Teamwork Tuesday

*even though it is only Monday*
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act" Proverbs 24:12
Dear Readers….my dear, wonderful 750+ readers:
I want to share something with you.  Orphans.  We all know there are orphans in the world.  There are orphans here in the US, in Africa, in Eastern Europe, in East Asia….everywhere.  Depending on what search engine you use, you get the numbers of 143,000,000 or 163,000,000 or 210,000,000 orphans worldwide. In reality, we’ll never have an exact count, but the number is HUGE!  Really huge.  There are many people who are so overwhelmed by these numbers that they hide behind them.  “If I help one, it makes no difference at all….what is one in a sea of 100,000?”  Becoming aware of the need is the first step into the ocean.
I want to introduce you to a special little girl, Priscilla.  She is waiting for a Mommy and Daddy to find her.  Do you have room in your heart and in your home?  Think of how well she could do with a lot of extra love and some medical care to get her healthy.  Do you know a family who is hoping to adopt?  Would you share this sweet girl with them?  Click on Priscilla’s picture to get more information about her.  Don’t you love that smile and that cute button nose?!!

Lets talk about the cost of adoption.  We all know there are some BIG numbers there too.  Foster to adopt can be little to no cost, traditional domestic adoption anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000, and international adoption can be up to $50,000, all dependent on so many factors.  These numbers can make many people and families shudder and say “I just don’t have that…..we cant adopt”.  
What about the families who do step up?  What about the families that say “I want to spread the love of God and I want to bring one of these precious children home.”  They need help raising the funds.  God will provide, and lucky for us….we can be God’s feet by giving!  This is an exciting way to help.  Check out some of these families who are bringing their children home.  Would you help them?  Would you be part of their miracle?  Would you support them?  *Click on the links below the pictures to learn more about these kids and the families they are part of*
     
http://reecesrainbow.org/34942/sponsormaxwell     http://butbygraceitcouldbeme.blogspot.com/

http://reecesrainbow.org/32917/sponsorkeller   http://nataliekeller.blogspot.com/

http://love--conquers--all.blogspot.com/      http://reecesrainbow.org/29701/sponsormorse

http://reecesrainbow.org/35271/rose       http://heavenslittlerose.blogspot.com/

http://followingourcallingdaily.blogspot.com/    http://reecesrainbow.org/33992/sponsorvanhalle
  
http://www.lordisourshepherd.blogspot.com/    http://www.lordisourshepherd.blogspot.com/

Look at these precious ones!  Click on the links to these families’ blogs and sponsor sites.  This is a really  neat thing these families are doing.  Lets help them change the world one orphan at a time, shall we!!

Knock You Naked Brownies

I finally did it.  I bought the new cookbook by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman).  I love her first cookbook…..I equally love her second.  I found these brownies in the back of the book, and after laughing about the name, I knew I had to try them.
My sister really loves brownies.  I think I better make these for her when I visit this week.

Don’t those look drool worthy.  Trust me…they are THAT good.  I shared with my family and my aunt was still talking about them today at work.  If you need to win over your boss, or suck up to a co-worker for some help on a project, make these brownies.  I think I could even get my 12 year old brother to call me princess for the rest of my life if I promised to make him these brownies.

When I cook one of The Pioneer Woman’s recipes, I imagine what it must be like to live on a ranch.  My husband has family who are ranchers.  I really need to go visit during branding season one year and cook out of the wagon.  Can you imagine how much all those cowboys would love me if I made them some of the recipes from her book?!!  Ree’s recipes will win you instant friends. 
Knock You Naked Brownies  *From Ree Drummond: The Pioneer Woman*
Gather your ingredients:

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (Duncan Heins and Pilsbury make this size. Betty Crocker only makes a 15.75oz size) *and it HAS to be German Chocolate Cake*
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Now, enjoy your time in the kitchen:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 8 X 8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.
These brownies might not knock you naked, but if you are worried about it, eat them at home. 

