Pieces of Me: Summer Sips

Even though it's still in the 80's around these parts, I feel like summer is slowing slipping away. We have been back to school for 2 weeks now and the evenings are growing cooler. The thing I will miss most about summer? Cold Drinks! I have an assortment of drinks that remind me of summer or are a great cool down on a hot day. Here they are, in no particular order:

#1: Iced Tea

I'm a huge iced tea fan and I've converted my mom to be one as well. She actually gets a little sour if she comes over and the iced tea pitcher is empty. I have brewed homemade iced tea so many times, I could do it in my sleep. My simple recipe is this:

2 family size iced tea brew bags (W-M brand)

1 quart water

1 quart ice/cold water

1 c. sweetener

Put the 1 quart water over the 2 tea bags in a glass measuring cup and microwave for 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes more to steep (or 2 hours, if you're anything like me and forget it's in there!). Add the sweetener. I like to use 1/2 Splenda and 1/2 sugar. Not only does it cut down on the sweetness a bit, but the calories too. Stir well to dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice cubes & cold water. Stir to blend. Drink over ice!

DELICIOUS VARIATIONS: Add one regular sized flavored tea bag for super yummy flavored iced tea. I have tried (and liked) Celestial Seasonings Country Peach, peppermint (put the bag in AFTER you've microwaved it for only a few minutes), and my new FAVORITE Lipton's Island Mango & Peach White Tea. It reminds me of the iced tea served at Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney.

#2: Iced Chai

I don't make it nearly often enough, but I love a really spicy chai like the one I posted about here. You would just serve it cold. With whipped cream on top. And freshly grated nutmeg. 'Cuz that's how I roll.

#3: McDonald's Caramel Frappe

Cheaper than Starbucks, but just as tasty! Yes, there's probably like 2000 calories in there, but that's why I only get them once in a blue moon. 

#4: McDonald's Pineapple Mango Smoothie

Cheaper than Jamba Juice and very refreshing!

#5: Cranberry/Pomegranate Juice & Fizzy Concoction

I must have the love-to-concoct-my-own-drink gene, well......maybe just a little. (Sidebar: My little brother was the sort that would take a little bit of soda from every single dispenser and drink that big cup of weirdness. Anybody else do that?) Anyways, back to my tasty drink. I like Aldi's Cranberry/Pomegranate Juice and even better if I can find the Fit 'n Active version. Old Orchard (national brand) also makes one called "Healthy Blend" that I believe only has 5 calories per serving. I like to mix that juice with about 1/2 of a no-calorie fizzy drink, like Aldi's key lime club soda or the Sierra Mist 0 calorie that I scored on clearance for 50cents for a 2 liter. Serve all that with lots of ice! It gives me the taste of soda without all the sugar and the tartness feels very refreshing.

#6: Panera's Lemonade

I have made my own lemonade in the past, but it just seems like such a pain. I do love homemade and there is nothing like it taste-wise. Panera's seems freshly squeezed. Too bad there's no free refills!

Got a favorite summer sip?

Superbowl Recipe Round-up

The big game is Sunday, do you have a great appetizer recipe to add to the spread? I think hearty main dishes are great, but I am an appetizer-lover through and through. I just dig the idea of having a multitude of tasty things to choose from instead of one big dish. Here are a few "apps" (as they say in restaurant lingo) that are either tried-and-true or look too delish to pass up:

Jalapeno Popper Dip (tried & true!)

Antipasto Squares (tried & true, Man Food!)

Restaurant Style Buffalo Wings (over 1000+ reviews on allrecipes)

Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise

Mary Alice's Hoagie Dip

Nacho Options Galore!

Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

And for some sweet inspiration....

image from cupcakeideasforyou.com

I'm doing hot wings (the recipe above), pigs in a blanket, garlic garlic dip (Tastefully Simple), and...maybe some football cupcakes too!

Rah, rah, sis boom bah,

Summer Cook-Out Menu

Tried and true recipes, from yours truly, from drinks to dessert....

First, start off with some Virgin Mango Coladas. (*giggle* I said virgin.) If you're like me, you usually just serve soda or water, but having a really great drink was a fabulous addition to a recent cook-out. I'm also partial to my homemade Sweet Tea. I think replacing 1/2 the sweetener with Splenda, not only cuts down on the calories, but lets the tea flavor shine through. As opposed to drinking sugar with a little bit of tea...like McD's. I'm just sayin.

