tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-845053201706196092024-02-18T22:01:52.316-06:00Sugar and Spice and Everything NiceSharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-70901644615487405972010-02-03T14:52:00.000-06:002010-02-03T14:52:21.500-06:00I'VE MOVED!Not to worry, dear Hutchinson friends! I've only moved my blog: <a href="http://www.sharacampbell.wordpress.com/">www.sharacampbell.wordpress.com</a><br />
<br />
I had wordpress before (on my previous blog) and I just really like it more than blogger. So, I'll no longer be at this address.<br />
<br />
If you don't have facebook or twitter, please send me you email at sharacampbell(at)gmail(dot)com so I can add you to my blog email list. OR there's also a link on the right side of my new blog to sign up to receive updated posts.<br />
<br />
Hope to see you there!!<br />
SharaSharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-65858784170779179242010-01-31T21:43:00.000-06:002010-01-31T21:43:56.241-06:00Dark Chocolate CakeWell, Friends...I've offically been recipe blogging for a month now and I love it. This isn't a long time compared to most bloggers out there, but I'm pretty proud of myself! I started out with blogger because of it's simplicity but I'm ready to move to another site - for good. So, starting tomorrow, Feb 1, I will be moving to another site. I'll let you know then......<br />
<br />
Now on to the good stuff! I've been craving something chocolatey for the past several days. I let Reagan pick and she decided she wanted chocolate cake. mmmmmmm...this is heavenly!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKiZmUJVU4hNoXrIrMpnSZ3Ira7YXMtm-GSbLAl2Y5ERntXMBvX3MQgiNTP19QsUnJeNy_VsfRoFpmxc1h7ojbAadIIdcuU5GD2fEMZ6BlaizTEfUiDjwrb7pvM2yE8kXjCmqnShovU0/s1600-h/DSC_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKiZmUJVU4hNoXrIrMpnSZ3Ira7YXMtm-GSbLAl2Y5ERntXMBvX3MQgiNTP19QsUnJeNy_VsfRoFpmxc1h7ojbAadIIdcuU5GD2fEMZ6BlaizTEfUiDjwrb7pvM2yE8kXjCmqnShovU0/s400/DSC_0077.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i><b>Dark Chocolate Cake</b></i><br />
<i>2 c boiling water</i><br />
<i>1 c unsweetened cocoa powder</i><br />
<i>1 c butter</i><br />
<i>2 1/4 c sugar</i><br />
<i>4 eggs</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 tsp vanilla</i><br />
<i>2 3/4 c flour</i><br />
<i>2 tsp baking soda</i><br />
<i>1/2 tsp salt</i><br />
<i>1/2 tsp baking powder</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease a 9 inch bundt pan. In medium bowl, mix boiling water and cocoa powder. Stir together very well and let cool. Meanwhile, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in another medium bowl. Set aside. In your mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar well - at least 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well again. Add half of the flour mixture and mix. Slowly poor in cocoa/water mixture and make sure everything is mixed well. Add the last half of the flour mixture and combine well for the last time. Make sure to mix all the way to the bottom. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool. Frost with you favorite frosting.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdolCxroodjCugeHE9XuP9BzWMw2ot73MQJqVYTK0-zwuBa_iqTOpUjUA9xTGKypR7Wsg_lQBIJJNNYMPH2kwmQj0NgHob-FXBEdeB6cmMThrv6AXNovl-uNAwjl3_07-ayOrOfXIsQU/s1600-h/DSC_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdolCxroodjCugeHE9XuP9BzWMw2ot73MQJqVYTK0-zwuBa_iqTOpUjUA9xTGKypR7Wsg_lQBIJJNNYMPH2kwmQj0NgHob-FXBEdeB6cmMThrv6AXNovl-uNAwjl3_07-ayOrOfXIsQU/s400/DSC_0082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the words of my fantastic Uncle Ron:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Well, that'll just jerk the pounds right off ya!"</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-37439008513243479312010-01-30T18:38:00.000-06:002010-01-30T18:38:52.129-06:00Fried Chicken Stips & Garlic Mashed PotatoesI missed my first post yesterday....I have a good reason though. I was doing our taxes....ugh. It would be a lot more simple if I'd be a lot more organized. <br />
<br />
Just to let you know. I know how to be organized. I even like to be organized. You should have seen my room my senior year in high school when I finally had my own room: everything had it's place and it stayed in it's place. (I shared a room with my sis all 17 years prior to this - she's 5 years younger and had a creative streak much like my lil' Reagan - who always has her creative stuff everywhere :D I love ya, Katrina!) BUT then I had 3 kids and I've lost my organization somewhere...it's probably under the boys' bed...yikes!<br />
<br />
So back to my taxes....I started gathering the paperwork around 2:30pm and finally finished up at 10:45pm. I stopped only long enough to fix dinner: Fried Chicken Strips, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, gravy, and carrots. Crazy - I know. Especially on the day I decide to do taxes, but I'd already promised Mike I'd make this before I got the motivation to do our taxes.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Fried Chicken Strips</b></i><br />
<i>3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips</i><br />
<i>30 saltines, crushed finely (or your favorite cracker!)</i><br />
<i>1/4 c instant potato flakes</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp flour</i><br />
<i>2 tsp </i><a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/potato-wedges.html"><i>Shara's House Seasoning</i></a><br />
<i>1/4 c flour</i><br />
<i>2 eggs</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp milk</i><br />
<i>oil for frying</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Heat oil over medium-high heat. Combine saltines, potato flakes, 2 Tbsp flour, and house seasoning in a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk. In another small bowl, add the 1/4 cup of flour. First, dip the strips in the flour, then the egg mixture, then the saltine mixture. Fry each batch for about 8-9 minutes - turning once - until chicken is cooked through and the outside coating is golden brown.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimloflUVcSeh8tzjODQ8X8X7ih_TSb-vYaj7F-BoXM46PSegckaWMqoD2-Q9JI6Osmk15VO7wb3Ch71Aas8HKfdZxR6hDF_qlYZYVwuvXuxYnr7FdL-yyzcjP5iihl8mX04gu4kpoxbfo/s1600-h/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimloflUVcSeh8tzjODQ8X8X7ih_TSb-vYaj7F-BoXM46PSegckaWMqoD2-Q9JI6Osmk15VO7wb3Ch71Aas8HKfdZxR6hDF_qlYZYVwuvXuxYnr7FdL-yyzcjP5iihl8mX04gu4kpoxbfo/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><i><br />
</i><br />
<i><b>Garlic Mashed Potatoes</b></i><br />
<i>3-4 large potatoes</i><br />
<i>1 stick of butter (1/2 c)</i><br />
<i>2 tsp </i><a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/potato-wedges.html"><i>Shara's House Seasoning</i></a><br />
<i>1/4 tsp garlic powder</i><br />
<i>1 tsp dried oregano</i><br />
<i>5 Tbsp Romano or parmesan cheese</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Clean and dice the potatoes. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes become fork-tender - about 30 minutes. Drain off water. Place all the ingredients in your mixer and mix well.</i><br />
<br />
It was all worth it though! Mike did the dishes :D I love him.Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-8791831152604394662010-01-28T19:00:00.000-06:002010-01-28T19:00:07.335-06:00English Muffin BreadWe've made it to Thursday! It's Pizza Night!! Yeah!!<br />
<br />
However, since I've already posted my <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/pizza-pizza.html">pizza dough</a> recipe, I'll just post a recipe for this yummy English Muffin Bread - it's wonderful for breakfast or toasted sandwiches because it toasts up so well.<br />
<br />
<i><b>English Muffin Bread</b></i><br />
<i>6 c flour</i><br />
<i>2 pkg instant yeast</i><br />
<i>3 Tbsp sugar</i><br />
<i>1 tsp salt</i><br />
<i>1/4 tsp baking soda</i><br />
<i>2 c warm milk</i><br />
<i>1/2 c warm water</i><br />
<i>cornmeal</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Mix 1 cup of flour with yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add milk and water. Mix well for about 5 minutes. Add rest of flour, 1/2 cup at a time to make sticky dough. Form into 2 loaves and place in greased loaf pans, sprinkled with cornmeal. Spray top of dough loaves with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Let rise for 45 minute and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-35 minutes.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe82781SLuQhPy3mlpA0zyh7hbVkw6ZCviSXsv5RniMerJ3gg_dOLfIK_JAU9CH0ZgDs8JQZJrrUH1_nkHIOSK8-JGofBt3kmDr7M1LTrtgEXRo9X9sJF3c31toOICteffwEjO7gbgke4/s1600-h/DSC_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe82781SLuQhPy3mlpA0zyh7hbVkw6ZCviSXsv5RniMerJ3gg_dOLfIK_JAU9CH0ZgDs8JQZJrrUH1_nkHIOSK8-JGofBt3kmDr7M1LTrtgEXRo9X9sJF3c31toOICteffwEjO7gbgke4/s400/DSC_0877.JPG" width="307" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's one of the loaves before it began rising.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wI5k9nAHG9MBLhHB5BxpSr6ahUd8AoZefHj_o4DNSdEHASB4b6FQbAlYuiJCDV_hSx0tAujpzRBJbK2LDm6dvkXyyhyphenhyphenPkTUpS7wMbcwaFi5YQOfgoNfjw5-nYQ0VmwUmef0PxoxAbEw/s1600-h/DSC_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wI5k9nAHG9MBLhHB5BxpSr6ahUd8AoZefHj_o4DNSdEHASB4b6FQbAlYuiJCDV_hSx0tAujpzRBJbK2LDm6dvkXyyhyphenhyphenPkTUpS7wMbcwaFi5YQOfgoNfjw5-nYQ0VmwUmef0PxoxAbEw/s400/DSC_0891.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div>The loaves in this picture are small because my mixer won't hold any recipe that requires 6 cups of flour. I halved the recipe to make two small loaves. You could also make 1 large loaf.Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-30873393900237628242010-01-27T21:17:00.001-06:002010-01-27T21:18:01.329-06:00SnickerdoodlesToday has been a fabulously uneventful day. Oh, I did a few things like watching lil' Adie for a few hours this morning and another lil' Lucy for an hour over lunch, and I got the computer programmed for Sunday's 2nd hour worship, and I made Snickerdoodles (see below), but other than that....I've been glued to my computer, reading the <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Confessions of a Pioneer Woman</a>. I can't get enough of her and her kids and her life. She is soooo stinkin' funny. And she's a great cook. And she takes awesome pictures. And I can't forget to mention that she's from Oklahoma - Pawhuska, no less!! A mere hour from where my parents live!<br />
