A Whole New Plan..Tentativly!

so on Monday I made a tentative menu for this week...
and yes...
I did know it was tentative...but it's been almost throw out the window...

it's now day four of a 6 day menu plan and only 2 of the 8 meals planned (lunches and dinners) have been what I planned them to be!  So the recipes that I also promised at the end of my menu blog have been few and far between...
and tonight's no different...

The tentative plan was to ring in the new year at a family friendly party my friend was hosting...
now the plan ...
I will be gone for dinner (wedding rehearsal...wedding hostess for the church)...
but some goods friends will be coming over for dinner and to ring in the New Year at our place...(I'll just miss dinner with the fam, will be back in time for celebrating!)...
so anyways my good friend will be bring tortilla soup for the family to enjoy, I will share her recipe later when I get it...
and then we will have a nice relaxing evening with the family...
my daughter's best friend is also joining us for the celebration...
we will have a few snacks (nothing fancy, stuff kids will eat!)...
play some Wii games for the night...
turn the tv on around 11:50 to watch the count down...and then everyone off to their own beds around 12:15...that's how we party!

And do I have any "New Plans" for the New Year...I've been thinking of a few...and I will share them tomorrow, tentatively!

A Yummy End to a Lazy Day

Yesterday was one of those lazy Christmas Break sort of days...woke up a few hours before the kids...

finished my book and a few cups of coffee in peace...

played Legos with the kids for a few hours, stayed in my jammies till noon...

when I finally gave myself a time-out and shower...

reluctantly I put dinner in the crock pot around 1...

had a recipe idea in my head and have been wanting to try it out...

Then took the family to run some errands around 2:30...

got stuck in Barnes-n-Noble looking at their clearance items

and then in Target looking for some amazing post Christmas stuff (nothing I couldn't live without...bummer)...

Now I have two cranky kids and a hungry husband

(I had one more stop on my list and they over-ruled me)...

walked in the door at 5:30 and was blissfully happy that I had dinner almost done!

This is a recipe idea that I got from a friend, Jennifer Shawnego Lorenzen, from a post she made on facebook...not entirely sure what sort of pesto she used, but this is the recipe I ended up with...thanks Jen.

Creamy Pesto Chicken (in the crock pot)

1-4 chicken breast (how ever many you think your family needs, I just used one REALLY big one)

1 tea Lemon Herb Seasoning or Lemon Salt or Lemon Pepper  (I used Pampered Chef's Citrus & Basil Rub)

1 package Knorr Creamy Pesto sauce mix (get in the same aisle as the dry taco mix and gravy mixes)

1 1/4 cup milk

2 Tbs olive oil

slices of Swiss Cheese (enough to cover each chicken breast)

zest of one lemon (optional)

pasta or rice of your choice to serve it on/with

1.  Place chicken breast into crock pot and season with Lemon Herb seasoning.

2.  Mix Knorr Creamy Pesto sauce mix with milk and olive oil and pour over chicken.  Cover chicken breast with Swiss Cheese and lemon zest (optional).  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

3.  Serve with cooked pasta or rice of you choice.  I removed the Chicken breast and sliced it up, poured the pesto sauce over cooked pasta on a serving plate and topped it with the sliced chicken breast.  To really impress guest you can top with more lemon zest and a piece of fresh basil.

Serving ideas:

Fresh or Frozen veggies

Sweet Potatoes (my family won't eat!)