Sweet Tea
Makes 1 gallon


4 family-sized black tea bags
8 c. water
2 c. sugar
lemon, optional


Quick brew method: Place 8 c. water in and tea bags in glass measuring cup. Microwave for 4 minutes. Let steep for 5 minutes or more. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve. Put in pitcher along with tea bags. Add 8 c. ice water. Stir. Taste. Add lemon juice from 1/4 lemon for flavor. If the tea needs to be stronger, leave the bags in for awhile, otherwise remove.

Peachy Version: Substitute 4 Peach flavored tea bags for one of the family-sized bags. I personally like Country Peach Passion by Celestial Seasonings. 

Minty Version: For yummy refreshing flavor, replace one family-sized bag with a few peppermint tea bags.

**To cut down on the amount of actual sugar, you can replace up to 1/2 of the sugar with slightly less than the same amount of Splenda.**

Next, add an easy make ahead appetizer, such as Jalapeno Popper Dip. Serve it with some crusty bread and your guests will be fighting over it.

And now, we're onto the main course. You could always serve the all-American stand-by of burgers & dogs. For this last party, I wanted to mix it up a bit. So I chose thin-cut Ribeye steaks (budget friendly!) and Grilled Chicken (assorted bone-in pieces) with Apricot Balsamic Glaze.

I'm sure your fabulous guests will be more than happy to contribute a side. Ask them to bring a pasta salad, potato salad, or baked beans. They'll feel like they're adding to your soiree and you'll feel relieved to not have to provide everything. Win-win, people.

And our newest summer go-to dessert, which can be made several days in advance, is Frozen Key Lime pie. It's kind of a pain to have to juice the limes, but maybe you can talk your husband into doing it, like I do. Feel free to use a pre-made graham cracker crust (I do!) and even whip cream in a can, if you must. The pie already has so much frozen tangy goodness, I don't think anyone will mind a few shortcuts.

On the day of the party, you will have to blend the drinks, bake the dip & slice the bread, grill the chicken/meat, and slice/serve the dessert. Much of the work has been done in advance, but if you have a friend man the blender or help with slicing, you'll have more time to enjoy your family and friends (and delish food!) and the summer days that are all too fleeting.

Bon Appetit!

{Pre}Summer Bounty

I know some of you are probably bored to tears with my posts about Disney, but since it's my new happy place, I will eventually finish up my chronicles of the *Magic*. In the meantime though, how about some pretty {pre}summer goodies. With the 80°+ weather we've been having, it's hard to believe it's not even summer yet!

I can't take the credit for growing them. That goes to my wonderful grandmother. She said these are supposed to be the Ever-Bearing variety, but since she's let too many runners come from the mother plants, they are now more like Bear-Whenever-They-Want variety. And what would yummy pictures be with yummy recipes?!

Easy Strawberry Shortcake - make these into cupcakes for individual servings, then split, & fill!

Strawberry Pie

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Strawberry and Feta Salad

Although, sometimes I think simplest is best....dipped in dark bittersweet chocolate or mixed with sugar and drizzled with heavy cream.

And because I am proud of this little patch....

...I can't believe I grew my own lettuce! From seeds! (*Insert happy dance here*) I am harvesting mixed leafy greens, arugula and some romaine. And because I succession planted (planted more of the same but several weeks apart), I will be harvesting my own salads for weeks to come!

Pieces of Me: THE Recipe

The first thing that I ever cooked by myself was Bisquick pancakes. I was probably about 9ish. I thought it was so impressive to be able to make a meal for my parents (as opposed to the other way around). I think it was this foray into pancake-making that lit the culinary flame that never has gone out. Fast forward a few years...

My mom had an old version of a Betty Crocker cookbook. It was red and thick and very well-loved (aka used-until-it-was-falling-apart). Some of my (and my brother's!) favorite pictures in that cookbook were of the birthday cakes. I remember that a few of them even were circled in pen, by some very hopeful children. The very first REAL recipe I made was from that cookbook. I was just so amazed to make something that adults loved and that people would pay big money for in restaurants. I was probably just a young tween when I made this for the first time and I recently came across it again while transferring my recipes to OneNote. I will always cherish it as THE recipe that started it all.

Company Cheesecake

Betty Crocker

Makes 12 servings

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 T. sugar

3 T. butter, melted

20 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. vanilla

3 eggs

1 c. sour cream

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs & sugar together. Mix in butter. Press into bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese in large bowl, until lump free, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Gradually add 1 c. sugar, beat until fluffy. Scrape sides. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Pour over crust. Bake 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Spread with sour cream. Chill at least 3 hours, better if overnight. Loosen edge with knife before removing side of pan. Wipe knife after each cut for nice clean slices. Yum!

