Truffles

Last week I went to a Christmas party.  I was asked to bring a dessert, a chocolate dessert of some kind.  I  originally decided to make Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles.  I found the recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out.

But after that decision was made, a good friend told me her Christmas wouldn't be complete without some Oreo Truffles.  So, I decided to make both!

Oreo Truffles are rather easy.  There are only 3 ingredients.  Yup, only 3.  A package of Oreo's, a package of cream cheese (softened), and some white candy wafers (or white chocolate chips.)

First step is very simple, put all the Oreo's in a Ziploc bag, seal it with most of the air out.  Go ahead and double bag it.  Then get a hammer out of your husband's tool box (or your own hammer, or a food processor or some fancy equipment that you may have that I don't) and smash the heck out of them.  You want a very pulverized bag of cookie crumbs.

Dump the bag of crumbs into a big bowl and combine with your cream cheese.  Really work it in until it's all combined.

Roll them into balls and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and put in the fridge for a few hours.  Let them firm up nicely.  Once they are firm, melt your candy wafers in a deep bowl.  I microwave mine for one minute, stir, and then microwave for 30 second intervals until completely melted.

Dip your truffles into the melted chocolate and using 2 forks, try to drip off the excess.  Place back on the cookie sheet and let harden in the refrigerator for a bit.  If you want to get fancy, you can melt some regular chocolate and swirl it on top.  Yields about 30 truffles.


Now, on to the Cookie Dough Truffles!


You need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels
1 1/2 pounds chocolate wafers, (candy coating, or chocolate chips to melt)


The original recipe I found also added 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts.  But quite frankly, I don't want nuts in my chocolate chip cookie dough.  I just want dough, and chocolate chips.  So, I didn't put the nuts in my truffles.  Call it bakers license.  You know, like artistic license?  Just bear with me, I'm trying to make it work here.

In your stand mixer (or large bowl with hand mixer) cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy.  Add the vanilla.  Gradually beat in flour and add the sweetened condensed milk.

Add the chocolate morsels (and the nuts if you want them) and mix well.  At this point, I found that the dough was too sticky to mold into balls.  So I stuck them in the fridge for a couple of hours.  My couple of hours turned into overnight just because I started these at 8 pm.  Goofy me.

Shape into 1 inch balls, just like your Oreo Truffles.  Put these on waxed paper also and chill for at least 2 hours.

Melt chocolate wafers how ever you want.  I do mine in the microwave like the white candy wafers.  Using two forks, dip the truffles into the chocolate to cover.  Place back on the waxed paper to harden in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  If you want to get fancy again, take some of that white chocolate that was left over and swirl it on top.  Yields 40-50 truffles.

Both recipes are easy and extremely tasty!  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, presents are wrapped, kids are tucked into bed, and my husband and I are killing time until the kids are sound asleep before those presents can be put under the tree.  Until then, I'm sitting here and thinking about the ultimate gift I have received from Jesus and singing my favorite Christmas carol, O Holy Night.

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise us,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angels' voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night divine.

During this Christmas holiday, please take time to remember the reason for the season.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news og great job that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Happy Birthday!

Today my son turns 11.  I'm so proud of the young man he is turning into.  Here's a picture of his birthday cake.

Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, surrounded by Kit Kats and topped with M&M's.  Yes, it's a sugar high just waiting to happen.  But that's ok, I'll deal with the sugar coma's later, I'm just blessed to have had 11 years with my boy and am looking forward to many, many more.

Holiday Humor

So, I'm kind of a geek.  I saw this comic this morning and absolutely cracked up.  It came from George Takei's facebook page.

Hope you understand what it means.  :D

Surprise

I recently made snacks for our youth group.  Today the pastor dropped off my casserole dish that held the snacks. 

I went to put away the dish and took the lid off because I don't store it with the lid on.

What's this?

Candy canes may not seem out of the ordinary just over a month before Christmas.  These candy canes however, have a life of their own.  You see, my best friend moved to Pittsburgh a little over 3 years ago.  The Christmas prior to her moving she came over and left these at my house one night, and knowing that she was going to be moving, I decided to play a little game.

