B is for Brownies, or BAD DOG!

Tonight was my night to cook for the family. My mother, brother and his crew included.
I planned and prepared the perfect meal, including dessert:
Chocolate brownies infused with Blood Orange Olive Oil.
The house smelled of scrumptious oranges all. day. long.
The meal was timed perfectly.
All the guests arrived and we were enjoying a hot meal within minutes.
Good company. Great conversation. Dessert anticipation.

Suddenly, an unusual noise caught my attention.
I caught a glimpse of something under the pantry door.
Then, I realized, the dog was not at his usual spot
underneath the table in search of a dropped morsel.
I jumped up, opened the pantry door, and found him…
face down in the plate of fresh brownies.

Speaking too soon

This Sunday was no different than any other Sunday.
Church, rest and food.|
As always, the parentals joined us for dinner.

We enjoyed the usual after-dinner discussion at the table.
The question was posed: Has Chester ever gotten into the Crock Pot?
I proudly boasted …“NO”. I explained that I usually booby-trap the Crock Pot, 
surrounding it with  small appliances and doggy shockers.

Today, being a holiday, I was able to stay home and plan an extra nice dinner.
Sweet Pork Tacos!! Everyone was looking forward to them.
(Did you notice the word WAS?)

I carefully planned the timing. Marinade, slow cook, shred, dinner by 5:30.
The pork was progressing well and the Crock Pot trap was set as we prepared to meet Taylor for lunch.
(She is enrolled in a CNA class, today is her first day.)

When we returned home, it appeared as though the kitchen had been struck by a tornado.
Small appliances were strewn over the floor.
The Crock Pot was dangling off the side of the counter, still set on high, and empty. (Fire hazard?)
The cleaned out crock was on the floor, right next to the wet rug, spotted with meaty remnants.
Chester was panting on the couch, well deserving of a belly ache!

I proceeded with the hour long cleanup.
Scrubbing rugs, mopping floors, washing dishes, shampooing ears.
As I cursed and cleaned, I reminded myself of the last Chester episode.
I promptly searched the couch. Sure enough, a buried chop was discovered.
I tossed it and added the couch to my list of things to scrub.

Afraid of what spoiled meat might do to the air quality inside the house,
I decided to expand my search. Every nook and cranny was checked,
and another chop was discovered buried in the couch in the front room.

Lessons learned:
Chester seems to be undaunted by small shocks when meat is the objective.
The basement is now the preferred site for preparing Crock Pot meals.

Today

This morning, Evan got up as he usually does on Sunday,
and went to his early morning meetings.

It was a slower day than usual, so he had time to come home for breakfast before Church.
He fixed pancakes, one of his favorites.

I spent the morning baking an Apple Pie.
Another favorite.

After church, He grilled up some steaks and asparagus.
Favorites, again.

Must have been someone’s birthday!!
Happy Birthday sweetie!
I couldn’t have pulled it off without you.

How I like to fix dinner…

Plan on 4,
feed 8.
No leftovers.

Tonight, for example:

I selected a nice 4 pound fryer.
Seasoned it perfectly and baked for 2 hours.
Real mashed potatoes, cream gravy from the drippings &
fresh fruit to compliment it on the side.

Kylee and I were the first. We ate to our hearts content.
Then the phone call came.

Kylee’s friends were ready to meet up for Taylorsville Days.
After a quick survey of the remaining food,
and a quick call for Taylor to hurry home to eat,
the invitation was extended.

A few minutes later, there was a frenzy around my counter
… just the way I love it!

After cleaning it up (with 6 helpers)
and loading the dishwasher,
I was able to save a plate for Evan.

Perfect!

How to gain 10 lbs.

The cool and wet weather brought 22 people into my house for Memorial Day.
It was a great day and I LOVED having the house full of family.
Baby Back Ribs, Maple Salmon and amazing sides.
In spite of using paper plates, I ran the dishwasher for 2 more days.

On Tuesday, I bought a 16 pound pork roast 
preparatory to feeding Taylor’s choir class on Thursday.
Wednesday, it slow cooked in the oven while I worked,
then Evan and I spent the evening together shredding pig.
Two crock pots full of pork tacos.

The grand finale will be Saturday.
I am playing hostess to the graduation Laurels in our Ward.
The brunch menu will include Eggs and Hash-browns, Muffins,
Banana Bread Kabobs and Stuffed Strawberries.

I’m thinking cereal for Sunday dinner!
I will be all cooked-out.

Mothers Day

Saturday
Non-Stop Gardening.
(Hoping we don’t kill this one off… green thumbs we have NOT!)
Phase I of feast prep.

Sunday
5:30 Wake up to start Phase II of feast prep.
(I know, I should not be working so hard, but I have a Mom too!)
Public declarations of gratitude from my daughters … posted on their Blogs.
The creating of Mother’s Day Cards to place on the framed photo for Mom/Grandma.
A break to play Dutch Blitz with my youngest.

