Lenten Recipes

For many of my blog readers, today begins the season of Lent in the Catholic Church.  I went to the prayer service at our parish and dutifully got ashes on my forehead (Theresa did too ;-). 

I know I haven't posted a new recipe lately, but I'm hoping to post one on Friday...with a twist.  I read a recipe for stuffed shells with tuna and spinach in my latest edition of Everyday Food.  Try as I might, I can't find the recipe online...so if you'll bear with me, I'll try to get it posted before Friday so you too can make it for dinner. I did find this recipe: Crab-Stuffed Shells with Peas and Leeks, which looked quite good if you want to give it a go.

Last week, I tried making kale chips for the first time, and I was really surprised.  They were very good...so good...that David ate the entire container in like, 2 sittings.  I'm not kidding!  I didn't even get a picture because I finished at night, when the lighting in my kitchen isn't the best.  So I meant to take a few pictures in the morning.  Well, guess what?  Husband dear finished them off!  I woke to an empty container.  So if you want to make some...and I highly recommend you do, I used this recipe.  After tasting the first batch, I left out the pepper, since I preffered to taste the sweet/salty combination of the salt and brown sugar, without the pepper interfering.  And best of all, they're healthy, which means you can eat all you want.  Well...almost all you want!

I also wanted to give you a run down on many of my recipes you can make on Fridays during Lent.  It's been a while since I've compiled them There are a few more, but I listed the ones that I though were most suitable for Lent.  So in no particular order..here ya go. ;-)

Light Clam Chowder

Spinach Salad with Roasted Salmon and Potatoes

Grilled Zucchini Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese

Fish Tacos

Shrimp and Corn over Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Spinach Lasagna

Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce

Tortellini Soup

Orzo and Shrimp Salad with Asparagus

Mustard Seared Salmon

Broccoli Quiche

Grandma Kirby's Tuna Salad

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Fettucini with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce and Grilled Shrimp

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

White Pizza with Roasted Garlic and Shrimp

Zucchini Cakes

Classic Caprese Salad

Well, that should give you enough ideas for Lent and beyond.  I hope you try at least one of the recipes above...they're all tested and approved!  And if you do try something new, please leave a comment on this post, because I would love new recipes to try too!

Thank you, and God Bless your table tonight!

My Current Favorite Kitchen Tool

Theresa has been on solid food for several months now.  She LOVES to eat, and hasn't turned down a thing I've offered her.  In fact, I'll go so far as to brag that Theresa is my best eater yet (don't tell Rebecca! ;-).  We even put her in the tomato costume I made for Rebecca 9 years ago for Halloween. 

Isn't she PRECIOUS? 

Nowadays, I will throw random, frozen cubes of pureed food in a bowl for her, zap it in the microwave, and that's it..lunch or dinner is ready.  I've combined carrot with mango, strawberries with lentils, and peas with peaches.  Whatever I come up with, Theresa has eaten it all.  She's not crazy about solid food for breakfast, but admittedly, it may be because we don't have much time in the mornings.  I have to get the older girls ready and out the door by 7:30 to catch the bus, and then get Joshua and Gabriel off to school by 8:30.  There's not much time for a little one to eat, although I try to give her a few bites of toast or yogurt off of my plate.  She is pretty apt at picking up cheerios too, and other small bits of food, so that helps if I'm trying to get her dinner ready and she's hungry, but her portion is still in progress.

Lately, now that the weather has cooled off, I've made 2 batches of soup over the past 3 weeks.   I love to stir a big pot of comfort when it's nippy outside, plus I was hoping Theresa was ready for a puree with more texture and tiny chunks of veggies. 

So I made Broccoli Cheese Soup about 2 weeks ago, and last night I made Potato Chowder.  The broccoli cheese soup is already pureed, so I didn't have to process it further for Theresa.  She LOVED it.  I gave her a bowl for lunch/dinner for 3 days straight, and she inhaled it every time.  Who says babies don't like broccoli? :-)  The chowder can be left chunky, but the potatos and sausage were too chunky for my girl, so I broke out my immersion blender and blended the soup to a consistency that was better for Theresa.  Guess what, she loved it too!

