Life Happens...

I was just sitting here the other night thinking about writing a new post but then the boys got in an argument over something trivial, which turned into a wrestling match.  Off I went to play referee and the posting was soon forgotten about.  I logged on today thinking that it hadn't been THAT long since I posted...Ha!  Well I think 3 months is THAT long...But life happens and things that aren't as important get pushed to the bottom of the list for another day...

I herniated a disk in my back and had to have surgery, so for about 2 months I couldn't stand to sit at the computer anyway.  I am thankfully on the mend and my back is back to new.  My leg and foot are still numb but we are waiting to see if feeling returns.  So now that I am mostly back to normal I am back in the kitchen and ready to start cooking again.  I am really excited about trying some new things since we have recently made some BIG changes in our diets, eating mostly organics and non-processed whole foods.  The transition has gone a lot better than I thought it would since I have some confirmed "junk food junkies" under my roof.  I have a major sugar addiction and have decided to go cold turkey and not eat candy anymore...It was hard at first and I did have a few grumpy withdrawal days but now I am getting to a point where I don't really crave sweets anymore.  YAY!! 

So, one of the things I knew that Jared and the boys would not want to give up was chicken tenders and french fries (a FAVORITE meal around here).  I had resisted trying sweet potatoes for a while since I thought that Cameron would have an issue with it.  I finally tried them last week and he LOVED them.  He even told me he liked them more than regular fries.  One more food victory for me!!

I made them again tonight with some panko crusted chicken tenders...I found a healthy and reasonable substitute for our regular fried chicken and french fry feasts...Everyone's happy and who doesn't love that!!  I can't really say I have a recipe, I just kind of threw everything together.  So here's the method...

I used 2 large sweet potatoes.  Peel them and cut them in half.  Cut each half into 1/4 inch or so slices and then cut each slice into strips.  Make sure you use a good quality, sharp knife, sweet potatoes are hard to cut.  Preheat your oven to about 425 degrees.  Place the strips in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil...I use light olive oil, the extra virgin is a little too strong for my boys, they don't like it.

 I found this at the grocery store this week.  Soooo nice, my hands don't smell like garlic and no cloves to peel and mince..easy peasy, just how I like it.  So anyway, throw in some garlic and lots of pepper, and some salt.

Now toss them up really well so the season gets distributed evenly on each slice.  Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper, in a SINGLE layer.  I do 2 sheets to fit them all.

Now pop them in the oven for a good 40-50 minutes until browned and cooked through...Now, I am lucky enough to have a convection fan in my oven so I always turn it on for the last 10 minutes.  It's not necessary, but it does help them brown nicely.  If you have a convection oven, try it, if not, they'll still be great :)

I also made some great panko crusted chicken tenders with them.  Really simple.  I used regular boneless skinless breasts and cut them into strips, but you could buy them already cut in the meat section at the store.  I salted and peppered the chicken BEFORE I coated it.  A lot of people forget this when they bread things.  SEASON your meat people..really it makes a tremendous difference in the taste.  Now I just beat 3 eggs whites with a little bit of water and put my strips in that.  Then, I took some panko crumbs and SEASONED them.  Don't forget this step, panko are really bland if you don't season them.  I just use some pepper a little tiny bit of salt and some Mrs. Dash (my blood pressure is high so I need to cut down on the salt).  Dip your chicken in the panko and press them to coat them with the crumbs.  I place mine on a cookie sheet with a rack in it so they get extra crispy, but you could place them right on the sheet and then flip them halfway through.  I baked mine at 425 (with the fries) for about 20 minutes.  They were so good!! 

You won't believe me..

When I tell you these are the easiest muffins in the world.  When I tell you these are really moist and tasty.  When I tell you they have only 2 ingredients.  AND when I tell you they are extremely low fat, have no cholesterol and lots of fiber and protein.  BUT they taste good, really good.  It's true.  I wouldn't lie.  Even if you can't bake, you can bake these.  They are simple, really simple.  Just try them. 

They aren't the prettiest muffins in the world but who cares, right?  I mean we are just going to eat them.  The great thing is you can change the flavor whenever you feel like it.  The chocolate are a favorite for us.  They taste kinda like a brownie.  So here's the recipe...ENJOY!!

