Fall Bucket List

Every year my Aunt Jenny makes a summer fun list with her kids. I've always wanted to do one so I decided to make my family a fall bucket list. I have already filled up our calendar for the next month with these activities and I can't wait!

·       Pick pumpkins at the pumpkin patch

·       Pick Apples

·       Bake an apple pie

·       Make masks

·       Rake a pile of leaves and jump into them

·       Go on a nature walk

·       Make a nature collage

·       Go to a football game

·       Play football at Grandma’s

·       Make a haunted house

·       Carve a pumpkin

·       Renaissance Faire

·       Air Show

·       Make homemade bread

·       Make homemade soup

·       Go to garage sales

·       Take a fall day trip

·       Trick or Treating

·       Go to the Library for story time

·       Horseback riding

·       Make homemade apple cider

·       Go to Fall Fest

·       Church picnic

·       Bonfire with s’mores

·       Go on a hayride

·       Make pinecone birdfeeder

·       Enjoy a walk at the park

Crockpot Buffalo Wings and Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Dinner Time!!! Last night I made the most amazingly yummy dinner! I had gotten the idea from pintrest, but gave it my own twist.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1lb Frozen Chicken Wings (it might be more than that depending on the size of your crockpot)
1 bottle Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce (2 bottles if you want extra kick)
1 packet Ranch Seasoning

Directions:

Put frozen wings in the crockpot then pour 1 entire bottle of wing sauce and package of ranch seasoning on top. Cook on low for 6 hours.
***When I made this I used only 1 bottle. The wings were a little spicy, but not what my hubby and sister were used to in spicyness but the flavor was there. If you need more kick to it I suggest either adding more wing sauce to the crockpot OR use the second bottle to coat wings after they are done in the crock pot.

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients:

4-6 potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper for seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup bacon bits

Directions:

1.) Cut potatoes into steak fries
2.) Place on foiled baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly toss with tongs. Sprinkle salts and pepper over the potatoes. Bake 400 for 40 minutes or until fork tender
3.) In separate bowl mix sour cream, Ranch dressing and milk. Whisk Together.
4.) On a separate pan smooth out 3/4 of the sour cream sauce. Place hot potatoes on sour cream sauce. Drizzle remaining sour cream sauce on potatoes.
5.) Sprinkle on cheddar cheese, mozzarella, and bacon bits then place back in the oven until cheese is melted.

ENJOY!!!

Books and Explosions

Today my son got his first library card! I am so excited for him! He now is going to have to show me what a big kid he is by being responsible about his books. Since we are borrowing these books this shows him how important it is to take care of other people's property.

I'm so glad that Aunt Amy works in the Children's Library because she was able to pick out some books that Ares really enjoyed. He has been very interested in whales since our trip to Seaworld this summer, and so he got two books on whales. He absolutely loves them!

After we got home from the library Kyle, Ares, and I did an experiment in the empty parking lot behind our house. The experiment of choice this week: Mentos & Diet Coke (or as Ares and I like to call it, exploding soda!). Ares LOVED doing this!!! He kept asking to do it again, even the next day.
Kyle and I didn't have any clue on how to get the best explosion from the diet coke when we did this so we just guessed. We researched it afterwards though, and discovered a few tricks we'll have to do next time. I'm not going to post those ideas though until we try it though ;)

Homemade Goodness!!!

Things have been a little crazy this past week. I'm going to start this off with Saturday though. On Saturday we all went over to my Aunt Amy's house for dinner, and Sam and Kyle had a game night. They both play this game called Warhammer 40K, and I have no idea how to play it. I just know that it takes a very LONG time to play. Before they played though we all enjoyed tacos for dinner, and they were delicious!!! I love tacos! Thank you so much Amy for letting us come over. I made a delcious cupcakes for everyone that turned so awesome!
They're called Almond Joy Cupcakes.

 These amazing cupcakes I believe are copyrighted (at least that's what the website said). So here is the link for these awesome cupcakes: http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2012/07/almond-joy-cupcakes.html

On Sunday it was church and then dropping a birthday present for my cousin's birthday since we missed his party. We then went home where I began making my masterpiece dinner, homemade broccoli and cheese soup with homemade bread! I've made this before and it was SOOO good and very filling. Everyone in my family ate all their soup and then some. Here are some pictures!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Homemade bread

The wonderful union of my soup and bread!

