It's Recipe Time!

I know I haven't written in a long time, but now that January is almost here, hopefully I can get caught up :)

Here are some of my favorite recipes, if you are in the cooking mood.

Savory Breakfast Casserole
By Sunny Moore

1lb sausage, cooked
sliced bread
1pkg taco seasoning
6 eggs
2 c milk
salt to taste
½ tsp dry mustard
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In blender mix eggs, taco seasoning, milk, salt and mustard.
3. Lay bread in sprayed 9x13 casserole dish. Layer sausage, cheese, then egg mixture.
4. Bake 350 for 40 min.

This can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Bake the next morning.

Monkey Bread
We have this instead of Cinnimon rolls for Christmas morning.   They are delicious and EASY.  Although Cinnamon rolls are nice once in a while.  However, one year we made cinnamon rolls and as Santa was handing out the gifts, the cinnamon rolls began to burn in the oven causing the smoke alarm to go off  in the middle of the night!  Surprisingly no one woke up.

We have also done different versions of this due to needs at the time.  This year, we couldn't get our hands on butterscotch pudding, so we used vanilla.  We've also substituted instant and it turned out fine.  This can be made with or without nuts and I think raisins would be divine!  Use your imagination!

MONKEY BREAD - BEST EVER


24 Frozen Rhodes Rolls (dinner rolls)

1 cup brown sugar

1 box butterscotch cook & serve dry pudding mix not instant

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, (not margarine)

pecans or walnuts, chopped, optional

Right before going to bed, or 10 pm, sprinkle pecans or walnuts into a greased Bunt pan, (I use Pam cooking spray), then put 24 frozen Rhodes Rolls into pan. Mix brown sugar and dry pudding mix together and sprinkle over frozen rolls. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of that.

Melt butter and slowly pour over rolls in Bunt pan, trying to cover all of the sugar. Leave on counter overnight and when you get up, the rolls should have risen nicely and you will put Bunt pan on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350̊F oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour rolls upside down onto a large platter. Serve warm.

These are extremely easy to make and very delicious. And your house will smell wonderful... These are a family favorite.

Baked With LOVE

The other day I was talking with the Buska's about cooking and baking. They love to bake. They love to eat. I love to bake. I love to eat--which is why I've been on a health kick (ie diet) for the past year.

Ken told me that he doesn't like Sarah's food when she cooks in anger. "When she doesn't put love into it," he says while looking sideways, smiling at her, "it tastes really bad."

Then he motions Sarah asking if they can have pizza for dinner and Ken tells her "No."

"FINE!" Ken mimics Sarah as he starts flinging his hands as though he is throwing random items into a bowl. "I'll cook dinner then!" He continues filling the bowl with imaginary fowl tasting items.

We all had a good chuckle about that.

I took a big risk and asked Ken how he liked my cooking.

"Oh, you're an excellent cook!" Gratefully, he tells me.

I'm not bad, but I have had my moments of "cooking without love."

Well, today was just one of those days.

At the end of my kid's soccer game, the coach's husband came up and asked a fellow soccer mom if I were her MOTHER!!!

I wanted to scream "I AM IF I GAVE BIRTH AT AGE SEVEN!!!"

The sad part is that I had just gone home at halftime and coiffed and sprayed and smoothed my hair. Wow. Must be time for a make over.

When I got home, I stood in front of my husband, who was watching a movie. I was waiting until he looked at my face and noticed the sad look on it. I was expecting him to open his arms and ask sweetly what was the matter. Instead, he looked at me, got a very guilty look on his face, and turned around and ran to the bedroom to change into some yard work clothes. I have no idea why he did this, but I had to chase him down and TELL HIM with WORDS that I was sad because someone said I looked like my friend's mother.

He felt bad for me, but not as bad as I felt for me.

"My ego can't take things like this." I moaned to him while scrutinizing my slumping shoulders and creased forehead in the bathroom mirror. He shook his head and hurried outside to take down the tent in the backyard that the kids have been killing the grass--uh, I mean, camping in all week long.

Later, James and the girls were watching Beastly. I couldn't bear to watch with them--the irony of it all!

So . . . I decided to bake.

In anger.

And in depression.

I thought of things I could do to that rude man and his manly parts with my serrated blade as I washed and dried it and put it away.

