Aussie Mum In The Kitchen

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T20:40:00.014-06:00

Gabe has been excited for Halloween for literally 6 months. Every day he would tell me what he was going to be (usually something different everyday) and what I could be and what Brad could be (again something different every day). I was getting nervous with all of his indecisiveness about a costume until a week before Halloween when he finally decided that this year he wanted to be the black Spiderman aka Venom.

We ordered his costume online and everyday he waited and waited with great anticipation for it to arrive in the mail. Once it did arrive, he didn't have to be wearing it constantly but he did like to take it with us pretty much everywhere we went and he always had to have it in his backpack when he went to school.

We went to the annual trick or treating extravaganza at Brad's office on the Thursday before Halloween. Then we went to our ward trunk or treat on the Saturday night and then finally on Halloween day Gabe got to go to a Halloween party at Brad's Uncle Terry and Aunty Cerena's house. On Halloween night, he had a blast answering the door and handing out the candy to all the kids who came by. The door bell would ring and he would sprint from the back of the house to the front to open the door. Brad and I were forbidden from answering the door all night.

He had a blast this year and is already planning for Halloween next year.

We just love our little Spiderman.

When we first got to Brad's office he was being a little coy...just like Mum and Dad he doesn't like all the attention

Warming up

There we go

Brad's whole office really goes all out for Halloween...it's pretty neat.

The upper management of the company were all dressed as Garden gnomes.

Gabe and his little friend Jaxon who is 3 months YOUNGER than Gabe. This photo cracks me up. Jaxon is SO huge. Brad and Jaxon's Daddy John carpool together.

We also had my niece Payton (Jarom's baby) with us. She wasn't too sure about allot of the costumes and decorations but she is always happy if uncle Brad is holding her.

The little Lion

Look at those eyes. She is a cutie just like her Daddy!

This face...

2011-10-26T20:43:00.003-06:00

Makes rainy days seem brighter, crappy days not so crappy, long, hard work days easy, colors brighter, smells (good ones) smell better, the sun sunnier, love lovier and life all the more happier.

I love this face...

Strawberry Shortcake French Toast

2011-10-25T19:00:00.001-06:00

I think I've said before that my Brad loves french toast and I love pancakes. On conference weekend (Sunday) Brad had to leave shortly after breakfast to fly out for a business trip back East. I wanted to send him off with a delicious homemade breakfast and so decided to give this recipe a try. We both enjoyed it and so did my neighbors who benefited from the extras we had. The best part, I felt like I had given him a slightly fancier version of his favorite which is what I was aiming for. He left with a happy and full tummy and I was satisfied.

Strawberry Shortcake French Toast
Foodnetwork.com

Directions

Mix 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest with 3 tablespoons sugar; toss about a third of the lemon-sugar with 3 cups halved strawberries. Make the egg mixture for Perfect French Toast (see below); add 4 split English muffins and soak, 5 minutes, then fry and bake as directed. Sandwich some strawberries and more lemon-sugar between the muffin halves. Top with yogurt, more berries and a drizzle of honey.

Perfect French Toast

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip 6 thick slices white bread, challah or brioche (I used English muffins) in the egg mixture and cook in the skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the French toast with the browned butter and maple syrup.

and a plate for the neighbors

BEST Blueberry Muffins

2011-10-23T16:07:00.005-06:00

Ah blueberries. They have never been my fave. I have always found this small berry to be mushy, flavorless and the skins too tough for my liking. However, one Saturday many Saturdays ago I was sitting watching my FAVORITE cooking show on KBYU - America's Test Kitchen and they were making these muffins. While I don't LOVE blueberries I do LOVE me a good muffin. Maybe I was extra hungry that day, I don't know, but I just knew I had to give these a try. I had had blueberry muffins in the past which left me feeling blah. I wanted to change my attitude about blueberry muffins and knew that if anyone could do it, it was the folks at America's Test Kitchen. As always they did not disappoint. These beauties were wonderful. Great texture and great blueberry flavor and the lemon sugar topping adds an extra unexpected wow factor. My faith in blueberry muffins has been restored and this recipe now has a permanent home in my heart!

Best Blueberry Muffins
America’s Test Kitchen

For the Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) sugar [I recommend sanding sugar]
1 1/2 tsps finely grated zest from 1 lemon

For the Muffins
2 cups (approximately 10 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over, with stems and bad blueberries thrown out
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 tsp sugar
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp table salt
2 large eggs
4 Tbsps (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions
For the Topping
Stir together the sanding sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

1. Adjust the oven rack to upper-middle position, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a standard muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 tsp sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with a spoon (I find a fork works very well, maybe even better) several times, and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (you will just have to eyeball this measurement), approximately 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, and let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

4. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups of sugar and the eggs together in a medium bowl, until thick and incorporated, about 45 seconds.

5. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until combined.

6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture and the remaining cup of blueberries into the flour mixture until just moistened. The batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour. Do not over mix the batter, or your muffins will be tough.

7. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide the batter equally among the muffin cups. The batter should completely fill the cups and mound slightly. You should have enough batter for exactly 12 muffins.

8. Spoon a teaspoon of the cooked blueberry mixture into the center of each mound of muffin batter. Using a chopstick or a skewer, gently swirl the blueberry filling into the batter, using a figure-eight motion.

9. Sprinkle the lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

10. Bake until Muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating the muffin tin from front to back, halfway through baking tin.

12. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.

My new favorite cake- Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake

2011-09-17T20:50:00.006-06:00

I am almost drooling down my shirt just thinking about this cake. I made it a couple of weeks ago when we had my brother and his wife over for our monthly family dinner. When I was looking at my favorite food blog for my usual dessert inspiration and came across this cake I was a tad skeptical. I love cake, I love strawberries and I love strawberry cake. However, I wouldn't say I'm a hugely wild fan of limes. BUT...let me just say that there is something about the combination of the strawberries and the lime that totally WORKS! It's a match made in heaven.

The cake is dense and moist and the lime cream and strawberry filling is light and flavorful and just plain delicious. I am so enthralled with this cake that I am going to make it for myself on my birthday. Strawberry season or not I'm having this cake come November! This is actually officially my new favorite white cake recipe too. I think I'll burn all the rest and this will take it's place. It would be incredible with any kind of filling or frosting.

Confession time! When I was making my cake layers I didn't adequately grease my pans and so when I tried to get both layers out which are then to be cut into 2 more layers my cake kinda, sorta, completely fell apart. It was a mess. Determined to put it together I pressed on but it was in no way blog worthy to look at. So I have pinched Mels picture from her blog so you can drool over that.

Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake
/www.melskitchencafe.com
original source- White cake adapted from Betty Crocker, other components adapted from Mels friend, Reyna M.

*Note: this recipe looks like it has a lot of steps, and it does, but each can be made in advance and the cake assembled later. Plus, none of the steps are very difficult. The end result is worth it, trust me!

*Serves 12

White Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. (I lined the bottom of mine with a parchment circle and greased the top of the parchment circle.) Bake the cakes for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs. Don’t overbake or the cakes will be dry. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a butter knife and remove the cakes from the pans to cool completely.

Strawberry Syrup/Puree:
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Lime Cream:
*Note: you can substitute 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberry jam for the strawberry puree
4 limes, for 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Zest and juice the limes into a medium bowl. You should have about 1/2 cup lime juice. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Add the whipping cream and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Whipped Cream Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 envelope (about 2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons water

In a small bowl, place the water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let the mixture stand for 3-4 minutes until the gelatin has thickened. Microwave for 20-30 seconds until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is warm. Remove from the microwave and let the mixture cool to room temperature (don’t let it set up!). In a large bowl, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened. While beating slowly, gradually add the cooled gelatin to the whipped cream mixture. Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake, slice each cooled cake round in half horizontally to form 4 cake circles. Place one cake layer on a cake plate and spread an even layer of strawberry syrup over the top. Spread a thick layer of lime cream over the jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge as the top cake layers will press the cream out toward the edges. Repeat the same layering process with the next two layers. Top with the final cake layer and frost the entire cake with the whipped cream frosting. Garnish with fresh limes and strawberries, if desired. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving to let the cake set up.

Sometimes it's the little things

2011-09-12T14:59:00.003-06:00

This past week was rough. You know how some weeks are just like that? You spend the week trying to survive it and then when you make it through and you look back you just think "Wow...that was tough." We had one of those weeks last week. On Monday we received some exciting news, but by the middle of the week that exciting news turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments we had had in a while. So to get through it I found myself trying to focus on the many blessings I do have in my life. I held Gabe tighter (if that's even possible), kissed him more (poor kid), thanked my Father in Heaven for the baby I do have and told myself over and over that this is the plan and I have no other choice but to trust in it.

Then...I picked up a paint brush and worked on being distracted...AGAIN!

The end result? My very first pantry. I know it's just a pantry to most. But when you have never had your very own pantry, finally getting your very own pantry is just plain ol excitin! Our food, my bread makers, pannini press, kitchen aid, food storage and various other items now have their very own home and it's NOT in our office. LOL. Brad is very excited about this! Our cereal no longer lives on top of the kitchen cabinets (where most people have decorations) because the box is too tall to fit in our cupboards.

Brad has been working very hard to finish this pantry for me and I am forever grateful. A pantry might seem small to some but sometimes it's the little things.

So close! eeekkk

Wala! I'm sure I'll move everything around a few more times till I get it where I want it but right now I'm just thrilled to have a pantry!

Weekend project

2011-09-08T07:47:00.013-06:00

In an attempt to add refurbishing wood furniture to my list of skills and talents this past weekend I finished this little beauty. I had been needing a distraction, something to get my mind of "stuff" and this seemed to help. The ONLY good thing that comes from your parents getting divorced is some of the unwanted items I have inherited. A BBQ and this table. I had been holding on to this table for some time knowing that I didn't have a need for it but not wanting to get rid of it. I knew it had potential. I had been waiting for the right people to give it to at the right time. My brother Jarom and his wife who are just starting out moved across the street from us about a month ago. They have been adjusting to new jobs, new schools, new place, new schedules etc. I have been so impressed with their efforts and their willingness to want to do what is right that I decided they were worthy recipients. My sister in law had wanted the table to be dark, so with that in mind I got working. I gave it to them last night and it was so fun to see how excited they were. I am happy with the way it turned out and even happier that it has a new home with them in their apartment.

Before I have to say electric sanders like the one in the picture are one of man's greatest inventions. I LOVED this thing!

After I had sanded it down and filled in the cracks and imperfections

Sanded and ready for staining

Stain coat...check!

After two coats of stain it's ready for it's new home

Nursery Love

2011-09-03T08:11:00.010-06:00

I'm not sure what exactly to call her since we have never officially met, however I worked closely with her father in law for a few years, so have heard allot about her and her little family and so I feel like I know her well. I'll just call her my blogging friend and someone I admire. Jamie Hill not only makes the most gorgeous and incredible cakes but she has also just finished (on her own) designing and putting together one of the cutest nursery rooms for her baby girl June who is due in a week! Though I don't have a bun in the oven of my own, she has totally got my creative juices flowing and I am so excited to help my sister in law decorate her baby girls room. I wanted to share some of the pictures of Jamie's nursery with you. You will have to stop by her blog though and check out her cakes too. She is VERY talented!

Her blog is http://danhillfamily.blogspot.com/

I thought this was so clever! The little white shelves are actually spice racks from Ikea which she painted and attached to the wall to use as little book shelves. I will likely be using this idea!

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

2011-09-01T11:08:00.012-06:00

I love cheesecake, Gabe LOVES oreos and Brad loves food. Can you say win win?! These lived up to every expectation I had, we thoroughly enjoyed these. This recipe is a keeper fo sho!

Oreo Cheesecake Bites
www.melskitchencafe.com

*Makes 36 or more bites, depending on size

36 Oreo Cookies, divided
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
4 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs

optional

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 24 Oreo cookies. Melt 1/4 cup butter; mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies. Gently stir into batter; pour over crust.

Bake the cheesecake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are set and the center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.

When the cheesecake is completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When chilled, remove the cheesecake using the foil overhang and cut the cheesecake into bite-sized pieces.

Optional
I just melted some milk chocolate chips on mine to make them look extra pretty because I delived some to my brother and his wife for their date night treat.

Place the cheesecake bites on a wax or parchment paper-lined baking tray. Melt the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls (I use the microwave on 50% power, stirring frequently). Pour the melted chocolate into a ziploc bag, one for the semisweet chocolate, one for the white chocolate. Snip a small corner off the corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake bars. Chill the bars until ready to serve. Alternately, the drizzled bites can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Gabe took care of any leftover chocolate!

Speechless

2011-08-30T14:56:00.004-06:00

My sister in law Shanna recently took some family pictures of us when she was in town and I cannot stop looking at this one of my baby. When he smiles his eyes light up in a way I've never seen in anyone else before. Just looking at this photo makes the rest of the world melt away and I feel two things HAPPY and so very BLESSED. This little man makes all that life has to throw at us worth it. I still have to pinch myself most days... to think that I get to be his Mum! I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Thanks Shanna! You did a fantastic job!

The BIG 4!

2011-08-29T08:26:00.027-06:00

This past Thursday my baby turned the big 4! Because we only have one and we love that one SO much we decided this year to celebrate Gabe's birthday week. Why not, right?! We tried to do something fun every day to celebrate his coming birthday. We had a blast.

This year Gabe looked forward to his birthday for a couple of months before hand. He would say "When is my birthday coming Mum?...it's not coming." He gave us a very detailed and specific list of what he would like and of course we spoiled him rotten. The night before his birthday Brad and I were up wrapping presents and half way through Brad looked at me and said "Do you think you went a little overboard?" I was disgusted by this, um, me? Go overboard? For my son's birthday? NEVER! =)

We kicked it off the Sunday before with Nana Sandy and Papa Clark. After our family dinner, we did presents and had Oreo (Gabe's fave) cupcakes with Oreo frosting. Nana and Papa bought Gabe his first big boy bike which he was excited about and some other neat gifts. Nana Sandy has the pics from this which I will have to post when I get them.

On Monday Brad and I took Gabe and his cousin Andrew to see Kung Fu Panda at the Kaysville theatre. The boys loved the movie and spending some time together. Andrew gave Gabe a cool transformer and a neat nerf gun which he has had lots of fun playing with. I love watching those two cute boys together. It is hilarious to listen to them have their own little conversations. They loved having their own popcorn, sprite and nerds to eat. We will miss not having Andrew close by while they live in Elko, NV.
Andrew giving Gabe his present

I love Gabe's face in this one. He was so excited.

On Tuesday night after dinner, we went and got frozen yogurt at Yogotogo. Gabe loves that he can pick his own toppings!

Look at that hair! Haircuts coming up this week I think!

What fun is eating ice cream if you don't get some on your nose?

On Wednesday for school Gabe took some birthday cupcakes to share with his class mates. Spiderman cupcakes of course. It is a rule of the pre-school that any food brought in to share must be store bought or made in the pre-school kitchen. Since I had to work full time this past week store bought was cool with me. Gabe was so excited to take them to school and I just love this picture of him with his teacher Ms Cassie. He loves Ms Cassie and he loves school. He was thrilled to have the kids sing happy birthday to him.

