Finally….a clean car (well, half way there)!!

Well, I could not handle it anymore. My car was so stinkin' dirty there was no way we could drive it to Twin Falls this weekend with it looking the way it does/did. I have simply been spoiled living in the city. We have owned our Excursion for almost 5 years and not one time in those almost 5 years have I ever washed my car myself. Spoiled or lazy?? I like to think spoiled. Living in a large city you have all the amenities in the world….like a guy who will come to your house and wash your car in your driveway, while you tend to you 5 children. Or before there were 5 children, you could drive into Green Valley and drop your car off, walk to a restaurant to get a bite to eat and return to a nice clean car. Well, living in good ole Elko, NV….those amenities do not exist!! Nope…only one guy in town who does car washing and he is totally unreasonable. So, I have not had my car detailed since Kaylee's baby blessing in February. Now, in all the snow, rain, and dirt that it has been subjected to here, you can only imagine what a mess it must be. But to top it all off, when I was heading out to the branding, on a not so nice road of nothing but poof dirt, and drove further than what I needed (cause I got lost), it was a great big moving dirt pile. So, today I cleaned the inside. I started around 2:30 and did not finish until close to 5:00 this afternoon. It looks so nice…so tomorrow I am going to venture to the carwash and work on the outside. I really do miss the guys who used to come to my house to clean it. They were so great to my car!!

Dinner Menu Week of June 21…better late than never

Ok, so here is my menu for last week. I had it all planned out but things were a bit hectic around here with dr. appointments, dentist appointments, girl scouts, cub scouts, Tate leaving for the summer and, of course, the everyday life J

Monday	Tequila Lime Chicken Pica de Gallo and Guacamole beans All Served Burrito Style
Tuesday	Sloppy Joes French Fries
Wednesday	Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Thursday	Tacos
Friday	Enchilada Casserole – I used this recipe, but instead of rolling them I just layered it all as a casserole and last Friday when I made the enchilada's I made extra meat and just froze it.

Tad made dinner Saturday night and it was so good. He made his famous shrimp which are my favorite, favorite, favorite and I made my favorite chopped blue cheese sald and the amazingly great Buttered Rosemary Rolls. It was a great dinner :)

Dinner and FHE…

Well, I am behind on the menu planning for the week. I stayed up way too late last night and today was a little bit hectic!! But all in all…it was a good day. Tonight for dinner I made the Pioneer Woman's Tequila Lime Chicken along with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. All I can say is YUM, YUM, YUM, and then some!!!! After the chicken was cooked, I sliced it and served it on tortillas burrito style. Very good!!

Tate was in charge of FHE tonight. He did a really good job. It was on the Creation. And dessert was Raspberry cheesecake bars. Unfortunately…there is no recipe for those!

Father’s Day Menu…and then some

So this coming Sunday is all about Dads, right?? Well, here is what I have planned for breakfast, dinner, and dessert…

Breakfast – Huevos Rancheros
Dinner – Shrimp Pasta, Cesar Salad, and Garlic Cheese Toast
Dessert - Tiramisu

Here are some fun crafts the kids and I are working on…
Father's Day Pop Bottles
Popsicle Stick Puzzles

More fun ideas…
Father's Day Frame…DAD
Father's Day Photo Album (we might get to this)
25 Things We Love About Dad

Dinner Menu….Week of June 14th

I decided I needed to start planning a weekly dinner menu. I figure it saves time and money, and taking only 20 to 30 minutes Sunday evening is not bad either. Then I do my grocery shopping on Monday and I am done for the week (besides the cooking part). I am not planning for Saturday's and Sunday's cause those are the days Tad does most of the cookin' or leftovers are in order. So here it is…my dinner menu for this past week.

Monday (picnic at the park)	Hot Chicken Salad w/Croissants Potato Chips Fresh Fruit
Tuesday	Sweet & Spicy Pork – Served Burrito Style w/Tortillas, Sour Cream, Onion and Cilantro Chips & Salsa
Wednesday	Chinese Hamburger Casserole Green Salad
Thursday	My Cajun Chicken Pasta Cesar Salad w/Homemade Cesar Dressing
Friday	Beef Enchiladas Beans

Of course…I am planning a Father's Day Dinner….just have not gotten that far yet. By the end of the day today, I will have it figured out.