I have to give my immersion blender a shout-out.  I've been using it several times a week to process whatever we're having for dinner so Theresa can eat it too.  It's perfect because doesn't take up as much room as a standing blender or food processor, it's easy to clean, and it doesn't make a big mess at all.  In fact, I pureed the potato chowder in the same container I used to store it in the fridge.  See?

Obviously the best reason to have an immersion blender handy is whenever you're making a soup that needs to be pureed.  Besides the Broccoli Cheese Soup and the Potato Chowder, I also use it for my Roasted Tomato Soup and Black Bean Soup.  Just stick it right in your soup pot, and blend away.  No pouring hot soup back and forth from a blender to the pot, and less dishes to wash at the end of the night.  I'm telling y'all...this handy tool could be your best friend, especially if you have a baby who loves soup. ;-)  And it works for other things too, like homemade salsa, whipped cream, and smoothies (although it doesn't like ice...too hard). 

Don't have one of these gadgets?  Christmas is right around the corner ladies.  Get it on your wish list...mine is about 6 years old, and isn't made anymore. 

But here's a whole slew of immersion blenders on amazon.com.  A decent quality one will only set you back about $50 (or less!).  Your husbands can thank me later for making their Christmas shopping so easy..lol!

I'm sorry I haven't posted a new recipe lately.  I'm been pretty busy, and up to my eyeballs in a 3,000 envelope mailout for my hubby's work.  Yes...3,000.  I have to have 1,500 done by the end of next week...I have 1,050 done so far.  So um...yeah...it's taking nearly every spare minute I have.  Someone remind me not to volunteer to do this mailout next year, okay?  Thanks!

I'll try to check back in sometime next week, and post something new and fun for y'all to make.  In the meantime, God bless your table tonight!

Anyone Out There?

Just wondering...does anyone read my blog these days?  I get very few comments...and that's okay.  But it would be nice if someone (well, anyone) gave me a shout out.  Please do if you've got just a second. I love cooking just as much as ever, even though my time to post recipes is getting tighter.  Thanks y'all! 

Baby, Oh Baby!

All righty.  I'm getting a little ahead of myself, and probably overly ambitious (no...really???), but I REALLY would like to start making some homemade baby food for Theresa.  Summer is in full swing here in southeast Texas, and all the fresh fruit and vegetables in the grocery store (especially the seasonal fruit) is inspiring me to try and make up some purees, freeze them in ice cube trays, and pull back out this fall when Theresa is old enough to start trying solids. 

I made homemade baby food for Joshua, my first-born because I was a really great mom (ha ha!) with too much time on my hands (obviously!).  I remember feeding him pureed strawberries, spinach, and carrots, and feeling such a sense of accomplishment.  Well, that didn't happen for the next 3 kids, because A), I had NO time on my hands, and B) there was no room in our one-fridge household for multiple bags of pureed foods. 

We now have a nice, big deep freezer, and if I can convince the hubby to STOP buying meat every time he goes to SAM'S (yeah right!), then I'll have plenty of room for storing bags of beautifully prepared baby food for our little girl. 

Wish me luck!

But, on a more serious note, does anyone have any baby food recipes they'd like to share?   How about doing a guest post?  I'm really open to suggestions.  I know I can do single foods, like sweet potatoes, peas, etc.  But what about combinations?  Like apples and pears?  You see them in the baby food aisle, but I've never tried making something like that at home.

So, if anyone wants to give it a go, PLEASE leave a comment below.  I would LOVE to hear from you!

Thanks friends, and God bless your table tonight!

Guess What We Made?

David and I don't make much of a fuss over Valentine's Day. 

So I wasn't really expecting anything this year. 

Sure, in the past, I've gotten flowers, chocolates, 1 carat diamond earrings (okay, just kidding about the earrings).

But this year...this year, we got something extra special for Valentine's Day.

I know y'all will excuse us for a while as we get to know our little sweetheart. 

Theresa Ellen Reisinger

February 14, 2011

7 pounds, 9 ounces, 19 inches

She has 10 fingers, and 10 toes...we counted 'em.