Recipe for Homemade Bread:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

Preparation: 

1. In large bowl, add the warm water. Slowly stir in dry yeast. Continue to stir until yeast is dissolved.
2. Add salt, sugar, shortening, and milk to bowl. Stir.
3. Mix in the first 2 cups of flour.
4. If needed, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough chases the spoon around the bowl.
5. You do not need to use up all the flour called for in this recipe, or you may need more flour than called for. The amounts vary depending on many factors, including weather, which is why most bread recipes only give an approximate amount of flour needed.
6. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead, adding small spoonfuls of flour as needed, until the dough is soft and smooth, not sticky to the touch.
7. Put dough in buttered bowl, turn dough over so that the top of dough is greased. Cover and let rise in warm spot for 1 hour.
8. Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured board and knead.
9. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
10. Form dough into loaf and set in buttered bread pan. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
11. Score dough by cutting three slashes across the top with a sharp knife. Put in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Turn out bread and let cool on a rack or clean dishtowel. 

 Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half ( or skim milk)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli ( florets only)
1 cup carrots, cut julienne style (Don't use baby carrots it doesn't taste the same believe me!)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces grated cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1.) In a large stockpot  melt butter. Add flour and mix for 3 minutes. Slowly add half- half – mixing the entire time. Slowly add chicken stock- mixing the entire time. Let simmer on low for 20 minutes.
2.) Add broccoli, carrots; and cook on low for 25 minutes.
3.) Season with salt, pepper; nutmeg.
4.) Place soup in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree.
5.) Heat soup over low heat and add cheese and mix till melted.

Serve and enjoy!!! I highly suggest dipping your bread into the soup and eating it that way. It makes you feel all warm and cozy! Perfect for the changing weather.

Doctor appointments, Rock Climbing, and Delicious Food!

The last two days have been full. I'm going to start with Monday. Monday was an awesome day. I got Ares to school on time and then went to the gym for the first time in a week. I loved it! I then went to my Aunt Susie's to help clean her house while she dealt with thank you cards and phone calls from everyone making sure she was ok after the funeral. All went well until I went to take two dirty diapers outside to the trash can. I fell part way down the stairs. I felt awful because Susie was freaking out and was soooo worried. That was the last thing I wanted her to be after everything she went through so I went out to the trash can as planned and since I had to leave shortly after I just sat on the couch to catch my breath. Thinking I just sprained my ankle a little bit I went the rest of the day disregarding the pain in my foot, particularly in my big toe, and just went on with my business of picking Ares up and then taking him to his first rock climbing class.

The rock climbing class that I signed Ares up for was at the YMCA. Ares really enjoyed it, but this was his first and last class. This was not due to Ares misbehaving this was due to the instructor's lack of teaching. None of the kids were told any safety precautions, and he helped every other kid with their harness equipment except Ares even though Ares went up and asked several times for help. The 12yr old girl in his class ended up helping him, and when it was time for Ares to go up the instructor didn't even check to see if he was secure. I was furious, and this was just one of the many things he didn't do. We even took a picture of the instructor just sitting on the floor staring off into space. Thank God we got our money back! Despite our mishaps with the instructor though we did get some good pictures of Ares climbing the wall.

We then ended this evening by going to my mother in law's house and enjoying some of her delicious cooking that really hit the spot. We then treated Ares to ice cream since he had been very good in school. As soon as we got home though it was bed time for all the kiddos and they were all so exhausted they went to bed no problem. Kyle and I then stayed up to make name puzzles for Ares' teacher that she had asked us to do for her.

Tuesday:
This was the day for my doctor appointment that I had scheduled two weeks prior because of having problems with blood pressure, hot flashes, and weight gain. I went in, and yes I do have elevated blood pressure and so I have been prescribed medication. However, I also had to have my blood tested for diabetes and thyroid issues. I have been tested for these things in the past with it always being negative, but with my symptoms they want to check their bases. I also got my weight checked and who is ready for this? I wasn't that's for sure. My weight for September is 267! I have never weighed that much! Not even when I was pregnant!!! Plus, to make matters worse, I had gotten down to 220 in April so that means I have gained almost 50lbs in 5 months. That is not healthy. The doctor has ordered me to start keeping a food journal as well to figure out what else could be causing it, and bring it in my next appointment in 3 weeks. Oh yes, and before I forget I would also like to announce that I broke my toe too. I had my doctor check it after I had realized late Monday night that my toe was black and blue from the fall down the stairs. I have to tape it together for 6weeks for it to heal right. The doctor said I bruised the bottom of my foot as well in my fall as well.  Hopefully I can still swim with it taped and bruised because I'm screwed otherwise.

