Vermont

Ohhh we had SUCH a good day yesterday!! We drove up to Canadian border, popped into Duty free just to look at prices. ($50 bucks for a carton of Canadian cigarettes.. it is over $100 for a carton in my hometown!). From there we drove down over Lake Champlain into VT and down past Burlington over to where Ben and Jerrys, Cabot Creamery and Green Mountain coffee is.

We first went to Cabot and got an amazing deal! We got a 30 month aged Cheddar 2lb block for $7 dollars! To compare for you, in Walmart a 1/2 lb block of just reg Cabot is $3 bucks. Chris also bought me a shaker of Cabot popcorn cheddar cheese because I love cheesy popcorn LOL.

From there we went to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory and it was their winter festival day! Free cones and free factory tours! They usually don't run production on the weekends but did for the festival so we got to see them making the ice cream. Apparently I didn't get the memo it was spoil mom day but it was. Chris bought me a stainless steel coffee mug at B&J's because I don't have a travel mug and yay 25% off so we only paid $8 for it

After B&J we went to Green Mountain coffee to pick up some beans. We got Sumatra and Costa Rica beans(two that aren't sold in stores here) and we also got a coffee from the cafe for the trip home. Large Latte....$3.50! And it was better than any $12 dollar cup at SB! We made our way through Montpelier just to see the area and onward home.

Oh and about spoil mom day, Chris bought that cheese and shaker JUST because I like sharp cheddar and he didn't even think he would like it. I said why would you buy me a whole block of cheese? He told me that he knows I like the sharp cheddar and he knows I've been so depressed lately, especially after hearing my parents aren't coming this summer and I'm always sacrificing for everyone else that he wanted to do just for me. So I happily accept my new travel mug and my very yummy cheese :) I'm glad we didn't spent too much either, the guilt of that would of killed my happiness. Plus he does like the cheese so yay, he gets to share :)

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A special Day

A very happy birthday to my sweet princess. Elizabeth turns 7 today! Where has the time gone?

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Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 pkg boursin garlic cheese(in deli section of walmart or your grocery store)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 pgk frozen spinach- thawed and drained
1 can artichokes- drained

Throw everything into a food processor until well blended. Add to a small casserole dish and back at 350 for 30 mins. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Garlic Chipotle Mayo

This has to be one of the easiest, yummiest dip/spreads we have made.

3 ingredients easy!

1 cup mayo
1 tbsp chipotle sauce. Tabasco Chipotle is the best but Goya isn't too bad either.
2-3 med size garlic cloves.


Smash your garlic and chop it as small as you can. Add a little salt and drag your knife against it on your chopping board to make a garlic paste. Add to your mayo with the chipotle sauce, mix and lock away in the fridge for an hour or two before use.

We use this w/on:
chicken nuggets
burgers
steak sandwiches
chicken burgers
pulled pork sandwiches
as fry sauce


**Your breath will be awful so keep some breath mints nearby.. it is worth it though!**

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Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a family favorite that goes back to my childhood. The recipe started out as my Aunt Mo's but of course, I had to make a few changes along the way. Here is my version of Aunt Mo's honey chicken!


1 lb chicken pieces. I prefer thighs and drumsticks but you can do breast too if that is what you prefer, your cooking time will vary depending on if your breast is split or boneless*
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp ginger(if using fresh grated ginger up it to 1 tsp)
3 tbsp butter(or marg)- melted

Salt pepper and about 3/4 cup flour for dredging.

In a bowl mix a couple shakes of pepper and salt into the flour and evenly coat each piece of chicken, shaking off any excess flour.

Arrange your chicken pieces in a baking dish so they are close but not touching. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

While your chicken is baking, mix together your sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl. When your chicken is done, take it out of the oven, using tongs you want to roll each piece in the sauce getting a good coating over the whole piece. Put it back in your baking dish and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Put it back in the oven at 350 for an additional 25 minutes.

I serve this dish with rice and a nice crisp green veggie, green beans are my favorite side.

*boneless chicken breast will bake at 15 mins then an additional 10 mins with the sauce on, until the juices run clear.

This also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken nuggets.

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Taco rice via rice cooker

We got an 8 cup rice cooker for Christmas and we just love it. It steams veggies, it cooks rice and we have also been doing a few rice casserole type dishes. Today, we will talk Taco Rice!

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning.

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or colby jack
2 cups rice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
1 small can diced olives

Sour cream and green onions to garnish.

In a pan, prepare your taco meat according to the directions on the package.

In your rice cooker, add the rice with the amount of water suggested by your cooker. Add tomatoes, olives, prepared taco meat and cheese. Set your rice cooker for the normal cycle and walk away!

That is it!

When your cooker turns to warm, let it sit 10 mins then serve with a dollop of sour cream and a few chopped green onions on top.

I also make this recipe with shredded chicken and I add a half cup of thick salsa, omitting the shredded cheese (expect if you want a little for garnish).