And she is 100% edible. ;-)

In the Weeks (Maybe Months) to Come...

Okay folks, I am 36 weeks pregnant, and I delivered my last 2 babies at 37 1/2 weeks.  No, I didn't have to be induced, and yep, Christina and Gabriel were nearly 8 pounds. 

So...we are looking at 10, maybe 12 days.  If I don't have this wee one by Valentine's Day, we'll be surprised. 

Therefore, I hope to get one more post up before she arrives. If not, I still love y'all.  I'll just be a little busy.  You know what I mean? ;-)

I really do miss cooking and posting recipes, but I've just been too preggo to stand up in the kitchen these last few months.  I have a whole list of new dishes I want to try and make once I'm up and running again.

But here's your chance to jump on my blog and put up a guest post.  Or 2.  Heck, 3 is fine with me.  Very nice moms at my church will be bringing us meals 2x a week for at least 6 weeks, so we'll be covered here for a bit. 

If you'd like to put up a guest post, please let me know.  I've never done it before, so if you have done guest posts on other blogs and don't need my help...then you and I will be friends for life. ;-)  'Cause I doubt I'll be able to figure it out for you (and I probably won't have free hands to even try).  I guess you would just need my log-in information, and go from there.   

I realize this is just a humble little 'ole cooking blog, but I enjoy doing it, and if you'd like to put up a guest post, please leave a comment below, and I'll get back to you.

Thanks, and blessings you to!

Leave of Absence

I guess it's time I explained to everyone why I haven't posted in so long. 

We are having a baby.  Yep, one of those cute, sweet things that keep you up all night long, that smell like heaven and poop at the same time. 

And in case you have lost count, this will be #5 for our family.  It's going to be a tiebreaker!

The hardest part of pregnancy for me is weeks 4-10.  I can barely eat, let alone cook.  Just trying to walk into the panty to make the kids lunch makes me gag.  I know I'm supposed to eat protein to try and ward off morning sickness.

And by the way, WHY do they call it morning sickness?  I am sick morning, noon, and night.  24-7 people.  Ugh...I will spare you any more details. 

Anyway, protein is the worst for me.  I cannot stand the sight, smell, taste of any kind of meat.  I try, but I gag...a lot.  Sigh...so it's been granola bars, jello, fruit, toast, and other vain attempts to keep the nausea at bay.  Oh, and TUMS.  Lots of TUMS.  I'm eating 'em like candy y'all. 

I am finally starting to feel better today.  This is the first day I have been able to eat every meal without feeling sick afterwards, and stay up for just a few minutes.  Usually, I am in bed 30 seconds after the kids. 

So, there you have it.  I had 2 posts in the works...and I was hoping to get them up back in July.  We're on vacation right now, and I will try to post them when we get back in town.  I can't promise, but I really miss being in the kitchen, making meals for my crew, and sharing them with you. 

Hope everyone is surviving the heat wave we all seem to be experiencing right now.  See you back in the kitchen soon, and God bless your table tonight!

Keepin' It Real

All right people.

I'm going to come clean.

I just need to come out and say it. 

Sometimes, I just don't feel like cooking.

There...I said it. 

I feel so much better now.

I've been cooking and baking steadily for the past 3 weeks.  Even got some lovely salmon thawing in the fridge for dinner tonight.

But 6 o'clock came, and suddenly, I just didn't want to make anything for dinner. 

I wanted take-out instead.  Correction....I needed takeout.  Yes, really...we are normal.  I've told y'all that from the start. 

I decided to make the kids something quick for dinner, and David and I would get some take-out later on, preferably after the chittlins were in bed. 

So you want to see what the kids had? 

I have the pictures to prove it. 

I got some frozen tater tots (the package actually said, "Potato Rounds"), frozen popcorn shrimp out of the freezer, and some frozen peas.  'Cause every Mom I know feels better serving a green vegetable to their kids, especially alongside frozen, deep fried food.  

The shrimp and tater tots went into the oven, and the peas got zapped in the microwave. 