Since my baby would rather eat beans, peas, carrots or pistachios than cake, this year I opted not to spend hours making and decorating a fancy cake. Instead, on Wednesday night Gabe and I had fun messing up the kitchen making some cupcakes. Gabe loves to bake with me so we had fun spending some time in the kitchen together. He requested white cupcakes and strawberry frosting. I don't even know that he ate one whole cupcake but he did love cracking the eggs, measuring the ingredients and of course frosting and decorating the cupcakes.

On the BIG day Daddy went into work a little later so that when we woke up we could do presents in bed. After presents we had pancakes for breakfast. Then after breakfast I took Gabe and his little cousin Payton to the zoo. Gabe was so excited to see the animals but especially the dinosaurs they had there for "Zoorasic park". This year Nana Trudy and Mike gave Gabe some money for his birthday. He was thrilled to have his own money. Lately Gabe has been interested in money. We have given him some little jobs around the house and he likes to do them, get paid and then put his money in his wallet. He was thrilled to be able to use some of his money from Nana Trudy to buy a toy dinosaur at the zoo. After the zoo we got some McDonald's for lunch and went home for nap time. After nap time Gabe and I went swimming at the Clearfield Aquatic Center. Gabe and I had a blast swimming together as it was a HOT day. Finally later that night we went out to dinner with Uncle Jarom, Aunty Bre and baby Payton to Sizzler (Gabe's choice). Gabe loves to have steak at Sizzler. It was so much fun to go with Uncle Jarom, Aunty Bre and baby Payton and they gave Gabe the coolest Dragon which he has loved playing with.

Opening presents

So excited! The pterdactyl he is holding was big on his wish list this year. When he opened it he said "A pteradactyl, exactly what I wanted!" We both laughed. It was worth the 3 stores I went to, and 6 stores I called trying to find it.

The Zoo!

The TREX! He was so excited to see the T-rex but wasn't too sure at first how close he wanted to get to it. After a while he walked right up to the fence, but then when he roared Gabe came running. I love these sequence shots of him running back towards me.

He wanted a picture on the lions

Gabe is so cute with Payton. While we were walking around the zoo, he was concerned that the sun was in her eyes so tried blocking it with blanket.

Baby Payton

My little lady killer! I can say it and I will my boy is GORGEOUS!
He went on the merry go round twice and loved it!

Baby boy announcements

2011-08-21T13:41:00.010-06:00

These are the baby announcement samples I did for my friend Amber and her cute little guy Ammon. I also did a couple of collages and a few other little extras.

The Collages

I also snapped some shots of the new big brother Jeremy. When I asked him if I could keep his baby brother he told me I couldn't because he liked him, he did however say it would be ok for him Mom to have another baby and we could have that one. I agreed!

Baby Ammon- sneak preview

2011-08-17T13:55:00.012-06:00

I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of taking some baby pics of my friend Amber's new little baby boy Ammon yesterday. She is so kind to let me practice on her little guy. I can NOT even put into words how cute this little guy is. I really, honestly could steal him! I could look at his little pictures all day! As you can see from the pics he has gorgeous amounts of this soft, white hair which is just to die for and he his little body is absolutely covered in white fuzzy hair. He is soft and sweet and smells like a baby should and I just had so much fun editing his pictures and putting together some announcements for my sweet friend. Here are some samples...SO hard to chose just a few. I will post the sample announcements tomorrow. Although I have so much catch up blogging to do, I just HAD to share some of these.

Serious catch up! San Diego in May

2011-07-20T15:39:00.020-06:00

I have absolutely been slacking with my blogging lately. So much has been going on. I'm going to see how far back my memory takes me and work forward from there.

San Diego! At the end of May right before Brad's 30th b'day he had to take a week long business trip to San Diego. We thought it would be fun to meet him in San Diego half way through the week and spend some time together, enjoy Brad's birthday and some lovely San Diego sunshine. We had such a fun time. We swam all day, enjoyed some tasty meals, went for some nice drives and spent a day at Sea World.

Sea World had a brand new whale show starting the day we went to Sea World and it was really neat to get to see it. We all enjoyed it.

It is so incredible to see such large and heavy animals jump out of the water like they do.

Gabe was fascinated by the "Nemo" fish

Watching the seals

The polar bears were also very cool

The Sea Lion show was our favorite. We laughed hysterically through the whole show. Sea World was worth it just to see this show.

There was a really neat shallow pool filled with star fish that the kids could touch, feel and pick up briefly. Gabe absolutely loved being able to touch the star fish

You looking at me?

Enjoying the rides

Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me

2011-06-26T21:24:00.000-06:00

I love this song, but it is impossible for me to listen to it without crying.

As we get ready to head to Australia and New Zealand, two places I consider home, I am overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety. I have patiently waited more than 8 LONG years to go home and it is FINALLY here, it is FINALLY my turn. I'll likely be a blubbering mess the whole time, but I'm ready to find some closure and make some fun new memories with my two favorite boys and the family and friends we will visit while there.

Peaches and Cream Cake

2011-06-17T20:37:00.005-06:00

This was delicious. Just as Mel from Melskitchencafe said, it is like a cake, a cheesecake and a cobbler all rolled into one. It was easy to make and I loved that it was different to any kind of dessert I'd tried before. Sweet but light also. I have made this twice since I found the recipe on Mel's blog and I'm sure I will make it many more times, especially when peaches are in abundance.

Peaches and Cream Cake
www.melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 12

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Peaches and Topping:
29-ounce can sliced peaches or 1 quart home-bottled peaches
16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons reserved peach juice
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium or large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cornstarch. Blend. Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk together until well combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Slice the peaches into bite-sized pieces, scattering them over the top of the batter evenly. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and reserved peach juice together until light and creamy. Dollop the cream cheese mixture in tablespoon-sized spoonfuls over the top of the batter and peaches and then use a spatula to evenly spread together to form a creamy layer. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just try to spread it as evenly over the top as possible (it’s ok if peaches are peeking through in spots). Sprinkle the top of the cream cheese layer generously with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and the cream cheese layer has bubbled slightly on top. This is a difficult cake to test for doneness because of the gooey cream cheese layer. If the middle is still jiggly, bake until it no longer jiggles and the cake batter layer is puffed and no longer runny. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gabe's first day of pre pre-school

2011-05-11T09:06:00.012-06:00

Yesterday Gabe started his first day of pre pre-school. In preparation for him starting regular pre-school (or kinda for the Aussies reading), in September, Brad and I thought this would be a good lead in to get him ready. Gabe calls it "school". He only goes once a week from 9-1 but it is enough that it gets him out of the house, into a structured learning environment and gives him some interaction with other kids, which he craves. He is SO ready for pre-school/kinda. He is excited to learn and is just so excited to be one of the big kids.

In preparation for the big day I took Gabe shopping and let him pick out a new outfit to wear. No shocker that he picked a Spider Man shirt as it is his latest obsession. When I put it on him he immediately ran out into the family room to see if it gave him good spidey sense and made him run fast. According to Gabe, and of course I agreed, the shirt was a success.

It always makes me laugh when I think about how much Gabe is like Brad. When we arrived at school, we went into his classroom and I followed him around taking some pictures and he kept looking at me like he was just so embarrassed. Just as Brad would have done at this age. After about 10 minutes of me following him around watching him play and get comfortable he turned to me and said "Bye Mum", I took that as my hint, kissed him and left. He was so brave, and I was just so proud.

I decided to make the whole day special. Later that afternoon after our nap, we went to McDonald's for dinner, to the dollar theatre to see Gnomeo and Juliet which he loved and shockingly I also enjoyed before heading home to read books in bed for a while. It was a fun filled day and a momentous occasion in our little house. Our little boy is growing up!

All ready for school! Such a handsome little guy.

In the morning, I told Gabe he needed to help me pack his bag for school. He decided rather than take his backpack he wanted to take his bag that Nana Sandy made him. He takes this bag everywhere!

Look at that face. I can't even tell you how much I love to kiss those cheeks every day.

Playing in the dirt INSIDE! He was in heaven.

One of his favorite things at school. Little toilets and little sinks. He thinks these are the greatest!

Gabe's teacher said he was "perfect" his first day. She couldn't believe how polite he was and said he interacted really well with the other kids. For lunch they had chili and while she said the other kids complained and refused to eat it, Gabe said "I love chili, look it has beans in it. I love beans." After eating his serving he even asked for seconds.

Easter Fun- Rice Krispie Birds Nest

2011-04-21T20:48:00.015-06:00

I had been wanting to do some kind of fun Easter activity with Gabe this year but wasn't feeling brave enough OR energetic enough to venture into the world of coloring eggs. In my mind, I saw stained fingers, clothes, possibly rainbow splattered walls and floors etc and so decided to stay on the safer side of the line. I had seen these on a number of food blogs and thought they seemed fun and not too dangerous given my little guy is a feisty 3 year old.

I had a couple of our cute little neighbor girls come and do these with us tonight and they all had a blast. Emma, the younger sister is Gabe's first little crush. He absolutely loves her. If he had his way he would play with her all day and all night long. Anytime we bake something, he has to take a slice or a piece to Emma. He loves to shower her with food, flowers and anything else he can. He and Emma love to play "Mommy's and Daddy's in our backyard any chance they get. I get such a kick out of hearing their little grown up conversations and just love that Gabe has such a sweet little friend to play with. I absolutely love these girls. I can't wait for long summer days so they can play, play, play!

Gracie helping me mold the nests She is my sidekick!

Emma oh so carefully putting her nest together

The three Rugrats. Gracie, Emma and Gabe

Gracie working on her nest. We had rice Krispie bowls for the nests molded using dessert bowls, chocolate covered Chinese noodles (sticks), some coconut I tinted green and then toasted (grass), mini marshmallow's for extra padding so our birds were comfy, robins eggs and our peep birdies

You gotta eat as you play

My nest- Hey I was in the mood for a little fun too!

Cute little Emma

Sweet Gracie! Work it girl, work it!

We had lots of fun!

Gabe is so excited for Easter this year and I am having all sorts of fun getting excited with him. Happy Easter!!

Fresh Strawberry Cake

2011-04-19T04:00:00.001-06:00

I love love love strawberries and so always find myself drawn to dessert recipes which feature them. I came across this recipe a while back and was excited to try it. I made this cake on conference weekend when we had Brad's parents over for dinner.

I enjoyed this cake. The problem, I've found with allot of "strawberry cakes" is that the strawberry flavor isn't as strong or as present as I'd like. Strawberries just seems to lose their punch when combined with flour and cooked. This cake, while delicious, was in the same boat for me. I found myself not only garnishing the cake with fresh strawberries to try and add more strawberry flavor to it, but I also served the cake with an generous spoonful of pureed strawberries.

A few things I did love about the cake was that is was pretty, moist and slightly dense, but not overly so, sweet or heavy. Don't get me wrong, this was a great cake, it just didn't pack enough strawberry punch for me. So if you are looking for a cake recipe with allot of strawberry flavor, like I was this may not be the one for you. The quest continues. I'm tempted to play with the recipe a little and see if adding some strawberry jam in place of some of the pureed strawberries helps amp up the strawberry flavor at all. Or perhaps using a strawberry jam filling atop of the cake and between the layers before adding the frosting.

Fresh Strawberry Cake
http://www.abountifulkitchen.com/

Cake:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups pureed fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 2- 9 inch pans by lining with parchment paper, greasing and flouring pans.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar, Beat in eggs, one at a time until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix the buttermilk into the pureed strawberries. Mix in the flour alternately with the strawberry/buttermilk mixture. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix all of the ingredients until thoroughly blended.
Pour the batter evenly into two 9 inch prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Fresh Strawberry Frosting
Strawberry Cream frosting
3-4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup pureed fresh strawberries (1/4 if you want a stiffer frosting)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
4 1/2 -5 cups powdered sugar
dash of salt
fresh strawberries for garnish

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat together until smooth. Stir in pureed strawberriesand lemon juice. Add 4-5 cups powdered sugar and salt, beat until frosting is smooth and creamy. Add additional powdered sugar until frosting is desired consistency.
Spread frosting between layers of cake. Frost top and sides of cake. Garnish top of cake with fresh strawberries and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Healthy AND Delicious Baked Ziti

2011-04-12T04:00:00.002-06:00

This is a wonderful hearty meal that you can feel happy about feeding to your family and eating yourself. This is one of my favorite week night meals. I have found myself adding spinach to every meal I can lately. If I can add it without detection I do. Spinach is just so great for you, loaded with vitamins and minerals and if you use it in saucy recipes even your fussiest eater shouldn't complain.

The other nice thing about this recipe is you can adapt it to suit the needs and taste buds of your family. For example, I have made it and added sweet white corn also. You could add mushrooms, zucchini, peas etc. The more vegies the better!

Healthy AND Delicious Baked Ziti

1 lb lean ground turkey or extra lean ground beef
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded sweet carrots
2 cups fresh spinach chopped
1 small onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, passed through a press or grated
olive oil
26 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low sodium fat free chicken or vegetable stock
8 oz brown rice or whole wheat penne pasta
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped fine (or use dry if you don't have fresh)
1/2 to 1 cup of shredded low fat mozzarella cheese (optional)

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Once olive oil is heated, add ground meat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Once meat has browned, add onion and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Add stock, tomatoes and spinach.
3. Once all the vegies are in the pot and combined, add the uncooked pasta. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
4. Just before removing from the heat add the chopped basil.
5. Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare baking dish with a light coating of cooking spray. Place pasta mix into baking dish and sprinkle with cheese if using. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with a wedge of crusty wholewheat bread. ENJOY!

Olive Garden's Tuscan Garlic Chicken

2011-04-11T04:00:00.001-06:00

I have made this twice in the past month, and I wouldn't be shocked if it appears on our dinner menu again some time soon. I first made this a couple of weeks ago when we had some new neighbors over for dinner and then I made it again this past Sunday when we had Brad's parents over for dinner. I love this meal. It is filling and flavorful and you really do feel like you are eating Olive Garden in your own home.

Now for some notes. Mel from Mel's kitchen Cafe where I found this recipe said the recipe didn't lend a heap of sauce. Being a sauce lover, I decided to double the sauce portion of the recipe and it was perfect. However, that being said, though I don't mind mild flavor of peppers or capsicums as I know them in my food, I don't LOVE it when the pepper flavor overpowers a meal. Therefore, in doubling the sauce, I didn't double the amount of red pepper. In fact I used half of one large red bell pepper. So...if pepper's are your thing add more, if you are sensitive to them like my family is, add less.

I'm also slightly irritated that the pic isn't very good. You will just have to trust me when I tell you this meal is wonderful! Cooking the chicken this way makes for a moist and flavorful cut of chicken and the sauce is decadent but not too heavy.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Melskitchencafe.com

*Note: if the chicken breasts you are using are overly thick, you can butterfly them, cutting all the way through so you end up with two thinner cuts of chicken breast.
*Serves 4-6 (depending on if you are serving adults or kids)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach- I just eyeballed this and ended up using about 2.5 cups spinach which I had sliced relatively thinly.
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine- I used wholewheat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Don’t scoot the chicken around once you lay it in the hot oil! Let the oil work it’s magic to sear the crust on the chicken. If you get all antsy and try flipping too early and/or moving the chicken around the pan, the breading is lightly to fall off. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Original Recipe Source: adapted from More of America’s Most Wanted Recipes

This syrup will rock your world!

