April Recipes

60) Woohoo! 1/3 of the way done! I tried a cauliflower chowder earlier this year and we all thought it was okay but not great. It certainly wasn’t as meaty as hubby prefers his soups to be. So I found a new recipe and tried again. Because it is April 3rd and we seem to be having a blizzard of sorts, c’mon Nebrasaka, it was the perfect night for a hearty soup. This recipe was so much better than the first. It was very similar to potato chowder but infinitely healthier, if you care about that sort of thing. My eldest hates potatoes so this was a good soup for her. I did make some alterations, shocking I know. Rather than bacon, I used some leftover ham from the fridge. I added some celery salt because I think it is essential to potato soups and at the end, when I tasted it, I decided that it was probably a little bland for hubbies taste so I added about a cup of cheddar. We all loved it! I also increased the amount of celery and carrots because I thought they seemed low.

http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/22/cauliflower-chowder/

 

61) This was a really nice and super easy supper for a night I didn’t want to cook. Fortunately I have a hubby who loves grilling! It took about 5 minutes to prep and NO dishes! Win in my book!

http://goodenessgracious.com/2012/04/ham-pineapple-kabobs.html#_a5y_p=1316905

 

62) I love biscuits and gravy! I don’t normally use a recipe but I decided to see if this one that was all over Pinterest was really that much better than what I was making. It was pretty much exactly the same But if you are someone who needs a recipe to try something new then give this a shot! So good!

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/13569044/bob-evans-sausage-gravy/

 

63) This one has been on my list for awhile. I happened to have some leftover ham so I thought it was a good time to give it a shot. Plus Molly is always thrilled if I make something with broccoli in it. It was quite yummy.

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/64164571/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole-recipe/

 

64) For some reason I was really wanting a piece of chocolate cake. And when I mentioned it to my girls they went ape. So we made a cake. I have been wanting to try a wacky cake for awhile and this one was excellent! Not quite as rich and sweet as the typical chocolate cake which I loved. And it is sooo cheap and easy! Takes less time to mix up than it did for me to find the vanilla in my disastrous cupboards! Give it a shot! You won’t be disappointed.

http://www.sweetlittlebluebird.com/2013/06/tried-true-tuesday-coffee-kahlua-crazy.html

 

65) I like easy meals. Sometimes I really want to make something elaborate and crazy but most night I like easy and yummy. This one was good for just that.

http://haiyenskitchen.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/italian-dressing-caramelized-chicken/

 

66) I have tried chicken parmesan before but most recipes call for mayo in them. My hubby doesn’t love mayo and I find it overpowering in the recipes. So I sat down to watch my favorite cooking show last week and they happened to be featuring this dish I wished to conquer. My favorite thing about this show is that they actually test dozens of methods and ingredients before recommending it to their viewers. I have yet to try anything that we didn’t absolutely love. If you get the PBS channel Create and are interested in learning more about cooking, I would encourage you to watch Americas Test Kitchen. It is on every night at 11 pm CT. I believe it is on earlier as well but I never remember when. They make it fun to watch as well as give many helpful tips. Only the current seasons recipes are available online for free so if this looks like something you want to try, sign up for a free membership and print it out immediately.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/7323-best-chicken-parmesan#

 

67) A couple of my daycare kids are gluten intolerant and the poor kiddoes are pretty much stuck with apples and oranges every day for snack. So I am attempting to expand my gluten free recipe library. These were fun and easy. I think the 7 year old could have done the entire thing without me. I would have added some honey to them as they were not very sweet but overall they were good and all the kids loved them. They were also incredibly healthy so yay for that!