15 minutes later, dinner was ready.  Man...that was easy, wasn't it?

(Side note:  I don't mean to make fun of anyone who makes dinner like this okay?   Seriously.  I did my student teaching in the poorest ward of our city.  I am sure any one of those kids would have been grateful for a meal.  I know for a fact the free lunch at the school was probably the only square meal they got every day. So by no means am I mocking anyone here.) 

Okay...now that I've clarifed things, back to our dinner. 

I used paper plates.  What's the point of ordering take-out for yourself if you have to do the kids' dishes?  That's no fun, right?

So I made up the kids plates.  No fancy garnishes here...just a big dollop of ketchup.  

Yes, this is Gabriel using his hands to scoop up his peas, dip them in ketchup, and shovel 'em into his mouth.   (We make sure to teach our kids proper table manners, and always use their fork and spoon properly). 

Check out that tongue action.  This takes serious concentration, don't you know? 

For good measure...because dinner was so healthy, we had yummy chocolate Halloween cupcakes for dessert.  The kids surely appreciated that. 

And you can bet Gabriel especially enjoyed his cupcake.  Didn't even miss a crumb!

Isn't he so stinkin' cute?   Especially when he's eating. 

Oh, one last thing.  We  had just enough milk for everyone for dinner.  I haven't been to the store since Monday (today's Friday).  So thank goodness we had something wholesome to drink with our dinner :-). 

That's it for this confession. 

I'll be back in a few weeks.  Hopefully my penance won't be too serious. 

Pink, Pink, and More Pink

Christina turned 5 on Sunday, and I told her I'd make whatever cake she wanted. This is what she requested (I ran out of pink supplies at one point, so there is a little bit of green involved too):

Chocolate cake with pink frosting, pink sprinkles, and pink candles.
Chocolate cake ball lollipops with pink frosting and pink sprinkles.

Hmm...do you think she likes pink? Maybe just a little bit?

The first time I made these cake ball lollipops, they turned out great. I had a bit of trouble with the cake balls this time. I think it's because I overheated the candy melts--the coating was thick instead of thin, smooth, and shiny. I pushed through and finished the lollipops late Friday night (around 11PM), but I knew something wasn't right.

I emailed Bakerella, (I used her recipe for the cake balls) and she was so nice when she answered my questions. I am going to try and watch the temp on the candy melts better next time, and try the Kroger brand per her suggestions.
We had the cake balls Saturday night after we got back from the beach. Gabriel the little sneak decided to try and cut the cake himself Sunday afternoon.. Joshua stopped him just in time! He did make a small hole in the top of the cake with the knife (yes, he got a table knife out all by himself!), but I was able to repair the damage without anyone knowing the wiser. Whew!

The kids liked the cake ball lollipops so much, they didn't want any cake after Christina blew out the candles. It's in the kitchen, on the cake pedestal, untouched. Oh well! I can't blame them. The cake is just a boxed devil's food cake mix, with homemade buttercream frosting, tinted pink with Wilton concentrated gel food coloring, and these watermelon sprinkles David got for me at Kroger (after I ran out of straight pink).

David and I have eaten WAY too many of the cake ball lollipops ourselves. They are yummy and addictive ;-). If you make some...don't blame me if you have 3, 4, or even 5 in one sitting...you were warned!

Here's Christina having one of the cake balls...of course, she would only eat the PINK ones.

Yum...I think she likes em! Don't you?

Try making these cake ball lollipops...they take some time...but they're not difficult, and they'll make you look like a dessert pro.

God bless your table tonight!

Invasion of the Baby Yellow Tomatoes

I realize I haven't posted in 2 weeks...I am sorry. It has been difficult to post recipes with swim team practice from 4:45 to 6:15 every night. Now that school is out, practice is in the mornings, so I hope I will be able to share more recipes with you all. But for today, I had to tell you about our "invasion."

David decided to try and grown baby yellow tomatoes this year. He bought just one plant home, left it in the pot for a few days, and then transplanted it into the garden. It was very small to begin with, but it has since grown to monstrous proportions.