Then, I baked.

I baked Cherry Almond Bars and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (because they are my favorites), and a grand finale Cherry Pie with a homemade tender, flaky crust.

I thought about what Ken said earlier about baking with love and how extraordinary these items would be . . . if only I would bake them with love.

And as I cracked and measured and mixed and baked, I thought about things. I thought about who would enjoy some of these moist, chewy cookies. Who would be cheered by the cherry almond bars? Who needs a pick-me-up by a piece of pretty pie?

I thought of my good friend, Lisa and all the hardships she has endured lately; her son-in-law losing the battle with cancer and leaving her daughter and young grand baby all alone. Then last week, her sister died in childbirth. I thought of my other friend (who is old enough to be my mother), who loves to bake and wears herself out once a month teaching and feeding the women in church gourmet foods. I thought of my friends who traveled from VA to visit their daughters, leaving their business which isn't doing very well right now.

And I realized something.

I was no longer thinking of the man at the game and his hurtful words.

I wasn't baking with anger and depression any longer.

I was baking with love!

(By the way, that guy at the game, he could probably use something that was baked with love)

What have YOU baked with love lately?

Perfect Pie Crust

By Me (and Betty Crocker)

Two-Crust Pie

8-or 9- Inch

2/3 c plus 2 Tbsp shortening

2 c flour

1 tsp salt

4 to 5 Tbsp cold water (or 1/4 c)

Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas with a pastry blender. Sprinkle in water 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with fingers until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1-2 tsp of water can be added if necessary).

Gather Pastry into a ball: shape into flattened round on lightly floured board (for 2 crust pie, divide pastry in half).  Roll it thin.  Fold into fourths and unfold and ease into pie plate. Press firmly against bottom and sides.  Trim, fill, bake. For the Cheery Cherry Pie, I filled it with one can of pie filling and did a lattice work crust on top. Bake 425 for 15 min then turn it down and bake at 325 for 30-35 min. 

Don’t forget to add a whole lot of LOVE!

*A note about pie crusts. I have heard that you’ve either got it, or ya don’t. Well, all you can do is try, right? If you’ve ever watched Martha Stuart, her pie dough is perfectly round. Well to achieve this, I add the max amount of water and knead it between my hands 4 or 5 times. Then it makes a perfect round ball, but the crust still turns out flaky. If you knead it too much, it will be tough. I use lots of flour on my counter and as I’m rolling, I roll the dough, then roll into the flour, then the dough again and so forth. That way the rolling pin won’t stick to the pie crust.

Good Luck and feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Soy Sauce Suicide and Broccoli Chicken Casserole

So, as a family (well, the half of the family that we could convince to join us) watched Ramona and Beezus last night. 

I saw strange similarities between the sisters in the movie and my own girls.  It was precious how they were constantly at each other's throats.

That Ramona is a real character.  It was interesting the way her parents looked at each other and shook their heads and smiled when they saw that Ramona had squeezed an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink. 

That Ramona is one lucky girl to have those parents. 

The scene would have been a tad different here in our household!  I know that because I actually have a Ramona in my family!!!  We won't mention any names, but her name starts with an E, and from the moment she entered my womb, she has been a "Ramona," (I still have the misshapen ribcage to prove it).

After the movie, we all sat down to dinner.  Even the truant family members were there.

On the menu:  Rice.  It was actually my beautiful Broccoli Casserole with rice, but my children like to have an enormous pile of plain rice.  And then they like to dredge it with soy sauce until it resembles one of Idaho's giant Buttes that juts up out of the ground, hard and rocky with no vegetation.

And on this night of nights, Ramona--with an E--left the glass bottle of soy sauce too close to the edge of the table and while gesturing grandly with her arm, bumped it and sent it hurtling into space.  It hit the hardwood floor with a black EXPLOSION. 

I originally thought it was her cup of ice water . . . we've dealt with that kind of explosion before.  In fact, we deal with that kind of explosion at our table nightly.

This was a much more sinister explosion.  One in which all surrounding areas were splattered and sprayed with the dark, salty liquid and shattered glass.

There was a moment of disbelief that came before good sense took over. 

I stared at what looked like a black hole on my floor while trying to decide the best method of cleaning up this kind of mess.

My white bathroom towels would be reduced to rags.

