Today's My Best Creative Day

Ice Cream on Mush?

2010-04-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, This is AWESOME!!!!! I mean really, really over the top! Actually, to be completely honest, I've eaten vanilla ice cream on my oatmeal with peaches and brown sugar. (don't judge me!) LOL! Well, growing up on "mush" was great, i'M NOT KIDDING! I have always loved hot cereal with homemade toast. Mom and Dad use to wake up early and put a pot of oatmeal, cream of wheat, cracked wheat or malt-o-meal to cook. It might seem silly that even though I was embarrassed to call hot cereal "mush", I still loved to eat it! I just might try this!!! lol!

( click on the ad to zoom in and read the fine print. It's hilarious!)

Baby Square Crinkle Toy

2010-01-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

I sewed this simple baby tag toy, using a tutorial from Joy's Hope! Her tag toy is perfect and so cute! I love this one I made, but I made the ribbon tags a little too long.

Katherine loves playing with it

I used little girl sweats for the material, a babywipes package for the crinkle, and some cordinating ribbon I had on hand.

She REALLY loves it!

up close, I made a few mistakes, oops!

Here it is connected to her plastic ring toys

Easy Fudge

2010-01-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

I know the holidays are over, but here it is anyway!
After all, it doesn't have to be Christmas to enjoy chocolate yumminess!
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and made it easily, only substituting prepared nonfat dry milk for the evaporated milk. Did you know you could do that? ( I took this photo with with my new camera! I know: a sewing machine and a camera all in the same Christmas! I am loved!!!)

Therapy Wheat Bag

2010-01-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to share with you a little more variety to my blog. Sewing projects! I got my very own, very first sewing machine for Christmas!!! I made this wheat bag for my 7 year old son who broke his collar bone last week sledding. He is recovering well with a sling, but sometimes he aches, so I throw the wheat bag in the microwave for a couple of minutes and he puts it on the sore spot and it seems to do a good job of soothing the pain. I made this one out of an old t-shirt, so it's very soft. It was easy to sew and took less than 20 minutes to make. If you want to make one, go to this blog. She has a great tutorial and her wheat bags are very pretty!

Holiday Donuts

2009-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and felt inspired to make donuts! I wanted to try a new recipe and found this one.

(I love the detailed step by step photo instructions)

Will I Post before Christmas?

2009-12-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

T'was the week before Christmas and all through this Blog, not a Post was updated not even a ________. (couldn't think of a good word that rhymes with Blog that fit the line, can you?)

I have to Apologize for not posting! I just keep staring at my last post of biscuits and gravy and thinking "that looks gross"!!! It must take a skilled photographer to make gray food look appetizing! I promise the biscuits and gravy tastes GREAT! By the way: Leave comments!!! (Even if it's just to say "hi") I have tons of great posts in the making, So check back soon!

I love you all! Thanks for listening! (Aren't those felt trees so adorable? I found that photo online)
By the way have you seen Julie and Julia??? So inspiring!

Biscuits and Gravy

2009-11-17T07:04:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have been with me on this blog from the beginning, will remember my post about the best homemade biscuits ever. I love making biscuits and gravy for breakfast on cold autumn mornings like this one. So I used the biscuit recipe and this gravy recipe given to me from a dear friend:

1/2 pound Jimmy Dean Regular ground sausage

1/3 cup flour

Salt about a tsp.

Pepper about a tsp.

1 Quart (4 cups) milk

Brown sausage in pan. Add flour, pepper and salt and stir for a few minutes until combined. Then add milk stirring until it is thick and bubbly.

So Yummy! Plan on hanging out in the kitchen for about 30-45 minutes when preparing this breakfast. (Great time to catch up on a good conversation with your kids, and help them make their lunches for school!)

I like to use cookie cutters for my biscuits for whatever season it is or upcomming holiday.

Acorn Sugar Cookies

2009-11-15T22:48:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun making these acorn cookies! I used the recipes and techniques from this post. I am still practicing on having a steady hand, but I was happy with the colors, and the over all look.

Pizza Quesadilla

2009-11-10T00:09:00.001-08:00

Put cooked tortilla on preheated griddle, spread pizza sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, favorite toppings (toppings shown are: sausage, mini pepperonis,and mushrooms) and top with more cheese...

I found these great little Hormel Pepperoni Minis last week at Walmart. I Love them! They are so cute, and they were on sale!

Now put a tortilla on top and cook until the bottom is nice and crispy, flip over and do the same until all the cheese is gooey...

Remove from the pan onto a cutting board, cut and serve hot!

Pizza Sauce
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can tomato puree

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pour the left over Pizza Sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. When frozen, put in freezer baggie for future single serving of sauce.

Candle ReUse, Recycle (or whatever you want to call it)

2009-11-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

Look at this cute little candy dish. Would you ever think that it was once home to a delicious smelling pumpkin pie candle?

Do you have a candle on your candle warmer that's just about all used up? Or some candles you burned a while ago and have piled up in a cupboard somewhere thinking you might do something with them some day????

