Fudgy Ice Cream Sandwiches....Update

June 30th
I made these tonight but we probably wont cut into them until tomorrw night. The recipe did not go as planned. It only calls for 1 tube of cookie dough, I used almost 2 full tubes. I probably used more than 2 cups of ice cream too. Also, of course I baked the cookie dough too long. For some reason I got to learn to trust the timer on the stove. I keep forgetting that this one is a huge update from the one I had. So....I will update when we cut ino them. Hopefully they look as good as the picture looks.

July 1st
So, we did cut into these things lastnight. I think they would have been a whole lot better if I had not over baked the cookies. Since the cookies were so hard from being over baked and then frozen it made it nearly impossible to eat them like a regular ice cream sandwich. The kids did love them. Tad poured milk over his in a bowl to try to soften his up but it did not work. But atleast I tried it!!

Good Luck to anyone else who gives it a try.

Daddy's Helpers

Lastnight Tad sat down at the dining room table to do some paper work. Shaelee asked her Daddy if she could help and of course he said YES. Tad Jr.wanted to help too. Shaelee is Daddy's Little Princess.

Mt. Charleston June 28th, 2009

We went to Mt. Charleston yesterday and went for a nice walk and enjoyed the nice cool weather. It was a nice 73 degrees and I was in ahhh....especially since when we left Vegas it was 112 degrees at 95 and Sunset. It was so nice to get out of the heat. The kids enjoyed the nice weather. Emilee is not an outdoors girl. She is deathly afraid of bugs. Shaelee enjoyed finding sticks and TJ enjoyed trying to eat all the stick. Tate was the "Mountain Man"... trying to climb everything in sight and thought he was going to bring home this tree and put it on his balcony outside his bedroom. Tad told him if he could carry it all the way to the Excursion without touching the ground then Tate could bring it home with him. Tate decided he was not up for the challenge and left the tree there.

Bow Success

Yesterday after church we decide to go to Mt. Charleston and I decided that I was going to make the drive worth while so I took ribbon and my goal was to get the girls red, white and blue bows done. I DID!! So on the way home I decided to keep plugging away. Then once I got home I did not want to stop. So, I made a few more. I was enjoying myself.

Pulled Pork

Tad found this recipe online at http://www.foodnetwork.com/. It is an Alton Brown recipe. I know Tad does adds a few things but nothing particular. If he sees it in the cupboard and it sounds good then he adds it.

Ingredients
Brine:
8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water
6 to 8 pound Boston butt (Pork Shoulder)

Rub:
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika

Directions
Video: Watch Alton make this recipe
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.
Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.
Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.
Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pulled-pork-recipe/index.html

Mango Salsa

This is very yummy!

Celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1/4 C. red onion chopped
1/2 C. mixed of red, yellow and green pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper, freshly ground, to tastle
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 ripe mango, chopped
2 kiwi fruits, chopped

Blend celery, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion and peppers. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and lime juice. Stir well. Add chopped tomatoes, mango, and kiwi; stir until blended. Refrigerated overnight. Serve with tortilla chips or use as a topping on fish or chicken. Makes 4 cups.

When I make this I use extra lime juice, extra kiwi's and more mango. I like MORE!!

Fudgy Ice Cream Sandwiches

Now when I seen this recipe this morning I was wishing that our big freezer was working cause I could really go for these.....MMMMMMMM!!!! I think I need to MAKE ROOM in my little freezer cause I gotta try these.

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup hot fudge topping
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch square pans with foil. In each pan, place half of cookie dough; press evenly in bottoms. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans completely, about 20 minutes. Press edges flat.
2. Remove cookies from pans by lifting foil. Invert cookies onto work surface; remove foil. Spread each cookie with fudge topping. (If topping is too firm to spread evenly, warm slightly to soften as directed on label.)
3. Return foil to 1 pan; place 1 cookie in pan, fudge side up. Spread ice cream evenly over fudge topping. Top with remaining cookie, fudge side down. Place pan in freezer for at least 1 hour or until firm.
4. Remove cookie sandwich from pan by lifting foil; remove foil. Cut into 12 sandwiches. Wrap each in foil. Store in freezer. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before unwrapping.

http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=13958&WT.dcsvid=NDE3NTIyMzMzMwS2&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_06_25_2009&rvrin=330A15CF-88B1-4A05-A063-3DBFE97A682A

Sloppy Joes

So lastnight for dinner we had sloppy joes. I have tried several different sloppy joe recipes in the past but this one so far is my favorite.

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 . ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 10.75-oz. tomato soup

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onions. Drine and rinse. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredints and simmer for 15-20 minutes. I serve them on Kaiser Rolls, toasted, but the would probably be just as good on hamburger buns. I also top mine and Tads off with raw onion slices.

