PJ bottom's

I made matching pj bottoms for Andrew and his cousin for their first over-nighter together. They were super cute!

Happy New Year's Eve!

We got to celebrate New Year's Eve with the Johnson's in Albany. Andrew had a great time playing with his cousin Bryce. I made matching pj bottoms for the boys...they were so cute...matchy matchy :)
Bryce's lazy fist bump with Andrew.
Boys and their trucks!
Flip books - the newest craze ;)
Can two boys fit in one chair?
Late Christmas presents to open.

Pizza Night #2

We love making homemade pizza at home---and it's a great way to cut back on calories.

Turkey Pepperoni Pizza

Flatout flatbread
Olive Oil
Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Turkey Pepperoni

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put flatout bread on baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.
3. Bake 7 minutes.
4. Take flatout bread out of the oven and put pizza sauce and toppings on your pizza as you like. Bake for 7 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Shaker Lemon Pie

Shaker Lemon Pie

3 lemons
3 cups sugar
enough pie dough for double crust pie
all-purpose flour, for work surface
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1. Wash and cut 2 lemons crosswise into paper-thin slices. It is very important to slice the lemons as thin as possible; use a mandoline for best results. Remove seeds and transfer to a large bowl. Remove peel and pith of remaining lemon. Slice lemon flesh crosswise into very thin slices. Remove seeds and add to bowl with other lemon slices. Add sugar and toss well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let mixture stand overnight, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll 1 piece of dough into a 13-inch round and fit dough into a 10-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges; refrigerate 15 minutes.

3. Add salt and whole eggs to lemon mixture; stir until well combined. Pour into chilled pie crust.

4. Roll remaining piece of dough into a 13-inch round, cut some slashes into dough and place over filling and crimp edges to seal. Brush top of crust with egg whites.

5. Transfer pie to oven and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue until crust is golden brown and shiny, about 30 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce

8 oz fresh cranberries
20 oz can pineapple in pineapple juice
1/3 cup sugar

1. Drain liquid from pineapples into a measuring cup. Add water so that you have a total of 1 cup liquid. Add to sauce pan with sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Place cranberries in a food processor and chop fine. Add to pan and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes.
3. Place pineapple in a food processor and chop. Add crushed pineapples to cranberry sauce and cook one more minute.
4. Allow to cool then place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

Makes 3 cups.
Source: Gina's Skinny Recipes

Watergate Salad

For as long as I can remember our family has made this salad for holiday dinners. A few years ago I saw it on the Kraft Foods website and finally had a name for the salad.

Watergate Salad

20 oz crushed pineapple, in juice, undrained

1 package (3.4 oz.) pistachio instant pudding

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups thawed cool whip

Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Stir in cool whip. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Twice Baked Potaoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake 1 1/2 hours. Cool 10 minutes.
2. Halve potatoes lengthwise. Leaving a thin shell; scoop flesh into a medium bowl. Add milk, butter, sour cream, and 1/4 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper; fold in chives to combine.
3. Scoop filling into potatoes, and place in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with chives before serving.

Serves 4
Source: Martha Stewart

Apple Wood Smoked Turkey

My awesome husband took over the turkey cooking once again! He is truly amazing. He found this recipe and it was GREAT!

Apple Wood Smoked Turkey

12-15 pound turkey (we had a 11 lb turkey)
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 quarts apple juice
1 or 2 quarts water (use enough to allow the breast to be fully submerged)

Directions:
1. Mix the brine and soak the turkey in the brine overnight in a non metal container covered in the fridge.
2. Soak your wood chips. Meanwhile, pull the turkey out of the brine and rinse off with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Then my husband puts the turkey on the rotisserie on the outside grill with his wood chips. It usually takes 2-3 hours if your turkey was thawed.

Adapted from: About.com

Christmas Day - 2010

Good Morning Bright Eyes!
Andrew got drums for Christmas. He was super excited and played them all day long!