I looked toward the paper towel rod.  I saw a brown tube with paper towel fragments randomly sticking to it.  My mind searched for a solution as I tried to hold back the growing panic.

The stash of old, dark-green towels!.  We grabbed a few and started sopping up sauce and glass fragments.  It became a family affair as Emily shook the towels into the trash, James rinsed the towels in the bathtub, I vacuumed up all of the leftover glass, and the little boys hopped from chair to chair safely out of the way vying for the best view of the action.  The others just watched in disbelief, chewing slowly with wide eyes.

A little too late, I realized that I hadn't snapped a photo.  I guess we could reenact the scene.  It couldn't be possible though because now I only buy PLASTIC containers of soy sauce.

So, tonight I will share two recipes with you.  One is my beautiful Broccoli Casserole, and the other is an amazing dish I recently discovered using Soy Sauce.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Broccoli fresh, steamed or frozen, thawed

1tsp Lemon juice

2 C chopped, cooked chicken

2 Cans Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted

3/4 C Mayo

1 C grated cheddar cheese

2 C Bread crumbs or stuffing

Preheat oven to 350.  Layer broccoli, then chicken in a greased, 9x13 casserole dish.  In a separate bowl, mix lemon, soup and mayo.  Layer mixture over chicken and broccoli.  Sprinkle cheese then bread crumbs.

Serve with hot RICE (soy sauce optional)

We had this recipe tonight and it was really amazing.  We did not have rice, however.  It was served with homemade smashed potatoes.

Panko-Parmesan Chicken

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1 egg

3 tablespoons Kikkoman Soy Sauce

4 chicken breast halves (each about 10 oz.)

Instructions


1. Melt butter in 13 x 9-inch pan in 400°F. oven, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from oven.
2. Meanwhile, combine Panko and cheese in large plastic food storage bag. Beat egg with soy sauce in shallow dish until well blended.
3. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into egg mixture; then add to bag of bread crumbs mixture. Close top and shake bag to coat both sides. Place chicken, skin side down, in prepared baking pan, leaving space between pieces.

4. Bake chicken 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until chicken is no longer pink near bone and is golden brown.

Honey Milk Balls and the First Day of Spring

It was a crazy weekend to say the least!  With celebrating three birthdays, Alex's play; Much Ado About Nothing, and having two sets of visitors, me and my house are exhausted!  I have spent the day letting the house rest from being cleaned, and instead, crafting away. 

It has been lovely :)

I shamefully ate so much cake and frosting over the past week, that I went into sugar shock!  Today, I wanted to take it easy.  Have you ever noticed, though, that when your body gets used to the sugar, you crave it so much more?

I was really craving something sweet today, so I grabbed a piece of Orbit Sweetmint gum.  It helped a lot.  But then once my jaw got sore (I went to the dentist this morning) I got rid of the gum and BAM the sweet cravings came back.

My brain started doing a subconscious inventory of my kitchen.  There is still a huge batch of frosting pre-made and ready to go for Emily's upcoming birthday and some graham crackers in the cupboard!  Once I realized what my brain was trying to do, I stopped it immediately and tried to think of a healthier alternative.

Honey Milk Balls! 

They are sweet, nutritious, and YUMMY!  Did I mention that they are QUICK!  No baking necessary.  In fact, if you like to eat the cookie dough more than the cookies, like I do, then this one is for you!

See what YOU think!

Honey Milk Balls

1/2 C Honey (or the evil corn syrup)

1/2 C peanut butter

1 C dry powdered milk

1 C uncooked rolled oats (whole grain!) or 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs.

I like to warm the honey and peanut butter so it mixes more easily.  Combine all ingredients and knead (with your hands) until blended.  Shape into small balls.  Roll in coconut or chopped nuts, if desired.

Perfect for after school!

I couldn't be more overjoyed that SPRING has finally arrived!  And with it, the melting of snow.  I wish that I had taken a photo of my backyard everyday this past week.  On Monday, 1/4 of the ground could be seen.  Exactly one week later, I have a yard full of brownish--gold, matted looking grass and no snow!  My doggie also did some damage all winter long that will have to be cleaned up soon by the kids (evil laughter).

The Weekend's Activities:

Our friend, David and his daughter, Megan came to watch Alex's play.  James made an entire list of honey-do's that he and David could do together.  It was so nice of us to put him to work while he was here!  

