at blogging, I will offer up one of my best recipes of all time. At least according to my family. I'm not sure how you can go wrong with flavors like this together. Keep in mind, this makes a full, HUGE pot of soup. I don't recommend halfing it though, you will want the leftovers--plus it just gets better as it sits in the fridge and the flavors have a chance to meld.

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb spicy sausage (My Favs: If you REALLY want to steam things up, go with Hormel Hot & Spicy Breakfast Sausage links, for a slightly milder soup go with Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Sausage)
6 medium russet potatoes, thinly slices (scrub & leave skins on)
2 cups onions, diced
1lb. bacon
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
4-6 cups kale leaves, cut in half, then sliced (stem removed)
6 tablespoons chicken base
3 quart water
11/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Brown, Drain, & Dice Sausage.

Place onions and bacon in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. (At this point I usually drain off most all the bacon grease so I don't have a heart attack at 30). Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1-minute. Add chicken base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

I HIGHLY recommend that you serve this soup with Crusty French Bread, warm from the oven. It is so good to sop up this soup with.

Please, no laughing

2009-08-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I am. I am really posting a recipe that consists of 2 ingredients. One of which is...um...hotdogs. It is official. I have no shame. I can't help it. My lunch ladies used to serve me something like this as a child. I blame them.

Now, this isn't your typical dinner party fare. No, as you can see by the Tigger plate (courtesy of my friend Emily who left it at my house with brownies adorning it) this is more appealing to the little people. Really. My 3 year old ate 3 of these babies for lunch today.

Okay. Here is the recipe. Stop laughing at me.

8 hot dogs (I never buy the cheap hot dogs. I just don't trust what is in them)

1 tube of Crescent Rolls, refrigerated section (I use reduced-fat. No one can tell the difference around here)

Preheat oven to 375*. Split roll sections apart. Roll each section around a hot dog- larger end to smaller end. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crescent rolls are golden brown.

My kids like to eat these with ketchup. So do I.

Herbed Sandwich Buns

2009-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

These sandwich buns were so delicious. The dough was made in the bread machine, so they were also very easy. Make sure you don't skip sauteing the onions in butter. It gave these so much flavor. I used these to make Pork 'n' Slaw Sandwiches last night which was wonderful. I also think they would be fantastic with a burger, or just a plain sandwich. I am hooked:-)

Herbed Sandwich Buns

1/4 c. water (70-80*)

1/4 c. warm milk (70-80*)

1 egg

2/3 c. small-curd cottage cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. bread flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

4 1/2 tsp. butter

In bread machine pan, place the first 12 ingredients in order suggested by the manufacturer. In a small skillet, saute onions in butter until tender; add to bread machine pan. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 Tbsp. water or flour if needed).

When cycle is complete, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375* for10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Yields: 10 buns

Tip: Since I cannot usually find a warm enough place for my dough to rise, I usually preheat my oven to about 170*. Once it reaches that temp., I turn it off and place my dough in the oven to rise. It works great!

Source: I got this recipe out of my 2004 Quick Cooking Annual

My baby

2009-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Grace had her preschool open house. I cannot believe my baby girl is going to preschool. Ugh. I can already feel the tears coming. I am going to be such a mess on her first day.

One of the things she needed to bring to the open house was a photo of herself. This photo will go on all of her art projects, cubby, etc. throughout the year. As I was looking through the photos I have taken of her over the summer, I realized that my little wild woman was...well...wild looking in all of them. Dirt smeared on her face, no shirt- you get the picture. So I cleaned her up and took a few. I can hardly believe how grown up and beautiful she is already.

The teacher that both the boys had was suddenly moved up to Kindergarten this year. I am so devastated about it. She is such a wonderful preschool teacher. So, Grace will have a new teacher. My first reaction was to withdraw her from preschool entirely (she is only 3, after all) but I am going to just send her. I really think Grace will do wonderfully in preschool and she will love it. She is such a smart & social little girl. Maybe they would let me just stay with her? I am a licensed teacher after all... Just kidding. Kind of.

Grace had a good time at the open house meeting everyone. She had no problem at all being left to play with the other kids and getting to know the teacher while I filled out paperwork and got some info from the director and the principal. Now she just can't wait for school to get started.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2009-08-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

First of all, I apologize for my picture. It really is terrible. You see, I was just to darn hungry to eat these babies to mess around too much with it or check the picture quality:)

Anyway, my family LOVES to eat pancakes. I made this recipe one Saturday morning when I realized I ran out of pancake mix and I was VERY happy with the result. So happy, in fact, that I have decided to no longer buy pancake mix at all. Give 'em a try!

Also, these freeze very well. I like to make a HUGE batch of these when I do them (x4 usually). Then I flash freeze them and store them in a ziploc bag for the kid to reheat during the week for breakfast.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 c. nonfat buttermilk (I almost never have this on hand. I just put 1 Tbsp. vinegar in 1 c. measuring cup, then fill to the top with milk & let set for 5 minutes. This is a great sub for buttermilk.)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Chocolate Chips (optional)

Cooking Spray

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine egg, buttermilk, and oil, and add to dry ingredients; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in desired amount of chocolate chips, if you wish. I make some with and some without, myself.

Coat a nonstick griddle with cooking spray, and preheat to 350*. For each pancake, pour 1/4 c. batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked; turn pancakes and cook other side.

Yield: 9 (4 inch) pancakes (I usually make mine bigger and don't get as many.)

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

2009-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Brownies over at one of my favorite recipe blogs, Real Mom Kitchen. Well, I have been craving them since. You just can't beat the pairing of two things that are so delicious. The recipe just doesn't get any easier either. You should really look at the photo of the recipe on her site, they look much more delectable there. Upon further revisiting her recipe for the blog entry, I realize that I forgot to press the 2nd half of the Reese's into the top. Oh well, these still tasted fabulous! I will definitely be trying that next time though!

Reese's Brownies

1 brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker, you need the 9 x 13 size)
ingredients needed to make the brownie mix
1 (12 oz bag) Reese's miniature peanut butter cups

Open up half of the peanut butter cups, there's about 40 in a bag. Cut each peanut butter cup into fourths. Mix the brownie mix together according to package directions for cake like brownies. Mix in your cut up peanut butter cups and pour into pan prepared according to package directions. (The Betty Crocker one says to spray the bottom of the pan.) Then if you see some pieces of peanut butter cups clumped together in the batter, use a fork to help make sure all the chunks are evenly dispersed. Cook according to package directions, except remove 5 minutes early from oven. While the brownies cook, open and cut up the other half bag of Reese's the same way. Then when you remove the brownies 5 minutes early, evenly sprinkle the remaining cut up Reese's over the brownies. Return brownies to oven for the remaining 5 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test. Cool and cut into squares.

As you can see, I had a very eager helper while making brownies. All of my kids just LOVE to help cook. I wonder why? Isn't it good he took his shower right before helping?

Iced Monkey Bread

2009-07-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I made this totally fantastic version of Monkey Bread. Most recipes call for canned biscuits. I didn't have any around, but I did have some frozen bread dough. I thought I remembered my MIL making hers with frozen bread dough, but I couldn't find any recipes calling for it. So, I made up my own!

