Tornados don’t sound like trains to me.

Last night was the first time I have been through a tornado. Oh sure, we have had the sirens go off and I have rushed to many a basement in my life as a Nebraskan, but last night was the first time that a tornado ripped through my neighborhood. I am still in a bit of shock. I don’t think I have completely reconciled myself to the fact that we came that close to disaster.

The sirens blew at 4:22. My girls, as well as the boys I babysit, were already in the basement playing house. We had been in a tornado watch for a couple of hours so I thought it was just precautionary. I picked up Caleb and my phone and headed downstairs with the dog slinking in fear behind me. That should have been my first clue. Dogs know when the weather is scary.

I gathered all the kids around the laptop with the intention of pulling up Netflix so they could watch a cartoon to calm their nerves. Then we lost power and the siren stopped blowing. I put in a movie and headed upstairs to check it out, Jared as a natural Nebraska man, was outside checking out the storm. Then we got a call from a friend saying that a tornado was on the ground in town. I headed back downstairs even though it looked fine outside to me. I was bouncing Caleb on my lap when I heard the back door slam and Jared run down the stairs. He ran into the room and hollered at everyone to get away from the windows. That probably should have been my second clue.

The noise and wind lasted less than 30 seconds. It was intense but just seemed like wind to me. We can’t really see much from the basement windows so once it was over, Jared went upstairs to check it out. I followed a bit later to see tree branches and fence all over our yard. No major damage so I still hadn’t realized. Our neighbor pulled up to check on us and told us that houses were off their foundations. I walked back into my living room and looked out our front window and could see a house that we can’t normally see. It had been shoved off of its basement and was sitting in the back yard.

The gal who lives here was found in her living room, safe. Had she been in her basement, that may not be true.

Jared immediately started clearing trees while I calmed down a very scared 5 year old. The power was going to be out for a while so we called Jareds parents to come get the kids so they could get supper. I am still in awe of how well all 5 kids handled it. Molly got scared and weepy but the others all took it in stride. Jared was checking on the neighbors who had a branch fall on their house when another large one fell right next to him. Fortunately, no one was home when their house was hit.

My in-laws were able to get into town to pick up the kids for us. They headed off to town and Jared and I set out to see what we could do to help. We drove a couple of blocks and the immensity of the damage started to sink in.

This is one block from my house. One block. Not a town over, not a mile away; one block. This family lost a garage and a bunch of windows but they are okay. There were no major injuries. That is what I consider a miracle. There were dozens of people helping with the clean up and by the time Jared and I were able to get out to help, most of the homes had been patched up for the night. Southern Power worked hard to get our electricity back up for the night.

This morning, at dawn, men and tractors and trucks were already hard at work clearing away the mess. After lunch today, a group of men with chainsaws showed up in my yard to clear our the large branches that had broken in our back yard. The streets are cleared and they are moving out the tree debris. It’s amazing being from a small town that bands together like this. Lunch was being served at the church as well as the firestation and supper is being provided by Pinnacle bank. A neighbor with 5 young children lost their home. While they were in it. I can’t imagine what that poor mom must be going through. Before bedtime, someone had already started a fundraising page for them.

My family was so, incredibly fortunate. It is both amazing and terrifying to think that we escaped the damage by a block. One block, people. Let that sink in.

http://www.gofundme.com/txq6e9s9s

If you feel compelled to donate to a family in need, here is the link.

Linky Love(totally copycatting my Momma)

I love the internet. It does so many things for me. I keep in touch with family and friends far away. I see photos of my friends little ones growing up. I learn how to make delicious meals for my family. I get all sorts of tips that help me live my life just a tad bit better. And of course there is Netflix. Here are some links that I have found recently that I have loved.
We got anaheim peppers in our Bountiful Basket last week so we made these for a family get together. Even the ones who don’t like spicy foods were fans of these. Jared made them all on his own too so that made them a winner in my book.

My girls love to color but Emily always wants to color specific things, not just a random picture in the coloring book. This site has everything and I love that some pictures are easier than others.

We cleaned our carpets this week. I am not a fan of commercial cleaners for anything in our home but the idea of using harsh chemicals on the carpet that my tiny baby plays on really bugged me. I found this and was very excited because it was so similar the my carpet spot cleaner recipe. It worked great and I added a couple drops of lavender  and lemon oil to add some extra fresh smell.

