Another Day

Well, actually 2 days. I get to spend 2 more days with my baby bear until he goes to day care. My classes start this Wednesday and go straight until next Wednesday. KinderCare was nice enough to let me do three days this week as Wed, Thurs, and Fri and then next week will start Mon, Tues, and Wed until the summer semester starts.
God has been so amazing in opening all the doors for me that I make an effort to open. I am amazed, all the time, when I open my eyes and look around me and look at where he has brought me and all he has blessed me with. My amazing husband and son, school, family, my home, etc. I am so thankful.

I've got vegetable soup on the stove and the smell is amazing!!!! No real recipe, just vegetables, spices and chicken broth. I put in onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic cloves (minced), chicken, salt, pepper, ground thyme and bay leaves...
Have I mentioned I'm amazing -haha...well, the soup smells amazing

White Chicken Chili

Tonight is the BIG BCS National Championship game. Bama v. LSU (again). Pat is very anxious and Ryder is standing up trying to eat his Bama hat haha.
Tonight, I made White Chili for the first time to eat during the game...WINNER WINNER WHITE CHIKEN CHILI DINNER!!!!
Ingredients
pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
3-4 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2-3 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2-1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Place all but last two ingredients in crockpot. (Chicken can be frozen).

2. Cook on low for 6-8hours

3. 30 minutes before serving, remove the chicken and shred it and then return to crock pot. Then add sour cream and whipping cream and stir...let simmer cook remaining 30 min

4. Serve with cheese and tortilla chips

Happy Thanksgiving

From the West Coast, we would like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am so happy that my little family is together this Thanksgiving. Last year, Pat was deployed and we didn't know Ryder was going to be Ryder yet. Even though we are apart from our individual family of origins (yes-I just pulled out some verbage from Family Studies. Aren't you proud Trish? lol) we are very thankful that we are with each other and that we will see our families over Christmas.
Poor Baby Bear has been sick for 2 weeks with a runny nose. On Tuesday night, he started to cough, and this morning it seemed as though the cough was moving more into his chest and there was a lot of mucus coming up with it. Ryder smiles even through his discomfort. I know he feels miserable but he is such a trooper and my little angel.
Here are some pictures of our 1st Thanksgiving together....Ryder is taking a nap right now so I will have to post more pictures of him later.

All the fixings ready to be warmed up

Green Been Casserole and Cornbread

Ryder playing while mommy cooks

Daddy waiting on his Thanksgiving lunch

 Can I get a smile?

 There's a smile!!!

 Getting the table set up

 Daddy cutting the turkey

 "This Guy's Awesome"

 Mashed potatoes donated to us from Operation Homefront-THANK YOU

 Sweet Corn Pudding

 Homemade Banana Pudding with from scratch pudding and whip cream-YUMMO

 Our "Lunch for 2" haha

 Sweet Potato Casserole

Banana Pudding Pie

"...and I shut my mouth." Well, it's supposed to be sweet potato pie, but whatever. 

Yesterday was Ryder's half-birthday and I wanted to do something nice for daddy since he works so hard to take care of us. I know Pat likes banana pudding, so I decided to make him that for dessert and a nice dinner. It was a huge hit...Thought I would share the recipe with you...

• Vanilla Wafer Crust (recipe below)
• Vanilla Pudding (recipe below)
• Whipped Cream (recipe below)
• 3-4 medium bananas, cut into slices
• 20 vanilla wafers plus more for decoration (see note)

Vanilla Wafer Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups (about 30) crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

In a medium bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter until blended. Firmly press on bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.Vanilla Pudding:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together sugar, flour, eggs, yolks and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 10-12 minutes or until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted. It must be thick and slightly bubbly to set up properly!) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic directly on top of the custard so it doesn't get a "skin" on it. Refrigerate til completely cool. (Can be made up to a day in advance.)Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

 In a medium bowl, whip cream on medium high speed til soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat til thick and stiff. Don't overbeat or you'll have butter!

Assembly: Arrange half of the banana slices evenly over bottom of cooled crust. Spread 1/3 of cooled pudding over bananas, then layer with 20 vanilla wafers. Spread 1/3 more pudding over vanilla wafers, then add the remainder of the banana slices and cover them with the last of the pudding. Spread the whipped cream over the entire pie and decorate with more vanilla wafers if desired.

The layers from the bottom up should be: vanilla wafer crust, bananas, pudding, vanilla wafers, pudding, bananas, pudding, whipped cream

Refrigerate at least for 4 hours. Overnight is best. Consume within 2 days.