You might just throw away the candle when it's all gone.

Or you could.....

Make a candy dish or some cute little mini candles.

To make the mini candle (that looks a lot like a Reese's Cup):

Set the short, almost all used up wick in the middle of a mini muffin paper, and pour some of the melted wax around it. Then carefully carry it to the freezer and place on a flat surface and let it set for a few minutes...

and peel the paper off...

Then you have an adorable mini candle. You can burn it and still enjoy the candle scent, or trim off the black end of the wick and you have a brand new mini candle you can give as a gift. Jeff is 9 and made this candle with a bit of supervision and wrapped it up and is giving it to his school teacher for a little Thanksgiving gift.

If you just want to make the candy dish, melt the wax and pour into an old plastic container and throw it away in the trash. Then wipe the rest of the melted wax out with a napkin or paper towel. Warning: Never, I mean NEVER pour hot wax down the drain or you will be calling your plummer!!! Also ,Warning: If you don't have a candle warmer, but you want to melt the wax, NEVER melt it in the microwave if it has a wick in it, because it has metal and you could have a serious disaster if you put metal in the microwave!!! Instead, put it on a pan on the stove on medium heat (watching carefully) until the candle is all melted and then continue on with your project.

The other night I was thinking of all the things this adorable glass dish could hold, like: Veggie dip, Salsa, Buttons, Beads, Sea Shells, and, Oh, my...My mind just decided it's late and time for sleep and I can't remember all the great uses I thought of the other night. Well, You get the idea. It was really fun and easy to do. I liked this project and will do more, Because MY cupboard is full of used up candles!!! Now Im going to go eat one (or three, or four) of those candy corn pumpkins and go to sleep.

Fall Kitchen Table

2009-11-07T22:09:00.001-08:00

What's on your kitchen table?

Banana Walnut Muffins

2009-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

For this recipe I used my previous Marvelously Moist Muffin Recipe.

I followed the recipe EXACTLY. When it came time to add the fruit and nuts,

I added:

1 cup smashed over-ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

and there you have it: Banana Walnut Muffins

I think they taste best, (more moist) after I put them in a plastic container or big ziploc bag for a day or two.

Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-11-06T09:23:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Muffins
combine dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

combine, and then add to dry ingredients:
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

~spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups
~fill until almost full
~bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes
~cool for 5 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat with electric mixer:
1 stick (8 Tbs.) softened butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces) softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

kids can decorate cakes

2009-11-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Three years ago (has it really been that long?) the boys decorated their own Halloween cakes for the school Fall Fest. They got their inspiration from magazines and websites. Baking and cake decorating with kids is so fun ( and messy)!

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

2009-10-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

I wanted something extra fun and Yummy for Halloween breakfast, (and for Bake at 350's Flavor of the Month) so I thought "why not tweek my waffle recipe and turn them into pumpkin waffles?" So I did, and here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
makes about 12 waffles
3 cups Flour
2 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/4 cup Powdered Milk (optional)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
combine all dry ingredients,
then mix in...
1 1/2 cups cold water (or milk if you're not using powdered milk)
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
stir, and then pour batter onto preheated waffle iron,
sprinkle batter with chopped pecans and cinnamon and cook until golden brown.
The Pecans have that wonderful toasted nut aroma and flavor.
Serve with butter, maple syrup and cinnamon whipped cream!
Make cinnamon whipped cream by adding a little cinnamon and sugar to your heavy cream when whipping it. Top with more chopped pecans, and enjoy!!!

Coming soon: Pumpkin Praline Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting, Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Pesto, Tomatoes, Bacon, and Mozzarella Cheese, Super Moist Banana Walnut Muffins and more!!!

Halloween Brownies

2009-10-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Stacey is a senior in high school and she is so creative! I went over to my in laws house last night and saw these super cute brownies on the kitchen counter. Stacey made them by: looking on google and finding some Halloween images, then she printed them out, cut them out, placed them on a brownie and sprinkled powdered suger over them! So simple and so cute!

Grilled Veggie and Steak Kabobs

2009-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

I'm going to share with you one of my husbands FAVORITE meals! I know that when I cook this for dinner it 's sure to put a smile on his face! It's really pretty easy. The veggies we usually use are: zuchini, yellow squash, grape or cherry tomatoes, mushrooms( my favorite), white onions, red onions, bell peppers and a few chili peppers. After we put the veggies on the metal kabob sticks we brush them with melted butter mixed with Johnny's Garlic Spread (found at Costco). Then we grill them on medium high heat until they look done. When we take them off the grill and put them on the serving platter, we brush them once more with the melted butter mixture and cover with foil until we're ready to eat.

The meat is simple. Just cut a good quality steak into large cubes and brush with canola oil, and rub with homemade grilling seasoning (great with chicken and pork too!)

1 Tbsp. fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (must be kosher salt so it doesn't come out tough)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder.

