You asked for it....CHOCOLATE!

It's a good day!  I spent the morning with all three boys at the Dr.  Chris had a recheck for his toe, Matt had a recheck for his lungs and Aaron had a physical.  Going to the Dr. with three boys is always an adventure.  I try to time my arrival close enough to the appointment time that we don't have to wait in the lobby too long.  This morning Aaron decided that sitting inside the toy box would be a good idea and of course Matt thought closing the lid and holding it down was awesome!  So here we are with the boys being loud and obnoxious and all I can do is just smile at the women who are staring at me now.  I'm just certain that they are thinking, "come on lady, get a grip on your heathen children" but hey, perhaps they would like to volunteer to take them home for a few hours.  I guarantee they would bring them back! 

So after a fairly successful Drs visit I decided it was necessary to go to the grocery store.  What was I thinking?  Two preschoolers and a twelve year old in the store during the day.  The store is crawling with people of a different generation, the one where kids were seen and not heard, if you get my drift.  I park, and luckily one of those carts with the bench attached is sitting right there!  Score one for mom, perhaps I can get them subdued and make this thing work.  NOT!  Kids must have some kind of intuition that mom really wants them to behave because instantly they begin to act up.  Matt decides that he just HAS TO steer this mammoth cart amongst the throngs of people, I wonder if they have defensive driving for carts?  Aaron grabs a package of candy and begins opening it, certain that if he can open it and begin to consume it somehow I won't be upset..please, where is the logic???  So, I limit my list to absolute neccesities and we hit the self check out.  Imagine two preschool boys trying to push each other out of the way so they can scan their item NOW!  It was like a Vera Bradley sale but with little kids!  Thankfully, we made it out of the store without injury and head back to the car.  I need to get gas, now I don't know about you but when I stop at the gas station my kids seem to think that is an instant sign that they should quickly get out of their car seats and crawl around my car being sure to move the seat and all the mirrors.  Seriously, how can two boys do sooo much damage in five minutes?  It amazes me, perhaps I should apply for some disaster relief funds :)

This afternoon I worked on the brownies for Christian's youth retreat this weekend.  We need to be at the church by 6 so I gotta get these done quick.  I decided to make two kinds, a traditional chewy brownie and my zuchinni brownies.  After the first batch was done Chris informs me that I probably should make two brownies for each kid, because they are sooo good.  What a suck up....so that's um, 80 brownies in like 3 hours.  I can do this!  I of course had to make a batch for home too :)  My favorite is the Zuch brownie but David prefers the traditional ones.  I think he secretly nixes the other one just because he knows it has something healthy in it!  I'm not even sure if you can get zuchinni this time of year anywhere.  I froze a bunch this past summer so I can assure you that frozen works just fine.  I thawed mine and then drained it.  Since what I had was cubed, I just threw two cups in my Kitchen aid Immersion blender with it's chopping attachment and just made everything really small.  It worked wonderfully!

Zuchinni Brownies

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
 
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease and flour a 9x13 inch glass baking pan.


In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini. Spread pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Chewy Brownies

1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks melted butter/margarine
2 T water
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups al-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13 x 9 glass baking pan

Combine sugar, butter and water in large bowl.  Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in seperate bowl.  Stir into sugar mixture.  Spread into prepared pan. 

Bake 18-25 minutes, until a toothpick in center comes out slightly sticky.

Well, Chris is gone for the weekend and it's just Dave, me and the two little ones.  Hopefully we can have a fun filled weekend of cleaning and movies.  Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Until we eat again,
Simply FAB

Oh how things change....and some blueberry coffee cake too!

I was talking to a great friend today and she made the comment that I've heard many times now. People seem to be surprised that I'm the same person they knew five years ago. Sure, we all change, we all get a little bigger, grayer, have a few more wrinkles and sometimes we even change professions. Perhaps though, we really don't change, we just become confident enough to be the person we have always wanted to be. We learn to find happiness where we are. There comes a time where we quit saying "when I grow up" and instead we just grow up. We find the things we feel passionate about and are no longer embarrassed to be passionate about them. So, perhaps I am not the same person I was five years ago, but the person I am now is the person I was always meant to be. I've found happiness in my family and my faith. I know that no matter where we are as long as we are together things will always be okay. That, is really where the change occurs, in no longer chasing after what will make us okay but realizing that it's really been right here all along!