Despite this bad news though I went on with my day as normal. I went to the Dollar Tree to pick up a few toys for Ares' teacher because she needed some more for their prize box at the end of the week, and then I picked up some for my own prize box for Ares if he is good during the day. I then got some extra toys from my grandparents  to donate as well! His teacher was so excited! Ares also had a good day at school so he got to pick out a new toy out of the knick knacks I bought. I think he now has good motivation to be good for the rest of the week. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

When I got home it was time for dinner! Tuesday night's dinner selection was a recipe I got from pintrest, but it claims to be a weight watcher recipe. Cheese and Chicken Stuffed Shells. My husband and I seriously LOVED them. He's given me the permission to defiantly make these again. My son was not impressed, and telling me I was a bad cook. He ate it anyway and as soon as he was finished he decided I wasn't such a bad cook after all. Haha! Kids can be so funny sometimes.

Just so you know we doubled our recipe so that my hubby could take some to work with him the next day. We also served with garlic bread, and adding the pasta on top of the garlic bread made it taste awesome as well!

What do you think? I'm not the best food photographer ever, but I let the food speaks for itself!

Ingredients:

12 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 c pasta sauce
2 large egg whites, gently beaten ( I used egg beaters)
1 1/2 c part skim ricotta cheese
4 oz. chicken, cooked and diced
1 c frozen spinach (chopped) thawed (drain all excess water)

2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp chopped basil (Note: I did not have these two spices separately so I used the Italian Seasoning I had in the cupboard and it worked just as good!)
3/4 c part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350
Cook shells in boiling water according to the directions on box.
Rinse with cold water and set aside for later use.

Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread 1/2 c of pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

For filling: Stir together egg whites, ricotta, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, basil, and seasoning. Stir in 1/4 c of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Fill each shell with mixture and place filled shells in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 minutes.

Long Weekend

This has been a very long weekend. First on Friday we had the viewing for my Uncle Johnny who had passed away this past Sunday, and I was able to see even more of my family that I had not seen for a couple years since they live so far away. Then Saturday was the funeral. My ex was kind enough to let me have our son Ares early for the funeral so I am very grateful to him.

Johnny was a good man and an amazing police officer who always went that extra mile to help others. His funeral service was beyond words, and the church was completely packed with those who wished to pay their respects. This was the first time I have been to a police officer's and a soldier's funeral. The police officers carried the casket at the grave site, then the Honor Guard presented arms. My cousin Jason then presented the flag to my Aunt Susie, and it was such a beautiful moment, there was seriously not a dry eye among us. While I was in tears my son Ares turned to me, and said, "Mommy are you crying? Johnny is an angel please don't cry." That of course only made me cry more, but it was so sweet of him! I hate that this was the circumstance that I was able to see all of my family for the first time in ages, but I loved seeing all of my family this past week. We rarely are all together, and I really felt safe and secure being with all of them again. I really wish we would come together more often I love them all so much.

Today was another day, but the sorrow did wash over me while I was at church this morning with my husband and children. Luckily Ares saw me crying again and was quick to help me try and dry my tears. He's such a caring and loving boy. The rest of the day was better, and we made homemade pizzas for lunch. This was so simple, and easy that we might just make that a staple for Sunday lunch/dinner. My Grandma had 10 kids, and she used to make it so that every Monday night was hamburgers and fries. This continued at least until I was in 3rd grade if not longer. It was simple and cheap. Even though I have 3 kids instead of 10 like her, I see no problem in following in her footsteps in saving money and making one day a week a lot simpler. Here's the pictures of our pizza making.
Here is our favorite ingredients (Ares only likes cheese pizza unless we hide pepperoni in it lol!):

 

So good that my husband couldn't wait to grab a slice before he took a picture! :)

 

After pizza, Ares and I did a special project. I call it exploding soap even though it doesn't really explode it just expands in the microwave. What you have to do is take a bar of Ivory soap (yes only Ivory works for this experiment)

 

Lay down a piece of parchment/ wax paper inside your microwave, put the soap bar on top of the parchment paper, and then microwave for about 3 minutes.