When the meat is done cooking, put it on the serving platter, cover with foil and let it rest for a few minutes to keep the meat nice and juicy! This meal goes great with any rice of your choice (lately my favorite is a long grain and wild rice mix). My moms favorite is this lime cilantro rice from Leigh Ann over at YourHomeBasedMom, which I still haven't tried but heard it is amazing!

Peach Syrup

2009-10-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

When My family came to visit a few weeks ago, my Mom brought some of her amazing home canned peaches. They were so good. We ate them up in just a couple of days, but were left with a jar of light syrup. When I made pancakes for breakfast I was sad that the peaches were all gone, and then I wondered what the pancakes would taste like with the peach syrup. Wow! I put a little butter and poured on the peach syrup (and got a little carried away). It was Sooooo good! Thanks Mom!!! Now I need your recipe for your canned peaches!

Soft Ginger Cookies

2009-09-10T06:43:00.001-07:00

Need an idea to give to your visiting teaching ladies? I find that taking a food gift to give, always brightens the day and opens up the conversation with even the more challenging assignments.

Soft Ginger Cookies
from Better Homes and Garden New Baking Book
makes: 24-36 cookies Oven: 350 Bake: 10 min

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses (or honey)
2 Tbsp. sugar

1. In a medium bowl combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 1 cup sugar. Add egg and molasses; beat well. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture.
3. Shape dough into balls. Roll them in the 2 Tbsp. sugar to coat . Place balls about 2 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown and still puffed. (do not overbake) Cool cookies on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

This cookie is perfect for Autumn time. The flavors and aroma reminded me a lot like eating pie, and what goes best with pie? vanilla ICECREAM! So I kicked it up a notch and made Ginger Cookie Icecream sandwiches. Now this was a true taste of Autumn!!! Yumm!

Fry Bread

2009-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Living in New Mexico, we love eating Fry Bread. It is a Navajo tradition and is readily available just about at any public event, flea market or community activity. Sometimes we just crave it at home and love that my Mother-in-law Tina has lots of traditional New Mexico recipes up her sleeve that she has learned and mastered since moving here as a teenager in the early 70's! She lives right next door and loves cooking for people especially when they have a craving or special request. This recipe of hers is simple and fun to make for the kids. Sometime I will post more of her New Mexico recipes including green chili enchiladas, red chili enchiladas, tortillas, Mexican rice, chili rellenos, green chili stew, smothered Christmas burritos, tacos, etc. etc. etc!
It's kind of funny because growing up, my Mom use to make the most delicious flapjacks for us! They were so similar to fry bread. I think she got the tradition from her mom, my Grandma Sevey. When my Mom would bake bread, she would also save some of the dough, roll it out and fry it up and call them flapjacks. We would eat them with honey or beans and cheese, and Missy's personal favorite honey and cheese! One of my favorite childhood memories was bread baking day with my Mom and sisters!
My kids love hearing the origins of our traditions and I love that I can pass this tradition on to my kids from both sides of the family!

Fry Bread
6 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup powder milk
2 ¾ cups warm water

Mix all dry ingredients
Slowly knead in warm water
Let rest a few minutes
Roll ping pong size ball dough out thin fry in very hot oil
Makes about 11/2 to 2 dozen
Serve with honey and powered sugar

Marvelously Moist Muffins

2009-07-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm! Muffins!!! I found this recipe from a Bed and Breakfast website in Cape Cod. I'm always a little skeptical trying a new recipe, but I was really happy with these muffins! They were moist and dense and very delicious! We took them on our annual "Sunrise Breakfast" the other day! I made one batch of Blueberry Muffins and one batch of half Blueberry and half Raspberry. Here is the recipe copied from the website:

Marvelously Moist Muffins presented by Isaiah Clark House

Start with this basic recipe and add different ingredients for a large variety of muffins. Preparation time is about 10 minutes plus preparation time for your fruit ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 T Vanilla

Cinnamon/sugar mixture

Paper liners for muffin cups

~Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

~Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl.

~Create a "well" in the center.

~In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and add the milk, vanilla and oil.

~Pour at once into the flour "well" and mix quickly and lightly until mixture is moist throughout. ~Batter will be thick and lumpy.

~(Additional ingredients such as fruit(1 cup per recipe) and/or nuts (1/2 cup) would be added now, quickly and without too much stirring).

~Spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups.

~Pile high above the top of each cup for a large "muffin top".

~Sprinkle top evenly with cinnamon/sugar mixture for a sweet crispy top.

Bake for

35-40 minutes for large muffins

20-25 min for regular size muffins

8-12 minutes for mini muffins

until muffins are golden brown and top springs back to touch. Toothpick will come out clean.

NOTES FOR VARIATIONS:Fresh fruit is best if available, but when adding frozen fruit such as blueberries and raspberries, rinse ice crystals off with cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towel, then add sugar to coat fruit and allow to stand before mixing in.