When she started packing her belongings I had her husband hide these in a box with a card from me saying the game was on.  She had to find a way to get them back to me, making her visit me or during one of my visits to her.  For the last 3 years we've been passing these back and forth in creative ways.

This August I slipped them into her car just before she left my house to go back home.  I haven't seen her since. However, since our church went on a missions trip to her church in October, she enlisted some help.

While I'm not sure the rules of the game require us to personally hide them, I think it's cheating for these to come back to me without a visit from her.  Anyone agree that she needs to visit me to make up for this?

Either way, it was fun to find these and I can't wait to actually talk to her about them.  She got me good and it was a fun treat that I certainly needed today.  I miss you, Becky!

Pinterest

Do you use Pinterest?  I absolutely love it!  I haven't been on there long but I have gotten so many great ideas from that site.  Pinterest is a place where you can make virtual pin boards and collect pictures that link back to blog posts.  For me it's a cook book, a kids hair idea place, decorating tips, and a place to keep things that make me laugh and smile.

All the wonderful ideas for food is what keeps me going back.  Today I made these cute pilgrim hats.  I found the idea on Pinterest and it took me a whopping 15 minutes to make 40.  I did have my little lady helping me unwrap all the PB cups so my time was shortened.  1 package of chocolate wafer cookies, 1 package of PB cup miniatures and some orange frosting, that's all these are.

I've also tried the Bacon & Egg Toast Cups which were a breeze to make!  Now when my hubby has to get up really early (before 5:30), I make these the night before and all he has to do is pop them in the microwave and he's got a full breakfast.  

But the best recipe I have found so far is the Man Cookies.  I blogged about them a few weeks ago.  They were so good.  I would never have thought of adding bacon to cookies, but I've already heard from a few soldiers in my husband's troop that I need to make them some more.  But the next time I make them, I need to have enough to go around.  I can deal with that!

If you're not on Pinterest I recommend you try it out.  To get an account you need to sign up and wait for them to add you, or you can find someone to send you an invite.  You can message me if you need one, and once you're there, don't forget to look me up.  

Healthy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This is one might tasty cake.  Yes, it's a healthy pineapple upside-down cake.  And by healthy, I mean it's Vegan and diabetic friendly.  That's right, I made a cake that is vegan and diabetic friendly and it tasted good!  My family loved it.  It was a bit of a challenge to find a recipe that I liked, and I did have to tweak it a little for the diabetic part, but overall I was very pleased.

I got the original recipe from Vegan Dream and I only modified the sugar.  I found out in my research that Splenda is not Vegan friendly, so I ended up using Truvia (TM) in place of the sugar and I used Hain organic brown sugar, and just lowered the amount I used.  

Healthy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1 20-oz can pineapple slices in unsweetened pineapple juice (reserve the juice)

6-8 Maraschino cherries or pitted fresh cherries

2 TBSP Hain Organic Brown Sugar (more or less as desired)

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 TBSP Truvia (TM) sweetener

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup pineapple juice reserved from can of slices

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 TBSP white vinegar

Spring-form pan or angel food cake pan

Non-stick spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your pan with non-stick spray all the way up the sides.  Arrange the pineapple decoratively around the pan, filing in the gaps with pieces of pineapple.  Place cherries in holes of the pineapple rings to look pretty.  Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the pineapples and cherries.

Mix together both flours, Truvia (TM), baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.  In a smaller bowl mix together the reserved juice, applesauce and vinegar.  Quickly mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  The batter will foam up a bit.

Pour the mix into the pan immediately and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the center is firm.  

This is a quick and simple cake.  Mind you, I'm not going Vegan, and no one in my immediate family is diabetic, I was commissioned by a friend to make this cake for an office birthday party.  But I'm so glad I did!  Actually, I must clarify, I made one on Saturday to try it out and a second on Sunday for my friend.  I just couldn't see making this cake and sending it out the door without finding out if it tasted great or horrible.  Glad it was a winner!