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/5332432340/civilized-cavemans-apple-cinnamon-cookies

 

68) Jared made these tonight and they were okay but nothing we loved. Neither one of us liked working with ground chicken at all. Slimey, smelly and odd! We won’t be making it again. I was a bit bummed because it sounded so good. I think we will try the same flavors but just grill chicken breasts.

http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/06/spicy-hawaiian-burgers.html

New Recipes: March

44) I really liked this soup recipe.  It was simple and kind of plain but I think it was a nice way to get some extra veggies into my kids diet.  Molly told me she would eat “flowers”(cauliflower) this way.  It needed an extra boost since I didn’t add the hot sauce.  I think some onion added to the roux or veggies would be nice. 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cauliflower-soup?keycode=ZFB0114SOD

 

45) I have mixed reviews on this one but my end decision is that I probably won’t make it again.  It tasted good and could be made a bit better without the corn and a but more spice but it made a HUGE batch.  We have eaten it for 2 meals and still have more than half of the pan. I believe we are going to try to put it in tortillas when we eat it again for lunch tomorrow.  Kids ate it which was shocking but none of us loved it.

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/08/cheesy-stuffed-pepper-casserole.html

 

46) These were yummy!  Not a crunchy potato but they were simple and had a lot of flavor.  I really liked the parmesan on them.

http://www.kissrecipe.com/2013/07/oven-baked-potato-wedges.html

 

47) I have never cooked steak on the stove before (other than fried steak of course) so I was a little concerned about trying this out.  One thing you hate to ruin is steak!  I bought some filet mignons at the grocery store for a great price so I decided to give it a shot.  It was so easy and very good. Next time I will probably bake them a bit longer as they were too rare for the girls but Jared and I loved them!  Pioneer Woman always has such good tips!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/bacon-wrapped-filet-recipe.html

 

48) This was very yummy!  I don’t like cream corn from a can at all but this was so simple and so good. 

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/03/delicious-cream-cheese-corn/

 

49) I am not a real fan of mushrooms but Hubby loves them so I tried this out.  It was very simple and tasty. It made mushrooms palatable. I didn’t use the Kraft FreshTakes because they are soooo expensive for a combo of cheese and bread crumbs.  I just use some Italian crumbs and Italian blend cheese.

http://www.thetaylor-house.com/cheesy-bacon-stuffed-mushroom-recipe-freshtake-cbias/#_a5y_p=1069205

 

50) This was very good and homey. It was a real comfort food.  It didn’t turn out exactly right because our local store didn’t have potato gnocchi so I had to use regular pasta gnocchi.  It was still good though and I am looking forward to trying it again with the correct ingredients.

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/ham-and-cheese-gnocchi.html#_a5y_p=1202430

 

51) We LOOOOVE pizza around here!  I mean, who doesn’t? However, I live with 2 people that don’t like pizza sauce. Weirdo’s. So this recipe was exactly what we needed. It was an amazingly good pizza dough recipe that was so pliable and easy to work with that I was actually giddy while spreading it out. On her blog she used the recipe to make garlic breadsticks and I thought, ‘hey, why not make that into a pizza?’.  So I added some Canadian bacon to the breadsticks and we ended up with the best pizza I have ever made!  It would also be great with pineapple and Canadian bacon or sausage and green peppers. This recipe is definitely my new pizza dough recipe.

http://www.laurenslatest.com/fail-proof-pizza-dough-and-cheesy-garlic-bread-sticks-just-like-in-restaurants/

 

52) This recipe comes from my very favorite PBS show!  Cooks Country Kitchen tries and tests recipes until they find the absolute best recipes for our favorite foods. I have been making the chicken nugget recipe from last season ever since I saw the episode. So far we haven’t found one we don’t love. The show is a family favorite although I can’t watch it on an empty stomach. The website does require a membership but it is free for the current recipes and tips. My advice is that if you want to try one of the recipes, print it off right away as once the current season is done they will not be available without an upgraded membership.

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/6794-crispy-potato-tots

 

53) This was yummy and pretty simple. I think I like the hamburger version that we tried a couple weeks ago better though. Plus, it was cheaper.

http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/cheesesteaks/

 

54) I love Chinese food but we don’t love the cost! The last time we went out for Chinese we spent $40 for our family of 4. Considering how most of the meal is rice it should not be that pricey. So we are experimenting with homemade recipes. We all liked this one a lot. Emily had thirds. It is a crock pot recipe but I think next time I will just fully cook the meat in the skillet and then make the sauce in a sauce pan. It was tasty but I think you would get slightly less soggy results that way and then you wouldn’t have to scrub a crock pot. I made the chicken fried rice from my January post to go with it. There was plenty for supper and enough for us all to have it for lunch the next day. I estimate the entire dish cost me about $6 and that was only because I have gotten very picky about my chicken lately.

