New Recipe!!!

Hey everyone, I've posted a new recipe on my 'Year in the Life' blog.  I have six months left where I'll be blogging on it everyday.  So, if you haven't been over there to check it out, I hope you'll take the time to scoot on over.  :)

The great thing about this recipe is that it can be served as an appetizer, as a salad topper, or as part of a larger meal.  Very summery, very light, very yummy! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

Blessed beyond measure!
~ashley

I Don't Bake

I don't like to bake.  It requires exact measurements & you know I don't cook like that.  I'm a dumper, and that does not mesh well when you have to follow directions down to the ounce and teaspoon.  When you start dumping stuff it can make for one ugly looking & bad tasting dessert.  I just stay away from it & ask my mother-in-law to bring the dessert.  She's a wonderful baker!

One thing I can make though is a cookie cake.  My favorite part is the icing.  It's like painting, but with creamy yumminess instead of paint.  Of course the more icing you have on the cake the better, or that's the fam's opinion anyway.

Last night I made a cookie cake for the Rebel dance team from our high school.  They left for their National Competition in Orlando this morning, and were performing their routines for parents, grandparents, boyfriends, and friends.  I'm so proud of those girls, and wanted to send them off with a little 'good luck & I love you' cake.

I was kinda bummed.  The 'V' is supposed to be red, but with the white icing and red food coloring it turned pink.  The girls said they liked the pink better...I told you they were sweet! 

a close-up of my pink 'V' cookie cake

The cookie is nothing special, it's pre-made toll house cookie dough pressed into a huge rectangle baking pan, and then once it was cooled, I iced it.  No big deal, but it's the thought that counts anyway. 

I love you girls & can't wait to see how you do at Nationals!  I know you're going to knock'em dead!  Go Rebels!

Y'all be blessed beyond measure,
~ashley

Just Sayin' Hey

I wanted to remind  y'all that I'm posting everyday on my other blog:  A Year in the Life.  I would love for you to come on over & join me as I blog about my wonderfully crazy life!  I'm not posting here quite as much b/c right now we're so crazy that I'm cooking all my standby recipes the fam likes. 

We're coming up on prom season, so keep your eyes peeled, I may be trying something kinda cool for that...you never know!

Y'all be blessed beyond measure,
~ashley

It Just Needs Less Beans

I have been craving red beans and rice for the last few days.  I get on kicks and I can't help it...I must eat that food.  It's great when I'm craving cucumbers, not so great if I'm craving chocolate.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.  I've been singing the beans and rice song from when I was a child.  It's bouncing around in my melon & won't stop! 

I love the Red Beans and Rice soup at Newk's restaurant.  It is low in calories but full in flavor.  I decided to see if I could find the recipe online.  No such luck.  I searched and searched for decent recipes, but couldn't find one that sounded right.  There was one that had a ton of bacon, a ham hock, and sausage.  (the calorie and fat count was off the charts)  So I took the ones I did find, and of course tweaked them to fit my tastes.  Heaven forbid and cook anything according to the recipe.  I would get an 'unsatisfactory in following directions' when it comes to cooking.

I needed a quick dinner last night because I had a meeting at 5:30, and I didn't get home until after 4.  Red Beans and Rice it was!  Now my rb & r has turkey kielbasa in it.  Gotta get in some protein.  If you like sausage, but not the fat, try the turkey, it's good.

I arrived home from my meeting at 9:15, a little sleepy, and a little hungry.  As I was eating my dinner I asked Hopson what he thought, and he said that it just needed less beans.  What?  It's red beans and rice.  It is supposed to have a lot of beans, otherwise it would be rice with sausage, onions, and bell peppers.  Silly Hopson.  The children liked it, and I liked it.  My kitchen still smells like it, so I may be having some for breakfast!  Yum.  :)

Y'all be blessed beyond measure!
~ashley

PS~I also made a pretty easy dessert last night.  Here's the recipe:

1 Large box Chocolate Pudding
1 Small box White Chocolate Pudding
1 Large container Marshmallow fluff
Graham Crackers

Mix together 1 large box chocolate pudding and 1 small box white chocolate pudding (both sugar free) according to the box for pie directions

In a Pyrex dish:  put a layer of graham crackers in the bottom
                           spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the graham crackers
                           pour the mixed and set pudding on top of the fluff
                           top with another layer of graham crackers

Oh, It's Cold on My Tootsie Toes

Why is it when it's cold outside it's always my feet that are the coldest.  It takes me at least an hour to thaw out.  Hopson calls me a cold prickle.  :(  I am a cold prickle...I can't hold my own body heat in for anything.  He says it's because I don't have a positive mental attitude.  Yeah, what ever.  I would love it if someone made a bodysuit out of an electric blanket!  I could plug myself into the wall at my house and stay super warm all the time!