French Bread

Spinach Salad

~~~~~~~~~

My family devoured this meal...and have asked for me to place it on the menu on a rotating basis!

It's a Potato Soup Day

It was on the menu for dinner last night...the kids vetoed me...
but today I will overcome...
I will win...
I will get my Potato Soup for dinner tonight...I woke up cold and knew that it was a Potato Soup day!

Easy Cheesy Potato Soup
4-6 potato’s peeled and cubed
1/2 cup onion chopped
3-4 stalks celery chopped (including the top leaves)
2 tbs butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups milk
2 1/2 tbs flour
1/2 tea salt & dill weed (more to taste)
Pepper to taste
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (plus more to top)

1.  In stock pot sauté onion & celery in butter until tender.  Add broth and potatoes, boil until potatoes are tender (about 10 min).
2.  In sm bowl combine milk, flour, and seasoning.  Add to soup when potatoes are tender. 
3.  Boil until soup thickens, stir in cheese.
4.  Serve with more cheese on top and some crispy bacon slices, and warm French bread!


This can also be made in the crock pot, just wait to add the cheese to the last 30 minutes of cooking...

Options...
Potato Corn Soup-add 1 cup corn
Ham & Potato Soup- add 1 1/2 cups ham; cubed
Creamy Potato Artichoke Soup-add 1 jar of artichoke hearts; drained
Creamy Garlic Potato Soup-add 2-3 grated cloves of garlic 
Spicy Hot Potato Soup-omit celery add 1 cup chopped Poblano Chilies, 2 tablespoons seeded and minced Jalapeno Pepper, 3 cloves Garlic, minced, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin top with 5 ounces grated Pepper Jack Cheese, 2 ounces Light Cheddar, & 2/3 cup chopped Green Onion

Change of Plans

I made my weekly menu a mere 5 hours before dinner...how can it change so much in 5 short hours?!

Kids...it's always their fault right?...being on Christmas break the kids are stir crazy so when Madison invited a friend over to spend the night and then I extended the invitation to her friends younger brother so Wilson would have a friend...
how'd that change my dinner menu you might ask...I have a very strict policy with OUR kids, that I'm not a short order cook, that they might not LOVE what I've made for dinner, but I always make sure there is something on the table that they will eat...
Well, 2 new kids at the dinner table changes everything...
When asked, "What's for dinner?" about an hour before dinner time, I stated, "Potato Soup" and heard a chorus of, "NO," "do we have to," "YUCK," you get the idea...so even though I rarely change my dinner plans for my own picky kids, why make an entire meal when only two of the six people present will eat it...so they vetoed my plans...
(bummer too, it was Potato Soup weather today)
And they decided Pancakes for dinner...
well, actually they decided McDonalds for dinner, but when not one of the kids wanted to pay for it, they settled on pancakes...
and then, much to my chagrin, my husband suggest that I run to the store to buy his dad's secret pancake recipe...

(I have a HUGE desire to conquer the homemade pancake...
I have been working on it weekly for almost 5 years, every Saturday (almost) I wake up and prepare pancakes from scratch...
I know I can do it...
I have made some pretty good pancakes in the past 5 years...
I would venture to say, some Darn Good Pancakes...
regular...whole wheat...low fat...buttermilk...
pumpkin...blueberry...oatmeal...apple-butter...
but it never fails...
we visit the in-laws...
and my father-in-law breaks out the good ol' Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake mix...
and my husband reminds me that I just haven't reached Krusteaz perfection yet!)

so because I did need to run to the store anyways...
and because I love my husband...
and yes, because I just can't make a pancake as good as Krusteaz (YET!)...
I brought home a bag of the ChambersMade secret family pancake recipe mix...

But just because I can't leave good enough alone...I did some doctoring of the perfectly good Krusteaz...

ChambersMade Krusteaz Buttermilk Vanilla Pancakes
2 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake mix
1 1/2 cups water
and 2 tsp vanilla (because vanilla makes almost everything better)

Mix together; batter will be lumpy, and pour onto hot griddle (375) cook 1 1/4 minutes per side....
serve with little smokies sausage and orange juice....

Menu for 12/28-1/2

as of right now this is my very tentative ChambersMade menu...
I have yet to figure out when grocery shopping for said menu will fit into my schedule...
I might be able to pull this menu off without a trip to the store...
probably not!

Monday-
     Lunch-sandwiches
     Dinner-Easy Cheesy Potato Soup
Tuesday
     Lunch-Tuna Noodle casserole
     Dinner-Pesto Chicken
Wednesday
     Lunch-quesadillas
     Dinner-Cranberry Apple Chicken
Thursday
     Lunch-grilled paninis and soup
     Dinner-night of overeating
Friday
     Lunch-Nachos
     Dinner-Wedding on the calendar
Saturday
     Lunch-chicken salad
     Dinner-Beef Stroganoff

look for these ChambersMade menu recipes to be posted this week; Easy Cheesy Potato Soup, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Pesto Chicken, Cranberry Apple Chicken, Grilled Paninis, Chicken Salad, Beef Stroganoff

Almost ChambersMade...

My sister joined us for Christmas this year...and she brought with her a bar cookie that I will never be able to make...
we might have actually banned them from the Chambers household...
Beau and I were responsible for eating almost an entire 9x13 pan full of them....

So they might not be ChambersMade...but they were ChambersConsumed!

7 Layer Cookies
2 sticks butter
3 cups graham crackers; crumbled
2 cans Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups coconut
2 cup chopped pecans (walnuts or almonds can be used)
2 cup butterscotch chips (can be omitted)

Grease 9x13 pan (or line with foil and grease foil)
Melt butter in a cake pan. Sprinkle crumbs over butter and pour Eagle brand condensed milk over the crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients in the order given and press down firmly.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly brown at 350 degrees.
If pan was lined with foil, grab sides of foil and pull out of pan for easy cutting/serving of cookie.

Cheese and Beef=Heaven

I had to pack my crock pot away for a few weeks...it was just taking up too much space on my space deprived kitchen counter and the holiday baking won out...

but it's been returned to it's rightful place...

and how are we welcoming it back in style...
our favorite...
the best...the easiest...
the ChambersMade Cheddar Roast...
I actually got this recipe from my one of my oldest friends, Jennifer
(known her the longest...we met on the school bus in kindergarten...not oldest as in age...)
and I have only made one change in the recipe...

Cheddar Roast
1 beef roast (any size any type)
2 cans of condensed cheddar soup
3-5 boiler onions, sliced in half (optional...the only thing I added to the recipe)

Place all ingredients into crock pot, heat on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Yes, it sounds weird...sounds crazy...cheddar and beef...this is so amazingly good...the "gravy" that it makes (just the soup and the beef juices) is very good served over smashed potatoes (mashed potatoes not peeled and mixed with sour cream, butter, salt & pepper) and steamed broccoli (or any other steamed veggies that your family likes)...

Light up the Christmas Tr....Tri Tip?

Merry Christmas from the Chambers.
How do we celebrate the day Christ was born???

Grandma & Grandpa rise and shine early arrive at our home by 5:00...
Me and the hubby pretend to sleep until the kids get up at 5:15'ish....