If you'd like to make this and not worry about the diabetic part, 3 TBSP Truvia (TM) is equivalent to 1/2 cup of sugar.  That's quite the difference!  And Truvia (TM) has no calories, so that's a bonus.  I didn't feel so bad when I had seconds.  Or the last leftover piece yesterday.  As for the brown sugar, the original recipe called for 3 TBSP to be used, I cut it down to just under 2 when I made it.

This cake was very tasty and I would definitely make this again.  

Forgiveness

I'm blogging today over at Today's Housewife.  Come read what the Lord 

has been working on in my life right now.

Photo by Elephant.

(Not) Wordless Wednesday

Today is normally my Wordless Wednesday.  Unfortunately, October has been such a crazy month that the majority of the posts I've written have only been Wordless Wednesdays.  So here's a post with a bit more substance.

In October I turned 33, my hubby spent a little over 2 weeks gone with the National Guard, my son got a horrible chest cold, my oldest daughter has really started driving, and my youngest daughter is excelling in her ballet and jazz classes.  Yup, that about sums up the month.  I've been running here and there and everywhere with the kids.

On a sad note, I did stop working with the Awana program at my church.  After September's 3 1/2 week migraine, the docs said I need to cut back on my stress.  Unfortunately, how busy I was on Sundays were a big stress inducer and I ended up with a migraine every Sunday night after Awana.  So I decided for my own health to step-back and let someone else step-up to teach those wonderful kids.

This week's game plan includes a shopping and cooking day.  When exactly I'm going to find the time to shop is beyond me, but I'll make it happen.  Here's what I'm cooking this month if you're interested:

1. Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Casserole
2. Cheesy Ham and potatoes
3. Chicken and Broccoli Rotini
4. Chicken and Dumplings
5. Chicken Bowls
6. Chicken Pie
7. Crock Pot Peppercorn Steak
8. Dijon Pork Chops
9. Farmers Casserole
10. Fragrant Sticky Chicken
11. Goulash
12. Ham and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
13. Hearty Beef Chili
14. Lasagna
15. Meatloaf
16. Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
17. Oven BBQ Chicken and Cheesy Biscuits
18. Sausage Pizza Twist
19. Sausage Stuffed Pork Loin
20. Stromboli
21. Tuna Casserole
22. Vegetable Beef Soup

There are lots of yummy meals in there.  If you're interested in any of these recipes please send me a note and I'll send you the recipe.  I'm looking forward to having my freezer stocked again.  

Wordless Wednesday

My cat sleeps in the strangest places.

Typical Tuesday

Today is not a typical Tuesday.  Today started with me sleeping in.  Yes that's right, I slept until almost 9:00.  My husband has today off of work and decided to go hunting.  So I didn't have to get up at 5:30 and make his breakfast and lunch.  It was so nice!


Our youngest 2 kids got up and made their own breakfast and started school without me.  What good kids I have!  I got up and decided to try my hand at baking bread since I now have a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.  I used the basic wheat bread recipe that came with my stand mixer.  Sadly, after over an hour, it didn't rise.  I decided to find a different recipe online and here are the results:

They literally just came out of the oven and smell so very good!  I can't wait to try a piece.  

Today in school #3 had an art project.  She made a mask that looks very similar to herself.  She even decided to use tan construction paper to represent her skin tone.  I'm rather proud of her for thinking of that.

#1 is out and about in town with my hubby right now.  And when I say out and about, I mean she's driving.  She's got her permit and today she is driving in town traffic.  It's wonderful to see her learn how to drive so she can be more independent.

#2 is still hanging on the couch.  He's had a bad chest cough for a week now, but it's clearing up and his earache is virtually gone.  He's missed church, scouts and Awana for 2 weeks, but he should be cleared up enough to return to a normal routine this weekend.  

Lots of different things today, but all have been good.  Now, it's time for me to go and see how my bread baking adventure went.