See? It's literally a HUGE bush, and it's completely out of control. It's so heavy, the tomato cage is bent over, and we've had to tied it to the rack for the red grape tomatoes just to keep the plant stable. And yes...this is just ONE plant.

Today, the girls and I went outside to pick. I knew we would be a while, but I had no idea it would take me an hour to pick a million baby yellows, some roma tomatoes, and a few slicers. The girls gave out after about 40 minutes, so I had to finish up by myself. But Lord have mercy...check out what we harvested.

Did I mention we picked some green beans and yellow squash too?

I emailed an appeal out to the mom's group at my church, begging people to please come and save us...so we'll see. Otherwise, I'll send the kids around the block with the veggies in a wagon, or David will have to take some to work to give away.

I haven't been able to utilize the baby yellows as much as I'd like, but I did throw together a great salad the other day. I cut about 2 cups of yellow tomatoes in half, and tossed them into a bowl, along with some salt, pepper, olive oil, fresh lime juice, leftover roasted corn cut from the cob, diced roma tomatoes, and some diced avocado. I served it with our chicken quesadillas for dinner, and it was really good :-). I also used them in a frittata, and I will get that posted today or tomorrow. There's always a bowlful on the kitchen table so Rebecca can grab some whenever she wants to.

It's hard to believe that in 5-7 days, we will have more tomatoes to pick...somebody save us!

God bless your table tonight!

P.S. Happy 100th post to me!!!

Sweets for Socials

I had to go to a social last Friday night, and I had to make 2 desserts for it. Needless to say, I was eager to try something old and something new. I love the opportunity to try new recipes out, but I didn't want to make something really involved. But I did want to make desserts that would present well.

So...I decided to make Paula Deen's Chocolate Bread Pudding, (which I've made several times before) and bake them in individual foil liners (using a muffin tin). I also made Chocolate Cake Ball Lollipops (for the first time). I actually followed The Pioneer Woman's Recipe for the cake balls, because her posts are always very detailed along with gorgeous pictures of the process.

A couple of notes....I cut the bread into fairly small cubes for the pudding, and used mini-chocolate chips. If you read the reviews on the website for Paula Deen's recipe, everyone believes 2 teaspoons of almond extract is too much, and I totally agree...that amount would overwhelm the chocolate flavor. I only used 1/2 teaspoon, and I think it's just right.

When I made the cake balls, I did add about one teaspoon of shortening to the candy melts to make it a bit thinner and easier to work with. I used one box of devil's food chocolate cake mix and coated 1/2 the balls in white candy melts, and 1/2 in dark chocolate candy melts. When you dip the cake balls, make sure to use a deep bowl or large, deep mug to complete submerge the cake balls. Rotate the balls right after they're dipped, so the coating is nice and smooth. I used a 1 inch sheet of styrofoam to stick the cake ball lollipops in while they dried.

Here's a pic of the chocolate bread pudding...

And here's the cake ball lollipops...

Even though they look fancy, the cake ball lollipops were not hard to make at all. They did take some time. You have to bake the cake, crumble it up, mix it with the frosting, form the mixture into balls, freeze them for one hour, and then dip them in the candy melts. But it was FUN! Seriously...these were fun to make, and I cannot wait to make more for a bake sale, birthday party, baby shower, etc. You can color the white candy melts any color you want. I poured the leftover candy melts into miniature squeeze bottles (available at Walmart) to make the chocolate swirls.

If you have a party to go to, I encourage you to try either one of these recipes. They are super cute and everyone will rave over them. I got several lovely compliments at the social...which was very humbling. I really hadn't been in the mood to cook or bake since Easter (I guess I was a bit burned out), but these desserts were just the thing to help me get creative again.

God bless your table tonight!

My First (and probably last) Giveaway Win

About a month ago, I entered a random drawing contest for a free apron from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. I enjoy reading Lynn's blog--her recipes are easy and she has beautiful pictures.

Lynn was giving away an apron via a friend, Emily. Emily has a store on Etsy, and makes these lovely aprons (be sure to check them out). For a shot at one of the aprons, you had to leave a comment on Lynn's blog post about which apron you liked the best, and the winner would be chosen at random. I decided to enter the contest, thinking there was no way I'd win, because I've never won any contests, let alone one online.

