Not really about food or books... (Steph)

I know this has nothing to do with food, or reading books, but I thought I would share our copy of the family portrait we took while we were all together on Christmas.

You know how the first time we didn't get Dorthy?  Well, this time it looks like we didn't get Bridget.  I would have said, "let's do it again," but I don't think Dad would have gone for it.  He gets so testy when someone makes him get his picture taken. :)

Despite this oversight, I think they turned out pretty good.

p.s. Mel has them on her blog as well.

Granola Bars with hidden stuff (Mom)

Charles and Sarah tend to run out the door before they can get something to eat for breakfast.  They don't mind granola and granola bars, so I had been buying them.  The cost of those little granola bars was beginning to mount, especially when to feel satified you have to eat 2 or 3 of them.  So I began to look for some granola bars to make at home.  I came across a few of them, some you bake; some  you don't and I began to experiment.  They all have oats and peanut butter which is fine.  Some other ones had different kinds of cereal and nuts and such.  Here's what I have come up with, combining a few recipes together.

Granola Bars
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted ( butter works best)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
3 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
The following ingredients are optional:
     1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
     1/4 cup coconut
     1/4 cup raisins
     1/4 cup dried cranberries
     1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla.  Stir in the flour, oats, rice cereal, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and sesame seeds.  Fold in any or all of the optional ingredients.
Press into a 9x13 pan that has been oiled or sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.  Check at 15 and don't over bake.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.  Cut into bars while still kind of warm.  When cooled, remove from pan and store in a tin or plastic container.

(Originally, there was no flour in the recipe but I was watching  the create channel and one of the chefs put flour in her cereal bars.  It helps to keep the bars together-acts as a binder.)

I took some to the hospital when Bridget was born last week for Tim and Mel to munch on.  I think Mel ate most of them, so I was making some more the other night when they were here, and forgot the rice cereal.  I told Tim that I had.  He said "What other stuff do you hide in the granola bars?"  Therefore, the hidden stuff.

It's been a while (Mom)

So it has been a while since I put a post in.  I haven't been reading as much lately, but I do go in spurts. Always have.  I haven't been very successful at cooking lately either.  I have needed a new stove for some time now.  Chris, as great a repairman as he is, just couldn't fix the old one this time.  The oven controls just stopped working.  Chris looked at it (suffering from back pain on a Sunday) which I do appreciate, and tried to fix it.  They just don't make the parts for it any more it was so old. We determined that after almost 22 years we really should get a new one.  So began the quest.  Chris was more earnest at it than I was.  After all, I had an excuse not to cook.  Not that I don't enjoy it, I just like a break once in a while.   So he shopped a while, determined where the best deal would be and where we could get the best warranty.  We ended up a Lowe's because they were offering 18 months interest free and they had the best warranty available.   I got a black Frigidaire gas range, with 5 burners (yes, FIVE) and a 5.0 cu.ft. oven.  The top is closed so no yuckies underneath.  It is electronic ignition so no  pilots to go out.  It is self cleaning so no having to clean the oven the old fashioned way.  There is a window and a light  for the oven and it is BEAUTIFUL.  It was delivered yesterday and Chris hooked it up last night. I almost hated to use it but I did this morning to fry an egg for breakfast.  It is great!

"Egg"cellent Egg Trick (Steph)

Have you ever made a hard-cooked egg and when you go to peel it half of the egg falls apart?  Have you ever wondered, "why can't the shell just come off clean?  Why do my hard-cooked eggs always turn out so ugly?"  Well, I have wondered those "egg"xact same words (I'll throw as many egg puns as I can in this post, I promise) and while I have wondered it, I haven't actively searched to find an answer, mostly because things "egg"xit  (see) my brain as quickly as I can think them. So my answer came a little un"egg"spectedly. (didn't see that one coming did you?)

One day while watching (but not understanding) the Japanese channel, there was a "how-do-they-make-it?" type show on and it was about a place where they made lots of hard-boiled eggs that they packaged and sold to stores or something like that.  Kevin's mom was translating while we watched and they had a couple of tips on how to have a perfect hard-cooked egg. But first, lets take a look at the basic structure of a chicken egg.

Fairly simple and probably not anything you didn't know before.  Apparently the key to hard-cooked eggs that peel easily is to separate the membrane from the white while cooking. Makes sense.  One way this show suggested was to use older eggs when boiling.  Over time, the membrane inside the egg breaks down naturally and therefore will peel easier when cooked.  But how do you tell when your eggs are old enough without being too old? Yeah, my thoughts "egg"xactly.  It's hard to know.  A second way to separate the membrane from the white is to crack the "bottom" (or as the illustration shows, the "top") of the egg where the air sack is located before boiling the eggs.  The air sack allows the shell to be broken without egg oozing out, but the membrane allows the water to travel through it. The membrane then separates from the cooked white, making for slick egg peeling.

Naturally, I had to try this method out for myself.  I have used the "shell cracking" method on a couple of different occasions and it has worked beautifully for me.  So, the next time you've got a hankerin' for a smoothly peeled, hard-cooked egg give it a try.

