NY Gal in Steelerland

Super Bowl recipe roundup

2011-02-08T15:20:00.002-05:00

I have been quiet lately but busy. This past weekend was the superbowl, in case you lived under a rock, and of course western PA was decked out in black and gold OR black and yellow if you are a fan of this song

Due to the mess of our house, we are rearranging my studio and the hubby's office, we went over to the inlaws for the game and I offered to make some dips and of course dessert. In an epic fail, I have NO PICS UGH.

The two dips I made were from Brown Eyed Baker. she posted about a dip party she went to and shared some of the recipes. I LOVE the idea of a dip party. I am a huge appetizer fan, I like small portions of all different types of food.

Reuben Dip

This is my new favorite dip, displacing buffalo chicken dip from the #1 spot. I started weight watchers last week so I did substitute low fat ingredients when possible.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 15 to 20 minutes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
4 ounces deli sliced corned beef, chopped
½ cup Thousand Island dressing
½ cup drained sauerkraut

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the Swiss cheese, the dressing and corned beef. Spread in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Top with the sauerkraut and the remaining ½ cup of Swiss cheese.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with pretzel crisps or cocktail-size rye bread squares.

Sausage Dip

I've made this before but I call it fiesta dip and also add velvetta cheese. I also baked it for 15 mins as opposed to microwaving it.

Yield: About 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

2 16-oz. rolls of regular sausage (Bob Evans, Jimmy Dean, whatever your favorite brand is)
2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
28 ounces picante sauce

1. Brown the sausage, breaking it up and crumbling it as it cooks. Once cooked through, remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and place in serving bowl. Mix in the cream cheese and picante sauce.

2. Microwave in 30 seconds increments, stirring between each, until the dip is heated through and the cream cheese is melted.

3. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, pretzel crisps or crackers.

now on to dessert!

Since the steelers were in the game, I had to make something black and gold so I went to a tried and true recipe-BOSTON CREAM CUPCAKES Nomnomnom

These are SO easy.

1 pack vanilla pudding mix

Chocolate chips

Heavy cream

1 box yellow cake mix

plus all the items needed to make the cake and pudding.

Prepare cake mix according to directions. Decide if you are doing cupcakes or a whole cake.

Prepare pudding according to directions for pie filling.

Instructions for cupcakes-

Prepare cakes and let cool. Once pudding is done setting, carefully cut off cupcake tops. Spoon vanilla pudding onto the cupcake and replaced cupcake top. You want to make sure you keep the vanilla pudding in the middle when you are spooning it on, so it doesnt run down the sides.

Repeat for all cupcakes.

Microwave chocolate for 2 mins. You will want to stir it after 1 minute and then keep a close eye on it.

Once chocolate is melted, whip in the heavy cream until it is creamy.

Drizzle chocolate mix over cupcakes or use like frosting.

Whole cake instructions-

Make 2 round cakes. Once they are cooled, spoon vanilla pudding on the bottom layer and then place top layer on top. Once again, keep the pudding away from the edges so it doesnt run down the sides.

Coat the top of the cake in the chocolate sauce and then drizzle it around the sides.

Enjoy!

Very easy dessert that is sure to impress.

Easy DIY flower

2011-02-01T10:45:00.018-05:00

Have you seen those pretty silk flowers that have popped up on shirts, jackets, pins, or hairclips? Well they are SUPER SUPER easy to make.

What you need-material of your choice, not cotton!I am using chiffon but you can use cheaper silk or tulle.

Scissors

Hot glue gun

New candle

Beads

thread and needle

hair clip, bobby pin, or pin back

Felt

First step is to cut your flowers. I like FULL flowers so I usually do 6-7 layers of varying sizes. I cut the material in squares and then fold them in half to make them easier to cut.
You want to cut out several sizes, including small and large just like real flower petals
Now you get to play with fire. I use new(er) candles for this so the flame is higher. You cant use a lighter because you need both hands. You are going to use the candle flame to shape the petals and make them curl up. You will also get that singed appearance around the edges. Now you do this by placing the material NEAR the flame, not directly on it. The heat will make the material curl up, you can also help it by shaping it with your fingers. This step may take some practice but it is not hard to master at all.

Now repeat with all the layers you cut and stack them.
You will stitch the stake together and add some beads. You can also use pretty buttons or stones. For beads and buttons I like to stitch them as opposed to hot gluing them.

Awww now isnt that pretty?!?
Now to attach it to a bobby pin. You will place a square of felt on the back your flower.
Now attach the bobby pin. You need to use a bobby pin that has a pad on it. You can find them at Joanns, hobby lobby, etc. Once you have the attached the bobby pin, with hot glue, place a 2nd piece of felt over it. You want to make sure you dont interfere with the part of the pin that goes in the hair.
Want to make a pin? attach the first piece of felt and then hot glue the pin back to the felt.
Open the pin and then place a 2nd piece of felt so you secure it.

and you are done!

remember you can also use a french barrette or alligator clip. Use the same method-square of felt on the back, secure the hardware, and then a 2nd piece of felt to give extra security.

Party Party Party

2011-01-28T16:24:00.005-05:00

My nephew is turning 1 on June 30th so my sister is already thinking of the party. I have stepped up as her personal party coordinator. As I told her, I come up with the ideas and all she has to do is say yay or nay and pay LOL

My sister mentioned that she wanted a monkey shirt so I immediately thought of this adorable shirt from my friend Loree-

http://www.lillj.com/p-59-chunky-monkey.aspx

and I talked to Loree, and she is going to do matching invitations YAY

So the theme is monkey and the colors are jungle colors like green,yellow.

My sister wants a personalized banner so I told her I would make one for her BUT using chalkboard fabric so it can be reused.

It will be similar to this one but using either ribbon or bias tape as a border around each triangle.

My sister is also GAGA over using a monogram and this etsy shop has some of the best ones, so super cute.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/openheartcreations

I think this would be perfect-

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66309087/extra-large-personalized-initial-and

I have convinced my sister that a candy buffet is a must. She is renting out a room, so we need to come up activities that all the kiddos can do. I think a candy buffet would not only be cute visually, but it would keep the kids busy

but now I am OBSESSED with the idea of a Smores Bar-

http://u-createparties.blogspot.com/2011/01/dessert-table-gourmet-smores.html

Just imagine all the different chocolates you could put out for guests and then even additional toppings like candy pieces, strawberries or bananas

My sister also really loves the look of this party from Hostess with the Mostess

http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/06/real-parties-going-bananas-for-birthdays/

so I am also going to come with a graphic of a banana tree that can be used for other paper goods like labels.

My sister and I have agreed to coordinate party years, meaning we will TRY not both have big birthday parties in the same year. yes we live 7 hours apart but we want to attend all the parties so since this year goes to Frankie, next year belongs to the girls. I am already excited for it since it will be their first "friend party" since they are starting preschool in fall '11.

Tutorial-A Valentine's day hanging banner

2011-01-26T16:45:00.028-05:00

So I used my embroidery machine and made each of my girls a banner for valentines day. They love them and agreed that they are BOOTIFUL

On each heart there is stitching to resemble lace, so cute-

and friends really loved them but i know not everyone has access to an embroidery machine so i wanted to come up with something similar using VERY VERY VERY

basic sewing skills or none at all!

I need something for our door so I made this. It took me about 45 minutes. Cute, right?

Materials-

Sewing Machine

Felt in your choice of colors. Get it from the bolts at your local craft store. It is thicker and just a better quality than the precut squares.

Doilies. I used 8 inch ones from the dollar store. Yay dollar store!

Ribbon

Glue

Lighter

e ones helps, then go for the glue.

Lets start.

Take a doily and trace out a felt heart that you will attach to the doily.

I made mine bigger than the doily.

You are then going to stitch the doily to the felt,

or glue it if that is the way you are going.

I used a simple straight stitch. I also used pins to attach the doily to the felt so it wouldnt shift around while stitching.

Just stitch around and now it is time to make the letters. Now I did them freehand, while my girls were screaming at me and trying to steal the felt. So please excuse the haphazard letters, especially the E. The E is really bad.

You can use wonder under if you want but I dont think it is necessary.

Now Felt is VERY forgiving so you can just do a straight stitch around. I did a satin stitch aka an applique stitch because I love me a good zigzag.

Lather, Rinse, and Repeat for all the letters you need.

I was spelling out love

Now you need to heat seal the edges. This is when you use the lighter. Just place the lighter close to the edge of the hearts NOT DIRECTLY TOUCHING. This helps cut down the fuzziness and gives a nice clean edge to the felt.

You now have to attach all the hearts together. I am making a vertical hanging blogger so I am going to basically use the ribbon to weave it in and out of the hearts.

Cut a small slit in the top of the first heart and then the bottom. Dont make it too big because it should snuggly hold the ribbon.

At the bottomof the last heart, you will need to glue the ribbon to the heart and make a loop so you can hang the banner.

