Monday, January 31, 2011

Moving.. again

Sorry for the long absence. BigDaddy lost his job in SC and we moved BACK to Alabama. There are a lot of details and so many things i feel i need to share HOWEVER my welcome to Alabama gift was the plague. Of course it's in disguise as the flu then the cold. So once I am able to actually complete a coherent sentence I will be back to visit!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Ingredients:
- 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small bite size pieces
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
- 8oz sour cream
-1/4 cup of milk
- 1 block of swiss cheese shredded
- 1/2 lb sliced ham cut into bite size pieces
-2 cups of bisquick
-2/3 c milk


Directions:
Grease a large cassarole pan and pre heat to 350.
Mix mushroom soup, 1/4 milk and sour cream in a bowl and set aside.
add chicken and ham to pan, add half of the cheese to the top, then add the soup mix and the rest of the cheese.
Mix bisquick and milk together in a large bowl. once combined top your casserol with the dough.
Cover with foil and cook for 30 min.
Remove foil , rotate, and cook for 30 more min.
serve warm

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

white chicken chili

We made this for dinner tonight.
This is a combination of serveral diffrent recipes.

Ingredients:
1 bag of dry Great Northern beans (white beans)
2 32oz boxes of chicken broth
1 family sized can of Cream of Chicken soup
2 cans of Rotel (drained)
3 cloves of Garlic smashed
1 onion
1 package of chili mix
1/2 of a shredded chicken
sour cream
Montrey Jack or Mexican blend Cheese

Directions:
the night before set your beans to soak.
The next afternoon drain your beans and add them to a large soup pot. Add your 2 containers of Chicken Broth. simmer for 2 hours.
Then add shredded chicken, Rotel, Garlic, and Chili seasoning.
Allow to simmer until supper time or until beans are soft.
-Top with Sour Cream and Cheese.
I thought this soup was a little mild HOWEVER I had two little girls who do not particulary care for spicy foods right now. They both ate two bowls of this soup!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Food, Food and more food

Just in case you had not noticed i've been posting a lot of recipes lately.
It's cold and my kitchen is warm. VERY WARM.
I've been trying to make a sit down breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day and bread through out the week so we don't eat the store bought kind. Sometimes I fail but mostly i'm trying to get used to my new stove and save money by making SURE we eat at home. It's actually funny dealing with a new stove and learning all it's quirks. The other day I tried to make beef stew for my brother. It burned so badly we had to order pizza. It was cooking on LOW!!! I left the kitchen for like 15 min because I got sidetracked by evil LEGOs. ANYWAYS... I wanted apologize and say well i might be cooking a lot but it's healthy too! kinda. On the flip side i think all this cooking is making me loose weight, and the family is sharing a lot more AND I've discovered a BIG secret to baking bread.. AND it's really REALLY fun seeing the hubs and the child assisting him in the kitchen look up at the mountain of dishes. I love being the EEEEvil mommy.

Lemon bread pudding

Can you tell i've been baking A LOT lately?

Supplies:
Stale bread-cubed
eggs
milk
vanilla
instant lemon pudding mix
1 large ziplock bag
9x13 greased baking dish

Directions:
scramble 6 eggs ( this is USUALLY what I start with) with milk like you are making french toast. add 1/4 tsp vanilla.  mix well. Pour bread cubes into bag then pour egg mix over the bread. ( I aim for the bag being 3/4 full of egg mix) seal the bag and place in the fridge. Every 30 min flip the bag ( i usually tell everyone when they get in the fridge flip the bag).
about two hours before you want to serve it :
Preheat oven to 350
make lemon pudding according to package
pour the bread mix into the pan. Then pour the pudding over it and stir together.
cover with foil and place in oven.
Cook about 15 to 30 min until the bread pudding doesn't LOOK wet, take off foil and cook until knife comes out clean.
* if im not ready to eat the bread pudding but it's ALMOST done. I recover it and turn off the oven because you want it to be nice and warm!!

Snow Cream

SNOW CREAM
Aka: I scream.. you scream..we all scream.. for SNOWCREAM!