Special Notes:

Can substitute one vanilla bean, split and scraped, for the vanilla extract.

Feeling Nostalgic,

P.S. Do you remember the first thing that you learned to cook/bake?

Homemade Chai

I wasn't sure I would ever post this because my Chai recipe is really more like your grandmother's recipes. Ya know, the ones that she doesn't write down and doesn't measure, but just knows how to make it by feel. I started out with a base recipe from the internet that, of course, I can no longer find....

Homemade Chai

2 Black tea bags (English Breakfast)

2 small cinnamon sticks

10 whole cloves

10 peppercorns

1/8 t. cardamom

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 1/2-2 c. water

Hot Milk

Put the first five ingredients in a small saucepan. Boil the water, then pour over the bags & spices. Cover the pot and let steep for about 10-15 minutes. Add the sugar and mix to dissolve. Strain into your mug. Add enough hot milk to make a medium to light brown colored chai. 

(Lotsa) Special Notes:

I'm really fussy about my tea preparation. I wouldn't just put the water in the pot and then bring it to a boil. I like pouring the boiling water over the bags & spices. Maybe it turns out the same; I don't know. Also, I like a reeeaaalllllllly long steep. Sometimes I'll just leave it there for hours. If you let it steep for forever like I do, you'll have to reheat the tea mixture when you're ready to serve it. For the straining, I use a really fine mesh strainer, but you could also use a coffee filter set into a funnel. Since the cardomom is the only ground spice, you could try and just really carefully decant the tea into your mug. I also make about 2-3 subsequent pots using the same spices. I'll just add one fresh tea bag to the bags already in the pot and sometimes about 1/2 of new spices to the ones already in the pot. I realized after typing this all out how much brown sugar I was consuming in a day. YIKES!! But for a special treat, it really is worth it. I figure that since I'm using 2% milk, I'm off-setting the sugar a little bit. You could also just use maybe 2 T. of brown sugar and sweeten with Splenda to taste. Feel free to throw some extra spices in there. Ginger? Nutmeg? Go for it. The spicier, the better. Because if you don't like it sweet and spicy, you might as well just use a store-bought Chai tea bag, know what I mean?

For the Love of Pumpkin

And here you thought that Thanksgiving was over.

I had 'the girls' over for dinner the other night and casually mentioned 'pumpkin milkshakes'. I guess I can't just casually mention something like that without sparking the curiosity of all the taste buds that were present.

I warned them that I only had enough ice cream to make ONE shake.

They were not deterred.

I scooped. I blended. I tasted. I served.

It was a measly 1/3 cup portion at best.

But I guess the loud  sssslllluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrppppppssss that came when the straws hit the bottoms of the cups were evidence enough that 'the girls' approved. We all couldn't help but giggle. We waited until the last little drops of milkshake melted and then sluuurped some more. Delicious, indeed.

For the recipe that induced all this slurping, click here.

I served mine without the graham crackers and with dollops of whipped cream on top.

It's better than pumpkin pie and much faster too!

Resolutions: Update

Remember this post? Maybe you made one just like it. Or maybe you're not a blogger, but decided to change some aspects of your life in 2009. Well, since the year is more than half over, I thought I'd reflect on my 'resolutions' and see what I have left to complete for the second half of the year. Here are my three resolutions {in case you don't have a chance to revisit my original post} followed by my progress in italics:

Number One: Return to my pre-pregnancy weight before the end of the year.

I have recently decided to try to lose some of my pregnancy weight, which you can follow along with on my other blog, Chronicles of an Almost Healthy Foodie. Although I know I will feel better about myself if I get back to the size I was last fall, I am not going to stress myself out over it. During this season of grief after losing Olivia, I think my spiritual and emotional health are far more important than my dress size. So, I am working towards this goal as we speak, but it is open to reevaluation if need be.

Number Two: Read 12 books.

It is actually kind of comical that I set this goal for myself, as I never was much of a reader, but realize the importance of cultivating a good reading habit, especially as it pertains to setting a good example for my children. I've always been more of a magazine reader {I even love catalogues!}, but never much of a fiction girl. *Insert dramatic life changing events here.* I then decided to maybe pick out a few books, as a simple diversion for my reality at the time and for personal enjoyment, and I haven't looked back. These are the titles I have read so far: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic and Sister, The Tennis Party, Remember Me?, The Undomestic Goddess, The Yada Yada Prayer Group (book1), The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down (book2), The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real (book3), Jemima J, Waiting with Gabriel, Holding Onto Hope, and A Symphony in the Dark. That makes 13 books read, which means...resolution complete!! I am already in the midst of The Friday Night Knitting Club, even though I've met this goal. Maybe I formed a new enjoyable habit! **BTW, just because I listed a book here, doesn't mean I recommend it. A couple of these novels were what I deem 'inappropriate' at parts, which I ended up just skipping over.**

Number Three: Try 12 new recipes.