Super Simple Muffins

1 box cake mix, any flavor (although really, I wouldn't use strawberry)

1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

Mix them together, scoop batter into greased or lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.  Batter will be thick.  If you really want to you can throw in an egg or two to the batter and this will lighten them up some but I don't.  We love them.

In the picture above, on the left I used a chocolate cake mix, on the right I used a spice cake mix.

Letting go...(a little bit!)

I'll be the first to say it..I can admit it...I'm one of those moms.  I have some trouble letting go.  I want my kids to be individuals, to a point... Well, I'm working on it.  There is something about having your kids getting older that is so enjoyable but so sad at the same time.  My little boys are growing up and my mother's heart is aching.  I remember feeling them move inside me, Cameron my acrobat, never still, always kicking, making me crave Subway footlongs and PB&J sandwiches.  Peyton pretty still and relaxed most days, but Oh boy, did that child ever have the hiccups.  I remember as soon as I'd lay down to sleep he'd start hiccuping inside my belly, a weird and rhythmic tapping.  He made me crave anything sour, which is odd for me because normally it's sweets all the way!  After they were born I remember that smell..when I'd give them a bath and snuggle them in warm pajamas and then sniff their feather soft hair.  So sweet, remembering almost makes me cry.  So many nights spent rocking them to sleep, feeling their warm tiny bodies snuggled so perfectly in my arms.  After Peyton was born I'd settle in the chair with him in one arm and Cameron in the other.  My heart was so full I felt it would burst.  They still love to cuddle together and will often yell "group hug!!" and come running for a snuggle.  Although now if they were both in my lap I think my legs would break.  These kids are getting HUGE!! 

Recently Cameron has really had a thing about being independent.  This is hard for me.  Peyton was strong willed since birth.  That child has always been so individual, knowing exactly what he wanted, from clothing to hair.  Never caring what anyone thought, he loves corduroy pants, pinstripes, and ties and bowties.  He loves to dress up.  HE wants his hair to be long, maybe a ponytail even...This has not bothered me at all.  I don't know why, it should.  After all he is my younger one, my baby.  It should bother me that he wants to grow up too quickly, make his own choices, and not care about what mom thinks.  It doesn't though.

But Cameron, that is a whole different story.  He has never really cared about what he wore as long as it was comfortable.  He hates to dress up and has some sensory issues with different fabrics and fasteners.  He has always been my t-shirt and jeans or sweatpants kid.  He never cared about how his hair looked or how I cut it (usually the same buzz cut every time).  We really haven't dealt with much peer pressure either since he is home schooled.  Until recently.  He is a man!  At least that's what he thinks.  He wants to do things alone, mom.  Meaning without ME.  How dare he want to grow up.  I am just not ready for it.  So for the past month I have been digging in my heels.  NO WAY, SON.  You are not going to get a mohawk.  Why not?  Because I said so!! (and because I cut your hair) Hahahaha!  He has been persistent, I will give him that.  He has asked me every day.  I have said no every day.  Well almost every day.  I didn't want him to look like a delinquent.  Really he's a very nice boy, he should look like it.  Yes, I know it's stereotyping and I was wrong, I'll admit it.  I really want him to be an individual, I do.  And he wasn't asking for a tattoo or a weird piercing, right?? SO...

I bit the bullet.  I did it.  He couldn't be more proud.   He just loves his new hairdo.  I have to admit it, I like it too.  He really does look good with it.  On Sunday, he got all dressed for church and we spiked it again.  He got so many nice compliments.  And you know what???  He's still the same old Cameron.  I learned a lesson, and I think just to be sure I got it, God taught me one too.  We went out Saturday evening to the store.  Cam was getting a few looks and I was cringing inside.  Part of me wanted to say, "He's really a nice boy... really".  I kept my jaw shut though.  Then when we got done, we went out to the car.  Of course as soon as we got out there the boys had to go to the bathroom, so I took them back in while Jared loaded the car.  Cameron got done first and asked if he could go out to the car awhile.  I said yes (actually I said, "OK, but don't run, or talk to any strangers, and look before you cross the parking lot")   So off he went.  As me and Peyton were walking back to the car I noticed a woman talking to Jared.  I thought it was someone we knew.  It wasn't, she was just telling Jared how we should be proud of our son.  Turns out as Cameron was coming out of the store, this woman's mother was going in with a cast on her arm.  Cameron held the doors for her and got her a cart.  I was so proud of him...and a little bit humbled too.  Thank you God, I needed that :)    
Oh, Cameron did ask to get his ear pierced.  What did I say..?   "Sure, but you do know they use a piercing GUN for that,  right?"   He hasn't asked again. HA!