My Cajun Chicken Pasta and Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ok…this is my knock of recipe of Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta. It may not be as good, but it is still pretty darn good and a hit in my home. Not to mention…it is rather quick and easy (right up my ally)!!

1/2 pound penne pasta
1 jar alfredo sauce (or homemade sauce; recipe below)
5 chicken tenders
1 tomato
Cajun Seasoning

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, sprinkle chicken tenders on both sides with seasoning and grill them. I grill mine on a simple stove top grill. Drain pasta and put it back into pot with the jar of alfredo sauce (reserve a little to go on very top) and I sprinkle a little of the Cajun seasoning to give it a little kick. After it is heated, place pasta on plate top with chicken cut into strips, a little more alfredo sauce, and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce – After making this you will never use the jar stuff again.

1 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 to 1-1/2 cups parmesan cheese
2 cups (give or take) milk
season with garlic powder as desired

Add cream cheese to a large skillet on medium heat until melted, stirring frequently to keep from burning. Add soup and cheese until well blended, and then add milk about ½ cup at a time to ensure perfect consistency.

I have also made this recipe with shrimp in place of chicken. Instead of grilling, I cook my shrimp in a small skillet with butter, garlic and Cajun seasoning. This is a very yummy fix also…and linguine or spaghetti is good, too in place of the penne pasta.J

Hot Chicken Salad

This is sooooo good….especially with croissants
2 Cups Cooked Chicken (diced)
2 Tbsp green onions
½ Cup slivered almonds
1 Cup mayo
1 Cup crushed plain potato chips
2 Cups diced celery
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ Cup cheddar cheese
Mix cheese and chips, set aside. Mix all ingredients (except chips and cheese). Put in 9 x 13 pan. Top with cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I also like to add crasins when I have them.

Yummy, Yummy!!!

More Desserts...

How could I possibly forget these?? My oh my!! So Smith's has had blackberries on sale for $1 lately. I found this very easy and delish Blackberry Cobbler recipe, and the best part is the fruit is on top....not the bottom :)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 - 1-1/2 cups blackberries
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fruit juice or water

Beat butter and sugar until well mixed. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into shortening/sugar mixture. Add milk and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 baking dish, greased. Spoon blackberries over the batter. Sprinkle sugar over the fruit. Pour fruit juice or water over sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

Also...I made my first fried ice cream and they were so good!! Good and easy!! Here is what I did...
Lined a cookie sheet with waxed paper then scooped out soften ice cream to desired ball size and placed on lined cookie sheet. Place back in freezer for a good hour or two - until the ice cream balls are frozen pretty hard. Then I took some egg whites and rolled the ice cream balls into the egg whites and then into crushed cornflakes. Then back to the egg for a second coat and then back into the cornflakes. Then back ont the cookie sheet to freeze for another hour or so. Then...heat oil in a large pan or frier to about 375 degrees. Fry coated ice cream ball in oil for 3 to 4 seconds, until it has achieved a golden brown color. I then had a bowl lined with paper towel and placed the fried ice cream in the bowl before serving with chocolate syrup and whipped cream, sprinked with cinnamon sugar. These are so great!!!

Fun Times - Random Pics

These Days...

Things are going good here in Elko. School is out, and activities go on :) Tate is having a blast in scouts. June 5th he participated in day camp and had a blast. Lastnight was pack meeting and he was awarded with 6 belt loops that he has earned to add to his collection. This upcoming Saturday he is looking forward to going to the branding at our family's ranch in Starr Valley. He is not sure if he wants to be a motorcross rider or a cowboy...or a combination of the two :)

Speaking of the upcoming branding....GRRR!!! I was looking forward to going riding with my brother-in-law yesterday, all day!! I was so looking forward to it. I had to leave the house no later than 7:15 in the morning, with all 5 kids. I did it, got dinner ready and cooking and we headed out the door at exactly 7:07. Got all the kids buckled in and got ready to get in myself and BOOM!!!! I have a flat tire on my excursion....it was great. Needless to say, I did not get to go riding because they needed to leave around 8, so I finally left my house at 10:30 yesterday morning and when I got to Starr Valley I kept track of my 5 kiddos plus 2 of my sisters. Oh yes...I was cleaning the camper when I was informed that the horses were out. Not just a couple....more like 20...give or take a few!!! So I got them rounded up....all on foot, got the kids lunch, solved a few problems between the kiddos and then back to cleaning the campers so people have places to stay when they come for the branding. It was a great day. So we got back home only to find that the dinner that I had started at 6:30 that very same morning was not finished!! WHAT!!! I was so mad...so, we headed to eat dinner then off to pack meeting. It was a great day. Nothing went as planned!!