<br />
When I knew the kids were about to come home from school, I literally had peel myself away from my lovely lil' mac and get started on the Snickerdoodles. My kids love them. Mike loves them. Anytime I ask them what kind of cookie they'd like me to make, it's these. So, Clarky and I got a batch whipped up before the kids walked through the door. I won't lie....they are pretty tasty!<br />
<br />
<i>Shara's Snickerdoodles</i><br />
<i>1 c butter</i><br />
<i>1/2 c oil</i><br />
<i>1 c sugar</i><br />
<i>1 c powdered sugar</i><br />
<i>2 eggs</i><br />
<i>1 tsp vanilla</i><br />
<i>1 tsp baking soda</i><br />
<i>1 tsp cream of tartar</i><br />
<i>4 1/2 c flour</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, oil, sugar, and powder sugar in your mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Add baking soda and cream of tartar and mix well again. Add flour 1/2 cup at time until you've added all of it. Mix well. Drop by tablespoon size onto a plate and sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyV1AtTPCyKaEMmjBoo5EJqUMSc-iC2tgJy6fZc5wVAQOl8UzPvwIUH3FzjoQvMP8uU9cKud7rDQ7K3_l0IYDG7sllg4ho6AnE5wGZqYv8NM0uo22RoP_qe0jdoX1E7vpzMjKYCQ5-Jw/s1600-h/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyV1AtTPCyKaEMmjBoo5EJqUMSc-iC2tgJy6fZc5wVAQOl8UzPvwIUH3FzjoQvMP8uU9cKud7rDQ7K3_l0IYDG7sllg4ho6AnE5wGZqYv8NM0uo22RoP_qe0jdoX1E7vpzMjKYCQ5-Jw/s400/DSC_0010.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and before, I forget....in case you were wondering what we had for dinner....<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">leftovers :D<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And nobody complained too much...<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(though Cade did "mention" how wonderful his IHOP omelette was last night, as he was eating mac & cheese and a pulled pork sandwich with homemade bread...I'm not so sure he's mine, except for the small thing that he looks exactly like me and acts exactly like <i><b>my</b></i> dad, but still......)<br />
</div><i><br />
</i>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-67477500324367565982010-01-26T20:37:00.001-06:002010-01-26T20:40:15.704-06:00Oatmeal Wheat BunsToday was a fantastic day :D I just felt very domestic - which doesn't happen very often! I usually feel like I'm just trying to survive. However, today was different -<br />
I got the dishes done!<br />
I got 2 loads of laundry done (even folded & put away!)<br />
I fixed lunch for 2 lil' toddlers (babysittin' day)!<br />
I made bread!<br />
I had carpool!<br />
I made a trip to Walmart with all three kids and I didn't want to kill them when we got back in the truck!<br />
Yaaahoo!<br />
<br />
I have a couple of side stories before I get to the recipe....<br />
<br />
I realized this morning that Cade's shoes were way too little, but I didn't know how much until we got to the store and he started trying on shoes. Please keep in mind that my "lil" 2nd grader is nearly 4 ft 9 in and wearing a size 5 shoe that apparently was too small. I had him try on the biggest kids size: a 6. TOO SMALL?! What?! So we gathered up everyone and headed to the adult male shoe section...he tried on a man's size 7 and. they. fit. omg my 2nd grader is wearing a man's size 7 shoe....<br />
Can you tell which is Mike's and which is Cade's?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwedWcizA1E_SGoYYFVmc7-zSIVbkS37exx6E4tpz0EP0WfxAmCZlnvNWWX2arca3VZrrQgLuxngU_-zkXWQ2I0r8MRvFekkFfhs8tcLSBE2tmMEGDVXH5b-hH1YWPaLSAcd62mFLvs0E/s1600-h/DSC_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwedWcizA1E_SGoYYFVmc7-zSIVbkS37exx6E4tpz0EP0WfxAmCZlnvNWWX2arca3VZrrQgLuxngU_-zkXWQ2I0r8MRvFekkFfhs8tcLSBE2tmMEGDVXH5b-hH1YWPaLSAcd62mFLvs0E/s400/DSC_0953.JPG" width="398" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR66NOQzpI3vShjINSq_dEcIcA84leE13k3c7MkPr3UYOccHxocmnvRcigcDXF0odi53kcZy3nSWMbCNHq19d2wx8B7UfFa1t7P1Y_bTUYwXkbptVagzmFzBHr7OrZEqRjPaCJ-KhWuo/s1600-h/DSC_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcR66NOQzpI3vShjINSq_dEcIcA84leE13k3c7MkPr3UYOccHxocmnvRcigcDXF0odi53kcZy3nSWMbCNHq19d2wx8B7UfFa1t7P1Y_bTUYwXkbptVagzmFzBHr7OrZEqRjPaCJ-KhWuo/s400/DSC_0951.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div>I also realized this morning as I was doing laundry, that Clark, my 3 year old is wearing underwear larger (size 6) than my 6 year old daughter, Reagan (size 4). Nice.....when did that happen? I'm very observant as you can tell...<br />
<br />
Obviously a trip to Walmart was in order (though I really prefer Target, but I must admit that Walmart has some cheap tennis shoes...good for fast growing boys).<br />
<br />
This brings me to my second story...<br />
<br />
On the way home from WallyWorld, Reagan asked if we could eat at IHOP for dinner. I told her she needs to be asking her daddy:<br />
<br />
Rae: But he'll just say no....<br />
Me: Not if you butter him up<br />
Rae: What do you mean?<br />
Me: Ask him sweetly and give him a hug & kiss<br />
Rae (with an ornery smile): Ooookaaaay<br />
<br />
We made a stop at the church so that Cade could show his new shoes to Mike, and Reagan worked her magic like a well oiled machine...lol and we enjoyed dinner at IHOP (I honestly didn't care either way because I (unlike the rest of my family) actually enjoy leftovers, which is what we were going to have tonight)<br />
<br />
Anyhooo, here's the bread I made today and it is oh so yummy!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Oatmeal Wheat Buns</b></i><br />
<i>1 c warm milk</i><br />
<i>1/2 c warm water</i><br />
<i>1/4 c butter, softened</i><br />
<i>2 pkg instant yeast</i><br />
<i>1/4 c brown sugar</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp sugar</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 tsp salt</i><br />
<i>1 egg</i><br />
<i>1 c cooked oatmeal, cooled</i><br />
<i>3 Tbsp potato flour</i><br />
<i>1 c whole wheat flour</i><br />
<i>3 1/2 c flour</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Place wheat flour, potato flour, brown sugar, sugar, and yeast into mixing bowl. Mix briefly. Add milk, water, and butter. Mix well, and let yeast begin to bubble - about 2-3 minutes. Next add salt, egg, and cooled, cooked oatmeal. Make sure everything is mixed well. Begin adding the white flour, 1/2 a cup at a time until you've added enough to make a soft dough (dough will be slightly sticky because of the oatmeal) and mix/knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with plastic or a towel, and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Now make dough into hamburger bun shapes (I can usually get about 18) and let rise for another 30 minutes. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxUZC-FAe_vfxml9xkNRWNu29oL-fwJv9e7DSpUsC0B5VSwYpOLmjdoumHM5H1saWNqv-yxqUWiIS6AHcob8KMfIWX1CxemYHgxSRJOn-AegGm27XzzA48mZrRNFbyuZpWUeJQ3BMl_g/s1600-h/DSC_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxUZC-FAe_vfxml9xkNRWNu29oL-fwJv9e7DSpUsC0B5VSwYpOLmjdoumHM5H1saWNqv-yxqUWiIS6AHcob8KMfIWX1CxemYHgxSRJOn-AegGm27XzzA48mZrRNFbyuZpWUeJQ3BMl_g/s400/DSC_0951.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9C-I7Ep2UClNDeBtMFnbAgfYHt0O9ImNJfrqxqsdN6dfPyTkEiD3y28ZdGmQO7S1pUWp-r6EqOdp0ax-j4rHCTyYkQaUbTABr3BSrh4plefYLAd99hsqO-rSxPvY7XJbMzhMTzBI6iA/s1600-h/DSC_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9C-I7Ep2UClNDeBtMFnbAgfYHt0O9ImNJfrqxqsdN6dfPyTkEiD3y28ZdGmQO7S1pUWp-r6EqOdp0ax-j4rHCTyYkQaUbTABr3BSrh4plefYLAd99hsqO-rSxPvY7XJbMzhMTzBI6iA/s400/DSC_0957.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">hehe :D<br />
</div><i><br />
</i>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-34390072682909219342010-01-25T18:09:00.003-06:002010-01-25T18:14:12.572-06:00Chicken FajitasAlthough I dread Mondays, I always look forward to Mexican Night. I think this is why I subconsciously picked Mondays to be Mexican Night :D Not only is Mexican food my favorite, it's also very easy to throw together! Tonight we had Chicken Fajitas...mmmmmm!<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Chicken Fajitas</b></i><br />
</div><div><i>3 uncooked skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp soy sauce</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp vinegar</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp Fajita Seasoning (see recipe below)</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp lime juice</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 Tbsp vegetable oil</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 medium onion, sliced thin</i><br />
</div><div><i>1 green pepper, slice thin</i><br />
</div><div><i><br />
</i><br />
</div><div><i>Combine worcestershire sauce, soy, vinegar, and fajita seasoning. Stir well and add chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours. Heat oil over high heat. Add chicken strips and saute for 5 minutes. Add onions and peppers and saute another 3 minutes. Be careful to not overcook or chicken will be dry! Remove from heat and sprinkle with lime juice. Serve with warm flour tortillas and favorite toppings.</i><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFpDUk3-AOOFeaqo8G_hAcg3KPRR9RQn6KqegOXoYtGnqfW4IeyUIXbk-wP1CdaVc_HatmmKbmUJp_ELyQV98DqeHmwpi1qZKhW7V0fQWsTZlOTFtvDAh4AtuwRPLqW9c96C4fqHZaIo/s1600-h/DSC_0951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFpDUk3-AOOFeaqo8G_hAcg3KPRR9RQn6KqegOXoYtGnqfW4IeyUIXbk-wP1CdaVc_HatmmKbmUJp_ELyQV98DqeHmwpi1qZKhW7V0fQWsTZlOTFtvDAh4AtuwRPLqW9c96C4fqHZaIo/s400/DSC_0951.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><i><b>Fajita Seasoning</b></i><br />
</div><div><i>5 Tbsp cumin</i><br />
</div><div><i>4 tsp oregano, crushed</i><br />
</div><div><i>2 tsp salt</i><br />
</div><div><i>1/4 tsp ground red pepper (or more if you like it spicier)</i><br />
</div><div><i>2 tsp pepper</i><br />
</div><div><i>4 tsp garlic powder</i><br />
</div><div><i>4 tsp onion powder</i><br />
</div><div><i><br />
</i><br />
</div><div><i>Stir together and keep in air tight container. Makes about 2/3 c of seasoning - enough for about 10 batches of fajitas.</i><br />
