menu

A little late, but here's what we are eating this time around
Friday: Chicken Cachetori with whole wheat linguine
Saturday: out
Sunday: BBQ brisket, potato salad, fruit salad (entertaining)
Monday: One Pot Lemon-broccoli-Parmesan Pasta
Tuesday: Shepherd's Pie (a hubby request)
Wednesday: Kung Pao Chicken with snow peas
Thursday: Rice and Bean burritos
Friday: other plans
Saturday: fish tacos, leftover rice/beans
Sunday: Chicken salad sandwiches, BBQ chips, fruit

Let me know if any recipe request....I'm trying a few new ones this week :)

An Unfortunate Load

Let's just say that you are suffering from a bout of yucky sinus crud that keeps you inside on a georgeous day. And since having 2 toddlers prevents a blissful day of channel surfing and reading and resting, you decide to get some serious laundry done. And for grins, let's just say than unbeknownst to you, a disposable diaper somehow ends up in your washing machine. (a pee pee one because, well, there is a God who loves me). Have you ever wondered what might happen if this happened to you? Wonder no longer.

It's not pretty. Not pretty at all.

Let's just say that disposable diapers are called disposable for a reason. They are not made to be washed. Apparently their absorbency has a limit that was surpassed in my sparkly rocket ship washing machine. An explosion of slimy, jelly-like crumbles is how I would best describe the debris. Not fun at all to pick out of your washer. Thankfully, after removing the guilty size 4, and re-washing the load a few times, all was restored. But kids, don't try this one at home.

Super Easy Taco Soup

I've been looking for a super easy recipe for Taco Soup for awhile. I finally found one here: http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/ that looked easy. BTW, this is a great site/resource for any one with a preschooler or any one interested in homeschooling. What? me? Who said she'd NEVER homeschool. No, I'm not doing it. I'm just not called to it. But having two tots at home, I can use all the ideas I can get. Plus, I love the idea of at least providing my kid's Christian education at home.
Anyhow, I digress.....
I did alter her original recipe, since, let's face it, I don't have a family of 8! And this still made a ton!

Taco Soup:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced

1 cans beef broth
1 can Rotel (agian, I LOVE the mexican lime/cilantro one) undrained
1 can diced tomatoes undrained (or if you like it spicy, use 2 cans Rotel)
1 can corn undrained
1 can kidney beans (rinse/drain)
1 can pinto beans (rinse/drain)
1 small can black olives (rinse/drain)

cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper

1. Brown meat with onion and garlic; drain. sprinkle with a little cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
2. Dump meat and all other ingredients into a large pot OR Slow Cooker. Sprinkle in a little more cumin, chili powder if you want. (I wanted)
3. On Stove top--simmer until heated through. Slow Cooker--heat on low for 4-6 hours. (I did it this way).
4. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, broken up tortilla chips if desired (I desired)

This was so super easy.....and it turned out pretty yummy. Hubby and kids definitely gobbled it down. I'm still probably looking for just a little bit different recipe....so if you have a good taco soup recipe, please let me in on it!!!

Recipe time!

I tried out this recipe for "Zuchinni Souffle" for the first time this week. I gave the recipe a few needed improvements, and have changed the name to "Zuchinni Frittata".....since that's really what it is..... I served this for dinner with a spinach salad (spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, purple onion, red wine vinagrette), and the whole family (inculding the baby) had seconds. I think this would also be a great choice for a brunch entree.

