I made it

To help get us out a dinner runt.  I've been searching magazines and of course pinterest.  I know I have yet to share the fabulousness that is pinterest so you'll have to trust me when I say it's wonderful and fabulous. I'll give you a quick description.  You know when your going through a magazine and see something you like you either tear the page out and try to file it away into a recipe box or turn the corner down and then keep the magazine in the archive of magazines with pages turned down because you will get to it at some point?  Well, tear no more and turn down no more corners Pinterest is a digital pin board. You pin based on appearance and title and click on it to get full details (basically how to instrcutions).  Pinterest makes you feel like a fabulous cook, awesome DIY-er, funny as can be comic, and the best dressed person wherever you go. Ok so now that my wow that took forever quick description is complete I will proceed.

I came across the following the recipe from Woman's Day magazine:

Creamy Double-Cheese Sauce with Pasta:

Creamy Double-Cheese Sauce with Pasta (active 10min, total 25 min, serves 6)

1 lb pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped (*I used onion powder)

salt, pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup whole milk (I used 1%)

4 oz lowfat cream cheese, cut into pieces

1/4 cup parmesan  (1 oz)

Pinch ground nutmeg

1) cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2) meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over med-low heat.  And the onion and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 6-8min.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1min. *If using onion powder then start with the garlic

3) Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the cream cheese, parmesan and nutmeg *add onion powder and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2-3min.  Toss with the pasta, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid if the pasta seems dry.

The good the bad and the ugly:

per serving: 1 cup 383 calories, 8g fat (3g sat fat), 16mg chol, 239mg sod, 14g pro, 62g carbs, 3g fiber

I served ours with chicken marinated in zesty italian dressing and parmesan cheese baked in the oven at 350 for 20-30min.  Now,  I don't reccommend making this during nap time (ie approx 4-5hrs before you will be par taking in it's yumminess) by the time we ate the pasta was pretty dry despite my efforts to cream it up a bit.  I ate it "as is", hubby on the other hand asked if he could put alfredo sauce on his. I obliged and thought too about adding it but decided against it. If I make it again I will without a doubt half the recipe.  We have enough leftovers for 2 nights worth of dinners or 2 lunches and 1 dinner.  We aren't that fond of leftovers...

Please let me introduce....

PICKY PETE!!!

This child is beyond picky he is down right resisted to food aside from grapes, yogurt, peanut butter (depending on the day), cereal bars, bananas (depending on the day), celementines (he likes to suck the juice out), Cheerios, sweet potato fries (had to force feed him those and we got the response back of mmm...), tator tots, pizza and puffs.  So thank goodness for v8 fusion juice and I'm back to buying baby food. Yes the same girl who made all his food. I may start making it again we still have yellow squash, mixed veggies and cauliflower in the freezer.  So maybe I will take the lonely sweet potato in the veggie basket and turn it into baby food for the boy. I have resorted to buying baby food (easier to donate jarred food than food frozen in ice cube trays)in the hopes that one day soon he will go back to his earlier days in which he ate a larger variety of foods on his own or that he taps into the eater he is at the sitters.  Where at the sitters he eats chicken, fish, veggies, meatballs, etc.  Seriously frustrating, I did mention it to his Dr and at this time we are considering it a phase.  I dislike this phase oh so very much and I do hope he is out of it soon.  The above picture is what he looks like after his dinners, I have found he has to be occupied in order for me to sneak the spoon in.  I think on most nights I end up holding a lid between my teeth he then balances things such as an extra spoon on the lid as he is busy doing this I take advantage of his mouth opening when the spoon is near he swallows and opens for me.  It's quite the exhausting production just for him to eat a half jar.

If anyone has any tips please pass them my way.

Cheerios Cake and Smash Cakes

When it came to planning Ian's 1st birthday I knew that I didn't really want a theme the only theme we had was Ian is turning 1.  When it came time for the cake Marcus and I thought what does Ian like and the only thing we knew he 100% likes is Cheerios so we made a Cheerios cake.  We tossed around serval ideas to accomplish this and did a trail run a few weeks before so that way when it came time for the real thing we would be ready. 