Try apples and raisins, peaches or bananas or combine for variety.We prefer walnuts chopped very small but almonds or chopped pecans can be used. SPECIAL NOTES:For cranberry muffins, cut cranberries in half for full flavor. Use orange juice instead of milk (apple juice for apple muffins) and add 2 T orange zest.

MAKES 6 LARGE MUFFINS or 12-15 regular size muffins or about 36 mini muffins

Watermelon Award

2009-07-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks Beth for my very first Blog Award!

So in order for me to accept this award I'm suppose to list some things that make me happy!

Hmmmmm!

There are so many things to choose from!

I am usually a happy person, but I don't really think about the specifics very often.

What makes me HAPPY???

Well, Here it goes,

I feel most happy when:

1. John gives me a hug and tells me how much he loves and appreciates me as a wife and mom!

2. My kids are being silly dancing to fun music or when they randomly say "I love you mom, you're the best mom!"

3. I have cooked or baked something for my family that they love!

4. I am at Disneyland with John and our kids!

5. I have just given birth and I'm holding my newborn for the first time (2 more weeks until I get to experience this for the 6th time!!)

6. I have recognized an answer to a personal prayer! Or go to the Temple or attend and participate in a great testimony meeting!

7. I do something thoughtful for someone else!

8. I am smiling!!!!!

light sabers

2009-07-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

OK, this creative idea has nothing to do with me at all!!!

But, it is so cool, that I just had to share it!

I am so lucky to have a husband who is so super creative!

He made these light sabers with the boys yesterday.

He took the boys to Home Depot and bought some wooden dowels for $3.56 a piece.

Then he had the boys sand the dowels and round off one end.

Next he pulled out his acrylic paints, and the boys designed and painted the light sabers however they wanted to.

Finally, they accessorized with duct tape, old flashlight parts, and anything else they could find.

Pretzel Sparklers for the 4th of July

2009-07-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

We have a family tradition every 4th of July to make these fun pretzel sparklers. The kids love making and tasting them! This year my sisters- in-law and my nieces and nephews came over to make them with us!

All you need is:

Pretzel Rods or mini pretzels
White Almond Bark (White Chocolate Candy Melts)
Sprinkles

1.Dip the pretzels in melted white chocolate
2.Sprinkle
3.Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet
4.Put in freezer for a couple of minutes until set

Flower Pot Utensil Holder

2009-07-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

I found this cute flower pot under my kitchen sink, not being used for flowers, so I thought I would put it to better use and store all of my cooking utensils in it.

Labor of Love Mind Movie

2009-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you have heard of "Mind Movies", but I have discovered that they are so fun to make and so helpful in personal goal setting! I have made several in the past and found them helpful! Here is a movie that I made this week to help me feel prepared for the birth of my sweet baby #6. My due date is July 30th, so I plan on watching my movie twice a day or more, starting last Thursday (six weeks or 42 days x's 2 times a day = 84 or more times I will have watched it before the babies birth! Do you think it will help?! I'll report back after the baby is born (by the way, I don't know if it is a boy or girl) Wish me luck!!!

Parker's Pancakes

2009-05-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

I remember eating pancakes so many times on Sunday evenings, growing up! It just seemed like the perfect thing to eat at the end of the day. We would eat a big dinner early afternoon right after church, so by evening we were pretty hungry, and wanted something sweet. I remember a few other Sunday Evening treats including Waffles, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Tidbit Cake, or Rice warmed up with milk, cinnamon and sugar, but I'll leave those for another time, another post.

Last Sunday evening Parker carried on the tradition and made pancakes for everyone with his own little touches of creativity!

Pancakes

1 cup four

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk (or 1/4 cup powder milk & 1 cup cold water)

2 Tablespoons oil

mix dry ingredients. add milk, egg and oil and mix until just combined.( lumps in the batter are ok) preheat griddle to 375 degrees or a pan to medium to medium high heat. pour batter on pan and sprinkle with blueberries, or chopped almonds. flip when bubbles form. Parker also tried mixing into the batter- chopped strawberries, chopped bananas, chopped almonds and whole blueberries. They were so good with butter, maple syrup and whipped cream on top!

Orange Chicken

2009-04-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but in my house we love Panda Express (or use to love it until I found this recipe!)
This is my #1 most requested meal!!!

Orange Chicken

recipe found on recipezaar.com
makes about 6 servings

I usually double or triple this recipe because it makes great left overs, if everyone in the Nunley Neighborhood (especially my Parker) doesn't eat it all first!!! He He! I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is a huge crowd pleaser!!!

to make Orange Sauce--
1 1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbs water
5 Tbs sugar
5 Tbs white vinegar
1 orange, zest only

-combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, and zest. mix and set aside. I usually do this before I start everything else so the flavors combine really well. Sometimes I put the ingredients in a small mason jar with the lid on and shake it up.