These Cookies Should Come With a Warning...

Really, a warning that says once you make them, you'll dream about them..at least I do.  But maybe I'm just weird.  Maybe normal people don't dream about cookies.  But if they did I bet they would dream about these cookies.  I love them.  I would trade my kids for them.  Well, not really but I may be tempted some days. 

They look so innocent and unassuming on the outside.  But then, oh then, you bite into them and BANG....

Peanut butter, sweet creamy peanut butter.  And chocolate. Oooh baby, lots of chocolate.  Any time I make these they last about a day in our house.  I guess the love of peanut butter and chocolate is in our genes or something.  They taste like a cookie that had babies with a peanut butter cup.  They are kind of a pain to make, lots of rolling and forming and such.  They are so worth it though.  If you like chocolate and peanut butter then do yourself a favor and try these.  You won't regret it.  If you don't like chocolate and peanut butter then, well, you're very odd and I feel very sad for you...Just kidding.  So here's the recipe..ENJOY!!

Reese's Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:

1/2 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and the baking soda, set aside.  In a large bowl cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars.  Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix well.  Beat in the flour mixture.  Shape dough into balls about 1 1/4 inches in size.  I used a medium cookie scoop for mine.  Then in a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter and powdered sugar.  This will be crumbly, don't worry!!  Now shape this mixture into balls about 3/4 inch in size.  You should have about 34-36 of each size ball.  Now, flatten a chocolate ball into a small disk.  Place a peanut butter ball in the center and form dough around it to cover it completely.  Roll back into a ball shape and then place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten each slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 or 9 minutes.  Let cool on sheets for about 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool.



Rainy Day Goodies!!

Today was a rainy, dreary, Monday.  Not that I mind.  I love rainy days.   They put me in the mood to bake!!  So today we worked on school in the morning but the boys just weren't in the mood to stay focused.  We decided to move our lessons from the books to the kitchen, my favorite way to teach.  The boys had no objections to putting away their books for the day.  When I asked what we could make with all the apples we had left in our fruit bin Cam's immediate reply was "applesauce"!!  He loves applesauce and eats it almost every day.  I had not made applesauce since the boys were babies so I thought why not give it a whirl.  The boys helped me peel and core and quarter the apples.  We put them in a roaster, sprinkled them with cinnamon and into the oven they went.  We baked them at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes...

After they came out of the oven they were nice and soft and a sort of syrup had formed in the bottom of the pan.  I bet they would have been AWESOME over ice cream at this point...BUT we were making applesauce so we needed to mush them.  I think this was the part the boys were most excited about.  They took turns using our potato masher to mash them up.  We wanted ours a little chunky so we didn't mash too long...

Yummm.  This smelled amazing at this point so Cam had a taste.  He wasn't too sure at first, mostly because of the chunks...

LOL...He had himself all ready to gag...





BUT WAIT!!!!  What's this????

He loved it!  Really loved it.  He said "it warmed his heart", silly boy.

So next they wanted bread.  We happen to live right up the street from a Buttercrust bakery.  We love smelling the fresh baked bread every morning.  It never gets old.  So bread it was.  But I'm a cheater.  I'll admit it.  Some people love the idea of kneading and shaping and blah, blah, blah....Not me.  I broke my hand a year ago and kneading went out the window after that.  I have arthritis in that hand and it makes me miserable.  Sooooo, I cheat.  I love my bread machine to make dough for me.  It mixes and kneads and rises it.  Then I just punch it down, plop it in the pan, let it rise and bake. 