Zuchinni Fritatta
2 good sized zuchinni squash--shredded
1 pototao--shredded or finely diced
1/2 cup mushrooms--diced
5 eggs
1/4 cup baking mix (like bisquit)
1 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used colby/jack mix)
baking spray
garlic powder
pepper
salt
fresh basil (optional)

1. Shred the zuchinni, put it into a collander and sprinkle with salt (approx. a tsp.). Leave it to sit (put the collander over a bowl!) for an hour. (i.e. do this earlier in the day). When you come back to it, squeeze/drain it a little more.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350, spray casserole dish well with baking spray
3. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and wisk together with garlic powder and pepper (about 1/8 tsp each), then stir in zuchinni, potato, mushroom, basil, baking mix, and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
4. Pour into casserole dish and sprinke top with remaining cheese.
5. Bake uncovered for 45 min-1 hour....its done when the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Grocery Co-op

Have you ever heard of a Grocery Co-op? So one of the cool mom's in our neighborhood does most of her grocery shopping through a local wholesaler. But the quantities can be a bit overwhelming for just one family. So, she decided to start a co-op so that several neighborhood families can split the orders, and everyone save $, gasoline, and time.
Well, as I've stated previously, I've never been a huge fan of bulk buying. I just can't handle huge quantities of food-- I save it for toilet paper and paper towels almost exclusively. But what appealed to me about this proposition is the idea of splitting a bulk order of something--i.e. benfit from the savings, without the overwhelming quantities. Well, that and the cool mom happens to live across the steet from me....and shopping with 2 toddlers has gotten a little old. It sounded way more fun to shop in said cool mom's kitchen. way more.

We all made lists, perused our options, discussed splitting items.....and the order was placed. Yesterday the kids and I pulled my daughter's red wagon across the street as our shopping cart(you just can't get much cooler than that!); and here's what I ended up with:
Boneless skinless Chicken breasts--a big bag full
Frozen Tilapia fillets-6 good sized ones
Ground beef--2 lbs (I froze it in 1 lb portions)
Deli turkey meat--2 lbs (I froze it in 0.5 lb portions)
Frozen multi-grain waffles--a big bag full
Zuchinni--2
onions-one yellow, one purple
brown rice-2 lbs
whole wheat penne pasta-1.5 lbs
a loaf of wheat bread
a good sized hunk of goat cheese
a dozen eggs
1 lb bag of fresh baby spinach
Grahm crackers--4 packets (eq. to 1 box from store)

So, I think for a first go at it, things went pretty well. Hopefully we can keep it up, and expand to include more moms....hint, hint :) (I'm already thinking peanut butter, almonds, string cheesesticks, veggie burgers) But, I'll have to see how this affects the grocery budget--help or hinder. I think ideally I could use this to buy my meat and staple/dry items (along with just a little fresh produce) each month, and then just buy fresh produce and milk, etc. at the store as needed. But we'll see!

I'm B....A....C....K!

Ok, sorry about that. Life just happens sometimes. I wish I could account for my time away with lots of interesting and intriguing occurences in my life. But unless you count playing hide and seek with a toddler who thinks I can't see her if she stands against a wall; or following around my kamikazi new walker baby in hopes of preventing serious bodily harm......I can't. I just had a lull; a stagnant state; a blog-o-aversion that necessitated a break. I may not be able to post as often as I used to....but I miss it, so I'm gonna see what I can do :)

In case you were wondering....here's what we are eating this week!
Saturday: Red Beans-n-rice, spinach salad with nectarines and goat cheese
Sunday: Zuchinni-cheese souffle, spinach salad
Monday: slow cooker chicken, green beans
Tuesday: Taco soup, tortilla chips + make extra to freeze!
Wednesday:Whole wheat penne pasta with tomato/white bean sauce
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: pizza & ice cream :)
Sautrday: Baked Tilapia w/ spinach & tomatoes
Sunday: Brown rice stuffed peppers

Well, didn't that feel good to get that out :)
I realize that almost no one may check back with me anymore, but just in case.....let me know if there is a specific recipe you want to see!

Taking a Break

Anyone out there wonder if I dropped off the face of the earth?

Anyone?