Well, lo and behold, I actually won. Only the apron I picked out had already been sold. Well, Lynn contacted Emily, and she very graciously made another one in the same "retro" style, but with a different fabric.

What do you think? I really love it!

Believe it or not, I actually have a brown dress and heels that complimented my new apron perfectly (not that I'm actually going to cook in this get-up, but I feel pretty!). Now...where's that string of pearls?

A Rare Sight

David came home early enough last night to grill the skirt steaks we were having for dinner. I'm always happy to delegate the grilling to him. However, I wasn't expecting this:

My hubby is the most manly guy I know, so at first, I was a bit perturbed. I have other aprons, but David took this one, the one with embroidered flowers and my name on the front. He says he didn't want to get his shirt dirty (although I told him he had plenty of time to change).

After looking him over, I decided he looked pretty cute :-) I am glad I got a pic, if nothing else, I can show it to his mom (who BTW, made the apron).

Slow Week

I haven't been cooking much this week, mainly because I made a pork roast last Friday that made enough for 3 meals, David and I got to go to a basketball game Sunday night, we have to abstain from meat Wednesday and Friday, and we have 2 potluck dinners this week. So I decided to just be a bit lazy, but I will share with you the recipes I'm using this week in case you need an idea.

In the past week, I've made (or plan to make)

Barbeque Pork Roast

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Mustard Seared Salmon

Fast and Friendly Turkey Meatballs

Nanny's Spaghetti Sauce
(to go with the meatballs)

Hope y'all don't mind me slacking a bit...half of us have the sniffles too, and I find myself busy holding Angel Boy a lot the past few days. If I end up taking pics, I promise to post them later on.

Dog Park Cake

Somehow, I overlooked this post...I know, my own child's birthday cake...and a month late at that. Sorry...I guess I was too preoccupied while David was job hunting. I'll keep this post up for a week, and then I'm going to archive it and change the post date (so it looks likes I didn't post it so late, lol).

Speaking of David, this cute cake was his idea. I found the tiny plastic dogs at a party supply store; they were in a pack of 12 for $2.50. In the past, we've ordered our cakes, since I am not the most creative person when it comes to cake decorating (for proof, click here). We decided not to do that, because making your own cake is always cheaper.

If your little one likes dogs like Gabriel does (he's obsessed), this is the cake for them!

Dog Park Cake

1 box cake mix

Ingredients called for on the box of cake mix

1 batch Wilton butter cream frosting (for recipe click here)
Green food coloring (I prefer the gel or paste colors)
1 package Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel candy

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Various printouts of park scenery (you'll see, don't worry!)

Flat/round toothpicks

Clear tape

The first thing you'll want to do is bake the cake according to the directions on the box in a 9x13 cake pan. I made a chocolate cake, but you can make your child's favorite flavor. In our house, it's all about the chocolate baby! Let the cake cool completely.

Now just google some images that appeal to you. I found these on the internet, shrunk them down to about 20% of their original size, and printed them out in color on card stock. Then you just cut them out and tape them to some toothpicks.

Here we have some lovely trees, shrubs, flowers, a freaky looking guy throwing a frisbee, and a doogie-sized water fountain. This cake is going to the dogs...I mean, to my angel boy!

I wish I could draw these out...stamp them...anything like that, but I've already told you I can't draw a lick (for proof, here's another cake I made with printouts off the internet).

Make the butter cream frosting, tint it green (add the green gel coloring a little at a time until you get the shade you like), and set it aside.

Carefully place the cooled cake on a serving platter, and slide strips of wax paper under all four sides. This will keep the platter nice and clean while you frost the cake.

Now frost the cake with the frosting...it doesn't have to be perfect. Use the Twizzlers candy (separate it into individual strands first), make some paths in the frosting, then fill them in with the graham cracker crumbs.

Here's a pic of the dogs...aren't they cute?

Now just place the dogs and the pictures on the cake and you're done!

