School

This was a big week in my life. After 23 years, I went back to college. It was a long time in coming and in hindsight, something I should have done many years ago. Monday night I went to my first class, psychology 101. As I was heading out the door, Todd stopped me and said he needed to take a picture on my first day of school. The kids thought this was great and said, "You have to sit on the stairs, like you make us do." So yes, I sat on the stairs for a school picture.

With all the fussing about needing a picture, I left later than I had planned to. There was A LOT of students at school that night and after finally finding a parking spot, I was three minutes tardy to class. My professor was in mid sentence when I made my entrance and I hurried to the only open seat in view. It happened to be next to a guy who was an extremely loud breather and had a case of the shaky leg. He was shaking it like crazy, shaking the table, shaking me. Did I mention this was a three hour class?

Tuesday and Thursday morning I go to English class. I took my first quiz today, it covered 14 pages about research papers. I was pretty nervous but, I got 100%, so it was all good. After the quiz, I started to feel a little better about this whole thing. I started to think that maybe, if I work really hard, I might be able to do this.

My Dirty Laundry

I know you shouldn't put your dirty laundry out for people to see, but there was so much of it, I had to put it somewhere. My front loader broke over a week ago, it was only 15 months old!  The first major repair came when it was about 10 months. I realized then that we had bought a piece of junk so I paid the $200 to buy the extended warranty. Turned out to be the best decision ever, because three months later the motor went out. RC Willey called me on Tuesday and told me they weren't going to fix the washer and I was given a store credit.

As I headed to the store, I made up my mind to regress and get a washer with an agitator. Unfortunately, there was only one of those and it was a Whirlpool. I haven't had the best of luck with that brand, so I opted for a Maytag top loader. I wasn't thrilled about how little water it used and wondered if it could really clean clothes. When I got home, I researched it and was surprised to see how many bad reviews it had. I got a little freaked out and called the store and changed my order to the LG front loader. I wasn't happy that it cost $300 more than the store credit I had, but it had really good reviews.

They somehow managed to bump me off the next day delivery they had promised so I had to wait another day. By the time my new washer arrived, my table was full of dirty clothes. I have done about ten loads of laundry in the past two days. I love my new washer so much, that I didn't even mind.

-leaves-

I was walking home from the gym the other morning and saw something I hadn't seen in a long time. Across the street from my neighborhood is a small park. One of my favorite things about this little park are the beautiful deciduous trees that line the back border. I am not sure what type of trees they are, but they have shallow roots that bulge above the surface of the grass. Fall is my favorite season. It comes to town well past the time you would expect it to. I have been watching these trees and have loved seeing the leaves change colors. Not to long ago, I was noticing how many leaves were still on the trees. That is why I was so surprised when I glanced over at them on my walk. There must have been a pretty strong wind blow through here recently, because all the trees were completely bare. The grass was covered with a blanket of thick, crunchy leaves. Not just a few piles here and there, but everywhere. I had never seen the park with so many leaves. It was truly a beautiful sight. I knew I would be going over to get a closer look. After Megan got home, we took our pup to the park. Zoey had never seen leaves like that, she happily crunched over them as she chased her ball. She tried to eat a few and even had some hanging from her beard. I sat right down on a big pile of them and soaked up their happiness. I know it sounds weird, but fall leaves have always made me happy. I was planning on going again the next day, but as I drove by, I saw the landscapers truck. They worked all day, but managed to bundle up all the leaves and take them away. I was so sad. Why can't leaves on the ground have a longer life span around here? They weren't hurting anything.

Happiness.

Sometimes You Just Want to Go Home

As the girls and I were driving around the other day, a song came on the radio called, "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert. Generally, I am not a country fan, but what I do like about country music is that the songs usually tell a story. Sometimes, they even tell stories about other things, besides messy break-ups and troubled relationships. I love the story this song tells, it means something to me. It's about a girl who goes back to the house she grew up in and the memories she has there. She tells the owner if she can just walk around for a minute that maybe the brokenness inside of her can be healed.

As a kid, I couldn't wait to grow up and get out there in the "real world." I wish I hadn't been in such a rush to grow up, not that I didn't really LIVE my childhood, I did. I have great memories of growing up. I loved being part of such a big family. We didn't have much technology back then (except for Atari, which I happened to be very good at.) Most of the time, we had to use a little something called "imagination." We had great imaginations, we played store, bank, church, and house. We roller skated, flew kites, rode big wheels and bikes.

