The Recipe Stash (Mel)

I was looking for some recipes that I'll never make but sounded good and I found a few that sounded pretty good to me.

Crock Pot Chicken W/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese (I got this from www.food.com)

Ingredients:

Servings:

  4   4

4

Units: US | Metric

• 4 -5 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn
• 1 (15 ounce) jar salsa , any kind
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions:

1. 1
   Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot.
2. 2
   Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.
3. 3
   Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
4. 4
   Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
5. 5
   All done and enjoy!

If you want more flavor use fresh made salsa! I think I'll eventually make this one and every now and then I'll post some more recipes. This website is pretty good. There is also a place called myrecipestash.com

Happy Thanksgiving (Mom)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gregor, the Overlander (Mom)

So I have been devouring books lately.  I just read the Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins, the same author who wrote the Hunger Games series.  There are five books in the series. It was written for the younger reader, but some of the thoughts and actions are not that of  Gregor, an eleven year old boy.  I certainly pictured him older as a 17 or 18 year old.  Maybe I don't think that an eleven year old would be able to cope with such an adventure with giant rats, bats and spiders, be able to wield sword and daggers and fight like a grown person.  There was a lot of fighting and violence in this book, but nothing extremely graphic.  I liked the series, I liked the characters, I just thought the main character, Gregor, should be older is all.  The moral of the the story is that parents should listen to their children, no matter what they say.  You never know what you may encounter!

Vacation in Mitford (Mom)

So I've been away for a while.  Well, it seems like it because I just  read the next three books in the Mitford series.  Even though I should be some fall cleaning or canning, I choose to read.  What uplifting and great books they are.  Written by Jan Karon, they are based around the life of an Episcopalian priest.  If anyone recalls, I read the first book in the series a few months ago and really wanted to get my hands on the rest of the series.  No swearing, no sex, not one thing to make you uncomfortable or weird.  The characters in it are delightful and recognizable.  There are some very sad parts when some old friends pass away, but such is life right?  I highly recommend this series and I am anxious to finish it and read some more by this author.
      I also read all of the Hunger Games.  Great books! Easy reads and can't wait for the movie to come out in March of next year.

Mel's Book Review- Gap Creek

I think this may be the one and only book review I've done on here. Maybe not, I don't remember. SO I stayed up until 3 this morning reading a book called Gap Creek written by Robert Morgan. mind I didn't stay up late because I love the book so much that I had to finish it. I actually really didn't like it. It's on Oprah's reading list and once you start reading it, you can see why. It has that down south bad grammar. I know, I know, I'm an awful person. Anyways, it's about this young girl named Julie who has worked every day of her life on her family's farm and is the main person do take care of her family. She witnesses her baby brother's death in the middle of a winter night then not a few months later her father dies. All the work on the farm fell to her to responsible for. She meets Hank and they get married after a month or week or something of courtship. (You know, in the south, it's all the same thing.) They moved to this place called Gap Creek and the book after that is all really random. They move in with an older man because the rent they pay is Julie cooking and cleaning the house, which it turns out she's not really good at because she's always been working outside with her father. So she's a new bride, she lives in this nasty old house, with this nasty old man that she is supposed to make meals for. Then things start to just be sad and weird. While Hanks mother is visiting, Julie lights the kitchen on fire with pork lard and the old man they live with dies from burns when kerosene blows up in his face. They save the house but only just. Julie finds out she is pregnant. So yes, there is sex in it and it's AWKWARD. Just saying. While Hank is out working, a man swindles Julie into giving him all the money they have to stay in the house. He gets upset, gets all moody and things start to go down hill for Julie. All she begins to care about is the fact that she's pregnant and she needs to build a life for her and the baby. Hank is fired and they end up having to live in someone else's house they don't know how to reach the heirs of the old man's estate so when a couple comes saying they are his children ant they just want to take a few things and collect some money for rent, they believe them, just to find out they had been swindled again. Julie and Hank learn to live off meager meals and starvation. They join a church and become god fearing people. They find their purpose and make it through a frightening flood and a harsh winter. Julie has the baby in the spring early and almost dies from infection. PS the baby dies because she couldn't eat to nourish her. Anyways the REAL heirs find out the owner of the house is dead and want to collect back rent or they would be arrested. Because Hank had not been working and there was no on e who would hire him because not only did he get fired from his last job but he got fired because he's hot tempered and he hit his boss, so yeah they have no money so they end leaving the house before anyone can show up to collect anything and go back to their home town in North Carolina.On the last page you find out that Julie is pregnant again. So it's like a new fresh start for them. Meh.  Hank to me just is moody and childish, and Julie should be able to say what she wants but it is supposed to be set in the time after the Civil war, and that would be the status quo for then. Anyways, I just thought that I should review it. I read so I should share. Right? Read it if you want, if not, you're not missing out on anything. But that's what I did at 3 this morning. It was a free book. Can't complain, right?