           (well, the girl child woke up the aunt and tried VERY hard to wake up the boy child...)
                          finally boy child crawled out of bed...
Coffee is poured....stockings are opened....Santa's Big present is opened....
ChambersMade Christmas Breakfast Casserole is placed in oven....
more presents are opened....
                more presents...
breakfast in consumed...
               more presents....

the trash is taken out...
     and more trash...
          and a bit more trash...thank goodness trash day is Monday...

the Christmas Tri Tip is placed under the broiler...
the family plays a little Wii...

the ChambersMade Christmas Tri Tip catches on fire....
                    setting off 2 smoke detectors...
the Tri Tip is removed from oven...
     discovered that it's not done...
         returned to oven...
               catches on fire again...

ChambersMade Christmas Tri Tip 2009---good...just a little blacken on the outside!!!

Merry Christmas! 

Oh, and Santa brought me a new camera...I was very good....

and an angel for my tree!  Santa was very good too!

Not Just for the French

If there's one thing we can do as Americans is take something French and turn it into a casserole!

I was introduced to the French Toast Casserole at a MOPS (Mother's of PreSchoolers) meeting a few years ago by my friend Amy Goodall...
reasons I love this recipe...
it's highly changeable...
it's a make the night before breakfast (LOVE that)...
it makes the house smell heavenly while it's baking...
and I've never had anyone not ask for the recipe when I've served it...
really good for Christmas morning or large family gatherings....

French Toast Casserole
1 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla (thus making it...ChambersMade)
10-12 eggs
cinnamon (to your liking)

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  Put half of the french bread into dish.  Cut the cream cheese into 1 inch pieces and put on top of bread, then cover with rest of bread.  In large bowl mix together eggs, milk, syrup & cinnamon, pour over bread.  Cover and put in fridge overnight.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with syrup.

Serve with bacon or ham, fresh fruit, and coffee.

Recipe Options:
add any fruit that you'd like, blueberries, strawberries, apples, peaches...
change out the "flavor" of the syrup
add chopped nuts
chocolate chips
for a more "Holiday" flavor add pumpkin spice or dried cranberries and orange zest....

Let me know any changes that you made and how the family reacted...

It's a Chocolate Kind of Holiday

a favorite recipe around holidays at our house is the Chocolate Pie recipe...

This is more of a Thanksgiving tradition, we always had it at our Thanksgiving gatherings as a child, and I usually make it every Thanksgiving, and it has become a favorite with my father-in-law! I always forget every year how incredibly easy this pie is to make for such a yummy dessert, and so many different ways to change it up! I hope you enjoy it also.
it's a very simple...fast...sinfully good pie...Think I'll make one for Christmas this year...

Hershey Bar Pie
1 Oreo Cookie Pie crust (store bought or homemade)
1 ex large Hershey Bar (I think it's around 7 oz)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
20 large Marshmallows
1 pint whipping cream

Break up Hershey Bar and place into large microwave safe bowl, add evaporated milk and marshmallows. Heat for 40 seconds and stir, continue until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 1/2 minutes total, , (this can also be done on the stove top using a double boiler, but why?). While mixture is cooling whip up the whipping cream until still peaks form (using an electric mixer), fold into chocolate mixture, pour into crust, refrigerate 2 hours before serving, top with sweeten whipped cream.

Options:
*Use Hershey bar with almonds, or dark chocolate, or another type of chocolate bar...
*stir in 1/2 tea of mint extract
*omit evap. milk and use 1/8 cup coffee and 1-2 teaspoon instant coffee whipped into whipped cream
*add 1/4 cup peanut butter to the chocolate mixture and melt

ChambersMade Christmas Breakfast

A ChambersMade Christmas morning tradition...
the Breakfast Casserole...
if you were to ask me,
"What does Christmas Morning smell like?"
it would be breakfast casserole and coffee wafting through the house!

Such an easy recipe, make it the day/night before, or even a few days before, keep it in the fridge and pop it in the oven Christmas morning right before the kids start opening the presents...and in an hour breakfast is ready and it's time to take a break in the gift opening frenzy!

(and YES...I have entertained the thought of making this in the crock pot...but all reports I've read regarding eggs and crock pots are just okay...and I want more than just okay...apparently the texture becomes slightly rubbery!)

Overnight Breakfast Casserole
10 slices of white bread
butter
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
Garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste

Butter bread and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Layer bread, cheese, chilies in greased 9x13 pan, (2 layers).  Mix eggs, milk an seasonings.  Pour over bread, sprinkle with any remaining cheese.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Serve with orange juice, sausage and coffee

Options...
add 1 cup chopped ham or crisp bacon
omit chilies
use a cheese mixture (Cheddar and Jack)
add artichoke hearts (I would LOVE to do this but no one in my family would eat it!)

Let me know any changes you make and how they worked...

Where's the Beef?

menu for the week of 21 Dec-26 Dec

Monday...@ Grandma's (aka in-laws)
Tuesday...@ Grandma's
Wednesday...@ Grandma's
Thursday...ChambersMade Christmas Eve tradition hoaggie sandwiches for dinner (a make your own buffet)
Friday...a new ChambersMade tradition that we are introducing this year...no actual meal, but buffet style "dining" all day...with a Tri-Tip coming out of the oven around 1'ish, and some Au Gratin potatoes....
Saturday...Cheddar Roast....

Chex Mate

Chex Mix and Christmas just go together...
Well, Chex Mix and any holiday go together...

Sure you can purchase a premade Chex Mix...
and, sure, it's good...

or you can raid your cupboards and panty
and create your own...

I made a wonderful discovery about a year ago...
Chex...they have a website...crazy concept....
www.chex.com and they have a TON of recipes on there...

So, yes, I spent about a week last year making all sorts of different Chex Mix combinations...so YUMMY...
this year, I waited just a bit too long in visiting the website...
didn't have time to go to the grocery store...
and didn't have the desire to get out of my jammies on a Saturday morning...

So I did visit the website...looked at a few mixes that I would like to make...

and then the ChambersMade version...I added up all the cups of cereal involved in one of the recipes...
(around 4 1/2 cups)...
and than raiding my pantry, found some cereals that would work well in a Chex Mix...
Chex (any "flavor")...
Cherrios (any "flavor")...
Honey Nut Shredded Wheat (or any Shredded Wheat)...
Oh's...
Cracklin' Oat Bran...
Granola's...
Puffed Wheat ...
Golden Grahams...

well, you get the idea...
and measured out different amounts to equal the amount needed for the "recipe" I was going to make
Melted some butter and sugar in the microwave (using the amount from the recipe that I was "following" off the website)...tossed it over the cereal mix...microwaved the whole thing for 2 minutes (stirring at the 1 minute mark)...
and threw in a few other odds and ends...
dried cranberries...
mini M&M's (leftover from cookie decorating)...
