The Royal Wedding

Well... I was one of those who woke up at 4am to watch the coverage of the Royal Wedding this morning.  I had the DVR recording it on NBC and I watched it live on BBC America.  I have to say that BBC America had the best coverage.  I was turned off by NBC when I saw The Kiss Countdown.  Give me a break.  Leave it to American TV to cheapen the event.


I thought the ceremony was lovely and Kate was a classic, beautiful bride.  There are no words for Princes William and Harry.  Well, maybe, Yummy!  I always enjoy seeing the Royal Family and am so impressed with The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.  I heard the she is in her mid 80's and he is 90!  I can only hope I can walk unassisted when Im that age.  Heck, I hope I live to be their age!  WOW!


The whole event was fantastic but I have to say that it was My Elizabeth that made my day.  She got to sleep in so when she woke up we watched the Prince and Princess get married.  I told her it was like Cinderella and she was hooked!  We had a lot of fun commenting on all of the beautiful hats the ladies wore but we cracked up at a few of the CRAZY ones.  What were they thinking and don't they have an honest friend that can tell them they look crazy?  I guess not!  But the best part was when Elizabeth was watching Kate walk down the long aisle with her father and I heard Elizabeth sniffle fake tears.  I gave her a tissue and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes and said " The Princess makes me cry".  How cute is that?  My 5 year old cries at weddings too!


After that her patience was wearing thin so she found something to color and looked up for the vows and Kate receiving her ring.  I could see her taking it all in.  Then when Kate and Wills rode the carriage bake to Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth said "I wish I could get married".   So I gave her the lecture about finding the right man when she said  "No!  Like the kids there!"  So She wanted to be one of the Bridesmaids in their fancy dresses!  That made me laugh since marriage has been on her mind for a long while now.  She is in Pre-School and she and her friend Brian got married in the play yard a couple of months ago.  They are obviously best friends but I freaked when Elizabeth mentioned something about Brian kissing her.  My eyes wide I asked "Where did he kiss you?  On the cheek?"  NO!  On the forehead?  NO!  On the Lips?  NO!  Oh Man, this is where I start sweating.  "So I ask, Where does Brian kiss you?"  and with a dahhaa Mom attitude she said "On the feet!"  I cracked up and told her "Good Girl!  You be sure to marry any man who will kiss your feet!"


This is my Elizabeth!  She is the best!  This is a morning I will never forget.

Tim's Strawberry, Banana, Pineapple Smoothie

Again, at Tim’s request I’m adding this to the blog.  He’s always loved the smoothies I make for him and I mix it up!!  Rarely are they the same.  The important thing is to use fresh fruit or frozen if you have to.  Smoothies, in my opinion are something you can’t kill.  Use the fruit you have on hand and have fun finding what you like.

1 Big Handful of Strawberries

1 Banana

1/2-1 C Pineapple

1 (6oz) Container Yogurt. I use Original Yoplait in any fruity flavor but peach.  Sorry Georgia, we’re not into peach yogurt

1 yogurt container of water

2-3 T Honey

Add all ingredients to the blender and puree’.  Feel free to add ice cubes too.

My KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I really could kick myself.  I’ve had my mixer for at least 10 years.  But I think I’ve used it more in the last month than I have in the entire time I’ve had it.  What an idiot I am.  This mixer is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  

The reason I haven’t used it much is that it’s been put away most of the time.  It was kind of an out of site out of mind situation.  Tim is active Army so we move quite a bit.  We live on Army installations, which I like very much but the homes are small and the kitchens and counter space are always minimal.  So, I’d store my beloved mixer on a shelf in the pantry.  These mixers are not some cheap, lightweight thing.  They are heavy and made to last for a long time.  So, I usually opted for my hand mixer instead hauling it out for the job.  Oh the horror.

Using this mixer makes cooking so easy.  You don’t have to hold it in place.  You turn it on and let it do its thing.  In the last month I’ve used every attachment it came with when I bought it.  The whip makes the best mashed potatoes!  Make them with sour cream and cream cheese.  Oh Man!  You wont be sorry.   I’ll post a pic and recipe for them the next time I make them.

