Cold is bringing us together!

Who knew sub zero temperatures would turn out to be a good thing! After two weeks of my kids being home on winter break from school they were getting restless from being out of their normal routine and  I was starting to go a little batty from all there teasing and bickering about each other! Then I got the word that school might be closed on Monday because of the ridiculous temperatures outside! My first thought to myself was "why doesn't someone just push me over the edge, these kids are making me crazy!" In all honesty though my kids and I don't get to much time together between work and school. 4 days in a row just the three of us (for the most part) is a rare occasion. This nice 4 day weekend has  been really special to me. Sure we've been cooped up in the house but its been so nice. We've bonded over some of my favorite childhood movies (Mary Poppins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) that are now becoming theirs! I love that!  We've all improved our Mario skills on the Wii! Luci is currently showing me her dance moves on Just Dance Kids (all the while Gavin is creating a bit of a brotherly obstacle course for her to dance around!) The giggles are the best!

Lets not forget the fact that we are a kitchen family! We spend more time in the kitchen together than any other place in the house. Its wonderful! Gavin had his buddy spend the night on Saturday. So Sunday morning we had my brother and his family over to hang out. The kids all helped me prepare some food. They are great little chefs! All of them. Kids are all about hands on things and helping and being apart of what is going on! Working in the kitchen together is one of our best bonding and memory making moments!

 

Egg Salad Professionals! Luci says "can we have this every time you are home for lunch, mama?"

 

Yesterday, was when the cold really struck. I was grateful to be home with the kids but itching to do some baking. I started with a baked oatmeal for breakfast. Oh my! My kids absolutely love oatmeal. Especially Gavin! We loaded it with fresh blueberries and it didn't stand a chance! Delicious. I'll post the easy peasy Gavin and Luci approved recipe and the end of this post!

I have to say though what I really wanted to make was a really good, can't stop eating cookie. I was searching, and scrolling and pinteresting for about an hour. Blah. Nothing was really looking so great. All I kept thinking about was Grams Gobbs! They are my all time favorite cookie. I can not stop eating them once I start. So I start searching and digging for the recipe she gave me. I couldn't find it anywhere. Shocker! I am one of the most unorganized people you will meet. Except in the kitchen! So that just gave me a really good reason to call Gram and catch up with her like we normally do. They were expecting the same cold temps in Pennsylvania the next day. Good thing she got all her running around done before. Gram is one of my favorite people to talk to. I have a huge respect for her and her life. She too was a single mom for many years. Raising three, with even far less help than I have, in times where it was probably even more unacceptable and judged than it is today. I can not imagine. I really can't. I think her an I have a real understanding of each other and what we do day in and day out. I sometimes wonder how she did it, and then I think of what I say when people ask me that question. You just do it.

Grams Gobbs! Far better than those damn whoopee pies that have come to be kinda sorta popular, but not really! These babies are my all time favorite and I grateful to have an entire plate to eat today!

 

 

BAKED OATMEAL RECIPE

 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup  brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons oil

1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat egg. Add rest of ingredients except oats and mix thoroughly until well combined. Add oats and stir. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.   This was so easy and delicious. We even had some leftover for this morning. Tasted just as great! I feel as though its a great base recipe that you can add so much too! Hope you all enjoy it as much as we did! Stay Warm and cuddle those kids!

 

Corn Chowder Baby!

I usually only have one day a week to get everything I need to done. Laundry, cleaning, errands and whatever prep work I can for upcoming side jobs. That is my typical Monday! When I say one day, I really mean about 5  hours without children to tend to. So I guess its not even really a full day. I am thankful for having Mondays off from my full time job. Makes my life a little easier and tad quieter, even if its only a couple hours.
With that said, cooking is not typically what I want to worry to much about. I'm a big crockpot go to mom! Makes up for all the mom guilt for feeding them quick easy dinners the three nights before because we were either on the go or I am just so tired!
So today, I chose Corn Chowder in the crockpot! Corn Chowder is my favorite chilly day food!

  6-8 potatoes (peeled and diced)

  2  Can cream corn

  1  cup kernel corn (I always use frozen you could use canned too)                       

  2 Cups chicken broth               

  8 Ounces diced ham                       

  1 Cups diced onions

  1/4 cup(1 stick) butter                        

   2 Cups heavy cream

 

Peel and dice your potatoes add them to the crockpot. Add corn, broth (I use stock) ham and onions.

Cook on low for 7 hours.

Add butter and heavy cream

cook on High for the next 30 min or so

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use a 6 quart slow cooker and its full. This make a nice amount of soup for leftovers or if you're feeding a group!

The best part about the crockpot for me is smelling it all day long if your home! This soup is so easy and quick and delicious! I feel that if you like ham your could definitely add more than what I said in the ingredients list. I'm not a huge fan of ham but to each their own! Crispy bacon is also a great garnish for chowder!

Happy Halloween!

What a crazy few weeks it has been for us! Luci had her first Cheerleading Competition! I was so proud of her. She and her squad have been practicing for months on their routine. I must admit, I think we are both glad it is over though. I was shocked at how demanding sports are from the get go!

 As nice as it was for cheer to be over our schedules were far from settling down. Luci turned 7 on Halloween! We did a birthday party for her at the roller rink with all her friends. The kids had so much fun skating in their costumes.
With Halloween a few days after her birthday party, I had planned on having a trick or treating party at the house with some of our favorites! Halloween turned out to be a cold and wet but a lot of fun nonetheless. Kids were soaked from head to toe!

 Hot soup was the perfect thing to come back too. Here is the recipe for the Chicken Taco Soup that I made that everyone had asked for the recipe for. Best part...ITS ALL MADE IN THE CROCKPOT! By far my favorite kind of cooking!