Chicken Creme and Pepper and Tomato Chutney (Melanie)

Tonight we had an awesome dinner because I'm amazing!! Yeah I made dinner (yay).
So if you want a taste of what we had tonight you can make it because we don't have any left.:)
Stuff you'll need:
Chicken breasts                                tomato
cream cheese                                   yellow pepper
basil (fresh or dried)                         half white onion.
salt and pepper
italian bread crumbs

Fillet chicken breasts; pound flat. Fill with 2 teaspoons of cream cheese sprinkle with seasonings. Roll up chicken; containing filling.
Coat chicken in bread crumbs and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
While that's chilling make the "chutney" I don't know if it's really a type of chutney I just don't know how else to describe it. Chop up your tomato, your pepper and onion We cut up a crookneck squash and added that to it too but that's just because we needed to use it. Toss vegetables in olive oil, salt, pepper and basil. Chill for 30 minutes.
Bake the chicken at 375 for 35 minutes and saute the vegetables in a VERY HOT pan. and cook down in to a sauce. Serve it over the chicken and love it. We sure did.

Freshness Genie? More Like Freshness Genius (Steph)

I had a breakthrough moment in my kitchen one day a few months ago.  For a normal person, this wouldn't be a huge deal, but for me, it was like I discovered something so earth-shattering that I can't even think of an example now to illustrate it.  Okay, maybe not that amazing, but I was still pretty proud of myself.  (You know how I like to over-romanticize everything)  Anyway, you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about.  I'm getting there.

Have you ever found yourself asking, "Why are there never enough bag clips around to keep my various bagged goods fresh and tasty?"  I know I have.  Well my friends, look no further.

I give you...

the top of the bag!!

How does it work you ask?  Well, instead of savagely ripping open a bag of, say, marshmallows like a cave-man would- stop.  Grab the scissors, and cut the top of the bag off in a straight line instead.  After you have had your fill of marshmallows, take the top section of bag and use it to tie the bag shut. Simple as that.

No more stale snacks.  No more spilling bags you, "didn't know" were open.  Just the clean, organized pantry that you never thought possible.  And bag clips? Who needs them?!



See what I said about over-romanticizing?

Note: I wish Justin were home, so he could star in this infomercial.

"Hungry" for More (Steph)

Shortly after reading The Hunger Games (book 1) I read the 2nd book Catching Fire.  I finished two days later, then began on the 3rd and final book in the trilogy Mockingjay.  So in the week that it took me to read all three books, I got virtually nothing done around my house because I was so absorbed in what I was reading.  They are definitely hard to turn away from.  I'm not normally an advocate of reading in the bathroom, but you won't want to put it down even for something as trivial as answering nature's call.

I had recently looked up the cast for the upcoming film of the first book, and was a little taken back by the still of Peeta, a blond boy in the book, who'll be played by a brown-haired actor (he also appeared to have brown hair in the still).  Not a huge deal, but not quite right.  But then I saw this EW magazine cover.  You can breathe a sigh of relief, Sarah.

Sushi Night with Sarah (Steph)

Sarah came over the other day and we made sushi.  It was fun.  Here's some pictures.

First we made the tempura for the shrimp tempura rolls.

If you look closely, you'll notice that Sarah has carrot in her teeth.

Everything's prepped and now it's time to roll.

Here's what our first couple of rolls looked like.

We also make takoyaki, but without the tako (octopus).

Sarah's a pro now, so if you want to learn how to make this stuff, you can just ask her.

Oh, p.s. I also finished a book.  I copied Dorthy and read The Hunger Games.  I loved it and am a couple of chapters into the next book in the series, Catching Fire. 

How to Make Cookies (Rowan)

Hi, I'm Rowan and today, I am going to show you how to make cookies.  The first thing I do is pick a recipe I like and make sure to read through it.

 Before I handle any food, it is very important that I wash my hands with soap and water.

First, I mix the butter...

...and the sugars together.  I like to add the white sugar one pinch at a time.  Mommy thinks it takes too long, so she dumps it all in at once.

 There is brown sugar too.  It stays all clumped together until I brake it up.

 After mixing the sugar and butter together, I add the eggs.  I had Mommy crack the eggs open to give her something to do.

 Then I add the flour.  It works better if you actually get it in the bowl!

 Make sure all the ingredients are mixed really well.  It's fun to watch the mixer go around and around as the dough tumbles in the bowl.

 The best kind of cookie has chocolate in it and this recipe uses two kinds! Chocolate is also good just to eat.

