A Year of Celebration at the Dinner Table

The Castle Passover Haggadah

2010-04-06T22:18:00.002-06:00

For those of you wondering how to hold a Christian Passover Meal, Here is the "Castle Haggadah". Even with our reductions, this is a LONG evening, so make sure your pillows are comfortable and that you have back support. I still crop here and there keeping the most important parts if I notice my children losing interest. I love the symbolism and any excuse to celebrate and renew my deeply held beliefs.

Remove the Chametz

Explanation: In the days preceding Passover, Jews clean the house thoroughly and remove any trace of chametz or leven from the house. Leaven (yeast) is a necessary element in baking but also has the power to decay and destroy. Thus removing leven carries a deeper significance than just its association with the exodus. It symbolizes the willingness to remove any corrupting influence from ones life. So in removing the chametz, we symbolize our willingness to obey God in the smallest details.
Preparation: Before the family gathers, we hide several pieces of regular raised bread in obvious hiding places.

Action: The young children collect all the hidden pieces of leavened bread to prepare the room for the celebration of the Passover. When it is collected, it is carried out in a basket so all can see and witness our preparation and willingness to obey.

Foot Washing

Preparation: A small bowl of water and a towel for each family member.

Action: Read the New Testement account of Christ's last supper, including the part about Jesus Christ washing the feet of the twelve apostles. The head of our family then gently washes the feet of each family member.

Light the Passover Candles

Explanation: The Seder begins with the lighting of the Passover candles. The mother of the home lights the candles. They symbolize the light of Christ in our lives.

Action: The Mother lights the candles. Songs are sung throughout the Seder. (It is a celebration after all) Here we sing a song about spiritual freedom or light. We usually sing, The Lord Is My Light. At this point we have our prayer and blessing on the food. Our prayers are not memorized but are heartfelt gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ and his amazing sacrifice.

The First Cup:

Explanation: Passover is about memory and fulfilled promises. But it is also about hope for current and future redemption. With four cups from the fruit of the vine, we celebrate and recall God's four "I will" promises.

Action: Read Exodus 6:6-7

Explanation: In the four cups that we drink tonight, we celebrate these four "I will" promises of God: Freedom, Deliverance, Redemption, and Thanksgiving for fulfilling His promises.

Action: Each person pours a small bit of Grape Juice. Read Exodus 6:6. What will he free us from? Drink the first cup.

From here on out the Haggadah is meant to be in question/answer form. The youngest or in our case, all our children are to ask questions. Since the meal looks really different, it is not difficult. I tell them to ask about any and everything as it is all symbolic. Some questions and answers that are normal in traditional Haggadah are:

Q: Why are we seated on the floor?

A: We celebrate our freedom. When Israel was slaves to the Egyptians, slaves had to stand during meals. We recline and relax to celebrate our freedom (especially our freedom from sin).

Q: Why are we drinking grape juice?

A: The grape juice symbolizes the blood of the lamb that was painted on the doors of those who believed. Then the destroyer passed them by and their eldest was not killed. This was done in symbolism of the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us from the destroyer and death.

Q: What is that green stuff?

A: This parsley represents life, created and sustained by Heavenly Father. He gives us life and all good things.

Action: The parsley is dipped in salt water and each person dips then eats the parsley.

Q: Why do we make it salty?

A: Life is also full of tears, joy and sorrow go together. We must have the tears, but we remember the good of life.

Action: At this point, we eat a green salad, or vegetable hors d'oeuvres.

Breaking of Bread: The Matzah

Action: The Leader uncovers the three pieces of unleavened bread and takes the middle piece. He breaks it in two.

Q: Why did you break the bread?

A: The broken bread represents the broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ. We remember him.

Q: Why is the bread flat?

A: When the Israelites left Egypt, they left in such a rush they did not have time to leaven their bread. Also, we removed all leaven from our lives for this night symbolizing our obedience to Heavenly Father's commands.

Action: Leader wraps half of bread in towel and hides it during the meal in the room. (children will later find it and redeem it for a small gift). Everyone else eats or saves the bread on the plate for later

The Story of Passover:

Action: In whatever way is best for you and your family, tell the story of Israel going to Egypt and their redemption. It can be read from a child's story, directly from the scripture, shown in short movie form, or creatively with a clothesline of pictures. We've done all of the above. During the telling, we drink the second cup of deliverance as we discuss the plauges: blood. Frogs. Lice. Swarms. Cattle Disease. boils. hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death of the first Born. Each plague is supposed to get a drop of juice on the plate by a spoon. With small kids, I usually skip that part and instead have them search for plastic animals that represent the plagues. We discuss the things that can be plauges in our lives; lies, pornography, anger... etc.

Action: The Lamb bone is held up when telling about the the final plague. "This is the symbol of the Passover lamb that was killed so that our children might live. The true unblemished lamb that was killed was Jesus Christ. His blood ensures that all of us will live spiritually and physically. It reminds us of Heavenly Father's grace in providing for us in death and life.

Action: The Lamb bone is replaced with the egg. "The egg has no beginning and no end and is a symbol of new life and hope. Christ's sacrifice has no beginning and no end. We look to eternity with hope because of him.

Action: Egg is replaced with Matzah and held up:" Deuteronomy 16:3

Action: Matzah is replaced with Maror (horseradish) for all to see. All take a bite. "Tonight we eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery. Slavery in Egypt was bad, but slavery to sin is worse. We remember so we never forget the bitterness of bondage.

Action: We dip a bit of parsley into the Charoset. "Tonight we dip twice. We also dip into the Charoset to remind us of the sweetness that God can bring into the most bitter of our circumstances and the sweetness of repentance.

Action: Song of Testimony: example (Amazing Grace, I know that My Redeemer Lives etc.)

The Second Cup (the cup of Redemption)

Action: Exodus 6:6 We all drink the second small cup.

The Meal:

The meal is detailed in the post below. Eat! Enjoy!

Q:What is this dessert we are eating?

A: Charoset is a mixture of apples, honey and nuts. It symbolizes the mixture of clay and straw that the Israelites used to make bricks for the cities of Pharoh. But the apples of the mixture also remind us of something else. apple trees set fruit before the tree has leaves, and then grow leaves to protect the fruit. In Egype, the women of Israel gave birth to children under the trees of the orchard to avoid the decree of Pharoh, with no assurance of the safety and future. Their hope in a future from God sweetened the misery of slavery. Life is a mixture of the bitter and the sweet, of sadness and joy.

The Third Cup: Cup of Deliverence

Action: As everyone is finishing, the leader fills one more cup sitting at an empty place setting.

Explanation: This place setting is for Elijah the Prophet. It has been the hope of God's people that Elijah would come at Passover, to announce the coming of the Messiah. Historians believe that this is the cup that Jesus used to institute the sacrament at the Last Supper to indicate the fulfillment of this promise.

Action: A child opens a door to welcome Elijah to the Passover. Leader drinks the cup. "I drink this cup because Elijah has been here to herald the Messiah. Christ has come. This cup of deliverence has been fulfilled.

Action: It is time to reveal that which has been hidden. We will find our Afikomen so that we may finish our meal. The children search for the hidden bread and receive their small gift.

