Homemade Brown Sugar

Super excited that I was able to make my very own brown sugar!

 My friend Christine recommended the process and it couldn't have been easier. 

Take 1 cup of sugar and 1 TBSP of molasses 

 Mix in the kitchen Aid for 10-15 minutes until nice and fluffy.

I made 4 cups altogether and stored it in an airtight container. 

If you like darker brown sugar, you can always add more molasses.

FYI: During the mixing process it looks like it just might not work but 

let it mix the full time allotted and I promise it will come together:) 

Now, go bake some cookies:) 

My homemade sugar is on the bottom and the leftover store-bought on the top. 

Mini "Pumpkin" Cheese Balls

I made these tasty treats for a baby shower this past weekend and I thought I would share the recipe. 

They were very delicious.

You could fashion them as small round pumpkins as an individual serving or you could make a large cheese ball and surround it with crackers. I found the recipe on a blog but I cannot find where now, so just know it is not original to me.

Recipe: 24 mini cheese balls 

2 pkgs. soft cream cheese

1/2 cup of chopped roasted red peppers

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika
Pretzel rod (tips)
cilantro leaves

Mix cream cheese, peppers, garlic and cayenne in mixer. Stir in cheddar cheese. Put in fridge for an hour to harden back up. Then, take out and roll into balls about an inch round. Roll in paprika. Slit sides with a knife to make them look like pumpkins. Place a cilantro leaf and pretzel rod into cheeseball before serving. Place on a stack off crackers.
Enjoy! 

IKEA "Veggie Garden" Baby Shower

This past weekend, I had the wonderful privilege to host a baby shower for little Knox! 

I saw the "veggie garden" fabric at IKEA and an idea was born:)

I had a bunch of wonderful ladies help me pull it all together with wonderful food found on Pinterest.

We had TONS of "veggie' themed food and appetizers-perfect for a room full of ladies! 

Favors were little spades for everyone to use this spring! 

And the weather was SO warm and breezy- perfect for our springy colors! 

 

 

The drinks were SO very yummy. 

We served Citrus Mint Water 

which basically was a pitcher 

filled with mint, cucumber, orange and lemon slices.

 It was TASTY!

We also served Orange Julius Smoothies:

Mix equal parts orange juice and milk. Add vanilla to taste. Add sugar to taste. Pour into blender with ice and blend away! It was so easy and tasted amazing! 

I loved that all our drinks were served in canning jars with lime green straws and little orange flags made out of scrapbook paper. Super easy and CUTE! 

 

We found the cute little dishes for the "shooters" at Party City! They have a great section of appetizer plastic dishes! Of course we washed them all so we could reuse them at other parties or showers!

 

I LOVE my dear church family at Sola Church SO very much and the times we get to celebrate with each other are memorable! Love you Melody and so thankful we can be a part of Knox's life! 

Look at that face! 

{ADORABLE}

Fresh Zucchini Tomato and Feta Bake

Fresh Zucchini Tomato and Feta Bake

1 large zucchini sliced

10 cherry tomatoes halved

1/2 cup of crumbled Feta

2 Tbs extra virgin Olive Oil

Cook zucchini in oil till tender over medium heat. Add tomato halves and cook a minute more.

Transfer to small baking dish. Crumble feta over top veggies and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Its hard to believe it is fall. The weather here in Denver is WARM! Its been in the 80's for a while now. I do enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings though! My front porch is decorated for fall.  

I have started running- and lost about 2 pounds. I really want to firm up which I know will only happen at a gym but for now running will do.

School is going well for all the kiddos. The twins joined girl scouts after school and choir after school. They are staying busy.

 Mark has started his speech and debate coaching- it is going well! Church is going great! Mark was able to preach yesterday on baptism and a bunch of teen guys from valor came to hear him. They arent saved and will openly admit it but really respect Mark and enjoy honest conversations about the gospel and "religion". They came over for lunch at our house after and spent a long time just talking and hanging out- it was fun and I hope that we can continue to talk to them about Christ and see them come to know Him! 

My mom is coming to visit at the end of October- I am SOO excited as well as the kids! Sophia keeps asking how many days till she comes! 