Because I used 2 loaves of frozen bread dough instead of the 3 cans of biscuits most recipes call for, it just didn't have quite as much caramel gooiness going on as I remembered that it should. So...I decided to ice them! You know, like a cinnamon roll? Oh my, they were perfect. This baby came out of the oven around 10 pm last night and was gone shortly after breakfast. Next time I think I will just drizzle the icing over the loaf. I wasn't sure how everyone would like the icing with the Monkey Bread so I decided to serve it on the side. Everyone ate theirs with though!

2 (1 lb.) loaves frozen white bread dough

1/2 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

Icing:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 c. powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. milk

Thaw bread dough in refrigerator for 12 hours.

Cut each loaf of dough into 24 equal portions. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Roll each portion of dough in sugar mixture, and layer dough in sugar mixture, and layer dough in a 12 c. Bundt pan coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt butter and combine with brown sugar. Pour mixture evenly over dough balls in Bundt pan. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, 35 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Place a serving plate, upside down, on top of pan, and invert bread onto plate. Remove pan and drizzle any remaining syrup over bread.

Melt butter for icing. Combine with milk and 2 c. powdered sugar. Drizzle over Monkey Bread.

Anyone There?

2009-07-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are still here, alive, & kicking. Who even knows where to start with what has been going on around here. I am going to give a short recap, mostly in photos.

These pictures are in the order most recent, to oldest. (This fact really annoys me, apparently I will never figure out how to properly upload photos to blogger.)

This is Grace, today doing some yoga. She is so funny.

This is Quinn today, getting his XBOX fix. It has been broken for the past few months, so it is the hot item right now around here. Tony and I are really loving it too. Especially since we figured out how to stream movies from Netflix to our big screen via the XBOX. Very cool!
Can you believe it? I am the mother of a handsome 10 year old. I couldn't be prouder of him. He is such a sweet kid. Not to mention an awesome hockey player! This is just a little family party we had for him. We are still planning on letting him have a friend party, either at home or at Raging Rivers.
Hmmm....what should I wish for?
He is always SO embarrassed when he is in the spotlight.
Gracie all hot, sweaty, and high on sugar at the parade over the 4th.
Quinn at the parade.

Shrinking Days of Summer, Week 1

2009-06-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the biggest loser challenge with the Sisterhood! I am really looking forward to it. This time of year tends to be at least as hard for me (weight-wise) as Christmas. Between my birthday, the 4th, and all of the margaritas/beer I like to sip on those warm summer nights, the scale usually tends to go up.

I am hoping having a team is going to keep me accountable. I should have some good motivation anyway, considering I am on the verge of weighing the least I have weighed since my pre-baby days (10 years ago).

I have never shared my weight on this blog, but (gasp!) I am going to do that now.

Current Weight: 165.6

Goal for challenge: lose 10 pounds

Ultimate Goal: 145

Good luck everyone!

Tagged!

2009-06-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

My cuz, Melissa, at Whoo's That Girl tagged me & I thought I would give it a whirl!

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Finally having the lower level of my house completed! Doors! Trim! Wet bar! Can't wait (especially to finally have doors).
2. Running my first 10K over the weekend of the 4th.
3. Success in the biggest loser challenge over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.
4. Our mini-vacation with the kids this weekend (to Watertown, SD)- actually for a wedding but I got a room at a hotel with a slide for 2 nights & I am calling it a vacation;).
5. Summer evenings spent with friends & family.
6. Garden veggies.
7. My favorite group fitness instructors return from vacation. How dare she leave me.
8. My kids not fighting ALL SUMMER.

8 things I did yesterday:

1. Cycling Class.
2. Muscle Work Class.
3. Took kids to the summer reading kick-off at the Heritage Center.
4. Took Quinn to his first day of swim lessons.
5. Had a contractor out to get an estimate for our basement trim work.
6. Made hotel reservations.
7.Talked to grandpa on the phone.
8. Updated my facebook status.

8 things I wish I could do:

1. Definitely have more patience. Who couldn't use that?
2. Explore the world with my husband.
3. Strike it rich so I can do #2.
4. Run a 1/2 marathon. I am getting there.
5. Find the determination to lose my last 20#.
6. See certain loved ones find some type of fulfillment.
7. Take my kids to fantastic places.
8. Have more faith in myself.

8 shows I watch:

1. House

2. The Office
3. Lost
4.Today
5. News
6. Iron Chef
7. House Hunters
8. Kitchen Nightmares

*I actually only really watch the first 3. The others are just an occasional hit or miss deal. I don't watch much TV.

8 people tagged:

1. Pam at It's Time for More Coffee....
2. Jen at Life in the Left-Turn-Only Lane.
3. Kristin at The Krumwiede Six.
4. Emily at A Day in the Life.
5. Kate at You Do the Math.
6. Sarah at Blog, Blog, Blog.
7. Nancy at The Dutch Scandies.
8. My new facebook friend & fellow Team Yellow member, Jolynn at Life Lessons Learned.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

2009-05-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

I made this last week & it was so dang good. Tony & I both really loved it. The kids loved the tenderloin but scraped the glaze off. Whatever, they don't have any taste buds anyway. I got this out of a cookbook I checked out from the library and I have been trying to remember to blog it before returning the book. Tonight is the first time I have really gotten a chance.

Lord, help me to survive the summer! I love hanging out with the kids, doing the activities, etc. But the fighting. Good God. Anyway, they are in bed & I'm not going to think about that right now. I am going to think about this mouth-watering pork instead. You know, the other white meat???

This recipe calls for 1 lb. of pork. For our family, I have to make closer to 2 lbs. of pork. I have some real carnivores around these parts.

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

5 POINTS per serving

Ingredients


	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	1 pound(s) Pork, tenderloin, raw
	2 item(s) rosemary sprig, (I skipped this)
	1/2 cup(s) Smucker's Pineapple Preserves
	1 tbsp Kraft Prepared Horseradish

Instructions

Combine salt and pepper; rub over pork. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place one sprig of rosemary under the pork and one on top.
Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat preserves and horseradish until preserves are melted; stir until blended. Remove top rosemary sprig.
Brush pork with 1/4 cup pineapple sauce. Bake 10-20 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with the remaining sauce.

Creamy Ranch Chicken

2009-05-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner tonight. Kade & Tony both really liked it. I think the rest of us did too, we just weren't very hungry because we had Space Aliens for lunch.

It was very quick & easy to make although it wasn't the lowest fat dish. We all really like bacon though & this combined lots of things the kids love: ranch, chicken, bacon, & noodles. I just lightened the recipe up in a couple of other areas to accommodate for the bacon grease. Life is all about compromise, right?

Creamy Ranch Chicken

POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 5

Ingredients


	5 oz bacon, uncooked (6 thin slices)
	1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
	2 tbsp all-purpose flour
	1 serving(s) Ranch Salad dressing and Seasoning mix, 1 oz. package, (2 Tbsp. ranch mix)
	1 1/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

2. In the same skillet cook chicken in reserved drippings until tender and no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over the chicken in the skillet; stir well. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon.

Serve chicken mixture with noodles. I like the Smart Taste Rotini. Healthy but no one knows it;-)

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Fun & Safety Day

2009-05-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today, Grace & I chaperoned yet another field trip. This time, it was Fun & Safety Day with Kade's 3rd grade class. I only found out I was chaperoning it yesterday. Kade mentioned me coming yesterday morning. I told him that I hadn't volunteered, but he said his teacher said I had. When I picked him up from school I asked her, and sure enough! I had somehow volunteered myself! I do enjoy doing these things, but I know I wouldn't have volunteered to do 2 long ones like that one day after the next. Grace was exhausted after today's trip! I think what happened is that the teacher gave a reminder for those that hadn't returned permission slips for the field trip. I couldn't remember if I had (I had though) grabbed the first signature required paper I saw (in our mad dash trying to get out the door) and volunteered myself. I really need to be more careful about what I am signing! At least it was a fun field trip for Grace!