Doughnuts (Mel)

As I was standing over my sink devouring a piece of cold chicken like a ravenous beast, I though to myself, I should really make some doughnuts today. Okay I know that if Tim reads this he'll get all sicked out cause I was eating cold chicken. Get over it honey, I've done it since I was a kid and I'll do it until I die, which incidentally, will probably be sooner than later if I keep eating cold fried chicken.:) Secondly, I only thought about the doughnuts because yesterday I really wanted to make some and I found a really quick really easy recipe for Old Fashioned cake doughnuts, which are my FLAVORITE!!! See? It's like flavor and favorite together??? Sigh anyways if you would like to try to make doughnuts, like I am going to TRY and make doughnuts, here is the recipe:

FAST AND EASY OLD FASHION DOUGHNUT
4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix all together, roll and cut with doughnut cutter. Deep fry until brown.
Delicious plain, or coat with sugar and cinnamon.
Today though I'm doing half the recipe, because really do I need 2 dozen doughnuts just laying around my house with only me and Riley at home? No, I don't think so, remember how i was eating cold chicken? For  breakfast, over the sink cause I didn't want to dirty a dish? Yeah two dozen or more doughnuts around the house are NOT a good idea. Here's some pictures of my doughnut endeavor:

 The Beginnings

 The Holes

 What makes doughnuts delicious in the first place.:)

 I think they turned out okay. We'll see when the taste tester gives them a try.

 The finished product. I burned the last couple...oops.:)

Riley LOVED them she thought they were pretty good even though I did burn some and the Crisco made them smell like eggs. Not really appetizing for me, but fun to do nonetheless!

Chili, fun and the Halloween Tree (Mom)

I have to say that I really love, Love, LOVE reading the posts on this blog.  I think it is so fun  to share with each other.  Our chili night was so much fun.  I like doing things like that.  Maybe because it makes it more fun for me.  I don't have to plan it all. 
I made so much chili that didn't get eaten that I was able to freeze some for later.  Maybe if we get a good snow in the near future,we can go sledding then come home for chili and hot cocoa. 
I would share my recipe for the wheat chili, but I kind of make it up as I go along.  I usually cook the wheat in the slow cooker before hand and then add it in along or instead of the meat.  Other than the wheat, I just make it like regular chili.
All of the chilis were so good. I loved the cookies and the corn muffins.  Both of those added to the fun of the night.  Let's not forget this and do it again some time.  Just a reminder, our Iron Chef is coming up in February or March so we need to think about what we want for our special ingredient. 
I decided that I wanted to read the Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury for Halloween.  I went looking on a couple of book websites, and found a hard copy for not too much, so I ordered two.  I read it quickly, and loved it.  I loaned one book to Steph and the other to Mel.  While on the website, I was able to order the animated movie too.  It was made for TV in 1994.  Leonard Nimoy does the voice of the main character and Ray Bradbury himself narrarates it.  I think it is just loosely based on the book, but still a nice show for the Halloween season.  If you would like to read the book or watch the movie, just let me know.

Roasted Pepper and Pepper Jack Corn Muffin Recipes (Steph)

Since I didn't take any pictures of our chili cook-off the other night, I might as well share the recipes I used for the food we brought.

Roasted Pepper Chili

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion (2 large)
1 large Bell Pepper
1 Anaheim Chili Pepper
1 Jalapeno Pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15 ounce can beans (kidney, black, pinto)
    (I used one can pinto and one can black)
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 Tbsp Chili powder
1 tsp dried basil (I didn't have basil, so I used dried parsley instead)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Roast peppers under broiler until dark and blistered.  Place in bowl and cover 5-10 minutes. Remove skins and seeds; dice. In dutch oven, brown ground beef then add onion, roasted peppers and garlic.  Cook until onion is tender.  Stir in beans , tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, basil, and black pepper .  Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point, I usually put it in the slow cooker to keep it cooking until dinner time.  Serve with sour cream and/or cheese.


Pepper Jack Corn Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 to 3 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture and stir until just moistened.  Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, filling each two-thirds of the way full.  Bake at 400 15 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.

Just a note: I doubled this recipe, so I used 1 cup shredded cheese.  I don't think it was enough cheese, so next time I think I'll bump it up to 3/4 or 1 cup of cheese per batch.  Also, I thought that the corn muffins were still a little dry for my taste, so next time maybe I'll add some sour cream or something???

As for the bookin', Mom lent me one of her copies of "The  Halloween Tree" and I've read the first couple of chapters.  I want to read it aloud to Kevin, but when I brought up the idea, he wasn't too hot on it.  I'll let you know what I think when I'm done.  I know we watched the cartoon all the time when we were kids, but honestly, I can't remember most of it.  All I remember it the part where they eat the candy skulls and I thought it was cool, but kind of freaky at the same time.  

Chili Cookoff 2010, continued (Dorthy)

Mel and Sarah started off the night decorating cookies Mel and Steph made earlier last week.  I, of course, had to muscle in on the action because I have a habit of doing that sort of thing (just let me finish that knitting for you....Sorry, guys. I'm trying to be better.)

Some of my favorites included Frankenstein's monster,

witch's boots,

and cute little owls.

Tim and Rory talked some sports before dinner, since their wives wouldn't let them play video games.

 And here are Steph's yummy pepper jack corn muffins.

Before we sat down to eat, Mom brought out some little cups so we could taste a little bit of each of the different chilis.  Everybody's was really good and a few people ended up mixing a couple different kinds in their bowl so they didn't have to choose just one.  For some reason, I didn't think to take pictures of the actual entries, but Mel had that covered, so we're good.

After dinner we played Hedbanz, as Mel said earlier.  It was a lot of fun and even Abi got in on the action.

Here's my recipe for Sweet 'n' Tangy Chili, as Mel has dubbed it.  Ror and I kind of made it up as we went along, so some measurements are guesstimates.

1 lb stew meat (I used part of a bottom round roast)
1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalepenos, diced

1 small can tomato paste

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 can of beef broth

2 cans diced tomatoes (we used the kind with green chiles in them)

1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar, to taste.

