Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

I decided to go with Turkey Cutlets instead of the Turkey Breast.
No real recipe just something I throw together.

3-4 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of cayenne
you can really play with the spice for this

mix together and smear over top of turkey cutlets. place in greased 11x8 baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour.

"No really. What can I do?"

I took Jaxson to the doctor this morning 5 minutes after they opened. he is just so miserable, high fever, not eating or playing. And ya know if they aren't playing, something is bad wrong. The doc says the flu test came back negative, but he has a viral infection. Watch him over the weekend, switch between tylenol and motrin. And I feel like I am either going to pull out my hair, or cry. I hate crying infront of other people. I must have looked like I felt. The doctor was encouraging and all that.
I know there isn't a "miracle" treatment, but you just hate to see the little guy so down and out. He will drink, so I am pushing the fluids as fast as I can and changing diapers nearly as fast.

I got a minute because he fell asleep on the couch.

Thanks to Susan from Artbliss for all the sweet things she has been throwing my way! And I won a bundle of goodies from her! She is a sweetie!

I may or may not get back on today. I hope you all have a fantastic day. Enjoy the extra day!

Three Cheese Sausage Lasagna

Three Cheese Sausage Lasagna
Taste of Home
12 servings

1-1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, layer a fourth of the sauce, three noodles, half of the sausage and a third of the mozzarella and provolone slices. Repeat layers once. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top. Layer with remaining noodles, sauce and sliced cheeses; sprinkle with Romano cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.....ohhhh yum

How I won over my Father-in-Law.....

Sweet-and-Sour Salad
6 servings
tasteofhome.com

8 ounces elbow macaroni or mostaccioli
1 medium green or sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, sliced
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl; add pepper, cucumber and onion. In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine remaining ingredients; shake until sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad; toss. Chill

Yummy! It is served at all family events now. My father-in-law loves the stuff!

Honey Curried Chicken

This is a family favorite.!
Happy Thursday!

Honey Curried Chicken
serves 6
tasteofhome.com

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 bone-in chicken breast halves (8 ounces each)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; set aside 1/3 cup for basting. Dip chicken in remaining butter mixture; place in a well-greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour, basting occasionally with reserved butter mixture. Remove chicken and keep warm. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the pan drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drizzle over chicken.

****I deviate from this recipe a little. I add at least 2 tsp curry, if not more. I use boneless chicken breast, (easier for the kids). And I do not do the last step with the cornstarch. I serve this over steamed rice and broccoli. We spoon the juice over our rice and chicken.

Tonight is meatloaf night....

Individual Meat Loaves

2 servings

tasteofhome.com

1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 pound uncooked ground pork or hamburger
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

In a medium bowl, beat egg; add milk, Worcestershire sauce, onion salt, pepper and crumbs. Add pork and mix well. Shape into two 5-in. x 2-1/2-in. loaves; place in a small baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over loaves. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1 hour or until no longer pink

another dish my kids will eat up! They like having their own individual loaf. So good! This is the only meatloaf my hubby will eat. I double the recipe.

Chicken with Curry Dill Sauce

Browning the chicken!

Making the sauce!

Before baking

And after!

It was very good! It is unlike any other chicken dish I make. My kids liked it, another plus! the sauce is creamy and dill is the main flavor you get, the curry is more of an undertone but you can taste it. We love curry. I did double it, so next time I may triple the curry. Hubby was very pleased and took the leftovers in his lunch today.

here is the recipe if you would like to give it a try!

Chicken with Curry Dill Sauce
Servings 6
Tasteofhome.com

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
6 bone-in chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the flour, salt and pepper; stir until smooth. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the mayonnaise, dill and curry; stir until smooth. Set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil. Place in a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

Happy Wednesday!

Family Menu

I am not an overall organized person, but I do keep a notebook for my menus. I have them planned a couple of weeks in advance. I try to do at least one, sometimes 3, new recipes a week. I keep a running list of things to get at the store.It has three columns: Meat, Produce and Other.
This week's menu is :
Chicken with Curry-Dill sauce*, couscous and carrots
Meatloaf with glaze served with mashed garlic potatoes and green beans and/or corn
Turkey breast, stuffing, and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows , green beans....my one last true winter meal before Spring!
Steak fajitas* with Spanish rice served with chips and salsa

* indicates new recipe, I will post on the outcome of them.