You may notice that in time you will see more bread recipes posted here.  I hope I don’t offend the makers of bread machines, but I want to learn to make bread without it. If for no other reason then I need the counter space.  But voila!  my stand mixer has a dough hook too!  Making bread is an art, I know.  And one day I’d like to be an artist of fine homemade bread.  It will be a long process but I can’t wait to continue the lessons.

I checked out the KitchenAid website and found more accessories I can’t wait to try.  Maybe for mother’s Day I will ask for the Ice Cream Maker and then ask for the Grater and Slicer attachment for my Birthday.  Hmmm... check that.  I think I’ll ask for the Pasta Maker attachment.  I’ll make Tim and Elizabeth homemade spaghetti!  I’m really getting excited!

Now that I’m on my new cooking adventure, I’ve given my KitchenAid stand mixer a prominent place on my kitchen counter.   Right where it belongs.

The Big Cookie

I tell ya, there is nothing special about this recipe.  It's found on the back of the bag of Nestle' Milk Chocolate Chips.  But... at Tim's request I'm adding it to the recipe collection.  Yup!  It's one of his favorites.  Next, he'll have me making Blue Berry Muffins so they can be added as well.  I love that guy!  


Anyway, I love this way of baking because it's together and in the oven quickly and I don't have 2-3 cookie sheets and batches of cookies to deal with.  Easy Peasy!


2 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 C (2 sticks) Butter
3/4 C Granulated Sugar
3/4 C Packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 (11.5oz) Bag of Milk Chocolate Chips


Pre-Heat Oven to 375 degrees


Combine flour, baking powder, salt in a small bowl.
Cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  Then add the vanilla and combine well.  Gradually add the flour mixture then stir in the chocolate chips. 
Pour batter into pie plate that was sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  I use a 9in stoneware pie plate.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.


Cool completly before slicing.  Enjoy!


Family Rating: 10!!!!  

CrockPot Ham

I decided to try something new this year and cook our Easter Ham in the CrockPot.  Tim and Elizabeth wanted their favorite Buttery Rolls with dinner so I needed the oven.  I didn't do anything really special but we all thought it was just exceptional and I've been ordered never to bake the ham again!  The Ham was delicious and literally fell apart and melted in your mouth.  I didn't want Tim to take this picture because it is such a mess on the plate but he insisted.  The fact that it's blurry certainly doesn't help.  But it is what it is.


1 8lb Pre-Cooked Ham with glaze packet
3 Cups Apple Juice


I removed the ham from the packaging and the little plastic disc from the bone then placed the ham in the CrockPot cut side down.  I prepared the glaze as directed and poured it over the ham.  Then I added about 3 cups of apple juice to the CrockPot.  I did not pour it over the ham.  I didn't want to wash away the glaze flavors.  I could have added more cloves and ginger and maybe some orange peel but I didn't want to go too bold with flavors since I wasn't sure how Elizabeth would take it.  Ham is her favorite and I didn't want it kill it for her.


The next challenge was that the ham was too big for my 7qt CrockPot so I used tin foil.  I tented the foil, sealed it tight to the edges and cut a small hole in the foil to vent a little.  I probably broke a dozen safety rules but it's too late now.  Ooops!


I set the CrockPot to Low and let it go for 5-6 hours.


Family Rating: 10 and High Five!!!!

Homemade Bisquick

So I was getting my things together to make my Crustless Quiche and realized I didn't have Bisquick.  Since I'm working hard not to buy any pre-packaged food I checked the Bisquick website and saw it's list of ingredients.  Hmmmm  I had all that I really needed already in my cupboard.  So then I did a few searches for recipes and found a few variations.  From those I came up with the following recipe.  I used it for the first time in the quiche and it worked fabulously!!  I was amazed at how easily it went together.  I had extra that I put into a Tupperware container, of course, and I dated the label since it'll keep for 4 months in the fridge.  I think I'm more excited about this recipe/experiment than anything else I've done this week!  One less box for recycling!