Tiny Tot Skate with Santa

We went to Tiny Tot Skate today and saw Santa again.
Andrew did so good! He went around the rink 3 times without wanting to be picked up...hence this next picture....he was so tired afterwards :)

Pizza Night with 2 pizzas

We love making and eating pizza. Since we love eating it, I'm always looking for ways to cut calories. I found that using Flatout Bread cuts out a bunch of calories.
Canadian Bacon and Pineapple Pizza

Flatout flatbread
Olive Oil
Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Canadian Bacon
Pineapple Tidbits

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put flatout bread on baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.
3. Bake 7 minutes.
4. Take flatout bread out of the oven and put pizza sauce and toppings on your pizza as you like. Bake for 7 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tomato and Basil Pizza

Flatout flatbread
Olive Oil
Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put flatout bread on baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil.
3. Bake 7 minutes.
4. Take flatout bread out of the oven and put pizza sauce and toppings on your pizza as you like. Bake for 7 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Gingerbread Men Night

We had a blast making and decorating gingerbread men tonight. We had decided that making a gingerbread house this year wouldn't be as much fun for Andrew, so we went with gingerbread men...so glad we did-he had so much fun decorating the men and eating handfuls of candy!
Momma's poor job at decorating :)
Andrew's awesome job at decorating his cookies...notice the bite already out of the head on the right one :)
Dadda's awesome job...he made his cookies resemble our family. Andrew on the left, Dadda in the middle and Momma on the right.

Andrew's owwie!

Andrew was running around our bedroom, tripped and fell into the nightstand. Poor little guy. It was about 1/4 inch long and at the part of the ear where there is plenty of blood. I was scared and worried but Brent assured me that he didn't need stitches. Andrew stopped crying after 5 minutes so I decided to relax after cleaning/wrapping it. Just the beginning of the boy accidents eh?

Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

For Brent's second holiday work party last night, I made a Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake found from Annie's Eats (who I check often for amazing ideas and recipes!)
Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

For the cake:
2¼ cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups sour cream
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

For the ganache:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

For garnish:
Sliced almonds

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Blend in the vanilla and almond extracts.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients slowly and beating just until incorporated. Mix in the melted chocolate just until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and gently remove the cake from the pan.
5. To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circular motions until the mixture is well blended and the ganache is smooth. Stir in the corn syrup. Drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake and garnish with sliced almonds before the glaze sets.

Source: Annie's Eats

Santa Claus Visit - 2010

Oreo Truffles

Today was quite the busy day. Two of Brent's departments were hosting their Holiday Party and it was potluck. So I had decided I would make Oreo Truffles for the first party. I have made these every year since 2006 for his different holiday parties and they are a big hit with chocolate lovers.
Oreo Truffles
***you can use any flavor Oreo, just note that if it's double stuffed the truffle "batter" will be stickier and harder to work with***

1 package Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Crush 6 of the cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor and set aside.
2. Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor and place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into about 4 dozen balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
3. Dip balls in chocolate and place on wax paper-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
4. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Makes 3.5-4.5 dozen truffles.
Source: Kraft Foods

Brent's Holiday Work Parties

Today Brent had two Holiday Work Parties on our calendar.

At the first party - Andrew had a blast playing with the other kids and their toys and eating cookies. He even snagged a candy cane on the way out the door.

At the second party, they had a horse drawn carriage ride...Andrew enjoyed staring at the horses and even seemed to enjoy the ride around the neighborhood pointing out the lights and snowmen.
I think he could have fallen asleep during the horse drawn carriage ride :)

Rigatoni Bolognese

Rigatoni Bolognese

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 lb ground lean beef
28 oz diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground pepper
2 cups rigatoni
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
fresh basil leaves

1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery and carrot, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beef, cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, broth, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes. Discard the rosemary and bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; add the sauce and toss. Sprinkle with cheese and basil just before serving.