I awoke this morning to a child who was finally breathing well! Matt has turned the corner and seems to be getting back to normal. Thanks again for all the prayers and thoughts. I was so busy with him yesterday that I didn't even get a chance to write and for that I am sorry. I'm sure everyone will survive ;)

Yesterday I did make two coffee cakes for my Mom's Group. I was most excited about a Jewish Coffee Cake recipe that I had found. It had all my favorites...sour cream, sugar, nuts....how could it not be perfect....well, it was less than perfect. Okay, it was edible and to some probably not bad but it was definately NOT what I was looking for.

I had also found a blueberry coffee cake that I decided would be a good option for people who didn't like nuts...I really wasn't expecting much but let me tell you, it was awesome! This past summer some friends of ours, the Brown's, along with David's sister and her family, went with us to pick blueberries. I have to admit, prior to then, I had never ever picked a blueberry. I had never seen a blueberry bush and I wasn't so sure I knew what to do with a blueberry. When I go to a farm, I always ask what I am looking for when picking said item. Growers are more than eager to share their knowledge and if I'm lucky enough, they may even share some great recipes. Well, we picked a bunch of blueberries and I was sure that this would be more than enough to last my family to the next season, sad to report, I have just used the last bag!!!! I guess I'll be purchasing some frozen blueberries next week because I can't resist making this coffee cake again. Here's a little tip that my friend Stacie taught me....when using frozen blueberries in baking recipes, make sure they are frozen when you add them, it keeps them from all sinking to the bottom of your item. I am happy to report...she is absolutely right! You can bet I'll be baking this during blueberry season next year!

Divine Blueberry Coffee Cake

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 x 9 pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

So tonight it was just the kids and I so we had some pork chops and mashed potatoes. Nothing fancy just easy and kid friendly. When Dave finally made it home from work I planted myself on the sofa to watch Julie & Julia. I have to admit, I had never seen the movie but was intrigued by the whole "cooking" aspect of it. I was laughing my butt off when I realized it was about a woman who blogged about her cooking :) So much for original ideas. The movie was great and I really did get what she was doing. She was following her passion. I have told people many times that when I cook it's an intimate thing. When someone eats my cooking, and enjoys it, they are allowing me to nurture them, to provide them with not only the substinance they need but hopefully with some pleasure. It may sound corny but it is truly how I feel.

It looks like mother nature is going to smile on us this weekend. Temps in the high 40's in January, what a blessing. I need a break from the cloudy cold. Yesterday morning I got to see a beautiful sunrise. I would have actually missed it but Aaron was looking out the patio door and said "Mommy, the sun is on fire", he was so right! Aaron has a way of stating things that continually bring a smile to my face. It turns out several of my friends saw the same sunrise and posted about it on their fb accounts. Isn't it neat how we can all be so far away but yet be connected by something as simple as the sunrise.

Well, it's late, the kids are in their own beds (woohoo) and I'm ready to go spend some quality time with my hubby!

Until we eat again,

Simply FAB

When all you want is comfort food.

Thanks everyone for all the prayers for Matthew. He's holding his own right now and I can tell the steroids are starting to have an effect, his energy level is picking up! We go back to the Dr. on Thursday morning so we'll see what they have to say.

Today I had several appointments and would not have survived if it hadn't been for my awesome son Chris (he's homeschooled right now) and my two great neighbors; Heidi & Amy. Each neighbor took Aaron for one appointment and Chris stood guard on Matthew at home. I realized today that we have raised a very responsible (when he has to be) young man. He will make a great dad someday!!

I was really in the mood for some old fashioned comfort food tonight so I decided to make my Mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole. Now I know that not everyone likes tuna, and some of you hate it warm (something about you west coast people ;)), but I grew up on this dish and to this day it is one of my favorites. It super simple, inexpensive and quick! I opened up some canned peaches from this summer and it made me drool for summer.





Mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole



1 lb wide egg noodles (cooked per pkg directions)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
12 oz milk
2 small cans tuna packed in water and drained (or one big can)
2-3 cups frozen sweet peas (or canned if you like)
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese





mix all of the ingredients, except cheese, in a large bowl and transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes. Add cheese to top and cook until melted.