Ingredients:
1 bowl of snow ( no yellow.. or brown)
2 cans of sweetened Condensed milk 
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
8oz thawed whipped cream
1 empty bowl BIGGER than your snow bowl (for mixing)



Directions:
 Combine the Sweetened Condenced milk, Whipped cream, and Vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Once fully mixed gather your empty bowl and your bowl of snow. add 1/2 the snow to the large bowl, pour some of the milk mix over and stir to combine adding snow and milk mix until well combined BUT NOT SATURATED!!!!  Use all your snow but you dont have to use all the milk mix! Once combined freeze until chilled.
This is soooo good! It tastes a lot like vanilla ice cream!!!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

fruity Chicken Salad

Fruity Chicken Salad
Ingredients: 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup celery diced
2 green apples peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped nuts ( i like walnuts) 
and 1/4 to a half cup, either sour cream, plain yogurt (strained), or mayonase
1 bottle raspberry balsamic vinegar or plain balsamic vinegar ( my mom likes the raspberry i like the plain)


marinate the  chicken in 1/2 of the balsamic vinegar for at least an hour to overnight. The next day grill the chicken until completely white in the middle. Shred the chicken and set to soak in the rest of the Balsalmic vinegar for at least an hour. If you have not already prep the remaining ingredients. Then drain chicken and place into large bowl. Add celery, apples, and nuts. Stir to mix. Then add your sour cream or whichever you choose.
This is great on a sandwhich or just with crackers.
Your children will LOVE it. Especially since it's purple which for adults may be hard to get over but this is soo yummy!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Twinkies

I forgot to mention this the other day because I was a little ashamed. I still kinda am.
Eldest and Biggwrl and I were sitting down eatting lunch and discussing the ANDES mtn. cake I had made the evening before. Eldest didn't get any because she had gone to bed early. I was explaining that it's had whipped cream injected into it. Eldest wasn't quite understanding so I said you know like a TWINKIE. They BOTH looked at me and went a WHAT? I kid you not. THEN Eldest goes.. You mean like on WALL*E?
I HAVE FAILED MY CHILDREN!!!
My kids are 12,6 1/2, and 4 1/2 and they have no idea what a TWINKIE is!!!
So I called Tim and asked him to pick up a box of TWINKIES..His reply was priceless.
Hey babe on the way home can you pick up a box of TWINKIES?
huh? can you repeat that I don't think i understood.
TWINKIES! Can you get a box of TWINKIES?
Twinkies? Seriously? You want Twinkies? Is this for real?
Babe. Our kids don't know what a TWINKIE is.
oh. I understand, I am on my way!


How lame of a mom do you have to be to not give your kids Twinkies!! I mean Seriously?!
I am the WORST mother in the world! At least this week. hahah

Mounted Pictures

My formal dining room is HUGE.  and my budget is.... not. So in light of this issue i've been trying to find BUDGET FRIENDLY ways to decorate it. It's been difficult, because lets face it budget friendly ideas are NOT always budget friendly. One website says to buy candles and a used mirror to decorate an unused fireplace. It cost like 30 bucks just for the candles,and that was just for the inside of the fireplace. ANYWAYS. So I decided to take some of the black of white photos of the girls and mount them on foam core. We have 9 pictures which cost about 25.00 to print as 8x10's at walmart and 2 sheets of foam core cost about 4.00 each. Then spray adhesive about 3.00.
It barley took anytime to do at all the most time consuming was the spraying and drying. (and then trying to get the spray adhesive off of ME)
All we did was cut 8x10's out of the board then coat with a LOT of adhesive spray ( i found out a large amount work better than a little) the set aside to dry.
I will post pictures as soon as we get the photos hung. and I find my camera.

Ps. If you read this article and noticed my spelling mistake i'm sorry but i was sticking to the computer. Adhesive spray is eeeeeeee-vil . It's like three days later and I still have that crap on my hands!

