Christmas details!

Hey there all. Well I wanted to give some better detail about Christmas this year.
I was such a dope and did not bring my camera. We had a pretty low key holiday. My mom made some super awesome fried chicken for our dinner...I had to take a 3 hour nap to recover from. But let me back up a bit. Santa brought many presents this year. Zach got a John Deere bike with a John Deere helmet, knee pads and elbow pads. He got a set of old fashioned tinker toys, a battery operated fishing game(he cheats when playing), a new portable DVD player, a remote controlled construction vehicle, new playdough, tons of clothes, and some other stuff I can't remember. This kid is so spoiled!
He had fun helping me finish cheesecakes, here he is enjoying leftover chocolate:

Santa brought me this new toy:

Well Santa provided most of the monies for it..baking money paid for the rest!
I also got a Le Crueset baking dish and a Pampered Chef Pizza stone...new kitchen toys are always welcomed here.
Gene got a Sears gift card, new PJ's, and a Field and Stream script for the year.
He seemed happy..of course he always saya he does not want anything. Scrooge!
I hope everyone had a great Holiday. I now have to gear up for our New Years party.

Here at last:

Well we survived X-mas..I will post some pics later.
Just to get you in the mood here is my dinner recipe for tonight:

Dinner:
Crockpot Pork with cranberry sauce:
Baked sweet potatoes
herbed noodles

2 lbs boneless pork
1 can cranberry sauce
1/2 can of water
1 package onion soup mix
Use cooking spray to cover in the inside of crock-pot. Place all ingedients in crock, cook on low 6-8 hours.
I can't remember where I got this recipe but I wrote it down sometime ago and have been waiting to use it, since my guys like cranberry stuff.

Edited to Add:
I added a bag of colesalw mix to this since it seemed thin. Cooked for a few more hours, then added a tablespoon of beef stuff from the better then boullion jar, some minced garlic, and pepper. Later took some of the broth out added a few tablespoons of corn starch, added that, let it thicken. Then cooked a bag of the frozen thick egg noodles. Added that, and this dish was divine. I am calling it Sweet and Sour German pork and noodles.

Here and then gone!

Well I know I have been gone for a few weeks..but let me just tell you I have been one busy lady! I have been babysitting like mad and baking and shopping and such. You know the usual X-mas type of stuff that one has to do, before going away for the holiday. We are not going far, just to my mom's house but still.

Zach has been a real butt lately and I have been using the cheap threat of "Santa is not going to bring you presents if you are bad". He just laughs at me and tells me that is not true. He knows us too well...

I am done shopping and baking and I am looking forward to going to my mom's...despite the fact I know it will be loud and dysfunctional...but hey its home. For now I have to pack my clothes and convince Zach to take a much needed bath. Merry Christmas...I can say that instead of Happy Holidays...we actually celebrate Christmas in our home!

Cookie order!

Well I completed my cookie order...with little time to spare. They are to be picked up today at 4:30! And if you are wondering what 20 boxes of cookies look like:

Now on to the cheesecakes..to begin on Monday.
I hosted a small playgroup here today, the kids had a really great time and I made a few new friends. But what I am really excited about...it's babysitting night at the pre-school. So a quick night out for Gene and I, and its very much needed. Toodles

The final strech

Well here I am in the final strech of cookie baking when my dough fails me...my last batch of dough is not rising properly...argggg. Only 6 more dozen to go. I guess I better make another batch, cause this one is bunk!

misinformed

I sit here in a quandry. A conversation with my mother. A phone call to her from a great aunt...an aunt with strong political beliefs. She left this long message on my mom's machine about how Obama is not a citzen, he does not even have a birth certificate. Even my mom was annoyed...and she is a staunch Mccain supporter. How can someone actually believe that they would even let him be president, without evidence of citzenry??? How can she be this misinformed and think that it true?? How many others are there like her?

Camera Batteries replaced!

Whew..been awhile since I uploaded some pics.

Blueberry Jam..its delish and I expect to sell out soon.

carrots fresh picked this morning..brr were my hands cold from picking these.

My baby turns five, taken at my mom's.

Zach's trip to the cereal bar. That bowl contains Reeses puffs, reeses pieces and chocolate milk...ughhh sweet overload.

Maria and her son D at Zach's party. I love yah Maria!