Chicken and Dumplings (Freezer Meal)

I really enjoy when readers ask for recipes.  If it is a recipe that I have, I am happy to share. 
My twin sister really likes Chicken and Dumplings.  I don’t remember eating it growing up, but when my sis made me some a few years ago, I was hooked.
This is a great meal to make on a chilly day.  While you are at it, double it and stick the rest in the freezer for the next cool day. 
Chicken and Dumplings (Freezer Meal)
For the Soup:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1" cubes
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
10 cups chicken broth (seems like a lot, but trust me….its ok)
2 cups carrots, sliced
1/2 tsp ground thyme
For dumplings:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, put 1 tsp vinegar in measuring cup and fill with milk to make 3/4 cup.  Let it set to get thick)
1. In large soup pot, sauté chicken and onion over medium heat until chicken is browned, about 6-8 minutes.
2. Add celery and sauté. 
3. Add 1/4 cup flour, then slowly add chicken broth, carrots and thyme, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat, simmering for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir occasionally.
4. While simmering, prepare dumplings by mixing together flour and baking powder. Slowly add buttermilk, stirring well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
5. Once it is finished simmering, drop dough by the tablespoon-full into chicken stew mixture. Cover again and finish cooking over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until dumplings are fully cooked.
6.  Enjoy this warm comforting meal.  To freeze, just cool and freeze in freezer bags or freezer containers.  On cooking day, just thaw and reheat.  This will keep 3-4 months in the freezer.

Sandwich Inspiration

I really like sandwiches.  And eating light for dinner has been a nice switch for us for the summer.  This sandwich was inspired by a sandwich at one of our favorite pizza restaurants in town. 
I used a multigrain ciabatta roll, and I toasted it for 2 minutes under the broiler. 
I then made a mix of 1/3 cup real mayo and 1 tsp brown spicy mustard.  I slathered that on both sides of the bun.
I then layered on roast beef, tomatoes, spinach, drizzle of horseradish sauce (made with mayo) and crumbles of blue cheese.
I left off the sliced red onion only because I didn’t have it on hand.  But that would have been great. 
This was a really good sandwich.  My husband requested we have it weekly, and deemed it restaurant quality.

Summer Salad

I have been enjoying making dinner that I only have to assemble.  No cooking needed.  It makes the afternoon a little less busy and keeps me out of the kitchen longer.  My 1 year old has taken a liking to being held all.of.the.time….this leaves little room for cooking.  Its just a phase that will pass, so in the meantime, we will have quick summer dinners.
I found these rolls in the freezer section.  They take only 10 minutes to reheat in the oven and they are so good!!  I really love warm bread with a crispy crust, and a soft middle.

This recipe wont have measurements.  I made enough salad for 3 adults and a toddler.  So, this is just the ingredients.

I tossed some lettuce and baby spinach with raspberry vinaigrette.

I then layered on some shredded rotisserie chicken.  I just picked one up at the grocery store and shred it while it was still warm.  It has wonderful flavor.

Then I added some sliced kiwi, strawberries and avocado.

Top it all with some candied pecans or walnuts and drizzle a tiny bit more of dressing.

Serve with this warm bread and enjoy a light summer meal.

Past Due: Reflection On Mother's Day

Most bloggers wrote about Mother's Day in a timely manner. I however, have had this post circling around in my head, thinking about what I wanted to say. I have a lot to say (surprise, surprise! Ha ha).
When I think about moms, I think of my mom, my Grammy, my auntie, my step-mom, my mother-in-love, and my husband. So, let's go down the list.

My mom- she managed a house of 5 busy kids, works a full time job caring for others, and teaching. My mom gives and gives beyond measure. She gives of herself at home. She gives of herself to her patients at work. We tease her about little thing, mostly because we like to see her laugh. We have to remind her to take time for herself to refresh. She has a heart for others like I have never seen in anyone else. I try to be like her in my ways of giving and caring for others.



My Grammy- oh Grammy. She is fabulous. She is a rock for our family. She has just the right, gentle advice when you need it and she isn't afraid to stand up for herself or state her mind. My husband frequently tells me that I channel a lot of my Grammy. She is genuine and a truly classy lady. She is the one we call for interview help, grammar correction, and what to wear for certain occasions. She is wise and patient. Very patient. She taught me to bake chocolate chip cookies.....my husbands favorite treat.

My Auntie B- I have several aunties. And they are all wonderful. But I am very close with my auntie B. She is my mom's only sister, and had lived far away for about 12 years. She just recently moved just 4 blocks away.....I am now spoiled. She has taught me the importance of working hard and playing with my kids. My aunt is the expert on kids books and games. I think she owns them all. She always remembers to make time for family and fun. She doesn't like coffee, but she makes an amazing latte.


My step-mom is fun. She is energetic, quirky, and more loyal than a golden retriever. She loves to help and has a heart of gold. She is a nurse, and that is a perfect fit for her. She knows everyone's favorite snacks, meals, and candies. She pays close attention to detail and knows how to make others feel special, unique, and important.