2011-04-05T12:04:00.004-06:00

I have always loved pancakes. I can pretty much eat them anytime, anywhere. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack...you name it. Brad is a french toast kinda guy and I am a pancake kinda girl, so every Sunday without fail, breakfast at our house consists of pancakes for me and french toast for my Brad.

Last summer when we went to Bear Lake with Brad's parents, my sister in law Elizabeth, brought along this syrup recipe. We made it to have on our pancakes one morning for breakfast and oh boy! I can honestly say that this syrup has not only increased my already devoted love for pancakes, but it has changed the way I will eat pancakes forever! This syrup truly is incredible. In fact I have re-named it in my house. It is now known as "liquid gold"

I have already posted my favorite recipe for buttermilk pancakes but have included it again below. The soft, tender, airy, light buttermilk pancakes topped with this heavenly syrup is a breakfast fit for any king or queen...I think.

Coconut Syrup

7-8 T. butter
¾ c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

BEST Buttermilk Pancakes
from Si at a Bountiful Kitchen.

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup milk, to thin batter

Combine dry ingredients. Add buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add milk, a little at a time. Cook on hot, well greased griddle.

Fabulous Cheesecake Factory- Oreo Cheesecake

2011-04-04T04:00:00.001-06:00

Just like a good wine (so I'm told, don't drink...sorry!), some cheesecakes just get better with age. It's true and this cheesecake, although wonderful on the first tasting, just seemed so much more delicious the second day. I don't have any significant theories or explanations as to why this is the case...it just is.

I recently made this for dessert when we had some new neighbors over and we all enjoyed it. Next time however, if I am planning on making this for entertaining purposes, I'll give it that extra day in the fridge so as to allow it to hit it's maximum taste potential.

This is supposedly the copycat version of The Cheesecake Factory Oreo Cheesecake Recipe. I myself have not had their version, but I did love this one. The cheesecake was dense and moist and delicious. It wasn't difficult to make either which was a bonus. I will certainly be making this again in the future. It's a keeper!

I served the cheesecake with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and

Confession....this cheesecake serves quite the crowd. We first ate it with our guests the night they came to dinner, I ate a piece with lunch and dinner the next day and then the day following resisted it all day. That night after I got home from the gym, I threw the rest out. I had to, for my hips sake. Swimsuit season is after all...right around the corner.

Cheesecake Factory- Oreo Cheesecake
Ingredients

Filling
1 1/2 pound cream cheese
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces sour cream
5 Oreo cookies (coarsely chopped for the batter)
10 coarsely chopped Oreo cookies for the topping

Crust

1 1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (about 25 Oreo cookies finely chopped)
2 tablespoon melted butter
9″ spring form pan (buttered on bottom and sides)

1. Mix melted butter with Oreo crumbs and press in the bottom of the spring pan and 1 1/2″ up the sides, set aside.
2.All Ingredients must be at room temperature before beginning. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on low until fluffy.
3. Slowly add sugar and continue beating cream cheese until mixed well.
4. Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat until blended.
5. Measure the vanilla, salt and flour, pour into cream cheese and egg mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and beat.
6. Stir in the coarsely chopped oreo cookies with a spoon.
7. Pour cream cheese into the spring pan and place the nine coarsely chopped Oreo Cookies on to of the cream mixture.
8. Place pan on the top rack and in the middle of a preheated oven at 325 degrees F and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
9.After that time, keep oven door open and let the cheese cake stay in the oven for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool enough to place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Serves 6-8 easily

Haley Reinhart -- Benny and the Jets -- American Idol Top 11

2011-04-02T19:56:00.000-06:00

I LOVE Elton John, I LOVE this song (in large part because it makes me think of my brother)...and I LOVE this version. Sexy, Rhaspy, HAWT HAWT HAWT!

Stuffed Strawberries

2011-03-31T04:00:00.001-06:00

If you are looking for a relatively guilt free treat that won't add too much junk to your trunk this is a goodie. Perfectly sweet and light.

Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients
1 lb fresh strawberries
2 1/2 teaspoons Splenda sugar substitute
4 ounces fat free cream cheese
2 tbl spoons heavy whipping cream (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of lemon juice (I did this to taste)

Preparation
1. Clean the strawberries and cut off the tops so that they are flat. Place them on a plate.
2. Take a knife and make a x shaped cut in the top being sure not to cut all the way through the berry.
3. Using a mixer, blend the cream cheese with the cream, vanilla, lemon juice and Splenda.
4. Using a small spoon, put little dollops of the cream cheese in the holes in the strawberries. If the mixture is a little on the runny side, don't fear it will firm up during chilling time.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

***Note*** To fill my strawberries, I used a piping bag. However, this is not at all necesary.

Blackberry Cobbler

2011-03-30T04:05:00.001-06:00

I was at the grocery store recently and noticed that blackberries were on sale. Maybe I was feeling particularly nostalgic that day, but often when I see berries I think first of warmer weather and second of New Zealand. I am reminded of memories of spending time in Nelson, New Zealand (one of the most beautiful places on earth) as a child with my Nana, Aunties and Uncles, picking our own berries and then taking them home and eating them with nothing but a drizzle of New Zealands heavenly cream on them. Oh how I miss those days!

As I snapped back into reality, I also realized that although my Gabe loves strawberries and raspberries, he had never tried blackberries. I was interested to see if 1. I could convince him to try one and 2. if he would enjoy them as much as I do. SUCCESS! Not only did my little guy like blackberries, he LOVED them. So after letting him eat almost his weight in blackberries for a mid morning snack, I set out to look for a way to use the remaining berries in a dessert to be had that night after dinner.

This blackberry cobbler was delicious. It was easy to throw together, no fuss, little mess and was the perfect accompaniment to our evening meal.

Blackberry Cobbler
Pioneer Woman
http://thepioneerwoman.com
YEAH!!

OH YEAH!!! Cream makes everything better!

Ingredients
1 stick Butter
1-¼ cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour- SEE NOTE BELOW
1 cup Milk
2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

Instructions

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish.

Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire (and I did), sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

**NOTE***
If you come across a recipe that calls for self-rising flour, and you don't keep that in your pantry, here is a quick and easy way to make a substitute.

Per cup of flour called for by your recipe, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder to your regular flour, mix and you are good to go.

Anderson rebounds home

2011-03-29T19:34:00.003-06:00

This is just the first of what I hope to be many media articles written about my talented brother Ben. I just can't even express in words how proud of him I am and how thrilled for him we all are. Though Ben said some of the details weren't quite right, I simply reminded him that the tabloids often don't get the details of what celebrities say and do spot on and that he should just get used to it...=)

When I found out that my brother was going to be playing for a team called the Jets, I thought "of course, it couldn't be more perfect" In my mind and in my dreams I see him doing fabulous things on the court...his sweet 3 point shot for example followed by the bball DJ playing "B B B Benny and the Jets" loud as the crowd cheers him on. Poor Ben, when Brad, Gabe and I go to see him play in July he will be so embarassed. I'll be a yelling, crying, sobbing, screaming, hot mess! But this is what our family lives for. We love and support each other and it's my job and my right as the oldest and the only girl to gush and embarras my younger siblings. BRING IT ON!

p.s what a handsome pic ey?!

Anderson rebounds home

Jets to get some Utah experience on their side. Ben Anderson is the latest recruit to hit town for the Manawatu Jets.Relevant offers Ben Anderson will enjoy having a few people to pass the ball to at training during the next couple of weeks.

The latest recruit to hit town for the Manawatu Jets has been working out on his own in a gym in Sandy, 20 minutes from Salt Lake City in Utah.

That was where he first met Tony Smith, a former National Basketball League veteran from the 1980s, who put him on to the idea of playing in the competition.

Hamilton-born Anderson moved to Melbourne with his family at age seven before they uprooted and pushed on to Utah when he was 18.

He played point guard for Snow College but for family reasons gave up the game for a couple of years.

The solidly built personal trainer has been back on court for a while now and wanted the chance to play in the country of his birth, so got in touch with Jets coach Ryan Weisenberg about the chances of being recruited.

"It wasn't the traditional scouting," Anderson said.

"It was me contacting Ryan and going from there ... If it wasn't for Tony I definitely wouldn't be here."

Anderson arrived in Manawatu on Wednesday, at the same time as his flatmate Jeremy Kench, who was a late pickup from the Christchurch Cougars.

"I've been homesick ever since I left. It's good to be back, even though I'm not familiar with the place. It's good to be home," Anderson said of his return to New Zealand.

Anderson said he was looking forward to the road trips to meet the Nelson Giants and the Waikato Pistons because he has extended family there. The 26-year-old hadn't come out here with huge expectations of playing a big part in the Jets' theatre this year, but just wanted to contribute, he said.

"I'm definitely a role player. Mostly coming off the bench, wherever the system allows me.

"Right now I just want to fit in. I don't want to be a standout."

Anderson admitted he didn't know a lot about the NBL, but was learning quickly.

"I've been following as much I can on the internet. I think it's awesome we've got some Tall Blacks on the team."

Tall Black Kench, who was left without a team following Christchurch's withdrawal from this year's competition, was just happy to be back in the gym.

"It's been good. It's been a bit of a shock to the system because I haven't been able to train for the past three or four weeks back home. The workouts we've had so far have been good."

He said the early signs of joining the team had convinced him he made the right move to turn down offers from Waikato and the Otago Nuggets for this year.

Ad Feedback "A big reason why I came up here is I definitely thought we'd have a chance of winning a championship. That's been a goal of mine for a long time."

- Manawatu Standard

Creamy Deviled Eggs

2011-03-29T10:49:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago while my Brad and I were sitting together, cuddling and enjoying The Bachelor, Brad told me he really liked deviled eggs. I was shocked by this. Although we are fast approaching our 8th wedding anniversary, this is one thing I did not know about my man. In some small, but significant way, I was greatly affected by this new revelation. I thought "How could I not know after 8 years of marriage that my Brad loves deviled eggs so much?" AND I have never made them for him! I genuinely felt bad. What kind of a wife was I? So...I set out to redeem myself. Though I don't share Brad's love for deviled eggs, I made sure that the next day when he walked in the door from work that I had a plate of homemade deviled eggs waiting for him. After watching him eat a few and feeling satisifed that he was satisfied, I was feeling much better about things. Seems dumb, I know, but my Brad works hard for us and so endulging him with his favorite foods, is the very least I can do.

I had never made deviled eggs before but trust Martha so knew that if I made her deviled eggs, I'd likely be safe. They were quite finicky to make I thought. Just peeling the eggs and cutting them all whilst trying to keep them intact was a little tricky, but well worth it. Brad gave them his seal of approval and so I decided this recipe is a keeper.

Creamy Deviled Eggs
Martha Stewart

Ingredients
8 large eggs
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Paprika, for garnish
Directions

1.Place eggs in a medium saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Drain, and run eggs under cold water to cool them.

2.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, shallot, and hot sauce.

3.Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise; remove yolks, leaving whites intact. Transfer yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth.

4.Mound yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

B B B Benny and the Jets

2011-03-21T13:51:00.004-06:00

Ahhh a fabulous song, however not the reason for this post.

Today my younger, but no so little (any more) brother Ben is flying out to New Zealand where he will live for the next few months. This amazingly talented and handsome brother of mine has been drafted to play professional basketball in New Zealand for the Manawatu Jets.

Who would have thought that working as a personal trainer at Golds Gym, working out and shooting hoops would lead to Ben being discovered by a scout and now a professional basketball career? I am totally gushing and crying!

I could not be more proud of my little brother. He has worked extremely hard for this and it is not only a dream come true for him, but also a dream come true for me to see happen. I have always loved to watch Ben play basketball. He truly was born to play and today I am one happy sister.

Good luck Ben!!! We love you and will miss you, but can't wait to come visit you in July to watch you tear it up!!!

Pic of all my cute brothers...left to right Blake, Jarom, Josh and Ben Brothers are the best!

BEST Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2011-03-17T11:05:00.004-06:00

OMG! I can not say enough about this wonderful soup. I recently made it to take to our ward soup night and not only was it a hit with Brad and I but anyone who tried it and knew I made it was also singing it's praises. It is hearty, filling, creamy and the addition of the curry powder just added to it's deliciousness. This is currently HANDS DOWN my favorite chicken soup recipe and I'll be surprised if I find one that tops it. Pure heaven in a bowl.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Recipe and photo courtesy of Mel from Melskitchencafe.com

*Note: The vegetables in this soup are very adaptable. I used a combination of carrots, celery and corn and use the guideline of having 2 cups total of any number of combinations (i.e. only carrots and corn, carrots and celery, carrots, celery AND corn, you get the picture).

½ cup butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ – 1 cup frozen corn
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup carrots, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds- I left these out as I didn't have any.
2 cups nonfat half-and-half (use normal half-and-half if you prefer, but you won’t believe how delicious this is with the nonfat variety!)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring the soup just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.

Really needs this!

2011-03-10T18:51:00.003-07:00

I don't need much, but I really do think I need this. Can you say GORGEOUS! Wish it were my b'day. When is Mothers Day?

Strawberry Shortcakes

2011-03-03T07:15:00.005-07:00

Any dessert involving fruit and especially strawberries doesn't usually disappoint me. This was no exception. A crusty buttery biscuit, topped with sweet strawberries and sweet whipped cream? Yes please. It has all the elements of sweet, refreshing, creamy, a little crunch from the biscuit and walla...these were simply delicious.

Strawberry Shortcakes

America's Test Kitchen
Fruit
8 cups strawberries hulled
6 tablespoons sugar

Shortcake
2 cups unbleached flour plus extra for your working surface
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbl spoons of butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
1/2 cup plus 1 tbl spoon of half and half or milk
1 large egg lightly beaten
1 large egg white lightly beaten

Whipped cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbl spoon sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. For the fruit: Crush 3 cups of the strawberries in a large bowl with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 5 cups of strawberries and stir them into the crushed berries along with the sugar. Set aside until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2. For the shortcake: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse the flour, 3 table spoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal, about 15 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

3. Whisk the half and half and lightly beaten whole egg together in a small bowl and then stir into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until it comes together.

4. Pat the dough into a 9 by 6 inch rectangle, about 3/4 inch thick. Do not over work the dough. Using a floured 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter, cut out six dough rounds. Arrange the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar.

5. Bake until the shortcakes are golden brown, 12-14 minutes rotating the pan half way through the baking time. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let the shortcakes cool to warm.

6. For the whipped cream: In a medium bowl combine the cream, sugar and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form.

7. To assemble: When the shortcakes have cooled split them in half. Place the shortcake bottom down on an individual serving plate and spoon a portion of the berries on top of the shortcake followed by a dollop of whipped cream. Then place the top of the shortcake on top.

