Gluttonous Behavior

February is proving to be a gluttonous month. We are either a) at home snacking or b) at the mall (shopping). On my list for the month were these delicious apple peanut butter cookies I found here at Picky Palate. The whole family loved them. Especially Scott. I made mine extra large because I didn't want to make 3 batches. I adjusted the cooking time.

Avery is earning her first "reinforcement" for responsibilities completed this week. I am doing a baseline of stars to earn. The only star she has yet to earn is: try not to whine, Oi. Her reinforcement is: earn a treat, so I plan to take the token in a small plastic bag for her to trade in at Wegmans. She has done an excellent job at teeth brushing, eating her vegetables and putting her toys away this week. Bath is still proving to be challenging. We have to continuously wipe the tub down for imaginary fuzz. I think we are do for a Scott post soon!

Real life Nancy Drew

Well, 2010 has started out, um interesting. In January I've been busy being the real life Nancy Drew. In between sleuthing I've been mom, wife, behavior analyst, housekeeper, chef, driver (I'm not sure about the housekeeper part) and not necessarily in that order :( Now that my mystery has been solved and the unsub caught (yes, I watch Criminal Minds) I can distribute my time more efficiently. My ambitious toddler and 3 work contracts will keep me uber busy. I have been keeping a running tab of all the emails, phone & house calls I have to make; I haven't forgotten. The next 2 saturdays I'll be downtown at Spool (woo hoo) and my sister is babysitting Avery on Valentine's Day so we can . . . do the book keeping for our taxes (exciting huh). I realize being really busy at this moment is just a phase and it too will pass. No judgments please. Avery is busy making valentine cards for all her classmates! It is quite a process; keeps her busy and out of trouble. I'll have an Avery update this week, promise!

Quick, healthy, tasty recipe:

Pineapple-Mango Smoothie (makes 3-4 servings)
1-1.5 cups frozen mango
1-1.5 cups frozen pineapple
1/4 cup or more milk
2 containers of vanilla yogurt
drizzle of honey
a few shakes of cinnamon
Puree in blender

ps check out the backgrounds and headers from The Background Fairy. For some reason I could not get her 3 column background to upload correctly on my blog so I'll keep working on that because her backgrounds are really neat! I briefly had a header up from her site and I will plan on using them more often! My valentine's decor is from: The Cutest Blog on the Block. I could not resist!

Potpourri

It was a great weekend where everyone was healthy!!! We got lots of outside work accomplished. Scott even helped out at church for Blue Jean Sunday while I got a head start at home. Our house smelled like this all day compliments to the Queen Bee. Check it out!
I took the paperbacks off my built in book shelves to store them in our dining room side table. {I selected a few to re-read while I was at it}.


Our daughter sported her Ohio State cheerleading outfit. As you can see we are in the playroom and not actually watching the game. This is what happens when you have a toddler who loves to play all day; as long as it's with someone else. I've spent many hours "dancing" to holiday tunes and disney songs.

Homemade hamburger soup. Our freezer supply was running low and it's a staple around here. I grew up on this winter make-ahead meal; props to my mom's friend Carol! Recipe to follow pic!

Hamburger Soup

2lb hamburger
1 or 2 large chopped onion
Brown beef and onions together.

4 c grated carrot (1.5 lb)
4 cans cream of celery, mush, or asparagus soup
2 cans water (above)
1 64-oz can tomato juice
1 T. sugar
1 bay leaf
½ t. garlic salt
2 t. marjoram
Mix the above into a large stove pot.

Simmer 2 hrs. (note I will do 2 cans of soup at low fat or sodium. Avoid doing the tomato juice at low sodium). We usually have enough for a meal, 1 leftover and 3 freezer containers. You can't go wrong with this soup. Avery likes to float goldfish in hers and I like a sprinkle of sharp cheddar.