After adding the chocolate, or at least what was left of it, we bake the cookies.  Mommy helps me with the oven because it's so hot.  After they come out of the oven, I have to wait for them to cool, and it's so hard!

Finally, I get to taste what I made.  They're really good!  I love making cookies!

Here's the recipe if you want to try them too:

Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (from "Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Secret Recipes" by Deanna Buxton)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teasppon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups oatmeal, blended to a fine powder
4-ounce chocolate candy bar, shaved
12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, cream butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Stir in flour, soda, salt, baking powder, and oatmeal.  Add shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, and nuts.  Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Makes 36 cookies.



Pancakes (Dorthy)

 A couple weekends ago, we made pancakes from a mix.  They seemed to hit the spot and we both liked the from-scratch pancakes we had at Grandma's house the weekend of the 4th, so we thought we'd try some the next morning.  We found a recipe in Rory's "How to Boil Water" cookbook.  They tasted good and they turned out good considering I have a tendency to burn pancakes.   Rory ate 4 1/2 of them all by himself. 

I tried a Mickey Mouse pancake with the last of the batter.  I did fairly well, but I needed a bigger spatula considering how big I made the pancake--Mickey's ears tore a little when I went to flip it.  We gave it to Rowan, who was impressed by the shape, but he wouldn't eat the thing.  Rory cut up the ear so he could have some, but Ro got upset and pieced it back together.  He just sat and looked at it until breakfast was over.

I guess the recipe is a little more involved than some others, but we didn't feel like it took too long.  The recipe stated that it makes 8 large or 12 small pancakes.  I told Ror how many pancakes we got depended a great deal on how they defined "large" and "small".  I made them using about 1/3 cup of batter and got 10 good sized pancakes, so I think they meant pretty big.  If you feel inclined to try it, here is the recipe:

Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt (we used regular table salt)

Pinch of nutmeg (optional, we put it in.  It gave the pancakes kind of a holiday flavor.)

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/4 cups milk

About 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Neutral flavored oil for cooking the pancakes

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Beat eggs in a medium size bowl, then whisk in about half the milk and all the vanilla.  In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the remaining milk, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  Stir or whisk into the egg misture.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry and whisk just until a thick batter forms.  Heat skillet or griddle over medium/medium high heat (350 degrees if using an electric griddle with temp control).  Brush with a little oil.  ladle desired amount of batter onto skillet, spacing pancakes evenly.  Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancakes, the batter loses its shine, and the undersides are golden brown (about 2 minutes).  Flip pancakes and cook for about 1 minute more.  Serve immediately or keep warm in oven.  Repeat with remaining batter.

It also lists a couple of tips that I found interesting:

-Batter is best slightly lumpy (I already knew this one, but I have found it to be true)

-Don't smash or push down on the pancakes while they cook; it makes them dense.

-Straight to plate is best, but if you need to wait, keep them warm in a 200 degree preheated oven.  Lay them out in a single layer, stacking steams them and makes them tough.

Slow Cooker Smokehouse Salad Inspired by Dickies Restaurant Modified by Mel

I made a smokehouse salad similar to the one they offer at Dickies Barbeque Pit (if you have't eaten there, I highly recommend it.) It has brisket in it, so all the fat and crispy bits get into the salad so no wonder it's good, but I didn't have any brisket on hand so I improvised and used beef roast. I let a 1-2 pound beef roast thaw overnight so it was almost room temperature when I pan seared it in olive oil. when I had the crispy bits that I know everyone on the planet loves (they're actually my favorite part of any beef roast) I put the roast into a hot slow cooker, deglazed my pan with some water to get all the yummy stuff off the pan, and seasoned the roast with salt pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. I added a 1/4 cup of water to the pot and covered it and let it cook the rest of the day. when it was done I shredded the meat (or you can chop it up, that's how they do it at the restaurant) and put it on a salad of romaine hearts, cucumbers and french fried onions and topped it all off with home made ranch dressing. The meat was perfect and I tried to make it for my parents but I ran out of time and had to use the pressure cooker to have it ready in time, but it just wasn't the same. SLOW COOKING makes all the difference.