The forth Cup: The cup of Thanksgiving and Hope

Leader: Our Seder is complete as our redemption is complete.

Action: Mathew 6:31,32,34 and Isaiah 43:2-3

Leader: The story of God's redemption is not ended. We celebrate what he has done in our history and what he has done for us but at the same time we await a new future. He has promised that he will come again and restore all things. We raise our glasses one last time in Thanksgiving and Hope for the future.

Action: All drink

Everyone: Next Year in the NEW JERUSALEM!

Leader: extinguish Passover Candles.

Christian Celebration of Passover

2010-03-31T12:24:00.000-06:00

Passover is one of our favorite dinners each year. It is a way we extend the Easter season and bring meaning to a holiday often overshadowed by bunnies, eggs, and candy. Passover is the oldest and most important of all the Jewish religious celebrations. It commemorates God's deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and his creation of the Israelite people. Early on, it marked the beginning of the Jewish year. The story celebrated is found in Exodus Chapters 12 through 14. We are not Jewish so we are not bound to a strict dietary code or Seder, though we try to keep it true to its intended form. I found that the only way to keep it meaningful for our young family is to keep it tons shorter than traditional Seders.

I keep the decor simple. Passover is a celebratory symbolic dinner where we celebrate our freedom. For our family, the most important freedom we celebrate is our freedom from the bondage of sin and death through Jesus Christ. Passover celebrates new life, a new life in Christ and new beginnings. Spring flowers, grasses, eggs, and Easter type decor is appropriate for the Passover table. With candlesticks for the ceremony, it is perfect!

Passover is preferably eaten seated on the floor around a low table to symbolize our freedom to recline and eat leisurely. We always add cushions so our rear ends don't hurt and place the table next to a wall or surface Briz can lean against.

The items neccasary for the Seder plate are:

Boiled egg (I decorate them to help tell the story)
Haroset (apples, nuts, and honey... I'll post a recipe)
Lamb meat with a bone in it
Parsley
Salt Water
Horseradish (or Mazta which I don't like as well)
Unleavened bread

The celebration dinner is a bit more flexible. I've seen celebrations with:
lamb, chicken, or Gellite fish, there is always a really green salad (sometimes with dandelion leaves or spinach included), sweet potatoes, and always Haroset.

To complete preparations, I place leavened bread around the room in obvious places, then hide a piece of unleavened bread wrapped in a cloth. Scriptures and hymnals are placed around the table for readers. A basin of warm water and towels for each guest are set in the room as well.

We're ready!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

In celebration of one of our FAVORITE authors, we started the day with green eggs and ham. At dinner we continued our celebration. We started with Dr. Seuss activities downloaded from the Target website, then as each course was introduced, the family had to guess what it was (the name) then we read about it from the appropriate book.

Our menu consisted of Pink Ink, Grin-ich Spinach, Who Hash, Roast Beast, and Red Fish Blue Fish. So, we read excerpts from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Sneeches and other tales. The spinach comes from the story about the pants that walk around in the dark. As a child, this story contained my personal nemesis. I had regular nightmares about meeting those pants.

Quick decoration was easy. I focused on lots of red and blue from the Cat and the Hat. With lifts and levels, I positioned stuffed Seuss characters with their books. I surrounded the table with Maisy Daisy pots of a single daisy.

After dinner, a fun idea is to read and act out The Sneeches. The stars are made of green construction paper with yarn to go around the neck. The machine is our crawling tube connected to a colorful box. Sylvester McBean wears a cool hat and a bow tie, and I narrate.

Pink Ink

Frozen Strawberries

Milk

Sweetener (I use vanilla Stevia)

Blend in blender till pink and frothy.

Grin-ich Spinich (Garlic Sauteed Spinach)

1 1/2 lb. baby spinach leaves

2 T. olive oil

2 T chopped garlic (6 cloves)

1 t. kosher salt

3/4 t. ground pepper

1 T. butter

lemon

Rinse and spin spinach.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and saute the garlic for about 1 minute (not till it browns). Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Cover and cook for 2 minutes till wilted. Uncover, turn heat to high and cook till all spinach is wilted. Top with butter and squeeze of lemon.

Roast Beast (Roast Beef/ Blue Cheese Roll Ups)

4 triangles Light Cow Cheese or 1/3 c. softened butter

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 lb. thinly sliced med. rare roast beef

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch watercress, stemmed

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

Cream cheeses together with a fork in a small bowl.

Lay roast beef slices on flat surface. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread 2 teaspoons of cheese mixture along the short end of the beef. Pile on the rest of ingredients. Roll the beef into a tight cylinder. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate till serving time. To serve, halve the rolls, crosswise.

Who Hash

2 grated sweet potatoes

1/2 chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil

2 t. thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat a large skillet, add olive oil. Cook onions till carmelized. Add garlic, sweet potatoes, and seasonings. Cook till brown on one side, then flip, continue till all is lightly browned.

Fish Snack

Berry Blast Jello (blue)

gummy fish

Bethlehem Supper

2009-12-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Our favorite family Christmas tradition is our Bethlehem Supper on Christmas Eve. Santa waits in the wings while Jesus Christ takes center stage, where he belongs.

We remove the glitz and glitter from the room and decorate it simply. Usually we set a piece of plywood on the floor and cover it with a plain cloth, then line the center of the "table" with candles. Soft simple carols of the harp, flute or guitar play softly in the background. Each family member dons a scarf or towel, and we make our way down to the basement to Bethlehem. Seated on cushions and lit only by candlelight, our brood is unnaturally quiet and pensive.

Dinner is always simple. We use an amazing cookbook, A Biblical Feast, by Kitty Morse for authentic foods from the place and time of Christ.

We love the simple flavors of everything we've tried. Over the past, menus have included:

grapes/ grape juice
dilled cucumbers
pomegranates
fish
honey
pita bread
hummus
olives (kalamata or black for the little ones)
flat bread
chicken and garbanzo stew
feta
goat cheese
stuffed dates
lamb
leeks

We eat, discussing our food, what could have been eaten that night in Bethlehem, and discussing what might have happened or how it might have felt to have been there.

At the end of our meal, we begin our candle ceremony. I, the mother, start. I hold the candle and tell the children what the light represents, the light of Christ, that lights our souls, our world, and everything. I mention the hope, faith, and joy we've discovered earlier in the month during advent. I then share my gratitude for this special birthday, my private feelings, and my love for my family. I pass the candle and the sharing goes on till it finally reaches the patriarch of our gathering, which this year was my sweetie.

This meal ends on such a sweet and tender note for all of us. Then, while the Bethlehem Magic is still on us, we watch Luke II, the best, most authentic nativity we've ever seen, and all under 5 minutes.

I'd love to share our favorite "authentic" dish from Kitty Morse with you.