** Update -- The bread is delicious!  Here's the recipe I used.  **

Man Cookies

Ok, so maybe these cookies aren't just for men. I mean, I totally love them. The official name for these cookies are Brown Butter Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Now you see why I just call them Man Cookies!

I made these last week for my husband's National Guard Troop and they loved them. The soldiers ate them up so quick that my poor husband came in looking for one and they were all gone. I told him to come in early! Needless to say, being the good wife that I am, I decided to make my husband his own batch of cookies. This time, I documented my adventure for you all to share in. 

These cookies are amazing. I got the original recipe from Mouth From the South and adapted it slightly. I couldn't find bittersweet chocolate chips anywhere so I used a baking bar and chopped it up. It fits better with the "Chocolate Chunk" title. Overall though, the recipe is the same.

Here's the ingredients list:

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, diced into 1/4″ chunks
1/2 cup (3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, diced into 1/4" chunks
3 tablespoons milk chocolate, grated

1 cup bacon that’s been fried until crispy and diced into roughly 1/4″ pieces

This is definitely a recipe that calls for preparing your ingredients first. I started by getting the bacon ready, then dealing with the chocolate. For my milk chocolate, I used a Hershey's bar and froze it for about 5 minutes first. This helps with the chocolate not melting in your hand while you're trying to grate it.

I also prepared my flour and baking soda mixture, then the sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla mixture. I also got my eggs ready in a bowl then I got started. This will help once it's time to start combining ingredients. Here's the official directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees with your oven rack in the middle. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl then set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, swirling constantly. Cook the butter until it is dark brown and has an amazing nutty smell. Watch it carefully because it will burn. Pour the cooked butter into a heat-proof bowl and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Mix until all the butter is melted.

Add your sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla mixture to the butter. Whisk until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until combined. Let this mixture stand for a few minutes. Whisk for 30 seconds and then let the mixture stand again. Whisk again for 30 seconds until thick, smooth and shiny. This allows for the sugar to completely melt into the mixture.

Using a wooden spoon, add the flour and baking soda mixture until combined. Don't over mix, but make sure that all the flour pockets have disappeared. Add the chocolate and the bacon and mix. 

Using a teaspoon, put your cookie dough onto your lined cookie sheet. In this picture, the pan is 9x13 and I only put 11 cookies on it. Due to the small amount of flour in these cookies, they spread. Here is the same pan before and after baking.

Cook for 10-14 minutes at 375 degrees. Take them out when the edges are brown and center is slightly uncooked. Leave on the pan and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. This will allow for the centers to finish cooking.

These cookies are delicious! My family has already started scarfing them down and I am once again in favor with my husband. Last week with the soldiers, and again today with my family, I heard the phrase, "Bacon makes everything better!" I completely agree!

Grandpop's Pumpkin Pie

I'm blogging today on the Food Channel of Today's Housewife.  Come over and read about my Grandpop's special pumpkin pie recipe.  

Beautiful You

I'm blogging today over at Today's Housewife about inner beauty.  Check it out!

Wordless Wednesday

Compromise:

I bake my birthday cake.

My kids decorate it.

I love my kids!

Tea and Toast

Black and Green balloons for the
Philadelphia Eagles! 

This morning I woke up to a tray of tea and toast and my kids singing Happy Birthday.  It was wonderful!  As of last night I didn't have any big expectations for today.  My husband is gone with the National Guard right now and won't be back until later this month.  So birthday plans for me have been put on hold.  But my kids woke up extra early so they could make me birthday cards and breakfast.

Later this evening we are going to dinner with my mom and step-dad.  I don't know where we are going yet, but my son decided to skip cub scouts so we can all go together.

Purple tulips because they are my
favorite!  From #3.

Last month I received a really cool birthday present from my dad.  A fishing rod with LED lights in it.  It is so neat, and the best part is it's pink!  I got a pink fishing rod!  The LED lights glow when you spin the reel.  They aren't very bright, so no scaring the fish away.  Unfortunately with all the rain, I haven't had a chance to use it yet.  Hopefully I will be able to go fishing this weekend or next weekend.