My favorite thing to do was to play dollhouse with my younger sister, Jennifer. We spread different sized books all over the floor and these would serve as the individual rooms in the mansions we built. We made furniture for each room out of blocks. We had couches, love seats, coffee tables, lamps, beds, dressers, full kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, everything you could think of that would make a comfortable home. Our "families" were the fisher price dollhouse people. They fit perfectly in the furniture we built. We would play dollhouse for hours and hours. It was one of our favorite things to do.

Each of the homes I grew up in have special memories for me. Especially the ones on Caballo Court, Lamplighter, and River Heights Blvd. I can close my eyes, and in my mind, still travel around the rooms of each home. These houses mean a lot to me because within their walls, I came to know myself, who I was and what I was about. They were places where I felt safe and believed that anything was possible in life. I could do anything and be anything.

A few years ago, we went through San Jose and I stopped to visit the Caballo house. I wanted so badly to walk through it again and see it through my adult eyes. The lady who lived there told me very firmly and rudely, that was NOT a possibility. I felt sad, but could understand why she wouldn't want a perfect stranger in her home...I wasn't a stranger to the house though.

Recently, on another trip, my sister and I stopped at the River Heights house. I don't know how I had the courage to knock on the door after my last rejection, but the desire to see it again was strong. A very kind lady opened the door and when we told her we used to live there, she was excited and asked us to come inside and look around. They had completely re-done the house. The only thing that looked familiar was the two-way, floor to ceiling rock fireplace that separated the dining room from the living room. Even though nothing looked the same, it was so good to walk through and "feel" it and re-live the memories there.

I guess that's why this song means something to me. When I got out in the real world, all the stresses and pressures of life seemed to overwhelm me. Sometimes, I even felt like I had lost myself. In essence, going back and visiting my childhood homes helped recapture, if only for a moment, a time that almost felt forgotten. A time when I didn't have to worry about the pressures and worries of today. A time where all I had to think about was what fun thing I was going to do next. Lately, I have been thinking about how small a child's world really is, and how the older you get, the larger the world becomes. I hope my children will enjoy the short time they have left at home and not grow up to fast. You can never really go back once you leave, you can visit and have happy times, but it is never the same. The houses that "built me" will live on, even if they're only memories now.

Chocolate Silk Pie

I am in love with chocolate cream pie. I have never attempted to make it until now. This recipe is so easy to make that I can't believe I have gone 41 years without making chocolate pie for myself. I used a pre-made crust, which was extremely lame of me. It made the pie slightly sub-standard. I recommend making your own pie crust, you can find a great recipe and tutorial here. 

1 unbaked pastry shell 9 inches

1 jar marshmallow creme  (7 oz)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter, cubed

2 squares (1 oz each) of unsweetened chocolate

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove foil, bake 5 minutes longer. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, combine the marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate; cook and stir over low heat until the chocolate is smooth. Cool. Fold in the whipped cream; pour into crust. (I wanted a smoother texture, so I beat this mixture for a few minutes with a mixer.) For topping, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over filling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with grated chocolate if desired.
*recipe courtesy of Quick Cooking Magazine

Cheddar Herb Biscuits

These are the best biscuits I have ever tasted. I have made them so many times since I first tried this recipe, that the kids now say, "You're making those again?" I can't help myself. They are so easy, go good with so many things, and I crave them on a regular basis. I substitute 1/2 cup of the white flour for 1/2 cup of wheat flour to make them a little healthier. I can get 12 biscuits out of this recipe. They are also great the next day for breakfast. I heat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave, and place a fried egg in the middle...delicious! 

Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Buttery Topping:
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly. Serve immediately.

*recipe from melskitchencafe.com

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I am a big fan of sweet and sour things, so these are some of my favorite meatballs. I used to fry meatballs, but hated standing there browning them on all sides. I recommend baking them, it's a lot easier!

INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons milk

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until combined. Form ground beef mixture into 1 to 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, turn meatballs and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until done. Drain on a paper towel.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved then add meatballs. Serve over rice.

*recipe adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Sauce

What's better than warm gingerbread? How about warm gingerbread with lemon sauce? This is a wonderful variety of an amazing breakfast food we call...waffles. When we had these growing up, we usually had them for dinner. The buttery lemon sauce is a perfect combination with the gingerbread, and there's no need to put anything else on it. If you have a fancy waffle iron that makes four squares at a time (I finally got my first one a few months ago) you will only have enough batter to make two. That would only feed about one and a half people at my house. So I tripled the recipe so we would have breakfast leftovers for a few days.