Last night I cheated, Gasp! There is a new cat in town, a new pizza place. It makes your HUGE pizza, then you take it home and bake it. Oh my goodness, it is yummy! And cheesey bread, of course. Not the healthiest but hey, it was a MONDAY.

Hope you are all Fantastic today!

Lemon-Thyme Bread

Ok, I made the bread and it is a toss up between savory and sweet. I will lean more towards sweet but it would compliment a meal, especially a pork dish. I think so anyway. Let me know if you try it and what you think! The recipe calls for a sweet glaze made with confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, but I did not add this. I like it just as it is. I got the recipe from Tasteofhome.com.

Lemon-Thyme Bread
1 loaf
Taste of Home

3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine milk and thyme. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until bubbly; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with reserved milk mixture. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until smooth; drizzle over bread

Oscar Night

It was a good time with the hubby! We had a small party in honor of Oscar night. In our tradition we printed out the nominees and made our picks before the show. Last year he completely wiped me out, this year we tied! And there were many categories neither of us got right.
It was fun and I was glad to see Daniel Day Lewis win , although Johnny Depp is my man. My daughter was very happy to see Ratatouille win best animation!
At the following website you can test your knowledge on past Oscar nights to see who was passed over for the award, pretty interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/01/10/oscar.quiz/index.html

Hope you enjoyed it as well. I have a new list of books to read and movies to watch. That always happens after I see the Oscars.




For the party I served honey BBQ chicken wings, pistachios, yogurt covered raisins, and powdered sugar donuts for my daughter.

Shop Til You Drop

I found the cutest stuff last night! I was shopping for my friend's baby shower. Above is the cutest little outfit! complete with bib,socks and a hat.

I love this bib!

This is a keepsake box that has drawers for the first curl of hair, first tooth and baby's I.D. bracelet. So sweet!

This is something I picked up for another friend, it is a stack of keepsake boxes. One for the first curl, first tooth, and I.D. bracelet. I love stuff like this. I hope they do too!
And of course the little sleeper with tiny bears on it.

Sigh...almost makes me want another one. Almost.

Lemon Sale

The lemons were on sale at the market, so of course I bought a bag of them! Here is a photo of the Lemon Pound Cake Muffins I made. They have a tart glaze and are wonderfully moist! I got the recipe from Tasteofhome.com

Next I will bake some Lemon-Thyme bread, Lemon Scones, Lemon squares, and of course use many in my meals I prepare!

It is rainy and gray outside. That always puts me in the mood to bake!

Wonderful Day

It has been a lovely weekend. So lovely I did not want it to end! Saturday was absolutely cold and gray, so we stayed in and played games and watched movies. After the kids were down my hubby surprised me with a nice bottle of Reisling! It was lovely!

I made a lovely cranberry pork roast in the slow cooker, and I forgot to take a picture! I served it with roasted garlic couscous and carrots. We also had my hubby's favorite chicken spareribs and potato salad. You may notice I have writtenabout this before. It is my kids' favorite as well, so we have it at least once every 2 weeks.

Today is meatloaf with a sweet glaze. I make it into individual loaves, the kids love that!
I will try to remember to take a picture! I am catching up with the laundry and I hope to get some chocolate chip cookies made. I have a craving for some chocolate!

not much on the agenda for this week, but as we moms know, this is subject to change in an instant!

Top Ten Cities for Foodies

I came across this today posted by ShermansTravel.com
Off of this list, I have only been to New York. This summer I will get to add Las Vegas.
Whoo-Hoo!! I would love to visit Rome or Barcelona. Have you been to these cities? What are the best places to eat?

http://www.shermanstravel.com/destinations/top_ten/Cities_for_Foodies
Barcelona
Brussels
Hanoi
Las Vegas
Lyon
New York
Rome
San Francisco
Tokyo
Vancouver

It's Friday!!!

I have been to the market and my cupboards are properly filled now!

I will either make chocolate chip cookies, brownies or chocolate banana bread. Can't decide.

My brother-in-law is getting married in August in Las Vegas!