Well, fortunately, I haven't. I've just been busy, and admittedly, a little unmotivated to blog. It happens. So please excuse me while I take a short hiatus from this blog. You know how they say abscense makes the heart grow fonder? If you love it, let it go? blah, blah, blah.....
I'll be back soon!

p.s. I am still blogging on my other blog (can't let the baby book lapse too much and risk forgetting huge chunks of my kids' formative years :)

Bug-o-phobia

I don't know what the scientific name for it is, but I have it. bad. Yup, I am scared of bugs. Not just the ones that bite--all of 'em--with their creepy little legs and weird antenna. I know, I know, most people don't like bugs. But I feel like I may have a special sort of problem with them that some would say could benefit from medication. What medication, I have no idea. Just something. What could have caused this unreasonable fear? Well, let me tell you. These stories are not for the faint at heart. I am from the south, and so I grew up alongside these giant cockaroaches that some people call "water bugs". Note: the people that call them that do so to try to tame their own fear of them in my opinion; because that is way too nice a name for these disgusting creatures. I tried to look for a picture to include, but I get the heebie jeebies just looking at pictures. But I digress. So, I'm not going to tell you about the time I opened a cereral box and one flew out. Or the time I put on my robe and one crawled out of the sleeve. I cannot bear to relive the time I thought there were mosquitos buzzing around my head one night and I went to get my mommy, who flipped on the light and pulled back my covers to reveal 2 giant "waterbugs". If you are not from the south, please don't think I grew up in filth....these things are just an occasional part of life down there. Just know that they helped to instill the mortal fear in me. Fast forward to high school. A swimming party with a friend who was housesitting in a ritzy part of town and of course had to have her friends join her. I'm having a great time when all of a sudden I hear snickering behind me, and one of my best guy friends pulls out my 1 piece swim suit in the front, and drops a live june bug (small harmless beetle) down the front of it. The humanity! Needless to say, I may have slightly overreacted. Now fast forward to college. My second day. I stroll into my history class (this was a really small class--about 20 people) and sit down next to a cute guy of course. I start talking to him, when someone behind me says "Don't move, you have a GIANT bug on your shoulder." Ok, your're telling the wrong person not to move. I could see a sliver of it in my peripheral vision. I stood up, ran screaming down the hall to the bathroom. Ripped the shirt off my back, & threw it on the floor. It took me about 10 minutes to gather the courage to peek around under it to be sure the bug had not made it all the way to the bathroom with me. Needless to say, that broke the ice with all of my classmates. I'm sure they whispered "bug girl" behind my back. Now fast forward to yesterday. There's a knock on the door; it's the UPS man. I swing open the door and say hi, and this flies into my house:

At first I thought it was a bird. Then my daughter yells with delight, "It's a butterfly!" But I quickly realize that it's no butterfly, it's a GIANT moth. Literally as big as my hand (and yeah, no, that would NOT be my hand in the picture!) I know, I know, harmless. My heart started racing as I glanced with a plead for help at the UPS man. He just says, "wow." and heads back to his truck. Now, my husband has given me strict instruction that I am NOT to pass on my fear of bugs to the children. So I try to stay calm. I shakingly say--"yeah, its a butterfly" Too late. My daughter knows me too well and can see that something is very wrong and starts to cry. While I'm considering calling 911 or animal control, thankfully, my trusted feline, George springs into action; knocking over everything in his path trying to catch the yucky bug. As if in slow motion, he makes a leap for it, and it flies right for my head. I scream. I duck. and I open the door. & miracle of miracles, it flies out, and I shut the door. There is a God and he is so good to me. I gather my children around me, and assure them that everything is ok; Mr. "Butterfly" had to go home.