Because winter has decided to raise it's very cold head, again, after we've had a few weeks of 60ish degree weather in January/February, I am craving soup.  I would eat it in the winter at least once or twice a week.  (Warm soup to eat and a hot fire in the fireplace...good stuff!)  And because I wanted soup for dinner, I made myself soup.  I decided everyone else could eat it or not.  (Henry has been a birthday party & everyone else can fend for themselves.)  They all had loaded baked potatoes and half decided to have a cup of soup to go with it.

I made homemade Tomato Basil Soup, and of course I cheated on it.  It calls for fresh herbs, but I decided to use dried because I was pressed for time.  Hoppy & Elizabeth gave it a thumbs up.  I was pleased with it.  And since I was selfish and made it for me anyway...I was happy.  It heated me all the way to my very cold toes. :)

Y'all be blessed beyond measure,
~ashley

Things are a Little Crazy Around Here...

...but in reality, when are they not?  It's the best kind of craziness though.  I love a house full of kids.  Not just my children, but having their friends here as well.  Last night was fun.  Henry had his awesome buddy, Josh, over to spend the night.  (I think Hop & Harry would trade Henry for Josh if given the chance.)  Harry had his friend, Joe, to spend the night, and a group of Hoppy's friends came over to hang out.  We had a house full...it was awesome.  Poor Elizabeth was the only one who was a loner.  :(  Oh well, she'll see all her buddies this morning when she goes to dance. 

I don't have any new recipes I've tried, but I wanted to send you over to 'A Year in the Life' for the time being.  If I cook something new, I'll post it, but it's been kinda crazy around here: trying to work, take care of kiddos, and keep up two blogs.  I post on AYITL everyday, so you'll see a variety of things.

The other day I did make Friday Special with 3 pounds of chicken, and at the end of the night there was only a small bowl full left...my I have some little piglets.  (it's now one of their favorite meals)

I hope you join me as I celebrate A Year in the Life.

Y'all be blessed beyond measure,
~ashley

An Oldie but a Goodie

My first cook book that I ever owned is Magic by the Junior League of Birmingham.  My mom gave it to me my sophomore year in college for Christmas when I had an apartment with three of my good friends.  (so you don't have to do the math, I turned 40 this past Dec. 26th)  It's precious to me because it was a gift from her.  It is a classic cook book and has some wonderful recipes. 

I've tweaked one of the recipes (I know you're shocked) and we're going to be having it for dinner tonight.  It is called Ham Delights.  I'm going to use different kinds of meat and cheese on the rolls and serve them open-faced.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.  I might make some soup as well, I'm not sure yet.

These sandwiches are great because they are easy and freeze well.  (two of my favorite words to use about cooking!)  They are great at Christmas time as well as if you are having a shower or any kind of party.  I used to make them all the time & I'm glad I remembered them.  It's going to be a super yummy dinner tonight as it might be rainy and yucky outside.  We may build a fire & play a game or just hang out.

Y'all be blessed beyond measure!
~ashley

Rain means Breakfast for Dinner!

In our home, if it's raining at dinner time, there is a pretty good chance we'll have breakfast for dinner.  My mom started this with my family when we were growing up.  It was never anything fancy, but it was a chance for the cook to get a quick respite from having to plan something.

Since it's January, and a little chilly and wet outside, breakfast sounds great!  There's always some kind of discussion as to what we're going to eat.  Some want eggs, grits, pancakes while others want a breakfast casserole.  Tonight we're doing the former. I'm going to make a fruit salad to go with our strawberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and grits, and voila! Dinner is served.  Super easy and warm in your tummy.

Well, today is clean house and errands day, so I'm going to get started on chores.  :)  Stay warm & dry today!

Y'all be blessed beyond measure,
~ashley

A Splitter A Splatter

...I made a mess all over my platter...  Well not really a mess on the platter, but all over my cook top for sure.  I was in a good mood yesterday, and I'm not sure why but I told the fam I would be happy to make them homemade sweet & sour chicken.  They were in great favor of having that for dinner.  I had to shake my head & I thought to myself  'Um, did I really just offer to fry chicken and serve it with a delicious, sticky, orange sauce.'  Yes, yes I did.

I botched the first round of the sauce.  I don't follow recipes well & just started dumping things into the saucepan.  That is bad, very bad.  It didn't thicken up & I had to throw it out & start over.  The second time I actually did what it said.  Success!  2 of the 4 tasted it & gave it two thumbs up.

OK, onto the chicken.  As the chicken was sitting in the batter Henry looked at & said with a grimace on his face:  "mom, what is that?'.  I told him it was the chicken.  He informed me it didn't look like chicken.  Yes, thank you Hen, I still have to cook it.  As I was frying the chicken little fingers (40 in total) kept walking by & popping chicken into their mouths.  I finally had to get mad & shoo them out of the room, because at the rate the chicken was disappearing we weren't going to have any left for dinner.

Making Sweet & Sour Chicken is not hard, it's just messy.  Needless to say they loved it and gobbled it up.  It may have to start making a rotation once a quarter.  Maybe I'll make the sauce blue just to keep the fam guessing.  :)

Y'all be blessed beyond measure!
~ashley