At Home in Mitford

Yeah, I finally finished another book.  I tend to go in spirts,  But while visiting Fountain Green I found a new series.  Written by Jan Karon is the Mitford series.  It is about a Espiscopalian priest named Father Tim. "Father Tim has more than he can handle - with church secretary Emma Garrett managing his every move, a lovable but unloved by named Dooley thrust into his car and the charms and graces of new neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith."
Not to go too far from the subject, I recently learned how to summarize much easier.  I happened to catch Brad Wilcox on some show and this is what he taught. To summarize you ask yourself five questions (we just happen to have 5 fingers on one hand, convenient right?). Question 1 - Who?  Who is the main character of the book?  In this book, it is Father Tim, a priest in a small town in the Blue Ridge mountains. 2- What?  What does the main character want?  He wants his life to be the best he can make it. 3 - But? But what happens that makes it so they can't get what they want?  Father Tim's life is complicated by some unexpected events in the town and in his parish that completely take over his life. 4 - Then?  Then what happens?  Then he is able to work through his difficulties that include health problems and falling in love with his next door neighbor. Episcopalian priests are able to be married and have families. 5 - Finally?  What finally happens?  Father Tim is able to resolve several mysteries, help a few people find peace and learn that his neighbor feels the same about him as he does about her.
The characters in this book  are delightful and interesting, some even eccentric and funny.  It is well written and very engaging to read.  I am anxious to begin the next book in the series.

Marshmallow Fondant (Steph)

So, I know that it was basically forever ago, but I thought I would share the marshmallow fondant recipe I found online that I used for Sarah's graduation cake.

Ingredients:

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

  

Directions:

NOTE:  Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler. To microwave, place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total. 

Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)

Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, “What are you doing?” 

Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking.

If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.

It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.  

Prepare the fondant icing for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a resealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. 

MM Fondant icing will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant icing can be prepared well in advance.

Check out the site here for pictures and tips.

There are a bunch of these recipes out there, this just happened to be the one I used.  I also watched a tutorial of someone else making it, because I've found that I'm a visual learner.  Once I see it, I pretty much get it. 

Making it was fun and not as hard as I thought it would be. 

My first log of fondant

The mess I made in my kitchen making Sarah's cake

I kept it in the fridge for a couple of days before I used it.  Some people say it's okay to do, some say you shouldn't.  I thought it worked just fine for me.  Just make sure it's brought to room temp before you try to work with it. 

Anyway, like I said, it's lots of fun and fairly easy to do.

I Finished a Book!

I finished not one but two books this week.  Obviously, that means that much else around the house got done, but I figure it was worth it.  I read "Before My Heart Stops" by Paul Cardall, the musician, a recommendation from my mother-in-law.  It's about his life as he waited for a heart transplant a compilation of posts from his blog, Living for Eden, some news articles and additional commentary.  It was good.
The other book was " The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.  I really liked it.  It takes place in the future, 12 districts ruled by a city called the Capitol.  Every year, there is a lottery where one boy and one girl from each district to compete in the Hunger Games.  Each of them is pitted against the rest in a battle to the death.  It is told from the point of view of the main character, Katniss Everdeen.  One of the endorsements on the back cover claims it is "perfectly paced", and I have to agree.  I did have a hard time putting it down. It's the first of a trilogy, the other books in the series are "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay".

I'm not sure what I plan to read next, but hopefully, being off during the summer, I can read a few more books :)

I think I'm going to try *GASP* diet and exercise

I got these off ksl.com I think I'm going to try them.


Day 1
Breakfast: Oatmeal, half a cup of berries and a glass of almond milk.

Lunch: Half of a pita sandwich with lean turkey lunch meat, spinach, tomatoes and mustard, a side of carrots and hummus.

Dinner: Baked salmon flavored with lemon juice, salt and pepper, fresh sauteed green beans and a side of brown rice.

Day 2
Breakfast: Three egg-white omelet filled with spinach, tomatoes and onions with a side of melon.

Lunch: Tomato basil soup with a side green salad.

Dinner: Lean chicken breast seasoned with your choice of herbs or marinade with a sweet potato and fruit salad on the side.

Day 3
Breakfast: Avocado pear smoothie sweetened with honey and half of an English muffin.

Lunch: Crisp tofu, red pepper, green beans and cabbage sauteed in a stir fry with sesame sauce.

Dinner: Halibut with a side of barley risotto and peas.

Day 4
Breakfast: Whole grain toast topped with goat cheese and raspberries.

Lunch: Turkey roll-up with light cream cheese and tomatoes with a side of veggie chips and a pear.

Dinner: Black bean burrito with caramelized onions, mushrooms and mango salsa on a whole wheat tortilla with one cup of tortilla soup.

Day 5
Breakfast: Whole-wheat pancakes topped with applesauce.

Lunch: Large spinach salad with hard-boiled egg and light honey mustard dressing.

Dinner: Pork chops with a side of mashed cauliflower and baked cinnamon apples.

Day 6
Breakfast: An oat bran muffin with a side of strawberries.

Lunch: Chili with chicken, green chiles and white beans.

Dinner: Falafel in a pita with a side of cous cous and green salad.

Day 7
Breakfast: Greek yogurt parfait with honey, oats and berries.