2-3 cups oil for deep frying

-heat oil in Wok or deep -fryer to 375 degrees

2 lbs. (or about 4 breasts) boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
about 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbs. canola oil

-place chopped chicken in a bowl and stir in egg, salt, pepper, and oil

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour

-stir cornstarch and flour together.
-add to chicken pieces and stir to coat.
-add chicken, small batches at a time to hot oil, and fry 3-4 minutes until golden crisp
-remove chicken with a spotted spoon and drain on paper towels and set aside.

if you like bite size pieces of fried chicken or "popcorn chicken" just enjoy them as they are and be done cooking, or if you really do want orange chicken keep following the recipe

1 Tbs freshly grated gingerroot
1 tsp freshly minced garlic

-add gingerroot and garlic together in a small bowl and set aside.

1/2 tsp crushed hot red chili flakes (like the pizza topping that pizza delivery guys give you in those little packages)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

-add chili flakes and chopped green onions in a small bowl and set aside.

1/4 cup water
1 Tbs cornstarch

- combine water and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside.

You are almost done!!! Now for the very quick cooking!

Heat a clean Wok or NON STICK pan on high for 15 seconds
add 1 Tbs oil .
add ginger and garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds
add and stir fry crushed chilis and green onions for 3 seconds
add orange sauce and bring to a boil
add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed
stir in cornstarch mixture
heat until sauce is thickened about 1 minute
serve over sticky (Calrose) rice found at Costco or the Asian isle at your local grocery store
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!!!!

Homemade Pizza

2009-04-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

When we lived in Colorado eight years ago, there was a little locally owned Italian restaurant we loved eating at. I can't remember the name of it, but the food was so good! One of our favorite things to order was the Shrimp Alfredo Pizza! Ever since then, we've been on the look out for a similar pizza and have had no luck!!! Finally, recently, I decided to just figure it out in my head and make it!!!!! So guess what, it was so easy and so good and only took 30 minutes until we were sitting down eating this Pizza with Salad and fresh Lemonade !!!!!

What you need for Shrimp Alfredo Pizza:
pizza dough (recipe below)
Sauce (recipe below)
cooked shrimp (I used about a half pound of large shrimp for each large pizza)
Mozzarella cheese
ground pepper

I just thought this one up with a little inspiration from a variety of pizzas we've eaten in the past!
What you need for the Specialty Pizza:
pizza dough
sauce
toppings:
cooked shrimp
1 vine ripe tomato sliced
about 1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
4 slices of bacon cut up and cooked
mozzarella cheese
gound pepper

SAUCE:
(This is my husband Johns' creation- he uses it on pasta too-Yumm!)
for two large pizzas use
3/4 cup Classico Creamy Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce (From Costco)
Mix together and spread on pizza dough

I love homemade Pesto Sauce, but when I don't have any on hand, Costco Pesto Sauce is the next best thing. It cost around $8.00 for 22 oz., but it lasts sooooo long! In fact, I freeze it in a bunch of small portions and it's ready to use whenever I need it!

Secret Restaurant Pizza Crust Recipe
(I found this recipe a while back online somewhere, don't know where)
preheat oven to 500 degrees

for 1 large pizza crust:
2 1/4 tsp. (or one .25oz packet) active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup 110 degree water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

for 2 large pizza crusts:
4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups 110 degree water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

-Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; rest 8 minutes.
-In a separate bowl combine flour and salt
-Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well
-Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes
-Working from edges to the center, press dough into a 12 inch circle
-Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch to edges
-Spread sauce over crust, then toppings, then cheese, then a little ground pepper
-Bake at 500 degrees for 8-12 minutes
-Can freeze dough!!!!-roll dough into a ball and place in a sealable freezer bag that has extra room-thaw in fridge

First Sign of Spring

2009-04-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Weather has finally reached 70 degrees and we are really enjoying the warmth! Yesterday was Earth Day and I'm not a huge environmentalist, but I do LOVE nature and I am so happy that Spring is here, so we can play outside more!!!!!

Sugar Cookies

2009-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sugar Cookie Recipe

from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Flooding the Frosting ideas

from bakeat350.blogspot.com Using a thinned out Royal Icing

This was so easy and so fun! This is how I frost my sugar cookies from now on!!!! There are tons of other great baking tips on Bake at 350!

Photos of Allie (VOTE!)

2009-04-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took these photos of Allie, and now I need to decide on which one to put in her picture frame! It is too hard for me to pick just one! Will you help me decide by voting for your favorite number?!

Bunny Buns

2009-04-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Remember those really fun "Kitchen Krafts" that would come in the "Friend" magazine every month when we were kids?! I have some great memories growing up cooking with Mom and my sisters and brothers from the "Kitchen Krafts". I am so happy to pass this Family Easter tradition on to my kids!