Some may not have or like the idea of using shortening like Crisco due to the trans fats but I didn't really give it a second thought since we don't eat a lot of junk food that would have a lot of trans fats in it.   I think I may play with the recipe later to include whole wheat flour instead of white.  I'm all about healthy baby steps!


3 C Flour
1 1/2 T Baking Powder
1/2 T Salt
1/2 C Shortening


In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  I don't have a sifter so I whisked these ingredients together really well.  Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, forks or even your finger tips.  It took no time at all with the pastry blender.


Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 months.


Family Rating:  Tim and Elizabeth could care less but I LOVED this!  10!!  10!!  10!!

Split Pea Soup

Now I know that Split Pea Soup is an acquired taste, just the thought can send some into shivers.  But I've been making this for Tim since we've been married and it never fails.  I always make it after a fancy ham dinner since I have the bone to make the broth.  When he knows ham is on the menu he gets excited about the soup he knows is coming.   Please forgive the picture.  I am not sure anyone can make Split Pea Soup look good!

It was finished tonight so I gave Tim a small sampling before dinner. Not only did he give it a thumbs up but Elizabeth did too!  High Five!  I almost cried!

1 bag of dried peas

1 onion

4-5 diced carrots  (we love carrots here so I load it up)

2 C diced ham

Broth made from ham bone and trimmings

In a large pot, cover ham bone and trimmings with water and bring to a boil.  Water should be about 3 inches above the bones.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.  I sometimes let it go for longer.  

Remove the bone and the bits and chill the broth in the fridge.  When the fat solidifies trim it off.   

Rinse the peas and clean out any foreign substances.  Sometimes you might find a small stone.  Be sure to read the package for additional rinsing instructions. Sometimes the bag of peas include a packet of Ham Flavoring.  I only make this soup with homemade broth so I toss this packet of unknown ingredients in the trash.

Bring the broth back to a boil and add onion, ham, carrots and the rinsed peas.  When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or so, stirring often.  The soup gets thick so contents tend to settle and can scorch.  The soup is done when the carrots are tender and the peas have all broken up.  Tim likes it thick but feel free to add water to make it the consistency you like.


Family Rating: 10!! 10!! 10!!  It wasn't pretty on the serving plate but boy was it delish!

Crustless Quiche

A dear friend of mine gave me this recipe.  Thank You Apryl.  She gave me a vegetarian version and I hammed it up!  This has been a favorite of mine since I’ve been making it.    Not only do I love it but this is something I would take to MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) meetings and it was a huge hit there too.  I’d always be asked to share the recipe.  These are great recommendations for this quiche but... Elizabeth has ALWAYS liked it.  How great is that when a toddler eats something that has almost all of the food groups in it??  AND... it has zucchini and spinach in it which are 2 veggies I can’t get her to normally eat.  Oh Yeah!

OK, so I don’t have Bisquick and in my new efforts to use little or no pre-packaged food I’m not going to buy any.  I checked out the label of ingredients and I searched on-line and I think It’ll be easy to make myself.  I’m going to try it for the first time in this recipe.  I may make a lot and try it in pancakes this weekend too.

This quiche is pretty dense and packed with veggies so tonight I’ll serve it with fresh grapes and strawberries. 

1 M Zucchini, peeled and grated

1 package of Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained

2 C Swiss Cheese, grated

2 C Ham, cubed/diced

5 Eggs lightly beaten

1/4 C Vegetable Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 C Bisquick  or homemade version

In an large mixing bowl whisk eggs and oil together.  Then add all the remaining ingredients and combine well with a spoon.  Pour into a 9in pie plate or quiche pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the pan.   The top will be golden and the center firm and not jiggly.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing.


Family Rating: 10+  This is just yummy!

Kitty Digestion

My saga with Ellie and her digestive tract continue.  I honesty think her puking is due to her eating strange junk.  I found an unpleasant surprise this morning after 4 days free of messy clean up.  I know this will be TMI but it had an inch and 1/2 piece of plastic in it!!  I think it was from something we opened on Easter Sunday.  Good Grief Charley Brown!


I changed her diet to a more meaty one, and more expensive and I think she likes it but it's taking her a while to get used to it.  This time the grossness comes out of the other end.  Will this kitty drama never end?