Here they are fixing another kitchen drawer. 

 James and David took a drive around town and found some pretty hilarious small town signs.  Yes, our Subway has 8 foot long sandwiches.

 And don't forget a halibut float for dessert.

 My mom and I crashing after a vigorous game of "This is a serious and solemn occasion" taught to us by Megan.  Let's just say that our cheeks hurt from laughing!

 My dad decided to check on my Rainbow vacuum and took it apart to clean it and found that it was cracked and spent the next several hours(to my mom's dismay) fixing it.  I was a little frightened when I saw it in several pieces!!!

 The boys ripped the couch apart.  Exactly what I want them to do when I have a house full of company.

 Now that it's spring, maybe they can find something to do OUTSIDE!

Megan and Emily used the leftovers from Hannah's Masquerade and made themselves masks.  Beautiful!

Someone asked me if this is Alex's girlfriend IRL.  Well, no, he is JUST that convincing as an actor!

 I cannot believe how well they did on the play.  Each person had their lines expertly memorized!  Not one person needed a prompt either time I saw it.  They did just a fantastic job!

The cards I made.  It's like taking a little vacation for my mind :)

Today, I am grateful for Monday!  It was an amazingly exhausting yet wonderful weekend.

Jean's Wild Rice and Chicken Supreme

When you find a recipe that the whole family will eat, it's worth its weight in gold . . . and you make it a lot.

This recipe is from my really good friend, Jean. She has an amazing recipe blog; Fitzgerald Family Recipes . It's chock full of unhealthy, southern cooking, but oh, it's joyful tasting comfort food!

1 6-oz package Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain Wild Rice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
dash black pepper
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cubed chicken (or turkey)
1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 425.

Prepare rice according to package directions.

Saute onion in butter until soft, and add flour, salt, and pepper.

Gradually whisk in half and half and chicken broth.

Simmer on medium heat until thickened, whisking constantly.

Add chicken, almonds, and rice.

Put in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake at 425 degrees for 30 min.

Add a salad and whole wheat rolls or buttered wheat bread and you have a delicious meal, perfect for a cold, wintry day!

JELL-O from HELL-O!

So, I got a phone call the other day . . .

It was about a funeral . . . and Jello salad.

Would I be willing to take a jello salad to the funeral luncheon on Thursday?

I briefly thought about my days leading up to Thursday and shuddered. Work, work, work, and prepare for out of town company (more work). Full schedule. But I always love to help, and I don't know how to say no. I hinted, though, "I have to work on Thursday and won't be able to attend the funeral."

The reply wasn't what I expected, "That's okay, you could have, so-and-so, or so-and-so, or so-and-so bring it for you." Simple as pie--or--Jello. They must really be desperate for food. Or, maybe they have heard about my Jello salads (scoff)!

I got really excited when I started thumbing through my Jello cook book (yes, they actually have one). I even texted my mom for suggestions.

She said, "lime Jello with pears."

"Simple!" I texted back.

Why, oh why, don't we ever listen to Mom?

Strawberry Romanoff is what I chose. Beautiful? Yes. Simple? Not on your life!

I think I know how it got its name!

I read the directions then sent the Jimmy (the poor Jimmy) out for some exercise through the snow and cold on a walk to the grocery store (even though he is a urticariac).

I texted him the ingredients. Then I texted back and told him to double it. I said 2 c cool whip. He brought home four XL "C"ontainers of cool whip. Time to make room in the freezer!

When he got home, I choked when I saw the receipt! $18 for ingredients for Jello salad! Too bad I don't even know the dearly departed's family.

I started boiling and mixing and stirring. Then I got a brilliant idea! I would make strawberry Romanoff for MY FAMILY TOO! So I boiled and mixed and stirred again.

THEN

*OOPS* I realized that I doubled the first batch but only singled the reserved part, so I poured from the second batch to make up for the first batch, then the second batch was off!

I was in a pickle (pickle flavored Jello).

Hannah was feeling very hyper and was animatedly talking to me about boys, and school, and life, and I was trying very hard to follow her conversation. That's what got me into trouble in the first place. So, I enlisted her help to solve my delimma.