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2013/05/crock-pot-cashew-chicken.html

 

55) I love pasta! Who doesn’t right? Sometimes I just want a cheesy pasta dish. It’s comfort food. The other night I wanted to make italian sausage and pasta but couldn’t find a recipe that I had all the ingredients for. So I made up my own. I started by cooking the ground Italian sausage and boiling the pasta. Then I opened up an enormous can of whole tomatoes in juice and made a simple marinara out of it and added the sausage. Then I made a quick bechamel sauce with mozzarella and cheddar and put the pasta in it. I layered the sauce and pasta in a pan with some more mozzarella and and baked until gooey. It was delicious. So I don’t have a real recipe for this but that is kind of the way I cook. Guesstimates and praying. You could use jarred marinara and it would still be very simple.

 

56) Who doesn’t love a delicious pan of ooey gooey bars? I like to find recipes that Molly can help me with and this one she can do almost all by herself. She has so much fun and is always so proud to show her Daddy what she made.

http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/04/peanut-butter-cup-cookie-dough-crumble-bars.html

 

57) We had company so I made breakfast. Don’t get used to it, family. These were really good and puffed up wonderfully! I made some blueberry and some mixed berry just for fun.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/frozen-blueberry-muffins

 

58) There are not directions for this one but I just assumed it was a dump and bake recipe. It was quite good. The girls ate it very well and it was a great side to go with baked Italian chicken.

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/526808068/tortellini-bake/

 

59) I love a good creamy meatball dish but I thought this one was a bit too much work for what it was. It was okay but not amazing and probably not something I will repeat.

http://damndelicious.net/2014/02/21/swedish-meatballs/

Smoothie Addiction.

In January I decided to go on a diet of sorts.  I have no plans to lose weight at all but I have always failed miserably at eating the fruits and veggies that are necessary to good health.  My new “diet” plan is to incorporate one green veggie into every cooked dinner and at least 2 servings of fruit a day.  That doesn’t seem like much but I really don’t like to eat fruit.  I love the taste but the textures of most bother me.  It is better in the summertime when everything is fresh and delicious but the winter tends to make ripe fruit hard to find and EXPENSIVE! 

Enter smoothies.  I started drinking a protein rich fruit smoothie for breakfasts which has actually been nice.  I am a zombie in the mornings and have no ambition for cooking.  While my kids are more than happy to eat cereal everyday, I am not.  Which meant that I went many a day with no breakfast at all.  I made oatmeal a couple times a week but most days I would skip.  Forcing myself to take 30 seconds to blend a smoothie has really increased my energy(duh! right?) and it wakes me up because it is so dang cold.  This motivates me to workout to warm up.  It has worked out very nicely.  Then in the afternoon, usually around 2:30, I get very hungry so I make a fiber rich smoothie.  If the hunger isn’t too bad I still drink one but put whatever I feel like in it.  My Mom has asked for a couple of my recipes so here are the combos that I have loved. 

Note:I do not use yogurt.  You can if you want but I can’t stand the stuff so it won’t be in any of these.  If you want to add it just use less milk of your choice and add it in.

Note 2: I do not recommend using any kind of protein powder at all.  It is unnatural and highly processed. If it comes with a warning label, do not ingest it.

Note 3: I don’t measure anything.  These are all guesstimates.  If I measure then I have to wash and I don’t wanna.

 

Breakfast or Protein smoothies-

Banana, 1/4 cup Peanut butter, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, dribble of honey, 1/4-1/2 cup almond milk(I prefer almond but use whatever.  Cows milk sometimes curdles so be cautious).  Toss in a couple of almonds and 4-6 ice cubes.  This one is often requested my girls.  I don’t add almonds to theirs but they love this combo. 