Finally . . . before I forget; the overview for the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project was posted on youtube. I really enjoy what I do at work. It is truly a rewarding and fulfilling experience. I rarely talk about my work; in part it's confidential and it doesn't define who I am but rather a small part of my daily activites. Thus I try to keep my work separate from what I talk about on my blog. I think if you were to walk a mile in any of these shoes you would really feel blessed every day. Even though this video only contains a small glimpse of the classrooms, children, and staff the project serves, it warms my heart every time I watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCkYqW1GDdo

Mexican Crock Pot

We love Mexican here; and we love the crock pot too! This was a perfect dish to have warming while we went trick or treating on the foggy Sat evening. It freezes great too! For our family of 3 we usually get one meal, one leftover meal and one frozen dish. Perfect for the busy, working family!

Crock Pot Tex Mex

1 lb+ ground beef
1 1.2 pk taco/chili mix
2 15 oz cans chunky mex style (Del Monte)
1 can Red Kidney beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can whole kernel corn

Brown gr. Beef, drain fat.
Add to crockpot.
Add everything together.
Do not drain cans.
Stir.
Cook on low heat 4-6 hrs.
Or high heat 2 hrs.
Serve w/ corn chips, sliced green onions, sr. cream & cheese.
Enjoy!

Rita's Sour Cream Apple Pie

Decadent. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Apple Pie (Rita Lesher, my grandmother)

2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
6 T. flour
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
3 cup chopped, peeled apples (about 4-5 Macintosh)
1 unbaked pie shell
3 T. melted margarine
¼ cup packed brown sugar

* Beat eggs; add sour cream. Stir in sugar, 2 T. flour, vanilla, salt; mix well. Stir in apples and pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 for 15min. Meanwhile combine butter, brown sugar & remaining flour. Sprinkle on top of pie. Return and bake for 20-25 min. Cool & refridgerate.

Chili with Chocolate

This recipe comes from Marie at St. Lukes. She is too kind to share her recipe. We love chili and who doesn't like a little cocoa mixed in? Divine. Again, thank goodness for make ahead food. I am soon going to apply for meals on wheels if this family doesn't get over being sick.


Chili with Chocolate

1 Large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 lb. ground beef (lean)
2 cans tomato soup
2 small or 1 Large can kidney beans
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp cocoa (unsweetened)
1 can green chilies
2 TBSP chili powder

Brown onion and meat in large pot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 2 hrs, stirring occasionally. Serve with chopped tomatoes, sour cream, cheese etc . . .

Make ahead chicken

I am soon going to condemn this house for all it's sickness. Thank goodness for make ahead meals.



Make ahead Chicken

1 lb new potatoes
2 carrots
2 small zucchini
Olive Oil
Whole grain mustard
1 bunch rosemary
Kosher salt and pepper
4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 resealable freezer bags


Quarter the potatoes. Peel the carrots. Cut the carrots and Zucchini into 2 inch sticks. Mix them in a bowl with 2 TBSP mustard, 1 TBSP rosemary, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Season the chicken w/ ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Divide everything among 4 bags. Freeze until ready to cook for up to 3mos.

(when ready to cook) Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the bags from the freezer. Empty contents of the bags into a backing dish. Roast for 25min. Toss vegetables, turn chicken, and continue roasting until chicken is cooked through – 20/25min.

Note: the larger the chicken breast the longer the cooking, but warned the vegetables will get crispier. Also note, this recipe would work best with a resealable freezer bag.

Zucchini again!

I continued w/ the tomatoes from our garden and was craving zucchini as usual to make this fabulous quiche from my new favorite foodie blog: Erin Cooks. What's great about this dish is it uses only 4 eggs total ~ that's for 2 pies! And you make one pie for now and one to freeze for later! It was so good; we all had a piece for lunch and leftover for breakfast the next day. Check out Erin's recipe Here and don't forget to review her pics. Very important to protect your oven.