</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-19588273063550091492010-01-24T19:56:00.002-06:002010-01-24T19:57:16.238-06:00Biscuits & GravyI'm just gonna be honest with you. There are times I wish I wasn't a pastor's wife. I never doubted marrying Mike, I mean, he's the guy I chose to marry. However, I had NO IDEA what it meant to marry a pastor. I was just marrying Mike. There are a lot of joys, but there's also heartache, and I literally mean heart aches, especially for this emotional & highly sensitive person. And even though I look forward to going to church every week, it's emotionally draining for this introvert. Why is it that the church is supposed to be a safe place, but can house the meanest people? Just goes to show that we are all just normal people, even if we call ourselves "Christian".<br />
<br />
Anyhooooo, I'll come off my soap box now....<br />
<br />
Today was just one of those days, and I ate a few too many of <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/sharas-oatmeal-bars.html">these</a> and I still felt the need for some more comfort food for dinner tonight. So, I made biscuits and sausage gravy. Yeah....that hit the spot.<br />
<br />
<i>Biscuits</i><br />
<i>3 c flour</i><br />
<i>1/4 c sugar</i><br />
<i>4 tsp baking powder</i><br />
<i>1/2 tsp cream of tartar</i><br />
<i>2/3 c shortening</i><br />
<i>1 c + 2 Tbsp milk</i><br />
<i>1 egg</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>If baking immediately, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives. Combine egg with milk and pour into flour mixture. Mix well. Pat out onto floured surface and cut into biscuits. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. These can be frozen. Just thaw before baking.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtszi4bDR_cZkoH_bNHTu7_kmZOKtyguXPeaORJ79cBezxI2Y9VMG8qnOIVjOKbXO-By3Ktc-Ov6-m8CkPQliVSbCnOb8fy_lemB4UfnvhrmoZHPzrt-Gk-8bO8BEtiInXY9YKQ8hx8E/s1600-h/DSC_0952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtszi4bDR_cZkoH_bNHTu7_kmZOKtyguXPeaORJ79cBezxI2Y9VMG8qnOIVjOKbXO-By3Ktc-Ov6-m8CkPQliVSbCnOb8fy_lemB4UfnvhrmoZHPzrt-Gk-8bO8BEtiInXY9YKQ8hx8E/s400/DSC_0952.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIkpuZIUJ5CvMobtLv0qJqnmGl8dOV771XQ5nwz7dGXiYxlEVetiCxl7p3AW52QjPd027YCVTlEgOPXyWF9hAqJLj7NbWij4FoFSfAFh8uAxB_fIq_X7VCW2BkAxzaZ1IsdCSSeysnOo/s1600-h/DSC_0955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIkpuZIUJ5CvMobtLv0qJqnmGl8dOV771XQ5nwz7dGXiYxlEVetiCxl7p3AW52QjPd027YCVTlEgOPXyWF9hAqJLj7NbWij4FoFSfAFh8uAxB_fIq_X7VCW2BkAxzaZ1IsdCSSeysnOo/s400/DSC_0955.JPG" width="400" /></a>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-23685236032520884122010-01-23T21:35:00.000-06:002010-01-23T21:35:06.795-06:00Shara's Oatmeal BarsWhat a day...an excellent day :D<br />
<br />
1. I got to sleep in!!<br />
2. I got to spend some time with my <a href="http://thissweetcountrylife.blogspot.com/">bestie</a>...I really needed some girl time!<br />
3. I got to take a nap!<br />
4. The kiddos played really well together!<br />
5. We had homemade pizza!<br />
6. I got to make one of my favorite cookie bars for our Pizza with the Pastors Lunch tomorrow!<br />
<br />
The only downer of the day was that Mike and I were supposed to go out on a date tonight. And technically, we still could have gone, but both agreed it was for the best. He'll be preaching tomorrow because our Sr. Pastor is under the weather, and we felt the time would be better spent on him preparing. Oh well! Thank goodness we made plans in advance for an early Valentine's date 2 weeks from now! :D<br />
<br />
Here's those yummy bars:<br />
<br />
<i>Shara's Oatmeal Bars</i><br />
<i>1 c sugar</i><br />
<i>1 c brown sugar</i><br />
<i>1 c oil</i><br />
<i>3 eggs</i><br />
<i>1 tsp vanilla</i><br />
<i>1 tsp baking soda</i><br />
<i>1 tsp baking powder</i><br />
<i>1 tsp salt</i><br />
<i>2 c flour</i><br />
<i>3 c quick oats</i><br />
<i>1 c chocolate chips</i><br />
<i>1 c butterscotch chips</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 or half-sheet baking pan (13x18). Combine sugar, brown sugar, and oil in mixer. Mix well. Add eggs and vanilla and make sure everything is combined well. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour and oats. Combine again. Lastly, add in chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Dough will be very sticky and thick. Spread dough out into pan. Dough will seem too stiff, but just keep working it out to the edges. It really puffs up during baking! Bake for 15 minutes or just until edges begin to brown. Cool completely before cutting.</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M-Z2U6i3iQ16TSjA9LL-hCVP0MxUTPLWWxxB1g95YIy5PsNZ0y_nf9Gk4LoTQqr3KJ1o6tY7sRpCNcQDpRjRuKeTPuU5dhUXqC2CWr5SjjWfETi35mmb6MJ0AFyFcpdF_oNFCYBfbUA/s1600-h/DSC_0955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M-Z2U6i3iQ16TSjA9LL-hCVP0MxUTPLWWxxB1g95YIy5PsNZ0y_nf9Gk4LoTQqr3KJ1o6tY7sRpCNcQDpRjRuKeTPuU5dhUXqC2CWr5SjjWfETi35mmb6MJ0AFyFcpdF_oNFCYBfbUA/s400/DSC_0955.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z5oSBc5plT45rt1MP2jb-6Cm6LU2ogeKtw3Zf3PePzxf4PyQux94MvO8eFEhaJmBwo_r_J7g_YL2T-Lt96oAiTEQ5clNaca1pY9dGwnFskm53c42BJwVBF-gV65_MFu92CKD8ZXuOHE/s1600-h/DSC_0960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z5oSBc5plT45rt1MP2jb-6Cm6LU2ogeKtw3Zf3PePzxf4PyQux94MvO8eFEhaJmBwo_r_J7g_YL2T-Lt96oAiTEQ5clNaca1pY9dGwnFskm53c42BJwVBF-gV65_MFu92CKD8ZXuOHE/s400/DSC_0960.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><i><br />
</i><br />
And I'm just throwin' this pic in because he's just so darn cute...I mean, look at those lil' freckles! After his shower tonight, he went and fixed his hair all by himself. He's already turning into a metro like his daddy :D I had to hurry & snap this pic before he put his ninja mask on to take on Cader & Daddy....LOL<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhhnzouom98pw8ykZNAml_l7kHVjH7JbwzxrrmQSU7vBHMmX9ExlUGiOwRuli3S_azQ4eJsHz_B17BJ7Kj4iobIlJpj8D6nk6HwtkjqQ0HdsWQOsn6HUqNcxPGQDuf7tKi-TEibEddLE/s1600-h/DSC_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHhhnzouom98pw8ykZNAml_l7kHVjH7JbwzxrrmQSU7vBHMmX9ExlUGiOwRuli3S_azQ4eJsHz_B17BJ7Kj4iobIlJpj8D6nk6HwtkjqQ0HdsWQOsn6HUqNcxPGQDuf7tKi-TEibEddLE/s400/DSC_0953.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-14288798908118452072010-01-22T21:07:00.000-06:002010-01-22T21:07:14.714-06:00Potato Wedges<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We finally had the pulled pork barbeque sandwiches tonight! We were supposed to have them </span></span><a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/ranch-vinaigrette.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wednesday</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, but well, that didn't happen. I served them with pasta salad and potato wedges. Mike told me tonight that everything was really good, but the potatoes were "the money" (in the words of </span></span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/guy-fieri/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guy Fieri </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Food Network chef with crazy white pointy hair and host of one of our fav shows, Diner's Drive-Ins, & Dives). So, I decided to put up this recipe tonight.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Potato Wedges</span></span></b></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 medium potatoes</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp vegetable oil</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp Shara's House Seasoning (see below for recipe)</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp dry ranch mix (or half a package)</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and cut potatoes into desired length and thickness (I cut mine about 2 inches in length by about 1/2 in thick, but there was no real measurement!! I didn't get my ruler out or anything...lol). In a medium bowl, mix the oil, house seasoning, and ranch. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Dump potatoes onto baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25-35 minutes (stirring every 15 minutes) or until fork tender. If potatoes are not browned and crispy, switch oven to Broil and bake until desired crispiness.</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shara's House Seasoning</span></span></b></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 c salt</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp black pepper</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp garlic powder</span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp onion powder</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mix well and use in place of regular salt & pepper :D</span></span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxUmwWBtTXmrzdztbbfyZ0f3P8Cawt2HphpkP0jdQUflMoGLEp51V-8ByUkckUlWL6xfaz2t_GHfZouSvG6lmesNhSxO-vEKBR5SguoVGaQzW7poRFT3GWfdEOfEmMKiR84GK1zNtwUM/s1600-h/DSC_0980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxUmwWBtTXmrzdztbbfyZ0f3P8Cawt2HphpkP0jdQUflMoGLEp51V-8ByUkckUlWL6xfaz2t_GHfZouSvG6lmesNhSxO-vEKBR5SguoVGaQzW7poRFT3GWfdEOfEmMKiR84GK1zNtwUM/s400/DSC_0980.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also baked up a few <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/sharas-oatmeal-cookies.html">Oatmeal Cookies</a> because our dear friend, Chuck and his lovely new bride, Andrea, came over for a short visit after dinner. Chuck said, "I always make room for Shara's Cookies!" He got "brownie" points for that!</span></span><br />
</div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-51960204196321873102010-01-21T20:19:00.000-06:002010-01-21T20:19:28.210-06:00Country StewIt's a dreary, cold day outside, and since we had pizza last night, tonight was Parent's Choice. What did we choose? Stew & sandwiches. I'll be using the pork roast I cooked up yesterday in my crockpot. I also baked up a couple of loaves of <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/good-intentions.html">French Bread</a>.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Country Stew</b></i><br />
<i>6 c water</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)</i><br />