A friend posted this site to Facebook a couple weeks ago and I fell in LOVE!!! If I had all the money in the world I would buy every single one of these and never wear anything else! Check it out. The prices are really good as well.

I love baking with my girlies. It’s a bonding experience and if it gets stressful, which it often does with 2 kids who want to do everything, there is dessert at the end to make me feel all better! This recipe has been a huge hit with our whole family. It’s not too sweet and it is really pretty to look at which makes it more fun for the girls. It’s also really simple so if you are looking for a great Easter dessert that will have your family thinking you went all out, here it is!

We took the girls to see Cinderella a couple weeks ago and we all loved it. Even Jared enjoyed it, despite the singing, dancing and mushy stuff. In the movie, Ella’s mother sings her a lullaby that I had never heard of before. I happen to love nursery rhymes and lullabies so as soon as we got home I looked it up. This version is not near as pretty as the one in the movie but it did help me learn the words so I could sing it to little man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7e1ACqWMFY

And finally, because this idea did come from her, here is a link to my Mom's blog. It only carries a teeny tiny percentage of her wisdom and you are guaranteed to learn something from it.
http://athomeatlakemac.blogspot.com/

New Years Resolution’s

I am not going to make any resolutions about getting fit or eating healthier because, though we are doing that anyway, I don’t want to set myself up for failure. If I eat cake for Jared’s birthday in 4 weeks, I don’t want to feel guilty about it. So rather than restricting myself from something, I am challenging myself instead. Last years recipe challenge was fun and helpful for our family. This year I want to come up with more original recipes so I am going to attempt 1 a month. 12 original recipes sounds easy until I actually start thinking about it. I will need to stretch my imagination and be more adventurous but I think that is exactly what I need. It would be really easy for me to get back into a cooking slump after last year. Look for new blog posts chronicling my adventures in cooking.
Along with cooking, I love reading! It is another area that I tend to get very narrow minded about so this next challenge will help me expand my horizons.
This is a list of 52 books (50 categories, but one of the categories is a trilogy) to be read over the next 52 weeks. My Mom and I are attempting this challenge.

 
Here's the list and the books I have chosen:
• A book with more than 500 pages—Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• A classic romance—Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
• A book that became a movie—The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• A book published this year—Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
• A book with a number in the title—1984 by George Orwell
• A book written by someone under 30—The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
• A book with nonhuman characters—Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• A funny book—Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
• A book by a female author—The Kings Curse by Phillippa Gregory
• A mystery or thriller—California Scheming by Kate George
• A book with a one-word title—Katherine by Anya Seton
• A book of short stories—A Few Quick Ones by PG Wodehouse
• A book set in a different country—People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
• A nonfiction book—The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
• A popular author’s first book—The Thomas Berryman Number by James Patterson
• A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet—Cuckoos Calling by JK Rowling under a pseudonym
• A book a friend recommended—Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• A Pulitzer Price-winning book—Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• A book based on a true story—The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
• A book at the bottom of your to-read list—On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
• A book your mom loves—Persuasion by Jane Austen
• A book that scares you--The Stand by Stephen King
• A book more than 100 years old—Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
• A book based entirely on its cover—Black Out by John Lawton
• A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t—The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
• A memoir—Bossypants by Tina Fey
• A book you can finish in a day—A Date To Die For by Kathryn Long
• A book with antonyms in the title—Up The Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman
• A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit—The Constantine Codex by Paul L Maier
• A book that came out the year you were born—Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg
• A book with bad reviews—Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
• A trilogy—The Tea Rose Trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly
• A book from your childhood—Redwall by Brian Jaques
• A book with a love triangle—The Host by Stephenie Meyer
• A book set in the future—The Giver by Lois Lowry
• A book set in high school—The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• A book with a color in the title—Crimson Liberty by George Morrison
• A book that made you cry—The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• A book with magic—The Realm by Conrad Powell
• A graphic novel—TBD once I have found the box that holds Jared’s comic books.
• A book by an author you’ve never read before—The Intercept by Dick Wolf
• A book you own but have never read—Broken Days by Ann Rinaldi
• A book that takes place in your home town—This one is going to take some research. There is an awesome thriller set in Paxton, Nebraska called Cornstalked that I wouldn’t mind rereading.
• A book that was originally written in a different language—Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• A book set during Christmas—Blue Christmas by Diane Moody
• A book written by an author with your same initials—In this case I am going to have to check the libraries shelves.
• A play—Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare
• A banned book—Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• A book based on or turned into a TV show—Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• A book you started but never finished—Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier
While the "rules" for this challenge are fluid, nothing says you can't re-read a book you've read before. Here are the unofficial rules, which include:
• All books are acceptable except children's books (i.e. Run Spot Run) (young adult books are fine).
• All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.