Math problems started flying around the kitchen as we halved and doubled and added and subtracted fractions. I could not figure out how to make the two recipes right. It was a JELL-O of a mess!

Finally it came together in my head and I exclaimed that I had figured out the problem. I needed to pour a certain amount from the mixed reserved portion back into the second single batch (don't worry, I'm still confused myself).

Hannah's head whipped around and she stared at me with a look of exasperation.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time!" she said.

Why are kids always so much smarter than their parents?

Well, I stayed up way past my bedtime to whisk and whip at precisely the right time for the Jello to be slightly set, but not too firm for the cool whip to be gently folded in.

Then I gently spooned the reserved liquid Jell-o over the fluffy Jello--and . . .

It was a disaster! The runny warmer jello seeped and oozed down into the fluffy layer creating a perfectly perfect delictable treat for a pack of VAMPIRES!

Unfortunately, it appeared to be a more appropriate dessert for the undead than the dead.

Strawberry Romanoff Dessert

2 pkg (4 serving size) Strawberry Jello
2 C boiling water
3 Tbsp orange liqueur or orange juice
1/2 C cold water
2 C thawed Cool Whip
10 oz frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed (do not drain)

Dissolve jello in boiling water. measure 1 1/4 c jello; add undrained strawberries. Into remaining jello add liqueur or oj and cold water. Chill until slightly set about 1 1/4 hours.

Fold topping into chilled jello. Pour into a 6 cup glass serving bowl. Carefully spoon reserved jello mixture over layer in bowl. Chill until firm about 4 hours or overnight.

Makes 8 servings

Good Luck!

Christmassy Weather and Ginger Snap Cookies

Last night as we turned out the lights to settle in for a long winter's nap , the light glowed into the window. Inside the house in our beds, we were warm and cozy. But outside, a huge, severe winter storm was raging and the moon reflected the bright white snow into our window.

We slept soundly through the blowing, billowing snow as it swirled and drifted, covering the shoveled walks and driveways.

We awoke when the phone--first James', then mine, then the home, rang with a message from the school to make our children's heart's fill with glee--School was cancelled!

We snoozed on only to be woken again 3 more times each per phone with the same message. I have to give it to the school--they are thorough.

The little boys have been begging and begging for us to put up our Christmas decorations early this year. I'm not sure what it is, but they are prematurely excited this year. In a way--so am I.

Christmas is that "special" time of year that makes my heart race and butterflies flutter in my stomach. The feeling is also known as ANXIETY! I am doing everything I can to calm myself but I can see tiny ways that my attitude has crept into my older children's. They don't seem to be as excited about winter and Christmas as in past years. This year, I am smiling brightly and keeping my disdain for the cold and snow more to myself; for mothers have a great influence on their children's feelings of well-being.

Somehow this year, the swirling snow has glittered and sparkled and surrounded my heart and is tickling a tiny feeling of Christmas magic there.

Jenny Oaks Baker is gently playing her violin to the tune of Ave Maria on the CD player, and homemade ginger snap cookies are baking in the oven. Tonight, in my home, Christmas is in our hearts.

Even if you don't have snow, and you want your home to smell like Christmas, bake a batch of these cookies to share with family, friends, and neighbors.

Bishop Baumgarten's Ginger Snap (Sogs) Cookies
Bishop B. always called them ginger sogs because they are so soft and yummy.

3/4 C shortening
1 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg

Beat together til' fluffy

Sift:
2 1/4 C Flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Stir together. Form balls. Roll in sugar. Bake 375 degrees for 10 min.

*High altitude: Add 1/4 c flour and bake an additional 4 min.

In LOVE with Cherry Almond Bars

If you make this recipe for the ones you love this Valentine's Day, you will have a house full of happy loved ones :)

(I'm going to have to make some of these again and post pics)

Cheery Cherry Almond Bars


1 C butter,
4 eggs
1 teasp almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling
2 C sugar
3 C flour,
1 teasp. vanilla

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add almond and vanilla. Add flour. Spread 3/4 of the batter on an ungreased jelly roll pan. Drop pie filling in blobs all over the batter. Drop the rest of the batter in blobs all over the pie filling. Do not mix. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min. Cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 tsp almond ex
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C powd. sugar
2 Tablesp warm water

ENJOY <3

Zucchini Boats and Corn

I did not plant any zucchini in my garden this year. It's probably for the best. We had about 12 yellow crookneck squash plants that would not stop producing. The kids would whine and moan when they saw me coming in from the garden, arms laden with squash. I did just about everything you possibly could with that stuff; I boiled it, broiled it, baked it, shredded it and put it in EVERYTHING, froze it, and tossed it! I don't know what I was thinking! My mother used to put shredded zucchini in pancakes and I hated it! I was scarred. I never thought I would stoop so low! But I couldn't help myself when I put it in the lasagna. I thought it was good. But, note to self; next time I will shred it instead of slice it so they won't know!