Chicken, Leek, and Garbanzo Bean Stew

(Though it may not look appealing, usually guests ask for seconds. It is savory, tender, and simple)
Serves 4-6
"Domesticated hens were one of the "clean" or acceptable birds for Hebrew to eat, as mandated by Mosaic law. They were introduced from their native India around the time of Christ. Many farmers in the Holy Land raised poultry, either in the "free range" manner or in enclosed areas. This stew is best served with warm leavened griddle bread or over cooked millet." pp 52

2 large leeks
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean cooking liquid, water, or chicken broth
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans (I use 1 can)
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (I use a little more to taste)

Trim the leeks, discarding the tough, outer leaves. Rinse thoroughly under running water. Cut the leeks crosswise into thin slices.

In a heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken turns golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the liquid. Cover and cook until the chicken is tender, 30-35 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl, and set aside. Decrease the heat to low, and add the garbanzo beans. Simmer uncovered, and reduce by one-third, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and vinegar to taste. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Serve immediately.

Nutcracker Celebration

2009-12-20T22:57:00.007-07:00

Tonight was Nutcracker Night. Everyone raided the costume closet and dressed in their finest ballet attire, complete with a dusting of sparkle powder to help feel beautiful. Sunshine wore a cape and a sword so she could be the nutcracker. Briz refused to wear tights and figured he was scary enough as is to be the Mouse King. Little Mother chose to be Clara, and Ladybug the Sugar Plum fairy.

As we watch the ballet unfold, it takes place in 2 dimensions on our screen and in our family room right in front of our eyes.

Little Mother pirouettes, Sunshine spins then stabs Briz as he gets too close to Clara.

At intermission, we decorate the Sugar Plum Tree with candy wrapped in plastic wrap.

Then we begin our nutcracker feast. In honor of its Russian origins and the Russian Trepak, we ate Solyanka (Russian Beef Soup)

Arabian Pita Bread (for the Arabian dance)

and Barbecued Chinese Lettuce Wraps (for the Chinese Dance).

Solianka tastes like pickle soup. Briz liked it. I thought it was very different and enjoyed the experience of trying something so totally different from what I am used to. The kids ate it but not enthusiastically. The Lettuce Wraps and Pitas were a hit. Are these like Chinese sandwiches? Ladybug asked.

The dancing continued until Clara went back to sleep, then so did my little ones.

If anyone wants the Solianka Soup Recipe, just ask, but I will probably not make it again. It was a great cultural experience, just not one I want to repeat.

Arabian Pita Bread
1 T instant yeast
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp sugar
3 cups flour (I usually use 2 cups wheat, 1 cup white)

1 T dry milk powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T oil
1 T toasted cumin

Mix yeast, water, and sugar. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, dried milk and salt. Pour in the oil and yeast/ water mixture and stir well. You might need to add more flour or water depending on the absorbency of the flour. Knead dough briefly, divide into 18 egg sized balls. Place on a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Roll one ball out and press cumin seeds on the top with the rolling pin. Cook in a skillet until large "bubbles" form. Flip pita over and cook the other side for a few more minutes. Flatten with a spatula. Keep bread warm (wrap in a towel or place in a ziploc bag) while cooking the rest of the bread. Can freeze the dough or the cooked product.

Sometimes I will brush the top with butter or olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of garlic and sea salt.

Christmas Decoration Party

2009-11-28T18:18:00.006-07:00

The day after Thanksgiving we go Christmas crazy! I pull out all the Christmas boxes and turn decorating into a party. We dance, we jingle, we decorate, we play "remember when?" This is something we'd do anyway, I just make the food look special so everyone gets into the party atmosphere.

Essential elements include:
Santa hats for everyone
Loud Christmas music with a beat
Finger Foods to eat while decorating
Good Punch or Wassail
Food made from Thanksgiving Leftovers

Mashed Potato Soup (inspired by Leanne Ely)
It can't get any easier than this (especially when you are using Thanksgiving leftovers)

1 large pot of mashed potatoes (about 4 cups)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
grated cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper
pinch of thyme

Optional add ins
chives
fresh parsley
ham or bacon
frozen peas

Make mashed potatoes. Add chicken broth and milk. Bring to an almost boil. Stir it up. Serve it up. Top with a little cheddar cheese.

Romantic/GPS Picnic Idea

2009-08-14T19:27:00.000-06:00

The Idea:

1st: Surprise husband at work with a romantic picnic. Made the food. Luckily, I called first and found that he was booked all week with business lunches.
2nd: GPS picnic: Use the geocache site to find some treasures on a river walk near our home. Add picnic items to our list of items to find hidden along the trail.
3rd: Deposit all picnic items around neighborhood using clues to find them. End up at a neighbors with a much nicer backyard for our picnic.
Reality: Severe sinus infection, high winds, rain. Don't want to waste my picnic. Simply laid the picnic out in the Family Room and watched Princess Protection Program with my babies and sweetheart.

Sometimes the best plans don't turn out. Oh well. I'll share some of my favorite picnic recipes with you all though.

Romantic Picnic Food

Strawberries Lemon Creme Blossoms Fabulous!

12 Strawberries, washed
4 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 T. Sour Cream
1 T. Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest

Whip together cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Slice off green at the top of strawberry.
Cut strawberry in half almost to the base.
Turn berry and cut crosswise almost to the base.
With a spoon or pastry bag, pipe the creme filling into strawberry.
Refrigerate till serving time.

Mellon Prosciuto Balls This is probably too grown up of a taste for little people. Mine ate it but I noticed that they didn't fill up on them.

1/2 cantelope
1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciuto
1/8 cup lime juice
Mint Sprigs

Ball or slice mellon. I prefer larger slices to the smaller mellon balls. Pour lime juice over top and swish to coat. Wrap balls in 1/2 slice or slices in full slice of prosciuto. Secure with mint sprig.

Bruchetta on Baguettes From my friend Melanie. I eat so much of it, we call it Holly-Candy

Cream cheese or goat cheese
1 bunch basil, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
fresh ground pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 small bottle capers, rinsed
1/2 tsp. olive oil
Parmesan Cheese

Brush baguettes with olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Toast in oven. Combine rest of ingredients (tomatoes, basil, capers, garlic, olive oil, and pepper) Let sit for a minute.

Spread goat or cream cheese on toast, then the bruschetta, or just serve with bruschetta on toast.

Barbarian Spagetti Dinner

2009-08-04T21:46:00.006-06:00

The Story:

As a teenager, I hosted a barbarian dinner date for a group. A vague memory whispered we'd had a lot of fun. Of course, at sixteen, that usually has much more to do with who you're with than what you are doing. I wondered if it would still be fun, or if my kids might like it. Even more importantly, would itbe a good prequel for a manners dinner I might follow up with?

I covered the table with plastic wrap and taped it down. A dish towel was placed on the back of each chair to be tied around each diner. We ate spaghetti, green salad, and rosemary peasant bread off the table. No dishes, no utensils.

I got several squeals of glee as I plopped each serving in front of everyone. "But mom, I don't have a fork."

"Hmmmm. How can you eat it then?"

Some liked it. Some LOVED it and took full advantage of the opportunity to pig out. Sadly, Briz and I are past the time when this is true fun for us. We didn't love the feel of spaghetti slipping through our fingers or watching Little Mother's hair drip with sauce as she licked off the table.