My Mother-in-love (law)- she is truly the most genuine, generous, and hospitable woman I have ever been around. She can serve a holiday meal with beautiful dishes, comforting food, and sparkling decor....all with a calmness and sweet spirit. She is even keeled and level. She loves loves loves her family. And it shows. She is a treasure to us. She has taught me more than she knows about being confident and patient. She does her teaching is subtle ways and in action.

my husband gets a lot of credit her too. He encourages me, trusts my instincts, and values our children. He works hard to provide an income, keep the yard looking beautiful, and he does the dishes. He is the perfect compliment to my high wired personality. He is calm and affectionate with me and our girls. Being a mom is hard work, but my co-worker is great. He makes my job easier everyday.

I hope you all got to celebrate with the mothers around you.


Blessings,
Joyful Momma

Whatever You Call Them

On my dad’s side of the family, we call them O’Henry Bars.  On my mom’s side of the family, we call them Chocolate Scotcharoos.  My husband just calls them Scotcharoos.  They should be called a candy bar. 
Whatever it is that you call them, they are GOOD!

Nothing like starting out with a LOT of sugar.  Granulated sugar and liquid sugar (kayro syrup)

The topping is the best part. 

There is a layer of peanut butter coated rice krispies under there…..only because its unacceptable to eat the frosting by itself.

V knows the good stuff.  She loves to lick the spoon.

I have had way to many of these and I now need to enforce my exercise goals. 
O’Henry Bars-Chocolate Scotcharoos-Scotcharoos
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup kayro syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1. In a small sauce pan, bring sugar and kayro syrup to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir constantly.
2. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.  Wisk in until smooth.
3. In a large mixing bowl, pour the sugar sauce over 6 cups of Rice Krispies and gently stir until well combined
4. Press in to greased 9X13 dish
5. In microwave, heat the chips 30 seconds at a time and stirring well in between.  Heat just until melted, taking care to not burn them.
6. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal in dish.  Spread evenly and let cool.  Slice in to bars and serve with a smile.  Or save them all for yourself for that 3 pm sugar craving.

BLT Pasta Salad

I’m taking it easy in the kitchen this week.  Tomorrow is my last “rest” day in the cooking department.  I love that it is acceptable to eat a very large cold salad in the summer for dinner.  My husband spends his after work hours in the yard making our lawn beautiful and pushing the girls on the swings.  A nice crisp salad is always a welcomed meal for him.
The thing I really like about this salad, is how filling it can be.  It is a romaine lettuce base with pasta salad, dressing, tomatoes, and bacon.  Lots of bacon.  The recipe calls for 6 slices, I used about 15.  We always like a little extra protein for dinner.

This boxed pasta salad is a great starter.  I don’t know that it gets me really excited when I eat it just by itself.  But toss it with a bunch of extras and you have me sold!

I like to toss the romaine lettuce with a bit of ranch.  You could use any dressing.  I like it better this way, so as not to need to put dressing on the whole plate after it is served.  Keep it light, you wont want soggy salad.

I served myself a bowl first to taste it.  My husband went with our toddler to a BBQ with some families from his Bible Study group.  N and I had to stay home since she is still fighting off a yucky eye infection. 

I cooked the pasta and did all of the slicing and dicing while the girls had a nap.  Then I just put it all in the fridge to chill.  Then all you have to do it toss the lettuce with dressing and top it with the pasta, tomatoes, bacon and cheese.  Really easy and it will be crisp and cold ready for dinner.

BLT Pasta Salad
1 box Suddenly Salad Pasta (prepared according to directions)
2 vine tomatoes (you can use any tomatoes, these were about baseball sized)
6-15 slices of cooked bacon (I keep precooked bacon in the freezer)
1 bag romaine salad
ranch dressing or dressing of your choice
shredded cheese to garnish.  I used mozzarella.
1. Prepare pasta according to directions on box.  Let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
2. Toss lettuce with dressing, just enough to give it a light coating.
3. De-seed and dice tomatoes.  Set aside
4. Cook bacon and crumble.  Set aside
5. In a large bowl, layer lettuce, pasta, tomatoes, bacon and cheese for garnish.
6.  Serve and enjoy.
*Try adding shredded chicken or BBQ chicken to make it a little more hearty.*

150 Calorie Banana Split Dessert

We have had such beautiful weather here!  V and I decided today that we should make some pudding pops.  I happened to have extra banana cream pudding so we decided to make a yummy dessert.  I knew that I could make it a low calorie dessert by measuring each amount and using more fruit than pudding.