Potato Soup

The world second best potato soup
(my mommy's is the bestest)

Ingredients:
5 potatos cut into chunks ( we do not peel our potatos the kids like the peels)
1/2 a bag of frozen corn
1 package of cheap bacon
2 onions (cut into slices)
1 package of chicken stock or 4 bullion cubes
milk
1 block of velvetta (cut into med size chunks)
carrots (sliced) 
a STICK of BUTTER
Optional : add some ham for extra protein 

Directions
cut your bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy- scoop out of fry pan and set bacon aside to cool
drain all but a little bit of the fat and add onions. cook until softened. drain and set aside ( i just add it to the cooked bacon) 
cut up your potatos and add them to a large soup pot. pour chicken stock over the potatos until they are just covered (if you run out just add water!) and boil until the potatos are STARTING to get soft. At this point drain out some of the water and add bacon, onions, corn, butter and carrots then add milk to the pot until the level of soup is about where you want it. Allow to simmer. Stirring frequently until about 45 min before time to eat. Add cut up velevtta and stir until melted and throughly combined. 
This soup is REALLY good served with garlic bread!!! 


Thursday, January 6, 2011

How to put on a Sportsbra

HOW TO PUT ON A SPORTS BRA.

- - - -
1. Approach the sports bra with confidence, secure in the belief that you will wear it.
2. Holding the sports bra open by its bottom edge, peer into it and locate the medium-sized opening in the center of the cavity. This is your target.
3. Take a moment to ask yourself the following questions:
A. Am I naked from the waist up?B. Have I removed my glasses?
If the answer to either is "no," make the necessary adjustments and return to Step 1.
4. Snake your right arm through the right armhole as far as it will go. Repeat for left arm and left armhole.
5. Assume power stance: feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hook your thumbs into the sports bra's bottom-edge elastic and pull it out in front of you as far as possible. (Note: do not let go.)
6. In one, deft motion, pull the elastic toward you and over your head. If you have martial arts training, this would be the time to release your battle cry, or kiai.
7. You should now be standing with arms pointing skyward, the sports bra encircling you at chin level, binding your biceps to your ears.
8. Remain calm. Visualize yourself wearing the sports bra while engaged in a pleasant activity, such as not watchingJersey Shore.
9. Cross your arms in front of your face, grasp the bottom of the sports bra and begin tugging it down to your chest. This process should take 2-25 minutes and can be streamlined by the removal of one of your arms (advanced yoga practitioners only).
10. If you have followed steps 1-9 correctly, the sports bra is now strapped across the rise of your bosom, compressing the breasts downward to the point that you can see your pulse in your areolas.
11. Resume power stance (see Step 5). Holding firmly to the bottom edge of the sports bra, pull it away from your body in a downward arc until it grazes your kneecaps. Then, with a scraping motion, drag the sports bra upward along the front of your body, capturing all excess flesh in its path.
12. When the bottom elastic reaches the desired altitude on your rib cage, release it. Then, while holding the top of the sports bra away from your body with one hand, plunge the other hand into the sports bra to distribute and align its contents, which should include both of your breasts.
Note: If you are unable to locate two (2) breasts in the sports bra, do not become alarmed as they are likely nearby. Remove the sports bra (see "How to Take Off a Sports Bra") and return to Step 1 of these instructions.


Tuesday, January 4, 2011

our Andes Mtn.

For the first day of school those of us who stay how took a vote on if we should make cookies or cake for Middlest.  They picked chocolate cake. This recipe i made was so flipping yummy and perfect for a busy momma!!

Ingredients:
 1 Devils food cake mix
 eggs ( according to box)
oil (according to box)
water (according to box)
1/2 a bag of ANDES chocolate chips
Topping:
2 16oz of Whipped cream ( i found this to be to much but 1 was not quite enough so..) THAWED
1 piping bag
1 size 12 tip with coupling and ring