<i>2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder</i><br />
<i>1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder</i><br />
<i>1/4 c cornstarch</i><br />
<i>3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced</i><br />
<i>4 lg carrots, peeled and diced</i><br />
<i>1 can green beans, undrained</i><br />
<i>1 c frozen peas</i><br />
<i>4 c cooked roast (pork or beef)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Place all your ingredients except cornstarch in your crockpot and cover. Cook on high for 4 hours. In the last hour, mix your cornstarch with about 1/4 of broth from crockpot to make a slurry. Pour back into stew and mix well. Continue to cook for the last hour or until all veggies are tender.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
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</i>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-69616918243755164852010-01-20T20:18:00.000-06:002010-01-20T20:18:32.736-06:00Ranch VinaigretteSoooo, it's been one of those days. You know the kind, where everything just seems to not go the way you want it and to top it off, you have a headache all day. Yeah, well, I woke up with the headache, then realized I forgot to put my pork roast in the crockpot last night; decided to pop it in the microwave just to defrost it enough so that it would be ready by dinner, but my microwave quit working (it's 12 years old - I knew it was gonna happen soon, but wasn't happy it happened this morning). Kinda just went down hill from there, and Mike (my fabulous, fantastic, wonderful hubby) picked up some pizza for us on his way home tonight. So, my pulled pork sandwiches will be for tomorrow night, I guess :D<br />
<br />
I wanted to share this homemade dressing with you and I'll be honest, the basis of this recipe came from my Momma. Now, <b><i>SHE</i></b> is an amazing cook...I dream to be like her someday :D<br />
<br />
If you love ranch dressing but you're looking for something lower in calories (a long time ago, I figured it out to be 63 calories for 2 Tbsp) or maybe you just like tangy vinaigrettes rather than creamy dressings, then you've got to give this a try. It's my favorite!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Ranch Vinaigrette</b></i><br />
<i>1 c vinegar</i><br />
<i>1/2 c oil</i><br />
<i>1/4 c water</i><br />
<i>1 pkg dry ranch mix</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Add all ingredients to a jar. Cover and shake well. Store in refrigerator. It will separate while in fridge, so be sure to shake well before using.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxLygdPRId-bTIDcPyDfRnsCaJAyl2nqXDIdJOoMYbc9QmaBX0Fwpgraadn5VbS02di_smLY2wU5w9J9jDna0ome0caky610O8i0Fh-PRM4IrRIZ-YxW3VxZMYu1sU5fm8wOFh99uwFE/s1600-h/DSC_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxLygdPRId-bTIDcPyDfRnsCaJAyl2nqXDIdJOoMYbc9QmaBX0Fwpgraadn5VbS02di_smLY2wU5w9J9jDna0ome0caky610O8i0Fh-PRM4IrRIZ-YxW3VxZMYu1sU5fm8wOFh99uwFE/s400/DSC_0956.JPG" width="317" /></a><br />
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</i>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-45348857016906267602010-01-19T19:57:00.003-06:002010-01-19T22:56:15.282-06:00Ciabatta Change<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Change - is a difficult thing for me, most of the time. I like changing stuff around on my computer, aka blog (as you've probably noticed...I'm just trying to get it to look just right - my perfectionism at it's best); I like changing the furniture around in our house; I like changing up recipes. But when it comes to big life stuff, I don't handle it so well (friends changing or moving, changes at church, someone else changing my stuff impulsively). However, I'm not one of those kinds that fights it kicking and screaming...just more like sulking and crying :D I also know from experience that it is a necessary process, for growing, for becoming more mature, for gaining wisdom, for becoming the woman God that wants me to be.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last summer, we noticed a cocoon on the outside of our garage. It was super cool. Everyday we'd check on it. It went from a vibrant green color to black. At one point, I wasn't even for sure that it was a cocoon. But then one day it looked like this:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xO66zjhgzWbpKQ9BMdubOhnXzsMKkP98KSi3aqJJrfx0QHH_uxrDqXb86GuyXW7ySYUmCZXvNN5ae6NArIc3mJZGWYIXYr9Pv9l93-M38-2o6iCQGmXHmKwwLBf5cPmQtJB2t_mjcoU/s1600-h/7734_160182668637_677178637_3532128_3034231_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xO66zjhgzWbpKQ9BMdubOhnXzsMKkP98KSi3aqJJrfx0QHH_uxrDqXb86GuyXW7ySYUmCZXvNN5ae6NArIc3mJZGWYIXYr9Pv9l93-M38-2o6iCQGmXHmKwwLBf5cPmQtJB2t_mjcoU/s320/7734_160182668637_677178637_3532128_3034231_n.jpg" /></span></span></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could actually see the print of the butterfly. And by the end of the day it looked like this:</span></span><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47U5SlmlufqonytIoBYp2IOmaKASkqMC32Bhp5lahni44p-So6uiaxhxYpYEADhbgaKTOaMLcBR6GIkvBQCGSl3RVBoZ0weWbzDCBRGjAw88OrAUVTJocR_NS-_dAotWgDM2eD6CrVic/s1600-h/7734_160182683637_677178637_3532130_7532674_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47U5SlmlufqonytIoBYp2IOmaKASkqMC32Bhp5lahni44p-So6uiaxhxYpYEADhbgaKTOaMLcBR6GIkvBQCGSl3RVBoZ0weWbzDCBRGjAw88OrAUVTJocR_NS-_dAotWgDM2eD6CrVic/s320/7734_160182683637_677178637_3532130_7532674_n.jpg" /></span></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow.</span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Leave it to God to teach us about patience, change, endurance, beauty through a tiny little butterfly.</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what does this have to do with food?! Tonight is pasta night and I wanted to make Ciabatta bread to go with it. I've never made this bread b/c of the length of time it takes. It begins with a starter that has to proof for at least 8 hours, then mixes with some more ingredients and it changes. Then proofs again for another 2 hours, and it changes again. Then you shape it and it proofs one more time - for another hour. However, the outcome from the patience and changing process is beauty:</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfkPE7T69GFZbTUgc_QYd3z4iOZwnvrhxxDqvUoUoFci8p01W33p89vHVTWE69tLdC_zqeWe-hsf1jiLUpbtc2Y7n9UcWQs4SQG9eUN5MWKHiLkDv7yaxMgE5ycoE0fO-6rn4GHzCqsM/s1600-h/DSC_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFfkPE7T69GFZbTUgc_QYd3z4iOZwnvrhxxDqvUoUoFci8p01W33p89vHVTWE69tLdC_zqeWe-hsf1jiLUpbtc2Y7n9UcWQs4SQG9eUN5MWKHiLkDv7yaxMgE5ycoE0fO-6rn4GHzCqsM/s320/DSC_0956.JPG" /></span></span></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr_5KMrestc2xvmH1jZLtp5yYc614OxvCFj3CPJKl_JENI6Me2y7efX6LQxD747MRL_3k70XNfaXujXrSVjRR4Paj48lzzqCZno6Z1Yp_KyPYjGsogFN0nevcyzeKLSm9bThOM4CdF1U/s1600-h/DSC_0954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr_5KMrestc2xvmH1jZLtp5yYc614OxvCFj3CPJKl_JENI6Me2y7efX6LQxD747MRL_3k70XNfaXujXrSVjRR4Paj48lzzqCZno6Z1Yp_KyPYjGsogFN0nevcyzeKLSm9bThOM4CdF1U/s320/DSC_0954.JPG" /></span></span></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The length of time is what gives the bread such a deep flavor and the awesome airy pockets in the texture.</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">God knew what He was doing with nature, with the science of this delicious Ciabatta bread, and He knows what He's doing with me.</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just for my benefit, I'm gonna repeat that last part...He knows what He's doing with me.</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Ciabatta Bread</i></span></span></b><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Starter:</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 1/2 c flour</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 c cool water</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1/16 tsp instant yeast</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dough:</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>all of the starter</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 tsp instant yeast</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 1/2 c flour</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 1/4 tsp salt</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 Tbsp sugar</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 Tbsp dry milk</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1/4 c lukewarm water</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>2 Tbsp olive oil</i></span></span><br />
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</i> </span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>For Starter: Mix the starter ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Cover the starter and let it rest at room temperature at least 8 hours, overnight, or for up to 15 hours. It will become bubbly.</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Place all of the dough ingredients, including the starter, into the bowl of your mixer, and beat at medium speed, using the flat beater, for 7 minutes. The dough will be very smooth, soft, shiny, and elastic. (it will even look a little runny - if it doesn't, add 1-2 Tbsp water). Transfer dough to a greased bowl or other rising container, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour, deflate it and rise another hour. Grease your large baking sheet and grease your hands. Transfer dough onto pan and split in two parts, using your hands or a tool of your choice. Do this very gently as you don't want to deflate it. It'll lose a bit of volume, but don't actively punch it down. Shape into 2 logs. Let rise for another 45 minutes - 1 hour. Halfway through, dimple the top with your fingers (this means, just poke it a few times - lol) Towards the end of this rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spritz the loaves with water. Some of the dimples should have disappeared by this time. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. This bread is perfect with pasta, made into garlic toast, used for making sub sandwiches.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