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper, to taste

In dutch oven, sear meat.  Remove meat and set aside.  Saute onion until translucent, then add garlic and jalepeno.  Saute a few more minutes.  Add tomato paste and seasonings, allow paste to carmelize a little.  Add beef broth, diced tomatoes and brown sugar.  Stir in meat and beans.  Let simmer until meat is tender (we let ours go about 4 hours).  Serve with your favorite chili toppings.  We like lime juice and a little Tabasco.

Chili Cookoff 2010 (Mel)

Sunday was the second Annual Schmidt Family Cookoff and I have to say I'm surprised Mom or Steph hasn't jumped on posting about it before now. Dorthy will probably add to mine, she took a lot more pictures than I did, so she probably should, but lets get to the chili

 Mel and Tim's "Ghost" White Chili, in light of the "fall"iday (thanks for that new phrase Dorthy, I'll be using that a lot!) I didn't intentionally post this picture first it just sort of happened that way.

 Steph and Kevin's Roasted Red Pepper Chili. They also made yummy cornbread muffins with pepper jack cheese in them. They were good, and that's saying something cause I don't usually like cornbread!

 Mom's Wheat Chili in front, Charles' Loaded Chili to the left and Dorthy and Rory's Sweet n' Tangy Chili in the back. Yeah I know you all like those names, so feel free to use them on your recipe cards.:)

 We played games Headbandz and I think they played Cranium, but I was watching a movie with a screaming baby so, I didn't get to play.

 We also frosted Halloween Cookies cause I wanted to and when people saw what we were doing they HAD to be apart of it. But I think they turned out pretty good.

More games. Riley thought she needed to be on someone's lap all the time all night long. It got a little aggravating and special note, this is the first picture I have seen that Charles isn't suffocating Amber! Way to Go! All in all I think we all had a pretty good time even without video games (boys) another successful third Sunday dinner with little to no blood shed. We're getting better!

French Fries: The Easy Way? (Steph)

The other day I was over at Mom and Dad's house and I was watching America's Test Kitchen with Mom, since the "Create" channel is one of the only ones that comes in on Mom and Dad's TV.  They were making burgers and fries.  The burgers were made of sirloin that they ground themselves and after they were cooked they served them on potato rolls with cheese and onion.  While that sounded good, I would have made more of a salad on mine.  I like the veggies.  The fries were the really interesting part.  They called them "Easier French Fries" and here's the recipe from their website:

• 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed, dried, sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch batons
• 6 cups peanut oil
• 1/4 cup bacon fat , strained (optional)
•   Kosher salt

1. Combine potatoes, oil, and bacon fat (if using) in large Dutch oven. Cook over high heat until oil has reached rolling boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes are limp but exteriors are beginning to firm, about 15 minutes.
2. Using tongs, stir potatoes, gently scraping up any that stick, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Seems easy enough and they said that they turned out super crispy and not greasy at all.  I though it was interesting and that one day I would have to try it for myself.  I had no idea that day would come so quickly.

The other night, I had come home not long after Kevin did from work and the dreaded question of "what's for dinner" inevitably came up.  Of course I had nothing planned and the pantry was running low and payday wasn't for another week.  I had to whip something up with what we had already.  In the freezer there was a couple of corn dogs and chicken nuggets and quick food like that, so I got out what was in there and preheated the oven.  Then I thought, "what can I serve with this stuff?"  You got it: french fries.  And since I didn't have any in the freezer, I though about making my own using the crazy new technique I saw on America's Test Kitchen.

I only had russet potatoes, so I figured they would have to do, and I only had veg oil. I used about a pound of potatoes and only covered them with oil, I didn't really measure.  Other than that I followed the instructions provided in the recipe.  I was so easy and it worked like a dream.  They were delicious and not greasy at all.

The other night I was at Mom and Dad's house and was raving about how well these fries worked.  I wanted to prove it, so we whipped up a batch, but in larger quantity.  It didn't work as well and I think the reason was that either the pot was too crowded, or we didn't use enough oil.  My suggestion would be that if you are going to cook more than 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, you probably want to do more than one batch.  Also, a non-stick pan makes life a lot easier.

Here's the link to the website, the also have the scientific explanation as to why it works so well, though you may have to register.  It's free, just click no to the magazine offers.

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=19884&extcode=M**ASCA00

Conference Breakfast (Dorthy)

Since Conference is kind of like a holiday for us, Rory and I decided we would do a special breakfast on Sunday morning.  We did a baked french toast from the Lion House cookbook (we do have other cookbooks, promise:)).  You put it together the night before and let the bread soak up the egg mixture overnight, so it's good if you like eggy french toast.  Rory likes the version that has apples and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, so we did a small pan of that kind for those that wanted it.  There is a carmel sauce that the Lion House serves it with, but we cheated and just used storebought.  It's also good with maple syrup.  With hash browns, fruit, sausage and bacon, it was a filling breakfast and a nice way to start Sunday morning.

I actually finished a book last week.  I read the first of the Farworld series by J. Scott Savage titled "Water Keep".  I was a little slow getting into it, but about halfway through, I found it went a lot faster.  I like this author's writing style.  There are supposed to be four books in the series, but there's only two out right now.  I'm about halfway through the second in the series.  Chris gave Steve a book that's just come out by the same author called "The Fourth Nephite".  Steve finished in two days, so after I'm done with "Land Keep", I think I'll read that next.