I can't imagine their reaction if I had hauled the same-only in green- into the house!

We planted one zucchini plant in the community garden, and by the time we checked the plant, we found a HUGE zucchini! I knew it was the perfect size for a zucchini boat!

We also planted a huge crop of corn in the community garden. I snuck over and picked a bag full when it was just coming on. It was so tender and delicious--nothing like the corn we just had on Sunday that was tough and starchy--so much so that even the missionaries wouldn't eat it all. We had to throw it out!

I called my mother to get her recipe for stuffed zucchini boats and she had just made it herself the night before, but with sausage. Must be the season. I'm very sorry for not posting this recipe a few weeks ago when they were prime picking, but maybe you have a couple left sitting on your counter starting to look droopy. This recipe is great because you can make it to your family's tastes.

Zucchini Boats

1 lg zucchini,

1 lb hamburger or sausage, cooked with onions

1 diced onion

2 C chopped or canned tomatoes

1 C bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

cheddar cheese

(add any other ingredients you wish)

Slice Zucc lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and discard or use in mixture. Scoop out the zucc to make room for the stuffing, leaving 1/4 inch remaining. can go into the mixture. Place on cookie sheet.Mix remaining ingredients, including the scooped out part, and fill shell. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put about 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the pan. Cover with an aluminum foil tent and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes or until zucc is tender. I used all of the filling in one side of the zuc. I used the other half for zuc bread.

ENJOY!

Granola Bars

Once you house has been purged of all things pink and sugary, you can ease your way back into healthiness with some yummy home made granola bars. They are healthy and kid friendly, and if your house is like ours, they will be gone moments after the bus drops off the kiddies!

Granola Bars
2 1/2 C Rice Krispies
2 C oatmeal

1/2 C brown sugar1/2 C corn syrup
1/2 C peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, etc.

Spray a large bowl with Pam and pour the Rice Krispies and oatmeal in it, and set aside. In a sauce pan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth, and pour over cereal mixture, stirring as you go. Mix in ad-ins of your choice. (I like to sprinkle mini semi sweet chocolate chips on top after it's in the dish so they don't melt). Press mixture in to 13x9 dish and press flat with waxed paper. Cool. Cut into bars and wrap in plastic wrap.

These don't last long around our house!

Valentine's Plans

I just love Valentine's Day. I'm sure it's because it makes my eyes so happy! I love looking at all of the happy, cheery magazine covers with smartly decorated cookies and cupcakes in hues of pinks and reds. I love the brightly decorated grocery stores with hearts and cupids adorning the ceilings. I'm drawn like a magnet to the Valentine's aisle. I don't need to buy anything. I'm content with the thrill of just looking at everything and squeezing and smelling all of the cuddly stuffed animals.

Around the beginning of February, I get a craving for homemade sugar cookies and fluffy buttercream frosting made with real butter (recipes to follow). I hold off for as long as I can before baking them, because I can count on the fact that I will lose all self control once they are in sight!

When it comes to my kid's Valentine's, I get giddy! The creative juices start flowing, and I start crafting. One year I covered about 50 ink pens with pink heart fleece and wrote each child's name on the pens with puff paints. The next year I did the same, only I used denim instead. They were a big hit. Once I made personalized fridge--art--holder magnets by gluing foam hearts to clothes pins with a magnet on the back. Another year I covered glue sticks and glue bottles with cheery paper and the message "Valentine, I'm stuck on you!" I have also made a lot of felt projects; such as pink envelopes with heart enclosures filled with chocolate hearts. The list goes on and on. I mourn when my children graduate on to middle school, and no longer have kiddie Valentine parties. It's a good thing I have 5 kids! Although with boys, it's much easier to just purchase the changeable 3D Spiderman cards. It also seems more appropriate for a boy to send this, than a girly, crafty valentine.