More Covered Cork Boards & Bows

I did these cork boards for Shaelee's room....one is designated strictly to bows. There is still not enough room for all the bows :( But the boards turned out CUTE!!

Jello Snacks

Jellos snacks...I decided to make these up for my kiddos. I use sugar free Jello. My kiddos love them.

Covered Corker Board

Here is the corker board I covered. It turned out ok. I am not a fan of the frame but, hey...it works!

Olive Garden Chicken Marsala

This was Tad's Father's Day Dinner....it was really, really good!!
(The pictures does not do the good food any justice)

Ingredients
4 ea Chicken half-breast, boneless & skinless

1/4 cup(s) Flour

1/2 tsp Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp Oregano, dried

4 Tbsp Oil

4 Tbsp Butter (or margarine)

1 cup(s) Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (I used 2 cups)

1/2 cup(s) Marsala wine (I used more like 1 cup)

Procedures
Pound chicken breasts between sheets of "Saran Wrap" until about 1/4" even-thickness.Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano, blend. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shake off excess. Heat oil and butter in frying pan over medium heat.Cook the breasts on medium heat for about two minutes on the first side, until lightly brown. Turn breasts over to second side to cook, add the mushrooms around the chicken breasts. Cook breasts about two more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side, stir the mushrooms. When lightly browned, add Marsala around the chicken pieces, cover and simmer for about ten minutes. Transfer to serving plate.

http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes/recipe_search/recipe_detail.asp?recipeID=145583

Hair Bows

I AM ADDICTED TO HAIR BOWS......this is just a couple!!

Priesthood Preview Invite

This is the way cute Priesthood Preview invite that I made for the boys advancing out of primary. I got the idea from one that I seen on Sugardoodle.net. I am highly impressed with them and very proud. Sounds Crazy....I know!!!

Barbecued Chicken Pizzas

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Gouda cheese
1/4 cup minced cilantro

• Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basking frequently with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
• Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion onto a 12" x 10" rectangle. Lightly brush both sides of the dough with oil; place on grill. Cover and grill over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned.
• Remove from grill. Cut the chicken into 1/2" cubes. Spread the grilled side of the pizza with 1/4 cup barbecue sauce; layer with chicken, onion, cheese and cilantro. Return to grill. Cover and cook each pizza for 4-5 minutes or until the bottom is lightly browned and cheese is melted. (2 pizzas, 4-pieces each).

Tonight I am serving this pizza with the chopped blue cheese salad. I am on a blue chess kick right now and I love blue cheese with grilled food! Enjoy!

This recipe is from the July/August edition of Taste of Home Simple & Delicious.

Chicke Lo Mein

This is a very quick and easy yummy recipe. It is also great with beef. Tonight I made it with strip beef steak. It was just as good as it is with chicken.

1/2 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I like to add extra meat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, drained (Fresh peppers and onions work great too)
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped Peanuts

Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. or until chicken is no longer pink. Add peppers, onions, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry 3 to 4 min. or until chicken is done. Drain spaghetti; return to pan. Add chicken mixture and soy sauce; mix well. Spoon onto platter; sprinkle with cilantro and nuts.

Variations
Spicy Chicken Lo Mein: Add 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper to the hot dressing along with the chicken and garlic. Pork Lo Mein: Substitute 1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into strips, for the chicken and reduced-sodium beef broth for the chicken broth.

This recipe is from kraftfoods.com.

Dinner Tonight...

So tonights dinner is going to be Cranberry Chicken with Lemon Dill Rice & a Chopped Blue Cheese Salad....MMMMMM!!

Cranberry Chicken
4 medium, boneless chicken breast halves or 5 lbs. chicken pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks)
8 ounces Catalina Russian dressing
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 16 ounce whole or jellied cranberry sauce (I perfer whole)

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the pan. In a medium bowl mix the Catalina dressing, soup mix, cranberry sauce. Pour over the chicken and bake for about 1 hour.
This chicken also goes great with chicken-flavored rice.


Lemon Dill Rice
Now for this rice I use my trusty rice cooker.
1 cup of rice
1-3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp butter, cut into four pieces
salt and pepper to taste

This recipe is for 1 cup of uncooked rice but I generally do 3 cups of uncooked rice so I just add a little extra of the ingredients.

Chopped Blue Cheese Salad
There is no exact measurement for this salad...as much as you like!
Romaine Lettuce, chopped up
Green onions, sliced
Purple cabbage, shredded
Dried Cranberries, optional
Blue cheese
Candied pecans....I chop the pecans and put them in a small pan with butter and add cinnamon and brown sugar and heat them just till coated. Then cool on wax paper.
Marie's Blue Cheese Vinegarette Dressing

Mix it all together. A little bit of dressing goes a long way. Wait to add the dressing til you are ready to serve the salad cause the lettuce wilts and gets soggy. Does not store well, so you make want to add the dressing to each serving instead of the whole salad.