Lunch: Portabello mushroom burger with a side of sweet potato fries.

Dinner: One California roll with one cup of edamame and one cup of miso soup.

Other
Snacks: Carrot sticks or red pepper slices and hummus, a handful of almonds, an apple with one tablespoon of peanut butter, Greek yogurt with berries, baked chips with salsa, beet or kale chips or fruit salad.

Super foods to include in your meal: red tomatoes, black beans, spinach, almonds, Swiss chard, mushrooms, kale, avocado, salmon, flax seed, Greek yogurt, pumpkin seeds, oats, grapefruit, carrots and broccoli.

Low-calorie seasonings and flavors: cinnamon, honey, Stevia all-natural sweetener, agave nectar, mustard, basil, sage, thyme, coconut oil, olive oil, garlic, ginger, saffron and red chiles.

And for when I feel like eating a little unhealthy:
The Rule of 3 - doing three different exercises every day - is a great way to mix things up and make sure you're not bored while you get the exercise your body needs.

Here are three easy things to do at home to get you started:

Choose a Pilates move to do each day
You don't even need a mat. Joseph Pilates designed his exercises so that people could do them from home. A quick online search will reveal detailed instructions on how to perform each pose.

Wall Roll Down is a great one that many people like that will get you started on your core.

Stand tall against a wall, and keeping your body against the wall, walk your feet out about eight inches from the wall. Pull your stomach in. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, chest open, and raise your arms over your head. Keep your arms up by your ears as you slowly roll your spine down and away from the wall, vertebrae by vertebrae. Keep your abs pulled in as you work slowly, peeling the spine away from the wall. Relax your head and neck. Roll down as far as you can stretch while keeping your hips against the wall. Keeping your arms in the same place, roll up slowly paying close attention while you use your stomach muscles to move your body up. Keep rolling up, replacing your vertebrae against the wall one by one as you go. Finish in an upright position with your arms up and hands clasped together

Choose an exercise DVD or video game to which you can relate
"Jillian Michaels: The Complete Workout for Beginner" and "The Michael Jackson Experience" for the Wii are two excellent workouts to put on your TV and computer

The Michael's workout burns an estimated 370-460 while using 3- to 5-pound dumbbells and a resistance band. (97 minutes; $24.95 for a two-DVD set; jillianmichaels.com). Do as much of it as you have time for.

The Jackson workout is a product of the 80s and 90s, and I find it a pleasure to work out and dance to Michael Jackson's hits, and even one song - Smooth Criminal - gets my heart rate up so quickly I have to take a break between each song. You can do a few songs here and there throughout the day which is good for your overall fitness and heart rate.

Squats
Squats are my least favorite exercise to do anywhere- even at home, but boy, are the results worth it.

First, place a chair just behind you and stand in front of it with feet about hip- or shoulder-width apart. Then tighten your abs as you bend your knees and slowly and squat towards the chair. Keep your knees behind your toes and sit down on the chair for a few seconds. Squeeze in your glutes and hamstrings to lift up out of the chair and begin extending the legs. Stand back up fully and repeat this at least 10 times.

You may be asking yourself if such a short, simple routine will do anything but make it hard to walk up and down stairs the next day. The answer is: Yes. Especially if you do it consistently.

By incorporating the Rule of 3 you'll soon be in the wonderful habit of taking care of your body and toning up while losing weight. Google, YouTube, Livestrong.com, and many other sites have so much information on daily workouts that you can choose three new exercises to try at home every day and never do the same thing twice, if you don't want to.

Update on the HCG diet

I would like to say that I don't consider myself to be morbidly obese, but my doctor, my insurance and the Body Mass Index says I am. My health issues are all tied to my weight so, when Mel suggested that I try the HCG and a modified diet plan, I decide that I would try it. I have started it and already lost weight.  I'm sure it is just water weight, but that is okay, because mentally it is good.  Just a few hints for it though. 1: DRINK YOUR WATER.  That is the be advice to give. Drink a cup of water with a little lemon juice in the morning and then a glass before each meal. You can easily get your water in doing it that way. I got a 2 liter water bottle that I can carry with me to the rest of my water. Yea, at first you spend most of the time running to the bathroom, but soon you get used to it.  2 liters a day. Works well.
2. MEASURE ALL OF YOUR FOOD.  That way you won't put too much on your plate.  Oh yea, use a smaller plate -that helps too.
3. PUT YOUR FORK OR SPOON DOWN BETWEEN BITES.  That way you feel fuller faster and don't eat as much.
4.WEIGHT LOSS IS A LIFE TIME PROJECT FOR SOME OF US.  My goal is be healthy.  I know what my goal is and I am going to take my time to get to it.  I know that it will be a lifetime project.