To our credit, we kept our mouths shut and let our little ones fully enjoy the change of routine. When they were finished, we herded them giggling and skipping, straight upstairs into a bath.

Clean up was a breeze. I simply rolled up the plastic wrap and into the garbage it went. No dishes!

The Recipe:

Everyone has a favorite spaghetti recipe or likes to use Prego or Ragu. I still feel that this one is worth sharing. After years of searching and experimenting, this is the best recipe I've found. Everyone LOVES it. My husband prefers a version with meat, and I prefer it without so usually we have it with meat. Yep. I'm a sucker for my sweetie. The secret to a really great sauce is time. Great sauce is a product of time and patience. For those who work all day, the crock pot becomes valuable. For me, I put the sauce on to simmer in the early afternoon and by dinner time the flavors have melded amazingly. I really feel that this sauce is worth a try. Double it and you've got a layer for lasagna the next day.

Jo Mamma's Spaghetti Sauce- makes 2 quarts

1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup water (If you don't want to simmer it as long, add less
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 Tbs. fresh basil (optional... I use when it's in my garden)
1 tsp. parsley flakes
3/4 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine (if you use it for cooking. I rarely do.)

In large heavy stockpot, brown sausage, breaking up as you stir.
Add onions and continue to cook until onions are softened.
Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, and peppers.
Stir well and barely bring to a boil.
Stir in wine if you are using it.
Simmer on low, stirring occasionally for at least an hour. Just be careful not to let it burn!If adding fresh basil, add it toward the end of cooking time. It keeps its fresh taste better.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
Spoon sauce over drained spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Oh The Places You'll Go! Back to School Dinner

2009-07-27T20:44:00.007-06:00

The Evening: School is starting. To my little ones, this annual ritual is fraught with some nervousness but mostly excitement. They must have at least a few token new outfits, a new backpack, and we shop the sales for all the crayons, pencils, sharpeners, glue-sticks, and markers we will need for the year. So many musts. . . so many rushing preparations. We took an hour or two to stop, to ponder, to dream, and to mark the passing of another ritual, the upcoming first day of school. We invited some friends who were also starting school (with year round,some friends start a month later).

Decoration:

A dollar store sign greeted our guests and will stay up till after the first week of school.

Tables set up in the library were covered in brown paper. Problems of various skill levels were drawn all over the paper waiting to be solved by the guests of honor. Self adhesive alphabet name tape for desks ($ store) lined the edges, while crayons, colored pencils, and markers tied in smart blue ribbons marched down the center of the table.
A hall pass ($ store) hung by the door for bathroom runs.
Name tags ($ store)

Food:

Brown bagged lunches included all the packaged foods kids love so much, fruit kabobs, ham salad sandwiches, and zebra doodles.

Activity:

Each child was given an Honor roll certificate ($ store) filled out by Mom to honor the accomplishments of the past year. One by one we honored them and presented their certificates with a ribboned school supply.
We read Oh, the Places You'll Go. Must READ. Really. The adults liked it better than the kids.
Each person, including the adults made a page for our "Places You'll Go this Coming Year" Book. Some drew pictures, others simply wrote their plans.
Played the Game Oh the Places You'll Go which is great for thinking about the future and life possibilities.

Recipe:
Today there is only one because who can't make a decent brown bag lunch?

Lunch Bag Zebra Doodles:

Snickerdoodles (purchased or home made)
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2-3 ounces Carmel topping
4 ounces chocolate chips

In small bowl, mix cream cheese with caramel topping. Frost on half the bottom of half of the snickerdoodles, cover with the other half. Microwave chocolate for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Dip sandwich cookies in melted chocolate. Place on rack to drip dry. Can place in the refrigerator to cool quickly.
Favorite Snickerdoodle Recipe
This recipe is made with butter instead of shortening. This makes it soft and chewy but with a better flavor.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter for 30 seconds. Fold in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat well. Add half of the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat until thoroughly combined. Fold in remaining flour mixing thoroughly. Cover and chill 1 hour. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into balls and roll balls in cinnamon, sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-11 minutes.

Loved the evening. It got me thinking about new starts and my goals as well as thrilled the kids. My friends were a complete delight as usual. Great way to spend the evening!!!!

Little House/ Pioneer Dinner

2009-07-19T20:58:00.012-06:00

Story:

I've always wanted to do a book review for dinner. We just finished The Little House in the Big Woods. Briz read the chapters just before bed. Pa came alive in Briz because he knew and understood love for the woods, for making your own way and the magic of watching deer and fawns gaze trustingly at you. My children fell in love with Laura and Mary just as I did many years ago as I lay in my pink checkered bed at dusk and listened to my mother's magical voice bring the little house alive.

In addition, we are celebrating Pioneer Day this week. July 24 is the day the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, so besides parades and the like, our book review dinner will be an added piece in our celebration/ search for appreciation and understanding.

If you are not hungry when you begin the Little House Books, you certainly will be when you finish. Johny Cakes sizzle on the fire, bread carries Ma's signature hand print, cheese and butter production is described in detail, as is roasting the pig tail. Though I've never thought I wanted a pig's tail, I do while I read these books. In short, it is a perfect book to review during dinner.

Little Mother sat down to put on a video. "Sweetie, I thought we'd play a little game this evening and pretend we were pioneers like Laura and Mary. Would you like to play with me? Great. Then they didn't have DVD s did they. What would they be doing right now? Helping mom with dinner? Excellent. Come over here and we'll learn together how to do new things."

We started the cheese. Then she tried the pioneer secret of holding bread in her mouth while chopping onions. While I continued with some "boring stuff", she outfitted Sunshine and herself as best she could. She set the table with pie tins, tin cups, wild flowers, and our pioneer courting candle. The meal was surprisingly good. Everyone polished their plates. We tried buttermilk with our meal. Some liked it but most only took a couple of swallows. After dinner we made maple candy, the children did dances and performed songs for us and we played games around the table. Sunshine wants to be a pioneer because she could go on hikes all the time. Little Mother isn't quite so sure the wants to be a pioneer. Pizza is still a better option for her.

The Recipes:

"They all hurried to the kitchen for plates, and outdoors to fill the plates with snow. ..She and the other Laura, and all the other children, scooped up clean snow with their plates. Then they went back into the crowded kitchen. Grandma stood by the brass kettle and with the big wooden spoon she poured hot syrup on each plate of snow. It cooled into soft candy, and as fast as it cooled they ate it. They could eat all they wanted for maple sugar never hurt anybody."

Maple Candy

Supplies:

2 cups pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
saucepan (non-stick works best)
candy thermometer recommended

Instructions:

Cook syrup until it begins to boil, stirring frequently.
Continue boil until it reaches 233°F on the candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and cool for approximately 60-70 minutes, or until the temperature on the candy thermometer reads about 110°F
Add the vanilla extract and heat until smooth and fluffy.
Shape this mixture into small patties, or while still warm you can pour onto pans of clean snow as Laura did. If you have no snow, you can blend ice cubes until they are crushed, then place crushed cubes into a pan before pouring the maple candy. You can also use candy molds.
Maple candy must be stored in airtight containers to prevent the candy from drying out.

