Mom Quote of the Day

I had an idea a couple of days ago. Katie was actually the inspiration behind it (Katie inspires a lot of things...). She had given me a daily desk calendar for Christmas with funny, and touching, parent and mom-related quotes. They're just too good not to share, so I decided to post the best ones from time to time:

From the Mom Dictionary

• Jackpot: When the kids sleep over at Grandma's for the night.
• Junk: Anything that belongs to Dad.
• Magic: A child's kiss.
  

Now, go save the day Supermom...

For the Kiddos

Call me biased, or just a mom, but I have to admit that God blessed me with the most beautiful daughter ever - inside and out. Katie LOVES to help people - she'll even tell you so. This includes helping me in the kitchen, too.

In one of her "kid" cookbooks (yes, she has her own collection) she picked out a cute recipe to share on the blog and happily agreed to pose for a photo to demonstrate.

Igloos

1 apple (your child's favorite variety)
creamy peanut butter
miniature marshmallows
cinnamon

Cut the apple in half and place on a plate cut side down. Smear peanut butter all over the outside. Stick the marshmallows to the peanut butter to resemble the ice blocks of an igloo. Sprinkle a little of the cinnamon on top.

Kinda cute, huh?

Happy eating!

Old Guys Rule!

Sorry folks, the blog hasn't been too busy lately - but life sure has. Between the holidays and the activities that accompany them, I'm ready to get back to normal. Whatever that is.

Chick turned 40 this past week. January the 13th, actually, so Katie and I threw a surprise birthday party for him here at home on Sunday. And what a surprise it was! About forty of his closest friends showed up to help celebrate his new membership to the 40-and-over-club. It's about time - I reluctantly joined about nine months ago. Anyway, we had lots of your standard cake, ice cream, punch, chips and cheese dip... However, word has it that the cheese dip recipe (courtesy of my mom, again) came from a popular Mexican restaurant around town. I don't know how true this is, but it is very good and quite different from any other recipe I've ever used.

Restaurant-Style Cheese Dip

1 pound Velveeta, cubed
1 stick butter
8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons jalepeno pepper juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 1/2 cups milk

On medium low heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Remove from heat. Add dry mustard, paprika, cumin, pepper juice, garlic salt, chili powder, and ketchup. Mix well. Return to heat. Add milk and cheese. Continue to stir until cheese is melted.

Happy Birthday Chick! Remember, old guys rule!

Enjoy!

Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit...

My mother snagged this recipe for me; it comes from a local, popular catfish restaurant. They have a fabulous bean side-dish and, through her many connections, Mom came across someone who once worked there and provided us with this "secret" recipe which turned out to be deceptively simple.

Side Beans

2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 cans Pinto Beans
1 can Red Kidney Beans
1 can Pork & Beans
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon bean seasoning

Pour everything in a crock pot, stir - DO NOT ADD WATER. Set on low for 3 or 4 hours.

That's all folks!

Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

In Living Color, at Last

This is a stretch for me - I'm actually going to attempt to post a picture this time. Bear with me, friends...I'm constantly trying to improve this blog to keep it interesting for you (and it's fun for me), so keep checking back. Often.

I came across this recipe today and decided, on a whim, to make it. It's kind of a Southwest-type dish with a bit of an Italian twist. I thought it would be great to take to potlucks.

Southwest Rice Bake

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups cooked rice
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed and drained
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup thick and chunky salsa

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium skillet, heat oil. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, rice, and beans. In a medium bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, ricotta, sour cream, and chili powder; mix well. Spread half of the rice mixture in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Top with half of the cheese mixture, spreading evenly. Drizzle with half of the salsa. Repeat layers. Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer to melt the cheese.

The original recipe called for green bell pepper to be sauteed with the onion, as well as a can of sliced black olives mixed in with the rice, but I left them out since neither were "Katie-approved".

Let me know what you think. Oh, that reminds me, I've added a new feature called "Reactions" - it'll be listed at the end of each post. So once you've tried the recipe for yourself you can give me your own "reaction".

Happy Eating

Chuck's Chocolate

My husband, Chuck, has quite the sweet-tooth. Thankfully, I LOVE to bake, so it's a match made dessert heaven. However, unless the dessert's made of chocolate, he just isn't interested! Nearly every weekend I try to make him something special and there are few things I enjoy more than pouring over cookbooks to find something new to make, asking him now and then, "How does this sound?...How does this sound?" But, no matter how fancy or simple the recipe, one of his all-time favorites will always be just your everyday, straightforward, chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Admit it, you can never go wrong with the classics.

I don't know about you, but I've found that some of the best recipes come from the "back of the box". Seriously. Now, I am not taking credit for this recipe - it came off the back of a box of a nationally known brand of cocoa. You know, it has a yellow label. And starts with an "N". And is famous for their chocolate chip cookie recipe. Anyway, it's Chuck's favorite cake.

Chuck's Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (please use the real thing - it makes does a difference!)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup water

Wisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size bowl. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in the flour mixture alternately with the water. Spread in a 13 x 9 pan, or two 9 inch round pans, or a bundt pan - make sure the pans are greased and if you're using the round or bundt pans, flour them very well or you'll have stuck chunks. I speak from experience. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes at 350 F; a little longer if you're using the bundt pan. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan/s for about 15 minutes then turn out on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Now, for the good part: icing.

3 cups powdered sugar, divided
2/3 cups baking cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 to 6 tablespoons whole (yes, I said whole) milk, or cream. I dare you.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat 1 cup of the powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 tablespoons of the milk/cream, and vanilla until creamy. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar and milk until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it really doesn't take long to mix up and pour into a pan. But I would save it for the weekend as a special treat for your loved ones.

This cake would also be great without icing, too. Imagine, a big piece of plain chocolate cake and cold glass of milk.

Happy Eating.

Oh, and by the way - Chuck and I just celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary on October 10th. Happy Anniversary, Chick!

Quick Fix Night

Has anyone out there ever have one of those days, when you get home and you're just too tired to do much at all, least of all, cook anything? Anyone...? Anyone...?
That many, huh?
Well, I'm ashamed to say that I have those nights often. Here's a quick fix that's satisfying, easy to clean up, and requires no cooking (unless you just want to add that element). You can "fancy" this up as much as you want or just keep it simple. Here's a list of the basics:

Lazy Evening Nachos

Bag of tortilla chips
1 can of refried beans
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
Lettuce
Salsa
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream

Mix together the beans and cheddar cheese soup, microwave until heated through. While the bean mixture is heating, on each individual's dinner plate, spread a thick layer of chips. Spoon the bean/cheese mixture on top. Tear up some lettuce on top of this, then add some salsa, a little shredded cheese, then top it off with a dollup of sour cream. DONE.

Now, if you have the time or energy, this recipe allows for as much creativity as your mood and taste allows. Here are some ideas so mix and match as you please...

• add a layer of taco beef, sprinkle on some black beans (washed and drained)
• use chedder nacho cheese soup instead of the plain cheddar soup
• add chopped tomato
• use rotel
• stir a little taco seasoning or cumin into the sour cream
• add some guacamole
  

(Nutritional hint - green leaf and red leaf lettuce offer more nutrition than iceberg. It's prettier, too!)

Buenos noches!