The flat tire occured when my great husband took us for a drive Monday evening, on some not so nice roads. It was so much fun (sarcasticly speaking), especially when we came across this nice, nasty friend....

and he wanted to have a picnic up here. I said no and we ended up at the park having our picnic. Much better :)

With summer here, so many things going on. Tate and I are doing the Scripture Reading Challenge, we have chose the BOM...and we are doing quite well :) Shaelee is now in Girl Scounts and is so excited about it and I have decided to be a Daisy leader. Not sure what I was thinking, but its all good :). Oh and how could I forget Abby?? Yes, we got a new dog....her name is Abby and she is so sweet. I am a sucker for blue heeler pups and she reminds me of one I had years ago. She is wonderful and the kids love her and she loves them. For some reason I find it neccessary to get puppy's while potty training....Yep....TJ is potty trained!! He is doing great!! Such a big little man :)

On top of all that, I have several projects I am trying to tackle...once I get them done I will be sure to make posts :)

We all continue to get settled in here and tryin to fit in. We love our ward. It is great and so inviting. Yet...we have not been asked to speak yet nor have we been given any callings....which is fine by me :) This little house is still very cozy, and the yard is coming together, slowly but surely.

Oh....and school....school for me is still rollin' along :)

More Yummy Recipes

I have been trying so many new recipes, it is hard to keep track of them all. And yet, there are so many more I want to try. My organization skills these days have gone out the door, unfortanetly!!

I have tried several different Sloppy Joe recipes but this was was really good....Sloppy Joes. Same with Mac and Cheese....there are two I have found to really love (I am sure I have shared at least one). Baked Macaroni and Cheese and Macaroni & Cheese.

And then...You gotta try these - Fried Mozzarella Sticks (I found Planko bread crumbs at Smith's).

A few more fav's:
Twice Baked Potatoes
Chicken Piccata - VERY YUMMY!!!
Fiesta Beef Bowls
Buffalo Chicken and to keep things cool with Sweet Cucumber Salad.
Oh yes....with the Buffalo Chicken I replaced the provalone cheese with crumbled blue cheese.

Happy eating :)

Fiesta Beef Bowls
Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups hot cooked rice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons guacamole

Directions
Place round steak in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic and seasonings; pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat from slow cooker. Add beans to tomato mixture. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until beans are heated through. When cool enough to handle, slice meat. In individual bowls, layer the rice, meat and bean mixture. Top with cheese, olives, onions and guacamole. Yield: 6 servings.


Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions
Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in eggs, then coat with bread crumbs.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for 7-10 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, adding wing sauce during the last 2 minutes. Turn to coat chicken. Sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and cook until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Sweet Cucumber Salad
Ingredients

3 cups thinly sliced quartered cucumber
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro

DRESSING:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a salad bowl, combine cucumber and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 4 servings.

Desserts, Desserts, Desserts...

Here are few GREAT recipes that I have tried. Memorial Day we went to my sister's house for a BBQ, and she has a friend whose family is doing a sugar fast (staying away from sugar)....not something I think I could ever do. I volunteered to bring the dessert, so I had make a sugar free dessert. I chose to make the Wave Your Flag Cake...but making it all sugar free. Therefore, I could not buy the pound cake that it calls for, I made it. I found a Splenda Blend Sour Cream Pound Cake. Now I am no Splenda fan, but this was not bad at all. So, I made the cake, I used sugar free Jello along with sugar free cool-whip. It was a very good sugar free dessert....I WAS IMPRESSED :)

 

Now...these are nothing but sinful....mmmmhmmm!! Check out these yummy cupcakes - Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes. I made these especially for my brother-in-law who loves anything peanut butter. Besides, I needed some reason to make them :)

Oooooo.....yes!! Remember that Taste of Home Cooking School I brag about so much...this great recipe is from there. How about an Orange Chocolate Tart. Yep!! It was so delish....