So despite going to bed alone, after having the following conversation with my kids:

Me: Who made me a birthday card for tomorrow?
#2 & #3:  Deer in headlights looks.
Me: I wonder if I'll get a birthday cake tomorrow.
#2: Sure, go bake yourself one!

it looks like I'm going to have a great birthday after all.

Wordless Wednesday

This makes me happy.  My son has had a difficult time comprehending multiplication.  Today he's happily working on multiplying 2-digit by 2-digit numbers.  

And he understands it!

What has made you happy today?

Thankful Thursday

51) A God who provides for all my needs. Phil 4:19-20.

52) Neosporin and Hydrogen Peroxide.

53) Adults willing to teach my children in Awana and Sunday school.

54) Non-rainy days.

55) Coffee.  Enough said.

56) Quiet time to spend with the Lord.

57) Friends who continue to challenge me to grow in my walk with Christ.

58) Phineas and Ferb.  That is one funny cartoon and my kids love it!

59) A glorified body when I get to Heaven.

60) Daily hugs from my kids.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy National Cream Filled Donut Day!

How 9/11 Influenced My Day Today

Today is the 10th anniversary of the attack on the United States.  I was asleep as the first plane crashed.  My husband, son and I were living with my mom in California, so for us, the attack started before 6 am.  Mom woke us up and we watched in horror as the second plane crashed, the Pentagon was hit and the plane went down in Pennsylvania.  I tried for hours to contact family back on the east coast, finally reaching them later in the afternoon.  It was a stressful day, not wanting to leave the television, but needing to care for my 9 month old son.

The next day, my husband contacted the Marine Corps and tried desperately to re-enlist.  It wasn't meant to be at the time, but that day set things in motion.  In 2003, he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves and spent some time in Iraq with them.  After he returned, he enlisted in the PA Army National Guard, went through Officer Candidate School and is now an officer with them.  He spent last year in Afghanistan and is getting ready for another deployment in the near future.

All of this has shaped my life today.  Specifically today.  Today I spent part of my afternoon in a meeting with other family members of my husband's troop.  Today was the first Family Readiness Group meeting for our troop.  The very first one.  I have to admit, I was nervous.  I've never been a part of an FRG, in fact during my previous two deployments I had no contact from any FRG group.  So when I was asked not only to be involved but to be President of our group, I readily said yes.

Why would I agree to not only be a part but be the President?  After going through two deployments with the only information I receive being from my husband, I don't want anyone else to go through that.  I want this deployment to be different.  I want the families to be able to rely on each other and step-up to help each other.  I want us supported so our soldiers will KNOW that their families back home are being taken care of. They will feel better knowing their families are being looked after.  No, I cannot be everything to everyone, but I've got a shoulder and I can listen and empathize with the other family members.

I am already feeling better about this deployment.  I know I'll have other wives to talk to, other mom's who are dealing with the same child separation issues that I'll be dealing with.  I can't tell you how good it feels to know that I won't be alone this time.

I don't know that my husband would be back in the military had 9/11 not occurred.  I did know from our first date how much my husband loves his country and that he had served in the Marine Corps in the 90's.  But I had no idea I would be a military wife and be so involved with the families.  Would I change it?  No.  I'm glad to be here.  I'm glad to support my husband.  I'm glad he helps protect my freedom.  I'm glad I am able to work with the families.  I'm glad to be exactly where I am today.

Ham and Broccoli Ring

I haven’t made this meal in a long time.  It’s a very simple recipe and very tasty.  I’ve decided to go ahead and post this here for anyone who is interested.  Did I mention it’s soooo good?  Well, it is!

