Halloween Treats

Started out with plain old cupcakes...but was able to come up with quite the treat for Logan's Halloween party at school tomorrow.  I even got an "Awesome, Mom!" when he got home and saw them!!  Hooray!

 

 

So, I think that I may have had more fun decorating these little cuties than the kids will have tomorrow when they see them!  I started off a little conservative, some candied sugar and an eye ball.  Soon, I got a little braver and before I knew it, I had bugs with legs and spiders in their webs!  :)




It was all really petty easy tricks.  The spider web is an orange gel frosting pen.  I just made a circle and then webs through it.  The spider is a malted milk ball with black piped frosted for the legs.  Each of the bugs is 2 or 3 pieces of candy connected with the black piping and legs again.  It was just a really fun project! 

Happy Halloween!!

A Family Affair

My kitchen may be my domain, but it belongs to my entire family.  Cooking, baking, enjoying the warmth, the scents, it is a central hub of our home.  Everyone has different "jobs" in the kitchen and we all try to be involved in one aspect or another when it comes to dinner time.  My 9 year old, Logan has become more and more interested in learning how to cook.  Not just helping make cookies or treats, actually making a meal.  

The last few months, we have started including him more and more in the dinner making process.  We started out slowly.  Picking out the vegetables and doing the prep work.  Setting the table, making sure all the proper condiments were available.  Making side dishes.  As he mastered each of these smaller tasks, we started adding more to his responsibilities.  I have never seem him thrive as he does when he successfully contributes to our dinners.  It is such an amazing feeling to know that we have found something to share that gives him such a sense of accomplishment.

Tonight, for the first night, he made dinner.  From beginning to end.  Mom "helped" from the side lines, but it was Logan's show.  He did AMAZING!  He made lasagna, green beans and garlic bread, and it was incredible!  The looks of pure joy as everyone complimented his meal were worth every extra second that I have had to spend in the kitchen teaching him the wonderful world of cooking.  I remember growing up, my mom tutored me through my earlier years of cooking and I thank God that she spent that time with me so today I was able to share it with my son.  Very happy momma tonight!

Insomnia?

Had someone told me that I would have insomnia while there was a toddler and an almost toddler living in my house, I would have showed them the way to the funny farm.  Yet, here I sit, at 230am, wide awake.  What is up with that?!?!  Sophie (my 3 year old) has never been a good sleeper.  Not once since we brought her home from the hospital have I had a decent night of sleep, unless she was having a sleep over with Grandma!  Most of the time, I have no idea what her issue with sleeping is.  Sometimes, she is over tired, or napped too long during the day, or is excited about tomorrow's activities, or is having a bad night.  But, on the standard side, she just does not sleep well.  If she falls asleep quickly, there is no doubt that she will be awake by 130am, ready to "start the day, Mom!"  If it takes her a couple hours (like tonight, three and a half hours) to fall asleep, she is still up and ready to go by 5am.  

This trait did not come from her mommy.  I like sleep.  I have always been a really good sleeper.  I fall asleep quickly, I don't like to wake up, I would much rather snuggle in my bed for 30-45 minutes after waking rather than getting up and being motivated.  With Sophie's wonderful sleep schedule, there isn't much chance for insomnia.  Normally.  Tonight??  Who knows.  Yet, I found myself tossing and turning and making lists in my head of the things that I would really like to get accomplished tomorrow.  Very seldom does this happen, but when it does, it is frustrating!  I know that at the maximum from right now as I sit here typing, my little Boo will be ready for her day to start within two and a half hours.  :(

My boys, on the other hand, definitely have acquired their sleeping habits from their mommy.  Logan (age 9) made it quite the habit this summer to stroll out of bed anywhere from 11am to 1pm.  That's my boy!  I remember fondly the days when I could do that!  Henry (my almost toddler, age 20 months) has slept like a peach since we brought him home from the hospital.  He goes to sleep in his bed, by himself, without a fuss every single nap and bed time.  There is sometimes quiet playing that can be heard from his monitor, but within 30 minutes, he has picked up his toys, crawled back into his bed and gone to sleep until his sister is too noisy for him to continue sleeping.  Most days, if I can keep the loud mouth (said with lots of love!!) quiet, Henry will sleep the clock around.  For those of you whose parents didn't use that term frequently, 12 hours!  Or more!  

I often say that if my 3 year old slept as well as the 20 month old, bed time could be bliss! Alas, it is not so, yet.  I have a lot of faith in her that she will some day...before I am old and gray, sleep well.  At least one night.  It has to happen, right?!?!  Until that day, nights like this take quite the toll on this Momma.  I can tell you how it will go, before it even happens.  I will finally, happily, slip into dream land...and the pitter patter of my love's feet will hit the floor.  Just as I am about to become completely unconscious, due to lack of sleep, the most adorable little girl will slip in my bed beside me.  Then she will whisper quietly, "Good morning, Mom."  And we will start another day that I am blessed to have with her.  :)

Olive Garden Bread Sticks

I love bread sticks.  It is a simple fact.  If I eat spaghetti, lasagna, fettuccine, soup, okay, pretty much anything!  Bread sticks make it better!  I came upon this recipe out of sheer luck.  Trolling websites one day, I found a very close recipe to Olive Garden's.  A few of my own little tweaks, and voila!  Bliss!

Olive Garden (or pretty close!) Bread Sticks
Dough:
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt (I know, it seems like a lot, but it is how I do it every time!)
2 tbsp butter, softened
4-5 cups flour

Topping:
3 tbsp butter, melted
sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder

 For the dough, sprinkle the sugar and yeast over the warm water.  Wait 5-10 minutes until the mixture looks milky, refer to the two pictures on the right.  