Enjoy!

Amber's Yummy Lime Drink

2011-03-02T07:52:00.004-07:00

A while ago we had my brother Josh and his fiance Amber over for dinner and she made these delicious drinks. It was so good that the next day I made one for myself because I was craving it so much. I haven't made it again since for fear that I would feel like I needed to have it every day. The next time I want to make a fancy drink for a dinner party or celebration, this will definitely be my choice. In fact it was so delicious, if you weren't in the mood to make or eat a heavy dessert, then this would certainly satisfy your sweet tooth craving.

Amber's Yummy Lime Drink

2 limes, washed, ends cut off and quartered
1/2 cup sugar
3 table spoons of sweetened condensed milk (could use low fat if you like)
3 cups of water
Crushed ice

Put all in a blender and blend together for a short time. Once blended strain off the lime and serve!

Chicken Cannelloni

2011-03-01T08:23:00.005-07:00

I love Italian and I loved this dish. I hunted all over the web for a recipe for chicken cannelloni which is one of my favorite Italian dishes and ended up creating my own based on the aspects of a few recipes I liked. We all loved these. Tomorrow I will post the recipe for the drink my brothers fiance made to go with dinner which was simply AMAZING!

Chicken Cannelloni

Cannelloni Filling 8 ounces chicken breast (about 2), cooked thoroughly and diced into small pieces
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 small can of diced tomatoes in their juices
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon table-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
12 lasagna pasta sheets, approximate size of 5 x 6 inches

Cannelloni Sauce

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once butter is melted add flour and whisk, let it cook in the saucepan for about a minute, be sure not to burn. Add milk to the butter and flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Once the mixture begins to thicken slightly add the Parmesan cheese salt and pepper. Continue to cook on medium heat until the cheese has melted.

Once the chicken breast has been cooked thoroughly, allow it to cool.

Dice the cooled chicken breast into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella, pepper and salt, and mix thoroughly.

Arrange precooked pasta sheets on a cutting board and place two or three rounded tablespoons of filling mixture down the center of each pasta sheet and carefully roll pasta around filling. Place the rolled cannelloni, side by side, into an ovenproof shallow baking dish. Place cheese sauce (or Alfredo sauce) and tomato sauce in bowl and mix until well incorporated. Pour sauce over cannelloni covering completely. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over top of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Serves 6.

Heavenly Pumpkin Bars

2011-02-28T07:38:00.003-07:00

I am waaaaaay behind on my food blogging so here goes...

These little beauties are beyond words. They are moist, pumpkiny and plain old delicious. We LOVED these!

Pumpkin Bars
Paula Dean

Bars:4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

My love...

2011-02-21T13:40:00.003-07:00

We are slowly but steadily approaching our 8th Wedding anniversary and one of the things I love most about our love is how we miss each other all day. When Brad comes home, I still run to the door to greet him and he still puts his arms out to catch me and throw me in the air as if I were weightless. He is my best friend, my confidant, my hero and my favorite person in this whole world (well its a close one with my Gabe of course). We share dreams, aspirations, hopes and fears. He understands me like no one else does and accepts me for both my strengths and my weaknesses. He challenges me and helps bring me and keeps me in check. He cheers me on and is my biggest fan. He is my love and I am eternally grateful.

Baby car seat cover

2011-02-06T17:27:00.007-07:00

I love these baby car seat covers. I see mothers carrying their car seats covered with them everywhere and I always find myself checking them out. I wish I had of had one for my son. I love that you can personalize them using the fabrics you like and that you can add little decorative trinkets to them to make them personal. I was thrilled to be able to make and deliver this one to my new niece this weekend. I was so happy with the way it turned out and I love love love the fabric. I am currently working a second one for her and can't wait to see how it looks all put together. I love knowing that my little niece is all warm and snuggly under her new car seat cover that her favorite Aunty Nat made her with love.

To make my cover, I followed the tutorial found at the link below:

http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/05/carseat-cover-tutorial-small-fry-and-co.html

Things I would do differently next time:

-If you have access to the car seat for which you are making the cover you may want to make sure that your pieces which connect to the car seat handle are the right distance apart. I followed the pattern on the tutorial and had I of known (or thought of this) I would have had my handle pieces be closer together.

-Next time I think I will add some more strips of velcro to the handle pieces so that I can have the handle pieces be as loose or as tight as I want them.

-On the next one, I think I might try adding some more fun accesories to it to fancy it up a little more. Perhaps some buttons or aplique or something like that.

Overall I found this tutorial helpful and easy to follow. Especially for someone as clueless and inexperienced with a sewing machine as I am.

Happy New Year

2011-02-06T17:20:00.002-07:00

Introducing...

2011-01-30T21:20:00.012-07:00

...Miss Payton Brielle Anderson. My little brother Jarom and his wife Alysha are the proud new parents to a beautiful, tiny and sweet little baby girl. I got to meet her on Saturday and fell in love with her instantly. Being the only girl in my family with 4 younger brothers, a son of my own and 3 nephews, the addition of a little girl to our family is lots of fun! Despite the fact that she peed on me twice (hahaha)while we were taking her pictures, I had a blast cuddling with her, taking her pictures and now putting together some announcements. She is a keeper for sure. I can't wait till I can see her again. I also can't wait to send the disc of pics to her Mummy and Daddy with some little added bonuses on it.

Apricot & White Chocolate Coffee Cake

2011-01-20T04:00:00.001-07:00

A week or so ago my sister in law Liz was sweet enough to surprise me one morning by dropping dinner off to us. Our little guy has decided all of a sudden that there are scary monsters lurking in every corner of our house and this has translated into little to no sleep for a little over a month now. Not having to worry about dinner for a couple of nights was much welcomed and appreciated. I made this dessert to return the favor.

This cake was easy and fast to throw together and I served it warm with a drizzle of unsweetened heavy whipping cream. I liked the addition of the unsweetened cream as for me it seemed to tone down the sweetness of this cake just a tad. Don't get me wrong, I love desserts and sweets but my faves are the ones that don't leave me feeling like I'm about to fall into a diabetic coma once I have eaten them.

Apricot & White Chocolate Coffee Cake
Yields 12 servings

For the cake:
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2 tbl spoons sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup milk (use whatever you have on hand but preferably not skim)
2 tbl spoons canola oil
1/2 cup white baking chips
1/2 cup apricot preserves

For the topping:
1/3 cup Bisquick baking mix
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbl spoons cold butter

In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix and sugar. Whisk the egg, milk and oil: stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9 inch round baking pan.

Drop preserves by teaspoonfuls over batter. Cut through batter with knife to swirl the preserves.

For topping, combine the biscuit mix and sugar in a small bowl; Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Easy Crockpot Apple Cobbler

2011-01-18T19:22:00.006-07:00

One night a few Saturdays ago I was in the mood for a little something sweet but wasn't feeling too awfully inspired by much, nor did I feel like spending alot of time in the kitchen. I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cooking magazine and it was just the ticket.

Easy Crockpot Apple Cobbler
Taste of Home Magazine- December/January 2011

Cooks in 3 hours and serves 6

1 can (21 oz) apple pie mix (see note below)
1 pkg (9 ounces) yellow cake mix- note this is not a whole box cake mix only 9 ounces
1/4 cup chopped pecans (I ommited these)
1/4 cup butter- melted
Vanilla ice cream or sweetend cream- optional

Place pie filling in a greased 1-1/2 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with cake mix and pecans. Drizzle with butter. Cover and cook on high for three hours or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.

***Note*** I wanted a little more apple in my filling and happened to have some apples at home so I peeled and thinly sliced some fresh apples and added them to the apple pie mix. Adding the fresh apples not only bulked up the apple filling but it also added a fresh taste to the dessert.

Delicious Cheesecake

2011-01-11T11:22:00.005-07:00

Another goodie from www.melskitchencafe.com. I love this cheesecake recipe. I recently made this for my mother in law for her special birthday dessert. She isn't a huge fan of cake so I thought this cheesecake seemed like a great substitute.

Having your birthday be just a few days before Christmas isn't always fun so...in an attempt to make this yummy treat the least bit wintery I chose to top it with some fresh mango puree. I love fruit puree over cheesecake. However, being the fruit lover that I am I prefer not to add sugar etc etc to it so this puree is nothing but pure mango. I simply removed as much of the flesh and juice from the mango as I could and drizzled it over the top. The cheesecake is creamy and delicious and the mango gave it a refreshing burst.

The Ultimate Cheesecake
adapted from Tyler Florence by www.melskitchencafe.com

Crust:
3 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 40 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 pint sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (I use a 10-inch springform pan b/c it is all I have and it works great) with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2011-01-10T10:42:00.003-07:00

If you haven't been to Cafe Zupas yet...you need to. If you have and you haven't tried their Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup...you need to. Put that on your list of things to do...go. Do it now! I promise you won't be dissapointed.

I have only been to Zupas once, but once was enough and I was hooked. When I got home from my delicious lunch there back in September, I immediately jumped online to see if I could find a similar recipe so I could make and eat this soup whenever I wanted. To my great delight, I discovered this little gem at peachtreecooking.blogspot.com. It is amazing. I like to garish mine with a little grated cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. If you want to be really naughty you could also add a little bacon. Enjoy!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I just used regular mustard and it was fine)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

Mint Cheesecake Bites

2011-01-03T05:00:00.001-07:00

This is hands down one of my favorite cheesecake recipes. The mint gives it a fresh and different from your average cheesecake taste, the texture is wonderful and creamy and well, how can you go wrong with a Oreo base? You can't! This is also easy to put together and it seems pretty fool proof. Not a fussy cheesecake recipe at all. Win Win.

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I love or I am in love with cheesecake. I really have nothing negative to say about cheesecake. It is wonderful in every way. My mother in law learnt this about me early on and so way back in the day when my husband and I were first married she made this for me. I was hooked from the get go. I was excited to make it to take to a family get together we had on Christmas Day. I love the green and then serving it on the red plate just brought it all together and made it pop. Gorgeous and delicious!

Mint Cheesecake Bites

3 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (40 cookies)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
6 or so drops green liquid food coloring (I just eyeballed it-I think I used 8 drops)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used milk- use what you have or what you like)
1 tsp vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; Press mixture into an aluminium foil lined 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir in peppermint extract and food coloring. Spread cream cheese mixture onto prepared crust.

Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until mostly set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 8 hrs.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a small heavy duty resealable plastic bag; seal. Submerge bag in hot water (or melt in microwave) until chocolate melts; Knead gently until mixture is smooth. Snap a tiny hole in one corner of plastic bag; drizzle chocolate of cheesecake. Cut into squares.

Yields about 24 cheesecake bites.

ENJOY!

Christmas has come and gone

2011-01-02T09:46:00.014-07:00

We are grateful it came and we are equally grateful it is over. This year we feel truly blessed for the things we were able to do this Christmas season to mark the true meaning of Christmas. After all it is not the worldly gifts we did or didn't receive which made this a special time of year for our little family. That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed watching Gabe understand and get excited for Santa and got huge kicks out of spoiling him...ROTTEN! He deserves it.

Gabe always baffles us with what he understands and how sweet his little spirit is. A couple of days before Christmas, Brad and I were doing what most parents do around Christmas. Gabe was being naughty and we were telling him that if he was naughty that Santa wouldn't bring him any presents. To which he replied "That's OK Mum I have lots of toys huh? Maybe Santa can give my presents to some other kids who don't have any toys. I have enough...huh Mum" Brad and I just looked at each other. What could we say? How many 3 year olds think of that all on their own? Our boy is truly a special little spirit. We are eternally grateful to have him in our lives.

Some pics from the big day.

He came! The one thing I will miss about not having our tree up is the smell, it was heavenly.

Opening Presents!

So a few weeks before Christmas we asked Gabe what he wanted. All he said was a drum. Brad and I looked at each other...a drum? Seemed random, so we blew it off. Christmas Eve we asked again (don't ask me why) and the same response "a drum". Shoot!...he really wanted a drum?! Santa had to hurry and make a pit stop at Toys R Us on Christmas Eve.

As you can see...it was worth it!

Perhaps we have a drummer on our hands?

The aftermath

But wait...there's More. We waited until the end, blind folded Gabe and lead him into the other family room. Santa had left one more surprise in the laundry room. Now we just need it to warm up so we can really have some fun with this toy.

Of all his gifts he has had the most fun it seems with his little dinosaur that he takes everywhere, his play doh and accessories, doodling with his markers and glitter pens and he has spent hours and hours painting on his easel. I think we may have a little artist on our hands.

Even with all the madness of the holidays and having a sick little guy about the house I have still been cooking and baking up a storm. I am excited to share some of the recipes. Will do that tomorrow.

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies

2010-12-13T09:23:00.009-07:00

The other day Gabe and I had some fun time in the kitchen making cookies. Gabe LOVED USING the cookie cutters and the whole time we were making these he kept saying "This is so much fun to make cookies, thank you for letting me make cookies with you mama" He was on cloud nine.

I liked how this recipe differed from the traditional gingerbread cookie recipe with the addition of the butterscotch pudding. They were moist and chewy and just plain ol delicious. Next I think we will have to make and decorate sugar cookies. I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that my little guy loves to cook and bake with me. Who needs a girl?! =)

I actually halved the recipe with no problems at all.

Rolling the cookie dough

I don't even want to admit how much of the dough Gabe ate...all before lunch!

Getting messy in the kitchen with Mummy ROCKS!

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies

My Taste of Home website
http://www.tasteofhome.com

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages (3-1/2 ounces each) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Combine the flour, pudding mixes, ginger, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Decorate as desired. Yield: about 2 dozen.

Some more Christmas card ideas and a sneak peak

2010-12-12T16:08:00.019-07:00

Here is your sneak peak Ruschell. Hope you like them. I had a blast "practicing" on your gorgeous kids! I had a hard time picking just a few...

The McBride Family- Some of my favorites...

2010-12-08T08:16:00.014-07:00

I had so much fun taking these pictures...we...at least I, was laughing the whole time. This is one awesome family.

Fun with photography

2010-12-07T14:14:00.011-07:00

I recently finished taking a little photography class at the local high school. It was a blast. I made some neat friends and learned lots of neat things about photography and my camera. I have always had an interest in photography but it wasn't until Brad bought me a nice camera that my interest really peaked.

My neighbor Tara was kind enough to let me practice taking some family pics of her family this past week. Though the day we shot these it was cold and CARAZY foggy, we had lots of fun and got some really cute shots.

I love these kids! In a big way they are my Gabe's adopted siblings. They are kind, sweet, respectful and so well behaved. If I can do half a good a job as my friends Dustin and Tara with my own kids, I'll be pleased.

I have also been having (too) much fun making these Christmas cards. I could do it ALL day long. Hope you enjoy!

30 minute rolls

2010-11-30T08:57:00.004-07:00

Ok so these weren't my fave. On Sunday night I didn't decide until too late, that some homemade french bread or rolls would be lovely with my homemade stew so I thought in an attempt to still get some fresh homemade bread on the table I'd try these on for size. They were moist and yummy but we found them to be rather dense and my husband and I decided they were almost more buscuit like than roll like.