There are a couple clean up tips I have though.  If you have carpet look for the Bissell Spot Bot.  You put it on the spot turn it on and leave it to do it's job!  It's been a life saver for us.  The other thing is Baby Wipes.  I don't know what's in them but they do a great job on little stains of any kind.  They even worked getting out Strawberry Banana V8 juice from our ottoman.  They're not just for babies anymore!!!

The Egg and I

The day after Easter is a busy day for me.  I begin making Tim's split pea soup by boiling the ham bone, excess fat and ham bits.  When it's done I chill it to raise the fat so I can skim it off before actually making the soup.  


While that's going I peel the Easter Eggs to make egg salad and deviled eggs.  Eggs are my friend.  I will eat them almost any way they are served.  Elizabeth even loves scrambled eggs.  Thank God!  So, obviously eggs are a loved piece of our diet.  This might make some of you cringe.  I know that the latest trend is to ditch the yolks.  I say PiShaa!  If you cook them without the yolk why bother?  I see egg white omelets on menus and I get the shivers.  Now this is just my opinion so don't make nasty comments but I think I'd rather eat fewer whole eggs than a daily egg white.  I have guilt if I have to throw out a yolk.  Don't worry, I know it's the yolk that holds all the cholesterol.   But I'm sure tomorrow there will be more research to prove that there is something in the egg whites that will kill us too.  If you try hard enough you can gather research to prove anything.  Is it just me or are we supposed to be afraid of whole food?  The best doctors and nutritionists will tell you to eat a healthy diet consisting of a wide variety of whole foods including plenty of fruits and vegetables.  A healthy diet accompanied with adequate exercise is what's best.  I won't buy packaged egg whites like Egg Beaters any longer.  You pour it out of the container and it's Yellow!  I wasn't born yesterday, I know egg whites aren't yellow.  So, while they say that the product is 99% egg whites the other 1% is food coloring and thickeners.  Oh, man!  Just give me a yummy egg once in a while.  I haven't seen a doctor on TV or on the internet yet that tells us to eat artificial colors, flavors or thickeners.  Americans are so quick to jump on a bandwagon.  I don't care what the bandwagon is but we're always willing to jump on board.  But not me.  I want my eggs please!

Happy Easter!!

I hope you all have enjoyed your Easter holiday as much as I have.  Of course the highlight was seeing Elizabeth get so excited seeing her Easter basket for the first time.    We didn’t wait to get her all dolled up either.  The picture will be a blackmail photo for sure!  As you can see SCOUT was a big hit.  He was a gift from Aunt Lori, Uncle Vic and Lexi.  Elizabeth already has the Violet version.  She ended up tying a fancy hair tie that had flowing ribbons from it around Violet's ears.  I guess that was her veil!!  Too funny.  She took Violet and Scout upstairs so they can get married. Marriage has been big on her mind lately.  The Easter Bunny brought her the Barbie and Ken wedding set.  That was unwrapped within minutes!  She is too funny!

After our Easter Egg hunt we kind of vegged out and watched an interesting video about Pixar.  I can't believe I sat there teary eyed.  I cry about everything!  But I sat there and saw how they created these movies and they are part of our family.  I think we own all of them and we all love them so much we can watch them over and over again.  And then I thought about how creative and fun they all are at Pixar.  I wish I had a tsp of their drive and talent.  Good Lord, of course I have to use a cooking term there.  I'm hopeless.
Anyway....after that we scrambled to get ourselves ready and we headed out to do some geocaching.  If you don't know about geocaching look it up.  When I can figure out how to add a link to their site I will.  But here it goes...  We call it a Treasure Hunt.  People hide caches all over the world and post the GPS coordinates of the cache on the geocaching website.  People can search for caches in their area and use a GPS or an APP on their phone to find them.  We try to do this when we can and everywhere we go.  We've found caches in Washington, Colorado, Mt. Rushmore and so many other places we've traveled to.  It is a lot of fun and can take you off the beaten path.  We have so much fun exploring new and beautiful places.  Well, we didn’t have much luck today.  We found 1 of 4.  We even ran into a couple of other geocachers and they weren’t having much luck either.  But the important thing is that we enjoyed time as a family.  We never have problems doing that.  It was a lovely afternoon.