some chocolate chips...

melted some chocolate chips in the microwave, and poured it over the top...waited for it to cool...and tossed it around, breaking up the melted chocolate...
bag it up (or jar it up) and hand out as a gift to friends or neighbors!

The Perfected Molasses Cookie

My husband is slowly taking over my kitchen...he started with making the perfect eggs...
and then became the gravy maker in the family...
next he mastered chili...
and now...now his crowing glory...

so much so that he wanted it included in the annual Christmas letter...
The ChambersMade "original"  Molasses Cookie...
...now this isn't the crunchy, dry, molasses cookie you're thinking of...
this is moist, melt-in-your-mouth, sugar coated bliss... 

The Perfect Molasses Cookie
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup softened butter (my original recipe called for butter flavored Crisco)
8 Tbs molassed
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (original recipe called for ginger)
2 tsp cinnamon
5 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients in list order.  chill dough 1-2 hours.  Roll into small balls (the Pampered Chef small cookie scoop is what we use) and roll into sugar.  Bake for 6-8 minutes. (and he insists that this is part of the secret...) Drop the pan on the counter top when you remove from the oven so the cookies flatten out (not upside down...just drop the pan rather than setting it nicely on the counter...)...

Enjoy!

The Annual Card & Letter

Chambers Family Highlights 2009
Family
*family trip to Southern California, San Diego (zoo & Sea World) LA (Disneyland!)
*Beau and Kiera celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss spending some much need couple time in San Francisco (Pier 39, Lombard St, front row at Wicked, oh and “Pride Week”)
*4 years in our character filled fixer-upper
*Oreo the dwarf hamster joined the family
*new bikes for both kids

Beau
*cut the ponytail and is now sporting a shaggy Beatles type look
*celebrated his 5th year as a Children's Pastor
*riding all the scary rides with Madison on our big trip
*kept off 45+ lb weight loss
*perfected the Molasses Cookie

 

Kiera
*1st full year as the Early Childhood Director @ our church
*living room window was replaced, after looking at it sit on our front porch for 4 years!
*re-discovered my crock pot
*started “gaming”-Wii Fitness; trying to lose lbs
*started blogging, like recipes? become a follower http://chambersmade.blogspot.com

Madison
*riding all the scary rides on our big trip
*getting tonsils (and various other unneeded parts) out in August
*starting 3rd grade & turning 9!  (YIKES!)
*learning cursive and playing the recorder
*piano lessons

Wilson
*turning 4
*learning how to swim
*starting preschool
*loving all things boy; ninja’s, Lego's,dinosaurs, Star Wars, Hot Wheels

" And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD's strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.... And he will be the source of our peace."  Micah 4-5

What's Your Status?

Okay for anyone who knows me and is my "friend" on facebook you know that I might spend a little too much time on there...so here is my life in review from facebook...

 

this was just a fun application that facebook was offering...and it generated it's own results...I probably would have chosen different status updates but than I would have spent hours sorting through them all and once again facebook would have taken a few hours of my life!

Merry Christmas...Here's a Fruit Cake!

That's how I start to feel during the Christmas season trying to think of meaningful gifts or thank you's to hand out to teachers, co-workers, employees, etc...

I want to do something...
I can't spend much money at all...
so what am I stuck with...

Well, making them something, but I know they probably don't need another plate of Christmas cookies to sit on the counter for a week only to get stale and throw away...
and I don't want to go through all the baking for it to get thrown away...
so anyways...

this year the ChambersMade solution was
...Jars of Scone Mix and a few tea bags...

that they can choose to make them whenever the mood arises...

Dried Cherry Scones Mix
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbl baking powder
1 tea zest of orange
2 tea sugar

Layer into jar, placing the 1 tea orange zest and 2 tea sugar into a small baggie and placing at the top of all the layers.

Close up the jar and add a pretty piece of cloth and attach the directions on a tag. 
Directions:
8 Tbl butter (1 stick)-chilled
1 egg
2 tea vanilla
3/4 cup chilled milk
1 Tbl milk

1.  Remove baggie with sugar and orange peel, set aside & Preheat oven 400°.
2.  Dump contents of jar into bowl and mix.  Cut chilled butter into mix until resembles fine crumbs.  Combine egg, vanilla, & 3/4 cup milk; add to dry mixture, Stir until just moistened.
3.  Turn onto floured surface and knead 12 times.  Pat to a circle (1/2-inch thickness) ; cut into wedges.
4.  Place scones onto ungreased baking sheet.  Brush tops with milk and  sprinkle sugar and orange peel from baggie on top. Bake for 12 minutes.

 ...now send your kid off to school with a glass jar layered all pretty and hope that the teacher gets something closely resembling what you made!

Oh, and a little extra for you this morning...

today was "Elf Day" at my daughters school...so here is her Elf outfit...I wore one too (I help out in class on Friday mornings) but didn't get a picture...maybe later...

 

 don't you just love that Elf Attitude?!?

Naughty or Nice...I'll wait for the letter

There are tons of  "Santa Letter" sites online...

ones that will "custom make" a letter for you...
ones that you can fill out a form and pay a pretty penny for Santa to send you kid a letter...
ones that you can order a "free" letter from...

all of these are good...
but if you are sitting at a computer, searching for the sites...and filling out the form...
wouldn't it be easier to just create your own...for...FREE

So for the ChambersMade Santa Letter...
I created it in Publisher, used some digitial scrapbooking elements (all free online)...and then printed to my desktop printer and will put in the mail and send them to my kids...

The fonts that I used were Currier New for the text of the letter...Chocolate Box Decorative for the Mr. Santa & the kids names and then Rage Italic for Santa's signature...

comment me with your email if you would like me to send a  blank Publisher doc or PDF doc (I can ONLY send it in these two formats, please do not ask for something else...) with the digi scrapbooking elements so you too can make your own FREE letter from Santa...

Oh Darn, Chocolate Cake Again

I was "raised" making pies, I loved making pies, my dad loved eating pies.

I learned the art of pie crusts...

I perfected the apple pie...

The berry pie...

The chocolate pie...

The pumpkin pie...

....

and then I married a cake man...

I tired to make cake from scratch for a few years...and it can be done...

the flour must be perfect...

the milk must be the right temperature...

the eggs must look just right...

and if the wind is blowing north...

the cake will turn out just...just okay...

Then I discovered a wonderful book...I saw it on Good Morning America and told my mom I wanted it for a birthday or Christmas or something...

The Cake Mix Doctor, by Ann Bryn...it's the best book ever written (aside from the Bible)

http://www.cakemixdoctor.com

So, yes...I now make...

Cakes out of a box!  (gasp)

But they've been doctored....

This is a recipe that originally came from The Cake Mix Doctor, but I have since doctored it a little myself so I feel it's okay to share one of Ann's recipes since I've modified it some...