We don't like bread actually baked in the machine though so I always take it out after it rises and finish it in the oven.  I don't shape my dough either.  I know they all say to roll it out, and roll it up, and tuck in the ends...whatever.  Here's what I do, I punch it down, mush it into a loaf like shape and throw it in my greased bread pan.  It comes out great.  Never had a problem.  Warm bread with butter is an awesome snack.  I give it to the boys with a glass of milk and it is like a sedative.  Jared likes his toasted with fried eggs so that's probably what I'll make for him.  Here's the recipe for the bread...Enjoy!!!

Homemade Bread (the lazy way)

1 1/3 cups warm water ( about 110 degrees)

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. dry milk powder

2 tsp. salt

4 cups flour (I use bread flour)

2 1/4  tsp. yeast (or 1 packet instant yeast)

Place in bread machine in order given and run on dough cycle.  Once the cycle is over punch dough down.  Form into a loaf shape and place in greased 9x5" bread pan.  At this point you can rub the loaf with about 1 Tbsp. softened salted butter.  You don't have to, but I always do.  Cover and let rise for about 1 hour or until risen above pan edge.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes.  Bread will sound hollow when tapped, if it is done.  Tip out of pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

What to do if you don't have a bread machine???  Combine water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl.  Let stand for about 10 minutes or until foamy.  Meanwhile mix all remaining ingredients, except butter, in a large bowl.  Add yeast mixture and butter to flour and mix well.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface a knead for about 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Let rise until doubled 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Follow remaining directions above.

A Great Website...

I found this website last week when looking for a few new recipes.  It is my kind of website.  So much variety!  Make sure you check out the recipes. 

Old Fashioned Living

Reminds me of things my grandma used to make.  Even a recipe for Pumpkin Fudge which I am definitely trying!!  They also have a lot of great ideas for crafts and games for kids.  Happy browsing...

Moist and Fluffy Biscuits

Saturday mornings are big breakfast mornings around our house.  During the week it's an array of cold cereal, oatmeal, toast, and frozen pancakes and waffles (I make these myself on the weekends and then freeze them for the week).  But Saturday, oh Saturday, We love to have a big filling breakfast.  The idea of healthy usually goes out the window on Saturday, and that's ok right?  I mean it's only once a week.  HA!  Anyway, this past week I had a hankerin' , a hankerin' for biscuits.  Big, fluffy biscuits.  So, on Saturday we decided that biscuits it would be, for breakfast with cheese ('cause cheese makes everything better), eggs, and thin sliced hot ham.  Yummmm!  These sure beat the heck out of any fast food sandwich you could get and they were easy and fast!  I think we will be making these more often.  Now, a few things about the biscuits.  Biscuits are fickle, they don't like to be messed with too much.  Handle the dough as little as possible!!  Don't knead it!!  Don't stir the heck out of it.  Also, I used cake flour.  I could bore you with a bunch of technical reasons related to gluten and density, etc.  but cake flour works best for fluffy biscuits.  You can use all purpose, I won't be upset, but you probably will not get the lightest biscuits possible.  Also, use COLD butter.  You don't want your butter to break down too much so make sure it stays cold!!!

So here's the biscuit recipe...the rest is up to you!!

Big Fluffy Biscuits

2 cups cake flour ( or all purpose if you must)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup butter (COLD, cut into small pieces)

3/4 cups milk or buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees!  Don't forget this.  These biscuits need to be put into a HOT oven.

Prepare everything ahead of time that you will need.  Get out your biscuit cutter, flour your counter lightly, get out an ungreased baking sheet and melt a little bit of butter, a few tablespoons, and get out a pastry brush.  Now, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Place butter chunks in bowl with flour and rub or cut butter into flour until it resemble coarse meal.  Dump in milk or butter milk and stir JUST UNTIL COMBINED!!  Dump wet dough out onto floured surface and pat it out to about 1 inch thick.  Cut with a floured biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet.  Gather scraps and repat them out to cut out more biscuits, you should get 8 or more.  Now brush each with melted butter and place in oven.  Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from sheet and brush on more butter if desired.  ENJOY!!