“Kitchen Krafts,” Friend, Apr 1980, 23
Bunny Buns
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Soften yeast in warm water and set aside. Blend scalded milk, sugar, shortening, salt; then cool till lukewarm. Stir in about 2 cups flour and beat well. Mix in eggs and stir in softened yeast. Add orange juice, orange peel, and remaining flour to make soft dough. Let stand 10 minutes.
Knead dough 5–10 minutes on lightly floured surface till smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover, let rise in warm place till double in size (about 2 hours), punch down, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.
To start bunnies, roll dough into 1/2″ thick rectangle on lightly floured surface. Cut dough into strips about 1/2″ wide and roll between hands to smooth. Shape into twist or curlicue bunnies.
Twist Bunnies
Place 14″ strip of dough on lightly greased cookie sheet. Lap one end of strip over the other to form loop; bring end that is underneath up over top end, letting ends extend to each side for ears (see illustration). Roll small ball of dough for tail and place atop dough at bottom of loop.
Curlicue Bunnies
Cut 10″ strip of dough for body and 5″ strip for head. On lightly greased cookie sheet make loose coil of body strip. Coil strip for head and place close to body. For ears pinch off 1 1/2″ strips and shape. Make small ball for tail.
Cover bunnies and let rise in warm place till nearly double in size (45–60 minutes). Bake at 375° for 12–15 minutes. Frost while warm with sugar glaze. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
Sugar Glaze
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon butter
Mix ingredients till well blended and brush over warm rolls.

Polishing my Antique Piano

2009-03-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Just before we moved into our house 5 years ago, I really wanted to have a piano in our new house!!! I didn't know how I could possibly afford one, but I kept my hopes up. Within a week my sister-in-law told me that her friends family was trying to sale their antique piano. So I went to see it at their house and fell in love at first sight!!!!! They sold it to me for $300, which was a steal for the great condition it was in. I had it delivered and I just think it is beautiful!!! Over the past years of having it, it has gotten dirty and gotten a few scratches to add to the 100 years of use and abuse it has gone through. But the worst was when my little ones thought it was ok to scratch big letters into the side and front of the piano that I never took a photo of!!!! I've just lived with the scratches for over a year and finally this week I thought there must be some solution! So I went searching online of course for a way to fix the scratches. I found several different ideas like rubbing pecans into the scratch which didn't work very well, so my next experiment was to make a solution of equal parts lemon juice and canola oil and rub on the scratches. WOW! This idea worked so well, I ended up polishing the entire piano with it!!!!! Kind of a homemade "Pledge" solution. I am so happy with the results and the look!!!!!!! I think my 130 year old piano is looking better than it has in a very long time!!!!Happy Me!!!!!
BEFORE

BEFORE (My little musicians)

BEFORE

AFTER!!!!! (this is where the Big letters were scratched in and now they are GONE!!!!)

Pistachio Pudding Dessert

2009-03-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with food yesterday on St. Patrick's Day! For breakfast I made green scrambled eggs, Shamrock toast (toast cut with a shamrock cookie cutter and buttered with green butter! We watched video clips online about the history and traditions of St. Patrick's Day while they ate breakfast! In the boys lunches I made (green) white chocolate covered pretzels with green sprinkles, green pear slices, sandwiches with the Shamrock cookie cutter, and they have clear waterbottles, so I put a drop of green food coloring in their water! Green food coloring was my friend! They got some pretty great comments on their lunches! For dinner I didn't make traditional Irish food, instead I made Tortellini in Pesto sauce and Alfredo sauce mixed together and grilled chicken strips, homemade french bread and green lemonade and Pistachio Pudding Dessert! Unfortunately, the only photo I took was for the desserts. Here is the Recipe (I found it online at Cooks.com):

Pistachio Pudding Dessert

Pie crust:
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Layer 1:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1 cup cool whip

Layer 2:
2 regular sized pkgs. instant pistachio pudding mix
3 cups milk

Topping:
cool whip
chopped almonds

Mix butter, flour, nuts; press into 9x13 inch pan. Bake 350 for 20 min. Cool. Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and cool whip; spread on cooled crust. Beat together pudding mix and milk until thick. Spread on cream cheese layer and top with a layer of cool whip and chopped nuts. Refrigerate.

clean sink scum

2009-03-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

BEFORE
I am pregnant you know, and I guess I've been in the "nesting" stage, where I just have to clean, Clean, CLEAN!!!! Before, when I looked at the Scum and Stains on my kids toilet and sink,I was bugged by it and frustrated that nothing seemed to clean it well enough! Yesterday I decided to take action by researching online and getting to the "nitty gritty" ! I read that if you get a super fine piece of sandpaper and squirt some dishwasher liquid on the scum and scrub gently, it will clean it all! (Be careful not to scratch the porcelain)It worked Great! Also the build up in the toilet disappeared after a little scrubbing! I am so happy with the end results!!!!!! Also for terrible stains, I used Clorox Bleach Stick found in the laundry isle at the store! Awesome!!!!!! Just a little work and so much pay off!!!!!!
AFTER

"Life" for Life

2009-03-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I don't buy cereal very often because I get kind of (Seriously) addicted to it!!! But, a couple of weeks ago I found a super sale at Safeway and bought Life cereal for 99cents each!!! I ended up buying 10 boxes over the course of the sale thinking how great this is to add to my rotating year supply! But actually we ended up eating almost all of it within 2 weeks time! I told you I'm (We're) addicted!!!!!! Good thing milk was on sale too!!!!