November Recipes

166) Okay, so it is November 23rd and this is the first new recipe of the month. I am giving myself some leeway since I did have a baby on the 2nd. Time to kick it into gear though. This chicken was sooo crunchy and tender. It took a lot more time than my average fried chicken and it used a lot of oil but it was a delicious treat. We decided to forego the honey sauce as Jared isn’t a fan of spicy foods and I am avoiding them while I nurse. We will be making this again!

http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/7110-honey-fried-chicken

 

December Recipes

 

167) I accidentally copied the print page on this one. Parmesan Pull apart Bread. It was very good and simple.

 http://foodapparel.com/easyrecipe-print/1787-0/

168) Delicious and rich!

 http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2014/10/chocolate-pie/

169) We are always looking for another way to eat our many green beans we put up this summer. This one was good and simple. I skipped the first step of boiling the beans since I used frozen beans that were blanched before we put them up. If you are using fresh, make sure to boil them first. I do not recommend using canned beans.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marilyns-Green-Beans-Italiano/Detail.aspx?prop24=RD_RelatedRecipes

170) Good and easy but not a favorite. I find that crock pot meals tend to lack texture and flavor. I would rather spend more time cooking from scratch.

http://backforseconds.com/cheesy-ranch-chicken-potatoes/

171) I had leftover pork chops and didn’t know what to do with them. I made up this sauce and sliced the chops really thin over pasta. It was so good. I added a little Italian blend cheese to each plate.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Sauce-for-Pasta-2/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

172) I was soooo hungry when we sat down to eat this meal so there is a possibility that this wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was. Either way, it was still delicious. Roasted Chicken Thighs with winter veg.

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a large rimmed cookie sheet, put 4 thighs on it and toss to coat. Mix a chopped clove of garlic with a teaspoon of coriander and salt and pepper and pat on the chicken. Chop up 2 lbs of winter vegetables into 2” pieces and toss in a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Arrange the veg around the thighs and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes or until skin gets crispy. I used potatoes, carrots and purple cauliflower. It was really pretty.

173) Tis the season for Christmas candies! Woohoo! I love coconut and I was really excited to make this. It’s super sweet so I can only manage small amounts but that is what Christmas is for, to eat sickly sweet foods until you are sick to your stomach.

 http://backforseconds.com/4-ingredient-coconut-cream-bars/

174) I despise candy corn but I love Butterfingers so I gave this a shot. It does taste just like a Butterfinger but it is soft and chewy like fudge. I think I prefer real ones for the crunch but this was still good.

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2012/10/butterfinger-fudge/

175) This recipe was really hard to roll out and cut. It tastes good but I had to add a lot of flour to make it workable.

 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/

176) I have had a ham bone in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Jared doesn't like beans so ham and beans wasn't an option. I searched for a recipe for awhile and found this. I was skeptical but it actually was very good! I think you could even substitute potatoes for the noodles. I did chop the mushrooms up since I don't love them.

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/crossculturalsoups/r/ham-green-bean.htm

177) A request from my hubby for a Christmas treat. This one was easy and delicious!

http://www.remodelaholic.com/2013/03/caramel-nutella-chex-mix/

178) These cookies had a ton of red food coloring so I probably won’t be making them often. I didn’t love them but the girls did.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/11/red-velvet-crinkle-cookies/

179) I have always wanted to make eggnog so this year I actually attempted it. It’s quite a bit of work. I opted for the recipe that cooks the eggs, because although I love raw cookie dough, drinking raw eggs kinda freaks me out. I have to say that this is one thing I will continue buying at the store. I didn’t enjoy the homemade version at all. Funny texture.

http://momsneedtoknow.com/easy-eggnog-recipe/

180) Steak and taters are always a hit around here. I really loved these waffles. I am looking forward to trying other variations of them. My waffle iron must be considerably smaller than theirs though because we had to do it in 2 batches and it should be done in 3 or 4. The cheddar sauce was a hit and Molly told me the eggs “weren’t yucky this time.” High praise from a kid who cries at the sight of egg on her plate. I don’t think I will make steak with it again though. It was yummy but not really necessary. I think it would be just as good with sausage or bacon.

