Couch Snob

I am such a couch snob...we have sat on, slept on, cuddled on old, nasty hand-me-down couches for the past five-and-a-half years of marriage and now I'm putting my foot down! ;) I feel I've earned my right to be a couch snob! :D
So today I bought our first new couch...and it's not just any couch. A leather reclining sofa. NICE. The last couch (THIS one) we borrowed from Alan 's aunt and uncle for a total of about five months...and in that five months Christian had barfed on it and Miles had pooped on it. Sooooo, to say the least, I'm quite excited for the leather.
It looks kind of like THIS:

I'll used burgundy and other colored pillows, though...not pink and lime green. ;) It will be delivered June 9th...I can't wait. :D I can't stand seeing a blank wall where the couch will go. Whoopie!

Our newest adventure...

SO we've moved to Hershey, PA. So fun. ;) I was dreading the move, to tell you the truth. BUT (and a big butt it is) Pennsylvania is soooo pretty! I loooove green rolling hills and trees and this place is full of just that! I was also dreading the move back into apartments, but these aren't so bad! They're spacious (3 beds/2 full baths) and utilities and Internet are included in the price of rent...and there's a huge play area out front! AND, the biggest bonus, the ladies around here are really coolio. :) I can tell we're going to be good friends.
I happened upon the chocolate factory the other day and took the boys in for a tour. They LOVED it. :D Christian's been asking to go again. ;)
And so our newest adventure begins....

Recipe: Whipped Cream Frosting

So there are a lot of different recipes for whipped cream, but I've used those to make my own. I can't stand frosting, it's normally tooooooo sweet! But I love this frosting because it's light and delicious!
I LOOOOVE to make this with double-layered cakes...with pudding in between the layers! To use pudding, add only half the milk that it calls for.
Try it out!

Whipped Cream Frosting

4 Tbsp flour
1 c milk
1 c shortening
1 c sugar (or less, you can use as little as 1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

Cook milk and flour in small saucepan on low heat until it turns into a thick paste. Stick pan in refrigerator to cool. Beat shortening and sugar about 4 minutes or until it looks like whipped butter. Gradually add flour paste mixture. Continue beating 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat 1 minute more. Will frost two 8 inch cakes or sheet cake.
Yum.

Tip: To get the smooth look with any frosting, get the knife wet. It works! :D

Recipe: Honey Popcorn

My mom used make this yummy popcorn for us for family night (Monday night). We'd beg for it every time because it was our favorite treat!
I made it for girl's night last night and it's still delish. :D
It's good (much better than caramel corn, I think) and super easy!

Honey Popcorn
1 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1/2 c butter

Pop 1 1/2 c popcorn kernels and place in large bowl. (I don't have a popcorn popper so I use two bags of light microwave popcorn.) Make sure no unpopped kernels get inside of bowl.
Place ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat. It will eventually begin to boil...boil to hard ball stage on candy thermometer (260 degrees) or for about 5-6 minutes. Pour over popcorn. Stir until popcorn is well coated (AVOID getting on your skin! It sticks and is very, very hot!). Form into balls or any other shape you want (or leave in the bowl, but it's harder to grab some and you'll end up with a huge mound of rock hard yumminess at the bottom). It will become very hard when cooled. Serve warm (which is my favorite) or cool. ENJOY the yumminess!

Recipe: Spaghetti Carbonara alla Mario

This is one of my favorites! We have a lot of spaghetti noodles (we like to buy a large package of wheat ones from Costco--they're seriously taste so much better than normal ones!) and I love spaghetti and all (especially her easy spaghetti recipe!), but I wanted to try something different. So the other day I did!
This one is from the Food Nanny and let me say this dish is delish! ;)

Spaghetti Carbonara alla Mario

8 oz uncooked spaghetti noodles
2 eggs
8 strips of bacon or 2 slices pancetta (Italian bacon), diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, eat the eggs in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is cooked through but not crisp. Remove it from the pan and drain it on paper towels. Leave bacon fat in pan and add the olive oil. Heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until you smell the aroma. Careful not to burn garlic. Remove from heat. Return bacon to the pan.
4. When spaghetti is cooked, lift it out of the water with tongues and put it in the saucepan with the bacon. Measure 2 cups of pasta water and discard the rest. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot pasta water over the spaghetti and use tongs to turn the spaghetti over several times. Add the beaten egg and continue stirring quickly to cook the egg.
5. When the water is almost evaporated, add the salt, black pepper and cheese. Stir until well-mixed. When the cheese is mostly melted, take the pan off the heat.
6. Divide the carbonara between four plates and serve immediately. Pass the crushed red pepper.
Serve with Italian bread and a green vegetable or salad of your choice....and, of course, ENJOY!

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Scones

I always thought scones must be difficult to make because I'd only seen them sold in pretty glass displays at bread stores...well, they're not only easy, they're delicious when fresh! They're a fun way to change up breakfast or snack.
There are a lot of recipes out there, but this is my favorite way to make them. I made them this morning. Y-U-M. ;) This recipe makes four. ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Scones
2 c unsifted self-rising all-purpose flour
-OR-2 c all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt mixed togehter
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 c vegetable shortening
1/2 c milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheet.
2. In large bowl, combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. In small bowl, combine milk, egg, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients along with chocolate chips and mix with fork until mixture clings together and forms a soft dough.
4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 5 or 6 times. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 7-inch round. Cut into 4 wedges.
5. Place scones, 1 inch apart, on greased baking sheet. Pierce tops with tines of fork.
6. In small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg and 1 Tbsp milk. Brush over scones. Mix 2 Tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over scones.
7. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

HOT TAMALES!