~~~~~~

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

1 box Devils Food Chocolate Cake Mix

1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (I get the sugar free)

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream (I use low fat)

2 Tbs Cocoa powder

1/2 cup warm coffee (or warm water)

1/2 cup melted butter (or oil)

2 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and spray cake pans*.

2.  Mix everything but the chocolate chips together for 1 minute, scrap down sides of  bowl, mix on med speed for another 2-3 minutes (I set my timer, 3 minutes is a lot longer than you'd think), then fold in the chocolate chips, and pour into cake pan(s).

3.  Follow baking directions off of back of box according to the cake pan size you are using.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan(s), then remove from pan and continue to cool before frosting.

*when I'm using 8" or 9" rounds I also cut a circle of wax/parchment paper the same size as the bottom of the pan and line the pan with it, spraying the pan after I put the wax paper in.

frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), at room temp.

1/4 cup baking cocoa

3-4 cups powder sugar

2 tea vanilla

1/4-1/2 cup milk

Cream butter and cocoa together, add vanilla, slowly add sugar and milk alternating back in forth, until you've reached the desired consistency.

~~~

Changes you can make...

if you want a Grasshopper Cake omit coffee and use 2 tea of mint extract added to a 1/2 cup of warm water, chop up Andies mints and use those instead of chocolate chips and use the mint extract in the frosting rather than vanilla, and top the cake with a few Andies mints for decoration...

for a Mocha Cake, add 2 Tbl of instant coffee granules to the cake mix and for a crazy kick omit chocolate chips and use chocolate covered espresso beans...for frosting omit the vanilla and mix together 2 tea of instant coffee with 2 tea of warm water and add to frosting, decorate the top with chocolate covered espresso beans (maybe in the shape of a coffee mug)...

~~~~~~~

Loafing Around

Meatloaf was on the menu...and more accurately Meatloaf in the crock pot was on the menu...
but I kept putting off making it and putting off making it and well, 4 o'clock rolled around and I realized that this would be regular ol' meatloaf...

...or would it...

I then remembered a recipe a friend had sent me...

Mexican Meatloaf...

...yes it was a recipe for the crock pot, but heck, I take regular recipes all the time and make them crock pot recipes so why not the other way around...

so the original recipe from my friend, Jesica Wright, looked like this
~~~~
Mexican Meatloaf-crock pot style
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups crushed corn or tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup salsa
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespons taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Shape meat mixture into loaf and place in slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Tip: For a glaze, mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon dry mustard. Spread over meatloaf, cover, cook on high 15 minutes

~~~~~~
I had just looked at the recipe a few days ago, but when it was time for me to actually make dinner I couldn't bring myself to walk ALL the way up the stairs...
log onto the computer...
open up my recipe folder...
find my crock pot recipes...
find the Mexican Meatloaf recipe...
print or write it down...
and then walk ALL the way back downstairs...

So instead I relied on my memory...and this is the recipe I ended up with...
~~~~~~
Mexican Meatloaf-oven style
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
1 cup tortilla chips crushed up
1/2 cup corn (canned-drained, frozen-defrosted)
1 cup mexi style pre-shredded cheese
1/3 cup salsa
1 carrot finely grated (use the fine side of your grater)*
1/2 cup spinach chopped finely*
1/3 cup ketchup
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 egg

Mix all together form into loaf and bake in loaf pan or pie plate for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees...

 ~~~~~~
*I like to add extra vegetables to dinner dishes this way, no one at the table knew they were eating carrots and spinach...

My family liked it, they all ate their original serving and Madison and I both had seconds...the whole family had been expecting regular meatloaf...
yes, my family LOVES meatloaf...
so, when they couldn't cover it in A-1 sauce and ketchup they were all a little disappointed...but they still liked it!

Serving Ideas
choice of salsa, sour cream, avocados/guacamole, and chips...
Refried beans (home made-so easy...future blog)
Spanish rice
Corn

Recipe variations you could try
add 1/2 cup of beans (pinto or black) to the meat loaf
chop up some broccoli really fine and "hide" it in the meatloaf
a can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes w/ green chilies in them)
use Mexi corn instead of regular corn
a can of green chilies
a sm can of sliced or diced olives
and more cheese...

Lessons learned from ChambersMade Meatloaf...
next time I won't spring on my family at the table that I made "special" meatloaf...and they will probably LOVE it, rather than just liking it!

you can put off making dinner all day and still end up with a pretty darn good dinner...

you can feed your family extra veggies and they'll never know (unless my husband reads my blog...)

I don't need to walk up the stairs (although my Wii fitness trainer tells me more stairs would be good for me) to get my recipe off my computer...

when I have my dream kitchen my computer will be on one of the islands...(so I can check recipes and so I can blog while cooking!)...

Colorful Christmas Memories

As a mom and a woman I'm always trying to come up with ways to make the Christmas season (or any season for that matter) more memorable.  And also I know that I could spend tons of $ on huge elaborate things that my kids would have no idea about and they probably won't remember them when their 20...

One VERY simple ChambersMade Christmas Tradition we have is a Christmas coloring book, it lives with the Christmas decorations and comes out when we unpack all the stuff.  Every year we have the kids color at least one page, if not more and any Christmas guests that we have visiting also color a page or two, then sign and date the page...then when we pack Christmas all up we pack up the coloring book too...and then next year when we get it out it's fun to look at the kids artwork from the year before and to remember the guests that were visiting us during Christmas last year. 