Citrus and Blossoms!!!!!

2009-03-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

I was so surprised and so HAPPY today because Beth sent me a box of oranges and lemons and citrus blossoms!!!!!!!! It totally MADE MY DAY!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU BETH!!!!!!

French Dip Sandwich

2009-03-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

This dinner is such an easy one!!!! All you do is put a roast with all your favorite seasonings (mine are Beef Bouillon granules, Ground Pepper, and Garlic Salt) and water to cover about half of roast so you have a lot of Au Jus (dipping juice) to dip the sandwich in. Start to cook in the crock pot when you wake up in the morning and by dinnertime your meat will be so tender and falling apart that it will be perfect for French Dip Sandwiches! When you are ready to eat, cut your bread and put a slice of Provolone Cheese and toast lightly in you toaster oven or oven, put however much meat you like in the sandwich, serve hot with the dipping juice straight from the crock pot, remember the Horseradish sauce , and your favorite potato chips!!!!! Mmmm! SOOO good and SOOOO Easy!!!!!!

Pecan Sandies

2009-03-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Being pregnant, I get a little craving from time to time, and last night was one of those times. I was really craving Keebler Pecan Sandies, but didn't want to go to the store, so I searched online for a good copycat recipe and found this one on Allrecipes.com and I have to say that these turned out Awesome!!!! You have to try these!

Pecan Sandies
1 cup margarine, softened (I used butter)
1 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola oil and Yes, it really is 1 cup!!!)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 2 tsp vanilla)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup white sugar for decoration (I didn't do this)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, vegetable oil, 1 cup white sugar and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the pecans. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in remaining white sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Creative Inspiration

2009-02-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

This talk was my inspiration to start my creative Blog. So far it's been cooking posts, and in the future I see this Blog grow into a wide range of creativity. So check in every once in a while and see how this Blog grows!
THANKS FOR READING!

Eggies in a Basket

2009-02-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

This is one of my boys favorite breakfasts to wake up to and it is sooo easy. I've seen eggies in a basket called lots of different names and prepared lots of different ways, but this is my favorite way:
I start by preheating a pan to medium heat and add canola oil and butter ( WARNING this is not a low fat dish!) Then I use a cookie cutter to cut a whole into the bread of choice. This morning I had some left over sourdough bread and it made the best eggies in a basket. I cut a heart out of this one in the spirit of the Valentine's month. I put the bread in the pan of sizzling oil and butter and cracked an egg and put it in the whole. When it looked about half way cooked, I flipped it over and cooked the other side. I personally think it tastes best when the yoke is runny and mixes with the sourdough so great! Then I like to fry up a little ham on the side and serve with fresh fruit and orange juice and milk. The boys really enjoyed breakfast this morning and I really enjoyed the extra hugs before they left for school!!!! !

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 bags Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips (They are big chips)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and mix in sugars and vanilla. Then add eggs one at a time until creamy and almost fluffy. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt all at once until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop tablespoon size dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 -12 minutes. Take out of oven just before you think they look done and you will have a softer cookie. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Beef Stew

2009-01-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today was a wet cold rainy wintery day! The perfect day for a steaming bowl of Beef Stew!
John has been asking me for a couple of weeks now to make Beef Stew for dinner, I don't know why I've been putting it off~ maybe because I'm still feeling some morning sickness and some smells and tastes are a little crazy to me! I felt like I had put it off long enough though and it did sound good to eat, so I went ahead and made it, feeling great with the end result!

Beef Stew
2 lbs beef cut into 1/2 squares
1/3 cups flour
4 Tbs bacon grease (can substitute a healthier oil)
1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
8 cups water
1 Tbs beef bouillion
1 Tbs red wine vinegar (optional)
1 Tbs A1 Steak sauce
1 cup or 1 14ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 garlic clove
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups potatoes peeled and diced
1 cup frozen petite peas
1 cup carrots sliced
1 cup celery sliced

Heat stew pot to medium high heat with oil. Add chopped onions. Coat beef pieces in flour and add to oil and onions. Brown meat. Add Red wine vinegar, water, beef bouillion, A1 sauce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and potatoes. Bring to boil then simmer for about an hour with lid on, then add peas, carrots and celery. Simmer for about another hour. Serve hot with your favorite bread.

Best Homemade Biscuits Ever!

2009-01-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

I love Biscuits and after a few intentional and accidental changes to some familiar biscuit recipes, I decided that this is my favorite very own variation!

I have a big family so I always make big batches of food! This one makes about 30 biscuits but you can cut it in half.