Manners (mom)

25 Manners Every Kid Should Know By Age 9         

By Parents.com

David Lowry, PhD

Helping your child master these simple rules of etiquette will get him noticed – for all the right reasons.

Your child’s rude ‘tude isn’t always intentional. Sometimes kids just don’t realize it impolite to interrupt, pick their nose, or loudly observe that the lady walking in from of them has a large behind.  And in the hustle and bustle of daily life, busy moms and dads don’t always have the time to focus on etiquette.  But if you reinforce these 25 must-do manners, you’ll raise a polite, kind, well-liked child.

Manner #1: When asking for something, say “Please’.

Manner #2: When receiving something, say “Thank you”.

Manner #3: Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency.  They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.

Manner #4:If you do need to get somebody’s attention right away, the phrase “excuse me” is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.

Manner #5: When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first.  It can save you from many hours of grief later.

Manner#6:  The world is not interested in what you dislike.  Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends and out of earshot of adults.

Manner #7: Do not comment on other people’s physical characteristics unless, of course, it is to compliment them, which is always welcome.

Manner #8:  When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.

Manner #9:  When you have spent time at your friend’s house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.

Manner #10:  Knock on closed doors – and wait to see is there’s a response – before entering.

Manner #11:  When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.

Manner #12: Be appreciative and say “thank you” for any gift you receive.  In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank you mote can have a powerful effect.

Manner #13:  Never use foul language in front of adults.  Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.

Manner #14:  Don’t call people mean names.

Manner #15:  Do not make fun of anyone for any reason.  Teasing show others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.

Manner #16:  Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested.  The performers and presenters are doing their best.

Manner #17:  If you bump into somebody, immediately say “Excuse me”.

Manner #18:  Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don’t pick your nose in public.

Manner #19: As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.

Manner #20: If you come across a parent, a teacher or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help.  If they say “yes,” do so – you may learn something new.

Manner # 21: When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.

Manner #22:  When someone helps you, say, “Thank you.” That person will likely want to help you again.  This is especially true with teachers.

Manner #23:  Use eating utensils properly.  If you are unsure how to do so, ask you parents to each you or watch what adults do.

Manner #24:  Keep a napkin on your lap: use it to wipe you mouth when necessary.

Manner #25:  Don’t reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

Some HCG Worthy Diet Food Tips

So has anyone noticed how this blog has drifted from being a blog about cooking or reading? Well I'll try to get things back on track. Last month I tried to do the HCG diet where you only eat 500 calories a day and take these "magic drops" that were supposed to help you lose a lot of weight. Well, I did loose a pound a day but after one week I felt like my stomach was trying to turn inside out and get food for itself. I was miserable! If you're thinking about doing the HCG diet with the drops do it but try to mix it up with these helpful tips:

Drink AT LEAST 2 full liters of water PER day. I swear you'll loose lots of weight just with this! You'll feel water logged the first couple days but keep going. The water helps dissolve the fat releasing the energy into your blood stream through your kidneys, trust me, it'll help! Oh and don't go by the stupid idea that drinking water makes you retain water, it's actually the opposite. Why would your body hold onto water when you're drinking ample amounts of water?

Anyways, let's keep going.

Stay away from fats oils and creams. You will have sugar deprivation headaches the first couple days, suck on a peppermint, but do not fall into the trap of Diet soda. The diet part of the soda actually is worse for your body than real sugar.

These little helpful rubs and marinades will make it a little easier to eat the same thing everyday.
-Spicy Meat Rub
salt
pepper
cumin
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
paprika
onion powder
make and use however much you want.
-Fiesta Lime Meat Marinade
lime juice
soy sauce
pepper
-Salad Dressing
white cider vinegar
mustard
salt
pepper
you can add lime or lemon juice to kinda tang it up.
Balsamic Vinegar is always good with a little salt and pepper over a green salad.
Remember NO OIL!!!

And heres a tasty recipe that you can make and eat for a mid day snack.

Buffalo Wings
Skinless, boneless chicken strips
3Tbsp cider vinegar
2Tbsp reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tsp hot pepper sauce (you can use more if you like them really hot)
Partially dry chicken and marinate in a plastic bag in liquid mix for 1 hour flipping bag once. Broil 5 inches from heat turn once. Cook 10 minutes per side.

And remember if all else fails and you don't know what sounds good, GRILL IT. I don't have a grill so I bake it but that tends to make a lot of dishes.
If you have a day where you slip up and use oil or fall off the wagon and totally forget about everything, then the next day eat 6 apples and that's eat while taking your drops. Mostly, just drink your water and only have as much starch (potatoes, rice) if you need it and make sure it's only the size as the bottom of an 8 oz water glass. If you can avoid eating it, it's better if you don't.