 

Once it is done please do not just grab the soap. Remember that it was just in the microwave and it is hot. Just grab it by the parchment paper and take it to the table. It only takes about a minute or so to cool off, and then you can do with it what you will.

 

Ares was so proud of his exploding soap! He could not wait to start playing with it. 

 

Ares had his fingers make "snow angels". His fingers also had "snowball fights"

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! :)

The only down side to this experiment was that the crumbled up soap pieces were easily blown around by our ceiling fan, and got into our noses making us sneeze a lot. Ares is a trooper, and it only bugged him until I had vacuumed it all up. I, on the other hand, am still having a bit of trouble. I've never been allergic before to it, but I think some might have gotten stuck up in my nose because for hours after cleaning it up I can still smell soap!

 

Things to do with this soap:

1.)Have the kids break it up, and just use it as a sensory activity.

2.)Use it during your child's bathtub time and sprinkle it over their heads making it "snow".

3.) Mix in a couple drops of food coloring with it in a bowl and use cookie cutters to make your own little soaps!

For more instructions on making your own soaps check out: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/04/kitchen-craft-soap-clouds-and-homemade-kiddie-tub-soaps/

 

 



Family Recipes

Now as I promised here is another post today so I can be all caught up! Woo Hoo!!! Yep I'm excited easily people ;) and that's how it should be because otherwise what fun would there be in life. Take joy in the little things I say! Now on with the rest of the point of this blog.

I have two recipes that I'm going to share this evening, and they are both family recipes. The first is one that my sister had gotten from a friend from hers from college I believe. This is not her recipe though. My husband and I have thought of different ways to tweak it to make it our own (and it tastes way better too!). As always here are the pictures of the Beef Enchilada Casserole and it will be followed by the recipe.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

This is what it looks like with all the layers done and the enchilada sauce poured over it.

After you take it out of the oven you just top it with your favorite Mexican toppings.

 TA DA!!! Yummy!!!

 

 

Ingredients:



18 yellow corn tortillas
2 (10oz) cans red enchilada sauce. (I use mild, but if you like it spicy go for it!)
3 cups of shredded Colby jack (use more if you want I didn't measure it exactly)
1lb ground taco meat
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 diced tomato
1 diced avocado

Instructions:
First you need to make your taco meat. Brown hamburger in a large skillet over medium high heat. Make sure to follow the directions on the package of taco seasoning you are using. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with foil (I honestly don't know what size the pan I used was, but it is a large pan so adjust recipe if needed with tortillas). Pour half a can of enchilada sauce onto bottom of pan and make sure it's spread all around. Then lay down 6 tortillas. On top of that add some ground beef then 1 cup cheese on that. Layer with 6 more tortillas then top with beef and then 1 cup cheese then add other half of the can of enchilada sauce over the top of layers. Then top with the last 6 tortillas and then last cup cheese and last can of enchilada sauce. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted all the way through. Take out of the oven and then add chopped lettuce, tomato and avocado. Serve with sour cream if desired.



~Now it is time for my husband and I's absolute favorite recipe! I first got this type of recipe from my Aunt Jenny. However, after making it several times Kyle and I have changed it almost completely from what it was originally with our own twist on this delicious dish. You have to admit making your own recipes are fun! Here are some pictures of our Chicken Bacon Ranch Tortellini and it will be followed by the recipe.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Tortellini

 

 

Ingredients:



1 package Bertolli three-cheese tortellini (we used two smaller packages of another brand here because we couldn't find the Bertolli)
1 can black olives (can easily add more, can be chopped, sliced, or whole)
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
3-6 strips of turkey bacon, chopped (the husband prefers regular bacon)
2 cups Ranch dressing (more or less as desired, we like to have a lot in it)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (add more if needed)
Dash of Italian Seasoning
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Cook the chicken to near-done on the skillet. If you have time to bake it you can do that too, as it makes things a lot easier.
2. Remove the chicken from the heat, and wait until step 6 to finish it. Chop the chicken into small cubes and season with Italian Seasoning.
3. Boil a large pot of water and put the tortellini in it. Follow package directions on how long to boil. Poor a little bit of olive oil in the water and stir to help keep the noodles from sticking as much. Keep stirring until done.
4. Cook the bacon. Hubby likes to chop turkey bacon before cooking, but regular bacon he cooks first and then crumbles it. Really it only matters how you can best do it, as long as the pieces are small (no bigger than the chicken).
5. While the noodles and bacon are cooking, prepare everything else by chopping the tomatoes and/or olives, and getting the cheese and dressing measured.
6. When the bacon is nearly done, put the chicken in with it. The chicken will finish cooking, while also getting a little bit of the bacon flavor into the meat. This is much more noticeable with the regular bacon, but still nice with the turkey bacon.
7. By the time the meat is done, the noodles should be done as well. Drain the water from the tortellini then combine the chicken, noodles, tomatoes and olives into a large bowl and mix it well. Then add the dressing and cheese.
8. Place the entire dish into the refrigerator for about an hour or two, and then serve!