Tomorrow should be fun, I'm providing the snack for Mom's group in the morning. I'm baking a blueberry coffeecake and a Jewish Coffee Cake. Can't wait to share pics and recipes tomorrow. Oh, and for dinner, I'm already planning some Ham and Bean soup :)

Until we eat again!
Simply FAB

Being Creative When There's No Time!

So today started with taking Matthew and myself to the Dr.. Matt has several "conditions" that make him prone to lung infections and he has once again developed pnemonia. So, after the Dr. we made another trip to the pharmacy and then back home for a busy day of breathing treatments and other meds. Needless to say, there hasn't been alot of time for creativity today.

I've volunteered to provide the brownies for this weekends youth retreat so you can be sure there will be some chocolate later this week! I'm excited to share my zuchinni brownies with you. This summer we had the pleasure of having all my sibs, my parents and all the grandkids to the house for a whole weekend. Yes, we all survived and these brownies were a hit! I think we made two extra batches because we ran out so soon.

The whole crazy gang August 2009

So six came tonight and David called to say he was headed home...umm....long silence...I haven't even started dinner. I had thawed a pork loin that I bought on sale earlier this month so at least I knew where I was starting :) Here's what I ended up with.

For the meat I just sliced it into 1" chops and seasoned it on both sides with some Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt. I placed them on my heavy griddle and placed them in my oven at 450. After about 15 minutes on each side they were cooked to perfection and super tender! Quick Tip: the larger piece of meat will slice easier if you do it while it's slightly frozen still!

Okay, so here's where the creative part comes in. I needed a side dish and I needed it fast. I'm not a big fan of side dishes in a box because there are so many added ingredients and they can really be very costly. I grabbed about 1/2 cup of frozen diced peppers and put them in a hot pan with 1 T of butter and 3 minced garlic cloves. I cooked them until they were soft and then added what I had left of my instant whole grain rice and some instant white rice (total about 2 cups), two chicken boulion cubes and about 3 1/2 cups of water. I brought everything to a simmer for about fifteen minutes. I did add some salt and pepper to taste. When the rice was cooked through I gave it a taste and it was missing some kick so I took a peek in my fridge and the banana peppers started calling to me.....I added about 3-4 T of sliced banana pepper rings to the whole concoction and let it simmer for about 3 more minutes. It turned out great! We have this game we play at the table...guess the secret ingredient...it took everyone about 5 guesses before the figured it out!

When it comes to veggies, sometimes you just can't beat a quick can of carrots. I drained them, drizzled some honey over the top of them and gave them a quick spin in the microwave. My kids love them this way, and this way only....and it's healthier than adding butter and a bunch of brown sugar.

Just to note, in order to save myself time (and money) I purchased a bunch of assorted peppers at my local market this fall (entire bags for like $3.00). I brought them home, chopped them all up and froze them on a cookie sheet on my quick freeze shelf. After they were frozen I transferred them into freezer bags in one cup packages. Some of the packages I mixed the green, red, yellow and sweet peppers together. I love these little packages because on nights like tonight I just grab the bag, bang it on the counter to break it up a bit and throw what I need into the skillet.

Well, although I'm not the thirty minute diva, when Dave walked through the door at 6:35, dinner was on the table and he was none the wiser (well, until he read this :)) I'm off to load the dishwasher and start some more laundry. Eight o clock beckons another breathing treatment and then hopefully an uneventful night! Sweet Dreams Everyone!

Until we eat again,

Simply FAB

I know what I want but I don't have the right stuff!

This weekend is one of those that I know all moms have. You know, you've got it all planned out and then a cat dies and a kid gets sick and the plans go out the window! So I found myself home with the two little one's this morning while David went with Chris to confirmation class. Chris (our 12 year old) had a youth event at 2 so I wanted to make sure and have something ready for lunch early.

I wanted Chicken Divan, you know really rich and yummy, I have this great recipe I got from Rachel Ray back in January of 03 (yep, I still have the print out in my recipes) where you can make Chicken Divan and then freeze 1/2 the mix and make Chicken Tetrazzini another time. Well, I didn't have even half of the ingredients but I still had the craving so I improvised, ALOT!! My hubby thought it was good enough to warrant calling dibs on the leftovers for lunch tomorrow and all three boys gobbled theirs up! Here's what I ended up with!!