We got home a little late so I hurried to get the dinner rolls going in the bread maker.  Yup, dinner was a little late today but we didn’t mind.  The rolls are worth the wait.

This year I made our ham in the CrockPot.  I’m making a 8 1/4 lb ham this year.  Typical me, I found out that it didn’t fit in my largest CrockPot.  I think I broke several safety rules and ended up covering it with aluminum foil.  My ham came with a glaze packet so I made that as directed and poured it over the ham then added a couple cups of apple juice.  It cooked on low about 6 hours.  When we got home after geocaching the house smelled terrific and the ham was cooking nicely.

Tonight I also made my Grandma Sue’s Parsley Potatoes.  It’s always been a family favorite and now Tim won’t eat ham dinner without them.  Thanks Grandma Sue!

We also had green beans with dinner and The Big Cookie for dessert.  I'm not going to add the recipe here because it's the recipe on the bag of Milk Chocolate Chips I used.  I just made it in a big quiche dish.  Tim loves this recipe because it's soft in the center the way he likes it and I like the crunchier edges.  I love this recipe because it's so easy to throw together since I don't have to dirty 2-3 cookie sheets or take the time for several batches of cookies.


The whole meal was a big hit and even Elizabeth had seconds of everything!  Hooray!!!  And now the cook is beat and ready to kick back and have a cup of tea and go to bed! OH, I may have to watch Celebrity Apprentice before I go upstairs!  

Grandma Sue's Parsley Potatoes

This is grandma's recipe and I made sure the dish was served in her "Blue Bowl"  According to Grandma Sue, it was sent from the UK by her mother in a brown paper bag!  I love that it's now mine and I love using it but it scares the crap out of me too.  I'm always scared I'm going to drop it in the sink and breaking it.  If that ever happened I think I would need a sedative.  When we move I always pull it aside and make sure the packers take extra special care with it.  I have no problem telling them that I will come for them if it's broken when it arrives!  


I hope you like these potatoes.  They are as plain as plain can be but are just soooo good with ham.  Oh and the leftovers???  I mash them up and brown them in a little butter in a fry pan.  I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!

4-5 large red potatoes

3 T butter

4 T flour

4 C milk

3 T+ Parsley Flakes

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into chunks and cook them in boiling water.  They will cook quickly so start the sauce right away.

While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Whisk in four and make a roux.  Add milk one cup at a time, whisking constantly.  As it thickens add more milk.  When it's as thick as you like it, add the parsley and black pepper.  I like the consistency to be like a thick gravy, not thin and runny.

Drain potatoes and put back in their pot then pour the prepared sauce over the top.

Family Rating: 10

This is not a fancy dish by any means.  I don't put salt in it because I figure there is enough salt in the ham.  The perfect bite is when the ham and potatoes are eaten together!  delish!!!  

Buttery Rolls

1 C Warm Milk

1/2 C Butter, room temp

1/4 C Sugar

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

4 C Bread Flour

2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast

I’ve been making these rolls for a while now and I think I’ve finally found the best version.

My house is usually on the cool side so I warm my bread machine pan in the oven for a few minutes.  

Then in a 2 qt measuring cup I warm the milk then add the sugar and yeast.  I stir it well to dissolve the sugar then pour it in the warm bread machine pan to proof for 10 minutes.

Then I add the butter a tablespoon at a time, then the beaten eggs, then the flour, then the salt.

I set the bread machine to the dough cycle and let it do it’s thing.  When it’s done I pour out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a rectangle the size of the pan I’m using.  I use a 9X13.  Spray the pan with non stick cooking spray first.  I use a biscuit cutter to cut the dough and place them in the pan.  Then I cover the pan and let it rise again until it’s doubled in size.  This usually takes 40 minutes or so.  

When risen I brush them with an egg wash.  You could also use some melted butter.  Then I sprinkle some coarse salt on top.

Place them in a 375 degree oven for about 15-17 minutes.  The tops will be nicely browned when done.