Serves 4
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Herbed Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Herbed Bread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 cup warm water
pinch sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1 Tablespoon honey
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon minced sun-dried tomatoes

1. Combine the water and sugar; sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy. Microwave the milk, butter, and honey in a bowl on high until the mixture is warm, 30 seconds. Put the flour and salt in food processor. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture, milk mixture and egg; pulse until the dough forms a ball.
2. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm spot 1 hour.
3. Combine the thyme and sun-dried tomatoes. Punch down the dough. Sprinkle 1/3 of the thyme mixture over the dough and fold into dough. Repeat two more times. Put the dough into pan of choice. Cover and let dough rise another 45 minutes.
4. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Bake 30 minutes. Unmold the bread on a wire rack and let cool.

Serves 12
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Meatball and Barley Soup

Meatball and Barley Soup

1/2 pound ground lean beef
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts only)
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
29 oz reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup quick-cooking barley

1. To make the meatballs, combine the beef, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Form into 16 balls. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until brown, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Stir in the broth, tomato paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered about 10 minutes. Stir in the barley and cook, covered about 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and cook, covered about 5 minutes.

Serves 4
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Green Goddess Cobb Salad

Green Goddess Cobb Salad

For dressing:
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

For salad:
1/2 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 bunch arugula, chopped
1/2 pound skinless cooked turkey breast, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 crisp-cooked turkey-bacon slices, chopped

1. To make dressing, put yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, scallion, vinegar, salt and pepper in blender and pulse until smooth.
2. Scatter the lettuce and arugula over a platter. Top with turkey, egg, avocado, tomatoes and bacon.
3. Drizzle half the dressing over the salad and serve at once, with the remaining dressing on the side.

Serves 4
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Exploring the Winter Sky

We took Andrew to the Mt Hood Planetarium for their monthly star show/presentation. It was great! And only $2 per person! Unfortunately, Andrew fell asleep as soon as the lights went out.

Oven Roasted Parmesan Fingerling Potatoes

Oven Roasted Parmesan Fingerling Potatoes

1 lb Fingerling Potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In small plastic bag, put flour, cheese, salt and pepper to taste and shake to mix together well.
3. Wash the fingerling potatoes and drop them into the bag of mixture. Shake the bag to coat the fingerling potato pieces on all sides.
4. Pour oil into baking dish, arrange fingerling potato pieces on the dish. Cook 20 minutes, turn each piece and cook additional 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Bacardi Rum Cake

Bacardi Rum Cake

For Cake:
Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs

For Glaze:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Bacardi dark rum

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees. Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess. Sprinkle the pecans or walnuts in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, rum, oil, water and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and smooth. Pour the batter into pan and put in oven.
3. Bake 58-60 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it on a serving platter. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick.
4. Prepare the glaze. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt it over low heat, 2-3 minutes. Add the water and sugar, stirring. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the glaze simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum. Spoon the glaze over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes and drizzle down the sides and into the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

Serves 16

*** Store cake covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving. ***

Source: The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook

2010 Civil War

2010 Civil War
University of Oregon DUCKS @ Oregon State University BEAVERS; 37-20

Picking up Uncle Ray from PDX...
House divided ;)....

Uncle Ray jet lagged? :)
Poor Brent was in the car with 4 DUCKS on the way to and from the game :)

Basic Cranberry Sauce

Basic Cranberry Sauce

3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz. bag cranberries, picked over

Bring the water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until saucy, slightly thickened and about 2/3 of the berries have popped open, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl, cool to room temperature and serve.

Source: The New Best Recipe Cookbook

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-18 minutes. Drain; return potatoes to pot.
2. Stir potatoes over medium heat until dry, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. In a small saucepan, combine half-and-half and butter; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour half of hot liquid over potatoes. Mash just until smooth, adding more liquid to reach desired consistency. Stir in parsley and chives; season with salt. Garnish with more herbs.

Source: Martha Stewart