I Have My Living Room Back... sort of....

Yesterday I didn't have the time to post because I was spending time with my family, but today there will be two posts to make up for that so I can be back on schedule. Yesterday was an interesting day to start with, but it turned out great in the end. My son wasn't on his best behavior in the morning so I took his toy away and told him he could only get it back if he got a happy face at school today (he didn't get one on Thursday or Friday last week while with his dad). He doesn't throw fits often, but man he definently had one for the books that morning! After that it was off to the DMV to renew my tags... yep yesterday morning was just fun fun fun!

Now after I dealt with some cranky baby girls when I got home I finally got to what I really needed to get done, cleaning the living room. I got a TON done!!! I finally got rid of tubs that weren't being used, and threw out old text books that we couldn't resell and nobody wanted. I then rearranged the furniture a little bit so that I can make room for the DVD rack that we're going to be getting soon. My living room looks SOOOO much better now. It looks like it's a living room again, except for all the baby toys and equipment that now have a spot on the other side of the room. After they're a year old a lot of that stuff will have to be gone though, and when that happens then I will have my living room back!

I then had to pick up my hubby and son from school, and found out Ares had an awesome day at school and got a happy face! YAY!!! Since he did that he could get his toys back. Now when we got home it was time for me to start dinner, and Ares was playing with some of his toys in the living room, enjoying all the new space he had to play around in. He then decided he wanted to make a boat so he took an old box and blankets and pillows and came a rowing into the kitchen to show me. He has such an awesome imagination, I hope the world can appreciate him for it as he gets older because I wouldn't have him change it. :) It's so much a part of who he is.

Now for dinner tonight ladies and gentlemen was Chicken Bruschetta. I saw a recipe for it, but I ended up not following it, and making up my own version. Here are some pictures of how it turned out, and then I will put my recipe.

Chicken Bruschetta
Ingredients:
3 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato dressing/ divided
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tblsp chopped italian seasoning
2 tblsp olive oil

Instructions:
Place chicken in resealable plastic bag with about 1/4 cup dressing and seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes. While it is marinating get a large skillet (that also has a lid to it) and add olive oil and remaining 1/4 cup dressing. Heat up skillet on medium heat. Once 10 min of marinating is up add chicken to the skillet. Cook for about 4-6 min then flip over. Add cheese then top with diced tomatoes and italian seasonings. Cover with lid and let it cook for 6 min or until chicken is done.
My whole family loved this dish so I hope yours does too!

He Left A Memory No One Could Steal

We lost a loved one early Sunday morning. My dear Uncle Johnny had fallen asleep on the couch watching the KU game on Saturday night. This wasn't unusual so my Aunt Susie left him there to sleep. She awoke the next morning to go for a bike ride with my Dad, and she talked to him as she usually did. When he did not reply she tried to wake him, but to her horror he was ice cold. He had been complaining of a chest pain and trouble breathing for the past week, but he didn't want to go to the doctor because he said his doctor wasn't there this weekend and he was taking benedryl anyway so there was no point. This was not the case however. The coroner's report yesterday said that he had suffered a major heart attack. You should all know that he was only 47 years old.

Everyone should know he warning signs of a heart attack. Here are two websites that tell you signs and symptoms of heart attacks in men. These are two websites that I trust so that is why I chose them.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/his-guide-to-a-heart-attack

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-attack-symptoms/HB00054

Here are websites for heart attack signs and symptoms for women:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her-guide-to-a-heart-attack

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Heart-Attack-Symptoms-in-Women_UCM_436448_Article.jsp?gclid=CMqoi8CknLICFalgTAodKTgAhw

Please know these for yourself, and for your loved ones. Sometimes they can be prevented so educate yourself.