Lemon Creek Cheesey Chicken Ziti

12 oz bonesless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups water
2 cubes chicken boullion
1/2 t oregano flakes
1/2 t seasoned salt

mix above ingredients into med saucepan and bring to boil, poach chicken for 8 minutes, cool & cube into small bite size pieces

1 lb. Ziti (or any other of your favorite pastas would do)

Cook according to directions & drain

In large skillet melt 2T butter/margarine, saute 1/2 chopped large onion and 3 minced garlic cloves.
When translucent add 3T flour and mix well.
Add 1 cup of Lemon Creek Winery Silver Beach Sauterne Wine (or another white wine) and mix well.
Mix in 1/2 c. sour cream and 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock (more as needed)
Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often. Add 1/4 t ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
When sauce thickens add in chicken and stir well.

Spray a 9 x 13 dish with non stick cooking srpay or oil. Place cooked pasta in bottom. Top pasta with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over and top with 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs & 1/8 c grated parmesan cheese. Place in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until breadcrumbs and cheese are golden brown.
1/16/2010

Just a few things to point out, for those of my friends who think Nutmeg is evil, I'm sure you can find a yummy substitute! I used the Lemon Creek wine because one of my wonderful neighbors gave it to me as a gift. The wine is a sweet white table wine, very fruity and of course, made locally! You can check out their website at www.lemoncreekwinery.com .

Until we eat again!
Simply FAB

In the beginning.......

So where does one start when they begin their own blog...I have no clue! I figure that it might be smart to tell you a little about myself. It's always good to have an idea who your journeying with, right?

I'm a 35 year old SAHM to three active boys. My boys are 12, 5 and 4. I've been happily married to my husband for 15 years now and I can't believe the journey we've been on! I'm the oldest of four girls, I was born in Dallas, TX and raised in the midwest. I grew up on depression dishes that my mother learned from her mother in law but she never had the patience or time to teach me. My Mom could make a penny stretch farther than anyone I know!

My husband and I started out in Fort Wayne, IN and about 18 months ago moved to Southwestern Michigan. We both needed a change, and boy have we gotton one. Until 5 years ago I was a working mom. You know, long hours, cell phone attached to my head and never enough time to get anything done! We ate out most nights and by the time our oldest son turned five, we were thrilled he could politely order his own food at restraunts and behave. Perhaps we should have been worried by this but at the time, it was just the way life was. I always ordered the cutest cookies from the local specialty bakery for birthdays at school and cakes were ordered from the local grocery. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed cooking and when I had the chance I would try and showcase my emerging culinary skills I'd learned from a marathon Saturday of the Food Network!

Well, in December of 2004 our middle son was born and I became a SAHM. Wow, what a change! Just as I was adjusting to the idea of 24/7 mommyhood, we were blessed to find out we were having baby #3. Yep, 12 months, 2 weeks and about 4 days after boy #2 we had boy #3! I began cooking at home simply because it was tough to take two small children out and due to some health issues one of our children was having, I began to be phobic of restraunts and all the germs they presented. So began my passion for cooking.

In July of 2008 my husband left his long time job and we moved to MI. If you've ever visited southwestern Michigan in the summer it is an amazing thing. We moved into an old converted schoolhouse in the country. To the north of us is a peach orchard, to the west an apple orchard. Drive just a bit south and I can purchase local maple syrup and honey! This area is a plethera of fresh produce!! We met some wonderful neighbors and they quickly gave me the gardening bug. This past summer was my first season of gardening and it was a blast! So, as my life has changed so have my cooking habits. This past year I read the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kinsolver. While I haven't adopted all of the authors admirable talents I have made an effort to use locally grown produce when I can. I attempt to cook based on what's available at my local farm market and I'm always trying new things!

Hopefully through this blog I can share my love of cooking & baking, make you laugh with some stories of my crazy life with three boys and maybe even convinvce you that great food can be fun and simple. Nope, I'm not the Thirty Minute Diva (Though I do love her) and Martha Stewart I will never be! I hate folding laundry and doing the dishes are my downfall too! I just love to cook, I love to eat and I love to laugh!

Simply FAB