I wish I would've kept closer tabs on this resolution. I pretty much know for a fact that I've only tried one new recipe {Buttermilk Scones from Baking with Julia} in the last 3 months, since cooking meals from scratch wasn't too high of a priority. As I look back though, since the beginning of the year, I have posted recipes for Easy Baked Ziti, Easy BBQ Pork, Artisan Bread, Baked Potato Soup, and Easy Strawberry Shortcake. Does the Peanutty Playdough count too? So, I guess that makes about half a dozen new recipes tried in '09. I did purchase the fixings for another new recipe this week and I *know* that once the weather cools down {a.k.a. will be using my oven much more}, once I start entertaining more, and when Thanksgiving looms, I will be dusting off all the cookbooks. I surely do miss trying new recipes, new techniques, and sharing the results with my friends and family. Maybe if I subscribed to a cooking magazine I might be inspired more often to try new things!


Ok. Your turn. Do you remember what you resolved to change in 2009? Care to share how that's coming along?

Keep. Moving. Forward.~

Tidbits

Sienna inspired the title of this post. She asked today what 'tidbits' are, then practiced using the word. Mama's definition was pretty close. So, here, little girl, is your official definition:

tid*bit: –noun

1.	a delicate bit or morsel of food.

2.	a choice or pleasing bit of anything, as news or gossip

This post will mostly be the second one, although I don't know how pleasing, with a little bit of the first one mixed in. So here they are, in no particular order, pieces of my life.

**********

A few weeks ago, Tatiana was running on the treadmill, while her dad was biking next to her. I think she likes to do that so that her & dad can have some special time together. She told me that after her 'workout', she went over to the corner of the basement and stood next to the bassinet. The one that Olivia would have used. She told me that made her really sad. Seven-year olds grieve too. That nearly broke my heart.

**********

I am reading lots of books. Devouring them actually. I am so not a book reader. I love cookbooks, does that count? I loooooove magazines, but novels, notsomuch. I needed a diversion after Olivia's diagnosis, so I started reading. So far I've polished off four Sophie Kinsella books, Holding Onto Hope, one Yada Yada Prayer book, and Waiting with Gabriel. Guess I'm just that much closer to meeting my 2009 goal.

**********

I went to Target the other day to pick-up some bigger sized onesies for Sebastian. To most people, this seems like a relatively easy task, except for the fact that they are located in the baby aisle with lots of other baby items for soon to be born little babies. I nearly broke down crying. Why can't they just keep them with the Men's undershirts?

**********

My sister-in-law {might as well just refer to her as my sister for that matter} sent me an email a little while back about her tears for Olivia. The thing that sticks out the most (and makes me smile even now at her preparedness} is how she described that she had already mentally arranged her mini-van seating chart for where all the carseats would go when she would watch all my kids. Just reminds me that I'm not the only person who had plans for Olivia that would never see them come true.

**********

It's just so cruel that a Mama's milk has to come in when there is no baby to drink it. Didn't my boobs get the memo? It's almost like my body's own way of weeping. The leaking is just a constant reminder that Olivia's not here. So cruel.

**********

I went to pick-up the book Waiting with Gabriel at the library the other day. It's another family's personal story about their adverse prenatal diagnosis & how they too prepared to say Hello & Goodbye to their son, all in the same breath. I was trembling as I approached the desk to ask for it, as it was on special hold. Would the librarian notice the title? Would she ask why I was checking out the book? She didn't. I left with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

**********

I fell in love with a scone recipe from Julia Child for buttermilk scones. I add orange zest & dried cranberries and have made them about a half-a-dozen times in the last few weeks. Could that have anything to do with the few pounds I've gained? Speaking of Julia Child, I can't wait to see the movie coming out called Julie & Julia. Right up my alley. The other recipes I've savored just recently have been this Key Lime Pie & Iced Coffee. Another 2009 goal that I'm closer to completing.

**********

As Sienna's karate class was ending today and the next one was beginning, the waiting area filled up with babies. Seriously. There were two baby girls, one baby boy and a toddler girl, all seemingly looking at me. I thought I would stand up and scream. I didn't. But inside I did.