Another favorite thing (Mom)

So we found another favorite thing the other day.  As you may recall the first favorite thing was the magic cleaner.  I still am using it and love it.  Mel and I went to Target the other day to get a few things and to shop for her birthday when we decided to get Riley something instead.  Riley had been to my house a few days before where she wanted to color with markers, but couldn't because she likes to write all over her hands and arms.  While at Target, we began to look at the Crayola Wonder Markers that only write on the special paper that is sold with it.  We decided to try it.  Riley was cute.  She saw a lap desk and thought that she was done shopping.  It had a little handle on it, and she hung it on her arm and was ready to check out.  When her mommy told her that we weren't going to get that, she was disappointed! Anyway, We got her and her lap desk(of course she got it) and markers with the special paper into the car and VOILA!  Riley was able to draw to her heart's content, she wasn't able to draw on herself or anything else and we were all happy.  So new favorite thing, Crayola's Wonder Markers.

There's Always Room for Jell-Uh-Oh

So we found a recipe for a new jello salad, Cherry Coke Salad.  Since Ror likes Cherry Coke, we figured it would be a good one to try.  This is the recipe:

1 20-oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup water
2 3-oz cherry gelatin
1 21-oz cherry pie filling
3/4 cup cola flavored soda

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set fruit aside.  In a saucepan or microwave, bring pineapple juice and water to a boil.  Add gelatin; stir until dissolved .  Stir in pie filling and soda.  Pour into a serving bowl.  refrigerate until slightly thickened.  Fold in reserved pineapple.  Refrigerate until firm.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Ror and his dad took care of the grocery shopping on Saturday night, so I put it together Sunday morning before church, like right before.  My first mistake became apparent when I looked over the recipe: it called for two boxes of cherry jello, and I only had the guys get one.  Fortunately, we had a box of strawberry in the pantry, which we figured was close enough.  Then it came time to add the pie filling.  I went to the pantry and could not find anything that looked like a can of pie filling .  I finally turned around a smaller can and found Ror had picked up a can of cherries in syrup, not pie filling.  So that obviously gave us a lot of extra liquid, and this was 10 minutes before we were going to leave for church.  The save was the Knox gelatin in the cupboard.  It all turned out okay, I guess, but the texture was a little grainy since I didn't add the Knox until after the cherries.  So I guess the moral of the story is buy more than you think you need, don't send your husband for groceries (J/K Ror, love you!) and don't wait until right before church to try a new recipe.

Challenge: To read the Book of Mormon

As you all know, Justin needed stickers a couple of weeks ago.  Why? you ask. Well, his mission president has challenged the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover.  I don't know if there is a time limit, but nevertheless to read it and then to journal their feelings as they read it.  He wanted the stickers to put on his journal to individualize it, I guess. I have never been good to stick to a reading schedule or do journaling about anything, but I decided to take his mission president's challenge.  So I have started to read the Book of Mormon and to journal my feelings as I read it. 

I have begun to read it many times, I have read the individual books many times, and  I know the stories, so I decided to start with Ether since chronologically that book was written first.  I have already been amazed by the faith of the brother of Jared, the crossing of the seas in the barges, the struggle of the leadership of the land to remain righteous, and at the evil that Satan can put into men's hearts.  I am only to Ether 12. 
Anyway, I have decided to extend this challenge to any of you who would like to take it.  There is no pressure to read it, no reward other than the spiritual growth and blessings that will come from doing it.  If you find something interesting that you read or have an epiphany about something in it, lets hear about it.

Also I have decided to do some favorite things posts.  You know, like Oprah does only I won't be buying it for every one.  Feel free to add your own favorite things too.  My first favorite thing is the Multipurpose erasing pads.  They are so great to remove black marks off of the walls and floors.  Mr Clean makes one just for the bathroom.  It took all of the black marks off of my tub upstairs and really cleaned the shower downstairs.  I thought that I would never get them that clean ever again.  You can use it on walls, floors, sinks (great on the kitchen sink, you know the black pan marks) shower doors, and on shoes and their scuff marks.  They are great!

