The girls first look at their new baby sister
Little Lucy with her Grammy and my parents.
Mommy & Lucy
The girls with their new cameras from their Aunt.
My sister and my Mom
Our little family
Daddy and his girls
Saturday, January 22, 2011
What I've been "Cookin' Up"...
For the past 38 1/2 weeks, I've been "cookin' up" a little sweetie who finally arrived as planned on New Year's Eve! Welcome to the world little Lucia (Lucy). We're so happy to have her in our family. She's a cutie!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
A Merry Little Christmas
A glimpse of our Christmas this year:
When you walked through our doors this year, you may have thought you were entering a new house as we sided our house and painted our doors red.
Upon entering you smelled the wonderful aromas of baked goods being prepared and being enjoyed by all. First, the gingerbread house. This was made entirely by my husband, Jeremy with help from our girls, Angelina & Aubrey. They did a great job!
I made some sugar cookies using my friend's wonderful recipe. They turned out great! Here's her blog site with the recipe: Kathy's Kitchen Korner
I made the dough and Jeremy helped the girls cut them out as I moved on to more cookies that day. As you can see, they had great fun! We were going to decorate these with homemade frosting the next day with my sister and her husband, but they were so good, we all just ate them without decor!
One night I needed some french bread, so I made my own. It was from the Betty Crocker recipes.
For a cookie exchange that I attended, I made Potato Candy. However, there is so little potato in it, it can hardly be called that! It was very good. Apparently you're supposed to spread this out on a sheet, refrigerate and cut into squares, but it was too hard to spread and I was all into easy stuff this year as I was expecting our 3rd baby at the end of the month.
2 (1 lb.) pkgs. confectioner's sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 lb. flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Fill a 2 quart pot with water and add salt. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and place in bowl. Mash potatoes with 1 stick melted butter, add confectioner's sugar, coconut, and vanilla. Mix well.
Spread the mixture out on waxed paper or a buttered cookie sheet. Place in fridge to cool. When hard, cut into small squared and dip into the chocolate, place on waxed paper to cool. Alternatively you can roll the potato mixture into balls, cool, then dip in chocolate.
Dip in melted chocolate wafer candies and voila!
Makes 4-6 dozen depending on size.
Store in the refrigerator.
My little sweeties were in their first ballet performance of the Nutcracker this year. They were the Chinese Tea Dancers. They did such a great job and worked very hard. Here they are all dressed up in their beautiful costumes and during one of their dress rehearsals.
Being the proud Momma that I am, I couldn't let this occasion go by without a celebration. So, I made them Ballet Slipper Cakes made from Hershey's Chocolate Cake.
I used a suggestion of my friends and substituted strong decaf coffee for the water in the recipe to make a Mocha-Chocolate Cake. Then I made Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (recipe below) and layered the cake with homemadeChocolate Ganache. Yeah, it was amazing!
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
The roses were from Jeremy for each of the girls' performances. It was a really fun time!
For Christmas this year, I made the girls doggy sleeping bags. I bought the bags from Target for $10, then bought the fabric to make the dog pillow heads, paws, and tails and just attached them to the bag.
As it is our tradition every year, we all sleep "under" the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The sleeping bags came in handy this year for our slumber party in the living room!
Most kids await Santa to bring their gifts, but my girls were waiting for their Aunt Rebekah & Uncle James to come from California. They arrived at midnight on Christmas Eve. The girls got to wake up and see them! What a treat!
When you walked through our doors this year, you may have thought you were entering a new house as we sided our house and painted our doors red.
Upon entering you smelled the wonderful aromas of baked goods being prepared and being enjoyed by all. First, the gingerbread house. This was made entirely by my husband, Jeremy with help from our girls, Angelina & Aubrey. They did a great job!
I made some sugar cookies using my friend's wonderful recipe. They turned out great! Here's her blog site with the recipe: Kathy's Kitchen Korner
I made the dough and Jeremy helped the girls cut them out as I moved on to more cookies that day. As you can see, they had great fun! We were going to decorate these with homemade frosting the next day with my sister and her husband, but they were so good, we all just ate them without decor!
One night I needed some french bread, so I made my own. It was from the Betty Crocker recipes.
For a cookie exchange that I attended, I made Potato Candy. However, there is so little potato in it, it can hardly be called that! It was very good. Apparently you're supposed to spread this out on a sheet, refrigerate and cut into squares, but it was too hard to spread and I was all into easy stuff this year as I was expecting our 3rd baby at the end of the month.
Here is the recipe:
Potato Candy
3/4 c. mashed potato
1/2 tsp. salt2 (1 lb.) pkgs. confectioner's sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 lb. flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla
Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Fill a 2 quart pot with water and add salt. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and place in bowl. Mash potatoes with 1 stick melted butter, add confectioner's sugar, coconut, and vanilla. Mix well.