Family Rating: 10

This is the first time I proofed the yeast and it made all the difference.  They came our light and fluffy.  My daughter had 3 of them!

Mexican Night

I survived the first day of Spring Break because we had errands to do.  The Costco and Walmart runs for Easter dinner had to be made.  We always get our ham at Costco.  We and all of our friends that we've served their ham to all agree, theirs is the best.  We bought a pretty big one since I have plans for the leftovers!

When we got home I had a few things to chop and shred for Mexican night!  I decided to make homemade guacamole so I bought a bag of avocados at Costco.  When will I learn to plan a day or so ahead when avocados are involved?  So they were a little hard still for the guac but I used them anyway.  What I did was put it all in my Tupperware Quick Chef.

I have to tell you, this is one of my favorites pieces of Tupperware.  It's definitely on my MUST HAVE list.  See...I hate chopping and dicing.  When something has to be diced it turns out more like a chop.  If it's onions forget about it!  Since I'm crying, my eyes are closed so I have no idea how it's turning out.  The funny thing is I have a beautiful Cuisinart food processor but my kitchen has little counter or cupboard space so it's still packed away.  But the Quick Chef is small.  All of it's accessories fit inside of it so it takes up so little room.  After a few quick turns of the handle I'm done!  I keep mine handy because I use it all the time!  I will add the link to my Tupperware site soon so you can take a look at it.

Now back to Mexican night.  Everything came out great.  I marinated the flank steak overnight and it cooked in my CrockPot all day.  The meat just broke apart and shredded easily for tacos and burritos.  Elizabeth even liked it.  She loves making her own beef and cheese burritos.  The guacamole came out pretty good.  I just kind of fudged the recipe because I didn't think it could be goofed up.  It wasn't mooshy like it should have been but next time it will be since the remaining avocados are ripening in my fruit bowl.  The recipe made plenty and we have enough for leftovers at lunch.  I think I'll give Tim a tomato stuffed with the guac and also a big burrito since I have plenty of the other diced veggies too.  It all sounds good to me.

At the last minute last night I decided to make a pineapple upside-down cake.  I cheated and made it in the microwave.  By the time we were done with dinner the cake was ready.  We were a little impatient so we were eating it still warm.  It was delish!

Tonight is a gym night so I'm off the hook for dinner.  Hooray for CrockPot Pasta leftovers!!

Planning

Well, another successful workout at the gym last night.  I was not at all motivated to go but an Easter box from Grandma Irene arrived today and I ate too much candy.  I’m just glad that I didn’t have anyone on the treadmill next to me.  I can’t help it.  I always look at the people next to me and compare our treadmill settings.  One time I had a women who must have been in her late 60’s and she was smokin’ me!  You’d think that would be motivating, aahhh NO!  It made me feel like a loser!    

Monday, Wednesday and Friday are gym nights where we all go as a family.  These are the nights that we eat dinner when we get home.  It’s always after 8pm so I have to have something in the CrockPot waiting.  The trick is finding more of a variety to make in the crock.  It’s another challenge but we’re making it work.

I’m still trying to keep us on budget but sometimes I feel like it’s a fruitless task.  This morning I tried to be more organized and created a menu for the rest of the month.  It’s nice having a plan.  I’m really excited to start making things from scratch but now I’m on the search for more ideas.  I can’t wait for leftover Easter ham.  I’ll be making crustless quiche and split pea soup, two of my favorites.  I’ll post the quiche recipe soon.  Make it! You won’t regret it and kids seem to really like it.  It goes together easily and it’s got zucchini and spinach in it.  These are 2 veggies that I can’t get Elizabeth to eat so I love sneaking them in.  She’s enjoyed this recipe for a long time.  I can remember her as a little one in her highchair eating the little squares I gave her.  I find it odd that she doesn’t mind the green of the spinach.  She usually goes nutso if she finds a fleck of anything on her plate. 

Tonight it’s Mexican night.  Last night I marinated a flank steak and right now it’s in the CrockPot over a bed of onions.  I used a packet of fajita mix as a marinade but next time I’ll make my own seasoning mix.  I still have some packaged and jarred food and I don’t want to waste it so I’ll use it but not buy it again.  When it’s gone, it’s gone and I’ll make my own from then on out.  