Tye Dyeing at Zach's party..our wash cloths turned out great!

This week's menu

Sunday:
Mini Meatloaves
Mashed potatoes
steamed green beans

Meatloaf:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 package of dried onion soup mix(make sure to mix it up so you get some powder and not just the onions)
1 tsp salt and pepper each
Sauce:
1/2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup ketchup

Combine all meatloaf ingredients, shape into little loaves(about 8 football shaped loaves). Mix sauce ingredients and spoon some over each loaf. Cook at 350 for about 35-45 minuted or until done.


Monday:
Sesame Chicken and Noodles
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp asian garlic-chili sauce(not to be confused with ketchup style chili sauce)
1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breast
cooked udon or spaghetti noodles (enough for four servings)around 12oz dried
3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 jar roasted red peppers

Stir together vinegar, onions, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic-chili sauce. Heat chicken in pan with 1 tsp oil. Add mixture, heat and then set aside. Cook noodles, drain toss with oil, and place in frying pan with chicken mixture. Add drained roasted red peppers and heat. Serve.

Tuesday:
Red Beans and Rice

2 cans kidney beans dark or light undrained
3 tblsp Cumin
2 tblsp minced dried onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tblsp chili powder
2 tblsp hot sauce of your choice to taste
16 oz smoked sausage ring thinly sliced
4 C hot cooked white rice
opt garnishes: minced green pepper, sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese

Directions:
Pour beans into large skillet or pan along with the juices in the can. Add spices, onion, garlic and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 min. Add sausage and cook additional 7-10 min. Serve over hot cooked rice, and garnish as wanted. Leftovers taste even better the next day. If you want a vegitarian meal you can always substitute a vegetable or meat alternative for the sausage.

Wednesday:
Unstuffed Cabbage
rice

1 large head cabbage
1 ginger ale
28 - 32 oz. Heinz ketchup
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 med onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3-4 egg whites
1/4 cup raw rice
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
brown sugar
cider vinegar

Trim and core the cabbage and cut it into one-inch strips. Put the strips into an 8-quart dutch oven or stock pot and add the ginger ale and ketchup. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and let simmer while you prepare the meat.
Put the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Grate the onion over the beef and mix it in with your hands. Manually work in the egg as well, then the rice. Form into 6 - 10 patties no more than 1" thick (they'll plump up as they cook).
After the cabbage has simmered for 15 minutes, stir again and add the meat patties carefully in two layers, being sure that the sauce and cabbage completely surround and cover each patty. I dissolve brown sugar in a little water and add now, then sour vinegar to your taste
Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
Serve over hot white rice in soup plates.

Thursday:
Chili Dogs
raw veggies

Friday:
Out to dinner cause we have babysitting!

Sat:
X-mas party! No cooking!

Cherry Jam

A small hiccup at open gym so we came home early...alas inspiration! I made some yummy dark sweet cherry jam. I stumbled upon some frozen organic ones on sale at Dillon's. I am over whelmed by the demand for jam all of a sudden. I will post some pics later. It's super awesome tasting...mmmm

Grats on Thursday

1. Turkey Bacon umm..yummy
2. Footie pajamas on my son, wicked cute.
3. The frost on my window and the sun that shines through it.
4. Good friends.
5. Soft blankets.
6. VHS tapes, endless building possibilities for the kids.(who knew they were so much fun?)

Bake-off

Well today I started my baking...akk I am panicking, now realizing I need 40 dozen cookies by the 10th and 12 cheesecakes by the 15th. OY VEY..what did I get my self into?? I have been baking all day and almost have all the sugar cookies made, now I have to make shortbread, chocolate chip and then a white chocolate and cranberry cookie. Well off to check the oven. :)

Happiness is a well oiled Monday... kinda

I started watching another little guy today. It's a winter arrangement, I will be underpaid..but it is what it is. I took the kids to open gym and ran into another mom there from the preschool. We had nice conversation, and I like her well. I got squat done in the baking dept, but managed to find a cheaper solution for my box needs for my giant baking order, a huge load off of me. Zach has been fairly horrible lately, talking back, and being fresh in general. I think Santa might just have to leave him a hug lump of coal this year instead of the bike we want to get him. I started laying out the patter for Zach's X-mas present from me..pajamas. Gene is getting socks and a subscription to a hunting magazine, and that aforementioned lump of coal.