Here are some pics from our day!

Here are some pics by Kade of his friends being goof balls on the bus.

The Karate Lady taking Kade down.

Waiting

Ready to run.

Kade booking it through the timed obstacle course.

The boys having some fun hulaing.

Gracie & the her doting new friend. I think she would just like to move in with his family. During hockey season she follows the same boys older sister around EVERYWHERE. Very nice people.

Dontcha just want to pinch his cheeks!? I do. I can't believe he is going to be entering the Double Digits in 2 short months. I'm not going to think about it, or I might cry.

My group of boys that I was fortunate enough to explore with today. Same as yesterday, very good kids! This would have been such a cute picture! Dang it Kade, OPEN YOUR EYES!

Does this grin look devilish, or is it just me?

Grace loves a boy that will do what she says. Carry me. Push me. And he listens. If only she could get her own brothers to do the same.

I think the poor kids arms were about to fall off. That rug rat is heavy for me.
Until next time!

Love,

Megan

Zoo Day

2009-05-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

Today Grace & I went along with Quinn's Kindergarten class to the zoo. It was fun & the kids were good, but I am feeling exhausted. I hope I can muster up some energy to cook dinner tonight at least. The weather wasn't the best today, but I'm not going to complain too much. I am just so happy that it didn't rain, or worse yet, snow. The wind definitely wasn't very fun to deal with during the picnic lunch though.

Here is Grace, with her cuz Bridger. This is at the 1st playground we went to. Before we got kicked out by another school who had apparently reserved that shelter. The shelter we reserved??? Windy with a stream running mere yards away from the playground. Maybe not such a great place for 5 & 6 year-olds. Especially since they were FASCINATED with the water and kept insisting they saw alligators & snakes in there. Thank God, no one did fall in the water despite the fact that several of them were hanging out right on the edge.

Quinn
You can really see that missing tooth in this one!

A, Quinn, & Grace. They were 'my' charges for the day. I think I got pretty lucky! They are all good kids!

Gracie & Quinn are both HUGE animal lovers. They couldn't get enough of the animals & feeding them. I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the zoo this summer.

Quinn milking the cow. He was giggling and saying, "this is so disgusting". He loved it.

Quinn hangin' with the bears.

Gracie & her cousin, Ashton. They were walking behind the rest of the group, arguing. Grace was insisting she *knew* all of the ducks we had just passed by name. Ashton was saying that she didn't know their names, she didn't even know them at all! She then told him, "well, they are my friends, NOT your friends". What a stinker. Despite the argument, she still found the time to dig for a little gold.

Mrs. T's boys. We were waiting for the darn girls to show up so we could take a class pic;;-)

Quinn's Kindergarten class

Jalapeno Steak Sandwiches

2009-05-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, my these were really good. They definitely aren't the most diet friendly thing, but hey, we all need to splurge sometimes. I did calculate it though, and they were 14 WW Points per sandwich. Ouch. The Texas Toast bread was 4 points for 2 slices (and that is adready included in the previously stated 14 points), but it was perfect with these sandwiches. I look at it this way, they were WAY more filling & delicious that a fast food or restaurant sandwich would have been. Also, the marinade on these was fantastic. I think I may be using that for steak in the future because they meat was to die for, all by itself.

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Jalapeno Steak Sandwiches

Prep: 25 minutes

Marinate: 4 hours

Cook: 14 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (don't seed)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. kosher salt or salt
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. beef flank steak
12 slices Texas toast or other thick-cut white bread, toasted*
1/2 cup purchased chipotle mayonnaise or 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 1 tsp. chili powder
1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 oz. queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges

Directions:
1. For marinade, in a bowl whisk together garlic, jalapeno peppers, olive oil, lime juice, mustard, and salt.
2. Trim fat from meat. With a sharp knife score meat on both sides at 1-inch intervals in diamond pattern. Place meat in a self-sealing plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over meat; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
3. Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned grill pan on stovetop over medium heat. Drain meat; discard marinade. Place meat in hot pan. Cook for 14 to 16 minutes or until steak is medium, turning once halfway through grilling. Carve steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
4. Meanwhile, spread one side of each toast slice with mayonnaise. Place steak, onions, cheese, and cilantro on half the toast slices. Top with remaining slices. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 6 servings.
For tabletop grill: For tabletop grill: Preheat grill according to manufacturer's directions. Place steak on grill rack. If using a covered grill, close lid. Grill until steak is desired doneness. For covered grill, allow 7 to 9 minutes. (For open grill, allow 12 to 14 minutes for medium, turning once halfway through grilling.) Thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Continue as directed in Step 4 above.

*Test Kitchen Tip: To toast bread in a grill pan or an open grill, place on grill rack and allow 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Instead of a covered grill, use a toaster.)

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 560,
Total Fat (g) 28,
Saturated Fat (g) 6,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 8,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 158,
Sodium (mg) 965,
Carbohydrate (g) 46,
Total Sugar (g) 9,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 36,
Vitamin C (DV%) 9,
Calcium (DV%) 15,
Iron (DV%) 26,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Oh, How I Love Thee, Weigh-in Wednesday

2009-05-06T10:21:00.001-07:00

Okay, let me just say it.

I LOST 4.6 #!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't had a weigh in this good since I first started losing weight. I was pretty good with watching what I ate this we, though I did have a bit of a lapse over the weekend. I totally attribute this loss to my new fitness regimen. I totally think that VARIETY is the key. My body never know what it is going to be asked to do next and I think it is burning calories like mad. I have only been running on Fridays, and it seems like I am running much FASTER & my endurance has improved. Who ever would have though that the best thing for my running would be not running as often? Crazy.

My plan for the coming week is to keep doing what I've been. Friday I am taking my brother to Minot so I will need to workout hard either Thursday or Saturday. I know I will do it, it is getting to the point that I really look forward to my workouts.

Who knows?! Maybe I will actually reach my goal weight at some point here;-)

Thooth Fairy

2009-05-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the blood! Hopefully no one is squeamish!

Quinn lost his first tooth last night (with a little help from dad). It has been loose for a couple of weeks now, so it was time that it came out. I remember Kade, whenever he would notice a loose tooth, it would be out by the end of that very day. He would do NOTHING but wiggle & tug on it until it came out. Quinn has been much more laid back about it & hasn't been wiggling it much other when his big brother would REMIND him to. Kade also offered to tie it with floss and tie the other end to both a door or a shoe that he would throw down the stairs, on several occasions. It was decided it would be better if dad just took care of it before Kade got anymore--creative--ideas.

Quinn was very excited for the tooth fairy to come. Almost as soon as the tooth came out he was rummaging around for an envelope to put his tooth in. He carefully labeled it, so the tooth fairy would make no mistake. Before he went to bed he made sure his room was nice & clean, so she wouldn't have any trouble making it to his pillow.

Junior Gardeners

2009-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got lots of yard work done!