If you want to make the banner hang horizontally, then cut small slits on the sides of the hearts and use ribbon to tie them together. That is what I did in the banners I made with my embroidery machine, so use that banner as a reference.

Hang and Enjoy!

If you find that the ribbon doesnt fit snuggly and the hearts shift around, just fix that with a bit of glue.

Reinvention

2010-10-25T21:58:00.003-04:00

Hi-

I have decided to take this blog a new direction. My business has grown a great deal in the past year and there are many issues that I would love to discuss in a platform like this. While I will discuss things that impact a small business owner, I will also discuss things like the mass production of items overseas and how it truly impacts consumers. I also want to share more craft ideas. So less kid talk and more craft & business.

How to make a skirt!

2010-01-27T20:19:00.018-05:00

((we will just ignore the fact that I havent posted in months, okay? Great now we can move on...)
This is an easy skirt to make, great project for new sewers. It is a cute full skirt that is perfect for spring and summer, if the little girl is a skipper, even better!

Items needed-
42-45 inch wide material, light weight cotton
¾ inch elastic NON ROLL
GOOD SCISSORS
Optional-
Ribbon, trim, or anything else to embellish the skirt.

You are using ONE PIECE of fabric for this skirt. The width off the bolt is the width you are using, from raw edge to raw edge. This is a great project to use remnants. I love me some remnants because they are cheap and great for baby/toddler sizes.

You may want to iron your fabric before starting. This usually makes cutting and pinning easier, but that’s up to you.

As for length, figure out the length you want and add 2 inches and then cut. My models are asleep at the current time so I measured a skirt and then went from there.

I like to mark my measurements off with tailor’s chalk but not necessary.
So cut your fabric to get your one long strip.

Now you are going to fold the fabric, right sides together*, and pin along the sides. I pin the long way as you can see but I remove the pins as I go. It is just a matter of preference. If you pin across, you aren’t suppose to sew over the pins, but people do it.
*that means the pretty proper sides face each other 

You are going to sew up this side with a ½ inch seam. Use the markers on your machine to guide ya, which is what they are there for. You are just going to use a plain ole straight stitch. Make sure to back stitch at the beginning and end which reinforces the stitches.
So now you basically have a tube of fabric. At this point, you can finish the seam allowances, aka the edges. You can do this for a more finished look plus it stops the fabric from fraying. If you do finish the allowances, you simply use a zig zag stitch right now the edge. If I was selling this skirt, I would finish them but I will leave them alone right now.

Now press open your seam allowance. You may ask why we do this, well I am glad you asked. You want to make sure they are nice and flat because we will be making a casing and hemming. Pressing them just makes it easier when folding and sewing the rest of the skirt.

Now turn down the top of the skirt ½” towards the wrong side. I usually pin and press, but that is just how I roll. I find that nice crisp pressing makes things easier.

Now you are going to take that new folded top and fold it down again, this time 1”. You are making a casing for the elastic. The first fold was to hide the raw edge and the second fold was to make the casing for the waist. Casing meaning the actual part that will hold the elastic.

You will be stitching the very bottom edge of this fold so place your pins accordingly.
Start on either side of the seam allowance and stitch all around BUT stop 2 inches before your starting point. Once again make sure you back stitch when you start and finish.

Now attach a safety pin to the elastic and fish it through the opening and all throughout the waistband casing.

Once it is all the way through, overlap the ends about an inch. You are going to join the two ends together by stitching a box. You can do this by hand or on the machine. Trim and tuck it back into the casing. Finish stitching the casing closed.

Now you are in the home stretch! Lets just hem the skirt and be done!
Turn the hem ½” to the wrong side and press.

Now turn it again, 1”, pin and press. You are going to be stitching along the bottom of the new hem so place pins accordingly.
Stitch all the way around, backstitching when needed, turn the skirt inside out and you are done!

You can always add ribbon, ruffles or trim.

This can also be sized for anyone, make some matching ones for mommy and daughter.

Taking a break

2009-10-21T21:18:00.003-04:00

I am sitting in my basement surrounded by ribbon and tulle, so I am giving myself a timeout and writing a long overdue post.
So whats new? HITTING! WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF?!!!!!!!!!!!!!???? Ashlyn is the worst, it is full on hitting me in the face if she doesnt get her way. The girls are giving each other hugs and kisses(((can I get a collective AWWWWWWWW)) but the next minute they are hitting each other. This isnt like before when they would hit each other because of their lack of coordination and somehow end in a toddler pileup. No, this is on purpose and I know it is just frustration. Nothing says good morning like getting bitch slapped by a 16 month old!
I am also thinking that they should start having designated toys, but I dont know how this would work logistically. If Ashlyn has Fiona's toy, do I take it away from her and vice versa? Any tips?
Speaking of toys, we received not one but TWO American Girls catalogs, one for me and one for the husband. I dont know how we got on their mailing list. So I obviously looked through mine, I gave Tony's to the girls so they could look at it/rip it up, and I am obsessed with their bitty twin dolls but I know the girls are too young...right?...plus the dolls are $$$$. It is something to keep in mind for their 2nd birthday.

I try not to call people out

2009-10-15T20:07:00.002-04:00

I do not get the MckMama worship. Are you familiar with her? She has a blog and about a bjillion followers. She started blogging about her son and his heart condition. People were praying, sending her things, sending her money,etc because they were now on that emotional journey with her. They were seeing the pictures of her son in the hospital, reading about the treatments, they were there with her.
Now her son is better but the whole blog doesnt sit right with me. She talks about being a submissive wife and whips out bible verses to back her up. Well turns out her husband was arrested for domestic violence, perhaps she shouldnt be the one giving out marriage advice? She talks about her son and his health, but then takes him to a large BBQ right after he was released from the hospital, not giving a second thought to his immune system.
I just dont get the hero worship.

Poor Fiona

2009-10-15T19:33:00.002-04:00

So the girls have been battling colds, but yesterday Fiona's got worse. She woke up wheezing and we were scared. Tony has asthma so I am always worried the girls will develop it. My gut reaction was to take her to the ER but then remembered we had an early morning doctor's appointment anyway. It was for their 15 month check up-yeah a month late.
So off we went. After paying our insane co pay(bye bye $120), the doctor checked out Ashlyn and ordered the required vaccinations. Next came Fiona's turn and he could clearly see she was wheezing and then he went into an explanation of the chest muscles she was using, yada yada yada, all things I do not remember. So once he checked her out, he ordered a breathing treatment for her and said we would be getting our very own neubulizer at home, greattttttttttt. I asked him about asthma and he said that two episodes of wheezing constitute asthma. That seemed really odd to me and this is something I want to research more. If she does have asthma, I would like to be more prepared, ya know proactive vs. reactive.
So now we are on day 2 of treatments and she is such a little trooper! She just sits and babbles away. I think she knows it makes her feel better which is why she tolerates it.
Both girls are doing great health wise and Ashlyn weighed in at 21.12lbs and Fiona is 23lbs. They've each only gained a 1 lb in 6 months but the doctor's isnt worried at all and neither am I.
So Fiona's had a rough few days and I really hope things turn around for the poor kid.

Scary stuff

2009-10-13T20:50:00.002-04:00

This morning we were heading out to storytime. We've taught the girls how to go down the stairs by sitting down, turning over on their belly and sliding down. So both girls headed down the stairs but Ashlyn decided that she wanted to go up. I had one girl going down, one going up and suddenly I saw Fiona at the top of the steps and she took a step down. OMG, it all happened in slow motion. I saw her tumbling down like a rag doll and she landed on her back at the bottom of the steps. I was hysterical, Fioan was hysterical and Ashlyn was crying as well.
I strapped them both into the car, preparing to go to the ER, and called the doctor's office. I got a nurse on the phone and she calmed me down. She gave me all the signs to look for and just told me to observe Fiona for a few hours. At this point Fiona was fine and laughing. She was fine for the rest of the day, her cold bothered her more than the fall it seems.
I dont think I will ever forget what she looked like going down those stairs. I cant help but feel responsible. Blahhhhhhh motherhood is so hard sometimes!

Yummy recipe

2009-10-06T23:09:00.005-04:00

I am sitting here in my new raft room. Remember those pis I posted of the pretty craft/play room? Well that lasted 3 months. I have outgrown that room and it was becoming unfair to the girls. I was gating off the room because my crap was everywhere, my stuff taking up room, etc. Now I am in the basement, but its all good. The basement is finished, even has a small kitchen. Our big screen TV is down here as well, so I an watch TV while crafting. It also gives me peace and quiet to work. I am working on several new bow styles and it does take patience to figure out the new folds, how to secure the bow, etc. I think my move to the basement will work out well.

I made this yummy dish the other day. So quick and easy. I served it with some Chinese noodles & asparagus and I also doubled the sauce.

Sesame Beef

1 pound round steak-I used sirloin because that is what I had on hand.
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, garlic, and onions in a large bowl. Set aside.
Cut steak into strips and add to bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 30 minutes.
Cook in wok or frying pan until brown, about 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds and cook for additional 2 minutes.

