Friday, October 28, 2011

I don't mean to scare anyone

but I figured with Halloween 3 days away it was okay to post this...



you may need to ask small children to turn away...


the picture you're about to see is.

so..


very....


VERY...


disturbing...

If you have nightmares you may not want to scroll down and see...

have you removed all little children from the viewing sight?

okay...


it it just me or is this beyond creepy!



I totally get the pillow pet thing...

totally wish I would have come up with that million dollar idea...
it's a pillow...it's a pet...it's a pillow pet...now give me $20 for one!!!

but really...Dora?  creepy!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

irony

one of those things that drives me crazy...
the boy child leaves his shoes in piles around the house, usually with a day or two of dirty socks...
I'm always tripping over that kids shoes...

bigger picture...
OUCH!
wonder where he's learning his shoe-putting-away skills...
yep...all mine...
but if you notice mine aren't in a major traffic area and his are!
   
so I am totally justified for yelling at reminding him to put his away...
while my pile sits all nice and out of harms way...

I think I will start offering parenting classes soon...

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Bluster Busting Beef Stew

Yesterday was a blustery day....
a good ol' tie down the patio furniture windy day!
and yep, mother-of-the-year...
I checked the weather on Google like every good mother does before her kids pick out their clothes for school...
it 'said' 70...
pretty yellow sun, shiny all bright, no clouds
so I told them to pick out shorts and tee's...
this is where the mother-of-the-year part comes...
I just glanced at Google...didn't really study it...
and I wasn't looking at the weather for Redding...
I was looking at the weather for Kelseyville (where the in-laws live)
Redding did have the pretty sun...
but also the note of '25 mph winds'....

yeah, so um....it didn't feel like 70...poor freezing kids
to redeem my mother-of-the-year award I decided to make a cozy dinner
made-in-the-bread-machine 'homemade' bread with soak-your-bread-in-the-broth-stew...

Beef Stew recipes are all over the web...I have 'pinned' a few on pintrest
source Brown Eyed Baker
I looked over a few recipes online and in my own cookbooks...and not wanting to run to the store for anything...this is what I came up with a combo of all the recipes I looked at and what was in my fridge and pantry...

Blustey Day Beef Stew
1-1 1/2  lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes ( I look for it on sale already cubed)
Salt and ground pepper
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3-4 stalks of celery chopped, including leaves
1 medium garlic cloves, chopped or grated
3 tablespoons  flour
5 cups beef broth, divided (or 5 cups warm water and 5 tsp beef bullion)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 medium  potatoes, washed and cut into 1-in. cubes (don't peel...more vitamins)
6-8 carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick

Dry beef with paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat and brown beef with Worcestershire sauce, about 8 min.

Remove beef and add onions, celery, and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 mins). Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 sec. Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 min.). Add 1 cup of broth and vinegar, scraping the bottom and stiring until thick and flour is dissolved.
Gradually add the remaining beef broth, stirring constantly, scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan. Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer. Add beef, return to simmer, reduce heat to med-low, and cover. Simmer for 25 min.
Add potatoes and carrots, leave uncovered, increase heat to medium and cook for additional 30-45 min

if you like a thicker stew this is when you would add a mixture of 1/4 cup broth and 1 tablespoon flour (stir together before adding to stew, and slow stir into stew...I like brothy stew...so I didn't do this.

Also I HATE dislike peas (the one veggie I don't like, I even like Brussels sprouts....), but you can add a bag of frozen peas at the end, just rinse them in water, drain and put in stew the last 5-10 minutes

Discard bay leaves (or not, we always said the person that ended up with the bay leaf was exempt from dishes...and then it only ever worked for my dad for some reason!), adjust seasoning and serve with warm bread.
..
We had enough left over to bag and freeze
Yea for easy dinner some day next week...or month (I guess next month is next week!)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Red Beans and Rice

about 2 months ago I was the host for my book club (we take turns hosting)...
and...
depending on the book and the host sometimes there is food served per the genre of the book...
we meet at 7, so usually there is a dessert but it can be a little late for dinner
     (well, that's a late dinner for me...)
anyways, we had read the book Five Smooth Stones a book set in the south during the 60's (great book, I highly recommend)...
and the main character in the book was know for his great cooking ability, his specialty being Red Beans and Rice...so I decided to make some for book club, along with corn bread (my recipe is NOT southern but I like it and it's what I made) and a gooey butter cake (recipe to follow soon...)

anyways, the Red Beans and Rice were a hit with the family and the book club...and it will be a staple on our winter menu...the girl child loves it but doesn't like 'sausage' aka kielbasa & the boy child loves it and he doesn't like beans...so she eats his beans and he eats her kielbasa and I figure they are both getting a protein....

Red Beans and Rice
1 (16 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped including leaves
1 cup sweet peppers* chopped
1 clove garlic chopped or grated
2 (15 ounce) cans canned kidney beans, drained
1+ cups broth (chicken or veggie...or water and bullion)
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
rice (I used jasmine rice both times I've made it...we are in love with jasmine rice!)
Start/cook rice (per your rice cooking directions)...
In a large skillet over low heat, cook sausage for 5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, sweet pepper and garlic; saute until tender. Pour in beans, broth and tomatoes with juice. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.


This is a very easy recipe and all ingredients that I usually have on hand, I've added it to my throw down recipe list!

*I get a big bag of peppers and use them in everything...I like these better than the plain ol' green peppers, sweeter...and bonus the kids like to eat them as a snack after school with ranch...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Sometimes you feel like a dumpling

One rainy week and I was in soup mode...too bad the 80 degrees and sun came back...
okay, not complaining too much about the weather, I love this fall weather it is the best...but I got soup on the brain and now it's warm again...

found this recipe last week when I wanted chicken and dumplings, and since I've only ever made biscuit type dumplings I decided to give it a try.  Everyone like them, I LOVED them, and ate it for lunch for the rest of the week!...but the rest of family voted that dumplings were meant to be in the form of biscuit not cornbread...they did like it just they want 'regular' dumplings next time...we'll see!