Saturday we prepped the garden. We took out the 4 individual beds and make it into 1 HUGE garden bed. It is going to be a family affair to keep it weeded! Good thing everyone seems to enjoy working in the garden. Tony went over the garden with the tiller about 3 times and we added lots of Steer Manure. Lucky me' got to purchase the Steer Manure-12 bags of it- after my Saturday Yoga class. Good thing I was feeling peaceful while loading up all of those stinking, dirty bags into my NEW SUV. Ugh. The garden is looking great though! I can't wait to start planting! I am thinking that will be on the agenda this coming weekend.

Tony spent the morning on Sunday out working in the raspberry patch. Unfortunately, none of our raspberries survived the winter so we will be starting over with them this year. As soon as Lowe's opened we headed back there to get some more fertilizer for them. Hopefully they will fare better with a little extra love. We also bought lots of flowers! I bought some gorgeous red geraniums and some spike's (sorry I don't know their technical name) for my 2 pots that I like to put on my front porch. My grandma always had red geraniums on her porch, I think that is why I love them so much. The kids are SO into gardening. Especially Quinn, so we let them each pick out some flowers that they got to re pot and can care for throughout the summer. They look cute out on the back deck, too. Quinn & Kade have to wait to re pot theirs until I buy more pots. It seems a few went missing.

Thank the Lord, this day is finally OVER.

2009-04-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

All 3 of my kids have a colds. That= NO FUN. I was about ready to check into the loony bin for a vacation from my little urchins at about 5 o'clock. My good friend, Shiraz got me though the night though. I tried really, really hard to feel bad for the kids because I know they don't feel good. BUT...that didn't last long. Screaming, fighting, *slapping*, big uncompleted homework assignment due TOMORROW that had to be started over (apparently the teacher gives no written directions???). Ugh. I am tired just thinking about my children.

Thankfully, they are now in bed fast asleep. My house is a wreak & I don't care. Thank the Lord this day is over. I think I will have another glass of vino in celebration.

I know I was going to write about something else, but I am just to dang tired to remember apparently.

Weigh-in Wednesday, Week in Review

2009-04-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ya! It is Wednesday! My WW points reset! I can start anew after the cookie binge that I had yesterday!

Somehow, someway, I lost .6 pounds this week. It isn't much but I will CERTAINLY take it. The week started off really good Wed. though Sat. Then, I took off for my dear aunt's 50th out of town & it all went downhill. The weekend included things like: a thick burger, onion rings, pizza, candy, lots of drinks, and probably other things that I have mentally blocked. Yikes!

Monday I was back on track and ready to go. Tuesday was going fine too. Then, I decided I would make cookies with my daughter. My self-control was so great the previous week that I only ate 1 cookie out of the entire batch. And no cookie dough to speak of! Ya. I made up for that yesterday.

I am no longer Shredding with the Sisterhood either. I know, I suck. You see, last week I ran into a fellow hockey mom who invited me to come to some of the fitness classes that she teaches. Last Monday, I tried her Muscle Work class and I LOVED it. So, so, much. She kicked my butt. My triceps have never been so sore. Anyway, I must love pain because on Wednesday I went to her cycling class AND her muscle work class. Right in a row. I burned over 1,000 calories and could barely move the next day. I am telling you, this chick is better than Jillian. She is a more likable version of Jillian and I know that if her classes can't whip me into shape and make me start losing again, nothing will.

So, here is what my new fitness routine looks like:

Sunday: Vinyassa Yoga
Monday: Cycling & Muscle Work
Tuesday: Nothing, maybe a walk outside with the kids
Wednesday: Cycling & Muscle Work
Thursday: Nothing except for possibly a walk
Friday: Run & Muscle Work ++ (this muscle work class incorporates more cardio that the other ones)
Saturday: Elliptical & Vinyassa Yoga

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

2009-04-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered this recipe on a site I sometimes like to drool over called Real Mom Kitchen. She has a beautiful picture of this recipe on her site, I took one too but it didn't turn out;-) I am not very good at food photography I am discovering. I put my recipe below, I made a couple of minor changes & calculated WW points. Although I calculated 6 POINTS per serving, it will actually be a little lower, depending on how much liquid you drain off. I am thinking that I will also try to make it with Reduced-Fat Italian dressing next time which will also save some POINTS.

Anyway, this was just so delicious, not to mention super easy. It does make quite a bit, but I think it would freeze very well. I don't think I will be freezing any here though. Yum.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

3 lbs. raw skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 breasts)
1 (18 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

Place chicken in crock pot. I a bowl mix 2/3 of the bottle of barbecue sauce, Italian Salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. (I cook on low) Remove chicken from crock pot. Shred chicken and place back in crock pot. Mix with juices. Drain off any excess wetness. Add remaining 1/3 of bottle barbecue sauce to chicken and mix.

Load onto a bun and enjoy!

Taco Soup

2009-04-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

Mmmm, mmmmm, good.

I re-discovered this recipe while cleaning out my recipe cabinet. The last time I made it, we were still living in Fargo. That makes it over 5 years ago! I'm not sure why I forgot about it! It is quick, filling, & everyone here loves it!

Taco Soup

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 7
1 Serving = 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
31 oz. (2 cans) kidney beans or chili beans
10 oz. Rotel tomatoes, undrained
15.25 oz. canned corn, undrained
1/4 c. (or 1 pkg.) dry taco seasoning mix
1 oz. (1 pkg.) dry ranch dressing mix

Instructions:

Brown and drain ground beef.Combine all ingredients and let simmer on low heat at least 15 minutes.

When I make this I always like to have shredded cheddar, sour cream, & nacho cheese Doritos out to top the soup with. I also like to throw a few jalapenos on mine;-)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2009-04-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today, Grace and I made our family favorite chocolate chip cookies. Usually, I take a nose dive into the cookie dough, but today I restrained myself completely. However, when the cookies came all hot and gooey out of the oven, I couldn't resist. I ate one & it was glorious. I was about to reach for a second and I stopped.

I though to myself, "Is the second one going to give me as much pleasure as the first just did?" I decided that before answering that question, I would plug my recipe into the online WW recipe builder. I wasn't going to throw the towel in on the whole day just because I made cookies. I *know* I need to learn some self-control here. My kids shouldn't be deprived of homemade goodies because 'mommy is on a diet'. Heck, I shouldn't be deprived either!!!

Anyway, when I saw that each cookie was 4 points I decided that 1 was enough. It was delicious and worth it, but by eating any more, I would have sabotaged the healthy dinner plans I had.

I may be having a heck of a time losing these days, but I am proud of how far I have come with healthy eating & moderation. WW is definitely starting to feel like a life-style change for me.

Anyway, you have to try this recipe! It is SO worth the 4 points! The recipe comes from my hubby's aunt, a fabulous cook!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 36
Makes 3 Dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1c. shortening
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c. quick oats

Instructions:

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, soda, and salt and mix well. Stir in chips and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 350*.

Two Week Meal Plan

2009-04-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

I did my shopping for the next two weeks today. I must say, in the beginning, it was a little overwhelming. When you are attempting to do ALL of you shopping for the next two-weeks you need to be very organized and prepared with a well thought out list. I am really falling in love with the system though. I find I am able to buy more at Sam's Club now than I used to, although I do watch prices pretty carefully. Sometimes they end up being more expensive than the other stores that I go to.

Anyway, today I came home with my Pilot FULL of food/necessities. Now I am set for the next two weeks! Did I say that I have noticed that I spend LOADS less money at the store since I started doing this? I estimate, not even really trying, that I am saving about $400 per month. That is HUGE.