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The menu :)

So my Inlaws are coming for Christmas day and I am so excited! We weren't expecting them until Boxing Day so this is great that they will be here all day on Christmas.

I have started my menu for Christmas eve and day!

Christmas Eve:

We always do a finger food spread and watch movies for our Christmas eve tradition. The menu is generally the same every year, with our favorites!

7 layer taco dip w/tortillas

Hot spinach and artichoke dip w/tortillas

Summer sausage, cheese and cracker tray

Christmas Day:

We will start the day with fresh blueberry muffins for breakfast.

For dinner, I will be making a turkey with all the fixings. Instead of having lunch, we will bring out any leftover finger foods from the night before. My mother in law is also bringing along a couple new appetizers we can't wait to try!


It is going to be a great time with lots of presents, laughter and 24 hrs of a Christmas Story on TBS!

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Dear God..

Or whom it may concern,

Please grant me the strength and will to get the presents wrapped BEFORE Christmas Eve! I am not a procrastinator but I am having such a hard time getting motivated! MUST GET WRAPPING!! Chele, Jen, Cynthia and Jules will be so disappointed in my lack of organization this Christmas. Although I do have my lists made!

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Green Bean Casserole

Before I married my husband, I had never tried green bean casserole. The commercials made it look gross and I didn't want to even try it. My first Christmas with my new family included green bean casserole. I was hesitant at first but didn't want to be rude so I took some. It was weird at first but not bad... and I eventually grew to really enjoy it. Chris's family recipe is a little different than normal but good.

Here we go.

For a large family you will need:
1/2 pound of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces and cooked into bits
1 can of fried onions.
6 cans of french cut green beans(and don't try and serve Chris whole ones.. he needs his french cut!)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of mushrooms (I dice them a little more so they aren't huge chunks)
2 jars of old english cheese

I put the green beans and diced mushrooms into a colander for at least an hour to get rid of any liquid. I will even squeeze the juice out because it is not good if it is watery!
In a small sauce pan mix the soup and cheese until creamy and mixed well. Mix well with your drained green beans and mushrooms in a large pammed Cassandre dish. Add bacon on top then the fried onions. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 mins or until it is all hot and bubbly!

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Crazy start to the week!!

So this week is, of course, Thanksgiving break for the kids. Elizabeth's school was having Parent Teacher conferences so she only had half day on Monday and Tuesday. Christopher went to school as normal.

My Monday was a little different this week. Ok, well REALLY different. To start, I was filming an interview for a new local show called Parentology. I was asked to be a guest and give a small interview about living on a tight budget. Now, anyone who knows me know I am terribly shy and have horrible social anxiety. This task I agree to was way beyond my normal capabilities.

Since the show was filmed in the morning, I wasn't really sure if I would make it home in time for Elizabeth to get off the bus. I decided to take her and Christopher with me. They really enjoyed it and loved seeing the filming. They sat in the control room during our interview.

I was very nervous but I made it though. It went really well and I *think* I did ok. They told me I did at least. The actual interview was only about 5 mins but there was 30 mins of setting up, checking lights and testing mics plus the pre-interview to get the jitters out. The crew was great and told me don't worry, we are here to make you look good. The one thing they said was don't look at the camera and I'm pretty sure I didn't so yay me. Hopefully I didn't at least.

We got home shortly(as in 10 mins) before Christopher had to head off to his school. It was a big day for him too! They were having their little thanksgiving party at school. They at corn bread muffins, popcorn and had some pudding. He had a great time.

While Christopher was at school, Elizabeth decided she wanted to put together a presentation for her class about her morning at the studio. She wrote a little paragraph and drew a picture of her in the control room watching Mom on the screen.

This morning, Elizabeth went to school for her half day and was able to give her little talk. The class sat on in the reading corner and she told them about her little field trip followed by a short q&a. Her teacher was very impressed with her.

At noon, Eli came home and Christopher was sent off to school. Elizabeth brought home her report card and her teacher phoned to do a phone conference.

Elizabeth is doing excellent in school. She is reading way beyond her grade level, which we already knew, and is exceeding her grade in almost every area. She is doing very well in gym, library, music and art. She has exceeded all her math expectations as well.
One area she needs to focus a little more on is well, focusing! She finds the work very easy at times and because of that, she flies through her work and can make some silly mistakes at times. She is quick to notice and fix her mistakes though.

Overall, her teacher is very impressed with her and was happy to have her join a special program with a few other kids every Monday. The librarian will take the kids aside to do a special project every week to challenge them a little more.

Christopher also received his report card last week. His report was a little less detailed but focused on all the basic skills one should have at age 5(although he is 4). He is doing very well with control of scissors, pencils and crayons. He follows the class rules very well and plays nicely with his classmates. He is respectful of his teachers and they enjoy having him in his class. He has not had any time outs or any discipline problems at all.

We are very proud of the kids and are happy to have them so well adjusted to school life. They enjoy going and are always excited to tell me about their day when they get home.

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Chocolate Mint Torte

This is a great chocolate mint holiday cake.