Since we were at my aunt's house the majority of the day yesterday we had a very simple dinner. I had some left over taco meat that I had frozen from a month ago so I just defrosted it. I then took some taco shells, filled them with taco meat and shreadded cheese then baked at 350 for 10-15 min. Serve immediately though because otherwise the grease will soak through the taco if sitting there for a bit, and the tacos then fall apart. You then top them with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy. Simple, even if you don't have pre-made taco meat. All you'd have to do is brown about a pound of ground beef in a skillet then follow the directions on your seasoning packet and you're done with the meat.

Saturday with the Family in the Kitchen!

Today was my husband's first day off for about 2 weeks. I've missed being with him during the day so much! Since it was his day off though we had a few things to do, and one of them was head over to my Grandma Bette's apartment to pick up a solid wood bookcase that she was giving us. We of course brought the twins over with us (Ares was with his dad so that's why he wasn't there) so they could get sometime with their Great Grandma. Aren't they all so cute!

 

 

Then my wonderful husband made plans for my Dad to watch the girls so we could go have a lunch date! This was awesome since I don't remember the last time we had any time for just the two of us. It's probably been since May! Even though it was for only 2 hours it was nice. :) We then picked up Ares from his dad's and went home so I could begin making dinner, and the truffles I needed to make for our family BBQ tomorrow. For dinner I made Shrimp and Cajun Rice. Here are some pictures of our wonderfully yummy dinner!

 

I got the recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cajun-shrimp-and-rice-recipe/index.html

 

Then I spent the rest of the evening making two different types of truffles for my family's Labor Day BBQ tomorrow. The first batch I made was Lemon White Chocolate truffles, but those didn't turn out so well because I burnt the last bit of the chocolate, and I couldn't get all of the burnt chunks out. Talk about bleh! The next set of truffles I made though were delightful!  I made Cake Batter Truffles! Since we don't have an electric blender I asked my dad today if I could borrow his. He gave me two. One was an old electric one from the 50's and the other was a hand crank one. Ares and I tried out the hand crank one first. Boy I am going to tell you now that I give Kudos to those women who used one of these all the time! It wasn't to hard at first, but once I added the milk it got just too thick for me to turn the handle physically so I had to change to electric. Ares didn't mind at all because he just licked the dough off the hand cranked ones (there's no egg in this recipe so it was fine). 

Here's my little helper!

 

After mixing all of the ingredients I rolled them into what were supposed to be 1in balls. I did decently well though considering my past in rolling out truffles. I usually make them giant sized.

 Once they were all rolled out I stuck them in the fridge to harden a bit. I then melted the chocolate and learned a new way to dip them in the chocolate so it's not as messy as I've been doing it for the past 3 years. You use a fork and you dip it in then you tap the fork slightly on the edge of the bowl to get the excess off and then put them in the pan. Simple! Wish I'd thought of this a long time ago.

 

I should also point out one thing about the picture above. As you can see there isn't any foil or wax paper underneath them. Yea I just learned the hard way that was a bad idea. I had run out and thought, "Hey maybe I don't really need it they should just pop off." WRONG!!! Use the wax paper or foil because otherwise they crumble in your hands as you pull them off the tray. I know people will probably read this and go DUH! but hey I am new at this whole cooking thing I have to learn by trial and error. Laugh if you must, but hey I'm not embarrassed or ashamed. I learned a lesson didn't I, and if I can give you a good laugh then that makes it even better because in life you should laugh as much as want.

 

The recipe for the cake batter truffles came from: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/03/cake-batter-truffles.html

A Dose of Reality

Today is the day that I am going to force myself to try on my wedding dress that I bought when I was about 12 weeks pregnant with twins, and granted it didn't fit then. I bought a size 22 I believe, and I figured that I could fit into it after the girls were born. I exercised as much as I was physically able with the girls before I was told not to anymore. Majority of my weight gain during pregnancy was water weight because I retained water so badly! I dropped the water a month after pregnancy so I had about 20lbs to lose to be back to pre-pregnancy weight. However I had some baby blues and I began over eating so I gained what the weight back though now it's not water weight it's just fat.

My goal is to get back into a size 16 dress by my wedding day. Can I do it? Well hopefully with the help of this blog I can. I should also put on a side note here that I am already married to my husband, but we just had a civil ceremony after the girls were born. This is going to be our Catholic wedding with all of our friends and family to join in celebrating our marriage.