From Little House in the Big Woods

"What would you like best to eat?" They talked about spareribs, and turkey with dressing, and baked beans, and crackling cornbread, and other good things. But Almanzo said that what he liked most in the world was fried apples 'n 'onions. When at last, they went into dinner there on the table was a big dish of them! Mother knew what he liked best, and she had cooked it for him. Almanzo ate four large helpings of apples 'n' onions fried together." - Farmer Boy pg. 73

Apples 'N' Onions

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bacon or salt pork
2 lb yellow onions (about 6)
2 lb tart apples, chopped (about 6)
2 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

Fry bacon slices in 12-inch skillet until brown and crisp. Set aside on a warm serving platter. While meat is frying, peel onions, leaving stems to hold for slicing. To prevent your eyes from watering, hold a slice of bread in your teeth while you slice the onions as thin as possible.

Core apples and cut crosswise in circles about 1/4-inch thick. Apple skins help the slices hold their shape and add color to the dish, so don’t peel unless skins are tough or scarred.

Drain all but 1 Tbsp fat from skillet, then add onion slices. Cook over medium-high heat about 3minutes.

Cover with apple slices in an even layer. Sprinkle brown sugar over all, cover skillet, and cook until tender, a few minutes more. Stir only to prevent scorching. Remove to warm plate with bacon slices.

"When the milk was heated enough, Ma squeezed eery drop of water from the rennet in the cloth, and then she poured the water into the milk. She stirred it well and left it in a warm place by the stove. In a little while it thickened into a smooth quivery mass. ..Ma cut it into little squares and let it stand while the curd separated from the whey. Then she poured it all into a cloth and let the thin, yellowish whey drain out." - Little House in the Big Woods pg. 188

Easy White Cheese: Great for breading and frying, stir-frying with vegetables, or by itself, this mild cheese will keep refrigerated for one week.

1 gallon milk
2 T. lemon juice
3 T. white vinegar
3 teaspoons chives

1 teaspoon dill weed

Pour milk into a large pot. Slowly bring the temperature up to 180F. This may take an hour. Stir frequently to prevent scorching, and hold the temperature at 180F for four minutes. Combine vinegar and lemon juice and add to the milk, stirring gently, until the curds separate form the whey. Line a colander with cheesecloth, and pour the contents of the pot. Tie the corners of the cheese cloth together to form a bag and let it hang to drain for three hours. The cheese will be solid when its ready. Place in bowl and salt to taste. Wrap and refrigerate. Yield: one pound. Variation: Herbed Easy White Cheese -- Add chives and dill to the curds before hanging.

Johnny Cakes were a staple of the Ingall's family as for many of that time period. The are mentioned particularly in On the Banks of Plum Creek. A Johnny cake is cornbread that could be made on a hoe. Originally called Journey Cakes for their ability to travel, the name was shortened to Johnny Cakes.

I found this recipe from 1796:

Scald 1 pint of milk and put 3 pints of Indian meal, and half pint of flower -- bake before the fire. Or scald with milk two thirds of the Indian meal, or wet two thirds with boiling water, add salt, molasses and shortening, work up with cold water pretty stiff, and bake as above.

Joseph Smith's Johnny Cakes

3 cups cornmeal

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons molasses

3 cups buttermilk

2 eggs – well beaten

Sift the dry ingredients, slowly stir in molasses and buttermilk and mix well. Add the eggs and beat hard for 2 minutes. Pour into shallow well greased pans and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Eat with butter and honey.

Teamwork Dinner

2009-07-07T21:05:00.005-06:00

The Story:

I found some amazing books on cooperative games, my favorite being Cooperative Games and Sports by Terry Orlick . . . I was interested in the author's assertion that aboriginal games were non competitive, non eliminating, easily played with a variety of ages, and simply fun. Our family has a problem with competition between themselves. "Who does it better Mom, me or her?" and "Look what she did. I behaved nicely."

Somehow, there is too much competition in our world, a belief that there is not enough love, approval, or whatever to go around. I knew I need to foster a spirit of "the team" with my family. I so want them to realize that what we can accomplish together is so much greater than what we can do alone. Now, I realize that this cannot be accomplished with one dinner, but, why waste a dinner when you can add a little learning opportunity with the time we share. Right?

So... this was our least organized and unplanned dinner, but there is a place for those because life is what it is and it doesn't have to be perfect to be worth it. We had some friends with older children join us and it really improved our activity. The bigger numbers made it funner, and my children idolize Trent and Erin who took such good care of them.

I had parts of the food pre-made; the fruit salad dressing, the chicken, the noodles, and the salad dressing. On two tables outside I placed a fruit basket, carrots and a grater, vegetables, knives, and cutting boards.

I began by pointing out the unappetizing look of the unprepared dinner in front of each person. Onions and a knife were in front of one, pine nuts in front of another, and so forth. I mentioned that as a team, they had a quest to fulfil in order to enjoy the feast to it's fullest potential.

I had several activities in mind, the books were full of so many great activities. But mindful of time, I picked a few.

First we made a sticky popcorn ball. Everyone scattered around the yard and Sunshine started popping like popcorn. When she popped next to another person, they stuck to her and the popped over to someone else until everyone was one large sticky ball. I would love to see 20 or so teenagers bouncing around together.
We formed teams and used blankets to throw and catch a ball. I required 20 successful throw/catches to fulfill the quest. I think this would be funner with a volleyball net and maybe more people around the blankets.
We played fruit cocktail. The fruit for our salad was in a basket across the yard. The group had to transport the fruit to the table without using their hands, feet, or mouths to touch the fruit.
Each individual picked a task that needed to be performed for dinner to be completed. They could ask anyone for help if needed. (slice the cucumber, grate the carrot, chop the pineapple, etc.) It was heartwarming to see Trent, a senior in high school help the little ones with tasks that were a little above them and to see help and encouragement given.

When tasks were complete, the separate dinner salad ingredients could be combined to create a whole that was greater than it's parts. While we ate, I asked for input on what our words had to do with our meal. I was lifted by the insights of the little and big ones. We discussed each individuals importance in the team effort. A team is made up of individuals working together for a common goal. Trent gave us a deep thought, "The name on the front of your shirt is more important than the name on the back of your shirt."

After our friends left, our girls chanted "Team ______!" as they carried in various items and assisted in clean up. "We're such a cool team Mom. We're _________." Sunshine stated. I'll need to do a lot of follow up, but it was a fine introduction to begin thinking as a team.

The recipes:

Asian Chicken Salad
This fresh tasting salad has an amazing mixture of flavors and textures and feels perfect for summer.

Dressing
1/4 cup sesame or olive oil (I use a bit less)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1/4 t hot sauce (I use chili paste)

Individual Ingredients
5 ounces angel hair pasta
3 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped (I cooked a chicken in the crock pot, leftover rotisserie chicken works well too)
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 cups spinach or other dark greens
2 shredded carrots
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
1 peeled and sliced cucumber
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and set aside. Cook pasta according to directions; drain, rinse and place in a bowl. You can combine the remainder of the ingredients in the salad, or let everyone make their own from the individual ingredients.