So the verdict...still love the Buttermilk roll recipe I posted not too long ago, and they would definately be our top pick but at a pinch these are a possible substitute.

30 Minute Rolls

1 1/8 cups plus 2 tsp. warm water
1/3 cup oil
2 Tb yeast
1/4 cup sugar or honey
½ tsp. Salt
1 egg
3 ½ cups flour

Mix 1st 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs - gradually add flour. Shape into dinner rolls, or use in your favorite recipe that calls for dough. After shaped, let rest for 10 minutes. For rolls, melt a little butter and brush the tops of the rolls and bake 10 minutes @400 degrees till golden brown.

Birthday

2010-11-27T14:54:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 29th birthday. I wasn't much in the mood for celebrating this year but my sweet husband did a wonderful job of trying to lift my spirits and make my day special. Gabe was especially cute also and kept telling me all day that he would buy me some ice cream and some tractors for my birthday if I wanted him too. As is the case on any other day, being with Gabe was the greatest gift of all. On the other hand Brad did an awesome job of spoiling me and showering me with nice things. Oh how I love my sweet Brad!

It's hard to believe that next year I will be 30. This next year, among other things I'm going to work on being ok with the fact that I will no longer be in my 20's anymore. ***sigh*** One year older and uglier.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

2010-11-24T13:59:00.007-07:00

I think the name and the pictures speak for themselves on this one.

Ever been in a room listening to a beautiful live musical performance piece and when the performer gets done no one dares even a whisper because they don't want to disturb or diflect from the feeling of awe and wonder. Meet...

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
Melskitchencafe.blogspot.com

Serious? Oh yes I am...No you're not dreaming...come on...a little closer

A little closer now

Drooling yet? You should be! Try and only eat one serving. I double dare you!

Base:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup caramel sauce (homemade recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.

Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cups half-and-half or cream
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Pasta

2010-11-15T12:41:00.004-07:00

You know how when were a kid you hated some vegies, but now that you are an adult you are finding that some of those rotten old vegies are actually pretty tasty? Meet Cauliflower. If you had of tried to feed this to me before the age of...probably 25 I would have said..."um thanks...but no thanks". I used to be the same way about broccoli, but then...I discovered a wonderful thing called cheese sauce. Slowly but surely as long as it was covered with cheese sauce I would eat my broccoli and my cauliflower. This past September I went to a new restaurant called Zupas and had THE best cauliflower soup. That soup has sparked in me a desire to get to know cauliflower a little better.

This pasta was AWESOME! I loved this new take on your typical pasta covered in some kind of sauce. It was full of flavor and simply...well awesome. I did however add some seasoned grilled chicken to mine to make it more kid and husband friendly. I have been wanting it ever since the day I made it a few weeks ago. This will certainly be on our table again soon! YUMMO!

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Pasta
www.melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

2 heads garlic, papery skins removed, top quarter of heads cut off (on the pointy side of the garlic) and discarded
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 pound short pasta (such as fusilli, rotini or campanelle)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 – 3 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I'm not a fan of walnuts but I LOVE cashews so I substituted cashews here.)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, place a large rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut one 12-inch sheet of foil and spread it flat on the counter. Place the garlic heads, cut-side up, in the center of the foil. Drizzle ½ teaspoon olive oil over each head and fold up the sides of the foil to seal well. Place the foil packet directly on the oven rack (not on the preheating baking sheet) and roast until the garlic is very tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil packet from the oven, open the foil and set it aside to cool.

While the garlic is roasting, trim the outer leaves of the cauliflower and cut the stem flush with the bottom. Cut the head from pole to pole into 8 equal wedges and then cut the cauliflower into large bite-sized pieces. Place the cauliflower in a large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, salt, pepper, and sugar.

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Carefully transfer the cauliflower to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the cauliflower is well browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes

While the cauliflower roasts, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook until al dente. Squeeze the cooled, roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the garlic to a smooth paste, then stir in red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup oil.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water, and return the pasta to the pot. Add the chopped cauliflower to the pasta; stir in the garlic sauce, ¼ cup cooking water, parsley, and ½ cup cheese. Adjust the consistency of the pasta with additional cooking water and season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkling with remaining ½ cup cheese and toasted nuts.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated

Pretty Darn Incredible

2010-11-10T13:11:00.005-07:00

Today is my most favorite day of the year. Not Christmas, Thanksgiving, my birthday, a wedding anniversary or any of those...just today...November 10th.

On this day, three years ago, the stork literally showed up and dropped off our sweet angel Gabriel. Though we look nothing alike physcially, I seldom even think about the fact that we adopted Gabe. He is ours. He always has been and was always supposed to be our little boy. It is however, fun on this day to reflect back on the events of our first November 10th together and all that has since transpired. We always make it a point to celebrate this day by doing something special. Tonight we are going to take Gabe to his most favorite restaurant for dinner- Costa Vida and then go-carting at Boondocks.

Gabe is his daddy to a tee in a little tan body with awesome curly and crazy dark hair. But most importantly, he is the sweetest, smartest, spunkiest and most beautiful little boy in the world. Brad and I love this little guy more than we could ever express in words. I feel lucky every day (even if he is being rotten) that I get to be his Mummy. He thinks far beyond himself and his little 3 years and makes me laugh all day long with his crazy made up stories and the cute things he says. Just yesterday we were leaving the gym and he said:

Gabe- "Mamma I am so proud of you"
Me- "Oh Gabe, that is a nice thing to say...why are you proud of me?"
Gabe- "Because you workout at the gym so you can be healthy and strong"

I love that he wakes me up every morning by lying on-top of me, kissing me and rubbing my face. I love that he tells me that he will help Daddy protect me from the bad guys. I love how thoughtful he is and how he seems concerned about everyone in his life. I love how when he knows I'm sad he sits on my knee, gets right in my face less than an inch from me and says..."Mamma I'll draw you a pitchka" and then he hugs and kisses me till I promise him I'm ok.

Our Gabe is pretty darn incredible alright!

Look out bad guys...see how mean I am?!

Gabe was the brunette version of Dash from the Incredibles this year. This was his choice. I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said Dash. That was that. It is fun to have him put the costume on and then hear him say "Want to watch me run Mamma?" Then he proceeds to run around the room and of course I gush and tell him he can run faster than anyone I've ever seen.

We love you Gabe....everyone who knows you loves you!!

Tribute to the Triplets

2010-11-08T21:20:00.004-07:00

Last Monday was a crazy day. From the second I woke up, I was flat out working on making 3 baby blankets and 6 personalized onsies for my sweet friend Erin's baby shower I was to attend later that evening. I had so much fun planning their gifts and making them, knowing that those handsome little boys would be warm and snugly in my blankets and styling in their onsies made me so happy.

After years of trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant, months trying fertility drugs and a number of failed attempts with artificial insemination my friend was FINALLY Pregnant thanks to IVF with identical triplet boys due some time late December early January. These boys were the answer to many many prayers and all who know and love Erin and Wade were thrilled for them.

The baby shower was lovely. Lovely home, cute decorations, delicious food, lots of friends and lots of gifts. I was excited and proud to present my gifts to Erin.

This afternoon, however, I received word that Erin had lost her sweet boys. They came too soon and left too quickly. They were here but a moment but will be loved forever. My heart is full of sadness for my sweet friend and her family. As is always the case, it doesn't seem fair, it isn't fair and it happens to the neatest people who have already endured so much. Though my anguish feels at the forefront, I know that Erin and her husband will see and raise those baby boys someday. Until then, they have three very special little guardian angels watching over them and waiting for the day when they will be reunited. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of eternal families and so grateful for the comforter who guides us through these difficult times.

Peach Crumble Pie

2010-11-08T07:40:00.011-07:00

This past Saturday night our ward had their annual pie night. We didn't go this year because Brad was literally knee deep in dirt in our laundry room working on putting in a new laundry room floor. On Halloween Eve after working a 10 hour day I came home to this...uh oh!

YUP!...that is the outside view of my laundry room which has been completed gutted and we are in the process of re-building. YIKES!

Notice how dark it is and we STILL don't have a wall in...I was getting nervous

Thankfully our awesome neighbor Shane came over later that night to help Brad get the new wall put in.

Brad working on the floor...We still have a ways to go but thankfully I now have a make-shift plywood floor and can use my washer and dryer. I hate it while it's being done, but can't wait to see the finished result. It will be so nice! I am also extremely grateful to have such a hard working and talented husband who can and is willing to do all the work on our little old house. With Brad there is no such thing as my leg hurts, I'm tired, it's too hot, cold or wet, it's too heavy etc. He is a mans man and I am so grateful. No wimps in this house!

Back to the pie...Brad loves pie. We really could care less that we missed out on socialising with people in our ward, but Brad did miss the pie. On Sunday he turned to me with puppy dog eyes and said..."I want pie." So once we were home from church, everyone was fed lunch and Gabe was down for a nap...I got busy. With not much pie making fruit in the house, I decided to use the last two quarts of peaches I canned this summer (sniff sniff). The result...Nat's Peach Crumble Pie= one happy Nat AND one very happy and satisfied husband. Love you babe!!

I made two pies so if you are wanting to make just one you will need to half the amounts of crumb topping and peach filling. But since you are going to the effort of making one...go on and make another and take it to a friend or neighbor!

Peach Crumble Pie

Easy Pat-in-the-Pan Pie Dough
America's Test Kitchen
Makes one 9-inch pie shell

1 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
1/4 t salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
2 oz. cream cheese, softened but still cool

Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with vegetable oil spray.
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture and beat on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and increase speed to medium-high until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 T of the dough and set aside.

Turn remaining dough out onto a lightly floured counter, gather into a ball, and flatten into a 6-inch disk. Transfer to pie plate and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the plate towards the sides, using the heel of your hand. With fingertips, work dough up the sides until evenly distributed.

Roll reserved 3 tablespoons into ropes, press onto edges of crust and form a fluted edge. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. (I put mine in the freezer for 30 minutes)

Peach Filling

6 cups of roughly chopped canned peaches (reserve about 1/3 cup of the juice)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup of the reserved peach juice depending on how juicy your peaches are
4 tbls spoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps vanilla extract

Combine all ingrediants in a bowl and once combined pour into the prepared pie dish.

Crumb Topping
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
8 tsp cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into chunks
1 large egg

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment stir together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the butter chunks and beat until the mixture is very crumbly and the butter is cut in. You can do all this by hand if you prefer using your fingertips or a pastry blender to run the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly with the largest chunks about pea-sized. Add the egg on low speed (or use a fork) until the mixture is crumbly and combined and when squeezed just holds together.

Using your hands sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the pie mix squeezing some of the mixture to make larger crumbs.

Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until the pie is starting to look golden on top. ENJOY!

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-11-06T05:00:00.002-06:00

I love love love Italian Food. Maybe it's the small amount of Italian blood in my veins...maybe not. However, it is my fave by a mile. My favorite Italian restaurant is Biaggis at the Gateway. Oh how I love that place. I love lasagna too but my version, though worth it, is time consuming. So when I saw them making this quick, easy and healthy version on Oprah I was SO in.

This was fast and easy to throw together and very tasty. If I get a hankering for lasagna again and don't have the time and or energy as I've felt lately this will likely be my go to recipe. I was also interested to learn that funny man Jerry Seinfeld had a wife who had a recipe book out. Never knew that.

I love how this recipe sneaks in a substantial amount of spinach that is virtually undetectable. My husband is not a fan of spinach and I was a little worried that my son might spot it and be scared off, but they both enjoyed this recipe and nobody complained about the "green stuff" in it! AWESOME!!

My picture isn't too lovely but trust me don't let that put you off!

Crockpot Lasagna
Jessica Seinfeld

Servings: Serves 6-8 (generous portions)

Ingredients
3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic , finely chopped
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)
5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

2010-11-05T11:37:00.004-06:00

When I was planning my fortnightly menu earlier this week I went to the Better Homes and Gardens website for a little inspiration. This recipe sounded good to me from the get go. Hot creamy rice with chicken and vegies?! I mean c'mon...you can't go wrong.

We all LOVED this. Even my sick and fussy lately three year old loved it and gobbled it up. If he loves something as soon as he puts it in his mouth he will rub his tummy, say "mmmmm" and then proceed to tell me it is yummy in his tummy. The second night when we ate the left overs for dinner he said "This is really good mama." I was happy!

I did make some small modifications to it (see below) based on what I had in my pantry but I have no cause for complaint. The texture and this may be because I didn't use the wild rice was allot like a risotto. Again...I'm not complaining. =)

I couldn't seem to get a "pretty" picture of this dish and frankly I was so excited to dig in, I didn't even care. This will definitely make an appearance on our dinner table again. I'm craving it now!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Better Homes and Gardens
Ingredients

1 6-ounce package long grain and wild rice mix (I used plain rice because I had it on hand)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
1 10.5- or 10.75-ounce can condensed chicken with white and wild rice soup or cream of chicken soup (I used Cream of chicken)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (I used chicken broth)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed (I used dry)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey (I used a left over rotisserie chicken I had in the fridge)
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Prepare rice mix according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook onion and celery in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream, wine, and basil. Stir in cooked rice and chicken.

3. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 35 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4 servings.

and I don't even LIKE peanut butter!

2010-11-04T07:48:00.002-06:00

Ok call me crazy but I am not a fan of peanut butter. I don't like Reeses Peanut butter cups, Butterfingers, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter bars or peanut butter on celery. Nope just not a fan. However, after making and consuming far too many of these little dears I can now say that I really do enjoy a GOOD peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. I was surprised myself, but hey, pleasantly so.

One thing I did add to this recipe, was add a handful of butterscotch chips in with my chocolate chips. I did this for no other reason than I had a handful left in a bag I was trying to use up. I was really surprised at how great the butterscotch flavor blended with the peanut butter flavor. It seems like an unlikely combo but the next time I make these I think I will do half and half...I liked it that much.

My little guy doesn't have the biggest sweet tooth. He doesn't usually ask for candy, he will leave most desserts, rarely finishes a dum dum and he isn't even a big fan of fruit snacks but he does love his cookies. I was recently at the store with him and he saw some cookies and started asking for them. Aside from the fact that I thought the price was a little steep for something I could make myself and I knew that they would likely be loaded with all sorts of preservatives etc we opted for a bag of chocolate chips instead and went home to have some fun together in the kitchen. The results were one happy toddler, a happy mummy and some happy neighbor kids. Anytime we make a treat Gabe is always sure to set some aside for the cute neighbor kids one house over and especially his girlfriend Emma.

Mel suggests popping baked and cooled cookies into the freezer (in a large Tupperware or freezer-safe Ziploc bag). I had never done this before but thought I'd try in case my little guy needed a cookie fix and I didn't have time to make some. I was pleasantly surprised that they were just as awesome pulled out of the freezer and left to thaw as the day I pulled them out of the oven. I'll be doing this allot more in the future.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
www.melskitchencafe.com

*Makes about 4-5 dozen

1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups smooth or chunky peanut butter
1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips (or a combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips or whatever tickles your fancy)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the butter and peanut butter and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy (you can do this with a hand mixer or with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Add the brown and white sugars and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and light in color. Add the milk and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just briefly. While there are still large spots of flour, add the chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips or both) and mix until the flour is completely mixed in and the mixture is well combined. Let the cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheets. It will firm up as it sits.