Best Homemade Biscuits Ever
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
mix all above ingredients
then add:
1 cup chilled butter
cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter
then add:
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
mix with a fork, then knead dough a couple of times on a lightly floured counter top.
roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. use a circle cookie cutter (or on Valentine's I like to use a heart cookie cutter and turn the biscuits into little Strawberry Shortcakes for dessert)
place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. makes about 30 biscuits

*make your own buttermilk using your food storage non fat dry milk (powdered milk)!!!!
I bake a lot, and whenever a recipe calls for milk I almost always use my food storage milk so I can keep it rotating. I usually keep on hand in my fridge a batch of cold milk made from dry milk. In fact one of my friends mixes equal parts fresh whole milk with batch of made up dry milk and her kids never could tell the difference, so I tried it once and sure enough the kids never said a word! They just drank it like it was normal milk!!!!

It's 2/3 cup non fat dry milk with 1 quart cold water
So to make the Buttermilk I start before I start the recipe. I use a glass measuring cup and pour 1 Tbs of white vinegar in it then pour the made up batch of milk over it until it reaches the 1 1/3 cup mark, then let it set for a few minutes while mixing other ingredients, then add to recipe.

Fresh Herbs in the Kitchen

2008-11-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

I LOVE fresh herbs in the kitchen!!! I got this cute
herb basket for my Birthday from Safeway!
It has Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage and it smells
incredible!!! I've already been using the herbs in
my cooking this week and I'm excited to do more!

Who loves Brownies?!

2008-11-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

OK, This one is sooooo easy!
The other night, John and I were watching a movie (BabyMama if you must know! pretty hillarious!) and we decided to make these for a movie treat! They were so good right out of the oven all gooey and chewy! And they were also really good the next day for a treat in the lunches!

All you need is:
1. a box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Family-Style Brownies
2. a half bag of Guittard real semi-sweet chocolate chips
3. about a cup of chopped walnuts

I love the Duncan Hines Family-Style Brownies Chewy Fudge Box (cost about $1) Every time I make it and take it to events, people ask me for my secret recipe!

These chocolate chips are just so extra gooey and chocolaty and the walnuts on top are always so good!

Kung Pao Chicken

2008-11-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Last year I was on the lookout for great oriental food recipes, and found a few that my family and I really like, and cook often! Marsie sent this recipe to me and it has been a huge hit ever since and one of my most requested dinners! Here is my own slight variation:

Kung Pao (Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry)
makes about 6 servings (I always double it and sometimes triple it because it makes great leftovers and great lunches for my hubby and I always make extra to share with the in-laws!)
takes about 20 to 45 minutes to accomplish depending on your prep time

canola oil for wok or nonstick pan

1 pound raw boneless skinned chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp cornstarch
(Toss Chicken in cornstarch in a big bowl and set aside)

4 Tbsp white vinegar
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp. sugar
(Mix in a small bowl and set aside)

3 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
(Mix in a small bowl and set aside)

1 cup zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
3/4-1 cup cashews

serve over calrose rice (sticky rice)

Start Rice cooking (I don't know what I ever did without my rice cooker! If you don't have one I highly recomend one! It is soooo handy and hassle free!!! I think mine cost around $20 and it cooks great rice!)
Heat oil in Wok or nonstick pan on medium-high heat (don't even try it in a pan that is not non stick- I speak from experience!!!!)
chop chicken into bite-sized pieces (if I plan ahead, I will do this when I come home from the grocery store with the chicken I got on sale and freeze it in a zip-lock bag labeled with "1 pound chopped chicken" until I need it, and this saves so much prep and clean up time!)
Toss chicken pieces in cornstarch (slightly frozen chicken works great)
Stir fry chicken about 5-7 minutes until cooked tender
Remove chicken from pan (I like to put it in the same bowl I am going to serve in to save me from doing extra clean-up)
Heat oil in pan and add green onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and ginger. Stir fry for 15 seconds!
Add vinegar mixture, cooked chicken, zucchini and cashews. Stir to coat chicken, cooking about 2 minutes. Serve over rice!

Warning!!! This is a HOT dish! If you don't think you or your kids can handle the HEAT, go with little or no red pepper flakes! My friend Ching made it for her family without the red pepper flakes and she said it was delicious!

Pumpkin Rolls

2008-11-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

My Mom has been making these Pumpkin Rolls for quite a few years now! John and I, and our kids LOVE them! John starts asking for them every year as soon as we see the first signs of Autumn!

PUMPKIN ROLLS
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar as needed

1. preheat oven 375
2. cut parchment paper and place in jelly roll pan so it overlaps a little, and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs on high speed in a mixer for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice.
4. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. And slowly mix into the egg mixture.
5. Fold into the parchment paper lined jelly roll pan.
6. sprinkle with chopped walnuts
7. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes
8. Remove from oven and turn onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Start at the narrow end and roll the towel and cake together.Let cool
9. Unmold and spread filling. Re roll and chill in fridge or freezer until set. slice and serve.

Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbs. butter
6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth

Here's Allie baking with my Mom last Thanksgiving!