I started thinking about re-telling the story to my husband....the scolding look I would get over passing on the fear. I decided I needed damage control, quick. And so, one quick trip to Target later, my daughter is the proud owner of a set of photo insect flashcards. And although my heart was racing and my palms sweating, we sat down to look at & learn about all of the different bugs. We set about making 3 piles....1) Nice bugs (lady bugs, butterflies, dragonflies) 2)Bugs you should never touch (scorpions, bees, black widows) and 3) Bugs that are interesting (walking stick, praying mantis). Mission complete. She was really into it. Although, truth be told, she would only actually touch the cards with butterflies and ladybugs. The apple just never falls far from the tree. :)

Please tell me what irrational fear you have so that I may feel that I am not alone :)

Sopa de albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

Growing up, this was something my mom made us that we all loved. And of course, Grandma made it for my daughter and she LOVED it, so I had to learn to make it too :) I have to warn you that my mom is just like me--generally cooks without recipe; so please enjoy and take freedom with the vagueness; it's hard to mess this one up :)--photo credit to "chefDan" (I found the pic online)

Ground Beef (.75-1 lb)--basically, one normal sized package
Uncooked Long grain Rice--a handful (see note below on amount)
seasoning for meatballs (chilipowder, pepper, oregano--add what you think looks right)

Beef or Veggie Broth--enough for a good sized pot of soup (can always add water if needed)
1 can of either diced tomatoes (undrained) or rotel...I personally like to use 1 1/2 cans of the Rotel mexican lime/cilantro. But if you don't want it spicy at all, just use plain diced tomatoes.

diced carrots (maybe 1 cup), 1 diced potato, diced celery (maybe 1/2 cup) diced onion (maybe 1/2 cup)

Bring broth to boil in a large soup pot. Add tomatoes and veggies.

Meanwhile, to make meatballs, mix meat, seasonings, and rice in a large bowl. A med. handful of rice is ususally good. You want enough that it's mixed in; but not so much that it's falling out when you are making the meatballs. You can also add an egg white to this mixture to help the meatballs together, but it is not essential. Form the meatballs by rolling a bit of the mixture between your palms. (make them not too big but not too small) Once the broth is boiling, gently drop/place the meatballs into the soup. Reduce heat a little and simmer (gently stirring occasionally) the soup for at least 30 minutes; and veggies are nice and tender.

This is GREAT leftover and also freezes well.

Skinny Meat loaf

I know it's been awhile without a recipe. Here's a good one. I simplified this recipe from one of my favorite "light" cooking magazines, "Cooking Light." It's super quick to throw together, although it does need to bake for awhile. I serve it with mashed potatoes and my toddler asks for seconds....a great way to sneak in spinach!

1-1.25 lbs. Ground Turkey (I personally like Jenni-O "lean" as opposed to the "Extra lean" for this) note: I have also substitiuted lean ground beef and it is just as good--just not as "skinny"
1-2 good sized handfuls of fresh spinach chopped finely (or you can use 1/2 pkg. of thawed frozen/chopped spinach)
1 egg white
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup skim or reduced fat milk
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon each salt/pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce (or ketchup)

Pre-heat oven to 350
Combine ground turkey, spinach, egg white, breadcrumbs, milk Wrocestershire sauce and salt/pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
Shape meat mixture into a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Pour or brush tomato sauce evenly over the top.
Bake about 1 hour (I use a meat thermometer to make sure it registers >160). I also bake it on a cookie sheet b/c one time some juices bubbled over.
Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.

I give my toddler extra ketchup for dipping :)

Unplugged?

Ok, so I blew it. Big time. Nights #15, 16 were horrible failures. The culprit?
"Baby Borrowers." I know, I know....lame-o. But when my husbabd and I saw the trailer for it one night, we both giggled, so we decided to cheat and watch it. For the uninformed, the premise of the show is that it takes several teenage couples that think they are in love and ready to settle down and have kids, and let's them "borrow" a baby from a couple for a weekend to see what it's really like. (In hopes that they will change their minds and wait) Really, the show is too cheesey for words...with the obligate guy grossing out over a dirty diaper; and the babies crying and spitting up all over. My favorite part is when one teenage "dad" says to his girlfriend, "Just put IT in the other room--IT's gonna cry anyway!" Then the real mother of the baby comes in and rips him a new one. I also had to laugh because a few of the teenage couples got really easy babies, and in the end, they couldn't wait to have one of their own. Never mind the fact that they got to live in a nice house --and use NBC's money to buy food and baby gear--and got to give the baby back after a weekend--totally realistic, right? They are supposed to move on to letting them "borrow" toddlers....but I'm pretty sure we've had enough. We have re-committed to the unplugged process now. I even declared today a totally unplugged day (no TV all day for anyone). However, mommy does get computer time during naps :)

Menu Day!