**********

I don't sleep very well. Even with taking a sleeping pill, I just don't. I don't know if it's because I am so busy taking care of house, laundry, three children during the day that I don't have time to process or grieve, so it all starts slowly seeping out, then pouring out, at night? Because that's when I finally have time to sit down & catch up on the blog happenings that sometimes leave me in tears? At least I can be somewhat productive. Like scheduling my blog posts for 7:00 am, so that you won't know that it was really typed at 1:55 am, the morning of.

Off to search for zzzzzzzs~

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

1 box white cake mix
1 container strawberries, sliced
1 pt. whipping cream
4-6 T. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

It's really as simple as bake the cake, whip the cream, slice the berries & assemble, but I've given a little more detail below!

Make cake according to package directions. You will only need one layer, so you can either make half the mix in a cake pan and the other half into cupcakes for the kiddos or make both layers & freeze one. Depending on how many people you want to serve, you might want to make the layer in a pan bigger than 9", if you have one.

After cake is baked and cooled, split it horizontally. The best way to do this is to use your serrated knife and cut into one side of the cake about 1/4 of the way through, then gently turn the cake, always keeping the knife only about 1/4 of the way into the cake. This should make for nice really even layers. You can slide that top layer onto something flat, ie rimless cookie sheet, piece of cardboard, cutting board, etc and then slide it back onto the filled middle of the cake when needed. If you don't feel up to this "splitting" task, just leave the cake unsplit.


Sprinkle a little sugar over your cut berries to get them to juice up. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, add the powdered sugar & vanilla, whip to stiff peaks {taste for sweetness}. Spread a bunch of your freshly whipped cream on the bottom layer, add a bunch of your berries, replace the top layer, add more whipped cream and put the rest of your berries on top. If you're not splitting, just put a bunch of whipped cream all over the cake & put as many berries as you want over the top.

This is *so* much better than those spongy pre-made shortcake cups you buy at the grocery store. And who can even compare freshly whipped cream to that cream in a can? {Hey, I buy it too, but fresh is *so* much better.} This is perfect for a spring or summer meal. The best part is you can vary the cake flavors & the fruit for other simple cakes. How about chocolate cake, whipped cream & cherries? Or spice cake, whipped cream and grilled peaches? Make it your own!

Baked Potato Soup: Take Two

subtitled: How to Creatively Use Left-overs

Last night, our small group enjoyed a baked potato dinner, complete with a variety of toppings, all provided by one of the families. After the evening ended, I asked {somewhat sheepishly} if I could take home the leftovers. {A couple of tears ensued. I think I was just embarrassed at my own gratefulness, if that makes any sense.} Anyhow, besides about 8 humongous baked potatoes, I also took home an unopened container of sour cream and about 3 cups worth of shredded cheddar cheese. I knew the instant I saw all the ingredients together what they would become: Baked Potato Soup. Not coincidentally, I'm sure, I attempted this recipe for the first time earlier in the week, and although thick & rich & yummy, felt it needed a little tweaking. Here's my own updated, detailed-instruction version:

Makes about 6 servings

3 T. butter or margarine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 T. flour
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
2 large or 3 medium baked potatoes, peeled & diced into bite-sized pieces
3 green onions, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked til crispy & chopped up
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
s & p, TT

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic when the butter is about half-way melted so it can cook a bit & flavor the butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated. Let cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add the broth. {I like to literally just dribble it in a couple tablespoons at a time.} You want to stir well with each addition to prevent lumps. You should be able to nearly add the entire 2 cups, with the mixture still being thick at the end. Don't worry about that. Slowly add the milk, stirrring constantly. Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Milk based soups have a tendency to scorch on the bottom, so you want to stir pretty often. My potatoes were pretty sturdy since a) they were russets and b) they had been refrigerated overnight. If your seem like they'd fall apart too easily, you can just add them after bringing to a simmer. Add the green onions, bacon, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Stir well to combine. Season "to taste" (TT) with salt & pepper. Season gently, especially if you're using broth from bouillion cubes and since the bacon will be salty.

Notes: I used whole milk because that's what I had, but I'm sure 2% or skim would work just fine as well. I also used light sour cream and turkey bacon. Still lots of wonderful flavor with those substitutions!

I will probably double the recipe next time, as since the day was cold, rainy, and dreary....well, let's just say those 6 servings were eaten by far less people.

Easy BBQ Pork

Are you seeing a trend yet? Last week's OAMC recipe was EASY too! My grandma blessed us with 2 big pork loins, so I had to do something with 'em. Enter Pork OAMC recipes at Recipezaar. I tweaked this one a little, since I like my BBQ to be, well, more barbecue-y.