Cantaloupe Fruit Salad
Perfect sweet side for any BBQ. Does not, I repeat, does not need sweetener.

1 cantaloupe cut in chunks
1/2 pineapple cup in chunks
1 apple, cored and chunked
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup plain yogurt
1 t grated orange peel

Mix bottom 4 ingredients together and stir over fruit.

Summer Luau

2009-06-29T22:08:00.005-06:00

The Story: There are times when a dinner is more than a dinner. These times leave me feeling that the dishes and prep time are more than worth it. Friendships and made, needs are met and kids feel like they've had a celebration. Tonight was such a night.

I have the unfortunate habit of discovering friends right before they leave. Tonight was a repeat of that experience. A dear friend and I planned our luau. She suggested we invite a young family in the neighborhood who were moving in a week. We went to a local pool, had wet and screaming fun with water balloons and found that we had much in common. I then am left to wonder why I didn't seek out their fun company earlier. I could have enjoyed months of good times and done some good. This is a lesson for me to reach out to those who don't immediately come to mind.

The Decor:
Grass Skirts on tables from the dollar store
leis for all from the dollar store
My large collection of seashells strewn about the tables
Tiki torches (a favorite entertaining staple)
A plant stuffed artfully with leis for color
A seashell shaped dish floating lilies from the garden

The Recipes:
My friend Karma went to college in Hawaii where she met and married Ben, a fun loving sweet Samoan. These are their recipes they use for Luaus.

Kalua Pork

Pork Roast
Liquid Smoke
Salt
Water

Place Pork Roast in Slow Cooker or Slow oven. Cover pork with water. For every 2 cups of water, add 2 T. Liquid Smoke and 1 t. salt. Slow cook for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. shred with 2 forks and serve over rice.

Panipopo (Samoan Coconut Buns)

20 Rhodes rolls, thawed and raised
1 can coconut milk
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 T. flour
1 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rolls in a pan. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over buns and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Pina Colado Punch

Bacardi frozen concentrate
3 litres lemon lime soda
tons of ice
floating fruit

Summer Solstice

2009-06-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

Background:

June 21 is the longest day of the year and the most ancient and widespread holiday or celebration still in practice today. Anciently it was the most auspicious day for weddings. The term "honeymoon" comes from the moon phase at this time. It was believed to be the best time to harvest honey. Often solstice celebration food was made with honey. It was thought to bring fertility to the land and to the people. Herbs and flowers played a large roll in solstice celebrations. Many cultures wore flower wreaths in their hair or danced around flowered poles. Most cultures celebrated the evening around a huge bonfire, meant to give energy to the waning sun perhaps. Young men and women would leap over the flames, the higher the leap the better the crops. Late at night herbs were collected for the next year's medicines and use. On this night they were more potent than any other night. Young people placed certain herbs and flowers under their pillows to dream of their future spouse.

This year 35,000 gathered at Stonehenge, many across the globe participated in hike naked day, and others gathered to drink themselves into a stupor. In tribute to the sun and it's creator, we also celebrated Shakespeare's magical shortest night with a family dinner.

After a discussion of solstice, the power of the sun and our dependence on it we experimented to see if we could harness it's power. Inspired by Chef Tess, we created a miniature solar ovens out of pizza boxes, click here and here. Our Smore's tasted better to the girls because they cooked them in their OWN ovens.

Scene:
Bonfire or fire torches
Netting over our table
Double plates, white on bottom, flowers in the middle and glass plates on top
Edible Flower ice cubes (we used miniature roses and the water tasted magical)

Activity:
"Hunt" for candy bar qualities we would look for in a future spouse.
Flower garlands for hair
Picked herbs and flowers to place under their pillows to dream about future spouse.

Menu:
Honey Almond Balls
Honey Fruit Salad
Honey Dijon Crusted Salmon and Chicken
Honey Dill glazed carrots
Homemade Ice Cream

Honey Dijon Crusted Salmon and Chicken
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 T Dijon type mustard (the more flavorful the mustard, the better the dish)
1 1/2 T. honey
1/4 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 t chopped fresh parsley
4 fillets salmon or chicken (we used both, I prefer salmon, Briz prefers chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, pecans, salt and pepper, and parsley.
Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with crumb mixture.
Bake 12-15 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork.
Garnish each with a wedge of lemon.

Fruit Salad with Honey Dressing from Paula Deen
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 t fresh lemon juice, plus the juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 t poppy seeds
1/4 t salt
1/4 t prepared mustard
1 apple, cored and diced
1 banana, sliced
1 avacado, peeled and sliced
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
red or green leaf lettuce

For the dressing, combine honey, orange juice, oil, 1/2 t lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, and mustard in a jar with a tight lid; cover and shake well. Toss the apple, banana, and avocado with juice from 1 lemon to prevent the fruit from turning brown. combine all the fruit and nuts in a glass bowl. Add the dressing and stir gently. Serve on a bed of greens.

Honey Dill Glazed Carrots
1 lb baby carrots
2 T fresh dill
2 t orange juice
1 T honey
1/2 t lemon zest
1/4 t ground mustard
1/4 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper

Steam carrots until tender-crisp, 8-10 minutes
In a small bowl, combine dill, orange juice, olive oil, lemon zest, mustard, salt, and pepper and whisk until blended.
In a larger bowl, combine the carrots and dill mixture and toss to mix well.

Honey Almond Date Balls: quick, easy, and healthy snacks for energy!!!

Adaptation Dinner (Walk in Another's Shoes)

2009-06-16T20:03:00.010-06:00

The Story:

Today as we returned home from the pool, one of our favorite high school seniors was lying in our grass with a neighbor girl, Tessa. Tessa has many handicaps, and I am not certain exactly what they are but she has difficulty communicating,and will often use some sign language. "Why doesn't she talk?" my girls asked. "Why will she only walk with Steph?" I knew this was a discussion that merited more than a quick answer, though I gave them that.

At dinnertime, I sat the family in the family room. I talked about how we were each born with different physical and mental characteristics. Those of us with contacts raised their hands, those with anxiety raised their hands. Those with blue, brown, or green eyes raised their hands. Now, we are going to play a game. Let's pretend we were born with different traits. Let's each pick a quality that we will have to live with tonight. Each picked a slip of paper.

Ladybug experienced my sister Ivy, whose elbow was fused in a horrific fall from a cliff. (tube wrapped up her right arm so it could not bend)

Little Mother was blind (dark sock with a safety pin)

I was deaf (earplugs)

Sunshine walked in Tessa's shoes or someone who spoke a different language. All she could say for the evening was "moo goo".

Russ tried to experience the basketball girl's life and could only move around on his behind.

Our meal was different. I screamed as people who can't hear usually do. Little Mother felt fearful of falling, so she scooted around the floor, and kept asking others to help her with her food. Ladybug switched to her left hand, and found it wasn't quite as handy. Sunshine took a long time to learn to communicate what she wanted. After dinner, we talked about our feelings. Ladybug was frustrated. Little Mother felt frightened. Sunshine was frustrated. Briz sat on his heiny and didn't want to move anywhere because it was convenient. I felt isolated from my family since I couldn't hear them.