Finished another 'Tween series (mom)

I have now finished another series that was recommened by Justin.  This one is Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo et al series.  It is about a boy who is raised in Oklahoma by some really awful people so by the time he is 14 he is ready to leave.  It just so happens that he is the only one who can save the Land of Foo, a place where the dreams of mankind are taken and worked so that they can be fulfilled.  It has many magical creatures but over the years evil has worked its way in.  Leven is watched over by  Clover, a sycophant, who is a special creature from Foo who works with humans who are taken mistakenly to Foo.  Leven is also watched over by a tree named Geth,  originally a Lithen (who was changed into a seed), an ancient race of beings that live in Foo.  He meets Winter, a nit (a human taken to Foo) who volunteers to come back as a baby to be raised by a self-centered mother.  They all get together and go to Foo through a special gateway that Leven's grandfather built.  They have to destroy the gateway after they go through so none of the evil entities are able to get to our world or Reality.  Too Late! Something already did.
Once in Foo, Leven has adventures, makes alot of mistakes that seem to eventually work out, and becomes a warrior for goodness against an evil being set to mesh Foo and Reality together.  As Leven travels through Foo he gains wisdom and grows in stature.  He learns to trust that things will work out as they are supposed to and the importance of choosing good friends.
I really enjoyed reading all 5 books.  I read the first two and becuse we didn't have the others went out and bought the other three.  I finished them this morning and didn't want it to end.  If you like fantasy, you would like this.  It is tween book, so pretty easy to read.
Now you may be wondering when I had time to read 5 books.  Well, I have to say that not much has gotten done around here.  I have stayed up way too late reading and haven't kept up very well on my household duties.  I haven't worked much in the last couple of weeks, but I still have peaches that need to be done and tomatoes that are on the vine to be picked.  I need to get a few things done before I begin another adventure.
Steph was saying that she really didn't want to read any more tween books, so I thought that for the month of October maybe we could read something from Tony Hillerman.  He is mystery writer that bases his stories in the southwest.  Or maybe something that has to do with Halloween.  Or even Columbus.   It is also breast cancer awareness month and we all have been touched by that disease, maybe we could find something that has to do with that.
So where are all of the other blogs -hmmm?  I look forward to reading them!

First annual Chili Cook off

So  it is official!  We will be having our own Chili cook off at  our third sunday dinner this month.  (That is October 17 th).  Be looking for a new or old recipe to try.  I'll make some too along with some bread bowls and we will have all the fixin's for chili.  Anyone who wants to make some can, just be sure you write the recipe down so we can put them on the blog.  Ready, get set, cook!

How about Brownies and a book? (mom)

Last Friday, Steph, Mel and I took the babies and went to Grandma H's house to give her a perm.  When we got there, she was in the process of making some zucchini brownies from a recipe in the newspaper.  I needed to start on her perm right away because she had to leave at three and we had arrived late due to traffic. It always takes so long to get out of the valley.  Anyway, she asked Steph to finish what she had started.  The recipe turned out more like cake than brownie.  So, yesterday it was Sarah's turn to host a team dinner and I decided to find a recipe for zucchini brownies.  This is what I came up with.  I modified a zucchini bar receipe into a brownie recipe.  It turned out wonderful and yummy!  Try it!
Zucchini Brownies
In a large mixing bowl, cream the following ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cup sugar
2 cup zucchini, grated ( I peeled it because it was older.  Younger zucchini doesn't need to be peeled.)
In another bowl, combine
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Use a whisk to combine these well.  Add to the wet ingredients. Don't over mix.  Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 *.  Be sure to set your timer so you don't over bake. Cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Brownie Frosting
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup softened margarine
1/3 cup boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Add butter, vanilla and enough boiling water to mix together.  If more water is needed, add a spoonfull at a time until it becomes spreading consistency.  Frost cooled brownies.  It is yummy for zucchini.

I finished the latest book I was reading.  The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke was originally written in German and translated to English about the same time that the first Harry Potter came out.  It is set in Venice, Italy in  modern day.  It is about 2 young boys who have run away from their relatives because they are not nice people.  The two boys are taken in by a group of street children and adventure begins.  There is a detective, intrigue, and magic in the book.  It wasn't a really hard read.  I enjoyed it even though it was hard for me to get into at first.  You have to get through the first few chapters to meet all of the characters.  I did find that I liked the main characters.  I would have to say that if you want a quick read with adventure this is it.

Let Them Eat Cake

We've had two birthdays within the past three days, so we've had a lot of cake.  On Friday, we celebrated Steve's dad's birthday and I made a cake.  I did a yellow cake from scratch with a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, as well as a butter frosting.  I divided the cake batter between my two 1/4 size baking sheets.  One of them had parchment on the bottom so I could turn out the layer, while I left the other layer in the pan.  I spread the one in the pan with frosting, then turned the other layer topside down and frosted that.   My cake decorating skills need some practice, but this is how it turned out.

I pressed sprinkles into the sides, in case the picture doesn't show it too well.  The cake turned out kind of dry and tough, I think I beat the batter a little too long.  Never the less, Rowan thinks he needs a piece everytime we pass it.

Today, it was Chris's birthday and she requested the Chocolate Cream Cake from the Lion House Classics cookbook.  It's a devil's food cake (from a mix) layered with stabilized whip cream, which has gelatin in it.  It's frosted with a chocolate frosting, the recipe for which is also in the book.  Everything was going beautifully: the layers baked perfectly, I was able to cut them without any problem, the whip cream and the frosting went together flawlessly.  I didn't have any problems until I tried to frost the cake.  The stupid frosting wouldn't spread and I was loosing my cool since we were going into Granny's for dinner and the time to leave was fast approaching.  I yelled at the cake and at Rory (poor guy).  The layers were sliding and the cream was oozing out from in between them.  Just when it was time to leave, I took a deep breath, and had a "duh" moment.  My frosting was WAY too thick.  It was just right when I made it, but it sat for a while since the cake wasn't quite cool.  I scraped what I could salvage off the cake and added some more milk.  It went on like a dream, although I was in a hurry so I was slopping chocolate frosting everywhere.  I put some of the extra cream in a pastry bag and piped a shell border around the top and bottom.