Pulled Pork (Crock Pot)
Makes 6 servings

2 pounds pork roast (shoulder or butt)
2 medium onions, sliced
1 cup ginger ale
1 18 oz. bottle BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's!)
*The original recipe calls for 1 bottle for 4 pounds of pork.*

Place one sliced onion in bottom of crock pot. Place roast on top. Top with other sliced onion. Pour ginger ale over. Cook on low for 12 hours (overnight!). Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. (I just kinda drained out all the liquid using the lid to keep the meat & onions in the pot.) With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin. Most of the fat will have melted away. (My pork didn't have any bones, fat or skin. See note below.) Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 hours on LOW. Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce. Any leftovers freeze very well.

**I used pork loin, which is relatively lean compared to the recommended cuts. I found it to shred quite easily and be plenty tasty. My crockpot could only accomodate a 2# roast, so I made the recipe twice. If you've got a large crockpot, you could make more pork at one time. I freezed the entire second batch in ziploc freezer bags.**

P.S. I'm considering this recipe for the rest of the pork. Sounds yummy!

Easy Baked Ziti

My favorite part is the first word in the title: Easy. Sometimes it's necessary to tweak my cooking philosophy, especially when I have little energy or am sick for much of the day. I think, simple, unpretentious, great tasting food is best though, yes? Every week I try to make at least one OAMC {Once A Month Cooking a.k.a destined for the freezer} recipe so that we can still have homemade meals without me actually cooking & prepping them in the evenings. Last week, I had a taste for baked ziti so I consulted a bunch of allrecipes recipes and came up with this.

Easy Baked Ziti
makes 2 8x8" dishes or one 9x13" dish
{I used 2 disposable 8x8" pans, as it makes for easier clean-up. The 8x8" dish was enough for my family of 2 adults and 2 children. When adding a light salad for the adults, there was still a bit of leftovers.}
1 16 oz. box mostaccioli or penne noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 pound italian sausage
1 16 oz. container ricotta cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded mozzarella

Boil noodles in salted water until barely al dente. You want them still a bit firm since they'll continue to cook in the oven. While noodles are boiling, brown up the italian sausage until no longer pink. Add the spaghetti sauce to the pan and scrape up all the brown bits. {There's flavor in those bits!} Let cool a bit. In a big bowl, mix together the spaghetti sauce mixture, the ricotta, and the sour cream. Dump in the noodles & toss thoroughly to coat. Lightly spray your desired pan(s) and add the noodles, dividing equally if using two pans. Top with shredded cheese. If you're baking it now, pop it in at 350° F for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly. Otherwise, cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and put it in the freezer til needed. Enjoy with some crusty bread & a light salad!

:: waiting for the cheese ::

**This is just one of those "base" recipes that invites you to add the things you love. Don't like sausage? Add lots of veggies instead, like peppers, onions and mushrooms. Or chicken sausage plus all of the above veg! If you like it spicy, add a bit of crushed red pepper. I used part-skim ricotta and light sour cream, but you can make it with regular versions if that's your thing. Go ahead and top it with a shredded pizza cheese blend, if that's what you have on hand. So many ways to make it your own. **

Top 10 Thanksgiving Recipes

Since it is only 2 weeks away *gulp*, here are, in my opinion, the Top 10 Thanksgiving Recipes from Allrecipes. I chose one from each of the categories outlined in my Thanksgiving planning post here, that could easily be served at your Thanksgiving table: turkey, potato, sweet potato, green vegetable (2), stuffing, condiments (2), desserts (2). And here they are, including personal comments from the peanut gallery me in parentheses. *drumroll please*

#1: Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way (I know there's a couple of you out there!)

#2: Traditional Mashed Potatoes

#3: Sweet Potato Casserole II

#4: Grandma's Green Bean Casserole (not your usual canned soup & fried onion variety)

#5: Roasted Brussels Sprouts (never had 'em, but can 544 good reviews be wrong?!)

#6: Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing (hmmm, may have to reconsider my old standby.....)

#7: Savory Turkey Gravy (I am anti-gravy, but to each his own.)

#8: Cranberry Sauce (Now THIS condiment I can stand behind! Love turkey & cranberries!)

#9: Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake (double YUM!)