When ready to bake, scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about 1 to 2 inches in between the cookies to allow for spreading as they bake. Bake for 10-11 minutes, taking care not to over bake in the slightest! Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes after baking before removing them to a cooling rack. This will help them set up and be firm enough to transfer without having them over bake in the oven. The cookies may look slightly under baked but they will firm up as they cool. Resist the urge to eat them warm as they taste much better cooled.

Peach Cinnamon Vanilla Crumb Bars

2010-11-03T08:16:00.010-06:00

I know I've said it before but I love peach desserts and treats. I also love anything with a graham cracker crust or a crumb topping of some kind. There is just something about the oh so naughty butter, sugar, flour combination that gets me every time. When Holly over at phemomenon.blogspot.com posted this recipe, peaches were right in season and thanks to my in-laws peach tree I had an abudance of them in my home. I was so excited to try this recipe for two reasons. 1.- It had my favorite crumb and peach elements and 2.- Holly NEVER disapoints! =)

These were fantastic. Sadly I didn't get a picture of them because I had made them to take away on a family vacation with us. Last month we were lucky enough to spend a blissful week up in Park City at the Westgate resort with my Dad, his wife and the extended family. The Westgate Resort is one of my favorite places on earth and when I am there, I am in heaven. We ate, we swam, we shopped, we played, we visited and I enjoyed LONG LONG LONG european steam showers (twice a day). MMMMMMMMMM. Needless to say whilst there I wasn't so concerned with taking a picture of what I was eating as I was just getting down to business and eating it. So I pinched this picture from Holly's fabulous and famous food blog. Go check it out!!

This recipe was my first introduction to the cinnamon, vanilla, peach combination. All I can say is it is a match truly made in heaven!

Peach Cinnamon Vanilla Crumb Bars
phemomenon.blogspot.com

For the peach vanilla cinnamon filling:6 cups peeled, chopped fresh peaches (about 7 peaches)
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)

For the crust and crumbs:4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons or 1 1/4 cups) cold, unsalted butter cut into chunks
1 large egg

Make the peach filling first: In a large pan, stir together the chopped peaches, sugar, the vanilla bean seeds and the split bean pod, and the cinnamon. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer about 30 minutes until the juices have mostly thickened. You can stop at this point with a little juice, or if you like a thicker filling, stir in the cornstarch and simmer for 2 minutes more until the peach filling is thick. Remove the filling from the heat and allow to cool to about room temperature.

(Note: This peach filling is also wonderful in crepes or on pancakes or waffles.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with a piece of parchment so that the parchment makes a sling in the pan with the edges hanging up and out the long sides of the pan. Crease the parchment into the bottom corner of the pan to help keep it in place. Spray the parchment lightly to make sure everything is well greased. Set the pan aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment stir together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the butter chunks and beat until the mixture is very crumbly and the butter is cut in. You can do all this by hand if you prefer using your fingertips or a pastry blender to run the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly with the largest chunks about pea-sized. Add the egg on low speed (or use a fork) until the mixture is crumbly and combined and when squeezed just holds together.

Press about half of the dough mixture into the bottom of the greased pan evenly and pressing into the corners and edges (do not go up the sides of the pan).

Spread the mostly cooled peach filling evenly over the crust in the pan. Squeeze the remaining crumbs in the bowl lightly to just make bigger crumbs and chunks and scatter that crust over the peach filling.

Bake the bars for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment sling to remove the entire bar from the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares or rectangles (makes about 24 to 30 bars depending on how big or small you cut them).

Apple Brownies

2010-11-02T08:09:00.005-06:00

I was watching one of my favorite shows on Create the other day- The Katie Brown Workshop and she made these brownies. Just the name alone had me interested. When I hear brownies, I automatically think of cocoa and chocolate. I served these with a little whipped cream and they were delicious. Even my husband who is not a fan of apple anything deserts enjoyed these.

Apple Brownies

Katie Brown
Makes one 13" x 9" pan

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups diced apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add oil and vanilla; mix well. Sift dry ingredients and mix into the wet mixture. Stir in apples.
3. Coat pans with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

2010-11-01T05:43:00.004-06:00

I don't like salad but I do LOVE homemade ranch. I'll admit it. The only time I am really down for eating a salad is if I have some homemade ranch on hand. I know it's bad and I know it's weird especially to most Americans, but Australians don't eat salad like the Americans do. When I first came to the states it absolutely blew my mind that people of all ages including little kids liked and ate salad on a regular basis. At restaurants in Australia you don't get a salad with your meal...that is something you would have to request all on your own. So when I first moved here I thought it so strange that everywhere you went it was a given, the norm, that they would try (in my case) and feed you salad.

I got this recipe from my sister in law Liz and it is wonderful on salads and also used as a dipping sauce for whatever your heart may desire. =)

Homemade Ranch Dressing
Liz Bentley

Between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
2 cups of mayonaise
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese softened
1 tsp of accent (found in most grocery stores in the spice section by the salt)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic salt

Place all the ingrediants in a blender and mix until smooth. You can also place all the ingrediants in a bowl and use a handheld mixer if you don't have a blender. This will make a whole blender full. The dressing should stay good for about as long as the buttermilk is good.

Enjoy!

Chicken Velvet Soup

2010-10-31T17:29:00.005-06:00

I love love love this soup. It is rich, creamy and oh so fast and easy to throw together. With the colder weather upon us, I am starting to want soups more and more. I love having homemade soup for dinner on a cold day. I first had this soup at my sister in law's mothers house a couple of years ago and I have been addicted ever since. In fact when I think back over time about those "favorite" meals I recall having which just tasted so good. This soup is one of them. It was chicken velvet soup in bread bowls served with a side of garden fresh salad and homemade ranch. When I make this, I serve it the exact same way.

This recipe isn't heavy on seasonings, so sometimes if I'm in the mood to kick it up a little I'll add some seasoning to the chicken when I cook it. I've used everything from my favorite dry and fresh herbs to some Mrs. Dash. For a little more I have also added cheese and cooked broccoli. This is a great base soup and you can really add what you like to suit your own tastes and cravings.

Chicken Velvet Soup
From the kitchen of Mrs. Treu
Serves 4

6 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. light cream (I will also use half and half depending on what I have on hand)
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter. Blend in flour. Add milk, cream and broth. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce heat. Stir in chicken and dash of pepper. Heat again just to boiling. Serve hot.

BEST Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-29T05:00:00.001-06:00

I enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie but I'd have to say that I am certainly partial to any cookie that has oats in it. I love the added texture and the nutty flavor the oats bring to the mix. This recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is wonderful and lived up to every expectation I had. Sadly I didn't have a chance to take a pic of my own cookies so I have stolen the one from Mels (melskitchencafe.com) blog which is where I found this gem of a recipe. I loved these and think I have certainly found my go to Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. One thing I particularly loved about this recipe other than the fact that it was easy to throw together is that the cookies had some height to them. I'm not a fan at all of a flat cookie. I like a little something in the middle, a mound, a lump, a hump...something. Just not flat. I have to have something to sink my teeth into. Thanks again Mel!

Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
melskitchencafe.com

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 3/4 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add Baking soda, powder, and salt and mix. Add flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Peaches and Cream Trifle

2010-10-27T05:00:00.002-06:00

My sister in law Liz celebrates her birthday in September. This year I told her I wanted to make her a special cake or dessert for her birthday when we got together for our monthly family dinner with the in-laws. I asked her what she wanted and she said either a fruity cake or something with chocolate or caramel. With such a broad range to work with my mind quickly got working on the perfect birthday treat for my beautiful sister. I had recently acquired some gorgeous flavorful peaches from my in-laws peach tree and so knew that they would be the perfect star for my creation. I love love love peaches and more than loving peaches, I love fresh off the tree peaches. I had a blast with this and the results were...even if I say so myself...FREAKING AWESOME!

Peaches and Cream Trifle
By Nat

For the cake:
Martha Stewart Classic Pound Cake
www.marthastewart.com

1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 large, room-temperature eggs

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.
2.Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
3.Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
4.Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

For the first Peach Layer:
Approx 12 peaches peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup of sugar- more or less depending on the sweetness of your peaches
1 tbl spoon lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Place all of the ingredients except the vanilla in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Recuce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Off heat add the vanilla and stir. Set aside.

(NOTE) If this mixture seems overly liquidy (it should have some substance/body to it) you can thicken it with a little cornstarch and water paste.

For the second peach layer
Approx 6 peaches peeled and cut into moons for layering and garnish

For the Custard Layer:
1 cup of full fat milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla essence
4 egg yolks
1 tbl spoon of cornflour
1/3 cup of white sugar

1. Combine milk and cream in a saucepan. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add bean and seeds to the milk mixture, Place over medium heat. Cook, stiring constantly, for 5 or so minutes or until hot. (Do not allow the mixture to boil). Remove from heat.

2. Whisk egg yolks, corn flour and sugar in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Remove vanilla beans from milk mixture. Pour hot milk mixture over egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

3. Return mixture back to saucepan over low heat. Cook stiring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon. Be sure not to let the custard boil.

For the cream layer:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
3 tbls spoons of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
8 ounces of cream cheese softened

Using a hand mixer combine cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl whip cream and sugar together. Fold cream mixture into cream cheese mixture and set aside.

Now the fun begins. Start by spooning a small amount of the cooked peach mixture into the bottom of your trifle bowl so that when you place the first layer of cake into the trifle bowl it has something moist to sit on. Then slice approx half inch layers of the pound cake and layer them into the trifle bowl trying not to leave any large holes. Once you have your cake layer in place spoon some more of the cooked peach mixture over the cake. Follow with a thin spreading of custard. On top of the custard a thin layer of the cream mixture and then finish the layers with a layer of the freshly sliced peaches. Continue layering in this fashion ending with a topping of fresh peaches.

One of the things I like most about triffles is that they are not an exact science. You have all your various layers and you don't have to be stuffy about how you apply them. Ultimately what you are going for is a moist dessert filled with flavors which compliment each other. So if you like more custard...add more custard. If you like more fruit..add more fruit. Have fun with it!!!

YUMMMO!

Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2010-10-26T07:55:00.001-06:00

Another heavenly combination! This pumpkin chocolate chip bread from Mels Kitchen Cafe- www.melskitchencafe.com (I've said it once and I'll say it again...LOVE her!)is wonderful! I can't get enough of the pumpkin chocolate chip combination. If I see a recipe for it, I have to try it. I made this last week and after Brad, Gabe and I devoured one of the loaves in no time, I knew I had to get rid of the other one...stat!

This bread is moist, full of pumpkin and chocolate chip flavor and just plain ol delicious. Mels note however regarding the bread being even better the next day is very true. So if you can, make it the night before and resist the urge to partake until the next morning.

One thing I did do differently with this recipe which didn't affect the taste at all was add some flax seed. One of my gym instructors has put me onto the stuff and since everything we eat tends to be so over processed and unhealthy I am always looking for easy and non-invasive ways to add a little somethin somethin good to my naughty treats. Maybe it just makes me feel better about eating them. "Hey it's healthy it has flax seed in it" Anyways I bought a bag of the stuff at Sams Club for $10.00 and just add a scoop or two to everything I bake and most things I make.

Flax seed is naturally gluten free, is a great source of fiber, protein and most importantly Omega-3's. I add it to my morning shakes, all of my baked goods, my cereal and even some of my main dinner dishes. Give it a go!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
www.melskitchencafe.com

*Note: This bread tastes best when it has cooled completely for a few hours and tastes even better the next day.
*Makes 2 (9X5-inch loaves) or 3 (8X4-inch loaves)

2 ½ cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans or three 8×4-inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup water until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans.

Bake the bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread freezes beautifully. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

BEST Banana Butterscotch Muffins

2010-10-26T03:00:00.002-06:00

My amazing friend Holly over at Phemomenon (http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/) gave me this recipe a little while back and now whenever I have banana's that are ready to be made into some deliciously naughty treat my mind goes straight to these little wonders. I must admit when she first suggested butterscotch chips I was a little hesitant but I happened to have some that I needed to use and OH BOY it was like the windows of heaven opened up- what a truly wonderful combination!!! A must try!!!

Banana 'Chip' Muffins
Adapted liberally from Nigella Lawson

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (or a combination of all-purpose and wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup chips (butterscotch, chocolate, white chocolate, cinnamon, cappuccino, peanut butter or toffee bits, and/or nuts - or any combination)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line or spray 12 muffin cups with oil. Set aside.

Whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour(s), sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil/egg mixture and stir well till just combined. Add the mashed bananas till just mixed in. Fold in the chips.

Distribute the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups (will be about 2/3 to 3/4 full). Bake the muffins for 22 to 24 minutes or until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container.

Strawberry Cream Cake

2010-10-23T07:14:00.000-06:00

A few months ago now Brad bought me a new America's Test Kitchen cookbook that I had been drooling over for months. When I was skimming through the cake section and saw the recipe for this cake I was so excited to try it. I made this cake for our family dinner to celebrate the August birthday's on Brads side of the family...it was the perfect excuse!

This cake was a little tricky in terms of cutting the not so high cakes into three slim layers but the end results were SO worth it...even if it did look a little like the leaning tower of Pisa. The colors were gorgeous and it was quite impressive to look at and boy did it taste good. Best strawberry cake I have ever tasted hands down! Both my little sister in law's Shelbi and Savannah have already requested it for their next birthdays. Enjoy!!

A labor of love well worth the time and effort. I love planning and making special deserts for those I love, infact there are many nights where I am kept awake planning my next meal, treat, dinner party etc.

Please excuse the not so great pics. I was so worried about getting this baby safely to my in-laws that I forgot my camera to take a pic of the sliced cake. You will just have to trust me on this one.

Strawberry Cream Cake
Americas Test Kitchen
Serves 8-10

Cake:1 1/4 cups cake flour plus extra for the pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 cup white sugar
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 tbl spoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
2 tbl spoons of water
2 tsps vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling:2 pounds of fresh strawberries- washed dried and stemmed
4-6 tbls spoons of sugar
2 tbls spoons of kirsch ( I omitted this- I still don't even know what it is)
pinch of salt

Whipped Cream:8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp table salt
2 cups heavy cream

1. For the cake: Adjust an oven rake to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch wide by 2 inch high round cake pan or a 9 inch spring form pan and line it with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and all but 3 tbls spoons of sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3yolks (reserving the whites), the butter, water and vanilla. Whist until smooth.

2. In the clean bowl of a standard mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the machine running, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form (60 to 90 seconds). Stir one third of the whites into the batter to lighten; add the remaining whites and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Lightly tap the pan against the countertop two or three times to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes rotating the pan half way through the baking time. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and peel of the parchment paper. Invert the cake again and cool completely on the rack for 2 hours.