Chris said it was just what she wanted.

I did have one more little issue.  When I added more milk, I added just a hair too much, and then the car was warm, so the frosting was kind of running off the sides and pooling around the bottom of the cake.  I just scraped it off after putting it in the fridge for a little bit, then added the border.

Lately, I haven't been able to make a cake without having some issue.  Most of you probably know about Rowan's birthday cake.  I was tired and in a hurry, but I wanted to do a cake from scratch.  When I pulled it out of the oven,  it looked like it had fallen, but not really.  I'm not sure how to explain it.  We decorated  it and went on with the festivities.  The cake was good, but different.  It was really rich, dense and moist, which was great, because a lot of chocolate cakes (as this was) seem dry to me.  A few days later I went back and looked at the recipe and discovered where I deviated from the instructions.  It called for 3/4 cup butter, but, as I said, I was tired, so I saw 3/4 and thought, "Well, there are four sticks of butter in a box, I should use three sticks".  It made perfect sense to me at the time, but that's TWICE the amount of butter!  No wonder it was good.

I think my favorite cake mistake is one Steph actually made.  She posted the incident on her blog.  She is such a good sport to share it with the rest of us.

Just a little thought (Mom)

As most of you know, I have been getting some fashion magazines due to a misunderstanding that happened about 9 months ago.  Well tonight I was looking at the Elle, 25 anniversary mag, before I throw it into the recycle and they had a section in there with women modeling clothing.  Now most of the women were actresses or daughters of famous people but there were some who were actually bloggers and NYC scenesters.  So where do you sign up for that job and what would the qualification be?  Hmmmm.
Oh, to make this legal post, I have started to read the Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.  So far  so good.  I'll let you know when I'm finished with it.

Tips for around the house (Mom)

If you keep up with Melanie's blog, you know that I like tips that are so you don't have to spend money on specialty cleaning items if you don't want to.  I just got a few more that I wanted to share.
MAKE FURNITURE NEW AGAIN:  Need to repair a scratch or blemish on varnished furniture?  Rub the area with cooking oil and a soft cloth.  To color in nicks or scratches in wood stained furniture, cabinets and trim, rub the area with a pecan nut (they will be very available soon for the holiday season).  The oil of the nut Will "re stain" the wood.  If your wood furniture has a water stain, simply rub mayo on the stain and let it sit over night.  wipe off the may in the morning and the finish will be restored.  COOL!
SHARPEN SCISSORS: To sharpen a dull pair of scissors, cut through a sheet of sandpaper a couple of times.  They'll be like new!  ( I don't know about fabric scissors, but I would try it on paper cutting scissors.)
REATTACH LOOSE KNOBS:  When putting loose knobs back on drawers, dip the screws in clear fingernail polish or shellac before resetting them.  This will help the knobs stay tight much longer.  ( I've done that with wood glue before.
SPARKLING CLEAN MIRRORS:  Your bathroom mirror won't fog up if you clean it with canned shaving cream... and it will stay streak free!  (Charles was asking me about that the other day, if there was product that would make it so the mirrors wouldn't fog up.  I told him there was, because we had some once.  Shaving cream is much more accessible and affordable)
NO MORE REFRIGERATOR ODOR:   To remove odors cause by spoiled food in your refrigerator, place a few crumpled brown paper bags into the back of the refrigerator, changing them with fresh ones whenever the bags begin to smell.  In no time, the bags will have absorbed all of the odor.
SHINY SHOWER DOORS:  Keep shower doors shiny and clear by using a soft cloth moistened with baby oil.  The baby oil prevents build up from dirt and soap, and keeps hard water spots from forming for several months.  ( I used to do this a long time ago, but for some reason stopped.  Make sure your surfaces are really clean, then put the oil on.  It works well on shiny shower tiles too.)
Now you're thinking but this is a cooking or book blog not tips, well I got these from a cooking magazine and thought I would share them!

The bookin' side (Mom)

We hadn't decided on a book yet, so I thought I would blog about the two books I have read in the last week. Melanie had recommended and brought over The Looking Glass Wars for dad to read.  Dad said he couldn't get into it so I decided to read it.  As far as "getting" into it, that wasn't hard.  It was based on Alice in Wonderland, a story which is familiar, then takes a twist to update it.  I read it easily and finished it in no time.  I would give it a thumbs up.
After I finished that book, I read a book that Justin had recommended a while ago.  Skulduggery Pleasant is a kind of magical mystery.  It was good.  I would give it a thumbs up too, but I did find it to be somewhat predictable.  It is written on a teen/junior high level.
So two books I've read that I would recommend to everyone to read.

Dishes have to do with food, right? (Steph)

On the 24th of July we had a BBQ/ clean the garage out party at Kevin's grandparents' house.  They basically just emptied all the boxes from the garage, had the children (Kevin's dad and his siblings) sort through what they wanted, then whatever was left the grandkids could go through and sort through what they wanted.  Then everything else could go to the DI and no one could complain that they never got to look through it or anything.  Even Kevin's aunt and uncle who live in Boston were there so everyone was involved.  We didn't arrive until later in the day after all the children  and some of the grandchildren had already gone through some of the stuff.