After the mixture has become milky, add the salt, butter and 2 cups of the flour.  Mix well, scrape edges of bowl before adding any more.

Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you have the consistency you want.  It should not stick to your fingers when you touch the dough, but you don't want to much flour or the sticks will be hard.  Once you have all the flour added, either knead with your mixer or by hand about 5 minutes.  Dough should be elastic and stretchy.  Spray inside of the bowl with cooking spray, flip dough over so it is all covered and place in a warm spot with a towel over the top to rise.  This process should take about an hour.  You want the dough to double in size.

Lightly flour your surface and roll out the dough by hand into one long log.

Spray your knife with cooking spray and cut log into 12-14 pieces.

Roll pieces into 6 inch long snakes and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Be sure they are at least 2 inches apart.

Heat oven to 170 degrees (or if it is older like mine, the warm option!), place cookie sheets into oven and let the sticks rise for about 15 minutes.  Use half of the butter from the topping ingredients and brush each bread stick.  Sprinkle sea salt on top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Immediately remove and brush with remaining butter and garlic powder.  Enjoy!

Flowers

I was so incredibly excited to be able to have the time and energy and everything else that was needed this year for me to have a flower garden.  I poured over the catalogs that kept coming and coming in the mail and I have to admit, I was overwhelmed.  So many pretty flowers, but, what do I know about perennials and border or trellis flowers?  Not much!  I had to take a quick crash course because the one thing I did know was I wanted flowers blooming at my house!  As you can see, the gladiolas were one of my all time favorites!  They all turned out SO incredibly pretty, I probably have close to as many pics of the glads as I do of my children during the time they bloomed!  ;)  

Maybe not, but I know it is close!  Another huge favorite was the lilies.  Oh my goodness, they were so pretty.  I cannot wait until next year when they are a little more mature and have slightly large blossoms...oh, so much beautifulness!!

   
And then, my rose bush.  Hallelujah for the amazing woman who planted this rose bush!  I have no idea how long it has been here, but boy oh boy!!  I am so happy it is here!

It is huge!  It was FULL of roses!  It was probably my favorite place to "relax" while watching the kids play outside!

I have a lot of ideas for next summer that are already starting to brew.  I better hide the flower catalogs from my husband!  He is probably tired of helping!!  

Handy Kitchen Tips

If there was ever one thing that I would absolutely have to know about kitchen work, well, there are too many!!  I have picked up so many "helpful" hints since I was a little girl helping my mom in the kitchen that I have probably forgotten half of them!  How did I ever manage anything in the kitchen before I knew a few of these?!?!  So, I decided to make a list.  Whether you are a newbie in the kitchen or an "old hat", hopefully one of these things will be something new for you!  

1.  If you have to measure honey or corn syrup, or any other sticky substance, spray the measuring spoon or cup with cooking spray first.  It will coat the cup, but not leave any odd tastes in the food.

2.  Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your pan when boiling eggs.  It will make the egg shells virtually fall right off!  Hardly no peeling needed!

3.  Keep single chopsticks in your flour container, simply for "leveling" the cup!  So much easier than always getting out a butter knife.

4.  Add a slice of bread to the bottom of your cookie jar before filling it up.  The bread will suck up the moisture and get hard instead of your cookies!

5.  Place a wooden spoon across the top of your pan when boiling anything.  The pot will NOT boil over.

6.  For potato salad, chop eggs with a pastry blender.  It cuts them up wonderfully.

7.  When you buy celery, take it out of the plastic bag and wrap it in tin foil.  It will last three times longer.

8.  Wrap tin foil around the cluster at the top of a bunch of bananas.  They will last twice as long.

9.  When greasing a cake pan or bread pan, put the oil on a piece of bread.  It is much easier to get it into the corners and doesn't leave any paper towel bits.

10.  When you are not using both racks in the oven, pull out the extra one and use it as a cooling rack.  If you are making cookies and they may fall through, cover the rack in tin foil before use.

These are just a few of my top favorite tips.  Some of these things I do not know what I would do without!  If you have any great hints, leave me a post!  

Fried Zucchini

One of my all time favorite side dishes during the summer.  If it were only to make this dish, summer could stay all year round if it were up to me!  This dish has been passed down for so long, I have no idea where it originated.  Of course, as with all recipes passed along, there are a few variations that have been made over the years.  For the most part, I would imagine it is just as delicious today as it was when it was first concocted.  If any of you have ever grown zucchini before, you know that it does not take long for your entire house to be overtaken by the zucchini plants.  I know that towards the end, I was not really very sad that the frost was coming and I wouldn't get too many more...except for this dish.  If every zucchini off the plants could be saved for this dish, I would grow it year round!

This zucchini is about the perfect size for this dish.  The younger they are, the tastier the dish will be.  Once they get to the size of the first picture, the only thing I do with them is shred them and freeze it for zucchini bread.  They just do not have the flavor that these little beauties possess!

Healthy, hearty, filling, and packed with a punch, this dish will spice up any meal you decide to eat it with! 

Fried Zucchini Side Dish
3-4 small zucchini, washed and sliced at about 1/4 inch thickness
1-2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
garlic sea salt

In a large frying pan, add olive oil, zucchini and onion.  On medium heat, slowly fry the mixture as you would with fried potatoes.  This should take about 7-8 minutes.  After about 5 minutes, the zucchini will start to lose its white color and will begin to turn an off white color.  When this happens, add the tomatoes and garlic sea salt.  I don't use a measuring spoon on the garlic, it is more of a taste thing.  If you like garlic, add more, if not, don't!  Put a lid on the pan, stir once between 5-8 minutes and serve!  Super easy recipe, super tasty, healthy!  Enjoy!