Wedding Luncheon

When Charles became engaged, I knew that we would have to provide a luncheon for the family and guests who could come, so I asked him to let me know what he wanted.  He thought about it for the next few days, and he wanted chicken salad sandwiches and salad.  Anything else, he said would be up to me. (He is really big on salads). I wanted to make it nice and have a variety of food, so I came up with this menu:

                Chicken salad sandwiches (Have to get a recipe)
                 Green salad (just as the freeze hit and lettuce became like gold)
                  w/ croutons, sunflower seeds, and choice of 3 dressings
                 Potato salad (Charles and Chris loved this idea)
                 Seafood pasta salad ( My favorite for a special event)
                 Spinach Strawberry salad ( just to round things out)
                 Carrot sticks, celery sticks, olives, pickles
                 cantaloupe, and pineapple
                 Sparkling white grape juice to drink
And dessert - what for dessert?  I came across this dessert recipe  while I was going through some recipe books one day.  I chose it because I could make it a week before and it had chocolate and ice cream.  You can never go wrong with chocolate and ice cream. So, dessert was Frozen Ice Cream Delight  ( thanks TOH magazine). It was the hit of the day and I had requests for the recipe. So here are the recipes for some of the items at the wedding luncheon.  I will give you dessert first, since life is short.

FROZEN ICE CREAM DESSERT
2-1/2 cups cream filled chocolate cookie crumbs, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened (use any flavor you like)
1/2 to 1 cup salted peanuts
1 carton (8 ozs.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 cups confectioners sugar
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (12 ozs.)evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla extract
     Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs with butter and sugar.  Press into the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  Freeze for 15 minutes.  Spread ice cream over crumbs; freeze until firm, about 3 hours.  Meanwhile, combine first four sauce ingredients in a sauce pan; bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla; allow to cool to room temperature ( I stirred it while it was cooling.  Try not stirring it while cooling and see if it freezes harder).  Spoon sauce over ice cream; sprinkle with nuts.  Freeze until firm.  Spread whipped topping over nuts and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Freeze at least 3 hours before serving. Can be stored in the freezer for a up to a week.  Yield 12-16 servings.

There were a couple of requests for the seafood salad. So here it is:

SEAFOOD PASTA SALAD
1 lb. imitation crab ( if you like real crab, use it. We like the imitation because it has a milder flavor.)
1 (24 0z.) package of large shell macaroni
1 package of celery roughly chopped, leaves and all
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lemon juice ( Fresh is best, but the concentrate is just fine.)
1 Tbsp. onion powder ( you can adjust to taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cook, drain and cool pasta according to the directions on the package. Chop celery roughly. Chop crab roughly. In a smaller bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and onion powder.  Pour over pasta, crab and celery. Add salt and pepper. Combine thoroughly and chill.

Now for the chicken salad.  This recipe is for 50 small croissants.  Good for a crowd.  I doubled it for the luncheon and there was plenty.
15 cooked and cut up chicken breasts
1 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp grated or minced onion ( I grated it and added 1 Tbsp onion powder.  If you don't like onion, don't add the onion powder)
2 cup mayonnaise
4 cup whipping cream
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese
sliced almonds ( I didn't add these, but it would be very good)
2 Tbsp chicken broth paste
1 tsp. salt ( or to taste)
1/8 tsp. pepper ( or to taste)
Mix together whipping cream and softened cream cheese until cream peaks.  Add onions, mayonnaise, broth, salt and pepper.  Mix well. Add remaining ingredients.  Will make salad filling for 50 small croissants.

SPARKLING WHITE GRAPE JUICE
2 cans frozen concentrate White Grape Cocktail Juice, slightly thawed
1 1/2 liters club soda
ice
Combine slightly thawed juice with club soda.  Pour over ice.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

I was hankering for a chicken and rice dinner, and although I love chicken and broccoli with rice, I wanted something different.  I hopped on to Allrecipes.com and found this recipe .  We did have to go to the store to pick up the tumeric, since our spice cabinet is a little sparse since it was cleaned out, and we needed more rice, and some chicken base to make broth.  Everything else we had at home.  it was easy to put together.  I couldn't find our gallon size storage bags, so I patted the chicken dry, sprinkled it with salt and pepper, then lightly dredged it in flour instead of shaking it up in the bag.  I used a mixture of butter and oil to brown the chicken instead of just butter and I used colored bell peppers (instead of green) since we had some leftovers from the night we made fajitas.  Steve really liked it, expecially the chicken, which I will use more of next time because it went fast.  I liked it because it was something new but the flavor of tumeric was not really strong or super exotic.  Beware though, it does stain things yellow, so be careful.

Another night this week, we tried broiled broccoli.  Chris and I saw it on a TV show last week and thought it looked tasty. Cut some fresh broccoli into some bite size florets with part of the stem and spread it out on a baking sheet.  Toss it with some oil (vegatable, canola, or olive), just enough to coat.  Sprinkle with some coarse salt.  Place under the broiler until the broccoli starts to brown and is at desired tenderness (I like mine quite crisp).  Pull out of the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice.  I like how broiling it carmelizes the broccoli a bit, so it's not so bitter.  This got both Chris and Ro to eat their veggies.