Make the cake following the directions on package.. add in those yummy ANDES mint chocolate chips.  ( I only used 1/2 a bag and the cake was not overhelming andes tasting but just perfect for ME add a full bag if you want) stir to combine.
Pour the mix into a  greased baking pan I used a 9x 11 ( i think) anyways you need to to have room on top to frost the cake after baking.
(these would also make AWESOME cupcakes)
bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Make sure your whipped cream is thawed
Once the cake has cooled assemble your piping bag with the tip and fill the bag with whipped cream.
insert the tip into the cake and squeeze the whipped cream into the cake. DO NOT OVER SQUEEZE you will bust the cake!! Squeese the whipped cream into the cake in lots of diffrent places make sure well space your holes. but you still want every piece to get at least a little.
Once you have finished put the cake in the freezer for about 10 to 15 min.
The frost the top with however much whipped cream you want.
I then used a clean spatula and smacked the top of the cake so that it would look like mtn. peaks.
Put cake in the fridge until time to eat. :)
I hope you enjoy this cake
I would post a picture but....
they ate the cake...
even Eldest who rarely touches chocolate.

New Years eve

We wanted to end this year with something special for our family so of course we hit Myrtle Beach. Again. 
I was warm so we took a picnic and our girls and drove off toward the sunrise.  Not really but it sounds good :) 
Eldest had been fighting a cold and molars coming in and had not been sleeping well so we thought this adventure would also help cheer her up. 
We built a sandcastle and then played giant and attacked it. We went shelling, and walking on the beach.
Then once we started to get tired we loaded back up and ate our lunch in the car while we went sight seeing.
Middlest and BigGwrl were sooo excited to see that BASSA Pro shops are here in this land too! 
We trained them girls right. :) They really just like the fish tank and all the animal tracks on the floor. Eldest however.. well she found something she's ALWAYS WANTED and has decided that she and I are going to have a busy spring. 
 Once we finally were able to leave we discovered where all the RIPLEY'S Museums were (Tonya) so that when people (tonya) come to visit we could go. We also found a fishing pier. Eldest has been BEGGING to go on one since we've first gone to the beach. 
She LOVED it. She looked for dolphins and whales. Talked to the guys fishing. 
We checked for sharks and cool shells. 
It was so much fun! 
Then BigGwrl saw a fishing boat and started screaming that the Fire Nation was coming to attack us!! I though one guy was going to fall off the pier he was laughing so hard. 
That was pretty much the end of our drive the girls were worn out and we needed to get things ready for NEW YEARS EVE!!!!! 
Now this whole day Eldest was laughing and playing. We kept her meds going and other than her throat being sore she said she was feeling better.
New Years Eve... We got home and cleaned up the family room really quick so we could have our wii night. It was so much fun!! I kicked everyones butt. Then i had to go cook bread. They cheered when I left. 
We ended up calling New Years at 11 because the littlier ones were tired and CRANKY and Eldest was starting to feel bad again. 
About 3 she woke up and her throat hurt so bad she could barley swallow anymore. So Daddy took her to go get throat spray. No fever STILL but she had white stuff so in the morning he took her to the ER. She had Mono. yea. 
We were all just so worn out that after they got back we decided EVERYONE would take a nap. We ALL slept until after 5. It's been crazy around here. 
I pray you all had a much better New Years than we did.. or at least a more healthy. 




Mornings

Having all the kids home for almost a month and Big Daddy home for five months ALMOST helped me forget why I HATE weekday mornings.  Our routine WAS BigDaddy gets school kids up, dressed, fed, and on the bus in the mornings, So I could get a little extra sleep ( this started when we first got married because it held off the morning sickness). I think it's going to change. I HATE getting up and having half empty plates and cups all over my nice clean kitchen. I HATE waking up to a huge mess left from him making lunches. I hate the clothes thrown all over the floor from the child who decided the kitchen was where she needed to get dressed. And most of all I HATE waking up and finding BigDaddys mess from the night before. Stinky socks thrown in the middle of the floor, cups everywhere, chairs where they are not supposed to be. UGH. 
SO. I have decided that from now on I AM going to get up with BigDaddy and the girls. I have already started making middlest's lunches for the week ahead of time. Now comes the big stuff. No more " Did your father actually let you leave the house looking like THAT?" No more clothes on the floor. I am ready for battle. I really enjoyed waking up to making my girls breakfast and sitting at the table before our day started and being together. I'll be hornswaggled if this is going to continue. God put us in a new place so we could grow and change and I sure as heck am going to. WATCH OUT WORLD MOMMA IS GOING TO  BATTLE!