Can someone tell me what is going on?

2009-10-04T14:18:00.006-04:00

So both girls are waking up every night at 2:30/3am. It is like clockwork and I cant figure out what is going on. Bedtime has gotten better so thats a plus but UGH the screaming at 3am, it is driving us insane and we get into the whole CIO battle. Tony wants to let them CIO and I am still against it. They are 16 months, 14.5 months adjusted so maybe there is a developmental reason for the waking?? Any insight or do they just hate us?
I am not some sort of martyr when it comes to their sleep, like "oh look at me, I give my kids everything including my sleep" because if you give them your sleep time well just give them your sanity while you are at it. I just try to keep things in perspective and repeat all the time "sleep is a series of highs and lows".
So since I dont know when I will be sleeping through the night, I've been making an effort to get to sleep on time. My latest craft obsessions are making it hard though. Have you heard of freezer paper stencils?? So easy and so much fun!I am officially hooked.
I made this shirt using freezer paper-

I used a large piece of freezer paper, cut out the shapes which creates a stencil. Iron the freezer paper onto your shirt and voila! I went the extra step and colored the shapes in.
This blog was my inspiration-
http://samstermommy.blogspot.com/2009/09/painted-jeweled-onesie.html

I also used the basic idea behind the bandana dress to make this dress. I found the fabric at Joanns and it was too cute (and cheap!) to pass up.

You can find the tutorial here
http://www.joyshope.com/2009/05/simple-bandana-dress-tutorial.html

I simply cute the cupcake fabric into the same size as a bandana and went from there.

Sweet ride giveaway!

2009-09-30T13:48:00.001-04:00

Yeah so I want it as well but I would be thrilled, and somewhat jealous, if one of my blog readers won.
It seems huge but I love how two kiddos can fit in it and I think it would be great for vacations. I am picturing myself riding down the boardwalk somewhere or locally on the montour trail.
So go and enter and hope to win this sweetride.

To market, to market

2009-09-29T13:42:00.004-04:00

I've been getting my craft on, besides my bow business, so that has eaten up my blogging time.
Crafts are so much fun, which is great except when you are having fun crafting and neglecting all the not so fun stuff like laundry BLAH.
My crafting kick also means lots of baking and cooking Yum Yum, but not good for the waistline.
Since we've had several weeks of illness, I got out of the dinner habit because it was a wast, but we are on the mend so I am back on the meal planning track. Here is a recent sample-
Kielbasa & HOMEMADE pierogies-so worth the effort! YUM YUM YUM
Chicken Chimichangas
Ravioli Bake-take frozen ravioli and layer it with sauce and cheese, easy and good.
MoJo Chicken & Rice
Sesame steak with asparagus
Sloppy Joes
Garlic Chicken w/ Orzo
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Chili
Mushroom Beef
Roasted Chicken

My grocery challenge was awesome because I learned some important lessons. I learned that I buy too much darn food! Even with menu planning, I get into a mentality of filling my freezer which can be great but not great if you do that every single time you shop. You end up with lots of food, and no plans for that food.
I am determined to keep shopping 1x a month,aside from milk and fresh veggies/fruits, and to use what I have. Instead of researching meal ideas and then shopping, I will look at what I have in my pantry/freezer and then find meals that use those ingredients.
I also now want a new fridge. I have a really pretty side by side stainless steel fridge and I HATE it. The side by side makes it hard to find things and the freezer makes it easy to "lose" things and the baskets are a joke. Since the previous houseowners barely cooked, the fridge just proves my theory that the appliances were purchased for looks as opposed to function-dont even get me started on my oven :)

Where am I going and why am I sitting in this handbasket?

2009-09-18T16:31:00.002-04:00

Yeah things feel like they have gone straight to H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS. Sleep? yep to HELL. Eating? Yeah express train down south. Discipline? What discipline????

Its kinda like the girls just woke up one day and had a collective thought of "lets totally mess with mommy's mind!". F is refusing to eat dinner. She delights in throwing it on the floor, Thank God for my fat little beagle or else I would be doing a lot more cleaning. Oh yeah Cleaning, that has gone to hell as well.
What is with the flat out refusal to eat dinner? I am doing what you are suppose to. Offer something new along with something they like, well girlfriend decided she doesnt like grilled cheese anymore even though she just ate it two days ago...
The other night it was spaghetti and cheese. Well she didnt like that so here try some cheerios, nope, here have some toast, nope. zip, nada, nothing.
My logic is that if she is hungry, she will eat. It isnt like she goes all day without eating ,she truly delights in breakfast.
We are still having major sleep issues. Last night A was waking up every two hours just screaming. My first thought was that she had the nasty rotovirus that stopped by our house this week, but after the first screaming episode, I started thinking night terrors. Babycenter says that nighterrors are sometimes a sympathy of lack of sleep, which would make sense because her napping has been taken a nose dive as well. I thought we were at the stage of 1 nap a day, but I suspect we will have to go back to 2 if 1 nap means no sleep at night.

As far as discipline. How do you discipline almost 16 month olds? We started timeouts but I know it is just to start a pattern, not something they truly understand. I *try* not to say "No" all the time but when they are climbing on the back of the sofa and attempting to walk acros it, yeah No is what comes out first.
My local library branch is actually having a seminar on toddler behavior, and I will be signing up for it. Hopefully I will pick up some helpful tips.

We are still working on the developmental stuff and I've become worried about verbal development of late. We are doing what the therapist said to do, such as telling them to get the ball, then telling them to get the green ball. I've also been working on them with the names of body parts and animal sounds, along with the signs we've been using since 9 months old. F just seems to grasp thing quicker, which then makes me worry about A. A who was started on the nasal cannula in the NICU, the moved on to the oxygen hood and then eventually ended up on a vent. 34 weekers have a great track record developmentally but as a parent, you cant help but go to the dark, scary parts sometimes. Your fears that are just hiding in the shadows, all the what ifs and what wills. I cant help but think that maybe her breathing issues have now resulted in her delayed development.

I'm Flattered!!

2009-09-09T16:25:00.003-04:00

My friend Cara approached me about doing a giveaway with her. I was REALLY flattered that she asked me. The giveaway is up and running over on her blog and it is for this adorable ladybug bow-
Click on the photo for the link to her blog. So go and enter, good luck my friends!

Busy but good

2009-09-09T15:01:00.004-04:00

Wow, nothing like starting a business and getting things off with a bang. I had a few etsy sales (yay!) but I also had a handful of custom orders, including 26 ponytail bows for a girls' softball team. cant wait to see the team picture for them!
On the twinsie front, I am really struggling with my two toddlers. They never sit down, except to eat. It is go go go all day which is great and toddlers are active but man oh man, I had no idea! We are also dealing with the dreaded temper tantrums. F had a meltdown after storytime yesterday because I wouldnt let her carry the books around the library. She was clued to my cell phone yesterday and husband didnt want to deal with the screaming if we took it away, so my blackberry ended up covered in toddler goo, yay thanks so much!

We officially had to cancel this month's trip to my hometown, which also means I will be missing the U2 concert. The tickets were a birthday gift to my younger sister, so now she will be going with her husband. My friend is also going and has promised to call me during the concert, great, thanks so much, here is some salt to rub in my wounds ;P
We cancelled the trip because we really need to refocus on building our savings, something that obviously took a hit when we moved to the new house. My friend Sara reminded me that being responsible and delaying fun is hard to the shortrun but in the long term, it means living like no one else, a bit of wisdom I believe she got from Dave Ramsey but it is really true.

Speaking of living like no one else, the grocery challenge is going well. I must admit that I've made two runs to the store. The first was to target. Now I gotta defend myself. The local targets were running a special, for every two boxes of poptarts or nutrigrain bars, you got a free galloon of milk. So yeah I bough some poptarts and nutrigrain bars. The 2nd run was to the local Giant Eagle and it was just to get some bread dough to make an appetizer for a last minute get to gether with the Inlaws. I am really proud of myself though because I stuck to my mission with both trips and surpassed the temptations. I just reminded myself that we didnt need anything else.
Perhaps this grocery challenge has some lessons I didnt foresee.

and the winner is....

2009-09-04T17:56:00.002-04:00

well I better get cracking since I have to make THREE headbands! The winner is Sarah, the mommy to three girls, identical triplets!
Sarah, contact me and I can get all your information.

Ya gotta love giveaways!

2009-09-01T15:02:00.004-04:00

I blogged about the multiples and more blog party that kicks off on Thursday. Well Jaime is a fellow participant and decided to start her giveaway early and it is too cute. Skip on over to her blog to win a beautiful crocheted hat for your toddler.
http://rannilatriplets.blogspot.com/2009/09/our-1st-give-away.html

Who needs sleep? Ya never gonna get it....