Spread the mixture out on waxed paper or a buttered cookie sheet. Place in fridge to cool. When hard, cut into small squared and dip into the chocolate, place on waxed paper to cool. Alternatively you can roll the potato mixture into balls, cool, then dip in chocolate.
Dip in melted chocolate wafer candies and voila!
Makes 4-6 dozen depending on size.
Store in the refrigerator.
My little sweeties were in their first ballet performance of the Nutcracker this year. They were the Chinese Tea Dancers. They did such a great job and worked very hard. Here they are all dressed up in their beautiful costumes and during one of their dress rehearsals.
Being the proud Momma that I am, I couldn't let this occasion go by without a celebration. So, I made them Ballet Slipper Cakes made from Hershey's Chocolate Cake.
I used a suggestion of my friends and substituted strong decaf coffee for the water in the recipe to make a Mocha-Chocolate Cake. Then I made Raspberry Buttercream Frosting (recipe below) and layered the cake with homemadeChocolate Ganache. Yeah, it was amazing!
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar (depending of your sweetness level & desired consistency)
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
The roses were from Jeremy for each of the girls' performances. It was a really fun time!
For Christmas this year, I made the girls doggy sleeping bags. I bought the bags from Target for $10, then bought the fabric to make the dog pillow heads, paws, and tails and just attached them to the bag.
As it is our tradition every year, we all sleep "under" the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The sleeping bags came in handy this year for our slumber party in the living room!
Christmas Day with Aunt Rebekah!
A Wonderful Christmas 2010!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Cranberry Thanksgiving
Last Thanksgiving the girls borrowed a book from the library called, Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin written in 1971. It was a really cute story and had Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread which was the secret recipe that the story was based around. At the end of the book, they gave the "secret recipe". So, since I can never pass up a recipe - especially one that is "secret", I copied it and tried it. It is really quite amazing! I made it last year for my neighbors for Christmas and tonight we had a family baking night that featured this bread. It is so good! You have to try it. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy!!!
Here's the "Secret" Recipe:
Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread
From Cranberry Thanksgiving by Charles and Wende Devlin
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange peal
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups light raisins
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once; stir just until mixture is evenly moist. Fold in the raisins and cranberries.
Spoon into a 9 x5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
If you choose, you may substitute cranberries for the raisins to have an all cranberry bread. (That's what I did.)
Recipe tested by the Food Department of Parents' Magazine
Here were my gifts of the cranberry bread all wrapped up for my neighbors.
Morning Glory Muffins
I'll also throw this in: I made these Morning Glory Muffins last Saturday night for breakfast on Sunday morning. We had a really busy day ahead of us on Sunday with a concert at a local church (1 hr. away on back roads - if you consider that local) and then we taught the children's group for Sunday night's church immediately following our return home. I really wanted to start out our day with some homemade goodness. My Grandma had given this recipe to me and I found it on King Arthur's Flour site. They're very good and packed with a ton of good nutrition. To make them even better, I substituted homemade, no-sugar-added, applesauce for the oil.
Morning Glory Muffin Recipe
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Heavenly Baking
It is chilly outside and using the oven to bake makes our homes so warm, cozy, and inviting. I love it when my husband comes in from outside and gets hit with a wave of warmth and the smell of goodies coming out of the oven. There's really nothing better to accompany the enjoyment of a warm home and family. So that's why I'm calling it Heavenly baking!
Apple season is here and what better way to celebrate than to make Apple Crisp topped with fresh whipped cream? I used Martha's recipe for it this time and it was superb!
Who doesn't need a chocolate fix every now and then? My Aunt made this recipe of Hershey's Chocolate Cake for a baby shower and it really hit the spot. My husband doesn't even like chocolate cake and he loved this. It's so moist, chocolaty, and really easy. I put mine in a really big, oblong pan because I wanted to have smaller pieces than a layer cake provides. I don't know the dimensions of my pan, but I think you could use two 9 x13 pans and it would work just fine. This is definitely Heavenly especially with a glass of cold milk!!!
Apple season is here and what better way to celebrate than to make Apple Crisp topped with fresh whipped cream? I used Martha's recipe for it this time and it was superb!
Who doesn't need a chocolate fix every now and then? My Aunt made this recipe of Hershey's Chocolate Cake for a baby shower and it really hit the spot. My husband doesn't even like chocolate cake and he loved this. It's so moist, chocolaty, and really easy. I put mine in a really big, oblong pan because I wanted to have smaller pieces than a layer cake provides. I don't know the dimensions of my pan, but I think you could use two 9 x13 pans and it would work just fine. This is definitely Heavenly especially with a glass of cold milk!!!
BLT Sandwich Board
I really don't care for sandwiches, but I LOVE a good BLT! There is a trick to making them I have found. The mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!) really absorbs flavor if you let it. So, here is my version of a good BLT sandwich:
First, set up your sandwich board. Mine is complete with bread that MUST be toasted, real mayonnaise (mine is light), cooked bacon (I found the microwave makes this process really fast), fresh lettuce, and sliced tomatoes.