This year, I ended up making two huge batches of sugar cookies! I have the best recipe ever! Each teacher will get a large cookie. I secretly made large cookies for my family too, but i think they have all seen them. So much for my stealthiness! This year I have toned down my craziness and I'm taking it a little easier. The little boys are sending out purchased Valentines, and Emily is handing out sweethearts with the message already on the candy. Easy! Hannah is at that awkward age where she is too old to hand out kiddie Valentines, but too young to have a real Valentine (thankfully). She is, however, participating in a dance at her school today. She was up late into the night trying to find something to wear. She settled on her same old comfy clothes. And Alex. . . well, he is still too young to have an official girlfriend, but he is in love. He purchased a red rose and a box of chocolates to hide in his "girl" friend's locker from a secret admirer. It was so much fun watching him worry and stress about putting it all together in just the right way. It's fun having kids in all of these different stages of life.

My Yummy Sugar Cookies

(This makes a very large batch)

1/2 C butter

3/4 C shortening

2 1/2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp lemon juice

5 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream the wet ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients (I find it works best to mix the dry with a wooden spoon before adding to the wet, especially if your wisks are broken like mine are and you are only using one!). Add dry and mix. Roll out 1/4 to 1/2 inth thick on a generously floured surface and cut into fun shapes (I use this recipe for shamrocks in March, too). Bake 6-8 min. For the giant hearts, add a couple of minutes. It is difficult to tell when these are done. They should not look wet any longer, but should not get brown. I prefer them to be undercooked than overcooked. If you are using a baking stone, add a couple of minutes. *ENJOY*

My Yummy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C Butter (you can use margarine, but it won't be as yummy)

1/2 C Shortening

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Almond Extract ( I like this in Valentine cookies, but on cakes, I like it better without)

3-4 Tablespoons water (add to desired consistency)

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Cream the wet ingredients and add the powdered sugar. Whip until very fluffy. Caution: eating an excess of this frosting adds to the thighs and hips!

For the past several years, we have had small adult Valentines get-togethers--planned by the men. We have previously done a progressive dinner, but since it's sooooo cold her in good old Idaho, the men decided that we should just all stay at one location lest we all freeze to death between courses. We will be hosting, and a few friends will be bringing different courses. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I must say that the very best part of Valentine's Day is celebrating the one I love! I was so lucky to have been swindled into marrying James 17 years ago via his stalking ways! I had no idea how wonderful it would be! I made James a wonderful handmade card which can be seen at sunnyexpressionscards.blogspot.com. For my gift, I have been receiving many cards in the mail from romantic locations all over the country from such places as Valentine, TX; Loving, NM; Loveland, CO; and Kissimmee, FL. I have received six cards so far, and he won't tell me how many he's sent in all. Can you imagine the for thought that went into that, especially for a guy? He had to mail the cards to the Post Master in each location , to then be sent to me. It has been one of the most thoughtful Valentine's ever!

I hope you are able to share you love with someone special this year whether it's a lover, a friend, or someone in need!

Best Friend Taco Soup

I love Taco Soup! It is the best thing to warm the tummy on those frigid below zero days! I didn't discover this recipe until several years after I was married when my best friend, Marcia gave it to me, and it makes me sad to think of all of those meals we missed out on. So, grab a pen and jot this one down! It's a keeper especially because you can do it start to finish in 15-20 minutes!
Best Friend Taco Soup

1lb hamburger, browned

1 onion, diced

1-2 (15 ounce) cans Kidney Beans
2 (15 ounce) cans diced, stewed, or chopped tomatoes
1-2 (16 ounce) cans corn
1 envelope Taco Seasoning
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce


In a large pot, brown hamburger with diced onions. Pour off grease. Add the next five ingredients and heat to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 min (or all day on low in crock pot). Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Forgo the spoon and eat with chips. YUMMY!!! Serves 8-10


This recipe freezes really well, and is great when you have a big crowd because almost everyone loves it. You can spice it up by using spicy tomatoes. I like to double the beans and corn. You may need to add a little extra water, especially if you drain the beans. Share this recipe with all of your best friends. ENJOY!