1 pkg dark chocolate cake mix- prepared as directed into two 9 inch pans.

Peppermint Filling:
3 cups cold heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup finely crushed candy canes. (I prefer the green/red/white stripped because they add more colour. I crush a little extra for garnish)
3/4 tsp vanilla

In a small mixer, beat cream and powdered sugar until stiff. Gently fold in crushed candy and vanilla until evenly blended.

Chocolate Ganache:
9 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward.


After cakes are completely cooled, slice your cake in half so you have 4 even layers. Spread whipping cream between layers, saving some for garnish and pour chocolate glaze over top allowing it to drip down the sides. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Serve with a dollop of extra whipping cream and sprinkling remaining candy as a garnish.


**This cake can also be made with a white cake mix and a white chocolate ganache instead of chocolate if you prefer.**

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11/17

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Sister. My angel in heaven. I love you.

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Turning a recipe don't into a recipe do!

Last night I made a new recipe for Chris. He has been wanting this for a while and well.. I hated it.

The recipe was for stove top casserole. It was quite simple. Cube and brown some chicken breast, add a can of cream of celery, cream of chicken soups as well as one can of milk with the chicken in a casserole dish, top with prepared stove top and bake for half hour.

He really enjoyed it but I just don't like stove top! Last night, I couldn't sleep. I started think about how I could change the recipe into something better. Something I would actually enjoy. Something I could make and freeze for later. Then it hit me. Of course.. Leftover Thanksgiving!!!

So my plan started out with leftover turkey instead of chicken(although both would be good) and my OWN stuffing which I do enjoy!!

I wanted to leave out the cream of chicken and celery soups and instead add maybe try cream of cheddar broccoli as well as some frozen veggies(really any would be good I think. I think it would be much better if I used the leftover gravy instead of the soup as well. Building in my head. I mixed the soup and veggies together, added them to shredded turkey and topped it with my own stuffing. I really think this would freeze well for a later date. Thanksgiving after thanksgiving. So, now I have a plan for my leftovers! Thanksgiving Shepard's Pie if you will! Wish me luck!

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Halloween preview!!

I got the kids all decked out in their costumes today for their Halloween parties at school!!

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Christopher turns 4!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

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Baked potato soup

* 6 + 3 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, save the 3 extra for garnish
* 2/3 c butter
* 2/3 c all-purpose flour
* 6 c whole milk
* 4 large baked potatoes, cubed in very small pieces (you can peel if you want, I like the extra texture of the skin or at least one)
* 4 + 1 green onions, chopped, saving 1 for garnish
* 2 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, saving 1/2 for garnish
* 1 c sour cream
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp ground black pepper


In a large pot, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Add bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Serve with the extra garnishes added on top.

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100

My friend, Tracy, announced today there are exactly 100 days until Christmas. Not cool.

This means I have around 60 days to make 50 digital scrapbook pages. I need to do them in enough time to get them to the printer to be made into glossy printed books.

I really haven't been taking many photos with my canon lately. Not because I don't want to but didn't really have many opportunities this summer. It was easier to use my phone, which still takes nice photos, instead of bringing an expensive camera along and risking damaging it.

I still will have many photos, enough for at least 30 pages but my goal is 50. Wish me luck!

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The big day.

My kids, both of them, have gone off in to the big world of primary learning. ABC's, 123's, shapes and colours for Christopher. Adding, subtracting and reading for Elizabeth. Today starts a new life for both of them.

Elizabeth is an old hand at school now but still 1st grade is a new big adventure. She will be playing on the big kids playground now! She went off to school with her head held high, eyes full of excitement and a huge smile on her face.

Christopher has no idea what he is in for. I'm sure he expects it to be a day of playing and meeting new friends. In part, he will be right but also a day of learning, sharing and listening. Raising his hand to speak, sitting still and listening without interruption is all new to him. He is good with listening but like all 3-4 yr olds, fidgets a lot. He will also be learning how to write his name better, have good pencil control and I think a few starter sight words.

All in all, they will both have a great year coming up. They will be challenged, make new friends and have a lot of fun.

I, on the other hand, only cried for 10 minutes. I'm good now. Time to do laundry.

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Banana Bread!

This originated in the Five Roses cookbook but I changed a few things.

Dry:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Wet:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup veg oil
2 eggs- beaten
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls, slowly add wet to dry mixing only until combine. Don't over mix. Add to greased loaf pan(I use pam) Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Let cool 10 mins then transfer to a baking rack to cool for one hour.

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Porcupines

A family favorite around my house.

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pound of hamburger
1/2 white rice
1/2 small onion diced finely
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper

Soup base:
3 cans tomato soup
2 cans water

Add your soup base to a large soup pot and start to heat on med-high or crock pot on high. Mix together your meatball ingredients and form into meatballs a little larger then a bite size, dropping them carefully into the soup base. Simmer for at least an hour on the stove or you can simmer longer in a crock pot on low all day if you prefer. I serve my porcupines with mashed potatoes.

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