What you need is -
6 Tbsp. Butter, cubed

7 oz. semi sweet chocolate, divided

1 sheet refrigerated pie crust
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. orange extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whipped topping
Orange Peel, Optional

How you do it -

1. In a microwave safe dish, melt butter and five chocolate squares. Cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line 9-in. fluted tart pan with removeable bottom with pastry. Line pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove the foil; bake 3 minutes longer. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
2.  In a small bowl, beat eggs, sugar and orange extract until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in cooled chocolate mixture. Beat in flour, mix well. Pour into crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick interted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. Melt remaining chocolate. Pour melted chocolate into a ziploc bag; cut a small hole in the corner of bag. Pipe eight to ten small hearts onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until set. Spread whipped topping on pie; garnish with chocolate hearts and orange peel if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

What I changed....I used a pie plate because I do not own a tart pan. It worked just as well. Then...for the orange extract I used the one I made....mmmmm, so good :) Then I used freshly whipped whipping cream in place of the Cool Whip for the whipped topping. If using whipped cream you could add the orange extract in place of  vanilla!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

Now...if you like peanut butter and chocolate...this is a dessert for you :) I made a few changes to it and it was still great, very rich, but very good...Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle. I used whipping cream in place of cool whip, I did not add the peanut butter that it called for (adding the peanut butter to the vanilla pudding). Also, when I made the brownies I used the peanut butter chocolate chips. As I said, it was rich...and my brother in law has a major sweet tooth for peanut butter so half of the dessert went home to him. Of course, he said it was great and not rich at all :)

I had pictures....but they are on my memory card that I am still having issues with!!

Ingredients

1 fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch pan size)
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
2 packages (13 ounces each) miniature peanut butter cups
4 cups cold 2% milk
2 packages (5.1 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions
Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-in. pieces.

Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons whipped topping.

Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled. Yield: 20 servings (1 cup each).

This is a Taste of Home recipe but I could not get the link to work.

Yummo Desserts

These Sweet Lemon Tarts are wonderful!! The phyllo dough is a bit treatise to work with but the final product is well worth it. My favorite part...wait, my favorite parts are the meringue and the chocolate :)

There is this wholesale produce place here in town and they had a great deal on strawberries. 8 lbs for $7....awesome!! So I made chocolate covered strawberries one night....Simple and big hit :)

Homemade Extracts and Sugars

Now...I have decided to make some homemade extracts and flavored sugars...and I am so glad that I have. The extracts can be used in anything that calls for vanilla extract of other flavors and the sugars can be used in baking, topping cookies or cupcakes. Basically anything you would normally use sugar in.

For the Sugars:

3 whole lemons or 2 large navel oranges

2 cups of white sugar

Grate the peels of the chosen fruit (I used the smaller grate on my grater). Add fruit gratings to 1 cup of sugar in a food processor. Process for a couple minutes until well blended and the grating has been well combinded. In a medium size mizing bowl add the fruit gratings to the other cup of sugar. Mix mell then our out onto a backing sheet to dry. I mix mine around several times during the drying process. I let mine sit for atleast 3 hours. After drying I store it in a mason jar, closed, in the fridge.

I pulled the lemon sugar out to use it on my blackberries and I decided to run it all back through the food processor to make it all fine. It turned out great and smells wonderful. I need to so the same to the orange sugar.

I still want to make cinnamon sugar as well as some vanilla sugar...but those are still to come :)

On to the extracts...I made lemon, orange, lime and coconut. Very simple and great tasting. Ten times better than the store bought stuff.

For the citrus extracts:
2 Limes, 1 Lemon or 1/2 Large Navel Orange Peel
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vodka

Roughly chop the peel, put in a clean jar. Add water and vodka. Place lid on and give it a good shake. Store 3 to 5 days in a dark, cool place. After about 10 days I removed the peels. They smell great :) These store for up to 1 year.

Here is the link to the Coconut Extract that I made. It smells really strong because it is straight vodka so I think I am going to only use half of what I normally would. Also, when I mixed it I placed it all in the blender to really combine the coconut and vodka. I also strained out the coconut about 1 week after making it.

Vanilla, Cinnamon, Mint, and Cinnamon Nutmeg extracts are still on my "to do" lists. One day I will get to them :)