Look at that cute little toddler hand.  Toddlers with lots of energy make for good pudding “wiskers”.  This is V’s favorite job in the kitchen.



To make 1 dessert, you will need
1/4 cup pudding prepared with 2% milk
2 Tbsp Redi-Whip
1/2 cup fruit (bananas, strawberries, pineapple)
1tsp sprinkles
1 maraschino cherry
*you can add 2 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips for an added 50 calories.  check your package*

Big Kahuna Pizza

Every few months, Taste of Home puts out a new magazine full of great recipes.  My favorite are the Taste of Home 5 Ingredient magazines.  I have 3 of them.  They make it so easy to try a new recipe without having to round up a ton of new ingredients.
This one is called the Big Kahuna Pizza.  I made it just a smidge different in that I cooked my own pork roast in the crock pot instead of purchasing the precooked pulled pork.  My local grocery store had a 1.5 pound pork roast on sale for $2.19 and that was a steal of a deal.  So I drenched it in my favorite BBQ sauce and let it simmer on low for a few hours in the crock pot.  Then I just shredded it up.

1. Start with a 12 inch precooked pizza crust.  (You can make your own).  Top it with shredded pork.  About 16 oz will do the job.  I drizzled some extra BBQ sauce on top, but not too much because I don’t like soggy pizza.

2. Top with a 15oz can of drained Pineapple chunks.  I drained it and then patted it down with paper towels to make sure there was no extra juice to make the crust soggy.  It gets juicier as you bake it.

This cheese is really the best.  I have said it before.  I usually buy generic in most all my groceries, but this cheese is so good……I justify it

3. Top that yummy looking pizza with 2 cup cheese.  I like Mozzarella cheese, but you can use your favorite kind of cheese.

4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Devour!
Big Kahuna Pizza
12 inch precooked pizza crust
16 oz cooked BBQ pulled pork
15 oz can pineapple chunks
2 cups shredded cheese

Recovering From The Fun

I am taking the week to recover.  We had 8 days of overnight guests, 30 hungry family members for dinner on Saturday, and plenty of late nights with laughter and stories.  It was so so fun!!  I love every minute of my family staying at my house. I love making coffee and muffins in the morning.  I love getting out lunch food and enjoying a mid-day meal with family.  It is always so fun to have dinner and then snack on sweets while chatting way past bedtime.
But then, I need rest.  So, rest it is.  Last night I picked up dinner at Costco.  Cold chicken salad and shrimp salad on their demi baguettes.  Side that with fresh strawberries, and you have one happy family.  We even ate out on the deck.   No cooking and very minimal clean up.  I plan to have my husband do the dinners the rest of the week on the BBQ.  He is great at cooking on the grill and I love that it keeps the kitchen cool.
Enjoy your week in the sun….hopefully it is sunny where you are.

Birthday Party Success!!

My youngest daughter turned 1!  We celebrated for 2 days with all the family.  We have all eaten so much cake, cupcakes, and cake pops!  I recruited help and we made 2 cakes, 4 dozen cupcakes, and 125 cake pops.

We had just under 30 people here to celebrate on Saturday.  N ate up all the attention and fun.  She was pretty shy about her cake at the start, but then managed to get her feet and legs in the frosting by the end.

This cupcake cake pan was so great to use.  I made two cupcake shaped cakes.  One for N to smash and one for the family to eat.  It is a small cake so it was devoured quickly, but it turned out so cute and it was so easy to decorate.  Well worth the purchase.
To end the party, we all had dinner together.  There were 22 of us gobbling up those delicious White Chicken Enchiladas and salad. 

Snickerdoodle Bread

Whenever I think of snickerdoodles, I think of my Grammy. She used to help me make these as a kid, and she showed V how to make them a few months ago when she was here. Snickerdoodle cookies are so yummy with their soft, buttery middle and their crisp, cinnamon coating.
I knew I would love this bread when I saw the name and the ingredients. Sour cream in a quick bread?!! Yes please!!!


Snickerdoodle Bread
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips (1 pkg. Hershey’s)
2 T. flour
Topping:
2 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Combined 2 1/2 cups flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and 2 c. sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix to combined. Add flour mixture stirring until just combined. Coat the cinnamon chips with 2 T. flour and stir into batter.
Spoon batter into two 9×5 greased loaf pans.  Combined 2 T. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of batter in the pans. Bake at 350º for 60 to 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a crack in the center of the loaf comes clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.
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