Apple(cored, no need to peel if your blender can handle it) banana, 1/3 cup almond milk, 3-4 almonds and a dash of cinnamon or apple pie seasoning.  Add some ice if you want it cold but I don’t.  This one is sooo good!

Apple, cored, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, touch of almond milk to blend and 3-4 almonds.  I have added oatmeal to this one too.  Very good but gets stuck in the straw.

Other combos without real recipes include:

Banana, apple, strawberrie and almonds

Banana, mango, cherries and almonds.

Banana(seeing a theme here?), peaches, strawberries and almonds.

Banana, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and ice.

 

Bananas are good in the mornings.  They are packed full of good stuff.  I hate the texture but love the flavor so this is how I can eat them.  All of my fruit is frozen with the exception of bananas, apples, pineapple and pomegranates.

 

Afternoon:

There are no recipes, just combos.  I like to go crazy and some have NOT worked but most do.

Peach, mango, pinapple(Fave!)

banana, mango pineapple

blueberry, strawberry, peach

apple, blueberry, raspberry

Mixed berry, peach and banana.

Mixed berry, peach and apple.

Pineapple, strawberry and mango(Jared loves this)

Raspberry pineapple and mango.

 

All of these have worked well for me.  I add fresh spinach to any of the ones that are dark, i.e. raspberry, blueberry and so on.  I don’t like adding it to the light colored ones because it is gross looking.  Pineapple and spinach are a good combo though so I like to add blueberries to that mix.

I have tried a few I am not a fan of but I won’t post those because they are personal opinions.  I love kiwis but I don’t add them to my smoothies for a couple of reasons.  1-they are hard to find fresh and 2-the seeds.  I despise sucking up a giant seed through a straw.  However, they are a good green fruit so spinach, kiwi and green apple are a great combo. 

You may notice that all of my recipes are fruit only with honey often added.  The reason for that is, I will not drink it if it doesn’t taste good. I know my weakness so I don’t push my limits.  But hey, go crazy, add whatever you feel like.  You may find a combo that is fantastic even if it sounds bizarre.

 

Warnings-Raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate and all citrus will curdle dairy milk.  If that is your milk of choice, add all of your other ingredients first, add the milk and blend before adding in the sour fruits. 

Soy milk is not good for you.  Do not drink it.  Choose any other option.

Agave has more glucose in it that pure can sugar.  It may be touted as a healthy option but it is bad bad bad.  If you want a sweetener, go with honey.

 

Have fun and learn to love fruit.

Funny thing is, I actually crave smoothies each day

February New Recipes

February New Recipes

28)  I do not normally like homemade brownies but these were AMAZING!  I am seriously considering making them again this week!  http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2011/09/best-fudge-brownies.html

29) This one was quick and easy but not anything we loved.  Girls ate it so I guess it was a win.
http://api.allthecooks.com/hamburger-pie.html

30) This was absolutely terrible!  We threw it away!  Didn't even bother giving it to the dog for fear of gastro-intestinal issues!  http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Creamy-Hamburger-Gravy-With-Noodles-Recipezaar

31) If there is one dish I have made that everyone needs to try, it is this!  Soooo good!  Hubby is not a fan of soups but he does like tomato as long as we have sandwiches as well.  This one he didn't even want sandwiches and he went back for seconds!  So rich and creamy and EASY!  Kids were not fond of it but what do they know anyways? ;)  Seriously, try this!  http://randomthoughtsandthrills.blogspot.com/2012/01/recipe-tomato-basil-parmesan-soup.html

32) This bread was a nice compliment to the tomato soup and was equally delicious for breakfast.
http://www.redflycreations.com/2012/10/the-amazing-amish-cinnamon-bread.html

33) Hubby really liked this one as well and since it was a crock pot meal, so did I!  http://mommyofamonster.com/2013/02/crock-pot-chicken-recipe.html#_a5y_p=1147783

34) These were awesome!  I think they would be a great side to have with steak or burgers.
http://yestoyolks.com/2013/11/skillet-cheese-fries-with-bacon-pickled-jalapenos-ranch/

35) We tried copycat Chick-Fil-A nuggets.  I LOVE Chick-Fil-A but I did not love these.  They weren't bad by any means but they certainly were not anything that I loved.  http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2013/05/copycat-chick-fil-a-nuggets/#_a5y_p=683961
If you are looking for a great homemade chicken nugget recipe, I recommend the Cooks Country Kitchen recipe.  You need a membership for the site but it is free and everything they make is wonderful!

