'Soup'er Yummy!

It's that time for another Recipe of the Week. Yep! Even though I'm on vacation I'm still following through on my goal. I made dinner for my parents tonight. (My mom helped too, especially with clean-up. SWEET!) Tonight's recipe comes from a cookbook I found at my mom's house. It is one of those awesome books put together by a bunch of ladies from church. They are always full of the best tried and true recipes. This one didn't let us down.

Zuppa Touscano
(A Taste of Heaven from the Mtn. View 6th Ward - Diane Garner)

1/4-1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage*
2-4 slices cooked & crumbled bacon
4 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups kale
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 Cup diced onions
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
4 potatoes, cut into half circles

Bake sausage on baking sheet for 20 minutes at 320 degrees. Cut sausage into small slices. Cook onion and bacon in saucepan until the onion is transparent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Bring soup to a boil after adding broth and potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add kale, sausage and cream and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*We used mild Italian sausage, I'm not a huge fan of Hot.


The soup was awesome. I made some homemade garlic-parmesan bread sticks to go along with the soup. Yumm-o!

Fun with Family

My goal during this trip out to Utah was to keep things SIMPLE. One, because it is my first trip out here with two kiddos and no hubby. Two, because keeping things simple makes for a less grouchy mom, and much less grouch boys! Three, we have just down-right missed all of our family. We are kind of focusing on being with family this time more than anything else. (Okay, and visiting a few quilt shops. It's a vice.) The boys are having a great time playing with cousins and getting TONS of love and attention from grandparents and aunts and uncles. We are heading down on Saturday morning to Scott's parents house in Fairview, Utah for a few days. They have lots of snow, so we should get some good sledding in!

(Just a few more fun photos of the boys with family.)

We're here!

Hooray! We made it here, and all in one piece too. Traveling was a little crazy, but it could have been so much worse. Getting through security is always like a circus. We were lucky enough to have a flight that wasn't totally full, so they let me bring on the car seat. AWESOME.

After a day and a half of recovering from a super early start and a bit of jet lag we're starting to get into the swing of things. Being around family is so much fun. The boys are loving all the attention. Colby has taken well to being loved on so much.

(These pictures were all taken today)

Two more weeks of Utah fun!

Are we there yet?

I'm not sure why I even attempted to go to bed last night. I probably would have felt more rested by just sitting in front of the TV vegging. It was one of those nights that I woke up every 15 to 20 minutes to make sure that I haden't overslept.

Nope, didn't oversleep. It is 4:15 AM, our fight leaves in T-minus 3hrs and 45 minutes. I am up, dressed, hair done, bags in the garage waiting for our ride to arrive, and dreading waking up two happily sleeping boys.

This too shall pass. In just a few hours we'll be enjoying the beautiful sights of Salt Lake City! I'd say wish me luck, but I need something more like sanity!

Recipe of the Week - Marble Cookies! (3 of 52)

Scott is out of town this week at a training class for work. We totally miss him. To fill the void (not really, but it sounded good...) I tried a new cookie recipe! I really want to keep up with my goal of trying a new recipe each week, but with Scotty gone, I didn't want to make a whole dinner. Both Kyle and I think these are winners. We'll have to set some aside for Scott.

Marble Cookies
(Mrs. Fields Best Cookie Book Ever)2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 large egg
4 oz. sour cream (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with wire whisk. Set aside.
3. Combine sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and beat until batter is grainy. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 20 seconds until melted.
5. Cool chocolate for a few minutes and pour over cookie batter. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, lightly fold melted chocolate into the dough. Do not mix chocolate completely into the cookie dough.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 20 to 22 minutes. Do not brown. Quickly transfer cookies to a cool surface.



Okay, so these are good. Like yum, hard to stop eating them good. A forewarning though, the batter doesn't taste all that great. (Yep! I had to try it, I'm a cookie batter lover.) These cookies taste MUCHO bettero once they've been baked.

Touche

I am CONSTANTLY getting after Kyle to help clean up after himself, and to put things away so they don't get lost. Currently it's his Leapster games. There are multiple times in a day that I ask him to put them away in their bag. They always seem to make their way back out onto the floor, or the couch, or the kitchen table. It drives me kind of crazy. Really just because I don't want them to get lost...they aren't cheap little suckers.

My military ID has been on the table for a few days (out for some reason I can't even remember now) and apparently it fell on the ground this morning. While standing at the sink doing dishes, Kyle came up to me, handed me my ID card and said..."Mom, you need to put this away, I'd hate for you to loose it."

Touche my boy, touche!