3. For the Strawberry Filling:
Halve 24 of the best looking berries and reserve. Quarter the remaining berries and toss with 4 to 6 tbls spoons of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries)in a medium bowl and let sit for 1 hour stiring occasionally. Strain the juices from the berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup of juice). In a food processor, give the macerated berries 5 pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the reserved juices and kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tbl spoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the reduced syrup over the processed macerated berries, add the salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until the cake has cooled.

4. For the whipped cream:
When the cake has cooled, place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt in the clean bowl of a standar mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 o 2 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add the heavy cream in a slow steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

5. To assemble the cake:
Line the edges of a cake platter with stips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean. Use a serated knife to cut the cake into 3 even layers. Place the bottom layer on a platter and arrange a ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stems ends facing out, around the perimeter of the cake layer. Pour one half of the pured berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in the center, then spread to cover any of the exposed cake. Gently spread about one third of the whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over the berry layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border from the edge. Place the middle cake layer on top and press down gently. Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, the remaining berry mixture, and half of the remaning whipped cream; gently press the last cake layer on top. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top; decorate with the remaining cut strawberries. Remove the parchment paper from the platter and serve.

Little Imagination

2010-09-16T13:14:00.007-06:00

I just love this little guy. He is SO smart and his little imagination keeps me laughing all day long. He loves to build and fix things and is the happiest kid in the world if he is using tools of some sort. He is a little clone of his Daddy- which I love!

This morning (because Brad has been in Texas all week) Gabe and I mowed the lawn. Note- This is the first time in our 7+ years marriage I have mowed Brad's precious lawn. Hence, I am not too savy with our lawn mower. In fact I had some trouble getting it started and my 3 year old was the one who was instructing me. He also knew where the gas can was when we ran out...I didn't!

While I was sweeping he turned to me and said as he does all throughout the day at random times:

Gabe- "...so how's your day?"
Me- "Good, it's pretty warm out here huh? We are working really hard, How's your day going so far?"
Gabe- "Good (***big sigh***) we are working really hard huh Mummy? You are doing a good job to mow the lawn"
Me- "Thanks son" =)

A couple of weeks ago Gabe was "fixing the flat tire on his Mater" I got some cute pics of him "working" I love how he comes up with this stuff all on his own. Pretty clever "Jack" huh?!

My little guy

He cracks me up. This is the BEST job in the world!

Faces of Gabe

2010-09-02T12:46:00.005-06:00

I love this little boy more than words could ever express. Right before I quit working full time just recently I had a couple of people try and tell me that I would likely have a hard time adjusting to being a stay at home mum because no one would be telling me how great I was all day and that I would likely feel unappreciated. Those individuals couldn't have been more wrong. Now what I wake up to in the morning and NOT at 5:00 am anymore is my little guy crawling into bed with me and a sweet kiss. All day I get to hear "I love you so much", "thank you mum", "please", "you're welcome mum", "Mmmmm nummy in my tummy", "that smells yummy mum", "you look cute today mum", "you want to cuddle and kiss with me mum?", "want to play with me mum?" etc etc. Of course there are the spills, the odd crying fit, wiping of boogers and tears, cleaning up of messes, unblocking of toilets (that was interesting!), sweeping of floors (10+ times a day) etc etc, but the truth is I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm exactly where I should be doing exactly what I want to be doing. I feel extraordinarily grateful to my wonderful husband for working so hard so that as he puts it I can "stay home and play." I feel like the luckiest girl in the world and sometimes I feel myself wanting to laugh out loud because I am so happy. I'd take all that motherhood has to offer and the chance to look at Gabe's sweet little face all day long over a busy, stressful career ANY DAY!

I had lots of fun taking these pics of Gabe recently. He is such a funny kid. He tells me these elaborate funny stories all day long that just crack me up. I am one lucky mummy to be able to have him as my son!

Gabe's Tractor Party

2010-08-28T17:09:00.007-06:00

This year we threw Gabe a little tractor themed birthday party for his little friends on the Saturday after his birthday. Gabe LOVES tractors! We had talked about this party for months and he was very excited. As the kids started to arrive Gabe seemed a little confused. He didn't quite seem to understand that all the fuss was especially for him. Despite the CARAZY wind...all the kids had a blast and it was so much fun to watch them enjoy themselves. They were all excited to play on Gabe's swing set and were quite impressed at my attempt to make a tractor cake. The highlight however, was the tractor rides we gave the kids up and down our street on a REAL tractor.

We love Uncle Pete and Gabe was thrilled when he arrived with his tractor!

Some of the kids playing on the swing set

Left to right- Gracie, Aunty Savannah and Emma

Food time! We had some of Gabe's favorites. Pigs in a blanket (made by Nana Sandy), rice krispie treats (also made by Sandy), watermelon, rasberries, strawberries, and grapes.

Presents!

The cake. I wish I could have done something a little fancier or had it turn out a little bit better but I made this the morning of Gabe's party and didn't have as much time as I'd liked to work on it. The kids liked it though and Gabe thought it was awesome because it was pulling a tractor! Excuse the back of the tires which evidently missed out on being completely frosted. I am no cake conisieur...in fact I had to look up how to spell coniseur. By the time his next b'day comes around I hope to be able to learn how to use fondant to really make a cook cake!

Back view (so embarrased about missing the frosting on the tires!)

Mmmmm cake...they were loving it.

Nash

Joe Joe

Tractor Rides. The birthday boy went first. I couldn't get him to smile, he was being coy because all the kids were gathered around watching him...just like mum and dad our boy is NO show pony.

Addy... Gabe's little friend from nursery. We love Addy! She was soooo excited.

Emma- Gabe's little girlfriend from one house down.

The boys! Left to Right- Brad (super dad), Gabe (so over it, ready for nap II), Joe Joe (smiling big because I told him I'd give him his treat bag in a second), Big Mike and Uncle Pete.

One Lucky and Loved Three Year Old Boy

2010-08-28T16:49:00.011-06:00

This past Wednesday, my baby boy turned the big 3! I can't believe that 3 years have gone by already. This year we kinda went all out and Gabe got very spoiled. His biggest surprise was his play set that Brad spent hours putting together the Monday and Tuesday nights before Gabe's b'day. He would come home from work, eat dinner and then head straight out to his "meetings" or at least that is what I told Gabe. He was really working away quietly in our backyard putting Gabe's big present together. Enjoy the pics...much more birthday stuff to come.

Gabe woke up to this on his b'day morning. Brad was up till almost 1:00 AM putting his surprise together and I didn't get done making his tractor blanket till after midnight. It was a late night and an early morning, but the look on Gabe's face was so worth it...excuse Brads shadow...it was still rather dark as it was QUITE early!

After opening his gifts we blind folded him for his big surprise

He really wasn't too sure about me leading him out to our backyard blind folded.

SURPRISE!

Ta-Da...he wasted no time!

The Birthday Boy!

Head to....

Toe gorgeous...straight up! Love this little guy sooooooo much!

My first Picture Quilt and Liz's Amazing Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

2010-08-23T13:56:00.018-06:00

I recently made this quilt for my mother's birthday. My husband and I actually designed the quilt together and then I chose the fabric and got to work. I had so much fun making this special quilt. My mother in law Sandy and my little sister in law Shelbi helped me tie the quilt. It was lots of fun to spend a Saturday sitting around the quilt tying and taking. After we got done tying the quilt, we hit some fabric stores and oogled over some of the gorgeous fabrics we found. It's funny how giddy a bunch of ladies(who love to sew)can get over fabric when you throw them in a fabric store together. I think we must have said the word "cute" between us over a thousand times! I had a blast!

It's not perfect, but I learnt so much while making this quilt and am so excited to make many more personalized quilts like this one for family and friends.

My brothers

The Boys and their guns!

The Anderson Kids

I don't really know what to say about this roll recipe. The only words that come to mind when I think of them are soft, buttery, delicious and awesome! My sis in law Liz first made these to bring to our family dinner some months ago and I am SO grateful that she was willing to share the recipe with me. I think the pictures speak for themselves. It really doesn't matter what I make for dinner on Sunday, these rolls are always on our dinner table. Give them a try...you will NOT be disappointed...promise! I'm not sure where the original recipe came from so in our family and for the purposes of this blog I'm going to call them Auntie Liz's fantastic buttermilk rolls!

Auntie Liz's Fantastic Buttermilk rolls

1/2 cup milk (I use Vitamin D or full fat milk)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs beaten
3 1/2 cups flour
2/3 tsp salt

Put milk and buttermilk into a glass measuring cup and microwave approximately 35 seconds. Add sugar and yeast to milks and stir until sugar is somewhat dissolved. Put that mixture into bread maker. Then add all other ingredients into bread maker and hit dough cycle.

Once the cycle is done I roll it all out into a circle on a floured surface and cut like a pizza and use triangles to make crescent shaped rolls. I usually get from 16-20 rolls per batch depending on how well the dough rises in the bread maker. I usually add a little bit of flour to the dough when I am rolling it out so that it's not too sticky. If the dough is sticky it doesn't rise as well so don't hesitate to add a bit of flour if you need to. Melt 1/3 of a stick of butter on your pan (I usually stick it in the oven on 375 degrees for a few minutes) and spread butter over pan. Place your rolls onto the pan and cover with a towel. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake 8-11 minutes on 375 degrees. Sometimes I let them rise the 30 minutes and other times I don't. The rolls taste the same either way, but obviously are a little bigger and lighter if you let them rise the 30 minutes. You can shape the rolls however you want.

Here are some more photos for you to drool over.

A Quilt for Kayla

2010-08-02T17:36:00.013-06:00

I'm only very new to making fun things with my sewing machine but all of the little projects I have worked on so far have been very special to me for one reason or another. I recently finished my second (ever) baby blanket/quilt for a very precious baby girl. Six months ago my friends Dusty and Holly (Holly's blog http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/) had their third child, their first baby girl. They named her Kayla. Upon her arrival it was discovered that Kayla was born with Trisomy 21.

Last night we finally had the chance to go and visit Kayla and to giver her the blanket I had made for her. We had so much fun cuddling with this sweet baby girl. She was so cute and had such a calm, pleasant smiley personality. There is nothing like holding a sweet baby in your arms, but there was just something extra special about holding and loving this baby girl. You can almost feel her special little spirit as you hold her and you can't help but feel what a tremendous blessing she is. I wanted to take her home with us and have missed her all day. I can't really describe the feelings I had while I was holding her. Though we were only there to visit for a while, somehow holding her you can feel the enormous responsibility you have to take extra special care of her. You can feel that Heavenly Father has a special love for her and you know that he and many angels are watching over her.

I am SO looking forward to visiting Kayla again this Friday and am thrilled at the idea of eating some of Holly's delicious food. Check out her blog and you can see why. Jealous?...you should be! Holly truly is a phemomenon!

Baby Kayla (I pinched these pictures from Holly's blog)

Kayla's Quilt

MIA

2010-07-19T15:01:00.014-06:00

I have certainly been missing from the blogging world lately, but I promise I haven't been sitting on my butt eating bon bons. I have certainly been MIA. Besides working way too much, I have still been having loads of fun in my little yellow kitchen whilst also developing new talents in our office/sewing room. For Christmas my mother in law gave me a sewing machine and from the minute I started my first project I have been hooked. In many ways, apart from my sanity inducing gym classes, sewing has become my newest therapy. I have been having a blast. Now my biggest challenge is trying to finish one project before starting another. My mind is buzzing with ideas and projects I am looking forward to starting. Look below to see some of my projects I have been working on.

I was thrilled to have a new nephew on the way- his arrival was an awesome excuse to get busy on my sewing machine. Welcome little bebe Carson we love you!

The quilt I made for Carson

Some personalized onsies. I had lots of fun making these.

Our newest family addition- Baby Karson

2010-04-28T15:06:00.005-06:00

This past couple of weeks have been very emotional for our family. After a couple of years of trying to get pregnant, my brother Ben and his wife Merr were FINALLY able to become pregnant. We were all THRILLED to pieces for them and have been anxiously awaiting his arrival since we first heard the news. Sadly baby Karson arrived to soon. My sweet sister in law recently blogged about it on her blog. Ben and Merr's blog.

We love you baby Karson- now and forever. Run "free" little man.

The TRUE meaning of Christmas

2009-12-10T20:41:00.010-07:00

Today I was able to be a part of something truly special. Christmas means different things to different people. As I get older, I find that Christmas means so much more to me than the gifts I hope to open on Christmas morning. While I love to buy gifts for my friends and family and while I love to spoil my son - Christmas to me means so much more these days. In a world where so many people are hurting, I can't help but feel some responsibility to ease that hurt where and when possible. To me Christmas means lifting up others who need a lift, spoiling others who don't have the means to spoil themselves, volunteering my time to help someone in need, a box of food, a box of presents, making sure a child has something to open on Christmas morning, a hug or a kind word and so much more. It isn't about the latest gizmo or gadget I really don't need anyway or about spending more money than I have to satisfy a worldly desire. Toys break, clothes get old and worn, gizmos and gadgets are fun for a minute but the things we do to lift the spirits of another last forever. Today I was a part of something that gave me a glimpse into the later and I couldn't have asked for anything better this Christmas season. As far as I am concerned Christmas has come and gone for me and it was one of the best Christmas's yet.

My favorite radio morning show is 97.1 ZHT. I love to listen to the show every morning from 7:oo am to 10:00 am. I often find myself laughing out loud at my desk while I listen to the DJ's Frankie, DB and Jessica. I am always sad when 10:00 am comes and the show is over. If I could I would listen all day long. Every year at Christmas time the radio station, supported by local businesses has a Secret Santa segment on the show. They encourage people to go to their website and nominate families who could use a little extra help at Christmas time. I had been listening to the morning show Secret Santa segments and found myself wondering if I knew anyone who could benefit from the show's generosity. After little thought it was clear. I had to nominate my friend Scott and his little girl Lucy. I submitted the following story to the radio station two Wednesday's ago and much to my surprise my letter was selected. Below is my submission letter:

I would like to nominate my friend Scott and his daughter two year old daughter Lucy for this years secret santa.

This past May Scott's lovely wife Lariann (26) passed away after an almost three year battle with brain cancer. Larrian's brain tumor was first discovered when she was just shy of 20 weeks pregnant with Scott and Lariann's baby girl, their first child. In fact, Lariann and Scott found out the sex of their baby just prior to Lariann's first major surgery to remove the orange size tumor on her brain.

Throughout her pregnancy Lariann underwent Chemo and radiation and was still able to deliver their healthy miracle baby Lucy.

Lariann was a little person with a big heart and a big personality. Throughout her battle with cancer she remained upbeat. She was still the teasing joker everyone knew her to be.

Lariann was laid to rest on what would have been Scott and Lariann's 6th wedding anniversary. It has been a tough and trying year for Scott and his family and I know that this Christmas will be an especially difficult one with Lariann gone.

Scott was a wonderful husband and is a devoted father to little Lucy. Just prior to Lariann's death Scott and Lariann were able to purchase their first home. Now that Scott is a single parent working to support he and Lucy alone he works both as an EMT and also a fire fighter with our local fire station. Despite his challenges he continues to put others before himself on a daily basis.