Today I will be on the lookout for avocados.  I think Tim would like fresh guacamole.  We have a favorite restaurant in Phoenix, Los Sombreros, and they have the absolutely BEST guacamole.  I wonder if I can even come close to recreating it?  I better do some research and compare recipes again.  I will let you know what I find out.

A New Challenge

Today was such a funny day for me.  We had to meet Elizabeth’s Pre-School teacher for her 3rd quarter report card.  I keep thinking “It’s Pre-School!”  It’s not that I don’t have expectations for Elizabeth’s learning or education but she is only in school 2.5 hours a day.  But as soon as Tim and I sat with her teacher my doubts left me and I see that our little girl is at the top of her class and more than ready for Kindergarten.  I knew this already but the validation from her teacher is nice to hear.  Tim and I laughed when the teacher had to come up with extra projects for us and then we had to burst her bubble to tell her that we’re already working on things like addition and subtraction, penmanship and story writing and comprehension.  All she could say was keep doing what we’re doing.  Ahhh, a successful meeting!

I can’t wait for Kindergarten.  I’ll have my camera ready.  But I’m still trying to figure out what I’ll do with my extra time.  At the moment I think I’ll be turning up my Tupperware sales and maybe volunteer at school.  I will probably focus on earning some extra moola.  It sure would be nice!

So, after my successful CrockPot pasta dinner last night I began thinking about what other kinds of recipes I can share with you.  I am a stay at home mom who’s real passion is in the kitchen.  Wow, saying it like that makes me sound like a real whiz.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I have all the do dads and gadgets in my kitchen but rarely use them.  I think I’ve just been a tinkerer in the kitchen.  Well, I think that is all about to change.

Yesterday I talked to my sister in-law and we got on the topic of food colors, dyes and preservatives that are used in so many popular products.  These products are so tempting for our kids because they look enticing and are usually easy to hand out as a quick meal or snack.  As it stands, I don’t use too many boxed or processed foods but I think I can do better.  I’m home all day.  I have no excuses.  I should be able to prepare homemade meals, deserts and snacks that use fresh ingredients and much less processed garbage.

This could be a challenge.  I am not a health nut but I think I’d like to be a little health nut.  Maybe I could be a health nut in training.  This switch is going to take time since it will take baby steps and lots of trial and error.  As much as I love cooking for my family, they can really drive me crazy.  Tim will tell you he’s not picky and will eat anything.  That’s until you want details.  Nope! He won’t look at eggplant and will only eat eggs if they are deviled.  He likes sea food but not fish.  What he really means is that he will only eat shell fish.  I call him the pickiest non picky eater in the world.  Then there is my daughter who just eats like a bird.  Elizabeth is 5 and is doing a pretty good job lately experimenting with new foods.  She is young so her tastes are changing all the time.  But I give her props for at least trying.  If I can keep ham, cheese, broccoli and croissants or rolls handy I’m good in an emergency.

So with all of this in mind I want to start thinking about making something new everyday or so, depending on our schedule.  I want it has to be from scratch with no artificial colors or preservatives.  I haven’t looked on labels lately but I may have to make exceptions for things like condiments.  In any case, I will try to keep it to a minimum.

Also, I doubt these will be fancy meals that will win any awards.  I make real uncomplicated food.  No way can I search for fancy ingredients.  I don’t have a Whole Foods or Wild Oats Market in my area.  If I can’t find what I need at the commissary or Wal-Mart, It Ain’t In There.  

I hope this will be fun for everyone.  I started today with Sweet Potato Croissants.  Elizabeth loves croissants and sweet potatoes so I’m going to try this and see how it goes.  I did some research and found a couple of recipes on line and in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks.  I compared all 3 recipes and came up with what I think should work out well.  

I have created a recipes tab at the top of my blog.  I am hoping that in time there will be a wide variety of recipes and the tab will make it easier to browse through them all without having to search through my blog.  Feel free to make comments and any recipes you’d like me to try.