Ugh....last week's schedule got a little off kilter. Add to that trying to change up my grocery day, and my meal planning has gotten a little off. Nevertheless, here's my aspirations:
Tuesday: Slow cooker chicken with green beans/rice
Wednesday: Skinny meatloaf, mashed potatoes
Thursday: Albondigas (mexican meatball soup)
Friday: Chicken & Sausage skillet gumbo
Saturday: Not cooking/leftovers
Sunday: Cheese Manicotti, salad
Monday: King Ranch Chicken casserole (slow cooker)
Tuesday: Rice and Bean Burritos

M.I.A.

Sorry I have been a bit M.I.A. on this blog :(

When craziness hits home, computer time is the first to go. What kind of craziness, you may wonder? Well, for starters, the holiday weekend. I love to stay busy with the kids; they stay happier, we stay more active, we have fun. But, alas, being party animals has taken it's toll. We are all tuckered out. My daughter, in her overtired state, has reverted to having exorcist-like temper tantrums. My son's thumb hasn't left his mouth in 24 hours. And my husband and I have been exhibiting zombie like behavior. Plus, we have been trying to make some progress on our bathroom re-model, which I will post about soon. I mean, soooo many people that have done a D.I.Y. bathroom re-model have commented that it took them a over a year....that they just closed the door and tried to forget about it. I have one friend that ripped out his bathroom to the studs after finding a tiny bit of mold behind a broken shower tile. But then he closed the door, and it has stayed closed for 3 years! 3 years. 3 years! I told him, at this point, he could just seal up the door, paint over it, and pretend the bathroom never existed. For the most part, when I hear a story like this, I tend to nod and smile, and think to myself , "slackers!" But I take it back--I promise. I can 100% see how that can happen. However, we did manage to make some serious progress yesterday thanks to the gracious grandparents that babysat for us for the day. Thankfully, my husband has now conceeded that from now on, we will leave any big jobs to contractors. He's a smart man.

Menu Day :)

Tuesday-- Simple Spaghetti
Wednesday--Roasted Chicken Thighs with Zuchinni and couscous
Thursday--Light Cobb Salad with honey mustard dressing
Friday--I'm not cookin' ;) or Steak with tomato/corn/avocado salad
Saturday--I'm not cookin ;)
Sunday--Angel hair pasta with bacon and peas
Monday--Slow cooker mushroom chicken, brown rice, green beans
Tuesday--homemade pizza with herbs

have a great 4th of July everyone!

More easy slow cooker stuff......

I know it's summer. I'm highly aware that it's over 100 outside. But I still have mad love for my slow cooker. I never used it much before I had kids. But now, anything to keep me from going insane during my "crunch time" from 4-6 pm.....(where I'm trying to get dinner ready, the baby fed, the kids bathed, and everyone is cranky.) is heaven sent. It literally takes 2 minutes in the morning to set up, and then dinner is done!

Here's a favorite.....Tex-mex slow cooker chicken
Place a few chicken breasts (I defrost them at least most of the way) in the slow cooker. Empty over them one can of rotel tomatoes (I like the Mexican/Cilantro-Lime version), 1 cup frozen corn kernels, one can of black beans (rinsed and drained). Put on low and cook for 8 hours.
I like to fork shred the chicken and serve this over my mexican rice topped with a bit of shredded cheese and sour cream; with tortilla chips on the side.