2009-09-01T08:12:00.002-04:00

Who needs sleep? Whats that for.
Yeah I am stealing some lines from Barenaked Ladies. Their lyrics seemed appropriate given the state of sleep in this house.
The twinsies are 15 months actual, so 13.5 months corrected. A quick look at moxie shows that there is a common sleep regression period around 13 months, so it seems to jive with what is going on with the girls. They wake up in the middle of the night and SCREAM. It isnt whimpering, it is blood curdling outright screaming. We go in and thus begins the dance. Fine when someone is in there, screaming begins again when we leave. We try to co-sleep, something we've done in the past, but the offender wants nothing to do with that. To them co-sleeping is an invitation to a late night party.
It seems like Ashlyn is having the rougher time, well aside from mommy & daddy, and I know her starting to walk is probably playing a role as well.
Another surprising development is Fiona is clinging to daddy, so much that if he leaves her sight, it is a full out temper tantrum. I have to be honest and say I feel a bit slighted. While they are still beating down the bathroom dorr while I am in there, I dont get the clinging to daddy thing. Is it because he works so much and they are already sensing this? I just feel like a total bad guy when I have to take her out of the office so he can work.

the great SAHM vs. working mom debate

2009-08-31T11:29:00.004-04:00

Nah, not really. I would rather talk about choices. When you have a child(or two or three), you know there are certain things you give up, well atleast for a few years. For most people, gone are those lazy weekends sleeping in, going out to dinner whenever you want without worrying about bedtime, the money spent on new clothes as opposed to diapers. I think what people nee dto also realize if that they have to give up having a choice sometimes and I think this is were the great SAHM vs. Working mom debate losses sight.
I am a SAHM because I simply cant afford daycare. Being in the non profit arena comes with a mixed bag. Helping your fellow man, building communities, helping to enrich the lives of others but it also means that monetary gains are well, how should I say this, not the greatest concern. We looked at daycares, I weighed the options and with two infants in daycare, it just didnt make sense financially. I am still mourning the fact that I had no choices in the matter. I would imagine the mom who works outside the home faced with a similar dilemmma would feel the same way. There is really no choice, that mom HAS to work. When we talked about having a baby, I never thought about this situation. Never imagined that being at home would be the only path that made financially sense for us.
Granted, there are plenty of multiple mamas who do work, and that is what makes the most sense for them.
I know this post is a bit rambling but its just something that I think people should stop and think about when the great debate comes up. The majority of moms are doing what is best for their families, whatever that is. Perhaps that SAHM would love to go back to work but the cost of daycare vs. her income make it impossible. Maybe that working mom would love to stay at home but she is the breadwinner. It is easy to judge when you just assume, but you know what they say about assuming :)
Before we tear each other down, we have to take a step back and realize that motherhood is not black and white, it has many shades of gray and that we should celebrate each other, not vilify each other for actions when perhaps there was no other choice in the matter.

Blog Giveaway! Halloween Korker headband!!

2009-08-31T10:46:00.005-04:00

Since I am part of the multiples and more followers, I've edited my giveaway to sync up to their end of summer blog party! The giveaway will end at midnight on Thursday. For an extra chance to win the bow, link to my giveaway on your own blog! That will give you one extra chance.

Blog giveaways seem to be in the air, so I decided to try my hand at one. Sorry boys, this one is for the girls. I will be giving away one of my own halloween korker bow headbands. If you have multiples(twins or triplets) and have more than one girl, I will send you one for each girl. I dont wanna leave anyone out, but I will have to verify that you have more than one girl, Them are the rules kids.

Here is what you have to do. I am going to run this till midnight on THURSDAY. Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment in this post. I will use random.org to pick a winner.
Link to my giveaway on your own blog and get one extra chance of winning. Make sure you post the link so I know.
Good luck!

Great Grocery Challenge-Day 1

2009-08-30T00:15:00.003-04:00

Its been a long day with two busy busy busy toddlers. I did want to get in the habit of posting our daily menu.
Breakfast-Waffles from the partial box we have. Once the box is over, I think I will make a big batch of homemade ones.

Lunch-Homemade pizza YUMMOOOOO!

Dinner-I broke down and used the convenience food I bought. It was rather odd to just heat up already breaded chicken and to use powdered potatoes, but I will admit it did make dinner time easy. I had 3 custom orders for my craft business and also helping my husband with his business, so it was a busy day so the ease of dinner was nice. We had the Tyson chicken tenders from costco, mashed potatoes and some frozen veggies I had on hand.

So a pretty simple cooking day but no eating out, yay! Husband said he wants the tyson chicken fried but that isnt happening.

The great grocery challenge aka its hard out there for a foodie

2009-08-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

Let me just say that I've been doing meal planning for months. It really does help out with stress and motivates me to find new recipes. That said, while it has helped with the budget a bit, I know there is more money I could save. I recently read this blog http://doughmesstic.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html who did a pantry raid challenge and only spent $100 in groceries for one month. Now, I think its a great idea but there are some issues A) she skipped meals. Yeah, have me skip breakfast and you will have a very unhappy camper and B) she has a baby, so having snacks and meals for a child isnt an issue and C) did you read the lists of food she had on hand before the challenge??? Yeah I dont have all that food and I dont know many people that do.
I do think that the premise was a good one so I decided to do it with my own take.
I sat down on my computer and I typed out what food I already have on hand-
2lbs ground beef
partial box of waffles
5lbs potatoes
12 frozen chicken legs in a large pack
3lbs of frozen mixed veggies
large pack of chicken sausage
2 servings of ravioli
black beans
red beans
assorted pasta
canned corn
diced tomatoes
tomato sauce
flour
taco shells
pot roast
whole grain bread
jam
peanut butter
Hot dogs & buns

At costco today I spent $143 and got
5.5lbs beef stew meat
8 boxes of mashed potato mix(4 servings each box)
5lbs of onion
5lbs Tyson breaded chicken
Frozen shrimp
2 loafs of Italian bread
1 package of arnold's sandwich thins
Swiss cheese
mushrooms
3 DZ eggs
1.5 gallons of organic milk
5 heads of romaine lettuce
24 oz. Parmesan cheese
Chicken breasts
Tub of cookie dough(yeah, my excuse is that my husband spends way too much money buying himself snacks. The $8 for the tub is cheaper than his little trips to the nearest convenience mart)

I spent $34 at Aldis and got-
Green peppers
Bread crumbs
Egg noodles
American cheese slices
Shredded Mozzarella cheese(2 packs)
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Cream of mushroom soup
Beans
Mojo Marinade(awesome for chicken)
Onion soup mix
Rice
Gravy mix
Light ranch dressing
Caesar dressing
Vinegar
Ice cream sandwiches
frozen monkey bread(have you had monkey bread? Mmmmm so good!)
Sweet & sour marinade

Now usually I am not one to buy mashed potato mix or already breaded chicken, but I am trying to fight against my downfall. What happens is that I am too tired to cook, or the twinsies are whining and I cant cook, or my husband says "ugh I am not in the mood for that" so we go out to eat or order a pizza, etc. If I have a few convience items on hand, I dont have an excuse.

My husband will still eat out for lunch but he is going to try and start brownbaging it 1-2x a week. he hates leftovers, I blame his mom because she totally indulged, and still does, his picky ways.

I plan on writing a daily post outlining what we ate that day. So no trips to the grocery store until October and we cant spend more than $200. If we need milk, I will send my husband so I can resist temptation.

Solo roadtrip with twins.

2009-08-25T13:32:00.003-04:00

For the past two months, we've had a trip to my hometown planned, 7 hours away from steelerland. We were going to use the trip as an opportunity to get some professional photos done of the girls. The photos were going to be shot in the park where I played as a wee lass, my mom & sister would be there, it was going to be great. Well a few days before our planned departure date, husband told me that he wouldnt be able to go because of a deadline for the new company. I wrestled with this, going back & forth between going and not going. I decided that I would go solo, just me and my little ladies.
The trip was great, we just got back yesterday. It was HOT for the photo shoot, which made for some sweaty and cranky girls. I am sure that Racheal got some great shots. I am still kicking myself in the butt for not packing any skirts or dresses, I had to wear pants for the photos, UGH jeans & heat do not mix well.
The trip was wonderful and I got to see some of my best friends and of course my family.
A solo roadtrip with twins is possible. Here are some tips, or things that I did that worked well for us.

1. Be flexible & take your time. I factored in a whole day to drive there and another day to drive back. I was able to take my time and stop when the girls needed a break.

2. Pack a picnic-I packed snacks and fruit in a cooler as well as a picnic blanket. We were able to stop and we have a picnic and let the girls play and stretch their legs.

3. Take the scenic route- I had two options. 1 was a turnpike with large rest stops with lots of amenities but the exits are further apart. The other option meant small rest areas without restaurants but more exits. I chose the 2nd option. The small rest areas meant green space that could be used for picnics or to take the girls for a walk in the stroller. Some stops were downright pretty, with scenic overlooks and lots of pretty flowers and trees.