Well, we forgot to account for Kota dog eating the corner of the one of the cakes, me not being able to shave a cake down evenly or being able to spread icing without making it look like a kidergartner did it. I bought 3 cake mixes and made all 3 cake mixes threw all 3 cakes away and then sent Marcus out for 2 more boxes of cake mix and more eggs.  I made a 911 call to my MIL and made a desperate plea for her help (the party was the next day).  You see my MIL is gifted when it comes to mixing ingredients together and has a way with frosting bags and frosting tips. She has made a birthday cake for Marcus for each and every one of his birthday's.  In his younger days she would make a 3D cakes...no pressure right?

It was New Year's Eve (Ian's birthday) and were headed over to my in-laws anyway to celebrate Christmas with my sister in-law and her hubby since he had to work Christmas day.  So while the guys watched Notre Dame play and win my MIL and I were baking the cakes and making the frosting and figuring out our game plan.  This is what we came up:

We piped the icing instead of spreading it and the heart is Cheerios treats (marshmallows, butter and Cheerios) that was in the original plan.  The tricky part came with the lettering I feel we accomplished what we were going for and that would not have been possible without my MIL and her willingness to ring in the new year with me piping yellow frosting.

Smash cakes:

Again a big thanks to my MIL she made 3 smash cakes (1 for his photo shoot and then 2 to pick from for his bday we didn't know how the monkey would turn out).  Well I think the monkey turned out great, she did from a picture again such talent she has. I think Ian will have lots of memorable cakes.  Guess I better get practicing.

winter

Kinda threw up in my mouth when I just typed the title of this here blog. We woke up yesterday morning to snow on the ground and on our cars it's here folks it's here. If you recall I did a whole post on what I love about fall and I could do a whole post about what I love about spring and summer too. But for some reason I can't do the same for winter. I can come up with a few good things like:


1) Ian's 1st Christmas
2) Ian's 1st Birthday (NOOOOO.....He can't be turning 1 yet)
3) Looking out the window and seeing the beautifulness that God has created covered in SNOW making it look even more beautiful.
4) our 1st family Christmas card...good golly help me though because Marcus has quite the production going on in his head of what it needs to be.
5) you don't have to shave everyday
6) bring on the comfy clothes and warm socks
7) baking and making dinner in the crock pot or a big pot of soup
8) yeah, got nothing

Now I'll mention a few things I dislike about winter.

1)wish I had remote start
2)my hands become constantly dry and cracked
3)I have a condition called raynaud's disease which is no fun. I have in my hands and feet. Last winter was not as bad because I had my internal heater on 24/7.
4)I'm constantly cold while a work and feel someone needs to design a little heater to go over the mouse for the computer (remember the above condition)
5) members at work complain that it's too warm in the club to workout and I then whip out my cold, white numb hand and say really?!?! SUCK IT AND SWEAT WOMAN. Okay not really that's just what I think and say when I walk away.

There they are what I'm looking forward too and what I'm looking forward too. Now, you can't say move south if you don't like it or want to get away from the coldness because my sister has the same condition and lives in FL and still suffers from it. Remember to drive safe and watch out for your fellow drivers who might not have gotten the memo that snow changes the way one needs to drive. Gotta wrap this up so I can sit indian style and then sit on my hands!!

Stay warm!!

applesauce oatmeal cookies

Tuesday morning I was in search of a new cookie to make and while in the shower I had one of my good idea moments and decided to do a google search (not sure how things were done before google) for applesauce cookies. As I have quite a bit of applesauce stored in the deep freezer and kitchen freezer and always some on hand in the fridge. Anyways in my search I came across this recipe and then a slightly version. I went with the 2nd recipe that is adapted from Martha Stewart's. I used smooth homemade applesauce. I didn't have any maple syrup on hand so I used regular syrup and also cut the icing frosting in half as it made way too much. I also omitted the raisins as I didn't have enough on hand. I made a batch on Tuesday and a 2nd batch today and with today's batch I tossed in a 1/2c of whole wheat flour. They are YUM-O!



Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup chunky-style applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla (I added this)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon (I added this)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup raisins
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg, applesauce, and vanilla, mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in raisins.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.
Make icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, syrup, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, let set.