Smart Shopping

I'm definitely not an expert, but shopping for a family on a budget has taught me a thing or two. I love it when the cashier says....Thank you Mrs. Dobbins, you've saved $40 (or more!) with us today....and people turn their head like--"what?" My husband will make fun of my frugal ways, but truthfully, he is appreciative and grateful that I'm careful with our blessings. So here's a few of the things I do to keep the grocery budget in check......Let me know if you have other good tips!

1. Meal Plan--I talked about this before; but for me, this has been the single most important strategy in saving money at the grocery store. I have a plan and a list; I buy what we need; not what we don't need. We waste less; we eat healthier; and getting dinner on the table is way less stressful. Many people have commented that they can't believe I cook everynight. The thing is, I really don't. I mean, sometimes my meal plan is spaghetti with jarred sauce....it's not always fancy, but it's a plan. People also ask how long it takes to do this. My answer is 10 minutes--every Monday--that's it.

2. Use the Circular--The Circular is the advertisement flyer that you get in the mail everyweek announcing the weekly sales. Yup--the one that always goes straight to the recycle bin. Well, after weeks of meal planning and being disappointed that nothing I planned was on sale, I discovered that you CAN know ahead of time what's on sale. It's not hard....basically I look at 2 main things for sales--meat and produce; and then I plan my meals accordingly. For example, we have steak ONLY when it is on sale. I buy chicken breasts only when on sale (and sometimes stock up to get me by on weeks when its not). If greenbeans are on sale, but broccoli isn't--we have greenbeans; and wait until broccoli is on sale. Sales are generally for a week at a time; and its rotational--almost everything will be on sale once a month. I personally don't go CRAZY stocking up when stuff is on sale--because I have a habit of forgetting about stuff in my freezer; if I have a really light grocery week and there is a staple on sale, I will get an extra though.

3. Have a budget in mind--This is hard. It takes practice. I don't use a calculator or anything as I go, but I almost always end up within $5 of my budget. Some people only bring a set amount of cash with them, and won't go a penny over. I'm horrible at misplacing cash....so for me, if I accidentally go over one week, I take it out of the budget from somewhere else. But I think the point is, have a number in mind.

4. Buy Generic when you can--it took me awhile to figure out that for some items, the generic is just as good or sometimes better. Just try it. I used to ONLY buy brand name cereal until I moved here and cereral is almost $5 a box......then I forced myself to TRY a store brand.....and it was exactly the same. Admittedly, for some stuff, like yogurt or cheese for example, I have a favorite brand I stick with. But try to pick one or two items to switch and see what you think....

5. To "O" or not to "O"......O how I would love to feed my family all organic fruits and veggies and cereral and milk and snacks and meat.....I could go on. But when you are feeding a family, it can simply be cost-limiting. I try to be smart about it. Fruits and veggies that have peels/rinds are more protected--so I buy "regular". While I try to buy whole grain cereral type items, I don't generally feel I need to buy organic. I personally do try to buy organic milk these days....unless the cost is ridiculous. Look for sales on organic produce; with sales, it will sometimes end up being the same cost as "regular."

6. Use a "Price Point" for "Luxury Items" .....what I consider luxury groceries are wine, other special beverages, ice cream, convience items, a family member's "favorite" something, etc......stuff I don't always buy (but would if cost wasn't and issue); these items are different for everyone. If something like this is on the list, and the price is right--I buy. If not, I pass. BTW, I also use a "price point" for staple items that I always have on hand if I do need to stock up.

7. Be careful of Warehouse stores (i.e. Costco, Sams)....I don't try to grocery shop there......I would end up spending way too much on quantities WAY too big. I visit these places for a few select items--papertowels, toilet paper, cereal (we eat a TON of cereral). Don't get me wrong, I love shopping around in these places and eating all of the free samples! But these places can be serious budget busters, so I just have to be careful. So when I go, I always take a list and stick to it.