4. Bring toys & books- At one stop, I pulled out some blocks that I had packed for the girls. They were able to play in the back of the van while I got lunch ready. I also had books and small toys, like a play phone, that the girls could play with while in their seats.

5. Timing is everything- I left at 5am on my way there and 7am on my way home. The girls usually sleep to 7-8am so leaving at 5am I was hoping that I would get a few hours with some sleeping babies. It worked this time. I was able to drive 3 hours before they woke up and needed to eat. On the way home, they didnt sleep as much but I fed them before we left so they were in a good mood. Think about your child and their sleeping pattern. Perhaps leaving at night would be the best option for you. That is what we did when they were 4 months old and went on a roadtrip. We left at bedtime and the girls just slept except for a nursing session.
I doubt I would do the same thing now because the girls are older and more aware of their surroundings.
Traffic is also something to consider. Leaving at 5am meant I would avoid rush hour in my hometown. My girls hate traffic almost as much as I do and usually scream when stuck in it.

6. By any means necessary. With this I mean, try any trick necessary to get through the trip. While I didnt use a portable DVD player, that doesnt me I would be opposed to one. If 15 minutes of elmo will calm down your child and help you concentrate on driving, then go for it.

7. Dont jeopardize safety- If your child is crying/screaming and distracting you while driving, PULL OVER! Safety is the most important thing. This ties back to #1. If you take your time, you will have the time and flexibity to stop when you need to.

I hope this helps.

How many angels does God need...

2009-08-22T23:37:00.003-04:00

I am sitting here writing with a very very heavy heart. A fellow MoM(mother of Multiples) lost one of her children today. Brooke had her triplets at 25 weeks and for the past 50+ days. the babies have been overcoming hurdle after hurdle until one thing stopped everyone in their tracks. Sweet little Annaleigh, who was just taken off the nasal cannula and was breathing room air, stopped gaining weight. her belly was swollen and was vomiting repeatly. A surgery consult showed that the culprit was NEC.
NEC stands for Necrotizing Enterolitis and it is primarily seen in micropreemies. Bacteria destroys the bowels from the inside out. It is devestating. Surgery revealed that Annaleigh's bowels were all destroyed and the only chance for recovery was a bowel transplant, which was slim to none.
In the span of a few days, Brooke and her husband prepared to say goodbye to Annaleigh. I cant even pretend to understand how they felt when they received that news.
At 4:30 today, Annaleigh stopped fighting. They were able to get a family picture with all three babies. My heart is broken for this family. I cant stop crying and staring at my own two miracles.

Being active in the online multiples community means I have seen my fair share of sad stories and I just want to know how many more angels does God need? I think he has enough and I am asking him now to just leave the babies alone. Babies belong on earth where they can be cuddled and loved by their families. Can we make a deal God?
Life is just so unfair. It is just so hard to wrap my head around and while I think I am a religious oerson, I cant explain this away using faith. I just cant. Some might say"well this is just one of life's mysteries, we dont know why God does this", at this point I am not buying that.
I know this is rambling, but like I told my husband, I am sick of God taking the babies away...

Sleep training for twins

2009-08-12T09:47:00.006-04:00

First, I want to say that I am trying not to judge. I am just speaking for what works for us. I've read a ton of books about this and I tried to make an informed decision for our girls. I think what is most important is that parents are informed in whatever sleep training method they choose. That means reading the books as opposed to googling for a brief synopsis.
After reading ferber, I could see when & why it would work but I knew it wasnt for us. My girls were flipping out from just being put in their cribs. I needed a method that would help them realize that their cribs were a safe place and that they would be okay.
I decided that The Good Night, Sleep Tight method was the best choice for us. Now, I am on the crunchy side of parenting and I am a very small minority in the multiples community. I just felt that the Sleeplady's methods were what jived with our parenting point of view and it seemed like common sense to me. I could comfort both girls by just being close to their cribs. With ferber, I would've been going in there every five minutes. I just dont see how it would work with twins when both babies are crying. I could see it working if you had a singleton or if just one of your multiples was having problems.
We started sleep training at 10 months. We also had to take time off because of obvious developmental milestones which impact their sleeping, such as teething or walking. I think it is really important for parents to realize that sleep is not a clear cut issue and that is the major problem I have with crying it out. Classic crying it out doesnt make exception for those developmental milestones and there are no guidelines of when to CIO depending on age, health, etc,etc. There are so many varibles that can impact sleep.
On the preemie front, my girls were not dismissed from the state early intervention. I am okay with this because it means they are getting the help they may need. I will say that I was surprised they still qualified. They are tested at their actual age vs. adjusted age and they should be doing things like going to get a toy if you tell them to, or helping with getting dressed by lifting up their arms. Those developmental acheivements never ever crossed my mind. Now that I know what they shoud be doing, I know what I should be working on. I can already see changes in the girls in the last two weeks.

and now for something completely different-
The fabulous Tobi is having a giveaway on here blog. She is giving away a beautiful blooming baby bouquet. I can attest to these bouquets. I got a kitchen one for my mom for Mother's day and she LOVED it. Actually it has been her dining room table centerpiece this whole summer.
Here is the link to the contest and good luck!
http://drbabymamadrama.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway.html

The Multiples...and more blog is having a giveaway of orglamix mineral makeup, eco friendly!
http://multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2009/08/product-review-and-giveaway-orglamix.html

Another giveaway

2009-08-11T21:04:00.002-04:00

So the fabulous Tobi posted about a great fashion blog, which is written by the beautiful Chloe. Isnt it lovely when everyone is fabulous and beautiful?? Anywho, Chloe is doing a giveaway and here is the info-
http://chloeconspiracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/outfit-of-day-give-way.html

She is giving away an adorable bracelet from the simply Vera line at Kohls. I puffy heart Kohls, do you?

Tada! New chair

2009-08-11T17:27:00.005-04:00

I picked up this $20 from goodwill. I loved the size and the shape. I could totally see both my girls sitting on it together reading or sharing secrets for years to come.
I dont have a picture of the chair itself, think 1970s wood stain.
This is one of the cushions-
and here is the finished product-
Here is how I did it-I used no sand primer on the chair and then applied two coats of white paint. For the cushions, I did a no sew slipcover. It isnt the proper way but it works. I laid the fabric out and then folded it in, think hospital corners, and then used a high temp glue gun. For the back, I attached snaps. I will make proper slipcovers soon but I wanted something quickly. the fabric was $8 for 3 yards at ikea. I think it is such a fun chair.

Craft & Play all in the same space!

2009-08-11T17:07:00.008-04:00

If you are a friend on facebook, you've already seen these pictures-
This room was suppose to be a formal living room, but a formal living room with two tots running around?? yeah whatever.
I wanted it to be pretty and functional. I still need to get new storage options for my craft items and add a few more decorative pieces-

My craft area-
The reading area-

Double stroller giveaway!

2009-08-10T16:05:00.001-04:00

I know some friends who are in the market for a double stroller so I thought I would post this giveaway.
The bumbleride double strollers are awesome. If I didnt have my beloved valco, I would be all over it.
Good luck!
http://twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.blogspot.com/2009/07/bumbleride-indie-twin-stroller-giveaway.html
Check out the stroller specs here-
http://www.bumbleride.com/

My insanity knows no bounds

2009-07-31T01:23:00.004-04:00

So I blogged about the company my husband and I are setting up. I wont say the name but the scoop is that we(meaning T) will be designing and programming the games and we(meaning me) will market to mobile device users-iphones, blackberries, google phones, etc.
This has kept us very busy and I am handling the business end such as getting our LLC paperwork done, getting tax info, writing a business plan. Well I get the brilliant idea that this would be a great time to start selling my crafts! yay, I am an idiot!!! I've been making bows and hair accessories for a few months now and I get lots of compliments on them and people ask where I bought them, so I thought it might be a good idea to put a toe into the craft market. So now I am setting up an etsy store; trying to get approved for local craft fairs, woohoo got into one BTW, and figuring out all the other jazz such as taxes and pricing. My husband thinks we are crazy but we are both type A ambitious people so I guess it makes sense.

Speaking of crafts, I want to share a little project I did.

Take a $5 lamp
plus a $3 can of silver spray paint

and you have a brand new lamp!
It is the one on the right. I had a matching set of the lamp on the left, but I lost one in the move. I was so upset but I think the new one has the same sort of feel. Not bad for $9, right? I picked up a chair last week that needs some TLC, I will post pics when I am done with it.

What do you need for twins

2009-07-28T09:47:00.003-04:00

I see this question a lot and I get asked it a lot. I thought it would make a great blog entry.

-Baby trend double snap n go.
This stroller only takes infant carseats. It is very lightweight and easy to fold. My girls were in their infant carseats for 10 months so I got a ton of miles out of my double snap n go.

-2 boppy pillows
These are awesome. If you bottle feed, you can put a baby in each pillow and feed them at the same time. If you are nursing, you can use the boppy to nurse. Yeah you can tandem feed the babies but that has a learning curve to it and not everyone can do it. I wasnt able to tandem feed because Ashlyn had a bad latch.