#10: Carrot Cake III

And because we're all gonna have 'em, my top Turkey Leftover recipe:
#11: Turkey Pot Pie

This creates a pretty straight-forward, old-fashioned style Thanksgiving meal. If you're adventurous/eclectic like me, stay tuned for the Top 10 Not-Your-Grandma's Thanksgiving Recipes! Enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt: The follow-up

You domestic divas are surprisingly more interested in homemade stuff than I thought! Andrea asked about cost comparison and the taste factor, so here goes:

1 quart milk: $.60 {at about $2.40/gal)
1/3 c. non-fat milk powder: $.28 {box costs $3.36 and has 12 1/3 c. portions}
starter: $.20 {my Yo-Baby costs $.60 each & I used about 1/3 of one}
Splenda: maybe $.50 worth?

Total for 1 quart: $1.58 at the most
W/o milk powder & using current batch to start next batch: $1.10

The non-fat milk powder is optional, but I read it makes a thicker yogurt. My Dannon Light & Fit cost $2.19 for 1 quart @ Woodmans, but it's next to impossible to find it at WM/Meijer/Jewel for that price; more like $2.99 and up. Not sure about Aldi's pricing, although I never liked the taste of their low-fat version anyways. This is all besides the fact that homemade yogurt is superior in quality.

Taste? Hmm. What exactly taste-wise are you looking for? To me the biggest issue is sweetness, which is easily adjusted. My batch tastes richer. I'm guessing it is because of the 2% milk. Next time I will probably use skim, as I'm trying to watch my waistline. I would also say that the tanginess is more pronounced. Unsweetened, I would describe the taste as pretty tart sour cream. Comparatively, to my taste, commercial yogurt, particularly low-fat, has a chalky or slightly funny aftertaste, somewhat reminiscent of some artificial sweetners. My homemade batch tastes cleaner, if that makes any sense. {Phew! You're really putting my palate to the test here!}

**insert break to actually go taste the yogurt again to see if I'm missing anything**

The texture is thicker in my batch as well. My yogurt falls into thick ribbons from a spoon. The actual yogurt remains in the ribbon shape on the surface, instead of being thin enough to just immediately flow back into the jar. Thickness can be controlled by the length of culturing time, ranging anywhere from barely set to flan/custard-like.

Even I didn't think yogurt could be described so in-depth. Hope this helps! Any more questions?

Farewell Dannon!

I won't be needing you anymore. You served me well while I kept you around. You satisfied me with many a low-fat breakfast. You showed up in smoothies now and again. Even my husband, daughters & baby love you, bless their hearts. I might invite you back, time and again, if I am in a crunch. The reason I won't need you anymore is because I learned how to make my own homemade yogurt.

Yep. I'm just domestic like that.

{pictured here with homemade granola & berries}

This homemade stuff is thicker, richer, and better for you. Did I mention that it's cheaper too?

Cooking notes: I pretty well followed the instructions found here {I used the crockpot method, although I filled the crockpot about halfway with water}. I scalded my milk to 180° F, then cooled it to 110° F before adding the starter. The linked directions to not instruct this, but I've read that it is necessary for good results. After the yogurt cultured, I added 1/3 cup Splenda. That was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Without sugar, the yogurt could be used {and tastes a bit} like sour cream. It can also be left to drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth; you will end up with a cream cheese-like product but much lower in fat. I used Yo-Baby vanilla yogurt as my starter {my local WM did not have plain with live active cultures}. Live active cultures {six are present in the Stonyfield farms brand, as opposed to only 2 in other brands} are like good bacteria for your digestive system. Kinda like all those probiotics that are showing up everywhere. {Get your kids eatin' yogurt with live active cultures. They are great for the immune system!} You can always freeze the store-bought starter in an ice cube tray & then use one cube per starter. I have read that the longer you culture it, the tarter & firmer it gets. If you're not watching the waistline, you can also add heavy cream to your mix for ultra-richness. Try steeping the milk mixture with different ingredients too: vanilla bean, lavender, rosemary, etc. or adding stuff in after culturing. For more reading, a simple google of homemade yogurt will satisfy your curiosities.

Ever had a yogurt making adventure? Let me know if I've gotten you interested!

I *heart* fall

I don't think I could love another season more if I tried. There are just so many things I love about this time of year. Being a warm-blooded girl, the cooler weather just suits me so well! I love the crispness of the days, the warmth of fall baking, harvest spices, snuggling in front of a fire. I love outdoors stuff, like apple orchards, pumpkin patches, the changing colors of autumn's glory. I love fall flavors like pumpkin (yum!) and cranberries. My wedding anniversary is in the fall (coming up on 10 years, ya'll)! And Thanksgiving! Don't even get me started on lovin' Thanksgiving! Some pictures of fall goodness I've been enjoying so far:


These harvest cupcakes were made ala Semi-homemade style. The great thing about cooking so much from scratch is that even when you don't, people still will think it's homemade. (sssh! Don't tell anyone I said that!) The cake is a boxed spice mix & the frosting is a recipe from Magnolia. I think presentation goes a long way in making something go from pretty good to extra special. We eat with our eyes first, then with our mouths!