Chicken & Cheesy Cornbread Dumplin's
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2-3 stalks of celery
3 cups chicken broth
2-4 carrots peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen corn or peas
2 tsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 + cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 recipe cornmeal dumplings (follows)

In large saucepan saute butter, onion and celery until tender, add chicken broth, carrots and corn/peas and dried basil (add the fresh basil later if using), salt, garlic powder and pepper.  Bring to boil.

In small bowl mix together milk and flour.  Stir into veggie mixture, stir in chicken.  Cook and stir until thicked and bubbly, stir in fresh basil if using.

Meanwhile make cornmeal dumplings.

Drop dumpling dough by rounded tablespoon into bubbling stew, about 8.  Cover and simmer  over low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Cheesy Cornmeal Dumplin's
1/2 cup flour
1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tsp sugar (optional) (original recipe didn't call for sugar, but we are a sweet cornbread family)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of pepper
1 beaten egg
2 Tbl milk
2 Tbl oil

Combine flour, cheese, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, garlic & pepper.  Stir in egg, milk and oil with fork until just combined.

enjoy...let me know if you prefer regular biscuit dumplings or cheesy cornbread dumplings...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

it's that time of year again

well, it's trying to be that time of year again...
soup time...we had a week of rainy weather, followed by a beautiful sunny weekend, then a rainy Monday and now a week of sunshine...
but I've got soup on my mind and heart...and had a request from Krystal for some soup recipes...
here is my list of soups that are always on my list...
Easy Cheesy Potato Soup (had this last week with company and made a double batch to enjoy for another whole meal...
Black Bean Soup, this is one that is such a great throw down meal because I usually have everything in my cupboard
Minestrone Soup, great with all the fall veggies
Sweet-n-Sour Beans...more of a chili/stew...but yummy and cozy non-the-less
the Good Ol' Family Chili...the secret family recipe...

and look for new soup recipes over next few weeks, I have 2 to share that we've already had...
Chicken and Cheesy Cornbread Dumplin's..

and Red Beans and Rice

I also have a few on my pintrest board (do you pintrest?)  for this coming winter that I hope to make and share

the list goes on and on...
and then I have the list from my own cookbooks

Meatball Soup
Split Pea Soup
Cheese Chowder
Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli
White Chili
Cassoulet

and I'll stop now...
look for at least 2 soup recipes within the next week...and then I'll try to post one a week from now until Christmas...


Sunday, October 9, 2011

trimmin' the pumpkin tree

yep, we have a pumpkin & gourd tree out front...
yesterday the kids and I put the finishing touches on the autumn decorations...
I love this time of year...


the pumpkin tree...
we have a dead tree in the back, so I broke some limbs off and placed them into a large glass beverage dispenser that I got for $5 at a yard sale...
and then it chipped and is no longer very good for beverages, but perfect for holding straw, some fake pumpkins and gourds and then the dead sticks...
then we strung some fake small pumpkins and gourds onto the dead limbs using some hemp string.


the front chair with a little fall decor...a small honeysuckle wreath that I made after trimming down our honeysuckle bush, some fake fall foliage, small fake gourds and pumpkins, some bones, and Owlie our owl is perched on the small wreath.


what a minute...did I say bones, yep, bones...
if you have a boy child
          (which I highly recommend getting one, they're pretty darn cute)...
you might just have an abundance of fake dinosaur bones floating around the place...
perfect for a little Halloween'ish vibe to the autumn decor
... just scatter some here and there...


Our autumn'ish front door wreath, I just pulled out the green leaves and flowers that I had in it from this summer and put in some autumn'ish foliage
and clipped on a sweet feathered friend...


took our usually ships that we use for decor in the 'office' and added some pirate flags...
...pirates are fall'ish right?

sure hope so, because here is a little more pirate decorations...
some weird 'Goonies' paraphernalia...
you always know that geeks movie people when they say, "you have the doubloons from Goonies!?"
I'm not even sure what a doubloon is...well, these are I guess...
Beau got these from someone from my youth group reunion that we went to last year... 

and then lastly...the piano...my version of a mantel since I don't have a mantel to decorate...
glass thingy full of pears and some fall foliage...a white pumpkin,-dollar store...
some 'spider webs' (used dryer sheets, torn a bit)
some framed pictures of Halloween's past...
& a bust of Lincoln...
bust are kinda creepy & cool all at the same time,
     some nice lady gave it to Wilson at a yard sale for free...
I wanted it, and was having Wilson hold it for me, she said, 'oh, he loves it so much he can have it for free'...score...


framed the kids school pictures and added some spider webs, pirate patches and some old skeleton keys are hanging on the boy child's frame...

and that's it, that's our autumn'ish/Halloween decor...
we will add carved pumpkins in a few weeks, but they only last for so long so we usually do it the weekend before Halloween....

take home lessons from this blog...
1.  if you see something small and AWESOME at a yard sale, have your cute child walk around carrying it, maybe even stroking it with love, make sure the person in charge of the yard sale notices the love that your child obviously has for the object and get said object for FREE....
2.  oh, and decorating trees isn't just for Christmas....

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Warning

I feel the need to warn you about something
VERY SERIOUS

yes...that's right...
my van is protected by a passive security system...
not sure what this is..
the door locks maybe..
the fact that the windows are rolled up... possibly...
at least it's not a passive aggressive security system...
that would just be annoying!