-A really great OB/ Perinologist
I am not a doctor, but I feel like I was an educated patient. We found out about our twins late in the game, 19 weeks, and you best believe that I drilled my OB after that u/s. I asked how many multiples he had delivered, were there practice standards for dealing with multiples, did he view multiples as high risk, how many MoMs to be got to full term?, etc I knew I would be delivering at Magee and I knew that Magee has an outstanding NICU so that did make me feel comfortable. When they discovered the vasa previa, my OB sent me to a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor. I was placed under the care of the Magee MFM and still saw my OB. It is all about good care. I cant tell you how many posts I've seen on multiples message boards that say things like "well my doctor doesnt think I am high risk just because I am having twins", or "My OB doesnt think I need cervical checks". Having multiples is high risk and a patient should be treated as such. 50% of all multiples are delivered early(before 37 weeks) and the risk for preterm labor, pre-e, and other complications are higher when having multiples. Being high risk doesnt mean bedrest, it just means taking extra precautions.

-2 swings
This differs from mom to mom. We actually had 3 swings. Those swings were awesome when we were in total survival mode. Fiona wanted to be held and rocked all the time. I couldnt do it, it was physically draining and I needed to take care of Ashlyn as well. Swings were a lifeline.

-Miracle Blankets
Yes, they are more money than the average swaddling blanket but so worth the $. My girls loved to be swaddled and these blankets made them feel nice and secure and helped them sleep!

-Breast Pump
Even if you exclusively breastfeed and stay at home, chances are you will need to pump. I've only known 2 MoMs who didnt have supply issues. A pump can help boast your supply and create a freezer stash so someone else can handle a feeding

-Baby bjorn/sling/wrap/etc
I wore my girls for months, sometimes two at a time. I could wear them and walk around the house. It helps with bonding and soothing.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

2009-07-27T22:36:00.004-04:00

Ingredients-
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/2 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided

1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves

Marinate the chicken in dressing for a minimum of two hours

Heat up the grill and cover one half with tin foil.

Place chicken on uncovered portion of grill and cook on one side

At the same time, combine remaining dressing, cheese, basil, and tomato

Place chicken on tin foil covered side of grill, cooked side up, and top with the cheese tomato mixture. Close grill and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Serve with angel hair pasta

You can also cook this in pan. Simply cook on one side, flip over when done and then put on the cheese tomato mixture. Cover it with tin foil and cook.

Spinach & red pepper stuffed chicken

2009-07-27T21:54:00.002-04:00

Yummy and comes out to 4.5 points per piece

4 chicken breasts, sliced in half
1/4 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 jar red peppers, diced
2 eggs
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
garlic
salt
pepper
basil

Heat oven to 375
Beat 1 egg for an egg wash and set up your assembly line for dippng the chicken into egg wash and breadcrumbs.
Pound the chicken out to get nice thin pieces. Remember you are going to be stuffing and wrapping them.
In a bowl, combine the spinach, peppers, cheese, 1 egg and the spices. Mix all together. Place mixture on chicken pieces and roll them. You can use toothpick to secure the pieces and make sure the mixture doesnt leak out.
Dip the stuffed pieces into the egg wash and then into the breadcrumbs.
Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

WW friendly meatballs & meatball lasagna

2009-07-27T21:42:00.003-04:00

I make a big batch of the meatballs(recipes yields 48) and then save some for the lasagna. If you dont think the meatballs are seasoned enough after they are done, just throw some extra dried basil, garlic, S&P on top and bake for a few more minutes.

Mediterranean meatballs

Ingredients-r
1 jar roasted red peppers
whole wheat bread crumbs 1.5 cups
2 eggs
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 pounds 95% lean ground beef
Salt Pepper cumin Parsley garlic

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine 3/4 of a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped; 1-1/2 cups soft whole wheat bread crumbs (about 2 slices); 1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product (thawed) or 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1/3 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed; 1/4 cup snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1 tablespoon garlic. Add 2 pounds 95 percent lean ground beef; mix well.

Shape meat mixture into 48 meatballs.
Place meatballs in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
Bake about 30 minutes or until done (160 degrees F).
Reserved cooked meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I served the meatballs with some buttered white rice(brown for me) and a tomato wine sauce-

Sauce-
2 teaspoons Olive oil
1 cup Onion; finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic; minced
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Fennel; ground
1 teaspoon Dried oregano1 teaspoon Dried basil
⅓ cup Red wine
3 cups Canned tomatoes; undrained (28 oz)-I used tomato sauce instead of whole canned tomatoes
Salt and pepper; to taste
In a saucepan, warm the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, cover, and saute on very low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add fennel, oregano, and basil and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Whirl the tomatoes in a blender until just pureed and add to the pan. Cover the sauce and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Lasagna

Ingredients-
2 medium green sweet peppers, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
6 dried regular or whole wheat lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 of a 15-ounce container (3/4 cup) light ricotta cheese
1/4 cup soft goat cheese (chèvre) or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1-1/2 cups purchased light or low-fat tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 recipe cooked Mediterranean Meatballs (24)
Shredded fresh basil or small fresh basil or oregano leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place sweet pepper quarters, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until pepper quarters are charred. Wrap in the foil; let stand for 20 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, peel skins from pepper quarters. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.2.
Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.
For filling, in a small bowl, stir together 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, and the goat cheese or Parmesan cheese; set aside.
To assemble, spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer two of the cooked noodles in the dish. Arrange meatballs in a single layer on top of noodles in dish. Add two more of the cooked noodles. Top with the ricotta cheese mixture, spreading evenly. Arrange sweet pepper pieces over ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining cooked noodles. Spread the remaining pasta sauce over noodles.
Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs. Makes 8 servings, each serving is 6 points.

Giant chocolate chip cookie cake

2009-07-27T19:49:00.003-04:00

The recipe as written makes 7 layers, each being 8 inches. I decided to only make two layers and make them 12 inches. I used an extra large serving plate as a guide.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp Salt

6 Tbsp Butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed Light Brown Sugar

3/4 cup granulated Sugar

3 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

2 large Eggs, plus 2 Egg Yolks

3/4 cup Heavy Cream

3 cups Semisweet or Milk Chocolate Chips , I actually did 1 cup chocolate chips and 2 chips red & blue M&Ms

Frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and brown and granulated sugars into mixer bowl; mix on medium until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, eggs, and yolks. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the cream. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. For each of the 7 layers, drop 1 level cup batter onto center of a baking sheet lined with parchment (keep unbaked dough refrigerated). Spread batter with wet hands or a spoon into an 8-inch circle. Bake until edges are pale golden brown, about 8minutes. Remove from oven. Use offset spatula to reshape circle. Return to oven; bake until edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. Can be stored airtight up to 1 day.

Frosting

3.Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Spread onto 4 cookies. Stack cookies, placing unfrosted cookie on top. Refrigerate until frosting is set, at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Stuffed wonton wrappers

2009-07-27T17:43:00.003-04:00

This makes a great appetizer and can be tweaked in so many ways.

Ingredients
16 wonton wrappers
1 pound italian sausage
1 red pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Insert wonton wrappers into the muffin pan so as to form small cups. Bake 5 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow the baked wrappers to cool. Remove from the pan.

In a pan crumble the italian sausage and add the peppers & onions. Cook until sausage is done. add in the cheese and mix. Spoon the sausage mixture into the wonton cups, top with some additional cheese, and then put the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes. Serve Hot

Another variation-
1 pound sausage
1/2 pound crumbled bacon
1 cup blue cheese

Cook sausage and then mix in blue cheese & bacon. Place in wonton cups and bake.

Easy grilled shrimp marinate

2009-07-27T17:31:00.008-04:00

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached
skewers

Combine all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and then add shrimp. Let the shrimp marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. Place shrimp on skewers and grill.

6 servings, a serving is 10 points

Pesto

2009-07-27T17:16:00.004-04:00

Pesto is a great thing to have in your kitchen. You can toss it with pasta, use it to coat chicken or fish or use it on homemade pizza.

Ingredients-

2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 cups olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor; blend until well mixed. Add Salt & pepper to taste.

Stuffed Zucchini

2009-07-27T17:00:00.010-04:00

4 medium zucchini
1 medium onion, minced
1 can roasted red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 egg, beaten
2 thyme, sprigs
1/4-1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
3/4 lb lean ground beef (or chicken, turkey, fish, 1 can of tuna, or other veggies...you get the idea)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mozzarella cheese-amount varies according to your liking#

Steps-

1. Wash zucchini, and put in a pot of cold water (do not remove ends).

2.Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, maybe a little longer depending on the size of your zucchini.

3.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a fairly large skillet.

4.Sautee garlic first, then add onions, green pepper, thyme, and oregano.

5.When the veggies begin to soften, add ground meat (or whatever you are using), season with salt and pepper, and brown until cooked through.