How does your garden grow?: Creamy Tomato Soup

Inspired by the large amt of tomatoes that we grew and were running out things to make I used Ina Garten's Back to Basics recipe for creamy tomato soup. It was a hit for everyone! It did take me a bit longer this first time. I also scooped out the seeds and put it through the food processor rather than the food mill since I had a little one tugging on my skirt the latter part. It's very zesty so I think I would reduce the amt of red onion the next time; and yes, there will be a next time!

Strawberry Buttermilk Gelato

I made this summer treat last week and we've been enjoying it ever since! Avery especially enjoys it!

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
5 cups quartered strawberries (4pts)
2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Combine sugar and water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into large bowl, cool completely. Place strawberries in food processor/blender & process until smooth. Add strawberry puree & buttermilk to sugar syrup, combine. Pour strawberry mixture into freezer can of an icecream freezer. Note the final step I altered since I do not have that item. Instead I put it in a freezer safe container. It dishes out more like sorbet than gelato.

Chive Risotto Cakes

I'm all about making meals that we all can eat now so I am not serving up several meals a night. We also said goodbye to the high chair and hello to the booster seat. Avery loves sitting with us! This also means we had to rearrange a few things in our home - but more on that later! Avery absolutely loved these chive risotto cakes by Ina Garten. You can find it in Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics cookbook or on several foodie bloggers like Erin from Erin Cooks. Erin's pictures are so much nicer looking than mine. Once you go Panko you'll never want to go back :) Enjoy!!!

Balsamic Chicken

Avery pointed when this chicken dish appeared on Giada, okay, she perked up, but none the less, I had all the ingredients on hand with a few variations: I've started buying boneless, skinless, chicken thighs at Whole Foods. They are tasty and a little bit better for your wallet. I like how they cook really nice at a higher temp too. Very moist. I skipped the sesame seeds and parsley but everything else was the same. Excellent choice for the whole family. It was a great leftover too! Note: I did a 400 oven setting for 25min since it was boneless.

Full & Sweet!

Here is a recipe for homemade rice pudding from my friend Sarah. It's fabulous! Just made it last week. The whole family loved it! Well Scott loved it too much since one day it was there, the next it wasn't. But Avery esp loved the small bowls she got :) Enjoy the pics! I think I would love to be a food photographer!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup basmati rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream (or omit and use an additional cup whole milk, if you want to cut fat content)
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 stick cinnamon
Preparation:
Bring 1 1/2 cups water, rice, and salt to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add milk, cream, and sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and cinnamon stick. Increase heat to medium; cook uncovered until rice is tender and mixture thickens slightly to a soft, creamy texture, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.
Remove pudding from heat and discard vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Divide pudding evenly among small bowls. Serve warm or press plastic wrap directly onto surface of each pudding and chill thoroughly. Keep refrigerated.

Thanks Sarah!!!!!!!!

Also for this coming week, in case you don't see many more posts . . . my daughter is turning 1!!! And I am busy busy busy!! So I thought I'd do my life in numbers:

Birthday parties: 1

Research proposals to decide on: 1

Min in the shower: 5 (per day?)

Appts w/ various people: 9

Trips to the gym (God willing?): 2

Shopping trips for said bday party: 5+

Entertaining Avery: 12 (minus the potential 2 hr nap)

Gray hairs other people will give me before I turn 33: 50+ (Shannon will not be pleased)

Days til I lose my insanity if I have to schedule one more thing in my planner: 6

Hours of smiling when I celebrate my daughter's healthy & happy first year: countless!