Waffles:

2 Tbl melted butter

1/4 cup light molasses

2 Tbl light brown sugar, packed

1 egg, separated

1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg yolk, and milk. Add dry ingredients and mix. In medium size bowl, beat egg white with clean beaters until stiff, moist peaks form. Fold into other ingredients. Bake in a pre-heated waffle iron. Serve with lemon sauce.

Lemon Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbl cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup water

1 tsp grated lemon rind

4 Tbl lemon juice

2 Tbl butter

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt with 1/4 cup water. Add remaining water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Cool slightly. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Shells and Cheese

There's no question when I think of comfort food, I think of homemade macaroni and cheese. I absolutely love it and never get tired of eating it. Unfortunately, when I tell my family we are having macaroni and cheese for dinner, they are not as enthused as I am. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs and had to give it a try. I used whole grain shells instead of macaroni noodles and really liked the mixture of the two cheeses. I think next time I make this, I will cut the cayenne pepper in half. It wasn't too hot, but I just wanted to taste a little less of it. 

Normally, I don't care for left over mac and cheese, it's just not the same as when you first make it. I was surprised that I could actually eat it the next day and that it was still fairly creamy. The trick is to not over heat it but just warm it enough to take the chill off. I will definitely make this one again. I cut this recipe in half  and it still served 6, I didn't want too much left over. 

INGREDIENTS:

Bread Crumb Topping:
6 slices white or wheat hearty sandwich bread, torn into rough pieces
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 6 pieces

Pasta and Cheese:
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon table salt
5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 cups milk, lowfat, skim or whole
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon table salt

DIRECTIONS:

For the bread crumbs, pulse bread and butter in food processor until crumbs and butter are well combined and crumbs are fine. Set aside.

For the pasta and cheese, bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt; cook until pasta is tender, about 1 minute past the al dente stage. Drain pasta and set aside in colander.

Adjust a rack in the oven to middle or lower-middle position and preheat the broiler.

In now-empty Dutch oven or pot, heat butter over medium heat until foaming. Add flour, mustard, and cayenne (if using) and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking until mixture becomes fragrant and deepens in color, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; bring mixture to boil, whisking constantly (mixture must reach full boil to fully thicken). Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened to consistency of heavy cream, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheeses, a handful at a time, and 1 teaspoon salt until cheeses are fully melted. Add pasta and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is steaming and heated through, about 6 minutes.

Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 9-by 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Watch carefully so the crumbs don’t burn!

* recipe from melskitchencafe.com

Halloween Rice Krispy Treats

I love rice krispy treats, but I can't eat the ones pre-packaged in the store. They don't taste the same, they have to be made fresh. I love the plain version, but then I made some scotcharoo's and WOW! I was embarrassed at how many I ate, I couldn't stop myself. I will post the scotcharoo recipe at the end.

Now, for the Halloween Rice Krispy Treats, I found this recipe on the Internet. I love peanut butter, chocolate, marshmallows and Reese's Pieces, so this was a no brainer. The kids were excited because I told them they were getting a Halloween treat tonight, they weren't disappointed. These are much richer than the plain version, so don't plan on eating as many as you usually do!

Ingredients:
6 cups Cocoa Krispies
5-1/4 ounces Reese's Pieces
3 Tbl butter
1/3 cup peanut butter
10-1/2 ounces mini marshmallows

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Pour the cereal and Reese's Pieces in a large bowl. Melt butter and peanut butter in a saucepan (I melt in the microwave and then add the marshmallows and microwave again until melted) Add the marshmallows, when almost completely melted, pour over the cereal. Stir quickly until combined, pour into prepared pan. Press down into pan with a plastic bag covering your hand or with waxed paper. Let cool, cut into squares.

Scotcharoo’s

Ingredients

1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

Cook corn syrup and sugar together in a large pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir until evenly coated.

Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan and pat into place.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over cereal. Cool at least 45 minutes, or until firm. Cut into bars.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

A few months ago, I was recovering from surgery and my friend, Julie, brought us dinner. It was enchilada soup and it was pretty much one of the best things I had ever tasted. Up to this point, the easiest soup I could throw together, was taco soup. I have to admit, since she shared this recipe with me, I haven't made taco soup once. If you know how to open cans, you can make this soup. It is that easy, and besides being ready to eat in about 15 minutes, it is delicious down to the very last bite.

One of the things that makes this soup so special, is the crunchy strips on top. This is something that I added to the recipe, it is a little trick that I learned from my sister, who is an amazing cook. She is one of those people that can make recipes up as she goes along. Put in a little bit of this and a little bit of that...not me. I do much better following the recipe. Anyway, my sister showed me how to make crunchy tortilla strips. Take a stack of four or five corn tortillas and use your pizza cutter to cut thin strips (about 1/4 of an inch) then dump them into a hot frying pan coated with olive oil, cook until crunchy, drain on paper towels.