This is such a simple ChambersMade Christmas memory and inexpensive too, right now the dollar store has nice Christmas coloring books (for a whole $1)...

Go color yourself a memory!

Dinner Menu for 12/14-12/19

I try to make a menu for every 2 weeks (to cover a pay period) and then shop off the menu...
my last shopping trip I ended up with a cling-on (aka-4 yr old boy who really needed mommy)
that I had to carry...yes carry...
thru the entire store...
and then my shopping list ended up at the bottom of my cart...
under my purse...
my coat...
some pears...
and 10 lbs of flour...

so I had to adjust the menu when I got home to reflect what I actually ended up with...this is the tentative menu for this week!

Monday-Pesto Chicken with noodles and salad
Tuesday-Meatloaf with potatoes au gratin
Wednesday-Church Christmas party=pizza dinner @ church with the kids
Thursday-Keilbasa and Shells & cheese
Friday-Cheddar roast with smashed potatoes and green beans

She Just Might be Crazy!

I woke up this morning dragging my feet...ARGH another day and NOT another dollar...gotta git the girl up for school, have to figure out how to avoid working out, and keep the boy child entertained all day now that his preschool is already on Christmas Break...

...and then...

...I remembered....

WE HAVE LIGHTS!

We strung Christmas lights for the first time EVER yesterday on the outside of our house, just the porch mind you, but it's enough to make me so very happy...

So I ran outside and plugged them in...
ran back inside to start my coffee...
ran back outside to take a picture of the pretty lights...

and back inside to enjoy my coffee...

now I might be asking Santa for a porch heater so I can enjoy my lights on my porch rocker while sipping my coffee...but if Santa brings me the porch heater, then I will soon have to take down my lights...wonder how long I can pretend it's Christmas....

now perfection would be if it was also snowing....

ChambersMade Weekend Projects-Check list

Our "weekends" start on Friday, (seeing as how we both "work" on Sunday), so I started some ChambersMade projects on Friday...(see the "Sew Much to Do" blog) and finished the sewing project yesterday and the porch project today...

The sewing project was an apron for a friends surprise 30-something birthday (don't worry Kristie I wouldn't out your age on my blog)...and a great party we had...good times...good friends...

the inspiration for the apron I made...my original "Mrs. Claus" apron is one that I got from Old Navy about 5 years ago

the before...

the middle...

BLOG WARNING

I do not photograph well, I never have and I doubt I ever will...so when posting sewing projects that need an adult woman "model" you might see a headless version of me!

END OF BLOG WARNING

the finished project...note the friend I was making it for is petite so this doesn't fit me too well, it fit her much better!

And then our ChambersMade porch...I'm really excited because this is the first year we even attempted lights...and they make me so happy...our house and lights overwhelmed us both; it's a two & half story 70 yr old house that sits on a hill with a partially above ground basement/cellar making it 3 stories high...how do you put lights on something like that without professional help, or equipment, or both...

...after 4 years lightless...I had just given up hope...

then I started to decorate the porch with the left over Christmas Tree trimmings...(free)

and some cheap WalMart ribbon (about $8 total)

and some help from a cute little boy...

(can you see him hiding?)





















And then Beau looked at the process and said those 5 little words that made my heart skip a beat...

"I think it needs lights!"

So, because he loves me...
or needed to get out of the house...
...he went and braved the Christmas Crazyness at WalMart and brought back some lights...so today after church the decking of the ChambersMade porch continued...

 

(and yes, that is a palm tree in our NORTHERN California yard, yes it's weird, and yes, I LOVE it and yes, Beau HATES it!)

...and the icing on the cake...or the wreath on the door...I have a grape vine wreath that I bought probably about 5 years ago that I always have on my door and just change out the decorations that I shove into it for the season, so this Christmas Season I bought about 5 cheapy things at Micheal's for about $0.50 and shoved them into the wreath, and used more clippings from the Christmas tree and then kept Owlie from our "harvest wreath" (wasn't ready to part with him yet, he makes me smile)...and our viola...our ChambersMade Christmas wreath...

...the ChambersMade lessons of the day...
crop a picture if you need to, even if it means cutting off your own head...
use free or cheap decorations to achieve the ChambersMade look...
if your house is WAY too overwhelming to go Griswold on it...buy a few strands and have a ChambersMade porch instead of a Griswold house!
and even in Owlie is in harvest colors you don't have to pack him away till next year...Merry Christmas....

Breakfast for Dinner

Sunday's are a lazy day for most...for our family it's a work day.  My husband is the Children's Pastor at our Church (1st grade-5th grade) and I'm the Early Childhood Director (birth-kindergarten)...

(us at work...80's night for the kids...but still working!)

...so by the time dinner rolls around on Sunday we are toast, and that's why we usually opt for breakfast for dinner (pun intended!).

A favorite is country potatoes and scrambled cheesy eggs (the eggs made by my husband, I might be able to cook/bake many things, but the best ChamberMade eggs are made by Beau), but tonight I'm feeling like some flap-jacks, I made some really yummy ones yesterday morning and I've been thinking of them ever since.  Don't have a name for them yet, "Pseudo-Buttermilk, Low Fat, Whole Wheat, Apple Butter Pancakes" seems like a mouth full...maybe just "Apple Butter Pancakes" will do and just knowing that they're Low Fat and Whole Wheat made with fake buttermilk will be fine...
~~~~~
Apple-Butter Pancakes
1 tbs lemon juice or vinegar
1 cup no/low fat milk (approx)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tea baking powder
1/4 tea baking soda
1/4 tea salt
1 beaten egg
3 Tbl Apple Butter* (or 3 Tbl of apple sauce and 1 tea of cinnamon)

1.  In glass liquid messuring cup pour lemon juice or vinegar, add milk until it measures 1 cup, (this will make "sour milk" or "pseudo-buttermilk" with a lot less fat than regular buttermilk), let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
2.  Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Beat the egg, stir in apple butter, and add the sour milk.  Gradually add the milk mixture to the dry, stir just until moistened; batter will be lumpy.  Add additional milk if the batter is too thick.
3.  Pour batter onto heated, lightly greased griddle (griddle should be around 350 degrees), or heavy skillet.  Pancakes will get a bubbly surface and when the bubbles pop it's time to flip them.

These are great served with peanut butter (tossing the "low-fat" right out the window) or Nutella (a chocolate hazelnut spread that the kids and I love, Beau not so much) and vanilla syrup (will post that recipe soon). 