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</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-6678591131697229712010-01-18T19:55:00.009-06:002010-01-19T22:55:29.320-06:00Chalupa<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, tonight was Mexican Night and we had Chalupas. This meat is fantastic on a tortilla like in my picture, or even just topped with a little sour cream and salsa and used as a dip. It's wonderful and delicious and makes a ton and freezes well. It's an all around great dish to make!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Chalupa</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2 lbs pork roast</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qN-7DtP8GhHneI8COz9XcvjffFVB96vniwedCULbfiWdVXtDtHv8HLmdZ-cQJNnxuKRv2X45YM1Kq8U4xayPemZzbilA3oLLCxo4FdKnssDrWP7rHX93-YaswjCwofxiNxwoJ8x72bU/s1600-h/DSC_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qN-7DtP8GhHneI8COz9XcvjffFVB96vniwedCULbfiWdVXtDtHv8HLmdZ-cQJNnxuKRv2X45YM1Kq8U4xayPemZzbilA3oLLCxo4FdKnssDrWP7rHX93-YaswjCwofxiNxwoJ8x72bU/s320/DSC_0924.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2 Tbsp chili powder</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2 Tbsp garlic powder</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2 tsp oregano</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>2 Tbsp cumin</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>1 Tbsp vinegar</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>1 Tbsp salt</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>pepper to taste</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>1-2 lbs dry pinto beans, rinsed</i></span></span><br />
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</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Cover with water and c</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>ook on high until roast is tender and beans</i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>are tender, at least 8 hours. Break up roast with fork and serve with flour tortillas or nacho chips.</i></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></b><br />
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</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-59920314532118432392010-01-17T16:37:00.006-06:002010-01-19T22:54:49.669-06:00Shara's Oatmeal Cookies<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, how I love oatmeal cookies. The earthy cinnamon and oats, the chocolatey goodness of the slightly melted chocolate chips....mmmmm. This recipe is my collision of an old recipe that my maternal grandmother makes and another recipe I found on the internet. They're soft, chewy, cinnamony, chocolatey, yummy. Which is why I HAD to make them this afternoon! :D</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Shara's Oatmeal Cookies</span></i></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427894494444636130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJUnuB3Bj3oBKbS1mOySQsRS5lhHk-fJibMsK5q9f5bOIHTCLkD0_DwW3GkmFLD6k1KVUu_4PFnAA8j3Sao6hW9txqx76XvI7x3RMlgNCYnMl6wh2-dyIbQmYWFosHATbcLBTSLdOfZI/s320/DSC_0912.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c butter</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c butter flavored shortenting</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 c brown sugar</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c sugar</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">2 eggs</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp vanilla</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">2 tsp cinnamon</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp salt</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp baking soda</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 c flour</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">3 c quick oats</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1 c chocolate chips</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">flavored shortening, brown sugar, sugar,</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> and pudding mix. Add </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the flour,</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on cookie sheets.</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">removing from cookie sheets to cool completely.</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Store in airtight container.</span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i> Make sure you eat a few right away, because they don't last long!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica, serif; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-68198938779016895482010-01-16T15:44:00.006-06:002010-01-19T22:54:03.493-06:00Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif; font-size: small;">Today is Brunch & Leftovers day. We had my version of bacon/egg mcmuffins for brunch and then leftovers from the week for early dinner. I fixed these yummy lil' sandwiches early this week, but saved it for today's post.</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Chocolate Sandwich Cookies</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427459718564376002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggocSVb1Hpvb-AXJDyYGi8L_i8vAQ0fu3yyytEbkuHNB38x2YzojpqKe6z0KlKkpXvj44__2nTA4pQwC5CWovO56rXJnFPrRtRrSvB3yrLa2iHAblDgxjsw-52xtsuuaAZEv_jiYEbdDM/s320/DSC_0885.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Cookie: </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c shortening</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 egg</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 c sugar</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp vanilla</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/2 c flour</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c cocoa</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp salt</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 c milk</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Filling:</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbsp butter, softened</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbsp shortening</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 c marshmallow creme</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 c powdered sugar</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 tsp vanilla</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Helvetica, serif; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, serif; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Cookie: Beat 1/2 c shortening, egg, sugar, and 1</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">tsp vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">salt. Add milk. Blend slowly until mixed well.</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">minutes.</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Filling: Cream butter and shortening. Add</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">marshmallow cream and powdered sugar. Add</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">vanilla. Spread in between 2 cookies to make a</span></span></i><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">sandwich.</span></span></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">And, in case you were wondering, these are 2 of my favorite things in my kitchen (my KitchenAid, which I've had for 10yrs now and my blue spatula):</span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427460630549360498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CItElFfIxaQ8-dOJjHfWgQDWFBQvl_moZBEhNDSZbuSkW7ovuHEMosSBj7ABLBasn_pxqA6QR0B0VNOeAVu4TaV6nRIeqeW44yk3d0ae97J5J7xOCB9ZR4V4zNL0-OmeY0Q9_YjJ9cs/s320/DSC_0881.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" /><br />
<div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div></span></span><br />
</div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-12360691807485475742010-01-15T19:33:00.009-06:002010-01-19T22:51:20.117-06:00You Asked<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I got a request earlier this week for Sloppy Joes...well, I aim to please :D Friday is typically Burger Night, and since Sloppy Joes are made with ground beef and you put it on a hamburger bun...well, there you go. Plus - I like these waaaaaaay better than a burger!</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Sloppy Joes</span></span></i><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427153096316932914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxy9DT6DH75qH4bieQzuPL4fZTXNpRqZ09EN7ceXn-Kt3lfOR3LuCtbfm1y07uc1WRELYo1pVA6QLicxyQkb18kZCZLnzs8vf1cEoJwL71w8EDDYK8hbusPPVK7ATPUbiJTjl-oyeEVc/s320/DSC_0909.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 c ketchup</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp mustard</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp brown sugar</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 tsp garlic powder</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 c chopped onion & green peppers</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 lb ground beef</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Brown ground beef with onions & peppers. Season well with salt & pepper, to taste. While beef is cooking, mix up ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside. Drain grease from beef. Add in ketchup mixture. Stir and then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until completely heated through. Place cooked Sloppy Joe mix on a hamburger bun; top with cheese, if desired.</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">My kids (and Mike) are not fond of veggies like onions and green peppers, esp the peppers. As an alternative, I just add onion powder (about 1/2 tsp) to my ketchup mix. When I went to Glenn's Bulk Foods on Monday, I picked up some dehydrated green & red peppers, and thought I'd give it a try tonight (about 1/2 tsp). I loved it! AND I got no complaints about the "green thingies"!</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">P.S. Kuddos to my fantastic hubby who's been taking the pics of all my food this week. He's awesome at photography :D</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For your enjoyment, here's some pics of my crazy kids...LOL</span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427151992043782274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvpm7nnPnfIhQpM4KeKufMt_OgWoW2T8UBR37i2ZImhPGj2rCwLcCedjIPyoH6FDqMoYAz0tP902jDhajFkNDINhuVjmPYv3QRAhRa_qSg66hIM1aalXy0u6JEpZOTTGIbnWaTdRb9H0/s320/DSC_0759a.