Friday: Tacos

Saturday: Nada- Kids will be in Dickinson with Dad & Tony & I will be eating Prime Rib & sippin' vino at his work Banquet.

Sunday: Creativity in the Kitchen A.K.A Leftovers;-)

Monday: BBQ Cups & Mystery Veggie

Tuesday: Crunchy Baked Chicken & Whatever Fancy Strikes Me

Wednesday: Cheesy Potato & Sausage Soup, Salad, French Bread

Thursday: Glazed Mahi-Mahi (I might have to improvise with Salmon or something, I couldn't find Mahi-Mahi anywhere?!), Hash Brown Casserole, & Veggie

Friday: Homemade Pepperoni & Green Olive Pizza & possibly a Mushroom & Jalapeno one for me only (YUM!)

Saturday: Steak & some manly sides

Sunday: Kitchen Creativity Night

Monday: Taco Soup & Salad

Tuesday: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken & Side

Wednesday: Ranch House Crock pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes & Veggie

Thursday: Skewered Mustard-Beer Shrimp & Cheesy Broccoli Rigatoni

Reindeer Antlers and Big Girl Bikes

2009-04-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

Monday night Kade had his school music program. It should have taken place a couple of weeks ago, but with the flooding issues here, it had to be postponed.

Kade is already just TOO COOL. He did NOT want to wear reindeer antlers. He was humiliated and he has been giving me an earful about it at home. Thankfully, it is over and he did not die of embarrassment. I, for one, think he makes a mighty cute reindeer! Maybe he could wear them for next years Christmas photo?

This is all the 3rd graders. That is a lot of 3rd graders! It kind of looks like my entire elementary school when I was a kid!

Notice how Kade took his antlers off to play his instrument? Notice the smile? Different kid without the antlers.

Here are some of the kids doing a very exuberant dance. Those kids were havin' some fun, let me tell you.

Kade playing his instrument. This, he enjoys. The singing & antler wearing...not so much.

Here is Gracie with her new bike! We picked it up at Walmart yesterday with her gift card from the Easter bunny! Ya, ya, I know. The Easter Bunny was smart though. He knew mom & dad wouldn't want to deal with hauling a bike to and from MN. This way, she even got to pick her own. Unfortunately the stock is a little low after Easter. We ended up with a Bratz bike. I really don't care for Bratz but she REALLY wanted it because of the streamers & front pouch. I understand the need for accessorizing, so I gave in.

She got her gorgeous new helmet with the Easter money she received from her Great-Grandparents.

After a long day of playing outside yesterday, Grace passed out outside the bathroom door clutching her favorite dress-up shoes. She was waiting for dad. In case you were wondering, she was snoring;-)

Weigh in Wednesday

2009-04-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yup. I am up .4 pounds this week. It could be worse. Much, much worse. I have no excuses aside from, I like Easter candy & holiday food. I worked out religiously this week, like usual. I just need to get back on track with eating.

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Easter! We arrived home from MN last night at about 7:30 pm after spending the Easter weekend with Tony's family. His parents had a full house! It was very nice to see everyone (especially our new little niece, Hannah!) I can't BELIEVE I didn't even take any good pictures of her! I am such a slacker!

Our kids had a BLAST on their Easter egg hunt this year. The Easter bunny hid them around grandma & grandpa's house in the woods. The woods sure do make excellent Easter Egg hunting grounds!

And they are off! I couldn't believe how quick those kids can run when they are on a mission! Tony started off helping Grace, but then he saw that she was beating Quinn to several eggs so he quit;-) That girl can hold her own already.

Here is Kade in mid-sprint.

Eggs Spotted! On the deck!

Hey! This is getting harder! All the easy ones have been found!

Grace was screaming at Kade here. She thought he was trying to steal her eggs, LOL. In reality, he was trying to help her by giving her one of his.

I love this one of them. They were chatting it up and I can even see my lil' rag-a-muffin's eyes.

Time to count the eggs and see what is hidden in them!

Here is Grace, showing Tony's brother, Andy her loot. Daddy is hard at work doing something.

BIG robin egg smile.

Hey! Quinn found a dog in his egg! Lucky!

This is Tony's entire family including his Grandma Anderson. She is a sweetie!

Hodge Podge Day

2009-04-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very busy day. First thing this morning (after I did day #4 of Shred and took the boys to school, of course) Grace had gymnastics. I must say, she is so naturally good at it. I think it may be because of her utter lack of fear;-)

Unfortunately though, after gymnastics her and her little friend (also Grace) were the only 2 children who did not receive stamps on their hands. When we asked them why they did not have stamps, they said, "because we didn't listen". They really didn't seem to bothered or concerned by it though. I DO think Grace needs to listen & I had her apologize to the teachers BUT I must say that I have noticed that the teachers don't seem to be so great with kids. There is a BIG lack of patience going on combined with overreactions and just generally not really able to get down on the kids' level and relate in an appropriate way. I'm not so sure I will be signing her up again. Maybe we will try Mandan, she does seem to love it. Anyway, here she is doing her moves. I took lots more pics but they didn't turn out:(

After gymnastics, Grace sat VERY patiently through my dentist appointment. She did, however, require a step-by-step explanation from the hygienist on exactly what she was doing.

When we finished up there, we met Tony at Northridge to have lunch with Quinn, who is student of the week this week. Here we are eating the infamous 'Nacho Boat' .

Here is Quinn with his 'Student of the Week' display.

Our evening was just as action-packed. After picking the boys up from school, we discovered the neighborhood tramp- a miniature horse sized dog, that seems to somehow 'escape' from his owners quite frequently and for LONG spells, was waiting for us at our house. He has been friendly in the past, so I let the kids play outside with him there. Well, he ended up biting my daughter. It bruised her sholder but did not puncture the skin but I did call the Sheriff's office and had a deputy come out. He tracked down and talked to the owner (I did not know who the owner was, they live near, but not in our development) who says he will keep the dog locked up now. Hmmm.

After dinner we did Easter Eggs. I will let the pictures do the talking. That is always an adventure.

Happy Easter!

Weigh-in Wednesday

2009-04-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time again. It is Weigh-in Wednesday with the Sisterhood. I must say I had an AWESOME week. I stayed on track with my workouts and eating. As a matter of fact, I had 20 AP's that went UNUSED out of the 35 that I earned this week. I never do that. I ended up losing 1.8#. I am happy with that, but I was secretly hoping for more. As it stands, I didn't quite lose all of the 2.2# that I gained last week. At least I am on the right track now. I seem to have found my motivation and that is a very good thing. I am even planning on taking my new Shred DVD to the in-laws! I am determined to stick to the plan and do it every day for the next 27.

Here is my exercise journal for the past week:

Thursday: Nada

Friday: 1 Hour Run & 1 hr. Yoga

Saturday: 75 minute Yoga

Sunday: 1 hr. Yoga

Monday: 30 min. run, 1 hr. free weights at the gym, Shred day 1

Tuesday: Shred day 2

Wednesday: 15 min. run, 15 min. Precor (my ankles were bothering me running), Shred day 3

Parmesan Herb Baked Tilapia

2009-04-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

I really love this tilapia recipe. I have made it several times already, and I don't even remember where I actually got the original recipe from. If I stole if from you, I am very sorry. Let me know & I will give you proper credit. Anyway, it is healthy, quick, easy, & delicious. Does it get any better than that?