The Final Product

Vanilla Wafers after the food processor

...12 minutes later...

the start of pudding

the end...obviously I'm not a food decorator:)

I made dinner from fresh ingredients, too. An awesome new recipe for chicken that was sweet and spicy, fresh green beans, fresh corn and brown rice...

Hubby is so lucky to have me as a wife :)

Shepherd's Pie

YUMMMMMOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Shepherd's Pie

5 large potatoes

1/2 an onion-chopped

1/2 c shredded cheddar (I used 1 c)

6 oz frozen peas and carrots-thawed

1lb ground beef

1 T olive oil

2 T Ketchup

2 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T flour

3/4c beef broth (or water)

salt and pepper to taste

-use potatoes to make mashed potatoes (mixing butter, salt, cream or milk, and pepper)

-cook peas/carrots until tender

-preheat oven to 375 degrees

-saute chopped onion in olive oil

-add beef to onion and cook through-drain the fat

-put beef and onion mix back in pan and add 2T flour and stir

-add ketchup, Worcestershire, and broth (or water) and bring the mixture to a boil

-turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes

-grease baking dish

-layer ground beef and onions on the bottom of the baking dish. Follow by peas and carrots and end with the last layer of mashed potatoes.

-Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top

-bake 25-30 minutes

The Best Chicken N Dumplins Ever

I made this for Pat two nights ago and it was probably some of the BEST and easiest chicken and dumplings I've ever had--yes...better than Cracker Barrel. And it is another no mess, no fuss, no touch, crock pot dinner...What could be better?

Chicken and Dumplings
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast
2 T butter (we used 4T)
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 onion-diced
4 Grands Flaky Biscuits


-Place chicken in Crock pot
-Add butter, cream of chicken soup, broth, and onion (season with salt and pepper)
-Cook on high 4-6 hours
-Cut biscuits into 9 pieces and add 30 minutes before serving


**throughout the cooking time, I kept adding a 'Beer Can Chicken' seasoning that add a little extra flavor to the dinner...I highly recommend doing that**

I served it with sauteed spinach, salad, and brown rice. It was reasonably healthy and we have left overs for later:)

No Mess, No Fuss, No Touch Dinner

I love my crock pot...FYI:)
Chicken Taco Chili


1 onion-chopped
1-16 oz can black beans -drained
1- 16oz can kidney beans-drained
small can of green chilis
1-8oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning (can use 1 1/2)
1T cumin
1T chili powder (I used a lot because we like spice)
3 boneless/skinless chicken breast


1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot
2. Place chicken on top (place it in frozen)
3. Cook on high for 6 hours OR low for 10 hours
4. 30 minutes before serving, remove and shred chicken with 2 forks and then stir back in to mixture.

Pat and I loved this! And we had enough left over to freeze to have later--2 servings (for the both of us) worth

A Spoonful of Sugar...

Well, a ton of brown sugar...makes anything delicious. Here is a "new" recipe. I wanted to make a meatloaf for dinner but I wasn't sure if Pat was a fan, and I, for one, am not a HUGE fan of the same old, mundane, tasteless, bland meatloaf that calls for salt, pepper, an egg and oatmeal smothered in ketchup to hide the fact that its mushy and has no flavor...NO NO NO, this is a special meatloaf. Here is the basic recipe...

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup saltine crumbs, finely crushed

Directions:

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2
   Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
3. 3
   Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
4. 4
   In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.
5. 5
   Place on top of the ketchup and bake for 1 hour or until clear juices appear. 
6. 
   

I made a few "alterations and additions". I put about 1/4-1/2 an inch of brown sugar on the bottom of the pan. Instead of just ketchup, I mixed in some of 'Tony Roma's' Original Bar-B-Que sauce and covered the brown sugar with it. In the actual meat, I added some green bell peppers and celery (which I chopped up in a food processor) and also put a little bit of the Tony Roma's sauce in it, as well as a little bit of fresh garlic (only a little bit, though). 
It only took about 45 minutes to cook, so, with 15 minutes left, I put a little bit of my ketchup/bar-b-que mix on top of the meatloaf and let it finish cooking..... 
We also had sauteed spinach and fresh green beans that were boiled with salt, pepper, and BUTTER----YUMMO

OH EM GEE---Ask my hubby...it was delicious.
Try it for yourself--Add your favorite things or take out some...
One thing I LOVELOVELOVE about cooking is experimenting. When you know the foundation to a recipe--you can taylor it to whatever mood you're in....Hope you enjoy this one.