8. Coupons. Is it strange that my toddler was saying the word "coupon" when she was 1? Back in the day, I was really good about using them. If you can combine a coupon with an item already on sale, you can save big time. But I'm not a huge fan of coupons these days, because it is just too hard shopping with 2 kids and trying to shop with a tot and a baby (who is a serious coupon muncher). I sort of have it made, because my mom loves clipping coupons, and she saves ones I might use for me. I do have a coupon box that I collect them in. Especially for things like diapers, shampoo, toiletries.(which I don't buy at the grocery store) My general rule here is that I check and see if there is anything on my list that I have a coupon for.

9. Try not to buy Non-grocery items at the grocery store. Sometimes you just can't avoid it, but grocery stores generally have much higher prices on non-grocery items (diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.) than a store like Target or Wal-mart. So unless it's an emergency, I wait. (Since I almost always end up making a Target run once a week, this is no big deal for me)

Ok, that's all I can think of right now. Tell me what you do to save!

Menu Day

This week is "work around what is already in my freezer" week! I've got chicken breasts, pork chops and Salmon....

Tuesday: Thai Basil Beef stirfry
Wednesday: Chicken salad sandwiches, chips, fruit
Thursday: Pork Chops, brown rice, steamed asparagus
Friday: Grilled salmon, green beans, mashed potatoes
Saturday:Mom's night off :)
Sunday: Angel Hair pasta with tomatoes, capers and olives, salad
Monday: Slow cooker chicken with black beans, rice

Update on my "projects":
Unplugged nights #13--successful but unremarkable--more laundry, reading
Unplugged night #14--a miserable failure! I wasn't feeling great and "So you think you can dance?" lured me in. Hope to get back on track this week!
My Spaceship Resolution--so, I'm not doing great, but I'm doing better. the laundry hamper hasn't "exploded" in several weeks. I am doing a load every day; but I definitely still have stacks of clean clothes that don't get put away every night :(

Carnitas

Here's an easy slow cooker traditional Mexican meal that we always enjoy.
1 lb stew meat (or more if you want leftovers!)--
carrots (I use a handful of the peeled baby ones)
a potato--cut up into about 1 inch pieces
some onion (I use about 1/4 of a large one)-cut up into about 1 inch pieces
salt and pepper
a can of Rotel (I like the Mexican--Cilantro and Lime kind)

Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. I ususally turn it up to high for the last hour to be sure the veggies are nice and tender. Sometimes I'll shred the meat with a fork when its done; sometimes I won't.
Just before dinner time, I make some mexican rice (see previous post) and serve the carnitas over the rice. Last night I cut up an avocado and some grape tomatoes an mixed them up with a bit of lime juice and topped it with that. yummy. easy.

Learning Something New

We all have pangs of jealousy. I have long observed photos on different friends' blogs and coveted the professional look and artistic feel. (you know if I'm talking to you :) Photography is something I like to play around with. But when I'm in the moment, taking pictures of my kids; trying to capture that split second smile or expression --I don't have time to fiddle around with different settings, light, etc. We have a great camera with capabilities WAY beyond my knowledge. I hope to one day learn more about it. Maybe even take a class. But today during nap times, I decided to research some photo editing tricks online, so I can make the most out of the photos that I DO manage to get. I googled our image editing software and looked for a tutorial. I played around for awhile, and was excited to see that it's acutally not hard at all. Here's a few examples:

Before (BigDaddy and LittleMama):

After: (I like the sharper light contrast better)

(Before--LittleMama watering our bumper crop of fresh Basil)

After: (I always wondered how this was done!)

Another cool selective colorization photo....BigDaddy's hand and LittleMan's feet

I've always loved to learn new stuff. I may try to make it a goal to take one naptime a week to learn about something new :) What do you wish you could learn more about?