We then went into the study where I pulled up stories of people with handicaps who had adapted with great success. We spoke of Helen Keller, Arthur Ashe, The basketball girl, and a young man with autism who was cheered on in basketball by his school. The girls were fascinated and wanted more and more.

Briz and I then explained that all these people didn't give up, and found ways to adapt and thrive despite things in their life that weren't "perfect". All of us felt a bit more understanding of those we knew, and some we didn't.

Recipe of the Day: This is such an simple main dish salad with fresh flavors for summer. We Love it!
Rylstone Chicken Salad

2 BBQ chicken breasts, sliced (You can use leftover, I LOVE Grill Mates Mesquite Marinate for 30 min.)1-2 chopped shallots or 1/2 red onion, finely sliced. (I saute the onions as it is better for my stomach)
1 mango, sliced
1 avacado, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
grapes, halved
Mixed greens

Dressing:

Juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 tablespoon warmed honey

On a bed of mixed greens, arrange chicken, avacodo, mango, onion, cucumber and grapes.
Place all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake till well mixed. Pour over salad 30 minutes before serving time.
Keep in the fridge.

Shopping Mystery Dinner

2009-06-13T20:44:00.009-06:00

The Story:
After a week of surgery, a baptism, guests, and the mess that follows hostessing, we haven't much energy or imagination for fancy dinners. Yet, my crew still needs something out of the ordinary to break our monotony. I called them into the kitchen, gave them each $4.00, and drove to the store. Each picked out their own contribution to dinner. I wondered if we would dine on Trix and ice cream tonight. But if so, that was O.K. I wanted to stretch my little ones independence and give them the ultimate in choices.

We met at the front and purchased the goods. I admit, I went a bit over on my purchase... $4.87 for shrimp, but everyone else was under, so I feel o.k. about it.

At home, each person made their own dish to offer the family. Each item told a lot about the person who picked it. Meat loving Briz picked Maple Sausage and cooked it for us plain it patties. I always want to feel treated, so I made bacon wrapped shrimp with cocktail sauce. Ladybug is always concerned about health and brought home a cantaloupe.

Little Mother picked ice cream sandwiches, and our ever drinking Sunshine picked a frozen concentrate to mix with a carbonated beverage. Smiles of pride accompanied each meal donor as they offered the family their portion of the feast.

"This is a really good dinner." Ladybug commented, "but I guess it shows that everyone likes different things."

The Recipe:

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
jumbo uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound uncooked bacon, cut into thirds
toothpicks
Wrap bacon around each shrimp, closing with a toothpick.

Broil for 3-4 minutes then turn. Broil for 3-4 more minutes. Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce. (Mine is Bookbinders). Simply Heaven!

Teacher Appreciation Dinner

2009-05-27T20:34:00.016-06:00

The Story:

This year so many people have assisted Briz and I in raising our princesses, we wanted to show appreciation to three who left their marks on our family. Ladybug's two teachers have put in the extra time to find how much to push without pushing too hard. She loves going to school and misses Miss Valerie during the holidays.

I have been Little Mother's teacher this year, but Aunty Melody worked with her countless Wednesday mornings for a couple of hours so I could get a break. She was able to coach, teach and cajole where I as the mother had lost my influence.

We invited these teachers and a guest to our home for an Appreciation Dinner. In preparation, Ladybug and Little Mother pondered what they loved about these women then wrote it in tribute. They also helped make a tile for each teacher as an appreciation take home.

Each child sat by their teacher/guest. They were responsible for their guest's comfort. They offered appetizers, filled water glasses, and carried over each dish for their guest. Between dinner and dessert, each child stood and gave their tribute. After the meal was over, the girls couldn't resist a little showing off from the tree or the swing set for their teachers.

"I'll bet my teacher wants to come again for breakfast!"
"That was so fun! I thought you were going to take care of the whole thing. When I found out I had to take care of them I was a little worried. But I did just fine. I escorted them to the table and did everything I was supposed to."
"Miss Valerie is my best teacher ever. She even taught me how to hold my fork so I don't eat like a barbarian."

The Decorations:
Vases filled with limes and topped with flowers (we raided an abandoned yard for their wild roses.)
Napkins tied with jute and stuffed with a wild rose
Plaques for each teacher on a stand
Miniature potted shrubs ... they last all summer and look Mediterranean and cute.
Solid Red and Red and white tablecloths
Pitchers of ice water filled with sliced strawberries, limes or cucumbers

The Food:
Sweet Grilled Chicken
Cucumber Mouse Cups
Pink Blush Salad
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Rosemary Boule
Italian Cream Cupcakes
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Animal Crackers for the kids

The Recipes:

Sweet Grilled Chicken
The kids asked for seconds of this! That is exciting.
12 ounces 7-UP
12 ounces Zesty Italian Dressing
Chicken Breasts for 10-12 (I used 3 breasts pounded)

1. Pound out you chicken. No one likes a thick dry piece of cardboard. Place your breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound away!

2. Mix 7-up and dressing. Place all in a covered container or gallon zip lock bag. marinate a few hours or even better, overnight.

3. Grill 6-7 minutes or till done.

Cucumber Mouse Cups
easy and elegant
3 cucumbers
4 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
salt and pepper
bacon pieces
chives

Peel cucumbers and slice in 3/4" slices. With a melon baller, scoop out center of cucumber making a cup. Whip cream cheese and blue cheese till creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill the cucumber "cup" with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with bacon pieces and garnish with chives.

Italian Cream Cupcakes
This has been my favorite birthday cake for years... with the substitution of hazelnuts from Cuisine At Home, it becomes to die for delicious!

Whisk Together:
3 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Cream: Add
2 cups sugar
3 sticks butter, softened
6 eggs separated
2 T hazelnut syrup
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Beat; Fold In:
Reserved egg whites
1-2 cups coconut, toasted
1 cup hazelnuts, skinned chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two muffin pans with paper liners and coat with nonstick spray. (This way you can get huge tops to cover with icing and they will pop out easily).

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl; set aside.

Cream sugar and butter on medium speed until white and fluffy, about 5 minutes. It really does get white and fluffy. This means that air cells have formed in the mixture. Add yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in syrup and vanilla until incorporated. Mix 1/2 the dry ingredients into butter mixture followed by the buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients; blend just until incorporated.
Mix nuts with 1 T flour. This keeps them from all sinking to the bottom.
Beat whites to stiff peaks in a bowl with a mixer on high speed; fold into batter with coconut and hazelnuts. Fill liners to top with batter and bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. (25 minutes) Cool cupcakes in the pan for 20 minutes, transfer to a rack, when cool, frost with icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 T hazelnut syrup
2 T heavy cream, milk or buttermilk
1/2 lb. powdered sugar

Whip cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl. Add syrup and cream. Beat in sugar until creamy.

Garnish with coconut and hazelnuts. I've always been partial to a strawberry on top.

Hungry and Homeless

2009-05-18T21:23:00.009-06:00

Our family has tried to focus on gratitude this year. I wanted to use a dinner celebration to increase our gratitude and teach my children a bit about the world they live in.