Marks cousin, Eddie is coming to visit this week from Australia. We are headed to Marks parents house for dinner tonight! Then on Wed, we are headed to the mountains with him! Hopefully we can see some fall colors. Looking forward to it.

Well, that is about it here. Hope you all have a great week!

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes with whipped cream icing

I am not sure when I got this recipe but it my favorite vanilla cake recipe- its easy, simple and basic and always turns out and tastes great! a winner all around! I cut it in half to make 12 large cupcakes- 

This time around, I added food coloring to make the batter and layered it to make rainbowed cupcakes for two very special 4 yr olds! 

Vanilla Cake (makes a 3 tiered nine inch cake)

1 cup of butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 Tbs baking powder

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter until nice and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating inbetween each addition. In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Alternate pouring the milk and flour into the mixture until well combined, Always scrape the sides after each addition. Add vanilla.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

Whipped Cream Icing

2 cups of heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla or any other flavoring that would taste great on cupcakes!

Combine above ingredients and whip and whip till light and fluffy!

Black Bean Salsa

Everyone makes fun of me because I LOVE to eat! I really do! Dinner that is.. I rarely eat breakfast- there are just SO many things happening in the morning and food isnt on my mind. I do drink lots of coffee in the morning. Lunch is really hard too- So I try to come up with different lunches that I enjoy- this week its greek salads and black bean salsa. I have honestly been eating this salsa almost every day for lunch for the past few weeks. It is SO yummy and I think pretty healthy too since its all fresh ingredients- except for the chips.

Fresh Black Bean Salsa

2 cans of black beans, drained

1 mango peeled and chopped

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

20 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Enjoy.

Move over Julia- Sauce and a Memory

Yesterday, I made my first ever hollandaise sauce and it was delicioso! I LOVE anything to do with creamy egg yolks and butter- add a dash of lemon juice and thats basically it- whip and whip and whip on low heat and the resulting concoction is smooth, creamy, and amazing!

 I got my recipe from Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child and reading her recipes crack me up- she is so blunt and practical- I love it! And I loved her hollandaise sauce. Can you tell which movie I recently watched? Its one of my favorites and I love how it inspires me to cook after I watch it.

I cooked up 2 large, plump artichokes and all the while thought of my dad- he introduced me to artichokes at a very young age- Its so FUN to eat an artichoke- just peal off a leaf and run your teeth along the bottom edge and taste the meaty flesh- its mild and so yummy. It takes forever to get through to the middle but when you do- ahhh! Scoop out the hairy part (its weird, I know) and you have the heart of the artichoke which is the real treasure.

Last Sunday, it was 13 years on the day that my dad has been gone. I was 19 when I got the call that would change my life forever. My dad had been shot and was dead. But God's grace is amazing and gives you the strength you need to carry on!  Part of me feels like it has been MUCH longer.. I forget so much about him yet I do remember certain things vividly. Those memories carry you through the sad days and the pain gets easier but the ache of missing him is always there.

The hollandaise sauce turned out great but the memory of my dad was even better!

Happy Birthday, a tad early!

I remember when I got pregnant with the twins being a tad sad that they were going to probably be born in the summer- I think my actual due date was in September which would have been REALLY cool- I love fall and do NOT have any fall babies! You may be asking why I cared about what season my babies were born in- well, I know its weird, but I thought it woud be sad to not be able to celebrate your birthday at school. I remember with fondness all the homemade treats my mom would make and let me bring in to school to share with my friends for my birthday! I would get to pick a special person to help me pass them out and I usually chose Karly or Valarie, although once I chose Mark, a boy I liked:) 

(and yes, I married a Mark, but not the same one)

We would pass out the cupcakes to friends and I always asked mom to make more than enough so I could go around to all the teachers and give them out.Aahh! Memories! 

And now, I have 3 SUMMER babies!!!!

Thankfully, I talked to the teacher and was able to let the girls celebrate their birthday this last week of school- a bit early! But who's counting:)
 I made these cupcakes inside ice cream cones with mint buttercream frosting- they were pretty tasty- but one note of caution- I made them the night before and the next morning, the cones were not as crisp as when they first popped out of the oven.
RECIPE:
Make a cake mix according to directions.
Spoon batter into ice cream cone and place in cupcake baking tins.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Let cool and frost with a piping bag to get that ice cream look
Top with sprinkles and a sour cherry candy.