Belmont & the Burger

So I got a new camera lens a few weeks ago but I've been so busy it's been hard to find time to try it out! But here is a pic using the 85mm f/1.8 prime lens. It's super sharp and creats a really nice bokeh at close range. Scott and I love watching the Kentucky Derby, Preakness & Belmont so we thought we'd have a date when Avery went to bed. It's a modified recipe from Rachel Ray: Sage burgers. I use the sage from my herb garden - chopped and add some chopped shallot (my new cooking friend) to the ground beef. Make yours at least 85% lean if you can - it really does make a difference. Just don't eat a burger every day! Don't forget to add some olive oil as well. To top it off we added chedder cheese & oatmeal buns. Note that's a gin & tonic in the background!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (for Alexis)

You will need this:

To get this (recipe follows):

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (From the Cupcake Doctor)

Ingredients:
1 package chocolate chip muffin mix (12 muffins)
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 large egg
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick baking spray (I use the kind w/ flour). Pour the muffin mix with chocolate chips (i.e., Betty Crocker) into a large mixing bowl and dig a well in the center. To the well add one large egg (beaten), ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice, ½ cup milk, 1 cup canned pumpkin (1 cup canned pumpkin = ½ can of Libby’s pumpkin mix – small size. Combine with wooden spoon, 20/30 stirs. Batter will be blended, but still lumpy. Fill the muffin tins ¾ way with the mixture and bake in middle rack for approx. 18-20min. In my oven I do 18 min. and start checking at 16, since my temp seems to be a few degrees hotter. You can freeze ½ the batch in foil and freezer bag. Delicious with tea, milk, coffee, for breakfast, dessert or an on-the-road snack!

Wholesome Pancakes

Wholesome, healthy pancakes for the whole family; including the little one! This recipe came from my culinary friend Sarah. I'm sure she'll send more recipes my way :)

Sarah's Pancakes:
Sift together:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together:
1 1/4 cups milk or buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
~Combine wet and dry mixtures (if it seems too thick, add milk) and drop by 1/4 or 1/2 cups onto a hot griddle.


Sarah's Tip: Make sure to have your oven at 250 degrees with a cookie sheet inside so that you can lift pancakes off the griddle and keep them warm inside while you finish making them.

Thanks SBP!!!
PS I added tiny diced apples and some cinnamon to mine for Avery. The apples got very soft but if you were concerned you could easily grate the apple into the batter. I love the oven tip! We all had a nice family meal!

PPS Another pancake tip: I heat the griddle up ahead of time on medium. I spritz some water on to check if it's hot enough. Before I flip I make sure there are lots of little bubbles on the top!

Happy Flipping!

Healthy, yummy, super easy granola!

This post comes compliments of my new neighbor & friend Sarah! We had this delicious granola at our post holiday brunch and I needed to try out this new recipe. It was so easy & yummy I am sharing it with everyone {pics included for you visual learners ~ you know who you are}.

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
6 tbl honey
6 tbl vegetable oil
1 tsp of any "spicey" spice {cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice}
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup each of any two dried fruits
parchment paper


Mix together the oats & almonds; set aside.

In a small saucepan mix & heat {until through; just a few min} the honey, oil, spice & vanilla.

Mix the wet & dry mixtures together and spread on a rimmed sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10min; stir; return to the oven another 10min {more or less depending on the temp in your stove}. You want it golden brown but not burned. Mine was done in 17.5 min and my stove runs warmer. Cool on the cookie sheet completely!

When granola is cool, transfer to a bowl & mix with the dried fruits. Stores 1 month in the freezer or 1 week in a sealed container countertop. As most of you know, food doesn't stick around long in this house; I think there is enough for one serving left!

Thanks SBP so much for the recipe and the chance to feature on my blog! My readers will probably hope you start blogging soon so you can have more food & entertaining tips!

Homemade Baby Applesauce

Homemade baby applesauce. Directions: steam 3 macintosh apples for 25-30min at medium heat. Pot has water filled 1/2 the height of the apples. Lid stays on. Put apples in colander in sink. Skin should peel right off ~ apples will be hot. Slice apples in half and put half in food mill at a time. 3 apples fills 8 cubes. For fuller cubes use 4 apples. I sprinkle cinnamon and mix when apples are still warm. When babies are older and for an adult treat when apples are still hot mix in red cinnamon heart candies. Enjoy!!