6.Drain off any exess grease.

7.Set aside to cool slightly.

8.When the zucchini have cooked through, remove from water, and allow to cool enough to handle.

9.Slice cooled zucchini lengthwise, and scoop out center, leaving a little veggie flesh to form a boat.

10Mix ground meat mixture with the red peppers, and the scooped out zucchini (chopped), and the egg.

11.Fill the zucchini boats with the mixture, and top each with some cheese*I use low fat

12.Bake in a 375º oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through, and cheese begins to bubble and brown.

13.Serve hot

I used lean beef, skim cheese and this was a very WW friendly recipe. Each boat is 4 points.

Things are achanging...

2009-07-19T15:11:00.002-04:00

I've been talking about this in passing on FB and emails, so I decided to write a blog post about it. My husband and I are starting our own business. We will be working on developing and selling mobile applications, like games and tools, for cell phones/PDAs. Its been taking up a lot of time lately. We are working till the wee hours, after the girls are in bed, doing research, crunching numbers, etc.
Our goal is to have this be part time for a year and then evaluate our options at that point. Tony is still working at his regular job and I am still at home with the girls. It feels nice to use my education and dust off the old brain cells, but I cant get much done during the day. Its getting to the point where I have to get babysitters for a few hours so I can make calls, email, etc.
Its exciting and scary. While Tony hasnt quit his job as of now, it is a real possibility after the first year.
Just wanted to bring everyone up to speed.

This is a complete vent and somewhat TMI

2009-07-12T07:41:00.003-04:00

I know I havent been posting, but I've actually been toying with the idea of making this blog public again. Yeah I know, but my logic is that I dont even post much when it is private and I dont post many pictures either. I would really like to start posting my recipes and craft projects.

Well onto the vent. I feel like my body is my own worst enemy right now. My PCP and my OB both feel like I either have a tyroid issue or PCOS. I've had the bloodwork Rx for three months now and have yet to get the bloodwork done. It is not because of my lack of trying. I have no idea when my period will show up so it has been really really hard to plan, especially since I have to fast. The first month, my period was two weeks early and I didnt even have the bloodwork orders yet. The second month testing day fell on a sunday, no way to get bloodwork done on a sunday without a doctor's order-well I would've called my doctor if I had known but AF decided to show up a week earlier than the previous month's. Now we are into the 3rd time and once again my testing day falls on a sunday and AF is once again two weeks early.

I am seriously in tears with the whole situation. I will end up going to test tomorrow(Monday) and Tuesday but I am sure it will throw off the results since my cyccle usually lasts only 3-4 days. Prior to pregnancy, I was regular. I wasnt ovulating a lot but I was regular, but now there is no way to know.

Sorry if this is too TMI, but I know there are some readers out there who deal with irregular cycles. It not only messes with your body but then you worry about going swimming or wearing white or even trying to schedule a yearly exam with the OB.

Hopefully I will get answers soon.

My stress over the tests is totally impacting my dreams. I had a really vivid dream this week that I was in a lot of pain and ended up in the ER. In the ER, they did an ulrasound and concluded that I was hyperovulating, sans fertility meds apparently, and that I had a large number of mature follices( I hope I have the terms right) and that I was in risk of having higher order multiples if I got pregnant. I think my issues with my cycle were totally messing my mind when I went to bed that night. Crazy dreams.

Birthday round up

2009-06-18T18:42:00.008-04:00

Twins are hard. Twins who are cruising machines with Evil Knievel tendencies is even harder. That is my excuse as to why I am crappy blogger : )
My girls officially turned 1 on May 30th. We had a nice relaxed BBQ party to celebrate. I will never ever ever again have 30+ people over and try to grill for everyone. Next birthday party will be chicken fingers from chik fila!

I am finally focusing on decorating the house. We need to go decide on paint colors and I am trying to do things little by little. I really want to do something about our master bedroom. We cant afford new bedroom furniture right now, so our plan is to buy a new mattress and to make our own headboard!
This blog has great instructions and photos on how to make your own headboard. I also like the color she went with.
Ideally I would like to make a headboard that looks like this one-

I love the detail of the metal beads around the outside.
Here are some inspiration pictures-

Our bedroom has a cathedral ceiling and it is rather large. You would think having room would make it easy, but I am having a really hard time setting up everything to get a cozy feel. We are definitional going with brown, blue and silvers.

I suckkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

2009-05-13T12:55:00.008-04:00

March and April were crazy for me, so blogging was placed on the back burner. Now I have a few minutes, while the girls nap, so I decided to post an update.

April was busy busy busy. We moved and then three week after that we had my family in town. The girls were baptised(Yay!) so the whole clan came in for the special occasion.

Moving was horrible. It ws pouring that day, our moving truck got stuck in the mud, we almost missed our closing and our buyer was pretty close to not having funding! Yes, it was 4:22PM when her loan finally came through. She was a complete bitch throughout the process. I was kinda hoping that her funding wouldnt come through so we could withhold the keys from her.

All the headache was so worth it though, our new house is awesome. I love all the space but it is more keep up. The girls love the hardwood floors, makes for quick crawling.

As for the girls, they are doing so well. Fiona is cruising around on the furniture. Ashlyn is crawling and attempting to pull up. She doesnt seem like in a rush to walk, but who knows.

The girls at the March for Babies, the March of Dimes walk.

Quick update

2009-03-05T09:28:00.002-05:00

It feels odd to post about normal life after my last two entries. My heart still hurts for Brook and her husband. I cant imagine the pain they are experiencing.

As for life with our girls, I thank God every day for them. They are both crawling backwards and Fiona is working on going forward. It has really messed with the sleep in the house but they are so much fun right now. A lot of work but so much fun. The house is a mess though since we are trying to pack and get rid of junk, and I just feel like this is a pretty bad time to have two crawlers on my hands.

Yes, our house is officially sold, it only took $600 in totally unnecessary repairs. This is what happens when you hire a cheap, dont know what they are doing inspector. her inspector said our deck wasnt built right. Well we get our contractor involved, then our township, then the township zoning guy. Our deck was inspected THREE times while being built, township says deck is fine and safe Well what is her inspector going to do? say he was wrong? so we had to pay to re-enforce the deck. we decided to suck it up and do it because we couldnt take it anymore. Our buyer had us fighting for THREE days over $15, the lady is nuts.

Please pray

2009-02-23T23:05:00.002-05:00

It is with a very heavy heart that I am letting you know that little Sydney joined her sister in heaven tonight. Her parents were able to hold her as she passed. God has two new angels now and I am sure they are watching over their mommy and daddy. Please pray for Brook and her husband. I can only imagine their pain right now.

Please pray

2009-02-22T20:17:00.002-05:00

Some of you know the story about Carynne and Sydney, a beautiful set of twin girls who were diagnosed with a horrible disease called Werdnig Hoffman. Today Carynne lost her battle, she had just celebrated her four month birthday. Please pray for the family, it is beyond sad.

New House pictures!!

2009-02-20T22:29:00.017-05:00

I had planned on sending out Valentine's day cards but my camera was fighting with the computer, so my plans went down the drain. here are some pics though and I didnt pose them like that in the 2nd photo, sometimes they cuddle!

Doing some blog cleaning

2009-01-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

You will notice that many of my posts are gone. I deleted them. It seems that some of my blog postings about breastfeeding and some other topics ended up being C&Pd on some rather disgusting websites. Nothing I can do about them now, but I have deleted the posts. I am kinda freaked out. I will probably set the blog to private once I get the list together.
Its the internet so I know it is public but still, I thought my little blog would go unannounced but I guess not.

Send me an email on my yahoo account if you want access.

Dont worry, I'm still alive!

2009-01-27T08:58:00.002-05:00

All is well here in NY Gal land. We've sold our house! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! Now we are just waiting on the inspection report and everything that goes with that. We also need to find a new house. This is proving to be a difficult task. I will summarize everything once we are done and provide pictures of some of the *ahem* lovely homes we saw.

Chicken Pot Pie. Chicken and Dumplings

2008-11-24T08:14:00.007-05:00

This cold weather calls for some comfort food!