They got soggy- I bet the kids didnt notice though! 

And the best part of sharing your birthday with a twin is...

you have a built in best friend to pass out your birthday treats with!

Cake Break

 perfect vanilla cucakes with rich chocolate fudge frosting

black bottom cupcakes

best ever chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream

Yes I do like baking cakes

but for a friends baby shower, I decided to take a break from cakes 

and try cupcakes- they turned out SO cute and yummy- it was perfect for the fingerfood shower and I even got to use my new IKEA cupcake pans- tall and skinny- really cool!

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

These biscotti were absolutely amazing and VERY easy to make. 

I have never tried biscotti because the recipes I've gotten are SO long and complicated.

But thanks to Lunch In Paris (that french book I read) 

I found an easy recipe that is So yummy!

So here it is....

1/2 cup pecans ,chopped

2/3 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

cinnamon and sugar mixture to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Add chips and pecans. Line a baking sheet with foil and form two loaves with the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick slices. Lay slices on their side and put back into oven for 10 minutes. Flip onto other side and toast for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Makes about 12-14 biscotti.

Love in Paris

Zucchini Blossoms

So, I found a new book that I loved- its about this American who goes to Paris and falls in love, marries the guy and moves to {Paris} and it chronicles her journey and tells of her falling in love with French cooking and food and everything Parisian. It was GREAT! 

as an added bonus, it included MANY French recipes so of course,  I copied a ton!!

My dear friend, Melody, has a garden that was teaming with 

zuchinni blossoms, so when I saw the  recipe- I had to give it a try-

It was super simple- gaot cheese, sea salt, pepper, 1 egg- 

thats it

- stuff the flower and drizzle with olive oil. 

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes till fragrant.

It was super yummy, although very small.

I dont think I will ever make them again- 

Mark would never eat them, but it was a fun thing to try! 

Fresh Veggies with Pesto

Just made this delicious fresh, light summer dish for dinner the other day and thought I'd share the recipe...

Special thanks to my neighbor (Nick) who have me loads of fresh garden zucchini

Special thanks to Jeniece who gave me some fresh basil from her garden

2 Tomatoes

Fresh ear of cooked corn with kernerls cut off

2 zucchini sliced

large bunch of basil

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

bag of spaghetti noodles

sea salt to taste

Cook veggies in some olive oil on medium heat. 

cook spaghetti

make pesto (in a food processor blend basil, garlic and olive oil)

put together and viola- a delicious, healthy and fresh summer dinner....

and Mark even ate it all and liked it:)

SCORE!

Food Post...

Its been quite a while since I posted a recipe- so here's 2 for you:)

Mom's Iced Tea: 

Our family drinks this by the gallon:) I make a gallon every other day!

 It is decaf and it is delicious.

 It reminds me of my mom who I miss so much!

12 decaf tea bags(I use Salada or Lipton)

1 1/3 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of lemon juice or more if you like it lemony

So, I bring about 4 cups of water to a boil with the tea bags (which I clip to the handle of the pot) 

Right after it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for a good hour-

Stir in sugar and squeeze out tea bags .

Add lemon juice

Add water .

I have a gallon pitcher that i make it in and just pour the tea in and then add water to the top.

Chill and serve- its great!

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches:

I LOVE this dinner and it is so easy. I just discovered it and I dont know why it took me so long!

1 lb of chicken

1 bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (its the BEST) 

1 cup of water

Throw all of that in a crockpot for several hours till chicken is cooked.

Once chicken is cooked, use a fork to pull the chicken apart and shred it

I put it on warm and I left the lid off for a while so it thickened up.

Serve on a yummy bun with a great salad.

I just LOVE food:) 

AMAZING new recipe!

Peanut Sesame Noodles

You know I LOVE good Asian food- well, I found a new website/blog that I am smitten with! 

Check it out here: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/peanut-sesame-noodles/

So, I tried the recipe and it was so yummy! They suggest you serve it cold- I ate it hot and then cold- I think cold is the best and mine seems darker I think because I didnt use enough noodles.