The truth about baking

Most people think that because I love to cook and talk about food way too much, that when I pull the dessert card for a potluck dinner, I will excitedly be flipping through favorite cookie recipes and pulling out my professional grade KitchenAid mixer. They could not be more wrong.
To say that I hate to bake would be an understatement. And it's not just that I hate it, I'm REALLY bad at it. I only wish I could justify a beautiful vintage pink KitchenAid mixer. I think they are sooooo cool. But the truth is, I deserve the $10 hand mixer that I own. I realize that I've been known to exaggerate...but I'm telling you, it's bad--real bad.

Case in point--Brownie fiascos #1 & #2.....ok, lesson learned. It wasn't just a fluke. When a baking recipe calls for vegetable oil, it means vegetable oil. For awhile I was on a kick of ONLY using olive oil; I didn't have any other kind in the house. However, Olive oil does NOT a good brownie make. Unless of course you like completely sticky/gooey/unable to cut and pick up brownies. Brownies that hover between a liquid and solid state. Don't make my mistake and try this with no back up right before you are supposed to be somewhere with a plate of brownies.

Case in point--Rice Crispy Treat Debacle....how do you possibly mess these up, you may be wondering? Well, let me tell you how. I was thinking as I was stirring the gooey melted marshmellows how very sticky it looked. I decided that I was going to spray an insane amount of cooking spray into the pan to offset the stickiness and make it easy to get them out (never minding the entire stick of butter mixed into the marshmellows). Let me tell you, these treats were greasier than the greasiest fast food french fries you've ever tasted. They went straight into the trash. It just occured to me this isn't even baking......very sad.

Case in Point--Not so Angel of an Angel Food Cake. They make a special pan to make Angel Food Cake for a reason. enough said.

Case in Point--Betty Crocker Nightmare. I followed the instructions on the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix to a tee. It only had 3 ingredients; did not require a mixer. I didn't try to make it better or more exciting. And yet, I still managed to mess it up. I still haven't determined the exact cause, but the cookies basically crumbled as I tried to take them off the baking sheets. I had a wonderful smelling plate of crumbs. A mix, ya'll, I messed up a mix.

There are many, many more cases of failure.

Ironic twist of fate and redemption--Recently we attended a company picnic for my husband's work. The ominous instructions were for every family to bring a pan of brownies for a "Brownie Bake-off". Fun, right? Maybe for a person with average baking skills. So rather than embarass myself by spending hours trying to make the perfect brownie (something I may have attempted in my pre-kid days), I found some brownie mix, followed the directions. Did not attempt to cut or plate the brownies. Just dropped off the non-descript pan on the table amidst the delectable looking treats other ladies had brought, and forgot about it. Much later, we were pushing the kids in the swings on the other side of the park, and I hear someone shouting at my husband and I. Something about brownies and come quick. Ugh....in that instant I wondered if it was possible to give someone food poisoning with brownies. As it turns out, my brownies had won 1st prize in the brownie bake off. 1st prize, ya'll. What???????
I accepted my award with dignity. I mean, a bunch of engineers surely know what they are talking about, right? I did give credit to the Ghiradelli Turtle brownie mix that had been hiding in my cabinet for about 6 months. It was fate. I was born to bake. Maybe I should invest in that beautiful KitchenAid Mixer....did I mention I LOVE the vintage pink one?

Um, yeah, no, that was a fluke.

My latest baking venture was another fiasco. Peanut Butter sandwich cookies. They looked divine in the magazine photo. Not so divine in person. Again, I followed the recipe (because I've learned my lesson), and yet, the cookies were soooooo fragile, I only managed to save 10 that were presentable to bring anywhere.

And so, I beg you, please don't ask me to bake. Don't be insulted when I don't ask for your amazing cookie recipes. I love to cook. I HATE to bake. (except maybe during my 3rd trimester of my pregnancies, where suddenly I had to the urge to bake daily). Yes, I'm sure I will bake cookies with my daughter one day. And yes, I will accpet it when at 5 she can bake better than me. And yes.....I may try to pass her cookies off as my own :)