Recipe of the Week (52-3)

This was an easy recipe, and a yummy one. Not necessarily the most healthy, but definitely worth a try. (We'll be eating this one again for sure.) Oh yeah, don't let the name scare you, it's not too hot.

Fiery Fettuccine
(Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook)
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 jar (7 oz.) roased red bell peppers, drained
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
2 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2. Wile pasta is cooking, place whipping cream, Creole seasoning and bell peppers in blender of food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.

3. pour pepper mixture into 12" skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Stir in sausage; heat through but do not boil.

4. Serve sausage mixture over fettuccine. Sprinkle with onions.




Okay, so it was yummy, but next time I think I'll do a few things differently. I'm going to get 'Fire Roasted Red Peppers' instead of just the regular kind. We actually though it could use a little more heat. That being said, I'll probably add a bit more seasoning too. If you are sausage people though, it was dang good. (I also like that it is a 'red sauce' that isn't tomato. Your tastebuds expect tomato, and get something entirely different. I'm a fan.)

"Dark Green Please"

It's official. After a trip this morning to the Orthopedics, Kyle gets to lug around this big ole' thing for the next four weeks...
The doctor really wanted to just give him a half-cast, one that went only up to his elbow, but after taking off the first cast (the one from the ER) and examining it a little more, he decided that going for a whole arm cast was what needed to happen. Kyle didn't have as much mobility, without it hurting him SUPER bad, as the doctor hoped for the smaller cast. Oh well. (Unfortunately that knocked out the option of a water-proof cast.) When the tech asked him what color of cast he wanted there was no delay in his response..."dark green please"
Me, being the craftaholic that I am, couldn't resist dressing up his sling... just a bit!

Something to Celebrate!!

So, we got a Wii for Christmas this year (like everybody else!) We're having a lot of fun playing it. It is even one of the few things that Kyle has figured out how to do in his handicap state. (After all, you only need one arm for bowling and sword-fighting!) Scott and I have had a good time playing together in the evenings after the boys are in bed.

We've pretty much had one gaming system or another since we've been married. Nintendo64, Playstation2, Xbox360, and now the Wii. (I should be embarrassed to admit this, shouldn't I?) For the most part it's been a lot of fun playing games together, cheaper date than going to the movies, that's for sure! Inevitably, Scott beats me at EVERYTHING. It's not that I'm bad, I'm just not as good as him. (With the exception of Dr. Mario on the N64. When I was on bed-rest while preggo with Kyle I played it a TON. I beat Scott at that all the time.)

So anywho, lets talk about the beat-down that happened tonight. While wake boarding (Wii Sports Resort)I WON! OVER AND OVER AND OVER! Boo-yea Grandma! Wa-hoo! In your face baby!

Yep! It's that big of a deal! I love you Scott, and I love that I finally beat you at something fair and square, not because you let me.

Whew! Now it's out of my system.

How we spent our Friday night...

While I'm sure it was fun at first, bouncing on the trampoline with the big ball turned out to be not such a great idea. Quite honestly, we're surprised we made it this long before breaking a bone. He fractured his wrist; thankfully not on a growth-plate. We'll have to go to the Orthopedics on Monday, but the doctor at the ER said these types of breaks heal pretty quickly in children and without too much pain. She (the doctor) did prescribe some Tylenol w/Codeine, the Pharmacist warned us that it would make him VERY sleepy. He's already out...hopefully for the night!

2010 Book List

Sorry for the boringness, this post is really more for me than anything else. In an effort to avoid a long list on my side-bar I am adding this button as a link to this post so that I can just put the button on my side-bar and continuously add all the books I read throughout the year. I'm not sure what my fascination is with keeping track of the books I read is, but I am who I am!

Name All The Animals
by: Alison Smith
This was a book club read. I didn't love it. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone. It's a memoir, but not a very compelling one. It is a women telling about her upbringing, which wasn't that much different from anyone else. Her trials with dealing with the loss of her brother from a car accident, and then deciding that she's 'interested in girls'.

Where Are You Now?
by: Mary Higgins Clark
I Love her books. This is probably my favorite yet. A good murder mystery, who done it. I didn't have it figured out until the very end. It was a good easy read, but a page turner for sure.

The Giver
by: Lois Lowry
I read this as a kid. I remember liking it. As an adult, it is still a really interesting read. I wouldn't say I love it, but for conversational purposes, its good. I have a hard time with books ending on a cliff hanger. I like closure!

nothing. and forever cuteness

What is this a picture of? Let me tell you. NOTHING!! It is a picture of nothing in our living room! Why is this of significance? Because, my friends, this is a picture of all our Christmas decorations and other various items that had gathered there PUT AWAY! (No, we still don't have any furniture in our living room. There are so many things ahead of it on our 'list'!) I'm not sure when the last time was that this room was completely empty. You see, I have to celebrate this one room, because it is currently the only room in the house to look remotely clean. One room is a place to start though, right? Hopefully I can keep this room clean and then slowly move from room to room. Wish me luck!!