I don't like soggy tomatoes (stewed or bottled,) so I cut up a fresh tomato and add to my soup when I add the garnishes. I like to garnish this soup with a little dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, and of course lots of the delicious crunchy strips. Thank you to my good friend Julie, you have lightened my life in more ways then just this delicious soup!

Ingredients:
15 oz can white kidney beans (I use great northern beans)
15 oz can dark red kidney beans
15 oz can pinto beans
15 oz can of golden corn (I use frozen corn)
1 28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 10 oz can medium diced tomato and green chilies ( I don't add this)
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (I use the large can of chicken breast from Costco, very easy)
1 can of chicken broth ( I use one tsp of better than bouillon paste dissolved in a cup of hot water)
1 can green chili enchilada sauce
1 jar of pureed bottle tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
Open and drain the cans, dump into a large pot and heat through. I usually add a little more chicken broth if the soup needs to be thinned out a little. While the soup is heating, fry the tortilla strips and get garnishes ready. Top soup with your favorite garnishes.

*recipe from Julie B.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall is a wonderful time to whip up all those yummy recipes that use pumpkin! As soon as October arrived, my daughter asked me to pick up some canned pumpkin at the grocery store. To my surprise, I couldn't find any at my local grocery store. I asked a manager why they didn't have it and was told that there was some sort of shortage and that they wouldn't be getting any until the end of November...I'm sorry, but that's a little too late. 

My daughter wouldn't give up on her pumpkin cooking dreams and the next day while we were at Target, we found canned pumpkin. She would have put all the cans on the shelf into the cart, but I stopped her at 12. I am amazed at how many pumpkin recipes she finds. She has made pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin muffins with cream cheese center, pumpkin crepes, and pumpkin pancakes, to name a few. 

I beat her to the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and used a tasty recipe I found on the Internet. The only change I made was to use whole wheat flour instead of white. I substitute wheat flour in almost all my baking recipes. There are a few reasons I do this: it is healthier so I can eat more (I think that's the way it works,) it doesn't change the flavor of the treat-I really can't tell the difference, and making the treats with wheat flour is the only way my husband will eat them. The color of the cookies might be a little darker because of the wheat flour. This recipe made about 30 cookies. I put them in the freezer to keep them fresh and the kids take out what they want.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups (12-ounce bag) milk chocolate chips, not semisweet

Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

Lettuce Wraps

I have only been eating lettuce wraps for the past few years. I am a fairly picky eater and sometimes don't give certain foods the attention they deserve. I first tried lettuce wraps at our families favorite Chinese restaurant, Joy Luck, and to my surprise, I loved them. I even thought about them for several days after. 

 This is my mom's recipe for lettuce wraps. It is only fitting to start off this blog with a recipe from her. I grew up in a family of 11 children, so I started cooking at a young age. My mom is an excellent cook and I thank her for teaching me. I am not sure when she found this recipe, I have searched deep into my memory and cannot remember her making them while I lived at home, that's a shame. I doubled the recipe and it fed five of us. These are delicious and pretty easy to make. We finished every last bit and wished there was more.

 I used three boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I cut them into small pieces before I cooked them (this was the most time consuming part of the whole recipe) the rest came together very quickly. I didn't add the oyster sauce that the recipe calls for, no reason why, except my mom never does, so I figured it was one less thing to buy. I cut the sugar in half for the filling. I like it a little less sweet. I am not a big celery fan, so I left that out. I also used iceberg lettuce instead of the others listed. It would be a really good idea to wash the lettuce first and lay out on paper towels to dry, so they are ready when the filling is.

Filling:
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 Tbl fresh ginger, finely diced
1 pound chicken breast meat
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained and diced
3 Tbl pine nuts (toasted - optional)
3 scallions, chopped (green onions)
2 Tbl sugar
½ cup Hoisin Sauce
2 Tbl soy sauce
½ cup oyster sauce (available at the ethnic food section of grocery store.)
1 Tbl cornstarch
2 Tbl water
Radicchio or Romaine lettuce leaves

Place the sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the celery, ginger, and chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan and cut into little squares and return to the pan. Add the water chestnuts, pine nuts, scallions, sugar, Hoisin Sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and cook for one minute. Mix the cornstarch and water together and add this mixture to the sauté pan and cook for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Place a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of each lettuce leaf, drizzle with special sauce. Fold and eat!

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Put all ingredients into bowl and mix thoroughly.

*recipe from Cheryl F.