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cade - he's 8</span><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427150490978842738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGhrACCB_F7IsIMX_G4FknOocHUKL-w1aUsHzUXZQx_NyWtsIxFgGVxhoAMaexZL_f9Fuc91vJa6XVkPRCsbYUJ6KPOPenbsrxwRSbdXnL5Wr0ZWAKhqv2LElNcI6laOdt7IwnB5R_Xs/s320/DSC_0917.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clark's 3</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427149772864002066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yaguC9-q0_EaPtH4V8ByANOYZx3xruhseT66dbL4BYuZHOjS7RLsoBjLMBM4PDVayCzbffwsBu_6vtxdVnzT6hDNyFAdxBIQDHPoHosshLw9xJQdMF0RTKfS-jPYLPoiWvqGp152Czs/s320/DSC_0913.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And then there's Reagan, 6. She's the craziest one!</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-33427342247639975032010-01-14T18:51:00.019-06:002010-01-28T17:29:06.713-06:00Pizza Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We love Pizza Night around here! Last week, PapaJohn's cooked for me :D This week, I'm back to my old self and was ready for some homemade stuff. I doubled my dough recipe which made 2 large pizzas and a small pan of breadsticks.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQcSlpVhtL50iZko5-FsqrZG4AN3Vfhsv8dfhMdCK4HNoKKnGzYM7bvomScsO1f97A_FMfnI-FL1dUPIkgLpcHnUwV6W8OmouQnzTn_7J9uMhyA_wDymnmyppXS46UKhmG8uZ9YVbzSE/s1600/DSC_0907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426773955581695506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQcSlpVhtL50iZko5-FsqrZG4AN3Vfhsv8dfhMdCK4HNoKKnGzYM7bvomScsO1f97A_FMfnI-FL1dUPIkgLpcHnUwV6W8OmouQnzTn_7J9uMhyA_wDymnmyppXS46UKhmG8uZ9YVbzSE/s320/DSC_0907.JPG" style="height: 213px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div></div><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOxIlIjSG-Ru_Rj-DkndO3co7-rWV7KMXq9bJ0b6KTekfokaXBJ8H8xZ2WQFQsXULRMdQu4x9d2dMViLNJj-k9PpgjytgcYRS8BD6NfWzPaAKVnLJAwLJNDphTVF5spvnWbhxjTmHmHQ/s1600/DSC_0900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426773342275640130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOxIlIjSG-Ru_Rj-DkndO3co7-rWV7KMXq9bJ0b6KTekfokaXBJ8H8xZ2WQFQsXULRMdQu4x9d2dMViLNJj-k9PpgjytgcYRS8BD6NfWzPaAKVnLJAwLJNDphTVF5spvnWbhxjTmHmHQ/s320/DSC_0900.JPG" style="height: 213px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic;">Pizza Dough</span><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 pkgs yeast</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Tbsp sugar</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Tbsp olive oil</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 c very warm water</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp garlic salt</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp italian seasoning or pizza seasoning (optional)</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 c whole wheat flour</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 - 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour</span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> </i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Dump the wheat flour plus 1/2 c of regular flour into mixer. Add yeast, sugar, and warm water. Mix well for about 3 minutes, until yeast is completely dissolved and bubbles start to form. Add olive oil, garlic salt, and seasoning (if desired). Mix well. Add enough rest of flour to form a stiff dough. Knead in mixer for about 5 minutes or until dough looks smooth. Let rest for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare toppings. After letting dough rest, divide into 2 parts and stretch out on 2 greased pizza pans or don't divide and put on 1 large half sheet baking pan. Top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is thoroughly melted.</span></i><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our toppings of choice tonight (nearly every week, actually): half cheese/half pepperoni</span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426773686701548834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5BoP_2NLbnUoM_cjstrymXT1OzPnUaNb1V5wZCFOnJukFYWs5RHAWXM7sGnagQh3bDwPFuwNK7wEHCi_4_YM1tgVTZmod9OeikLG8Ki1saJbTCEt_uh6HGEW5L5nN_zsnp5rEbKFB1c/s320/DSC_0902.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and thin crust Cheeseburger (for me and Mike)</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426772948129799570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2tdzhtnx9msACrdxPWRYFchLVeurPD1hYbMvvNdZAEH-Y95PvRWlEnGXnyYiHYe25cw1g0SxrDdyYtS7hX7iwCWygh8Zuo9Oe7a3aqH5hLhYuaOZr6ZFq1nF2LZhyphenhyphenrkRMceOQ9NuIBw/s320/DSC_0917.JPG" style="display: block; height: 213px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had a ton leftover....good thing the kids want sack lunches for school tomorrow!</span><br />
</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-60203713901984275682010-01-13T15:29:00.018-06:002010-01-19T22:52:26.681-06:00Brown Sugar Chicken<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;">It's been another busy day with running errands, and so I love using my crockpot on these kind of days. Since tonight was Parent's Choice, and since Mike and I love Chinese food, I made Brown Sugar Chicken. This is so, so easy to throw together. The recipe calls for chicken breasts, but I actually prefer to use chicken thighs if I have them (which is what I used today).</span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426416677057101442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdbk_e_OqDQaYHs6v1CiSwCKI8ejGk1bHlLvpUIVmBOmaTmecNXFCLF1Qfi1IhhFcSrn8TSTGC7D-MztDr9rZBjmNjxiTnbE0VWmbUCQZKjQ1e2p7heLMYPYPamLtcEZ5cde1eKwwtu0w/s320/DSC_0885.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif; font-style: italic;"><br />
Brown Sugar Chicken</span><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 lbs frozen, boneless chicken, cut into chunks</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbsp soy sauce</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 c vinegar</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 c lemon-lime soda </span><span style="font-size: small;">(or whatever you might have on hand - I actually use Diet Coke!)</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 c brown sugar</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tbsp minced garlic</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper (to taste)</span></span></i><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Place frozen chicken in crockpot. Mix together rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over the top of the chicken. Cover with lid and set crockpot to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve with rice or fried rice</span></span></i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">As I was reading one of my favorite blogs today (</span></span><a href="http://http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Baker's Banter</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">), I saw a post about a Mystery Cake. Welllll, since I'm a Campbell, here's my version of this old cake:</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Campbell's Cake</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>4 Tbsp butter, softened</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 c sugar</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 egg</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 can Campbell's Tomato soup</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 tsp baking soda</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1 1/2 c </i></span></span><a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-unbleached-all-purpose-flour-5-lb-bag" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: silver; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">f</span></i></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>lour</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-unbleached-all-purpose-flour-5-lb-bag" style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; border-bottom-color: silver; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"></a>1/2 tsp baking powder</span></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1/2 tsp ginger</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>2 tsp cinnamon</i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><i>Cream Cheese frosting (I used Betty Crocker's)</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pan or one muffin tin (12 count). Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Open tomato soup and add the baking soda, stir. It will foam up like this:</i></span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426365982577551906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBilO0hwXA7Wa7PC_uBwtrKeB70t54eE7OzvKdqwktV4vROQCNIxLb342LDeVdvDAPj3pAT-jb_0CKshHmR5zXV35zfs56fK1feSCBKHuAO9PMIAmzS2F1BliJa4PPsyZbPsY6LhRfWM/s320/DSC_0878.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 261px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><i>Add this to the creamed mixture, and mix well. It will look curdled, but this is okay :D In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and spices. Add this to the rest of the tomato mixture and beat well (on medium for 1-2 minutes). Pour batter into pan or divide out into muffin tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes for 9 inch pan or 20-25 minutes for cupcakes. Cool completely and top with Cream Cheese frosting.</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;">Seeing as I always get at least one set of the rolled eyes and "I don't really like Chinese" or "do I have to eat the rice?", these yummy lil' spiced cupcakes were the redeeming factor.</span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426366460758316770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cchf8Y1EZ9-layVKcnXh1BX8VGfjlkNA0IfOV3XDl7rgIP3ono2VMRjQ40BXBUjEQ6B5sLxmaA3PGpPXcnnlLM9zWjk0pcIoOFDyPECr45g5lHagF3oVmACCN6a82eAVP8Bq5lIB9IM/s320/DSC_0882.