We met Kevin's mom on the front lawn and she said that we were welcome to take anything we saw if we liked it.  I thought, "I don't want any of this junk."  Kevin actually said it out loud.  He left to go find someone to visit with and I was left on the front lawn to mill through piles of other people's stuff.  Honestly, most of it was just garbage that I didn't think even the DI would want, then my eye caught a little pile of translucent green.  I think colored glass was all the rage in like the seventies or something, but it's gone out of and back into style since then.  Luckily for me, I think colored glass is in again, or at least that's what they tell me when I window shop at home decor stores. 

Anyway, this pile was a bunch of green glass vases and a bowl that were in really good shape and actually kind of pretty. I took it, making sure that no one wanted it and looked for anything else that I might use or like. Not long after, I found four matching soup bowls and saucers that were brand new and still in the box.  I also found a butter dish that was in really good shape, no cracks or anything.  I was pretty proud of myself and my treasures.  Here's what they look like.

This one doesn't really match the others, but it's still cute.

I think this bowl is my favorite one.

 

 

 I guess Kevin's mom noticed that I thought that this green glass was pretty, so the other day as she was going through some of her antique dishes, she asked me if I wanted these teacups and saucers.  Well, look how cute they are...

 

It's a set of three cups and three saucers, so maybe not a full set, but I can't drink out of more than one at a time anyway. So now we really have to have tea parties. 

Also, about the book club.  How about we just read any book of our own choice and discuss them on the blog (or at the tea party).  That way we can read whatever we want and no one has to go out a buy a book or worry about finding it at the library.  But most importantly, we don't have pick one book that we all want to read, which hasn't been going very well.  Let me know what you think.

Back from the Farm, Part Deux (Dorthy)

I am going to augment Mel's previous post, and guess what, Sarah?  I have pictures, even better, I have a video.  A video of Kevin "cooking"...

This was the first time Kevin had ever made Jiffy Pop, and he did pretty good, over a really, really hot fire, no less.  And, the finished product:

In addition to some of the foods Mel has mentioned, we enjoyed Starbursts (for a good cause; Sarah needed the wrappers to answer a kid who asked her to homecoming).

Cherry cheese danishes, much to the delight of Tim, Rory, and Rowan.

Watermelon, as modeled by the lovely Abi.

And here's Riley helping her daddy take a nap after all that good food.  She is so cute!

Here is some of the peach pie Grandma "asked" Mom to make.  Obviously, it was a hit.

None of us were thinking about the blog for the better part of the trip, until the last day when Mom asked if anyone had been taking pictures of the food.  Oops.  A big thanks to all who helped prepare the foods, especially Dad and Mom.  I can't wait until the next trip!  Star wipe, and out.

Back From the Farm

We're back safe and sound from the farm and our post Labor Day Family trip and I have to say that I think we all had a really good time. The first night Friday night was, pretty much... uh freezing, but the second night Saturday night, was actually quite pleasant. It's always sad to leave and I'm seriously thinking about investing in a little camping trailer or something because I'm spoiled and a brat. Don't get me wrong, I love tenting it and hard core CAMPING, but I get claustrophobic and I really have a hard time actually GOING to sleep. So maybe someday down the road we'll get a tent trailer or something small that I can pack all my camping stuff into. SOMEDAY, but for now, we'll sleep in the tent. But I guess since this is a food blog I should talk about the food we ate instead of my earthly wants. So Friday night we ate hot dogs and they were, well, hot dogs Then my mom and other siblings showed up around 8 or 9 that night and we ate more hot dogs and chili. So chili dogs. It was great. We all went to bed with tummy aches. Saturday morning we had our huge family breakfast with french toast, eggs, bacon and sausage, orange juice and milk oh and hot choclate. For lunch on Saturday the people who didn't go on a hike up to the waterfall, (pictures coming soon),  sat around and snacked on the goodies Steph and Kevin had brought, while Mom was over at Grandama's house making peach and pear pies which Grandma requested.  The conversation between the two of them went something like this:

Gma- "Chris brought down peaches and pears yesterday, so if you would like to go over and make some pies, they are there. the recipe for the peach pie is in the oldest cookbook I have and the Struesel Pear pie is in there too."

Mom- " Uh... oookay..."
Grandma and Grandpa leave for a family reunion.

Mom- " I think Grandma wants pie so I better go make some."
All the girls are laughing at this point because, Grandma has MASTERED the art of "asking" when it's really telling. And you can't say no because you know, it's my Grandma, and it's hilarious.
Anywho, the people who DID hike up to the waterfall came back and they had hoagie sandwiches. Saturday night Grandma and Grandpa came back over and we had Dutch oven chicken with corn on the cob and salad and rolls... It was delicious. That's all I can really say. Tim and I went to bed super early because Riley actually fell asleep so we wanted to catch some while we could, and everyone else stayed up and popped popcorn on the fire.
Sunday morning came and my mom didn't want to cook so she had just planned on having cereal and things we could eat really quick and pack away but we wanted to get rid of some of the stuff we brought so dad and Steph cooked up the rest of the eggs and everyone had a lot to eat. Then as the day progressed we were getting hungry so we had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa of sub sandwiches and chips and watermelon. There was also a lot of food for that meal as well. Eventually we got everything cleaned and packed away and Kevin toted the guns out. So a few people went up in to sagebrush and shot 22 and shotguns while the babies and the rest of us sat down at the camp waiting for them to come back. Riley started to get cranky and she started to bite, so I decided it was probably time for us to head home so she could get cleaned up and take a decent nap. We said our goodbyes and headed out. We LOVE spending time at the farm and I really wish I could do it more often, but all in all, it was a great family get together and I think we all had a really good time.