~~~~~~
I was out of vanilla when I made these yesterday morning, so I will also be adding 2 tea of vanilla in the recipe tonight...can't go wrong with vanilla...

*in the recipe that I altered to make these it called for 2 Tbl of oil, in most "bread" recipes (yes, pancakes are in the bread family) , you can replace the oil/fat for a different "liquid", applesauce usually works very well, you can also use pumpkin (add more milk with pumpkin to thin the recipe down) I've made this recipe with pumpkin and we gobbled them up!

We don't eat a whole lot as a family so this recipe is good for us, but your family might need to double it because it makes only about 8 regular sized pancakes.
If you were having a full breakfast spread, serve with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, slices of grilled ham, orange juice and coffee...very cozy breakfast/dinner!

why'd the chicken cross the road...to get into the crock with some apricot!!!

I'm going out tonight with some friends...love a good girls night out!

And since I love my husband...
or maybe it's because I love my crock pot...
I'm throwing dinner in the crock this morning so he won't have to do anything besides have the kids set the table and then clean up the mess that follows!

So a favorite ChambersMade recipe is Apricot Chicken...the apricot jam that we use is leftover from a huge batch that we made this summer off the tree out front, that the kids spent the morning on the 4th of July picking the fruit off of...

BLOG WARNING
I'm not one of those bloggers with a huge country garden, an organic orchard, and my own free range chickens!  We have 2 fruit trees (3 in you count the mulberry tree that we HATE!  But then our plum tree didn't give us any plums this year, so I guess we're back to two, apricot and stinkin', mess making, bird pooping, mulberry) on our small plot of city land and we have no backyard, no chickens, no country brook meandering thru our land and no organic bee hives!
But I do have two VERY cute children and I will post pictures of them all over my blog until they are legally allowed to stop me!
So if you want the organic, gardening, chicken farming blogger you must stop reading this blog now...if you want some pic of two beautiful children continue!
END OF BLOG WARNING

~~~~~

Apricot Chicken
11 oz jar of apricot jam/jelly/preserves (whatever you want to call it!)
1 t dried minced onion flakes
1 T dijon mustard
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t ginger
4-6 chicken breasts
I used frozen breasts. Drop the chicken into your crockpot. In a small bowl, mix all the other stuff pour on top of the chicken
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6--if your chicken isn't frozen, your dinner will cook faster.

~~~~~
 Recipe Options:
*If you like your dishes with a little spice you can also add 1/2-1 tea of chili powder to the recipe, I want my kids to eat it so I don't add the chili powder

*You can make this same recipe with Peach Jam or Orange Marmalade
*If you have some fresh apricots around chop one or two up and throw them in
*serve with some sliced almonds and chopped cilantro on top to impress the guests or in-laws**!

Serving Options:
*White or brown rice
*Spinach Salad
*Corn on the cob

Enjoy!


**I don't need to impress my in-laws because they're amazing...
and I'm not sure my father-in-law even eats apricots so I probably wouldn't serve this for them!

a crock of Lasagna

What's for dinner...leftover lasagna...

Last night My Beau and I had a rare night out...

(my Beau and I all fancied up for the Christmas Party)





...so I made dinner really easy for the sitter, I made lasagna in the crock pot earlier that day...

(if you don't know me you might not know that I HEART my crock pot!)

...so all the sitter had to do was butter the French Bread and serve! This recipe makes WAY more than my family would ever eat in one sitting, and the kids loved it so we are having it as "first's" for My Beau and I, and as leftovers for the kids!

this is the recipe as I received it from a friend (I think it was Kelly Jackson?)
~~~~
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pkg (8oz) no-cook lasagna noodles**
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1½ cups (12oz) small-curd cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt and oregano; mix well.
In another bowl mix together 2 cups of mozzarella, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5 quart slow cooker.  Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce (break the noodles). spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of noodles  Repeat layers three times.  Top with remaining meat sauce, and extra mozzarella.  Cover and cook on low for 4/5 hours or until noodles are tender.  Yields 6-8 servings.

~~~~

Changes I made
*only used 1/2 lb of ground beef
*didn't have the large can of tomato sauce so used 3 sm 8 oz jars-plenty
*I grate my garlic on the really fine side of the cheese grater, no more big chunks of garlic, and all the flavor.
*didn't have the no-cook noodles so I boiled the reg ones for 1/2 the time, drained and rinsed them
*added 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach to the cottage cheese mixture
*added 1 egg to the cottage cheese mixture

Changes I didn't make but you might like to...
*Italian sausage along with the beef or to replace the beef
*ground turkey, which I find dry, but in dishes with lots of sauce the dryness isn't a big deal
*leaving the meat out all together and making it vegetarian
*using 2 cups mozzarella and 2 cups cheddar
*using rocotta cheese rather than cottage cheese
*using manicotti noodles rather than lasagna


**Trader Joes has the no-cook lasagna noodles for cheaper and twice as many WinCo carries them...so pick up a box next time you run in for some Candy Cane Joe Joe's (Oreos) and Sea Salt Carmels (YUMMY)!