36)  Unfortunately I don't actually have a recipe for the chimichangas we tried this week.  There was a pin on Pinterest but it led to nowhere so I borrowed some tips from Cooks Country as well as Paty's Mexican Table(both PBS Create shows that I love) and made my own.  Shredded chicken(pre-cooked and frozen in 2 cup baggies) cojack, pepperjack, sour cream and green onion.  I put the filling in flour tortillas, folded them like a burrito, buttered the exterior and cooked like a grilled cheese.  It was yummy but if I was making it for me, and not my hubby, I would have added salsa.

37) I have many friends that love quinoa and it is all over pinterest lately so I thought I would give it a shot with this simple side dish.  We didn't love it or hate it but we won't make it again.  Texture was a big issue for hubby and it did not reheat well at all.  I have a few more recipes I want to try out but quinoa does not look like it will become a staple in our home.
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/11/cheesy-broccoli-quinoa.html

38) This has been all over Facebook and Pinterest as the best chicken ever.  It was okay.  I kind of felt like it was a waste of my favorite crackers ;)  It was good and kids loved it but it was not the best chicken of all time.    http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/

39) After our total success with the previous tomato soup recipe, I thought I would try out something a bit meatier.  It was not loved.  It was still okay and we ate it but it had a definite canned soup flavor and we won't be making it again.   http://recipeswagger.blogspot.com/2012/08/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup.html

40) We really liked this one!  I love baked spaghetti and this one was nice because I made it Friday night along with that nights meal and we stuck it in the oven Saturday after we got home from a long day of fun.  It was nice to have a homecooked meal that required no work on the day of serving.  http://www.sweetandsavoryfood.com/search?q=million+dollar+casserole

41) I am making this as we speak.  I have had it before so I know I love how it tastes but I was shocked to see how easy it is!  I've never made it before because I didn't own a dutch oven.  It already smells amazing! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/  Anyone in the mood for pork tacos?  Supper is at 6 :)

42) These are the brussel sprouts we had last night.  They were wonderful!  I had never cooked fresh sprouts before and was thrilled with the result!  I did not add the honey as the recipe says.  http://dashingdish.com/recipe/honey-parmesan-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

43) We had parmesan chicken to go with the sprouts.  Every recipe I have used before has had mayonnaise in it and we did not like that flavor at all.  This one was easy and fresh without that heavy mayo flavor.  http://cantstayoutofthekitchen.com/2014/01/13/baked-parmesan-chicken/


Here is my Pinterest page if you want to follow along.
 http://www.pinterest.com/kaitlynhem/recipes-we-wont-do-again/
http://www.pinterest.com/kaitlynhem/recipes-to-try/
 http://www.pinterest.com/kaitlynhem/recipes-we-love/

Recipes 2014 January

My New Years Resolution is to try 180 new recipes this year.  I am sure it will be challenging but I need some stretching.  I will keep a running list of recipes that I try along with reviews of how we liked them.  I have also included my pinterest pages so you can see them and follow them anytime. 

http://www.pinterest.com/kaitlynhem/recipes-we-wont-do-again/
 http://www.pinterest.com/kaitlynhem/recipes-we-love/

1) Pasta with a cream sauce made from cottage cheese, Parmesan and an egg.  It was good but it didn't warm up well at all! 
http://bakingdomesticityallthingsmini.blogspot.com/2010/08/pasta-with-creamy-no-cream-sauce.html

2) Jared loved this!  If you love mushrooms and onions then this is for you!
 http://shewearsmanyhats.com/2013/02/mushroom-onions-gouda-grilled-cheese/

3) Meatloaf Cupcake with Mashed Potato Frosting.  I am not sure this really counts as I used my normal meatball recipe but I am going to include it anyways.  My kids loved it and Jared said it wasn't at all like meatloaf which is a huge plus for him!