Chicken Pot Pie(Original recipe in black, my changes in Red)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed(I used a mix of leftover roasted chicken and some canned chicken)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery(left this out, added potatoes instead)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 unbaked pie crusts(I used deep dish premade pie crust)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.(I used chicken broth instead of water)
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. ( I read some reviews that said the pie was dry with the amount of gravy made from the original recipe. To make sure I didnt have this problem, I doubled the gravy and I also added garlic powder, sage, salt, pepper, and some paprika. If you have poultry seasoning, that would work well. )
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. (I mixed the gravy and the chicken/veggies before pouring into the deep dish pie crusts. I think this really helped)
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings(Original recipe in black, my changes in Red)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves(I put them in frozen)
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup(I use one can of cream of mushroom and one can cream of chicken)
1 onion, finely diced
Potatoes
1 can of mixed veggies
Poultry Seasonings(Garlic Salt, Pepper, sage, paprika,celery salt)
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces(I used one can-see note at bottom))

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion( and Potatoes) in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover. (I love me some chicken broth, so that is what I used instead of water)
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. ( I add my biscuits about an hour before serving. I also take the chicken out and shredded it and this is when I add the can of mixed veggies)
Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

You have to tweak this recipe to suit your taste. We like our chicken and dumplings thick and stew like. Some people like it more on the soup side. If you like it more like soup, play with the amount of water/chicken broth.
If you want leftovers, dont use all your biscuit dough. The dumplings do not keep well. I just save some dough(dont use the whole can) and make fresh dumplings when we eat the leftovers. You dont have to use premade dough either. This would also work with fresh dough, I just like the premade dough as a time saver.

Non crockpot version
My beloved crockpot is no longer with us so last night I made this recipe on the stove top.
Cook onion in butter. Add soups, chicken(still used frozen), potatoes,water/broth(about 3 cups), and seasonings and let it simmer for 1.5 hours.
After that time, shred the chicken and throw in the mixed veggies. Let it cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, bring to a boil and throw in the biscuit dough. Turn it down to a simmer and cook it for 20 minutes.

Weekly Menu

2008-11-03T11:53:00.008-05:00

Cheesesteak sandwiches and Onion straws
Onion Straws(recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman Cooks)

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone.
Eat before your family sees them.
Repeat with another onion, because they’ll be really mad they didn’t get any.

Porcupine meatballs and rice:
1 egg
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup instant rice(you can also use leftover rice)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Lightly beat egg with a fork, then add a heaping tablespoon of the soup and mix lightly. Mix in rice, onion, parsley, onion salt and pepper. Stir in the ground beef and mix well with hands. From mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs.

Coat a large skillet over medium heat with cooking spray. Cook meatballs and brown on all sides.
Combine remaining soup with Worcestershire (you can increase or decrease Worcestershire to your liking), stir until smooth, then spoon over meatballs. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Fried Chicken and Mac n Cheese:
Fried Chicken recipe from Alton Brown
1 broiler/fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cups low fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Flour, for dredging
Vegetable shortening, for frying

Place chicken pieces into a plastic container and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Melt enough shortening (over low heat) to come just 1/8-inch up the side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet or heavy fry pan. Once shortening liquefies raise heat to 325 degrees F. Do not allow oil to go over 325 degrees F.

Drain chicken in a colander. Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Liberally season chicken with this mixture. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

Place chicken skin side down into the pan. Put thighs in the center, and breast and legs around the edge of the pan. The oil should come half way up the pan. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, approximately 10 to 12 minutes per side. More importantly, the internal temperature should be right around 180 degrees. (Be careful to monitor shortening temperature every few minutes.)

Drain chicken on a rack over a sheet pan. Don't drain by setting chicken directly on paper towels or brown paper bags. If you need to hold the chicken before serving, cover loosely with foil but avoid holding in a warm oven, especially if it?s a gas oven.

Southwestern egg rolls:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half(I use canned chicken for these)
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 quart oil for deep frying(I bake mine, dont need the extra fat)

Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.
Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

My Omnivore's 100

2008-11-02T19:30:00.004-05:00

My Omnivore's 100
A British foodie site has come up with a list of what it calls The Omnivore's 100 -- a hundred foods that everyone should try at least once in their life. I've posted the list with the foods from it that I've tried in boldface. How do you fare? I have to say that a few of my favorite items are on this list. I love black pudding, oxtail, and dirty water dogs aka hot dog from a street vendor are a MUST whenever I go back to NY.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Biscotti and cupcakes

2008-10-01T08:52:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I channeled my inner June Cleaver and I baked my little heart out. Granted I didnt do it while wearing a poofy skirt and pearls, but I think any 1950s homemaker would be proud of me.
Betty Ann(Mother In Law) brought us some fresh apples on Sunday so I needed to do something with them. Yes, I did have some as God intended but I also thought that I could make a yummy dessert with them. Now, I hate apple pie. Yep, I do. I know, I am just a commie but I cant stand the mushy apples. If you gave me the choice between a slice of the world's best apple pie and a fresh apple, I would go with the apple. Ya know what is funny, I actually make a decent apple pie. Anyway I was looking for something different so I thought that apple cupcakes would be a good way to go. I turned to my friend Martha(you may know her as Martha Stewart) and decided to use her apple cupcake recipe.

Apple Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups coarsely shredded apples, such as Macintosh (about 1 3/4 pounds)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. -Now, in my great wisdom, I had packed away my kitcheaide mixer. DUMB MOVE, so I ended up using a hand mixer. If you use a hand mixer, the butter and sugar will mix and end up sand like rather than a creamy mix. I just used the hand mixer for 5 minutes and then creamed them together with a spoon for 1-2 minutes.
Mix in eggs and vanilla.Reduce speed to low; mix in apples.
Add flour mixture; mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until just combined.
Fill lined cups halfway with batter; bake until tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from tins; let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, frost cupcakes.

Now my dear friend Martha recommends cream cheese frosting and I like that pairing but hubby hates it. I asked him what he wanted on top of these cupcakes and his reply was "cinnamon frosting". Okayyyyyyyyyyy never heard of it but he threw down the culinary gauntlet so I needed to answer. A quick Google search yielded a great recipe. I frosted half the cupcakes with the traditional cream cheese and the other half with a cinnamon-honey buttercream.
Frosting

Cinnamon-Honey buttercream frosting
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
*Frosting recipe from the Serious Eats blog

I also made biscotti yesterday. Biscotti is easy plus I wanted to do a trial run of some recipes. I've signed up with Operation Baking Gals to help bake goodies for a solder overseas. I decided that biscotti would be a great idea so I wanted to tweak my recipes before I go ahead and bake dozens upon dozens.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti*
Ingredients
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions
Combine butter, sugar and eggs, mixing well.
Beat in vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients.
Add to egg mixture.
Add chocolate chips.
Batter will be very stiff and sticky.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
With floured hands, divide the dough in 2 loaves about 12 inches long (like French bread).
Place loaves on 10 x 14 inch sheet, leaving at least 3 inches between.
Flatten each loaf slightly, evenly. DONT FLATTEN TOO MUCH! This is important.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or firm to the touch.
Remove.
Cool slightly; lower oven to 375 degrees.
While still warm, slice loaves in diagonal slices, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.
Arrange on ungreased sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until firm.
Do not brown, you dont want the chips to burn.

Once mine were cooled, I coated one side in chocolate...oh yeah, I went there!

Pictures are forth coming. It took me 3 hours to write this short blog entry, the two babies are just so demanding, ya know.

Meal Planning!

2008-09-30T10:08:00.004-04:00

Do you write out your weekly menus? Well I do. I like to be organized plus it saves time and money. I use to do it by days but now I just come up with a list of meals and the ingredients needs. I am flexible with the days. I just started planning two weeks in advance. Obviously, there is some flexibility and the menu gets put off for a day. Last night we ended up at eatnpark after a quick run to the grove city outlets at 7pm(dont ask, long story) but I had made the chicken anyway so we will have it tonight. Here is what I have planned for the next two weeks-
Chicken fingers, texas toast, fries and gravy
Korean BBQ beef with rice-it is pre-marinated from trader joes, quick and yummy.
Fajitas
Beef Stew
Chicken and bacon calzones
chicken spaghetti
BBQ chicken with corn
tomato cheesy chicken with pasta-Chicken, diced tomatoes, mozzerella cheese, and some basil. So easy and so darn yummy.
Baked Chicken Breasts with Parmesan Garlic Crust
Chinese BBQ pork with noodles
French onion soup
ham steak with skillet potatoes

We will obviously eat out a few times or have leftovers but it is nice to have all the ingredients on hand. I even have frozen bread dough for the french onion soup.
I made a zebra cake the other day and it was good, but needs tweaking. I also plan on making chocolate chip biscotti and apple cupcakes. We have fresh apples from a local orchard and I dont want to go to waste.

Cat Poem

2008-09-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

Oh poor kitty of the basement

You don’t seem comfortable here

Are you used to a larger futon bed?

I was unaware they had futon beds in the woods, but

I am sorry our humble abode isn’t to your liking. I wish our futon bed was bigger. I know a 10lb cat needs lots of space.

Oh you don’t like the water in the water dish? I am sorry you find the need to sit in my kitchen sink and lick the faucet. I am sure the rainwater and mud in the woods are far superior to the water in your water dish. I apologize once again.

I am so happy that you found my bedroom and it is music to my ears to hear you crying for food at 5am.

I am sure you miss living on bugs and that the meow mix is mere garbage. You have such a sophisticated palette afterall.

Oh kitty of the basement, I am so sorry you seem to hate it here. I know I deserved your punishment of digging through our clean and folded laundry and leaving a coating of white fur. It was such a just punishment for our shortcomings.