Labor Day with the Fellows

Yesterday, the three of us (Rory, Rowan and I) along with my in-laws decided to do something special for the holiday.  We settled on a menu of chicken and beef kabobs, baked beans, grilled corn and watermelon.  We marinated the chicken in Italian dressing and put seasoning salt on the beef, alternating the meat on the skewers with bell peppers and onion.  We brined the corn in water with salt and sugar (a la America's Test Kitchen).  Rowan helped out with this ppart, relishing getting to play in the water as he dunked each ear of corn.  The baked beans are from the Lion House cookbook  and are very similar to the ones Chris makes, the only differences being Chris uses a full tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce and only one bell pepper and onion.  I also told Rory that we were going to saute the pepper and onion, even though the recipe doesn't say to.

Baked Beans

2 29-ounce cans pork and beans
2 large onions, chopped
2 large green peppers, chopped
1 cup catsup
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 pound lean bacon, cut up and cooked till crisp, then drained

Combine ingredients well in 9x13 baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours, covered with aluminum foil.  Uncover and bake another 30 minutes.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

We had a lot more food than we could eat, so we have a good amount of leftovers.  Rory's dad said everything was excellent, which, if you know Steve, is like 7 thumbs up.

Labor of Love (Mom)

So last night we had a barbeque for the Labor Day Weekend.  Nothing really spectacular, just burgers and hotdogs.  The best things was to see my children together.  Of course we were missing Justin and Sarah was in Gunnison with Jordan's family, but I love it when we get together like that.  Dad was really good to humor me on this.  He cooked the burgers, very well I may add, and cleaned up afterwards.  I hadn't been very patient with him that morning, but he did it anyway.  I think he preferred to have it last night instead of tomorrow.  I t is supposed to be cold tomorrow anyway. 
I only know that we always have alot of food and I always eat too much.  The best fun was being together.

We need to pick a book! (Mom)

I know that some of us don't want to go out and buy a new book every time we decide on one to read, but we can buy one and share or go to the library.  Sharing them would make us read a little faster, maybe.  Anyways, I copied a list of books last year when I was in a class at school.  Katherine Paterson wrote the Bridge to Terabithia which I am all sure we know and some of us don't love, but she has written some other books that we might consider. 
I remembered the name of the book by Suzanne Collins, it is Hunters Revenge.  It is a young adult book, so it might not be a real easy read.

Books by Katherine Paterson:
Angels and Other Strangers
The Field of the Dogs
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Jacob Have I Loved
The Kings Equal
The Master Puppeteer
Of Nightingales That Weep
Preacher's Boy
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum

I haven't read any of them, but if there is one we would like to try,  I'll see if I can find it at the library or online at a book website.
I am sure I can come up with some other book lists too.  Just you wait!

Cookies (Dorthy)

Some time last week, I did a second batch of cookies from an America's Test Kitcthen recipe.  They turned out a lot prettier than the first batch, so much so I wished I knew where my camera was so I could take a picture and show everyone.  Anyway, I thought I'd share the recipe with everyone.

Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips

Melt butter and let cool.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment.  Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Cream butter and sugar together, incorporate eggs and vanilla.  Add dry mixture a little at a time with mixer on low speed , scraping sides.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Roll 1/4 cup of dough into a ball for each cookie and place 2 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Bake untill the edges are golden but the centers are still soft and puffy (about 17 - 20 minutes).  Be sure to rotate and switch the pans  about halfway through baking if you are doing more than one sheet at a time.  Let cookies cool on pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These did not last past the next morning either time I made them.  Since Chris likes only milk chocolate chips, that's what I used even though the original recipe calls for semisweet.  We bought the maxi chips, which work well because these are BIG cookies.  The first time I made them, I didn't really let the butter cool after melting, and I think they did spread a little more than they were supposed to.  I guess melting the butter and adding the extra egg yolks adds extra moisture, which makes the cookies chewy.  Just think of how chewy they would be if I DOUBLED the butter!  JUST KIDDING!  Everyone at my house came to the consensus that they were the best chocolate chip cookies ever, but even as good as they were, I thought there was something missing.  If you try it and have any ideas, let me know.

Just one more quick thing.  I want to brag about my birthday gift from Granny and Kate.  They got me two 1/4 size baking sheets with lids and precut parchment paper along with a nice metal spatula.  I need to etch my name on them, since I will be using them a lot for ward/family functions.  And they went to Gygi's to get them, so they are super nice.

Something from Mom

So it has taken me a while to figure this blogging business but I think I have it now.  So far the posts and comments have been very interesting to me.  I thought I would add to the recipes too with the Fresh Garden Salsa that I made.  I experimented with it so that I could get some accurate measurements.  So.. Here goes.

Fresh Garden Salsa  ( Salsa Fresca)
1 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely seeded and diced hot peppers ( I used serrano and jalapeno because it was in the garden.  You can add more if you want it hotter.)
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped flat leaf parsley or cilantro.  (Fresh is best when it comes to parsley)
2 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in bowl. Yes, a bowl.  Stir until mixed well and serve with you favorite chips or mexican food.  I am not sure how long it will keep in the fridge.  I would say 5-7 days.  It is YUMMY!  Dad doesn't like it because it gets watery, but that has alot of flavor in it.

I have to agree that parsley is really the greatest.  It is one of those flavors that you think,"Hmmm what is this?"  I always try to have at least some dried on hand.