2 cans crescent rolls (keep refrigerated until ready to use or they get sticky)

1 lb. sliced deli ham, chopped

½ lb fresh broccoli, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 block Swiss cheese, shredded

4 Tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tsp parsley flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients in bowl except for garlic.  Place your crescent rolls on your round stone.  Looking at your stone like it is a clock, place the first can of crescent rolls at 12, 3, 6 and 9, then place the remaining rolls in the first can in the gaps.  With the second can, fill in the rest of e gaps so you have 16 pieces around the stone.  There should be a well in the middle and the rolls should hang off of the stone.  Press the rolls together to make a flat ring on the stone.  Spoon in your mixture and then wrap the excess rolls around the top of the ring and press into the center to close the ring.  Press your minced garlic on the top of the ring and bake for 20-25 minutes or until mixture is heated and rolls are golden brown and cooked.

Very simple, very good, and the one I made for dinner tonight is very gone.  Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

41) Rain to water my grass and plants.

42) A working dehumidifier and sump pump in my rained out basement.

43) A good first week of school for my kids.

44) A first job for my oldest daughter.

45) A freezer full of meals.

46) Healthy, growing children who eat all of our food.

47) Books to read to help me grow closer to God.

48) Tylenol.  Yes, I’m thankful for Tylenol.

49) The sound of kids playing happily.

50) A husband who loves me and shows it in his actions towards me.

Back to Cooking

With summer over and a full schedule of kids activities looming ahead, I absolutely need to get back into once-a-month cooking.  I've taken parts of the summer off but now I'm back into full freezer mode.  Here is what we'll be eating this month.  As always, if you'd like a recipe, please let me know which one and I'll send it to you.

1.     Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin

2.     Bird's Nest Pie

3.     Chicken and Dumplings

4.     Chicken Enchiladas

5.     Chicken Manicotti

6.     Chicken Pie

7.     Crock Pot Corn Chowder

8.     Crock Pot Cowboy Stew

9.     Dried Beef Casserole

10. Fragrant Sticky Chicken

11. Ham & Broccoli Ring

12. Maple Glazed Stuffed Roast Pork

13. Marinated Flank Steak

14. Meal-in-One Potatoes

15. Oven Baked Pork Chops

16. Parmesan Dijon Chicken

17. Pasta and Sausage Bake

18. Pesto Chicken Packets

19. Pork Tender Wellington

20. Saucy Chicken Sandwiches

21. Steak Fajitas

22. Stuffed Sausage Balls

I realize I'm only doing 22 meals, but with leftovers, it rounds out to about 30.  The only problem now is that I need to shop today, and it's raining.  In fact, it will rain all week here.  So, I guess I'm just stuck shopping in the rain this month.  Oh well, at least I'll have something to do inside of the house in the rain over the next few days!

Oh, and if you're on facebook, check out these two pages:  Eat Now, Eat Later:The Art of Planning Meals in Advance, the owner of this company is who I learned to once-a-month cook from.  Also, one of my newest favorite pages, Crock Pot Girls.  Lots of recipes there and they are all crock pot meals!  A big time saver since 3 days a week I'll be gone during normal cooking times.

Summer Vacation

Today is officially the last day of summer vacation.  #2 and #3 start back with their cyber school tomorrow and #1 starts her first job tomorrow.  It's been a fun summer and we're spending our last day with Grandma coming over for a birthday dinner for my husband.  Here are some pics from our fun summer.

#3 in her ballet recital.

#2 playing chess with friends.

Seth, #2 and Grandpa shooting BB Guns.

Seth and his mom eating crabs.

Me with 2 friends in Kentucky at the National Volunteer Workshop for the Army National Guard.

Kid #1, my brother Sam, #3 and #2 at a Phillies game.

Kids #1 and #3 at a special Tinkerbell Tea party.

Labor of Love

Picture from fanpop

I'm blogging today over at Today's Housewife.  Come read about my Labor of Love and how you can labor with love.

Thankful Thursday

31) Birthday celebrations.

32) My whole family living together.

33) One more weekend of Summer vacation.

34) An undamaged house after the hurricane and earthquake last week.

35) 2 devoted cats.

36) Friends for my kids.

37) My friends.

38) A God who loves me when I don't deserve it.

39) The gift of peace working in my life.

40) Going out to dinner and getting dessert just because it was my hubby's birthday.

What are YOU thankful for today?