Then, spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the toasted bread.
Next, place the tomato directly on the mayonnaise, then add the lettuce, and top it off with the bacon. The mayonnaise will absorb the flavors of the bacon and tomato so you want these on the outer sides of the sandwich. This is the KEY to a good BLT! ( I really wasn't trying to rhyme - it just worked out that way.)
Squish it down a little and cut it in half diagonally. This makes for a delicious lunch! (Sorry for the chipped plate! They're 11 yrs. old and used everyday - what can I say?)
Our local Cider Mill sells fresh Concord Grape Juice, so this accompanied my sandwich this day. Oh, what a treat!
First, set up your sandwich board. Mine is complete with bread that MUST be toasted, real mayonnaise (mine is light), cooked bacon (I found the microwave makes this process really fast), fresh lettuce, and sliced tomatoes.
Then, spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the toasted bread.
Next, place the tomato directly on the mayonnaise, then add the lettuce, and top it off with the bacon. The mayonnaise will absorb the flavors of the bacon and tomato so you want these on the outer sides of the sandwich. This is the KEY to a good BLT! ( I really wasn't trying to rhyme - it just worked out that way.)
Squish it down a little and cut it in half diagonally. This makes for a delicious lunch! (Sorry for the chipped plate! They're 11 yrs. old and used everyday - what can I say?)
Our local Cider Mill sells fresh Concord Grape Juice, so this accompanied my sandwich this day. Oh, what a treat!
Time for Soup
It's Fall and in this neck of the woods you look forward to a hearty, hot bowl of soup after running errands and working out in the cold all day. So, here are a few of the soup recipes that we've been enjoying. Serve these with fresh Italian bread and a salad - Voila! Dinner is served!
1. Corn Chowder: The corn was from our garden this year. We froze it and it tastes so amazing and fresh. This recipe is really good: Tyler Florence's Corn Chowder
2. White Chicken Chili: My grocery stores stopped selling the McCormick's Seasoning for this. This is the result of a home-made recipe which did turn out pretty good though a little thin. However, our town just opened a new Super Walmart and they carry the McCormick packets. Hooray! I just bought 5 of them.
As you can see in the background, I also served this with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.
3. French Onion Soup: This recipe was from my mother's Betty Crocker Cookbook. Sadly they don't have this recipe anymore. I'm convinced that the key to this recipe is the Worchestershire Sauce. Here is the long lost recipe:
Vintage Betty Crocker Recipe for French Onion Soup:
3 Onions sliced
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups beef boullion
1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
Beef Consume
Recipe for Beef Consume:
2 cans (10 oz) beef broth
1 can (10 oz) water
1/4 cup onion, carrot, & celery - cut in large chunks
parsley to taste
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. thyme
Cook the onions in the butter until very tender, slightly browned and translucent in large dutch oven. Then add the beef boullion, Worchestershire Sauce, and Beef Consume. Boil and then reduce heat to simmer until ready to eat.
Toast thick pieces of fresh French bread covered in cheese under broiler until cheese is melted. Place in bowls on top of soup.
Beef Consume Instructions: Add everything to large pot and boil. Turn down heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables and bay leaf with slotted spoon. Add the Consume to the Soup.
1. Corn Chowder: The corn was from our garden this year. We froze it and it tastes so amazing and fresh. This recipe is really good: Tyler Florence's Corn Chowder
2. White Chicken Chili: My grocery stores stopped selling the McCormick's Seasoning for this. This is the result of a home-made recipe which did turn out pretty good though a little thin. However, our town just opened a new Super Walmart and they carry the McCormick packets. Hooray! I just bought 5 of them.
As you can see in the background, I also served this with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.
3. French Onion Soup: This recipe was from my mother's Betty Crocker Cookbook. Sadly they don't have this recipe anymore. I'm convinced that the key to this recipe is the Worchestershire Sauce. Here is the long lost recipe:
Vintage Betty Crocker Recipe for French Onion Soup:
3 Onions sliced
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups beef boullion
1 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
Beef Consume
Recipe for Beef Consume:
2 cans (10 oz) beef broth
1 can (10 oz) water
1/4 cup onion, carrot, & celery - cut in large chunks
parsley to taste
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. thyme
Cook the onions in the butter until very tender, slightly browned and translucent in large dutch oven. Then add the beef boullion, Worchestershire Sauce, and Beef Consume. Boil and then reduce heat to simmer until ready to eat.
Toast thick pieces of fresh French bread covered in cheese under broiler until cheese is melted. Place in bowls on top of soup.
Beef Consume Instructions: Add everything to large pot and boil. Turn down heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables and bay leaf with slotted spoon. Add the Consume to the Soup.
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