4) I loved these!  They reminded me of Salt and Vinegar chips but they were meatier.  I think I may just use normal taters next time and slice them into rounds.
http://www.savoringthethyme.com/2012/09/roasted-salt-n-vinegar-baby-potatoes-with-rosemary-thyme/

5)Loved loved loved!  So simple and cheap!  This recipe made 3 dozen rolls and I froze half the batch before the second rise.  I will update with how the frozen ones turn out later.
 http://nomemade-recipes.blogspot.com/2013/01/best-rolls-ever.html

6)This BBQ chicken has been all over Pinterest and Facebook lately but I am not sure why.  It was okay but nothing amazing.  I think I will stick with my old "recipe" of dumping frozen chicken and a bottle of BBQ sauce in the Crock pot.
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/07/crockpot-root-beer-barbecue-chicken.html

7)  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/270638258830226101/  The website for these red potatoes is no longer available but the instructions are on the pin.  They were simple and yummy.  A great side for any meal!

8)  This was a great quick dish.  We ate the 1/3 of it and froze the rest.  It could have used a bit more flavor.  I think next time I will add onion and garlic.  http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/4-weeks-to-fill-your-freezer-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole-day-14.html#_a5y_p=946787 

9)  This was amazing!  Hubby said I can make this every week!  I served it with Macaroni and cheese and sautee'd broccoli.  Scrumptious!  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/honey-chicken-195274/

10)  This was very good!  Hubby said to used puree'd tomatoes rather than diced but I loved it. http://www.centercutcook.com/lasagna-soup/

11)  This is what is on the menu for tonight.  I hope it is good.  I love Chinese!  I will update with results.  http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com/2010/04/are-you-seeing-pattern-here-lately.html
Update:  So good!  Very simple and yummy!

12)  These are chilling in the fridge right now.  Kids are ecstatic about them!  http://thegingersnapgirl.blogspot.com/2012/03/ooey-gooey-rocky-road-cookies_19.html

13)  I have been drinking this fiber drink in the mornings and it is abominable so I am trying to find things to add it to.  This one is great!  It says it tastes like a Wendy's Frosty but it lies.  It tastes like chocolate and banana.  So it's still good but don't go into it thinking it will be a Frosty.  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/270638258831619858/

14)  I like to make dessert on the weekends.  It makes it a bit more special.  This weekend is Banana Cream Pie Pudding Poke cake.  So delicious!  http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/banana-pudding-poke-cake.html

15)  Cream of (whatever soup) substitute.  This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile.  A money saver and way better for us!  I made up a small batch and didn't notice a difference in my casserole at all!  Give it a try!  http://1orangegiraffe.blogspot.com/2011/07/anything-you-wanna-call-it-casserole.html?showComment=1310864846151#c3489139395376988271

16)  Chicken fried rice at home!?  Awesome!  http://www.joysama.com/2013/07/better-than-takeout-chicken-fried-rice.html

17)  I really loved this alfredo sauce.  Best one I have ever made.  I was not a fan of having it on ravioli.  It was a tad too rich for my taste.  We will make it again but probably with rotini.  http://www.restlesschipotle.com/2012/08/chicken-alfredo-ravioli/

18)  I love potato soup!  J will only eat soup if we have sandwiches so the leftover ham from last week means we have the perfect oppurtunity to have soup! http://topfoodpics.com/?p=4076

19)  This was simple and delicious.  I used leftover spiral sliced ham so it didn't look as pretty but it was still good.  I also used grated swiss because it is WAY cheaper than sliced. http://www.redstarrecipe.com/2013/10/chicken-cordon-bleu-crescent-rolls.html