1 onion chopped
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
2 cups of corn
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 can or bottle of beer
1 cans of rotel
1 package of taco seasoning
3 whole skinless chicken breasts (I usually use 4)

throw it all in the crockpot and stir it up good. Place the chicken on top and cook on low 8 hours. shred the chicken after 8 hours and stir in with the rest!

This recipe is one of our favorites. Makes great leftovers (yes even for me who doesn't like leftovers)
Top it with the works! Sour Cream, Cheese, Guac Chips ect....
This is Luci and Gavin approved!

It may be hot but its that time of the year... PUMPKIN!

What a busy week it has been. I have been getting things ready for  a wedding this weekend. The neat part about it is it's a friend I went to High School with. I always extra love being apart of a couples special day when I know them. Their wedding is very fall inspired so with that comes some fantastic fall cupcakes. One of which being a pumpkin spice. I had some extra pumpkin puree left over so I wanted to use it up. A quick grab and go breakfast is always appreciated in this hustle  bustle house. Or maybe I just appreciate myself later for thinking ahead!

Anyways! here is the ever so easy Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffin!

no-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour   
1/2 cup whole wheat flour                          
 1/2 cup white sugar                                                  
1 teaspoon salt                                                    
 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice                                                    

3/4 teaspoon baking powder                                                   

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                                                     

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg                                                    

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree                                                   

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (4oz)    

2 eggs, beaten                                                    

1/4 cup maple syrup                                                    

 

3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

 

whisk together all your dry ingredients. Flours, sugar, salt, spices, powder and soda.

beat your eggs, add your pumpkin puree, yogurt (you can use milk too if you don't have yogurt) and syrup. add your dry to your wet mix until combined (I used a spatula) and then fold in the oats.

 

Spray a cupcake pan with cooking spray, or you and butter and flour your pans if you don't have spray.

I used a 2oz scoop for my muffins and I got a dozen.

Bake 375 for 25 min! perfection!

 

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! Yep these are Luci and Gavin approved as well!

P.S. For you extra busy moms like me, muffins are totally freezable! Double or triple your batch and be set all Fall!

The two that make my world go round...

Proud to introduce the world to my two heartthrobs. Luci and Gavin. The most amazing, tenderhearted, loving, challenging, exciting, spontaneous kids you will ever know! They are my any and everything. What I do is done for them or with them in mind. I am beyond lucky to get to experience life with these two by my side.
Also, they are great guinea pigs for taste testing new recipes. Nothing beats the honesty of a child!

my second butternut squash alternative....

Spiced Butternut Squash Quinoa Muffins

I always love when I am searching for something new to make and I have all the ingredients in my cabinet! Makes life so much easier! These muffins are tasty little guys. I just handed one off to the kiddos so we'll wait and get the verdict from them (hopefully by the end of the post).

Muffins
 1 ¼ c whole wheat flour(I used AP)
¾ c brown sugar, packed
½ t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
¾ c cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1C of roasted butternut squash soup (if you don't have the soup just used canned puree or cook and puree a cups worth of squash)
4 T butter, melted
½ c milk
2 t vanilla extract

Almond Streusel
1/3 c chopped or slivered almonds
1/4 c sugar
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
2 T butter, melted

Preheat 425
Streusel is easy peasy... just combine all the ingredients until it is crumbly and set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, and stir until well combined.  In a larger bowl, beat together the butternut squash puree, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and milk until smooth.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the squash mixture in three batches, stirring until smooth between batches.  Finally, fold in the cooked quinoa until completely combined.
Scoop batter into a muffin tin that’s either been greased or lined with paper muffin liners. I used paper liners  but they stuck really bad so I would just grease your muffin tins for easier removal.  Top each muffin with a small amount of streusel then bake for 30 minutes, until the streusel is golden and the center of the muffin is no longer moist when tested with a toothpick.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely  before removing from the pan.

Kids verdict on the muffins: TWO THUMBS UP! (these will be great for their lunches or snacks at school!)

Happy Baking Folks!

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The infamous leftover struggle....

Leftovers. A word I really despise. Well maybe not so much the word, but you get it. I am not a leftovers person. Something about food being reheated (especially in a microwave) truly just doesn't satisfy me. For as long as I can remember I always just made enough food to feed everyone for that one meal. It was all fine and dandy when I wasn't working and home all the time, but now working full time, taking care of two kids on my own and racking up side jobs like you wouldn't believe I really don't have the energy to cook like that.
Recently I have tried to create a compromise with myself. I have been trying to cook for the family for the entire week in one day. Yes, this means food is reheated BUT it also means that I can eat something different every night without cooking every single night. So far, its working but then again its only been week one. HA!
So now I have leftovers...I really can't just toss them and they're still good but I think we're all a little sick of the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. What am I going to do with it all, it did make a bit much.
This is the recipe I used for my soup.Tasted delicious but was a bit thick for my soup likings.


This is the deliciousness that took place while making the soup
Roasted squash, apples, sage,garlic

The first recipe I wanted to make was a butternut squash biscuit. O M G these are great, kids gobbled them up straight out of the oven.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold butter cut into bits
1 cup leftover  roasted butternut squash soup (may be a little bit more, use enough to bring the dough together so you can work with it)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
I pulsed my dry ingredients in the food processor. You want your butter to be pea sized balls
Add your soup to the flour mixture. Pulse for a few seconds.  The dough should stick slightly to your hands.
I transferred my dough into a  bowl and used a scoop. I scooped about 12 biscuits onto prepared cookie pans.
Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the biscuits are nice and golden brown. These are best served warm!