Whoo-Hoo!! I have never been there so I am looking forward to it. The kids have been asked to be in the wedding as well. Since this will take a chunk out of my hubby's vacation time anyway, we decided to make it an extended road trip! I will be sure and take lots of pictures.

My daughter is going to be the flowergirl, my son the ringbearer, and my hubby the best man. Me? I will be trying not to swelter in the desert heat!

My father-in-law is also getting married this summer. He will be a June groom. When Isabella and I were shopping for the Daddy Daughter dance, I went ahead and bought her a dress for their wedding as well. She picked it out all on her own! It is pictures here. Now I just need to find her some sandals!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My husband is adorable! I woke up to this creature this morning! Before he left for work we enjoyed a cup of coffee together. I am going to the first grade Valentine's party, which should be loud! My daughter wants a "fancy" dinner. So we are putting out the good tablecloth and china. I will probably make a spaghetti dinner. That is one that everyone will eat. Maybe even some candles! I will have to wait for my official date this weekend. Hope you are having a good day!

Daddy Daughter Dance

I couldn't resist posting about the Daddy-Daughter dance. Our town puts on the dance every year before Valentine's day. The tickets always sell quickly! My daughter loves getting a new dress and shoes. We spend the day shopping and snacking. But she really enjoys showing up to the party with her Dad. My husband is acutely aware that these days are special because there will soon come a day when a night out with dad is just not "cool". I tend to hope that is not the case and she will still enjoy her parent's company no matter how old or cool she gets!

But here they are, a moment suspended in time with a photograph.

Spring?

Did I say something about Spring? Well, the weather is having fun with us! Such a tease. Yesterday was so cold I made an Italian Sausage Chili and cornbread. It was delicious and the simmering pot kept the kitchen nice and toasty.
My neighbor asked me to pick up her mail this week. I guess she is expecting something important and doesn't want it left out until she gets home at dinner. She is a working mother, a new mom, the baby is just a year old. And I don't think she cooks much and I know she doesn't bake. Once I took over a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and her husband devoured them. She went on and on about how good they were. Of course, this only fed my ego, no pun intended. At the holidays I take over pumpkin bread that is an old family recipe and homemade candies.
So, of course when she asked me to do this, I immediately began to contemplate what I could deliver with the mail. I chose coffee cake. The recipe I use makes 2 cakes, I figured one for them and one for us. She was delighted! She said she couldn't wait for tomorrow.
I am now thumbing through recipes for what I may make today. hahaha
Then horror of horrors I realize I am almost out of sugar and brown sugar. There are no choclate chips to be found! What can I make???

Baking,Baking,Baking

I made some lemon tea muffins. I was surprised that it had you separate the 2 eggs and beat the yolk and whites separately.



The egg yolks are bright as sunshine!






And this is the egg whites while I beat them into peaks!












Before they go into the oven. I was a little worried that the dough was a too dry. But they turned out well.

















And the finished product. They were good, very lemony. My son devoured them! Another score for the recipes from Taste of Home!










I also have an on going love affair with coffee. Here are a few i picked up this weekend. They are all lovely. Right now I am drinking the Black Silk. It is fabulous! I also have a variety of flavored coffees. I love it!

I did not end up cooking last night. We decided to have Chinese takeout and it was delicious! I did make brownies from scratch. It is my husband's granmother's recipe and they are divine.

If you are interested in the Lemon Tea Muffins, which are wonderful with a cup of hot tea, here is the recipe:

Lemon Tea Muffins
2 dozen
Tasteofhome.com

2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
TOPPING:
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until light and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Fold in yolks. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with lemon juice and peel, stirring just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire racks

Sundays

Sunday is probably my favorite day of the week. Monday-Friday are busy. We get up early and take my husband to the bus stop that takes him downtown for work. I come back home and make the kids breakfast. Then we take my daughter to school. I make dinner and then put it away for later. This has proven to work better. If I wait until after I have picked up my hubby from the bus, then it gets to be too late. We have dinner and about 30 minutes of family time. Then it is bath and story time. It hasn't always been this crazy, just since my husband's car was stolen in November. Being a one car family has been a huge adjustment!
Anyway back to the subject, Saturdays are good, but I work from 4am-1pm, therefore I am a wee bit tired. So, Sunday mornings, my husband makes breakfast, usually bisuits and gravy with scrambled eggs. I have a big cup of coffee and we contemplate the one day we are all together. Every two weeks we go to the library, everyone gets to check out several books. Today was one of those days. I picked up three that look good and if they turn out to be, I will post about it later. We sometimes shop, play games, play outdoors, or sometimes, do nothing!
Right now it is nap time. Later I am making my hubby's favorite dinner, Chicken Spareribs with potato salad. I will post about it later as well.