Serving suggestions-I always think pasta dishes have it all, the starch, the meat, the veggies...but if you want to serve it with something, butter up some french bread (I like to keep an extra loaf in the freezer), and grate some garlic onto it and a little cheese...broil until it's as done as you like.  Add a good hearty salad and you're more than done!

sew much to do

I love Christmas time and all the fun crafting and baking things that come with it!

I woke up this morning with my list of what I want to get started on and remembered that I'm working in Madison's class today...so my list will have to wait...but at least I can share the list...

list for today
*A fun apron that I'm sewing for a gift (birthday not Christmas)-will probably share pictures tomorrow or Sunday

*decking the porch with the trimmings off the bottom of the Christmas tree...started yesterday just need some ribbon to finish up...

will post pictures later today when I'm finished
*starting to address the envelopes for the Christmas cards, will blog later about making your own Photo Christmas card and saving lots of $

Now I must go help young minds!

decking the Halls...or the Buick?

So I grew up with the tradition of going out into the snowy woods the day after Thanksgiving to cut down a Christmas tree...lots of good memories...I married a man who doesn't like the snow (yes, he's weird!), and we have never owned a vehicle that would work to go into the snow cut down a Christmas tree and haul said Christmas tree back home with anyways.

And then year two of marriage and our daughter, Madison, was born on Dec 2nd...so rather than decking the halls for Christmas, I now find myself party planning the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we try to save all Christmas related activities to post-birthday (more to protect my sanity than anything!).

When Madison was about 2 or 3 (can't really remember), we decided to make getting the Christmas tree a huge family tradition...aka huge production...and we went to our one and only local Christmas tree farm (name withheld to protect any reputation they may have)...we spent hours walking down their rows of bushes and dead Christmas trees spray painted green (not joking, they spray painted the dead trees green, like we wouldn't see the circle of green paint on the ground!?!)...and then we ended up at Target...and within minutes found the perfect tree for the perfect price and drove home! So from that year forward the Chambers family tradition has been to bundle up, drive to Target, pick out a tree, shove it in the trunk and drive home...

This year, well our lovely 2003 Buick La Saber (yes, I'm 32 and drive a car that 70 year olds covet! That's a blog for another day!) has a broken trunk (another blog!)...that's okay we'll strap the tree to the roof my overzealous self says to myself... My Beau is feeling sick on the day that we promised the kids we'll go get our tree, so off to Target I take the bundled up kids. And in the back of my mind I'm thinking for some reason that the garden guy at Target will supply me with a blanket (to protect my Buick's roof) and rope to tie it down...

We get to Target and they have a total of 2, yes 2 trees, in my style (noble fir), height (5-6 ft) and price (under $35)...wow every year we've had at least a dozen to choose from. So we pick our favorite out of the huge selection, the nice Target garden guy trims the end off, wraps it up in netting and totes it to the car for us...this is when I mention that I needed him to help me get it on top...oh, well apparently they aren't allowed to help with that (something crazy to do with liability!), so he suggest we stick it inside the Buick...so with his help (guess there's no liability for damaging the inside of the Buick, just the outside!), we shove a 6 ft Christmas tree into the passenger side of the car...

The kids LOVED riding next to the Christmas tree and the memory is a fun one...thanks Target Garden Guy!

the Chops

Okay, for those of you who are my "facebook friends" you might know that I like my crock pot...I might like it more than most; I would venture to say that 5 out of 7 dinners a week come from the crock....tonight's being one of them...

So the first time this was "ChambersMade" it really wasn't by a Chambers, my mom was watching the kids while Beau and I were out of town, so it was "GrandmaLindaMade" and the kids LOVED it...I had googled the recipe and this is the first one I found...and I'm pretty sure Grandma made it as follows...

Pork Chops 'n Applesauce
6 boneless pork chops, browned
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vinegar
Salt and pepper pork chops to taste, place in slow cooker. Place apple sauce on top of the chops, then pour mixture over. Cover, cook on LOW 4-6 hours.

Take 2...The kids raved about how wonderful this was when Grandma made it...so mommy made it...and did the normal crock pot thing, "low for 6-8 hours" not reading the directions too closely....Apparently pork really doesn't need to be on low for that long...and we ended up with more of a Pork Jerky and Applesauce! And I wasn't a huge fan of the tomato sauce and vinegar in the recipe...

Take 3...Made it again...this time leaving out the tomato sauce and vinegar and adding a chopped apple...forgot about the time issue, and once again the chops where a little rough on our chops...

Take 4...Made it again tonight...leaving out tomato sauce & vinegar, adding 1 cup of applesauce, an apple, and then asked Wilson if I should add raisins, he said, "I think cranberries would be better!"...so I also added a handful of dried cranberries...and this time I did remember the time issue and cooked it on low for about 5 hours...

Three of us really enjoyed it, Madison was late to choir and didn't get to eat dinner until after, she thought the apples were potatoes...something I didn't realize she was thinking until much too late...and well, Madison ended up eating crackers and cheese @ 8:30 when we got home from church!

creation of ChambersMade

I decided that it was time, beyond time, to begin blogging.  I know such a fad, what if this blogging thing doesn't take off, what if this whole internet thing is just a passing fancy.  Oh, well, I'm jumping in feet first! 

I will post recipes that I have made (and the changes that I made to the original recipe or changes that I wish I would have made...and not all of them will be created in a crock pot, but lots will).  I will talk about different things that I am working on, sewing projects, crafting projects, household fix-it projects, gardening projects, birthday party planning, menu planning, grocery lists and all things that I would love to read about, because, yes, it's my blog...ChambersMade.

Oh, and yes, the two most important "projects" I'm currently working on for the next 14 years plus, my kids; which are "ChambersMade" will also be a constant feature on my blog, because they say and do things that make me laugh, make my cry, make me speechless, drive me crazy, and help me grow as a person!

And my husband might make occasional appearances in the ChambersMade blog, although he's not my project, he is a project, and he is ChambersMade (generation X).