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-30486064738108843112010-01-12T14:33:00.019-06:002010-01-19T22:53:01.368-06:00Baby It's Cold Outside<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;">Brrrrr - it's cold outside, guys!! It's way colder than I thought it was going to be (I thought it was going to be in the 50's, but I know it didn't reached that!) I even saw it snowing a little this morning! On days like this, I just want to grab a cup of hot tea, a blanket, and a book or my computer and hibernate. I didn't have this luxury today seeing as how the dishes were piled up and I hadn't done laundry since....ummm.....last Thursday and I still needed to get my thank you's done from Christmas and well, you know how it goes.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I know that tonight is pasta night, and I did make homemade Mac-n-Cheese for the kiddos, but I wanted something a little lower in fat but filling for me & Mike. Here's what I fixed:</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425974025854896018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGIQssR1h5Xy4NaHK5iysWPjL6KXbdp-OpLeHk1p8X97sLkkaI95E11f8de4IO39mj5qX8SSz-YRng1udKtFBudjyZmZY0vet_njq0g7i8wjItCSjM9LtmEYcw8uAs5KYLzgR0rBNPQo/s320/DSC_0880.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>Mexican Beef Soup</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>1 26oz jar of salsa (I used Great Value Corn & Black Bean from Walmart b/c that's my favorite and it has the extra veggies & beans; if you like stuff spicy, use hot salsa!)</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>3 c beef broth (chicken or veggie broth would be fine, too, though)</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>2 c cooked hamburger (I used our leftovers from last night's tacos!) (you could even use up leftover roast..yum!)</i></span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>1 can of corn, undrained</i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i>Dump everything in your pot and simmer on the stove until hot or better yet, dump it in your crockpot in the morning, set it on low, and you'll be good to go for dinner!</i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">I actually fixed this at lunch and it literally took me, </span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425974442771201410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUFMX_5RoLEYQIhOMTUFIt_vbaSmsrzW20midm8Xrjcz_8AR-TM6QMfIClwqdMVsECWVYm6e_DWSFLZmDvfa6uK1Fu0PaGHm2ofCRRUmIMwQaNOBkXdJeGrQ-Wnau3z6HczdE83Aj5CY/s320/DSC_0882.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';">at the max, 20 minutes to throw together and heat up. I topped it with some crushed tortilla chips. YUMMO! Even though I made this at lunch, we'll be having it again for supper.</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>Baked Cheesy Macaroni</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>2 c uncooked pasta</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>1/4 c flour</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>2 3/4 c milk</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>1/2 c cheese powder</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>3 c shredded cheddar cheese</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>1/4 tsp black pepper</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>1 tsp salt (or to taste)</i></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package. Grease a 2 quart dish. Over medium heat, whisk together flour, cheese powder, and milk. (cheese powder may not want to dissolve - this is okay). Bring to a boil. Remove this from heat and add 2 cups of cheddar, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheddar melts. Add this to cooked pasta and pour all into your greased pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out and add remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.</i></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426019253077726098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nah-dX8SDEFH8dZRoQnKJ6HKw1pblqOXTK9NlIkRG1XQ1VXNipOV5Nw1sMz0MAx0g6zdXSMdMfNTXgYbJz5Lil-PwgRX5r2a3rWh4fv6srqjNkmjQqf7TFQbzD8K94IOwBI00aGJoFw/s320/DSC_0877.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;">You'll notice the Diet Coke in the background...you'll probably see this a lot.... :D</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426018797612112114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvds2GYtUeKwr5ZwTq52t4riVJ6ASWBUS7O4vsg3m2i1TMZ1pZwDIp3K8_vm8gIRkC-J3mM2NXJwncrg5HIXwl3vxWOru6X5BQxZCKGmCOBoODe8l_YY1dAquKrnQEqwnghAvBUksEe4/s320/DSC_0881.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;">I told you yesterday about my visit to Glenn's Bulk Foods. I also mentioned how much I love this store. I used to buy my specialty baking items online, never knowing this little gem of a store was only a short drive out of Hutchinson. Once I finally went there, I've never looked back. I no longer have to pay shipping for all my baking needs (and wants)!!!! When I went there yesterday, I decided to finally try their cheese powder, perfect for making homemade mac-n-cheese. One of the Mennonite ladies working there was willing to share a simple recipe for how to use this powder (and I will try this recipe another time), but I decided to try my own version of a baked mac-n-cheese.</span><br />
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</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-16022268858591621412010-01-11T19:15:00.014-06:002010-01-19T22:46:33.060-06:00It's Monday...Again<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, Ya'll....I'm </span></span><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">t i r e d</span></span></i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">! Mondays are a crazy: Clark to speech therapy, got half of my groceries at Glen's Bulk Foods (awesome, awesome, awesome store, by the way!), came home to babysit my lil' Lucy over the lunch hour, finished up getting my other half of groceries @ Walmart (ugh), and by this time, the older two were home from school....starving, of course. Good thing it's Mexican night...Tacos! Easy, Peasy!</span></span><br />
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<div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425667992424673026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcC0PmbVKjEf77qUalwb5dlhJISGcfvQe9-6aRaZumLlw81FQBdtlDsZOmGkbbgqT7hsgPI3PWLZG1t9NsXS3l6TbPiTPe-sYIXJ5sZBVWKhRH0s_0wbK6OWIpeHY_sjbgK1nN4zAEZLE/s320/DSC_0886.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 226px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Brown up some hamburger meat, sprinkle on your favorite seasoning. Warm up the taco shells and tortillas. Set out your favorite toppings (tonight we had refried beans, farmer's cheese, chopped romaine, leftover corn, & salsa).</span></span><br />
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</div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425668506146677378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoqywRfcStf_mF5wS4451VwvRevJqjAGQkuwSHEE6yVfSqtWqRyEXZIaE1gDYEoEvSWPCG99y32P9w6nhzuqy5JsxdldVrbn9o1jsBXSuWHzXs_qv9X7_bFHZiYme15BGX2fiRTyL5i4/s320/DSC_0882.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">If you haven't discovered these yet, I want to introduce you to these yummy little white corn taco shells. We tried them several months ago, and I'll never go back to buying yellow corn shells. These are just too good. Very light and crispy!!</span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425668827568860690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijP21MHC-IaVxkXbk8yFoo6gzxtMgnd-MidY3CwaY8p2SVwXFEGXyzVfq2kJdEINF-P-pAqz36PPy0P9vo-PqdckyLpud_oECknPFZRi_csN8sm0VQTa89jiA_F0dlHb7B3uhJInh72uM/s320/DSC_0879.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 273px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
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</div></div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-13291052915490817742010-01-10T15:35:00.006-06:002010-01-19T22:45:32.481-06:00Smells Good Enough to Eat<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;">Okay, so this really isn't something to eat, but it's sooooo much fun! My kids have spent hours, HOURS, playing with this homemade playdough. It's fun to make, fun to play with, fun to smell, fun to look at....it's just FUN! A year and a half ago, the summer of 08, when Clark broke his leg...this is the one thing that kept his sanity and mine! That's impressive for a 2 year old!</span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>H</i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">omemade Playdough</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 c flour</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 c salt</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp cream of tartar</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tbsp oil</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">2 c boiling water</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">food colorings</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">liquid flavorings</span></span></i><br />
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</span></span></i><br />
</div><div><i><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: small;">Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Add oil to hot water, and then add this to flour mixture. After well mixed, divide dough into equal parts and add your favorite colors, and if desired, your favorite flavorings (vanilla, almond, peppermint, etc.) You can use your hands to knead the color and flavorings in, but I recommend using rubber gloves so that the color doesn't stain your hands. Store the dough in ziploc bags. Lasts several months.</span></span></i><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425232241747116850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxKNlFZRUEid06Z1I7Qj-GEqhoubAg2ADD9yHs1n16vIwb85oBrPuInIuNN8N2XNWqpMZeyss7OxBzEpTzaSaJQVuxqmkwnBgLhOI1wQunPKSgbEdxqgGy-R6I2y25EoDRRQ32gMfigs/s320/ddd-main_Full.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></i></span></span><br />