Anything you can do to lighten Scott's load, ease his burden, and put a smile back on his face would be much appreciated. Not only would it be a gift to Scott and Lucy to receive a little something this holiday season to make this Christmas a special one but it would also be a dream come true for all who know and love Scott, Lucy and Lariann. Thank you in advance. I love you guys!

A day or so after I submitted my letter I received a call from the radio station telling me that my letter had been selected and they were going to fulfill my Christmas wish to help my friend and his little girl. It was a dream come true. I quickly got to work calling both Scott and Lariann's parents to find out some things that both Scott and Lucy would like to have for Christmas. With the help of both Scott and Lariann's mothers I was able to pass the information onto the radio station. Scotts mum was all set to make sure Scott would be home and by the phone and Lariann's mum was planning on taking pictures when it all went down. Scott has ABSOLUTELY no idea. Then the wait began. It has been the longest week and a half EVER! I've had trouble eating, sleeping and working because I have been so excited.

Today finally arrived and I found myself in studio at 97.1 at 7:45 am this morning. I was thrilled to be able to meet Frankie, DB and Jessica. To hear my segment on the radio go to this link and click on the story for Scott and Lucy- http://www.971zht.com/pages/secretsanta/

Below are some photos from the day. The first one is of me in the studio with the DJ's and then the others are photos that the radio took when they were delivering the presents to Scott and Lucy.

Frankie, Me, DB and Jessica

Little Lucy opening some of her gifts

Scott looking on as Lucy has fun with her gifts

Lariann's passing was and still is extremely sad to me. Like most tragedies her death put things into perspective for me. I can't imagine leaving my Brad alone with Gabe now and Brad having to do everything alone. Though I couldn't change the outcome of Lariann's illness when she passed away I made a silent promise to her that I would do anything I could to help her Scott and her sweet little Lucy until they could be together again. Until now I didn't feel like I had been able to do anything. Words simply can't express how grateful I am to have been a part of making this Christmas a little brighter for Scott and Lucy. I am eternally grateful to everyone who was a part of this and who helped make it happen. This is what Christmas is all about.

Easy French Bread

2009-12-01T04:00:00.001-07:00

I love French bread. I especially love warm, fresh out of the oven, homemade French bread to serve with dinner. A while ago my good friend Amber made me some of this bread and brought it over. She then sent me the recipe and I recently had a chance to try it. It was delicious and the perfect addition to our meal that night.

No Fail French Bread
From Amber

Yeild: 2 large Loaves

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
6 cups flour
1 egg; beaten
sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

In a large bowl combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir in salt, oil and 3 cups of flour. Stir virgorously. Add remaining 3 cups of flour and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes and stir down. Repeat this process 5 times, which will take one hour.

Place dough onto floured board. Knead only enough to coat dough with flour so it can be handled. divide in half. Roll into two rectangles about 9X12 inches long. Roll up from long side. Moisten seam with a small amount of water and pinch to seal. Arrange both loaves lengthwise on a large, well greased cooikie sheet. Place seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30-45 min.

Glaze with beaten egg (brush on gently) and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds ( I didnt have any). Use a very sharp knife to gently make 3 diagonal gashes in top of each loaf.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2009-11-30T04:00:00.002-07:00

Another terrific recipe from My Kitchen Cafe. This was easy to put together and was a fun take on pasta.

Chicken Enchilada PastaMy Kitchen Cafe

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half- I omitted these
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Potty Time

2009-11-29T04:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago now we bought Gabe his first DVD. The name of the DVD is 'Elmo's Potty Time'. It is a cute educational show all about Elmo learning to use the potty and growing up. Since LOVES Elmo and so we thought that this would be a great introduction to potty training.

At first we would let him watch it and then we would casually ask him every day if he wanted to pee or poo on the toilet like Elmo and he would say "No, I no like it". So not wanting to push the issue, we would drop it and ask again the next day. After trying this for a few weeks we decided we may have better luck if we buy him a potty. I have to admit the big toilet is a little scary for a little guy. So we made a big deal about going to the store to buy him his own "special" potty (like Elmo) and we acted excited etc. We continued to ask him if he would like to go poo or pee on his potty to which he continued to reply "No, I no like it". He would pull it out and pull his pants down and sit on it (with his diaper still on) and moan and groan etc but still had no real desire to use it.

Then... a couple of weeks ago I decided to move the potty into Brad's office just off the bathroom to see if that would help. It worked! Turns out our boy doesn't like an audience when he has to use the potty. One night the bath was running and Gabe was getting undressed and I asked him if he wanted to go pee on the potty. So he went in to the office closed the door and emerged a few minutes later excitedly telling me he had peed in the potty like Elmo. I jumped up and down and then I put some of that Halloween candy I've been hiding to good use.

Ever since that night he has gone pee on the potty before bath time. I'm glad I was able to use the Halloween candy for a good purpose. After he uses the potty he gets to choose one piece of candy as a reward. Last night during the same routine, we had more success but this time he went No. 2 all by himself. Again we were very excited.

Practicing using the potty- the sound effects were quite funny

Practicing wiping. He would run and get toilet paper from the bathroom and practice cleaning up.

Pulling your pants up is really quite tricky!

A mention in the Deseret News!

2009-11-25T10:22:00.003-07:00

A friend and gym buddy of mine has what could be considered one of THE coolest jobs in the world (I think). She is the food editor for the Deseret News here in Salt Lake City. I honestly envy this lucky lady. She was recently doing a story on different kinds of sugars used in cooking and baking and was interested in trying golden syrup (a baking ingredient commonly used in New Zealand and my home town of Australia). So one day I took my calorie loaded golden syrup to our gym class to let her have a taste. She then mentioned me in her Deseret News blog. I was completely flattered to know that she would mention me and my little blog. See below for Val's complete blog post.

Thanks Val!!! See you at Body Jam!

http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/36/10007420/Blog-Flavors-Sweet-facts-on-syrup.html

Caramel Cake

2009-11-25T05:00:00.001-07:00

I made this cake recently for my father in law's birthday. While I liked the cake and thought it yielded a nice caramel flavor, my cakes were quite flat and dense, not soft and fluffy as I usually like my cakes. I'm not sure if that is how they are supposed to be or not.

Nevertheless, it was a yummy cake and I enjoyed making it for my father in law's special day. He works extremely hard so that his family can have the things they want. My son adores him and he adores my son. I can't ask for much more than that. Gabe just LOVES when Pappa is off work and they can spend the day together. The two of them spend hours "fixing stuff" and working in the yard together and Gabe always thoroughly enjoys the time he gets to spend with his Papa. Thank you Clark for all that you do!

Caramel Cake
Martha Stewart

Ingredients
Serves 8
Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup Caramel Syrup, plus more for serving
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Caramel Frosting
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, line each with a parchment paper round, and spray again. Set pans aside.
2.Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in syrup.
3.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4.Beat eggs until foamy in another bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir into cake batter until well combined.
5.Divide cake batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until cakes spring back when gently touched in the center, about 25 minutes. If cakes do not spring back, return to oven and continue cooking about 10 minutes more.
6.Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack and remove parchment paper round. Let cakes cool to room temperature before frosting.
7.Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Spread entire cake with frosting; remove parchment paper strips. Serve cake drizzled with any remaining caramel syrup.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces of softened cream cheese
1 package (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Directions
1.In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, salt, and butter. With the mixer on low, slowly add cream; beat until smooth. If frosting seems too thick, stir another tablespoon cream into the mixture.

Scrambled Eggs

2009-11-24T05:00:00.001-07:00

I know I've said it before, but Gabe loves to help me cook in the kitchen. He loves to pull a chair over from the kitchen table and stand right by me as I cook and bake. A couple of weeks ago I was making his breakfast and he insisted on helping me crack the eggs. Of course at first I was hesitant as I don't usually like egg shell in my scrambled eggs but all he has to do is look at me with that cute little face and say "Please mummy" and he wins. He did a good job I thought as I didn't have too much trouble fishing the eggs shells out. He was so proud and it was SO worth it.

Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters

2009-11-23T05:00:00.001-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this dessert. I have always been a fan of Applebee's appetizers and desserts. The first time I had one of their Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters I was hooked. Recently I set out to see if I could find a recipe online that was similar. I found this recipe and tried it and much to my pleasant surprise it tasted exactly the same as the real thing from Applebee’s. I am thrilled to have found this recipe and I'm sure I will make it countless times.

I found that this recipe made about 6 dessert shooters.

Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters

Ingredients

cheesecake filling
12 ounces cream cheese (1 1/2 8-ounce pkgs)
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
canned whipped cream
Directions
1make cheesecake filling by blending cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed, until smooth.
2pour mixture into a large saucepan and cook over med-high heat, stirring often, for 8-10 min or until mixture begins to thinken. mixture should stick to the spoon when its inverted. pour cheesecake filling into a covered container and chill for several hours, until cold.
3to prepare each serving, combine melted butter with graham cracker crumbs. spoon 2 tbsp of graham cracker crumbs into a 6-ounce rock glass,.
4and top with 1/3 cup cheesecake filling. spoon 2 tbsp of strawberries and syrup on top of cheesecake filling, and top off the dessert with whipped cream.

Elmo

2009-11-22T17:58:00.007-07:00

This is a little belated but better late than never has become my motto lately. Gabe LOVES Elmo and so this year when I girl I worked with mentioned she had an Elmo costume I could borrow I jumped at the chance. I thought Gabe would be thrilled!!!

However, this year our two year old decided he didn't want to dress up for Halloween. Any time i got his costume out and put it on him he would say "I no like it" and ask us to take it off. He would look at us as if to say "Why would I wear that?" Though I was disappointed at first, I decided to pick my battles and not stress out about it. We "practiced" wearing Elmo a few time before Halloween but to no avail.

On the day of Brad's work Halloween trick or treating day we walked in the office Brad holding Gabe and myself holding Elmo. It only took a couple of minutes of Gabe watching all the kids dressed up and getting candy for him to work out why Elmo was necessary. He let us put Elmo on, trick or treated for a while and then as soon as he decided he had gathered enough candy he asked us to take it off. We didn't take the camera to Brad's work that day because we didn't think he would wear his costume, but these shots we managed to get at home one day when we were practicing.

Elmo is coming to town in December and I splurged and bought 3rd row center seats for Brad, Gabe and I. I can't wait to take him!!!

Now you see it, now you don't!

Coconut

2009-10-25T11:34:00.005-06:00

I am way behind in blogging about Gabe's birthday which was in August but I figure better late than never. Life is crazy busy and I simply haven't had the time.

Meet the newest member of the Bentley household. This is Gabe's fish - Coconut.

Aunty Shanna started a fun tradition this year. That is, for each cousins second birthday she buys the bithday boy or girl a fish. Gabe was thrilled when he opened his present from Uncle Brian and Aunty Shanna. We were all over at Nana and Pappa's house opening presents and after he opened his fish Brad and I asked him what he wanted to name it. We weren't sure too sure what he was going to say- he is after all 2! After us asking him a couple of times he turned to us and as clear as day said "Coconut". Coconut it is then we said. We all started laughing hysterically at this smart little two year old who named his very own fish Coconut. Hearing Gabe say coconut in his cute little munchkin voice was pricless.

It has now become part of our morning and evening routine to feed Coconut. Gabe gets so excited to feed him/her (lol not sure of the sex- just shows what I know about fish) and it is so cute to watch him do it.

Thank you Aunty Shanna and Uncle Brian...we love you!

Ogden Tree House Museum

2009-10-05T04:00:00.001-06:00

Here are the pics as promised of the Tree House Museum. What a cool place. I can't wait to take Gabe again.

Gabe and cousin Andrew LOVED the trains!

Yeeehaww Cowboy!

Lovin the fish

Our little Fireman

Me and my little man

Fun painting with cousin Andrew

Craft Time

Cousins

Fried Zucchini Coins

2009-10-02T04:00:00.002-06:00

My mother in law has had an abundance of zucchini in her garden this year. Before this year I had never actually tried a zucchini. In keeping with my goal of introducing new foods into my cooking this year, I took a few home and had some fun with them. I made these as a side to serve with dinner when my mother and my brothers came over for dinner back in August to celebrate August birthdays.

These were simple to make and were really delicious. Next time I make these I want to try using panko breadcumbs for a little extra crunch.

Fried Zucchini Coins
By Nat

1 medium to large zucchini
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup of dried breadcrums (fresh won't stick)
1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cut zucchini into slices and set aside.

In one mixing bowl mix 1 cup of breadcumbs (dried and not fresh is best for this recipe)and the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

In a second mixing bowl combine eggs, salt and pepper.

Begin by dipping zucchini into egg mixture and then take it and dip it into the bread crumb mixture.

Fry breaded zucchini in a skillet dotted with butter until golden.

Serve warm- ENJOY!

Like Father Like Son

2009-10-01T14:53:00.002-06:00

Uncle Blaine just sent me this picture via text. It was too cute not to share.

Gabe is so much like is Daddy. Gabe loves to watch and "help" Brad when he is working on cars in our driveway. He loves to hand Brad tools, water bottles and whatever else he needs. He is the cutest little assistant ever!!!!

Spaghetti with Chicken and Zucchini

2009-09-30T04:00:00.001-06:00

The night I made this dish was one of those nights where I didn't feel like making or eating what was on our planned menu. I was inspired yet again by the fresh zucchini I was given by my mother in law. This dish was simple to put together, tasted fresh and was excellent as lunch left overs the next day.

Spaghetti with Chicken and Zucchini
By Nat

1 small zucchini, julienne or cut into ribbons
5 cups of homemade (or your faveorite red pasta sauce)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes to taste

8 oz angel hair pasta cooked al dente

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to instructions.
While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat pan on medium-high flame, add oil when pan is hot. Add garlic and and saute about 1 minute. Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, add tomato sauce, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley and adjust salt and pepper. Stir for another minute. Remove from flame.

Serve sauce mixture over the pasta and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Pork Chops with Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

2009-09-28T04:00:00.003-06:00

A girl I work with recently gave me a new cook book. THANKS TABITHA! It is entitled Family Comfort Favorites by Kim Warren. There are lots of yummy looking recipes inside that I am anxious to try. This Pork Chops with Creamy Scalloped Potatoes diah is the first dish I tried and I loved it. My whole family loved it. It was the perfect sunday meal.

4 to 6 thick cut bone-in pork loin chops (see note below)
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
4 50 6 large Yukon or Russet potatoes cut into 1/4" slices
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (I used chicken-we don't like mushrooms)
1 cup of sour cream
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley

1. Generously season both sides of the pork chops with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then grill, broil or pan fry until nicely browned on both sides and set aside to rest.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and parsley.

3. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Season potatoes with salt and pepper, then carefully cover with 1/4 of the soup mixture.

4. Repeat layering the potatoes, salt and pepper and soup mixture twice more so that you have 3 layers of potatoes. Place browned pork chops on top of the potatoes and cover with the remaining soup mixture and any juices from the resting pork chops.

5. Cover slow cooker/crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

***I used some lean boneless pork chops. Whilst they were fall apart delicious I think that this dish would be best if thick cut bone-in pork loin chops were used. Next time I plan to use thick cut bone-in pork loin chops.***