Caramel Frosting
Makes enough to frost about 18-24 cupcakes
2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 T. dark corn syrup ~ I didn't have any, but if you do, then go ahead & use it!
1 t. vanilla

Cream the butter for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat on low for 2 minutes. Add the milk, syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Use immediately or store covered for up to 2 days.

**I let my frosting sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes before piping, just to let it firm up a bit. Then I refriged the frosted cupcakes, so the tops could firm up before covering them with aluminum foil for transport.**

The original recipe says to make the frosting one day before you need it, so the graininess of the brown sugar improves overnight. I avoided this by slightly heating the milk & brown sugar together til the sugar dissolves, then completely cooling in the fridge before adding to the butter/sugar. It's up to you.

Hope you're enjoying your own fall goodness!

Apples & Acorns

Are ya feeling the recipe love here yet? This one is perfect for fall, just right for using those orchard fresh apples, requires little prep & hands-off for 1 hour, and best of all: cheap {well, not to mention tasty too}! If you've never had acorn squash, or other squash for that matter, the taste reminds me of sweet potato, but has a much stringier texture. I served this with pork tenderloin, seared on the stovetop & finished off in the oven; a classic pairing of pork & apples.



Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 2 ~ easily doubled to serve 4
1/4 c. apple juice
1/8 c. brown sugar
2 apples
1/2 T. butter
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 acorn squash

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut squash in half. Scoop on seeds. Cut a little sliver off of the bottom of each half, so that it stands up in the baking dish. {I had to have hubs do the cutting because that skin is pretty tough!} Put 1" of water in a baking dish & set the squash halves inside. Put the apple juice and sugar in a small saute pan & reduce by half or until thickened & syrupy. Turn off the heat and add the apples, butter, cinnamon & nutmeg. Fold together until everything is coated with the apple syrup. Fill each acorn half with half of the apple mixture. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

{The original recipe is here, but I tweaked it a little based on personal preferences. Also, you need to adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of your apples. I was using Jonamac, so I reduced the sugar to just allow the flavor of the apples shine through. Tarter apples? Use more sugar.}

Small, but Good

We all know the saying about the size of the package that good things come in at times. This is definitely true of fingerling potatoes. I had seen them. I had read about them. Until this week, I had never cooked or ate them. As you can see, they vary in size from about 1/2 palm-sized to the size of a small rock.

Most of them are about the size of a finger, hence the name.

Feeling {still} too sick to heavily research the perfect recipe, I just followed the one on the bag. I wished I would've taken an after picture {they didn't hang around long enough}, so you could see how yummy they looked, lightly browned & crispy in spots, garnished with, what the season has left me, of fresh chives. They have a creamy interior, reminiscent of Yukon Golds, and in my opinion, would be perfectly elegant enough for the holiday table or a special occasion. At $2.99 for 24 ounces, they're a little too pricey to grace my table on a regular basis. And as it turns out, the recipe on the back of the bag {with a slight tweak} turned out to be perfect after all.

Honey-Mustard Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 4
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. kosher salt**
1 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
1 T. honey
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. fresh chopped chives
24 ounces fingerling potatoes

Wash and dry potatoes. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, pepper, honey & mustard. Add potatoes & toss well to coat. Spread out on baking sheet & bake at 425° F for 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives. **I am using kosher salt which is less salty than table salt. If you are using table salt, I would maybe only use about 1/2 t. and then add more at serving time. I do really love the kosher though for the crunch it adds to my food. I rarely ever use table salt any more, other than in baking & in the pasta pot.**

A Simple Solution

photo by Ben-Millett

I just discovered a simple, frugal solution to commercial dishwasher detergent. It comes from my new favorite book. Are you ready?

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Use one tablespoon Borax & one tablespoon Washing Soda.

That's it. Was that so hard? I was skeptical about trying it at first, but I figured I don't have anything to lose. If it didn't work out, I'd just rewash the load using my purchased detergent. These two same ingredients are used in homemade laundry detergent, so if you make your own, you already have the stuff around. I also put vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser to help with drying {a trick you can use even if you aren't making your own dishwasher detergent} . The dishes were sparkly clean! Now I can mix up a bigger batch & keep in a {reused} glass jar. So, so, simple.