Hope you try it out!

Elijah loved it!

Homemade Chinese (sorta)

I have been dying for good chinese food. When we lived in Massachusetts, we had this AMAZING chinese restaurant called Fitchburg Jade.  I have not found anything close here in Denver. So, I decided to try to make some homemade chinese food. I found this sauce in a packet called Simply Asian General Tsoas and I had a coupon so it only cost me 60 cents- I picked up a bag of  asian stirfry frozen veggies, some bean sprouts and water chestnuts. After cooking up some chicken, adding the veggies and sauce, I tasted it and it was really good! I made some fried rice and ate it all myself since my husband is not a fan of chinese.

Last night, I tried a new Chinese place called The Fire Bowl and it was pretty tasty! 

I think its the best I can do out here:) unless I find a chinese nanny!

Amazing Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe

Here it is (sorry for the delay)

 My dad's Cream of Broccoli Soup:

It really is amazing. Mark does NOT like broccoli and was skeptical about the soup,

but after trying it (with grilled cheese and ham- he dips it in the soup) He LOVES it!

The KEY to this recipe is to NOT let the milk burn

(the first time I made it, it tasted HORRIBLE because I wasnt stirring constantly and it burned)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb butter

1 head of broccoli (or more if desired)

1/2 cup onions

16 oz frozen broccoli

1 cup flour

1/2 gallon of milk

3 chicken bouillon cubes

6 slices of White American Cheese

Put the first 3 ingredients in a soup pot and cook onions and broccoli over medium heat till tender (about 5-6 minutes)

Add the frozen broccoli to the mixture and cook till tender.

Add the cup of flour and mix thoroughly to form a rue of sorts

Next add the milk and bouillon cubes.

Cook until thickened- this is the most important step- you need to continually stir this mixture or the milk will burn. Keep the heat in the middle and stir for about a minute and then let it sit for about a minute- back and forth till it thickens up- I think it takes about 5-8 minutes-

Once it is thickened, add cheese and stir again. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Our Favorite Chili Recipe

Here it is! I LOVE this chili recipe- it tastes sweet to me with a hint of spice and is thick and tastes great with Fritos and cheese! This recipe feeds 4 people 2 bowls each.

1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves of garlic minced

* Cook all of the above ingredients over medium heat till browned. Transfer to crockpot.
Add to crockpot...

28oz can of diced tomatoes
15 0z can red kidney beans
15 oz can of black beans
1 cup water
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more for a spicey taste)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder

Cook all of this in a crockpot on High for 2-3 hours or Low for 4-6 hours. Near the end of cooking time, I take off the lid and add 2 tsp cornstarch to thicken. Leave the lid off and cook for a half hour more. Serve with Fritos and cheese!
As always, you can play with the brown sugar, and spices to create a taste you like! These measurements are my favorite blend! Enjoy!!

Wednesday's Recipe....

My sweet friend Sarah made these for me last year for Christmas and we quickly made these a Christmas tradition! So simple and amazingly yummy!
Ingredients:
1 bag of rolos (usually around 40 candies inside)
pretzels to match the number of rolos
a bag of pecans

Step 1- unwrap rolos and place on top of pretzels
which are placed on a cookie pan lined with waxed paper
Step 2- bake at 275 for about 3 minutes or until slightly melted
Step 3- Place pecans (cut or whole) on the rolos as soon as you remove from stove
Step 4- place in fridge till completely cooled

These really do make great gifts!
Enjoy...

The BEST Apple Crisp!

I have very fond memories of coming home from school and smelling my moms apple crisp baking in the oven. It was so good and brings back such great memories of childhood.
I have tried to duplicate that taste with several apple crisp recipes and none have been good enough, until last week. I was reading my friend Beths blog and she had a post on a great apple crisp recipe so I tried it and OH MY GOODNESS!!! It was the bomb!
I ate 3/4 of the pan in one night (honestly!)
On a side note, I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible stomach pains.
I wont do that again!
But the crisp was amazing and I've made it 2 times since-
one for a church function where it got rave reviews!
So check it out- its worth the time to make it!!!