Parmesan Herb Baked Tilapia

POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

24 oz raw farm-raised tilapia
1 1/2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup(s) Light Mayonnaise
2 tbsp Green Onions
1/4 cup(s) dried bread crumbs
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400. Place fish on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine cheese, mayonnaise, and onions; spread evenly over fish. Combine breadcrumbs and remaining ingredients (I usually just use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs instead); sprinkle evenly over fish. Lightly coat fish with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Creamy Italian Chicken

2009-04-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

We had this for dinner tonight over rice & the kids really liked it. By no means is it a 5-star recipe, if I wanted to suit my tastes I would add in some peppers or pimentos to the mix. I did think it was okay though, as did Tony and like I said the kids (especially my picky Kade) gobbled it up. It was also just as simple as it gets so I'm sure I will be making it again.

Creamy Italian Chicken

Adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen
POINTS® Value: 7
Servings: 6

With the chicken shredded, this makes 6 cups. So, 1 serving = 1 cup

Ingredients

2 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, About 5 breasts
1 envelope(s) Good Seasons Italian Dressing
21 oz Campbell's 98% Fat-Free Cream Of Chicken Soup, (2 cans)
8 oz light cream cheese

Instructions

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Sprinkle with dry Italian dressing mix. Mix cream cheese and soup in separate bowl. Pour over chicken. Cook on low all day ( 8 hours). Shred the chicken if you prefer (I did). Serve over rice or noodles. (Add milk if needed to thin sauce out- I did not need to do this, it was perfect)

Weigh-in Wednesday

2009-04-01T10:15:00.001-07:00

Today is Weigh-in day over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. Not suprisingly, I am up .6 pounds since my last weigh-in 2 weeks ago. I am back on track though and ready to recommit myself. I already started my day off right with 40 minutes of running and 1 hour of strength training. Not that exercise has been my problem. No, my problem would be my love for my late night munchie sessions (I'm also sure the 500 calorie martini I had last night isn't helping).

Well, now if I want to do that, I am going to have to work out like a fool because I am counting every bite.

Love

2009-03-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner we were sitting around chatting. Grace crawled into my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, and said, "Daddy. Me and mom, we're in love with each other". Then she proceeded to hug and kiss me.

Gracie, I'm in love with you too.

Jillian 30 Day Shred Giveaway!

2009-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

One of my BFF's & cousin (Melissa) is part of a blog titled Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. It is a wonderful place to get support for weight-loss, or just living a healthier lifestyle.

I highly recommend that you check it out & if you like what you see, enter to win their Shred giveaway! Then you can spend the next 30 days Shredding with Jillan and the Sisterhood. Perfect timing since summer is just around the corner.

FYI: If you don't know what Shred is, I will fill you in a little. It is an action-packed 20 minute DVD by Jillian of The Biggest Loser. There are three levels to advance through & if you do it for 30 days straight you should be looking fine for summer!

Can you guess what I'll be doing tonight?

2009-03-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

In case you are wondering, half on the Blazer is actually off the driveway. It is resting on the rocks in the culvert.

Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce

2009-03-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is, according to my husband, the best recipe that I make. Aside from steak and other manly things, of course. Honestly though, he makes better steak than I do that this is probably truly his favorite thing that I make for him. The great thing about this is all 3 of my kids like it to & so do I!! It is a miracle! The only complaint I get is that I should have made more. This recipe sounds fancy, but it is really a very simple & quick dish to make.

Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce

WW Points Per Serving: 6

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour, turning to coat; shake off the excess flour. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of pork, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork mixture from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining oil and pork. Return pork to pan. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in olives and capers; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 medallions and 2 tablespoons sauce)

CALORIES 212 (34% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 1.8g,mono 5.1g,poly 0.9g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.1g; SODIUM 894mg; PROTEIN 25.5g; FIBER 0.9g Cooking Light, JUNE 200

Champagne-Feta Risotto

2009-03-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today I have a couple of recipes to share. I took them from the Cooking Light website, myrecipes.com which is free and FABULOUS. I highly recommend it. The two recipes I have to share are a favorite of my family. I pretty much always serve them together, maybe with a veggie to round it out.

Here is the first:

Champagne-Feta Risotto

WW Points Per Serving: 3

1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup Champagne or white wine
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Bring the first 3 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 3 minutes. Add rice; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in Champagne; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in feta. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup risotto and 1 tablespoon Parmesan)CALORIES 331 (27% from fat); FAT 10.1g (sat 4.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 24mg; CALCIUM 204mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.8g; SODIUM 835mg; PROTEIN 12.4g; FIBER 1.5g Cooking Light, APRIL 2000

Safe on the hill

2009-03-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Right now I am really appreciating our high & at times, windy, location North of Bismarck. We have stayed safe & dry & for that I am thankful. Not everyone has been so fortunate though. Please send your thoughts & prayers their way. I honestly don't have words to describe the sadness I feel for all those affected.

Here is a slide show of pictures of the flooding throughout the region. http://bismarcktribune.com/shared-content/story_tools/slideshow/?type=slideshow&id=89

Menu Planning Monday

2009-03-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, since I missed Thursday, I will post my menu today. We had a fun & busy weekend which I hope to blog about later. Anyway...

Week One:

Monday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, & Side Salad

Tuesday: Crispy Chicken Fingers, Seasoned Potato Cubes, Side Salad

Wednesday: Pork Medallions with Olive Caper Sauce & Champagne-Feta Risotto

Thursday: Apple & Horseradish Glazed Salmon, Rice, & a veggie

Week 2:

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Oven Baked Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie

Sunday: Every Man For Himself

Monday: Beef Short Ribs w. JD Grilling Glaze &...Something else (I dislike ribs)

Tuesday: Creamy Italian Chicken, Rice, Veggie

Wednesday: Wasabi & Panko Crusted Pork & Gingered Soy Sauce, Rice, Veggie

Thursday: Parmesan Herb Tilapia

The World's Best Cosmo

2009-03-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe here. I'm not sure if it is the world's best, but is divine. A friend of mine has given me her Cosmo recipe a couple of times, but it calls for flavored vodka & I never remember to grab it when I'm at the liquor store. If I wasn't sitting here lazily enjoying my cosmo so much I would get my camera & take a picture of it to show you just how pretty it is:-)

UPDATED WITH PICTURE! Wow! Please disregard the dust. Someone needs to spend less time making pretty drinks and more time cleaning;-)

The World's Best Cosmo

In a cocktail shaker, combine with ice:
2 oz vodka
1 oz Rose's lime juice
1 oz triple sec
anywhere from a splash to 2 oz cranberry juice, depending on your preference (I think 1 oz. is perfect)

Mix well and pour into a glass. Add a slice of lime for garnish and enjoy!

Weighing In

2009-03-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I got on the scale today and tracked my weight on the Weight Watchers site for the first time since February 11th. I am up 1.6 pounds. It could be worse. My saving grace has been that I have been very good about getting my exercise in. I am recommitting to Weight Watchers starting today and recording every bite I put in my mouth. I would really like to be down another 10 pounds by summer. Or 20....