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/steak-eggs-hash-brown-waffles-clinton-kelly

 

Phew!!! What a year! We have found so many new family favorites and learned to love some new vegetables. My kids learned that they love Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. I learned that I love many veggies I used to hate. But only because they were boiled. Roasted veggies are the way to go. Jared learned that he actually likes soups, just not weak, brothy soups. All in all it was a fun adventure. I am going to strive to still be trying new things regularly but maybe keep it to a more manageable number. Now, what should this years resolution be?

Bacon Potato Soup

For Christmas, my Mom gave me an immersion blender. Something I have been wanting for a very long time. So I wanted to cook something that would require the blender. I have made quite a few potato soup recipes over the last couple of years but this time I decided to combine my favorite aspects of each. The result was creamy, savory and delicious! I decided to write down my recipe before I forget.

7-8 average sized russet potatoes, diced

1 large or 2 small onions, diced

6 stalks of celery, diced

5 carrots, diced

6 slices of bacon, chopped

4 cups of chicken stock

flour

olive oil

heavy cream(optional)

cheddar(optional)

 

In a Dutch oven warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and add the bacon. Cook until slightly crispy on the edges but not crispy all the way through. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel covered plate. Add onion, celery and carrots to the oil and cook while you are peeling and chopping the potatoes. I cooked them on the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions were translucent and slightly browned and the carrots were beginning to soften. Add potatoes and generously salt them. Add black pepper if you are a fan of pepper. We are so we added quite a bit. Stir to combine and cover with chicken stock. If your stock doesn’t cover the top of the veggies, add a bit of water. In a cup, combine about a tablespoon of flour with half a cup or more of water and whisk until it is smooth and combined. Add to soup pot to thicken it. Bring to a boil and cook until all the vegetables are soft. Once everything is well cooked, remove about 2 cups of vegetables(minus broth) and then, using an immersion blender, blend what is in the pot to a creamy state. I didn’t cream it all completely but just to the texture I was looking for. Then add back the whole veggies and bacon. Add 1/2 – 3/4 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup cheddar. Warm the soup until the cheese is melted and serve.

My husband liked this soup so much, he got up from the table multiple times to kiss me and tell me it was delicious. It would be amazing in a bread bowl.

A Family Favorite!

For as many Christmases as I can remember, my Mom would make a couple of batches of caramel corn. They rarely last more than a day. I’m not sure why we don’t make it more often throughout the year but it is an absolute requirement for Christmas. I almost didn’t make it this year. But then my brother said he would be visiting on Christmas Eve and I decided that we needed caramel corn. This recipe is really very simple, and as long as you don’t burn the popcorn, which is where I usually mess up.

4 qts popped corn

1 cup Brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pre heat oven to 250. Line a large baking sheet with popcorn(I used 2 glass 9x13’s because they wash easier). Combine butter, sugar, syrup and salt in a large stock pot and combine. Bring to a boil and let it boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda, stir. Pour on popcorn and stir to coat. Put in oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

I usually double the recipe so it lasts a bit longer…like 36 hours rather than 24.

Enjoy!

October Recipes

161) This pizza was yummy. I used my own pizza crust recipe because I love it and it makes 2 pizzas but the toppings on this one were great! We really liked the ranch sauce except that I thought it needed a bit more flavor. There were parts where the chicken seemed dry so I would have liked to add much more of the sauce to help that. I think next time I will skip the tomatoes and try caramelized onions instead.

http://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/2014/07/garlic-ranch-chicken-pizza.html

162) It was cold this morning so I made a coffee cake! I almost never make coffee cake because I can’t stand the idea of getting up early just to cook for breakfast. This one wasn’t ready until 11 am but it’s a Saturday so it was okay. The girls loved it and so did I! It had a ton of flavor and was super soft and fluffy. I still don’t understand why it is faux pas to eat cookies for breakfast but not a “coffee cake” with over 3 cups of sugar.

http://damndelicious.net/2012/12/30/coffee-cake-with-crumble-topping-and-brown-sugar-glaze/

163) Jared made these for supper tonight. We really liked them and they were very easy. It’s also nice to know that he can cook something other than burgers and breakfast.

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2010/08/glazed-pork-chops/

164) This was one of those recipes that got better as it sat. It was good for supper but when I ate it again an hour later for my second supper it was even better. Richer and creamier.

 http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/05/white-chicken-chili/

165) Because it is pumpkin carving season we decided to try this new treat.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/toasted_pumpkin_seeds/