Spring is getting closer. Everyone seems to be anxious for it this year. We didn't have a really bad winter this year, but the ice storms we had were ferocious. People have already started spring-cleaning and doing yard work. We saw several individuals and families out walking and bicycling today. Birds were flitting about and singing happy songs. It made me smile and gave me a lift I didn't know I needed!

We live in a small town that now has spilled over into a big city. You can hardly tell where one begins and the other ends. Everyone loves to go to the "big town" to eat and shop. This has been so sad for the local merchants and restaurants! We were very sad to see one of our favorite eating places close because of this, Rooster's Crow. Despite the name, the food was fantastic! I have tried to reproduce the menu at home but it lacks the pizazz it had in the restaurant. We have made it a priority to shop and eat only in our town. We have discovered some truly amazing little restaurants that we pass by everyday and would have never seen! I don't understand the drive to eat at the usual "cookie-cutter" places. There is such fantastic food out there!

Well, I guess I will stop rambling for now......

Waffle Dinner

My husband is wonderful! He made the most perfect waffles for dinner last night! They were light and fluffy, just the way i like them. We enjoy having breakfast foods for dinner once and while.

Lop-sided Chocolate Cake

My lopsided chocolate fudge cake....not sure what happened in the oven........but it still tasted good!

Dinner For Four

Trying new recipes is something I love to do. I go to the store once a week and get everything at once. I keep a notebook for my lists, which are often prepared a month in advance, I just add things as needed. i find new recipes and jot down what I will need and even keep a "menu" at the bottom, notating where I found the recipe and what page, etc. I try to do something new at least once a week, sometimes up to 3 times a week. My husband loves this! My daughter will try anything once, which is amazing! My son, well, someday he will appreciate my homecooking,

( I have to believe this!), but for now he only wants PB&J sandwiches, no substitutions.

And bananas.

I love the magazine Taste of Home. I have a subscription to the magazine, but I love to scour the website as well!

The following is Rosemary Plum Pork Roast, which was easy and delicious. It gave off a wonderful scent while cooking. I paired it with cornbread dressing, sweetpotatoe casserole with marshmallows and threw in green beans.

Here is the website:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/

Here is the recipe for the pork roast....**It was juicy and very tender...Yum!!

Rosemary Plum Pork Roast
Taste of Home
Servings 6

16 pitted dried plums

1 cup boiling water

2 bunches fresh rosemary, divided

1 center-cut boneless pork loin roast (about 2 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided

Place plums in a bowl; add boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes; drain well. Mince enough rosemary to measure 1 tablespoon; stir into plums. Cut a slit along top of roast 2 in. deep, leaving 1 in. at each end uncut. Sprinkle inside of cut with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Fill with plum mixture. Cover top with overlapping rosemary sprigs. Tie roast at 1 in. intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Place several rosemary sprigs in a shallow roasting pan. Top with roast. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Kids at Play

January Snow Day

Fun in the snow!! Our snowman is complete with carrot nose and black mega blocks for eyes!

Another Day in Mommyville

Is it really time for Valentine's day?? When I was single this was a good thing. Buying a new dress for your date, roses, candy, maybe even jewelry!! Now, I have to keep a post-it on my forehead to remind myself to bake cupcakes or cookies for the school party. My daughter did not like the valentine cards I picked, so an extra trip for her to pick out the "cool" ones. And she informed me the really cool thing to do is to buy candy and attach it. When I stated that we would have candy, cookies and other goodies, she looked at me with the "face" and rolled her eyes. Sigh..... Was I that way when I was seven???
An extra trip to the store with kids in tow=migraine.

My two year old son is practicing for the long jump. He starts from the couch and so far has landed on the bean bag. That has disaster written all over it.