Living the hockey life

2009-03-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

That is what it is feeling like anyway. This weekend consisted of hockey, hockey, & more hockey due to Kade being in the Bismarck Hockey Tournament over the weekend. For the next 2 weeks he will have practice on all but 2 days in preparation for the Grand Forks tournament March 20-22. I may complain a little, but I really love to watch him play. I think he is awesome:-)

His team, that had only been playing together for 1 week, took 3rd place in the tournament over the weekend. They played so well together. We also got to see my uncle Scotts son Casey play, which was fun. I sure wish I would have taken some pictures but I forgot my camera, of course. I better remember it for Grand Forks!

I also signed Gracie up for gymnastics today!! She is so excited! As we were walking out we ran into a mom of one of Kade's friends who commented on how she couldn't believe Gracie was in gymnastics already. She said, "She is so little!" When we got to the car Grace said, "She said I'm little!! I am not little! I am big!"

My 2 Week Meal Plan

2009-03-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

I know a few of you do Meal Planning Monday, which I think is a great idea. For me, Mondays don't work & I prefer to plan & make my list on Wednesday and shop on Thursday. I have been trying out a 2 week meal plan for the last month or so. I is supposed to save time as well as money & so far, I think it has. It does, however, require careful planning & list making! So...here is my plan!

Week 1:

Friday: Taco Night

Saturday: Spaghetti, Texas Toast Garlic Bread, & Side Salad

Sunday: Leftovers or Fend for yourself!

Monday: Cheeseburger Roll-up, Fries, Side Salad

Tuesday: White Chicken Chili (a meal from the freezer cooking night I recently had with girlfriends) & Beer Bread- Tony should be a be able to handle this it is a busy hockey night so I won't have time to cook

Wednesday: Kung Pao Pork, Rice, Egg Rolls w. Sweet & Sour, & Egg Drop Soup

Thursday: Halibut Fillets with Teriyaki Sauce, Some type of veggie, & Baked Potatoes with choice of toppers

Week 2:

Friday: Taco Night

Saturday: Pizza Calzone (another meal from my freezer cooking night, we will again be busy with hockey games)

Sunday: Leftovers or fend for yourself!

Monday: Lasagna & Garlic Bread (again, busy with hockey meal out of freezer)

Tuesday: Crispy Chicken Fingers, Seasoned Potato Cubes, & Side Salad

Wednesday: Pork Chops with Apples & Stuffing & Some Type of Veggie

Thursday: Saucy Shrimp, Rice, Broccoli

Bon Appetit!

Yup, still alive!

2009-03-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

Hmm...who looks more into this to you? I am sensing a HS yearbook picture here. Daddy being a good sport & dancing with the princess;-)

Okay, I know it has been forever but I decided I would bite the bullet and post something. I think the winter blues may have gotten to me a bit & I just didn't feel like writing anything. As you can see, Quinn has discovered how fun it is to engage in princess dress up. He does make a beautiful princess, doesn't he?

During my blogging hiatus, Quinn celebrated his 6th Birthday. I can hardly believe he is so old already! He chose to have a swimming party complete with pizza & cake. It was alot of fun! We discovered that Sundays are a fantastic time to have B-day parties at hotels as we pretty much had the pool to ourselves! Unfortunately, our camera ran out of batteries (Bad mommy) and we didn't really get any good pics of our b-day boy.

Quinn & a friend

Kade

Here is Kade with his edible community that he made for school. Nice job Kade!

So precious. Gracie fell asleep while cuddling with her big brother.

Gracie & Quinn are done with hockey and I never even got a chance to post the pictures of Gracie's first day of hockey. Bad mommy. Anyway, here they are & only 2 months late!

She had been on the ice for not 5 minutes when she ditched the skater-aid and went without. She is a natural!

Momma dressed her a little to warm. Her she is trying to cool off & relax a little.

Megan's Chili

2009-01-06T17:50:00.001-08:00

I have tried & tweaked countless different chili recipes & I think I finally have it right with this one.

main meals
POINTS® Value: 8

Servings: 8

Serving Size: Approx 1 1/2 cups

I like to top my chili with extra jalapenoes, some shredded Reduced-Fat cheddar, & a dollop of low-fat sour cream. Corn bread is great served as a side!

Ingredients
1 cup(s) green pepper(s), diced
2 cup(s) onion(s), diced
8 clove(s) garlic clove(s)
1 pound(s) cooked extra lean ground beef
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar
1 tbsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed
3 tbsp canned tomato paste
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp table salt
2 serving(s) Durkee Bay Leaves
1 1/4 cup(s) red wine, (I use Merlot)
30 oz canned tomato sauce
30 oz Eden Organic Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, (I usually use Rotel)
30 oz canned kidney beans, drained- I usually use 1 each dark & light kidney
1 pound(s) Jennie-O Turkey Store Lean Italian sausage link, hot, casings removed- can also use sweet if you prefer

Instructions

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeo) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves.

Side Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

2009-01-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

This was a great recipe that my aunt passed on to me. It is originally from Taste of Home cookbooks. I modified it to be healthier & I think it still tastes great. Heck, my kids even had seconds! If you leave out the bacon it is still very good and it will shave the point value down to 6 points per serving. I do love bacon though, so I had it with mine;-) Next time, I think I will serve it with French or Baguette Bread.

POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup(s) water
2 cup(s) potato(es), peeled & cubed
2 small carrot(s), grated
1 small onion(s), chopped
1/4 cup(s) green pepper(s), chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded & chopped
1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced
1 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp table salt
1 pound(s) cooked extra lean ground beef
2 1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
8 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product
6 slice(s) cooked bacon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions:

In a large Dutch oven, combine water, potatoes, carrots, onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, celery, garlic, bouillon and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the cooked ground beef and 2 cups of the milk. Heat through. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and remaining milk until smooth. Gradually stir into soup; bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or more until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese and cook until melted. Add cayenne if desired. Ladle soup into serving bowls; top each bowl with crumbled bacon.

My First Ever Blog Award

2009-01-05T12:47:00.001-08:00

Pam at It's Time for More Coffee gave me my first ever Blog Award! Thanks Pam!

The Lemonade Award:

So here is the award and the rules.

#1 You must link back to the person you received the award from.

#2 You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

Well- Since I just recently entered the blogging world, I'm not sure I have 10! I will give it a shot though! Here are my favorite blogs to read, in no particular order.

1. Pam again! She is at It's Time for More Coffee.

2. The girls over at The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.

3. Kristin at The Krumwiede Six

4. Melissa at The Anderson Clan

5. My old friend Ree (at least it feels like she is;-) at The Pioneer Woman

6. Kate, my favorite accountant, at You Do the Math

7. And, finally, even though I haven't heard anything new from her blog lately...Jen at Life in the Left-Turn-Only Lane

Sorry! That is all I can do! I am new to blogging still!

The Little Team That Could

2009-01-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Wow- it has been awhile since I've blogged! I hardly even know where to start! Well, we had a very excited weekend! Kade was in a hockey tournament in Mandan over the weekend. It was his turn to try out the goalie position for the first time...very nerve racking at tournament time! The tournament included teams from Bismarck (4), Dickinson, & Mandan. We had hopes that they would win a couple games, but we weren't expecting too much since they had yet to win a game against another Bismarck Blue Mite team all season. Our only wins had been against the Bismarck girls & Mandan.

Kade's 1st game (which I had to miss because Grace wasn't feeling well Saturday) was against another Bismarck team & they lost 3-2. Tony said they played a great game though. The next game on Saturday was against Dickinson & they won- my weekend is one hockey blur though & I can't seem to remember the score... So, we went into Sunday in the #2 position in our bracket.