On a completely separately note, I don't think I'll ever get tired of snapping pictures of moments like this...It makes my heart happy to see the boys love each other so much. Colby is always fascinated by whatever Kyle is doing, and Kyle is such a doll always talking to Colby and trying to make him laugh. I hope this budding friendship lasts forever.

Lemon Greek Chicken - RotW (2 of 52)

Okay, this dish turned out SUPER yummy. I'll give the recipe as it is from the book, but then let you know what little differences I made to it.

Lemon Greek Chicken
(Pampered Chef Stoneware Sensations)2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbl. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2-3 tsp. dried oregano leaves
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 medium baking potatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
8 oz. fresh whole mushrooms
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl combine lemon zest, juice and oil. Press garlic into bowl. Add oregano, salt and black pepper; set aside. Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges; place in 9"x13" dish. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and half of the lemon juice mixture; toss to coat. Place chicken o top of vegetables; brush with the remaining lemon juice mixture. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink in center, brushing chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes.
YIELD: 4 servings

****************************************
It really is a pretty easy recipe to make. I would pair it with a crusty bread (like a baguette), some white rice, and a green salad.

The few things I did differently were that I cut my chicken breasts in half, so I technically had eight pieces. This helps with portion control, but also my breasts were thick (yes, we're still talking about the chicken here! :) and I wanted them to cook all the way through. Also, my local grocery store was out of red peppers, so I used orange. It still tasted awesome.

If you decide to give it a try, let me know what you think!

life

It's 9:15 am. I have already...

-sucked boogers out of noses (not me personally, but the aspirator ;)
-used half a dozen kleenex
-cleaned up throw-up
-changed a diaper
-changed Colby's outfit twice
-started a load of wash
-changed batteries in the Leapster2
-finished doing last nights dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher
-cuddled two adorable little boys who have nasty little colds.
-washed my hands at least a dozen times

I have NOT...
-changed out of my clothes from yesterday
-showered or brushed my teeth yet
-put away Christmas decorations
-vacuumed in over two weeks

I love being a mom, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chocolate Peppermint Roll - recipe of the week

Happy New Year! Can you believe it is 2010? Hopefully this new year brings lots of wonderful and exciting things to my family and yours.

I'm not one to make a huge list of new years resolutions, but I do try to set a few goals. One of my goals for 2010 is to cook more and be adventurous by trying new recipes (and a few good staples once in a while too!) To help me in this effort and give me something to be accountable for, I am making it my goal to include a recipe-of-the-week on my blog. (Complete with a picture of my finished product!)

I started my new little adventure yesterday by making a cake roll. I've seen them done once or twice, but never tried to attempt one on my own. It turned out AWESOME (and super yummy to!) I'd say this recipe would be good for an intermediate level cook.

Chocolate Peppermint Roll
(Hershey's Recipe Collection Cookbook)
CHOCOLATE SPONGE ROLL
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water

PEPPERMINT FILLING
1 cup whipping cream, cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup finely crushed hard peppermint candy or 1/ 2 teaspoon mint extract
Few drops red food color (optional)

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
2 Tbl. cocoa
2 Tbl. water
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. For CHOCOLATE SPONGE ROLL, heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 - inch jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil.

2. Beat egg whites on high speed of mixer in large bowl until soft peaks form; gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3. Beat egg yolks and vanilla on medium speed of mixer in medium bowl 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar; continue beating 2 minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to egg yolk mixture alternately with water, beating just until batter is smooth. using rubber spatula, gradually fold beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert onto clean towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. carefully peel off foil. Immediately roll cake in towel, starting from narrow end; place on wire rack to cool completely. (I let it cool for a bit on a rack then stuck it in the fridge to hurry up the process.)

5. For PEPPERMINT FILLING, beat whipping cream on medium speed of mixer in medium bowl until slightly thickened. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and peppermint candy or mint extract and food color, if desired; beat cream until stiff peaks form.

6. For CHOCOLATE GLAZE, melt butter in small saucepan over very low heat; add cocoa and water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

7. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cake with PEPPERMINT FILLING; reroll cake. Glaze with CHOCOLATE GLAZE. Refrigerate until just before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.

*It may sound like a lot of work, but other than dirtying a ton a dishes, it wasn't too hard. It's worth the effort though, it tasted AWESOME!!