A house full of family and chaos.
(One of my favorite things!)
An awesome card from a Nephew
(who may know me a little too well)

Forks flying on the floor.
Blaming Rachel.
(because she is so cute, and such a good sport)
Believing it was her Dad!!

Eating until our tummies burst.
Spilt punch in the fridge.
(Which led to a top to bottom scrubbing…Thanks Evan!!)
An awesome husband.
Terrific daughters.
A perfect day!
(weekend)

In case you were wondering…

If a dog (Chester)
eats grapes,
he carefully
picks them off the stem.

A day in the “Week of Taylor”

Start with multiple toppings
(Chicken, Pepperoni, Ham, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Olives, Pineapple,
Mozzarella Cheese, BBQ Sauce, Pizza Sauce, Ranch Dressing)
and many loaves of french bread…

and top it off with awesome friends…

and you’ve got yourself a pizza/movie watching/game playing

Out of the blue

This week
out of the blue
Taylor’s nerve
went back to sleep.

She is no longer in
extreme pain & discomfort.

(It is so nice to watch her enjoy
some normal activities (like driving!)
however, there are still some restrictions until July.)

On Wednesday,
out of the blue
the power went out
for three hours.

Just 5 minutes after
I put cupcakes in the oven.

(Fortunately for Gamma,
I was able to save them by baking them in
the oven for an hour while keeping the oven door shut,
and peeking at them through the window with a flashlight!)

Today, in church
out of the blue
the man sitting in front of us
turned around , looking at Taylor, said
”it’s like an angel is singing!”

I know for a FACT
he was not speaking to Evan,
or me!

(But I took it as a compliment anyway!
I am so proud of BOTH of my daughters.)

Breaking the fast

As a matter of convenience, we met at my mothers house after church.
Several loud grumbly tummies included.
We broke our fast with a prayer and then gave Taylor a Priesthood blessing
preparatory to her surgery later this week.

It was beautiful.

The leftovers from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
were set out and we devoured them in a matter of minutes.
Followed by the remains of dessert.

It was delicious.

An hour or so, gathered around the cleared table, talking and laughing.
(One of my favorite pastimes.)

I am so blessed.

Experimental Dinner

I love it when I successfully merge a recipe with my own ideas or personal preferences and create an instant HIT! I don’t attempt this very often and I think I have failed more than I have triumphed. Tonight was an exception to that rule. The best part is, I was able to rid my fridge of leftovers that my family refuses to eat. (I  have quickly learned the best way to get rid of leftovers in my household is to recycle them.)

Chicken, Rice and Back Bean Casserole

(The amount of these ingredients may vary and will not alter the recipe. This is my best estimate as to how much I used tonight.)

• 2  cups of cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces. ( I used leftover grilled chicken breasts)
• 1/2  tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp cilantro (I usually have dried cilantro in my spice rack, but fresh is always better!) Use more or less depending on your preference.
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.
• 2 - 3 cups cooked rice (I flavored mine with cilantro and lime juice)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack)
• 1 (10 oz) can Red Enchilada Sauce
• 8-10 corn tortillas

Heat oven to 375. Place chicken, spices, cilantro, drained beans, and cooked rice in a bowl and mix together.  Pour 1/2 of the enchilada sauce in a 9x13 pan. Top with half of the tortillas. (They will overlap.) Put 1/2 of chicken mixture over tortillas and top that with 1/2 of the cheese. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over this layer, top with remaining tortillas followed by the chicken mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream.

Keeping promises…

During our recent trip to Lake Powell – I was once again asked for a recipe. This one is from my collection, handed down to me by my mother. (Sorry, no photo)

Banana Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 Cup shortening

1 Cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1-1/2 Cup flour

1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1-3/4 Cup rolled oats

1 Cup mashed bananas

1/2 Cup chocolate chips (I double this)

Measure dry ingredients. Add bananas, oats & chips. Drop on ungreased baking sheet. 12-15 mins @ 400. (My oven only needs about 10 minutes)

Like banana bread, these are always best the next day.

My collection

I love to collect recipes. I collect more than I prepare. Once in a while, I will actually make something from my piles of printouts, magazines, books or foodie-blogs. One all time family favorite comes from “Taste of Home” Magazine. My family fell in love with these cookies instantly!! While my parents were serving their mission in Edmonton, Canada – I would often ship them the Milk Duds so they could whip up a batch to enjoy and share. I am now passing this on to you:

Chewy Surprise Cookies

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups butter-flavored shortening
• 1-1/2 cups peanut butter
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (10 ounces) Milk Duds

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour. 
Shape 4 teaspoons of dough around each Milk Dud so it is completely covered. Roll balls in remaining sugar. 
Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. 

Yield: about 8 dozen.