Sour cream is also good in pretty much any thing.  In fact, I think I have a recipe for a sour cream chocolate cake and sour cream chocolate frosting.  I have made fruit salads for special events with sour cream in it.  One time we had a primary event of some kind, and we made a frozen sour cream and fruit salad.  YEA for sour cream.  There are also other things that I like to keep on hand.  Cream cheese, plain yogurt, dried buttermilk (found in the baking section) and dry whipped topping.   They are great to have in your pantry or fridge.

By the way, I was at the elementary today, and took class to the library.  Apparently, September is Roald Dahl month.  We could read a Roald Dahl book for this month.  They would be a really read and fun too.  I have a few of them here and we could pass them around when we are finished.  There was another book that I heard about today too, but I can't remember the name now.  I will find it out.  I remember the author, Suzanne Collins.  My memory...Honestly.   Let me know what you want to do!

Guacamole Chicken Wraps (Mel)

Any time I cook is reason to blog about because it doesn't happen very much. Tim took my car to work today so I couldn't be distracted with anything else this afternoon, so I begrudgingly got stuff out to get dinner started. I had planned a menu on Monday using recipes from on of the 5 cookbooks I have and tonights meal was Guacamole Chicken Wraps and Refried Bean Soup. So... that's what we did, although Tim took FOREVER to come home from work, so it may have been a little on the cold side when he was eating but mine was nice and hot and delicious. I first thawed two chicken breasts and patted them dry so I could decide what to rub them with. salt and pepper is always nice, but since these were Gaucamole chicken wraps I thought they should have a little southwestern flair. I made a dry rub out of the following:

Paprika (a lot) for good color
cayenne pepper not too much cause I didn't want to burn my lips off
Parsley (because it's the best flippin' seasoning on God's green earth)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
black pepper

Then I rubbed the (now dried) chicken down with this mixture which I mixed together with a fork and put it in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. When it came out, the chicken was juicy and the rub had made a nice crunchy skin on the outside of the chicken.
Then for the guacamole I used:

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe (but not too ripe) tomato
1/2 small white onion
1 small clove minced garlic
1/2 small minced cucumber (wait for it, the reason is coming)
salt
pepper
dash of lime juice

I stirred it all together, but was careful not to mush it up and started to make the soup. For the Refried Bean Soup which, yes sounds pretty lame and kinda gross, but it's not; I used the following ingredients:
1 can of refried beans (duh)
1 can of chicken broth
1/2 small white onion
1 small hand crushed ripe tomato
dash of parsley (seriously I put parsley in everything and my life is better for it)
seasoning to taste

I dumped it all in a saucepan and let it simmer and cook down a little bit and when it was done I topped it with cheese and sour cream and it was DELICIOUS. Try it and tell me it's not. Oh yeah the reason for the cucumber... because I felt like it and it was soooo good. It made the whole guacamole just chill out. Tim loved it too. Which is the reason why we don't have any pictures of it.

So I was talking to my mom yesterday at Sarah's soccer game and we decided that we would like to read easy reads like Fablehaven, and that kind of stuff. Any who objects can write a comment below and we'll decide if we care enough or not to think about your suggestion.

Salsa Chicken (Mel)

So I thought I would contribute to this even though I wasn't really INVITED, but whatever I have the password and stuff so I can write about whatever I want. Last night I made Salsa Chicken and I wondered why I had never done it before. Tim loved it and it tasted so good over hot rice. And it's so EASY!
In a crockpot put as many pieces of chicken as you're going to eat and dump enough salsa over it to cover the chicken. I put in hot sauce on top of the salsa because we like things a little spicy but you don't have to add that, if you don't want to . I let it cook for about an hour on High and when we got home all I had to do was cook some rice and throw some frozen pepper strips in on top of the salsa and chicken which was already cooked. When it was all done I served it over rice and topped it with cheese and sour cream and it was delicious. Easy and tasty is the best way to cook at my house.  I would have a picture but we ate it too fast to get the camera out. Whoops!:)

First Dinner (Steph)

For our first dinner in our new kitchen on our new dining set I decided to go with a comfortable favorite that I knew the Kevin and I would both enjoy.  I made Chicken and Broccoli Casserole with rice and chili garlic brussel sprouts. Of course I was the only one who would eat the brussel sprouts, even though they were pretty good.

I made a half recipe since it was just the three of us (two of us really) who ate and I added sour cream to the mix as well.  Does anyone else do that?  I like it.

The brussel sprouts are made just how they sound like with trimmed, halved brussel sprouts, crushed garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and a little butter.  Then I just zapped them in the microwave for a couple of minutes (because I heard that cooking them in water makes them more bitter tasting) and that's it. 

As for books, does anyone have any suggestions on books to start with?  Should we all try to find something new to read?   I found this website that has plenty of suggestions. 

http://www.bookmovement.com/

Introduction (Steph)

A few of us were sitting around this morning after a walk around Mom and Dad's neighborhood and decided it would be fun to have a family blog that we could all share and contribute to.  But, since some of us have our own family blogs we thought we needed to have a theme or something else to set this one apart.  It was easy to think of something that we all have in common... food!  We all like it.  Most of us like to cook it.  And we all have had some zany adventure in cooking or baking.

We also decided it would be fun to have a book club in our family and a blog would be a great way to coordinate and share.  We'll have to discuss this one a little more, but I thought we ought to get the blog up and running to start.

Any one of us in the family can contribute and post or change anything you'd like, just make sure to put your name in the title (see above) so we know who's goofy story or intellectual insight we are reading.  Happy cooking/reading/blogging!