I'm going to post pictures of me in my wedding dress this evening to give myself a dose of reality. With this I will be able to visually see my progress.

On a side note though; my husband had work and school today so I made him lunch. Instead of the usual left overs or turkey sandwiches I made him something special this morning. It's called Green Goddess Grilled Cheese, but I did not make it exactly to the recipe I found.

Here is my recipe, and then I'm going to add the real recipe underneath that so that you can decide which one you would rather follow.

My Green Goddess Grilled Cheese Recipe:

Ingredients

2 slices bread (I used 45 calorie wheat bread from Sara Lee)
2 slices Mozzerella
1 handful fresh baby spinach (not from the bag)
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil to grill the sandwich
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat up oil in medium sized pan and add slice of bread then add 1 slice of cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled feta cheese, spinach, second slice of cheese, salt & pepper to taste, then top it with second slice of bread. Finish cooking like you would grilled cheese. Be CAREFUL though when you flip it because sometimes the sandwich will try to slip apart. Make sure you press it together firmly & that will help.

The Original Green Goddess Recipe:

Ingredients

2 slices bread (we used a white bread, but one filled with lots of different whole grains and seeds would be *awesome*)
2-3 tablespoons Green Goddess Herb Pesto (recipe below)
2 slices mild white melty cheese like mozzarella
handful fresh baby spinach
¼ avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
olive oil (and butter if you’re so inclined)

Directions

Spread about 1 tablespoon of Green Goddess Herb Pesto onto each slice of bread (2 tablespoons total, but if you’re sensitive, go light, the pesto is STRONG).
On one slice of bread, add 1 slice of cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese, spinach, second slice of cheese, then top it with second slice of bread. Press together gently.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. (If you want to use butter, add it to the oil and let it melt). Add the sandwich to the oil and cook until bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly, then flip the sandwich over and cook until second side is golden brown.

Green Goddess Herb Pesto

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1 (or 2 if you’re ballsy) anchovy fillet (in oil)
½ small shallot, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
handful chopped fresh Italian parsley
handful chopped kale
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Whole lotta life going on!

Well I started this blog today with the help of my lovely husband because I am not tech savy at all! This is just going to be a little old blog so I can brag about my family, the things we do together, the little things I accomplish here at home, DIY projects, and my new hobby, cooking.

Today I dropped my son Ares off for Kindergarten today then went to the YMCA with my bestie Kyle Ann. We swam laps in the lap pool for an hour then of course had to take a 10min dip in the hot tub to relax our soar muscles. I am so proud of myself because throughout the rest of the afternoon I did not snack one bit!!! This is awesome for me because in case you can't tell from my picture I'm a little pudgy. I have been trying to lose weight so I can fit into my wedding dress by April. Granted I just had a small sonic reeses peanut butter blast. I did not plan to eat it all, but by the time Kyle brought it back to me it was melted so it was like eating soup so I ended up eating it all before I knew it. That's it I am not eating anymore ice cream after this!

For dinner I made Buffalo Chicken Tacos for the first time ever and they turned out amazing! Here are some pictures of the dinner. Here are some pictures of the fabulous meal!

 

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

 

The recipe called to cook the chicken in a dutch oven, but since I'm cheap and I don't want to spend money on a dutch oven I just pan fried it.

 

 

Here is our little set up for our tacos! 

 

 

Here is the final product! So yummy you could eat it huh?

 

 

WARNING! Those these tacos were terribly delicious I feel that I should warn you before you borrow this recipe.

 1st: The corn tortillas broke apart very easily. They added a wonderful taste to the tacos though so I didn't complain, but my husband Kyle didn't like it so he wrapped up his tortiall in a flour tortilla and said they were much better that way.

2nd: Do NOT put as much cilantro as we did because it was very over powering. Put just a teeny bit, or just skip it if you want because I tried one without the cilantro and it really could taste the flavor of the chicken more. Now here is the recipe!

 

Ingredients:1 pound chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces

⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoon cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment
1 Tablespoon olive oil
10 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
Toppings:
Shredded butter Lettuce
Diced onions mixed with cilantro
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Tomato diced

 

Preparation:Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat (or pan fry it like I did if you don't have one!).

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.

Assemble 10 tacos, dividing the toppings evenly among each taco.

Yield: 5 servings, 2 tacos each.