20)   I made this macaroni and cheese thinking it would be great to not use so many pans.  And it would have been.  If it had been even slightly good.  But it wasn't.  This is definitely not one I would recommend.  http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/side-casserole/vanishing-macaroni-cheese.html

21)   I have been trying really hard to eat healthier and smoothies help me eat fruit.  I don't particularly like the textures of most fruit so this has helped me a lot!  I tried this one the other day and Emily keeps asking for it for breakfast.  I did not use greek yogurt because I don't like yogurt at all so I added a touch more almond milk.  http://www.fitsugar.com/Harley-Pasternak-Breakfast-Smoothie-Recipe-25151750

22)  I LOVE stroganoff!  This was such an easy way to make it!  Hubby liked it a lot better than normal stroganoff.  I used my meatball recipe which I will include too.  I almost always have some in the freezer for quick easy meals.  http://menumusings.blogspot.com/2011/06/meatballs-stroganoff.html  This took about 15 minutes to make!
-Meatballs-http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/easy-freezer-meal-meatballs/  I love these so much that when I need a quick lunch, I will pull a couple out of the freezer, nuke them and eat them plain.  They are packed full of flavor!

23) Hubby actually liked this soup and he does not like soup or beans!  I considered that quite a feat!
http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/3740/white-chicken-chili

24)  This was good but very sweet and the leftovers were completely inedible because they had gotten sweeter overnight.  We won't do this again.  http://zrecipe.blogspot.com/2013/11/crunchy-honey-garlic-pork-chops-and-you.html

25)  We love enchiladas and this was a bit different but very yummy. 
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/mexican_chicken.html

26)  We absolutely hated this.  It was terrible.  We made it through one meal but the dog got the leftovers.  Very greasy and overcooked.  http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/crock-pot-recipes-pizza-pasta/

27)  This was wonderful.  It was very spicy but everyone in our house loves spice.  You could swap out the rotel for regular diced tomatoes of you don't like spice.  http://homemadefoodrecipes.com/cheeseburger-macaroni/

Books I read 2013

I didn't read as many books as I would have liked.  I just couldn't get into reading.  My mind was scattered and often when I delved into a book it turned out to be just awful!  But I did read some good ones. 

1) Summer of Promise-Amanda Cabot
2) A Texans Honor-Shelly Gray
3) A Texans Promise-Shelly Gray
4) The Calling of Emily Evans-Janette Oke
5) Never Stop Holding Hands-Shara Grylls
6) It Happens Every Spring-Catherine Palmer and Gary Chapman
7) Historic Architecture for the Home Builder-Walter Jewett Keith
8) Brides of the West:Faith-Lori Copeland
9) Before the Scarlet Dawn-Rita Gerlach
10) Alaska Virgin Air-Izzie Ballard
11) Paradise Valley-Dale Cramer
12) Out of Control-Mary Connealy
13) Craftsman Homes-Gustav Stickley
14) One Tiny Miracle-Carol Marinelli
15) Waiting for Summers Return-Kim Vogel Sawyer
16) An Untamed Land-Lauraine Snelling
17) Through the Fire-Shawn Grady
18) Southern Fried Sushi-Jennifer Rogers Spinola
19) Maiden of Mayfair-Lawana Blackwell
20) Tomorrows Sun-Becky Milby
21) Candle in the Darkness-Lynn Austin
22) For Time and Eternity-Alison Pittman
23) A Simple Amish Christmas-Vannetta Chapman
24) Map of Bones-James Rollins
25) Angels Watching Over Me-Michael Phillips
26) Blowing Dandelions-Miralee Ferrell
27) Deadly Blessings-Julie Hyzy
28) The Last Jihad-Joel Rosenberg
29) Agnes Hahn-Richard Saterlie
30) The Last Days-Joel Rosenberg
31) Leaving Lancaster-Kate Loyd
32) Relentless-Robin Parrish
33) Angels and Demons-Dan Brown
34) Digital Fortress-Dan Brown
35) The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
36) A Journey to Victorious Prayer-Bill Thrasher
37) Inferno-Dan Brown
38) Rain Song-Alice Wisler
39) A Stranger Gift-Anna Schmidt
40) Accused-Janice Cantore
41) A Proper Pursuit-Lynn Austin
42) Abducted-Janice Cantore
43) Avenged) Janice Cantore
44) Critical Pursuit-Janice Cantore
45) Breathers-S. G. Browne
46) Against the Tide-Elizabeth Camden
47) Spying in High Heels) Gemma Halliday