Yesterday I met up with a couple of friends to make tamales. We began at 9 a.m. and when I left at 7:30 p.m. they weren't quite finished! :D It was a looooong grueling process, but fun...although my back hurts like nothing else from it. ;)

This is Lauri (in the apron). I'll just say she's AMAZING in the kitchen. Boss. I worked with her (standing where the chick in black is) extracting juice from New Mexican chilies.

Rebecca and Allison worked the masa...hours of kneading while I poured stuff in. Fun times.

The end process, putting them together. It's the easiest, but takes so loooooooooooooong. I had to leave mine to steam for 1 1/2 hours...I hope I can get them today! :D
We decided to name ourselves the "Hot Tamales" and make our own aprons and everything...and although I won't be here to make them tamales with them again, I'll still be part of the club. ;) And who knows, maybe I'll start my own Hot Tamale club in Pennsylvania! :D

Recipe: Southwest Pasta

I got this recipe from my brotha from a different Motha, Thomas. He got it from a lady while living in Mississippi, so it REALLY comes from the south :D And it's sooooo good and easy.

SOUTHWEST PASTA DISH

2 cans cream of chicken soup (16 oz) (or 1 family size)
1 can Rotel tomatoes (or any brand of diced tomatoes with green chilies)
8 oz cream cheese
1 c chicken broth (optional--I've never used it)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Stir frequently on low heat. When cream cheese is mostly melted it is finished.
Serve with any noodles of your choice--I prefer fettuccine or egg noodles.
Best when served with baked boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Put the chicken in to bake before starting the pasta. When there's 10 minutes until the chicken is done, season each breast with garlic salt and spoon salsa over each.
DE-LISH. :D Enjoy!

Recipe: SALSA!

I had to put an exclamation mark after SALSA! because it's soooooo dang good. Seriously. It's another gem I've plucked it out of the Food Nanny recipe book. I should probably slow down sharing her recipes before she sues me or something, but SUE ME I just had to share this one! I've been really impressed with her Mexican food secion...Probably because she gets a lot of recipes from a Mexican lady-friend of the family. :D She's also travelled around the world looking for the best foreign recipes...that's why her Italian food section is divine, also. :D

SALSA!
16 Roma tomatoes, or tomatoes of your choice
2 jalapeno chiles
2 serrano chiles
1 small white onion
8 whole garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt (I used table salt)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to low broil (450). Place the whole tomatoes and chiles on a cookie sheet and place under broiler. Broil for 6 minutes on each side, or until tomatoes and peppers are blackened. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan. Reset the oven to bake at 450 degrees.
2. Slice the onion 1/2 inch thick and lay out hte slices on another sheet pan. Peel the garlic and add the whole cloves to the pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes, turning often, until the onion and garlic are soft and browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, snip cilantro leaves, discarding the stems, to fill one cup loosely with leaves. Chop the leaves and set aside.
4. Prepare the tomatoes over the sheet pan to reserve the juice. Lift off the tomato skin and cut out the small core, discard. Set pan with tomatoes aside.
5. Cut the serranos down the middle and scrape out the seeds with a pointed spoon. Discard the seeds and cut the serranos in half crosswise. Cut hte jalapenos into thirds, leaving the seeds intact. Put the chiles into the blender or food processor with a metal blade. Add the onions and garlic. Pulse just to mince the vegetables. Transfer them to a medium bowl.
6. Put the tomatoes and any juice in the food processor or blender and pulse until crushed (not pureed). Add the tomatoes to the chile-onion mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well-blended. Add the cilantro, salt, and vinegar and mix well.
7. Store left-overs in fridge. To freeze, fill quart-size resealable freezer bags with the desired amount. Freeze up to 5 months. To thaw, let stand at room temperature 30 to 40 minutes.

This makes a lot so you can freeze it, since you've made the effort, or half it. :D Either way you won't regret the little bit of time it takes! :D

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

Here I'll share another Food Nanny recipe: Beef Stroganoff. I've had stroganoff a few times in my lifetime, and it's always been good enough to eat even thought it's always on the bland side.
WELL, I tried the Food Nanny's recipe last night (photo above) and WOW. It's SO tasty! I loved it, and although Alan wasn't as thrilled about it as I was, it was dang good. :D
It was under her Monday meals, which she calls "Comfort Food". She says she makes comfort food to help them get over the feeling of the weekend gone and help them start another week of school, work, etc.
Without further ado....

BEEF STROGANOFF
The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium white onion (although I always use sweet onions), chopped
2 lbs beef sirloin
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 c beef broth
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp cream or milk
2 c sour cream
1 12-oz package extra-wide noodles or other pasta

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until it is soft.
2. Trim the fat from the meat and cut meat into 1/4-inch strips. Add to the an and cook and stir until browned. Add the mushrooms, broth, salt, nutmeg, basil, cayenne, and pepper. Bring to a boil and immediately decrease the heat to low. Simmer until all but about 1/2 cup liquid remains, about 40 minutes.
(You can do steps 1 & 2 ahead of time, if you have to.)
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
4. Stir in the cream or milk and sour cream into the meat mixture. Cook 1 minute more. Serve immediately over the cooked noodles.

Serve with a green vegetable or a green salad. It's not necessary to serve bread with such a heavy dish, although a slice of crusty bread adds a crunchy texture to this "soft" meal...ENJOY!

Tuesday we had our second trip to the Children's Museum with Alan's cousin, Jenny. She's so fun to hang with...and the boys LOVE the place. I mean, how couldn't they? It was made entirely for them! Here's a little video of the artsy area. :D Cute boys...