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</div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-37532236527324381372010-01-09T17:41:00.006-06:002010-01-19T22:44:55.308-06:00Saturday Brunch<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I had a busy morning with worship practice today, so by the time I got home and got our meal ready, it was actually noon :0) We went ahead with breakfast food, though...b/c I LOVE breakfast food!! (technically, there's not much food that I don't love, but that's beside the point). We had pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs.</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Fanny Farmer Pancakes</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">2 c flour</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4 c sugar</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 tsp salt</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 Tbsp baking powder</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 egg</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">2 c milk</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">2 Tbsp butter, melted</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
</span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Combine dry ingredients. Add egg and milk and</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">stir well. Add butter. Fry 1/4 c of batter (or</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">desired amount) on hot griddle. Serve with</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">favorite toppings.</span></i></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (Mine happens to be the <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-new-year.html">Cinnamon Syrup</a> I listed last week...yummo!)</span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story behind these pancakes being named "Fanny Farmer" is that a couple of years ago, Reagan brought home a book from the Hutch Library and had this recipe in it. I've loved it ever since. It's basic, easy, but yummy.</span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424893110564004882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYybw_URFCMnUOez4T52thoBQp51_7NwQ-aaun6eVcYZj69fKYiJmmoofON_LwRjqSvOocBWCa05JMbhoTg9rAzefdT27hFOPJ0Jl_tDxqtwEd20aWOy94DcoxCg9tiJaAUwzUvzKe5PU/s320/DSC_0877.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', serif; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
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</div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-37681227918075268342010-01-08T18:12:00.022-06:002010-01-19T22:42:49.842-06:00Burger Night<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tonight is Burger Night and since I have the freedom to make burgers how I want, I used my Burger Bun recipe to actually make Beef Hot Pockets and Pizza Hot Pockets :0)</span></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Burger Buns</span></i></span><br />
</div><div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">4 1/2 c flour</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">2 pkgs yeast</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4 c sugar</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 1/2 tsp salt</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1/4 c butter or margarine</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 egg</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1 c milk</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">1/2 c water</span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Mix 1 1/2 c flour, yeast, and sugar in mixer. Heat</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">milk, water, and margarine in microwave for 1</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">minute or warm to wrist (not hot). Add to first</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">mixture and let mix for about 5 minutes. </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Add egg</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">and salt and mix well. Add enough extra flour to</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">make firm dough. Beat for about 5 minutes</span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">or</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">until smooth. Let rise for 30 minutes. Form into </span><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">hamburger buns or hotpockets. Let rise again for</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">another 30 minutes on greased cookie sheets.</span></i></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.</span></i></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"></span></span><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;">I used up some of the leftover <a href="http://sharacampbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/parents-choice-night.html">roast beef</a> from earlier this week with some shredded cheese to make the beef ones. I used about a tsp of spaghetti sauce, some shredded cheese and mini pepperonies to make the pizza ones. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424552097341286274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MHnx1tZeNSdy3Q0oNRwB_bleHU16Jg0-7allxtLf_u-C8s06a488meUaphIH9vvs_d5fj-ktUH4kcH-0Zzw80mfja9YLGtt5wBTqLU5DsuRd-iUvSkOLsMk2af46_63elMz9FexaPdE/s320/DSC01975.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 174px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-family: Times, serif;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's what the pizza ones look like in the making process:</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424551581228627794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Y0lXD-56uat-Lpd0Egy77CmDnbS-DjYY1n9xe1jIfrI4xeWJMmVuo4dABOmt74GXkQKye26cFurwXgQVOH1vwfNaOWjSJ4bZ94GBUYm3QghLKtgN1XQKJ3UEcgpR_ok309QyL45kSNg/s320/DSC01979.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 214px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here they are rising.</span></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande';"><span style="font-size: medium;">And here's the final product:</span></span><br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424550985048728642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrb6R8bWd9lXwgRvbgdGOX1BIf2IaNZ6lvAkrCZ9rvIzmbNI3rTtkzeszQajOSlGOOJiHCpis9h35riG13Nvm6CYbN8GeFGrDwX3TSCKaTxzEZkMak7_Oc8JMag1G4CspsNL0m9itp0M/s320/DSC01981.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424548985801065506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ2FSsSH-pZMNLNgrMQ5TbnMrUHtWyCns97OcDKw1vM7fjYOlr8iAEKq03I_coUOJYINfpTdtC7czQ8A1HnEwd0S_5myePTLhKtIxyU7UKXbCwPCFQe3xKhMQ8AH6ckS6GdzbeE0E05Tc/s320/DSC01987.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span><br />
</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424549813824705794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRH59xOIlP_Z2XISntXdPs0SZ7onWIbucnl7RWoLiIKC-WsXf8g17NEPoFWYlrazWV38BxgHeun4JNr4ec9-CUzEP5zciNd6PxL2iwbzN6tNRnqtN4QDB_gafqFDd2tNHgpum0-A9KNs/s320/DSC01989.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I really, really like this bread recipe. It's my favorite and I use it for several different recipes (hamburger buns, hotdog buns, hotpockets, Bacon Bread, and Monkey Bread). However, if you are not a homemade bread maker, you can always use frozen bread dough. You'll just have to follow the directions on the package for the rising process. Oh, and I'll be posting those other recipes in the future :0)</span></span><br />
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</div><div><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">P.S. For all of you who sent me sweet messages of encouragement, I deeply appreciate it. It's odd how the smallest of things can trigger depression. I recently switched meds, and it's helped tremendously. This time around it only lasted a couple of days instead of weeks. I know that your prayers for me were heard, too, b/c I felt them.</span></span><br />
</div></div>Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84505320170619609.post-59453830356843233032010-01-07T17:33:00.007-06:002010-01-19T22:40:00.019-06:00It's Pizza Night!!<div style="text-align: left;">Well, we've made it to the kid's official favorite night of the week. They actually get up on Thursday mornings and announce that it's Pizza Night. On the menu tonight: Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, and Sausage/Bacon/Mushroom.<br />
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</div><div>As a disclaimer, I want to point out that I deal with depression, and have for 4 years this month. It's particularly difficult during this time of the year....when it's so cold all the time, when the days are so dark, when the kids can't go outside, when the hoopla of the holidays are over, etc. It's because of the depression that I quit doing my last blog. However, it's because of the depression that I've started this one. I need something to keep me busy, something to look forward to, an outlet, a hobby. This all brings me to the last couple of days. It's been tough. Feelings of worthlessness, of doubt; struggling abnormally with my weight; being overly angry at the kids; wanting to just sleep all day; crying over stupid stuff. They usually just creep up on me.<br />
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</div><div>So even though I LOVE TO BAKE (and I especially enjoy making homemade pizza), today was just not one of those normal days. So I'm glad I have a hubby who's willing to do this for me:<br />
</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424174131201530082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Kec9w8D9s4pYa963nGou0kUzZTsr_E7ltUR0M2GxzjGcJDhqkUoeaT5CFCoknf-gFuPopUX8HdhiUOUk9Gbasbm1EQLqB8kPmuFEdDqdgf2yRKzjVz0EB-c6pyFEwrM4jWBS_pI3xQk/s320/DSC01967.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424173657090167090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY53tEdV5bmjEJ-UKhDhRY-R67fS1ik7tooVSMgIRPNiT_vrDN7Jtq0UbYvuLL5wD5V2w4CsIAAE_18RiTltuU_kkBj4XPwPQfTUSBaoojOe1qr6JHPeTmMauPzCAr-m5tQf2y5NRGts/s320/DSC01969.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" />Sharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16218382132745009276noreply@blogger.com1