Nosy people

As a mom, most of my conversations revolve around my kids.  I discuss them with my friends, family, professionals, random strangers and sometimes, when I am lonely, the dog.  I get a lot of questions about them.  Obviously the normal ones about age, size, ability and nearly everyone asks about their eyes.  But I also get some oddballs.  Here are my top 9. Some give me a chuckle.  Some are informative.  Most are annoying.

My top 9 questions I get about my kids:
1-Are you worried that Emily doesn't speak?  She does, at home.  In fact, she rarely shuts up.  I have gotten this question from a couple of family members and friends.  One even suggested I send her to daycare for a few days so she could "loosen up".  My super clingy little girl does not warm up quickly to others.  So she doesn't talk.  I'm not concerned.  She's 2.  Take a chill pill.

 2-How do you get them to eat what you make?  I don't offer them anything else(with the exception of steak because I'm not wasting good steak on kids who can't chew it.)  It really is that simple.  Emily has always just eaten whatever she is given because she is a piglet.  Molly has learned.  She doesn't like supper then she can go to bed hungry.  I leave her supper on the table but I don't make her stay there.  She can get down but when she gets hungry, that cold dinner will still be sitting there waiting.  If she asks politely I will warm it up for her.  This happened about 3 times last fall.  Now she just eats what she is given.  *Note-I never make her eat the foods that she hates(broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and celery).  It's a texture issue for her and I won't make her gag just to prove a point.  I also never feed her berries, citrus or melons because it makes her break out in a rash on her mouth and tongue.




3-How do you get them to drink water?  I don't have anything else.  I don't have juice in the house.  I don't make kool aid.  I don't let them have pop unless we are at mcdonalds.  They get milk at breakfast and supper but if they want a drink at any other time of day, it's water.  Simple.

4-Are you worried that Molly won't be able to compete with other kindergartners if she doesn't go to preschool?  Nope.   

5-How did you sleep train?  The first time I was asked this I had to look it up.  I hadn't heard the phrase "sleep train" before that.  The answer is, I put my kids to bed and walked away.  Starting at about 4 months.  They fell asleep on their own(without crying because they were still very young) and slept almost all the way through the night.  I didn't read any books or blogs or whatever.  I asked my mom.  Because she is the real expert.

6-Are you going to homeschool?  I usually say I don't know.  Sometimes I say no.  My answer changes based on who asks.  If I am being asked just so that particular person can tell me all the reasons that homeschooling is a bad idea, I just tell them we have no plans to do so.  'Cuz we don't.  Our eldest is 3.  We've got some time.

7-So you are one of those weird attachment parents?  This one made me laugh when I was asked.  The only reason I was even asked was because I was using a sling.  I am not really sure that qualifies me.  For the record, no, I don't think of myself as an AP.  I sleep with my kids sometimes but there is no family bed.  I wore my kids because it was comfy and convenient for me and the babes loved it.  I tried nursing but even if it had worked I would not have nursed my child until kindergarten.  Just not my thing.(No judgment intended for anyone who does).  I am just a mom who is trying to parent my children the best way for them.  I have no philosophy.

8-So when are you going to have your next baby?  This one bugs me.  It's just too personal.  And I don't know.  Probably about 35 weeks and 3 days after the day of conception.  So ask me again when I am pregnant.  I gotta figure out a way to say that so it doesn't sound snarky.  I am trying to work on my snarkiness.

9-Do they really need another pair of shoes?  Yes.  Always yes.  Sometimes Daddies just don't get it!


What are your favorite/most irritating/silliest questions you get about your kids?