I'm sorry I didn't take more pics of the process...I was in a bit of a hurry to get this done during naptime. Here are some pictures of the finished cake. It really is easy...you can do it!

As you can see, Gabriel's eyes lit up when he saw his cake. He need a bit of help blowing out his candles, but he dug right into his piece of cake, and ate it up! That's our boy!

Happy Birthday Gabriel!

God bless your table tonight!

Paula Deen

If you've been reading my blog from the start, you'll know that I love Paula Deen. I cannot quite cook like her (sometimes there is too much butter involved!), but she reminds me so much of Georgia, where I was born, and I hope to go back and visit some day. And please don't laugh, but I love her accent too...it's one of the things I miss the most. I have lived in 4 different states, and nowhere else do people talk the way they do in Georgia. People in Georgia are truly the nicest, most down home folk I've ever known. I love Texas, and wouldn't want to move, but I still have a Georgia heart.

So you might notice I have Paula Deen's website on my blog roll (I can't believe I didn't discover it until now!). I am excited to be able to check her site from time to time.

Now you know another minor (maybe moderate) obsession of mine, 'cause I admit it...I am a big fan.

Temporary Hiatus

I wanted to let y'all know I have several posts in the works, but I haven't had time to cook anything this past week. My poor hubby has been sick with a horrid intestinal bug. Taking care of a sick spouse and 4 kids has been hectic! I cook mainly for him, and he hasn't really eaten anything substantial since Monday, so I haven't been in the kitchen. But David is feeling much better now, and I'm hoping to get a post or two up in the next few days. Stay tuned!

Thanksgiving Recipes?

Alright, I have a confession to make. I will not be posting any Thanksgiving recipes. I've made pecan and pumpkin pies, homemade rolls, from-scratch mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. The only thing I've never cooked before is a turkey. And the reason why I'm not posting any of these recipes...?

Well, every year, we go out of town for Thanksgiving. Yes, every year. My husband's family and my family live just minutes away from each other in Dallas. So we go there every year. I don't know when we'll stop doing this, probably until my sister-in-law is tired of cooking for such a big crowd and getting up at the crack of dawn to roast a 20+ pound turkey. (She actually doesn't get up early, but she is a real gem for having turkey day at her house year after year). Or maybe when our kids are grown, married, and bringing their own families to our house.

At some point, I will post some holiday related recipes. But nothing huge...just some of our favorite things to nosh on. Our kids love pigs in a blanket, and I always make sugar cookies. Last year, we started a new tradition of watching The Polar Express and having hot cocoa on Christmas Eve. We stay put for Christmas, but I don't make a big ham or turkey, since the kids don't eat that much, and David and I might get stuck with leftovers for days.

I plan to post some great recipes for appetizers and desserts, and just a few main dishes or sides. So bear with me...there are great things to come!

Just so you know...

I am not artisitically inclined. At all. Those genes missed me completely...my sister (who happens to be my twin) got those talents, but will admit she cannot sing like me (at least...I've been told I can sing). I played the violin decently through middle and high school. That's it.

Anyway...Joshua was released from special needs services at school this morning, after 5 years of speech therapy. It's been a long road...but he worked hard, and you know this momma is so darn proud of him!

I asked him what he wanted me to make to celebrate.

He said, "Mom, I want a Batman cake."

(gulp) "Are you sure Josh?" (I should have never asked...)

"Yes, Mom, that's what I want. You can do that, can't you?"

"We'll see..."

Last night, I was thinking...you know, I can do this. I'll just make a single layer cake, cover it in black frosting, and stick a couple of Batman pictures on top. So that's exactly what I did. It's just a 9x13 chocolate cake, with black buttercream frosting (I used the entire container of black gel food coloring) plus a little brown. It's best to start with a chocolate frosting...but I didn't think about that until it was done. I found the pictures on the internet, printed them on cardstock, and stuck them into the cake. I added the candles because even though it's not his birthday, Joshua would still want some. All right...no problem!

What do you think? Joshua was thrilled...that's what matters, right?

So, my secret is out. I can cook and bake, but I'm not a decorator.