Sunday our first game was against Mandan at 10:30. They played SO well & won that one. We barely had time to grab some fast food & let the dog out at home and it was time for their 2nd game of the day at 1 pm. It was against Bismarck Red. VERY NERVE RACKING. They hadn't won a single game against this team- not even close. The way the boys played was UNBELIEVABLE and THEY WON! It was amazing. It is like everything finally clicked for our team and they finally understood what it meant to be a team and work together!

At 3:00, after a mere 1/2 hour break, it was time for our game against Bismarck Blue (their 3rd game of the day). Somehow, the kids pulled out more unbelievable energy and won that game as well. It was nothing short of fantastic to watch. To see a team have a season so full of frustration and disappointment do what they did this weekend made it all the more wonderful.

Here are some pics from the Championship game:

What a great group of kids!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2008-12-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

No need to reinvent the wheel on this one. I got the recipe off of http://www.hersheys.com/. Who can resist these babies at Christmas? These are a definite fave around here!

Yes- we are already missing a couple of cookies. Quality control was on top of things today;-)

Ingredients:

. 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
. 1/2 cup shortening (I use butter flavored)
. 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
. 1/3 cup granulated sugar
. 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
. 1 egg
. 2 tablespoons milk
. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
. 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
. 1 teaspoon baking soda
. 1/2 teaspoon salt
. Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. 2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. 3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Possibly the Best Ever, Banana Bread

2008-12-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

There is no way around it. This banana bread is dang good. I have tried countless other recipes but my family always complains and asks for this one again. I have to agree with them. Usually, I make this into muffins (easier for the kids to manage & to send to work/school) but today Quinn requested that I make the actual bread. If you want to make muffins, just cut the baking time in about half and make sure your toothpick comes out clean!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 bananas (Mashed, unless you use an electric mixer like me. Then you can just pulverise them when you mix them in;-)
1 tsp. vanilla (I think it is worth it to splurge on the real thing, not imitation)
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. buttermilk (I almost never have buttermilk on hand. An awesome substitute is to put 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar in 1/2 c. measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with milk. Leave sit for 5 minutes & you will never know the difference!)

Directions:

Microwave butter until nice and soft. Cream with sugar. Add eggs, banana, and vanilla and mix until well blended (preferably with an electric mixer of some sort). Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix well. Add buttermilk and mix until well combined. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

Not the Original, Chex Mix

2008-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yum

I combined a couple of different recipes on this one & changed things to my taste, so I am claiming it dang it!

Ingredients:

3 c. Corn Chex

3 c. Wheat Chex

3 c. Rice Chex

2 c. Pretzel Sticks

2 c. Mixed Nuts

2 c. Mini Garlic Flavored Bagel Chips

1 1/2 Sticks Butter (yup, that is 3/4 cup baby)

4 tsp. minced garlic

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

12 shakes hot sauce

1 1/2 tsp. Seasoned Salt

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a HUGE bowl.

Place remaining ingredients in microwave-safe bowl and cook until butter is melted. Mix well, then drizzle over chex mixture, stirring as you go to evenly coat.

Transfer mixture onto 1 very large, or 2 regular sized, baking sheets. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes and give it a stir every 15-20 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Italian Casserole

2008-12-15T18:48:00.000-08:00

I decided that my blog will be a great place for me to keep track of recipes my family likes, not to mention sharing them with all of you! I LOVE to cook, so I foresee lots of recipes on this page. Maybe now I will be able to locate those recipes my family likes, but I inevitably seem to lose track of (the consequence of all of my culinary adventures). You will find that some of my recipes are complicated, and others are incredibly simple. Likewise, some are very health-conscious and others are an abomination by health food standards.

The first recipe I would like to share is very easy & one my whole family really likes. I actually made it twice! It is also fairly good for you. I like to pair it with a delicious salad with low-fat dressing. It made quite a filling meal!

Italian Casserole

main meals
POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 8

If you don't want to buy a container of Ricotta for a mere 1/2 cup usage in this recipe, just use a full cup of sour cream and skip the Ricotta. I did the second time around & thought it was still very good.

Ingredients:

4 oz low-fat Swiss cheese
4 oz light sour cream
4 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
26 oz bottled pasta sauce
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup(s) onion(s)
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried parsley
8 oz reduced-fat crescent roll dough
1 pound(s) cooked extra lean ground beef
1 tbsp Fleischmann's Light Soft Spread

Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, garlic salt and oregano. Add pasta sauce and cook 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Mix ricotta, sour cream, parsley flakes and swiss cheese. Spray a 9x13 pan with PAM, pour meat mixture into the bottom. Top with the ricotta mixture. Unroll crescent roll dough and place on top stretching to fit as needed. Melt margarine and brush on top of roll dough. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-14T17:36:00.000-08:00

Our weekend was filled with all things Christmas. We started it off early Saturday morning by watching Quinn's dress rehearsal for the Christmas program at our church. He has a solo in 'Away in a Manger' and is dressed as an angel. I must say, he made an adorable angel;-) I have been practicing his solo with him all week, but I was convinced he would panic when he actually had to do it IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. He is definitely a shy child when put on the spot. When they made him walk front and center I thought for sure he would hide his face and whisper his part. I am happy to say...I was wrong! He sang his little heart out! Unfortunately, the Christmas program was cancelled this morning due to the Blizzard, so we will have to wait until Wednesday for the performance.

After the practice we headed over to the mall to visit with Santa. We got there a bit before Santa so we took the opportunity to go get some ideas for The Man in Red at Target.

Yes- Grace has chocolate or something circling her mouth. Oh well, she wouldn't be Grace if she was all clean & stuff, now would she?

While we were waiting to see Santa Grace kept trying to go in front of the other kids to talk with Santa. Apparently, they are fast friends. When it was FINALLY our turn Grace hopped right up on his lap and told him that she wanted Binoculars. What?! What happened to the horse she wanted yesterday? This definitely took the cake as the oddest Santa request that has come out of any of my kids. Quinn clammed up and wouldn't tell Santa what he wanted at first. Grace came to the rescue and informed Santa that Quinn wanted Transformers. Once Grace got the ball rolling Quinn was able to elaborate on his Transformers request. Kade said he wanted Havoc Heli Laser Battle Helicopters.

After the Santa visit while we were waiting for our picture CD Grace wandered off. Where was she you wonder? Why, she was visiting with Santa again, of course! Santa was a little curious where her parents were though. Once we recovered her we were discussing where to go for lunch and Grace said, "SANTA! DO YOU WANT TO GO HAVE LUNCH WITH US?" in her loudest screaming voice. Once we told her Santa was busy she said, "Oh. SANTA! WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO BRING YOU FOR LUNCH?"

Grace, Grace, Grace. What would we have done without you making our lives so colorful?

Today the kids made, or should I say, decorated, a Gingerbread House. It was a fun, but messy project. Especially once they got bored with the 'prepackaged' decorations and broke out the fine sugar sprinkles.

Jumping on the Blogwagon

2008-12-14T15:54:00.001-08:00

Hmmm. Me? A blogger? Maybe I will give it a shot since it seems like I am the only one WITHOUT one these days. Besides, I ran out of photo space on facebook so how will I show off my rugrats?

Maybe after dinner tonight I will even write about something.