Grandma's Apple Bread

This bread is a new recipe that I made last week. It is really yummy. I had to make a couple of changes but it still turned out GOOD!!

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup rye flour*
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice**
3/4 cup sweetened applesauce**
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 chopped pecans

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinamon, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, apple juice, applesauce and oil until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in pecans.

2. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Coolf for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

* I found the rye flour at the Whole Foods Market. I looked at Von's but did not find it. A few days later at Smith's I looked just out of couriosity and they do have Dark Rye Flour.

** I was unable to find unsweetend apple juice and I already had sweetened juice so I used that and bought unsweetened applesauce instead of sweetened.

With the changes in the Juice and the Applesauce the bread still turned out good and it is not super sweet either. It is a good breakfast bread!!

Sugar Cookies and F.H.E.

Ok, so last Monday for F.H.E. I planned a lesson about family in the home, and how our home can be a happy place. This is the first time Shaelee has ever sat through the entire thing. So we had a little lesson, then played a game and THEN...earlier in the day I made Sugar Cookies and for each family member I made a set of cookies that spelled H O M E. So, we all decorated our own H O M E sugar cookies. It was quite fun and the kids had a great time. We had a variety of frostings and sprinkles. But, before making the cookies I was looking for a recipe for the very yummy Lofthouse Sugar Cookies that can be bought in the grocery store. Well, I found a recipe, but they are not the same. They were good with frosting though. Here is the recipe.

Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
Roll Them Thick For Cake-Like Cookies!

Mix:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

Add:
3 beaten eggs (or egg substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift and mix with sugar mixture:
3 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Roll dough on lightly floured surface and cut with a simple cookie cutter. I cut these cookies thick, about 1/2 inch. *This is a really soft dough, try not to add too much flour so your cookies will stay soft and moist.Bake @ 425 for about 10 minutes* or until lightly golden.

I rolled my cookies pretty thin and only baked them for 4-5 minutes. They were very fast!! The ones I baked for 10 minutes were crispy....yuck!!

And....more bows....

These are not Holiday-ish but they are going on Etsy too!! They are cute (I think, but I could be partial)...

Halloween Bows...

I am hopelessly addicted to making hair bows....but these ones are so stinking cute!! Halloween Bows! Every little girl needs Halloween bows :) I will be listing them on Etsy on Friday. Take a looksy at how cute these are!!

Diaper Stock-Up...

Since the move....I am now officially all unpacked in the house. The garage is a totally different story. So lastnight I finished organizing the TJ's/Baby's room. I got all the diapers put where I want them and look at my supply I have started. I have to say I am very proud of myself but I need to keep it going. Having this many diapers on hand at all times would be so nice. I gotta keep watching the sales and keep my supply up. Every pack of diapers here I have bought on sale plus used coupons and CVS Extra Bucks. It is pretty nice to see this supply in this closet :)

Chocolate Swirl Muffin Cake

This looks GREAT!!! If my bunt pan was not packed I would make this today.

Filling
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake
2 boxes (16.4 oz each) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip premium muffin mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, cook all filling ingredients over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove 1/3 cup filling for glaze; set aside. Freeze remaining filling 15 minutes until thick like pudding.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together all cake ingredients. Spoon half the batter into pan. Remove filling from freezer. Carefully spoon filling in center of batter to within 1/2 inch of pan edges. Spoon remaining batter over filling.
4. Bake 50 to 65 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack. Spoon reserved 1/3 cup filling on cake to glaze. (If too thick, microwave filling on High 10 to 15 seconds using microwavable small bowl.) Cool completely, about 1 hour.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 2, cook filling ingredients over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes. Freeze remaining filling 20 minutes.

Storage
Wrap cake tightly and store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to 3 months.

S'more Dip

Doesn't this look yummy. I can't wait to try it!!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 box (13 oz) graham cracker honey sticks

DIRECTIONS
1. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and condensed milk on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted. Stir to mix well. Pour into 9-inch glass pie pan, spreading evenly.
2. Drop marshmallow creme by tablespoonfuls randomly over chocolate mixture. Microwave on High about 30 seconds or until marshmallow creme is softened. Immediately with knife, make several small swirls through marshmallow and chocolate, creating a marbled appearance.
3. Serve immediately with graham sticks for dipping.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/showrecipe.aspx?rid=37951&tab=recipe

Shaelee's First Black Eye

Shaelee got got her first ever black eye. Poor girl... :( She fell on her little stool that sits under her little vanity in her bedroom. Except, the stool was not were it should have been, like under the vanity. She hit it very hard. This is her first black eye and I felt so bad for her last night. Emilee has had several, and so has TJ. Shaelee has her first ever and she asked me this morning to take a picture of it.

Etsy Shop is Now Open...

Bows are now listed on Etsy...
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7755511

Hopefully someone likes them :)

Dress up time for Shaelee...

Aren't they just so cute....Shaelee loves to "Dress Up"!

Finished Butterfly

It's not perfect, but hey...IT IS DONE!!!!

Rockie Road Brownies....MMMMM

These are very easy and very yummy.

I took a basic box brownie, made them as directed on the box. Cooled them completely, then comes the yummy stuff. I took 1 tub if whipped chocolate frosting, then I to the frosting I added chopped pecans, and miniture marshmellows. About 1 cup of each. Then spread that over the cooled brownies and oh my!! This will cure any chocolate craving and it is sooooo easy and pretty quick.

Spaghetti Carbonara.....Tonights Dinner

This is a new recipe for me....So I will leave an update on how it turned out.

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half cream
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Additional parmesan cheese, optional

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, eggs and cream until smooth; set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil unitl tender. Gradually stir onion mixture into egg mixture. Add peas to hot skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute or until heated through. Pour egg mixture into skillet at once, stirring contantly.
3. Cook and stir over medium low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and a thermometer rades 160 degrees, about minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Drain pasta; transfer to a large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese, salt and white pepper; toss/ Serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

YIEDLD: 5 servings

UPDATE.......
Ok, so I made this for dinner Saturday night. I fed the kids first cause it was getting late. I thought Tad and I could enjoy a quiet dinner....even Tad thought I was making something romantic...LOL! Well, I would consider this a flop!! After Tad added a few things to it, the dish turned out tasting ok. It had a wierd texture from the eggs and the cornstarch....I am not going to be doing this one again. I am marking a big X over this recipe in the cookbook I got it from!! I was looking for more of a creamy white sauce....not a lumpy one!!

Homemade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Lastnight for dinner we did a chef salad and I made homemade blue cheese dressing. It is so yummy and great for dipping veggies in too.

2 cups of Mayo
1 cup sour cream
1/4 white wine vinegar (I use red wine vingar)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I use dried parsley)
1 garlic clove, crushed (I use a big spoon full out of the jarred garlic)
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (I always use more...I LOVE blue cheese)

Place all ingredients in the blender, cover and blend until smooth. This makes about 3 cups.

Moats Baby # 5....

It is official....we are expecting a girl. We are all very excited. Shaelee most of all, I think. She was so excited to her it was a girl. After the ultrasound she came home and walked in the door and paraded through the house saying "oh yea, it's a girl, it's a girl...oh yea, it's a girl, it's a girl". We said we are ending on a girl so this is it for us. Her name is Kaylee Jane.

The ultrasound pictures left to right.....

Top picture: It's a Girl.

Next: two little feet.

Next two: waving (arm), face and arm.

Last two: profile, profile.