The evening started a bit rough. Briz was not too excited about my plans. In his defense, he was concerned about his family's safety and worried that my good desires would cause me to do something foolish, as in the past. After we came to an understanding, we had a sweet sweet experience.

My achievement girls helped me make cookies this afternoon. We had a quick (low carb) dinner. A sandwich assembly line taught sandwich basics such as: mayonnaise goes to the edges of the bread, and mustard only goes on one side.

We toured our house, noting our full pantries, our extra rooms, our huge yard, our library and so on.

While driving we read Lilly and the Paper Man. That started a beautiful discussion. My children asked, "Why are people poor? Are they born that way? Did they lose their jobs?" We answered as honestly as possible, trying not to trivialize a very complex problem. They were fascinated and the discussion lasted till we reached a very poor and dangerous neighborhood. We drove through slowly, pointing out blanket covered windows, tiny unkempt yards, security chains on fences etc. Questions arose such as, "Why don't they take care of their yards?" and "Do they want to live somewhere else?" and "Are there good people who live here?"

A woman slept against a pole, obviously beaten and utterly spent. We knew she needed a kind thought and left a brown bag lunch next to her. We continued up and down the roads looking for those who needed food and a shot of caring. Our takers gratefully grabbed the brown bags and immediately began munching our cookies, apples, and sandwiches. One gentleman said, "God Bless you. I could eat six of these." We left him with two. One man shivered as he wrapped his blanket around his head. He had the sandwich eaten before Briz and Sunshine returned to the car.

When we reached a lull and did not find homeless at the usual places, we gathered the children around for a quick prayer. We asked to find those who needed both our lunches and a bit of hope. Within ten minutes our remaining seven bags found grateful and gracious homes.

As we drove home, we read and discussed Mosiah4:16-25. Some of it reads as follows:

Ye will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain.

Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just. But I say unto you, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent. For behold, are we not all beggars? do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God for all the substance which we have?"

As we drove out of town, we passed the lonesome battered woman once again. She had moved away from the bag, fearful of its contents perhaps. We stopped and reassured her. Her red eyes, puffy face and defeated demeanor deeply disturbed my girls.

Around and around the car we went, sharing our gratitude lists with each other. My heart warmed to my grateful and sensitive children. They prayed for each recipient of the brown bags, and hoped that along with the food, their hearts would be full, that they would walk a little taller knowing that we cared.

Little Mother said, "Can we do this again and again?"
Ladybug asked, "Who feels good inside right now?"
Sunshine just kept spouting her gratitude list and Briz.... he just reached over and kissed the back of my head three times and said, "That's for nothing."

Here is the lunch bag cookie that my kids were sure others would just LOVE. I must admit, they are so chewy they are addictive. They remind me of a chewy chocolate chip cookie that is peanut butter flavored.

Chewy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the corn syrup, water and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: 2 dozen large cookies

Star Gazing

2009-05-08T19:58:00.013-06:00

Today's post is a total bonus!!! I am giving out tons of fabulous recipes.

So, this evening, my sweetheart took the kids to work out at the gym. I currently have shin splits, so I went and luxuriated in the library. I returned home three minutes before they returned and I knew they would be hungry. I decided that it would be the perfect night for a star gazing party.

To begin, I cooked the quickest meal I could find that would hold everyone over till late when I woke them up for our midnight snack. Grilled Cheeseball Sandwiches!!! A lovely blogger posted a great cheeseball recipe for this snack, but hey, I'm in a hurry here. So... three ingredients, 3-4 minutes, and dinner! There aren't any side courses because... Shhhh. I want them to be hungry, for later.

Grilled Cheeseball Sandwiches
Favorite cheeseball (homemade would be to die for... but hey! I'm in a hurry)
Whole grain Bread
butter

Heat the griddle. Slather cheeseball onto bread, butter top and bottom, Cook, flip, cook and eat! How's that for simple!

At 10:00, the full moon lit up the sky. We set up our evening meal under the stars and went to wake our small ones.
They clung to us like sleepy Koalas until we deposited them outside, wrapped in blankets. Immediately they wakened to the charm of the night sky and the novelty of a night revel.

Briz pointed out constellations and the North Star. We watched a shooting star. We smelled the freshly cut grass. We listened for owls. We snuggled to get warm. (It was 38 degrees). We spoke in whispered tones so the night magic would stay. We dipped apples in Carmel cream dip. We bit into savory Pizza Pockets. We toasted the night sky with a Butter Punch.

The children were loathe for their special night to end, so we went on a moon lit walk. The moon lit up the pastures and we watched horses sleep, and ducks protect their ducklings under their wings. We returned home and warmed up with Amaretto Hot Cocoa and slipped our little people back into bed. We decided to make this a monthly tradition during the summer months- It was too magical for the children.

Here are some of the elements of our stargazing party.

Butter Punch
(I call it this because of it's unique smooth flavor. It is soooo simple, yet it is the perfect drink to match a savory meal as it doesn't detract with its own strong flavor.)

2 liters Diet Shasta Grapefruit Soda
1 can frozen white grape juice concentrate
lots of ice

Yep! That's it. I have substituted Fresca for the Shasta in a pinch, but it's not quite as good. This punch is great to serve at weddings.

Caramel Creme Dip
(As an apple dip lover, this is maybe the best- I'm not sure if I like this one best or the one with toffee bits. ) This is another EASY recipe.

Mix equal parts of Tom's Gourmet Caramel Sauce and cream cheese softened. I'm sure you could use a cheap Caramel sauce but you would get a cheap tasting dip. Tom's tastes like the best homemade Caramels. I guess you could make your own!!! I've got to try that.

Pizza Pockets

Pizza Dough- you can use the cans- I make my own
Pizza Sauce
Veggies -I used red and yellow peppers and onions
Meats - I used pepperoni and Canadian Bacon
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese
rosemary
Parmesan cheese
kosher salt

Saute the veggies in a little olive oil till tender crisp. Mix with pizza sauce. Roll the pizza dough out into 7x4 inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of the sauce/veggie mixture on the dough. Layer meat
then cheese. Roll dough over filling then pinch and seal. Brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan, kosher salt, and rosemary. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Castle Pizza Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Saute' garlic in oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Cinco De Mayo

2009-05-04T23:09:00.016-06:00

I was surprised to discover that Cinco De Mayo is not widely celebrated in Mexico. I assumed that it was their independence day, but it is not. It is a regional celebration to celebrate a Mexican victory against amazingly superior French forces. Anyway, it is a great opportunity to learn about a culture we rub elbows with regularly.

My greatest success with this dinner was involving the children. By enlisting them to help with the food and the decorations, their excitement lasted days longer than the actual dinner. Luckily Stefani at Blue Yonder just produced another Book of Days with just the right ideas for children and our dinner party.

With brightly colored tissue paper from the dollar store, we snipped "papel picado" banner like cut paper designs that traditionally hang in rows along Mexican streets.

With packages of disposable cooking trays, also from the dollar store, each child designed and poked a tin luminary.

Mexican Wedding Cookies made a simple cooking lesson for the week.

My friends all shared in the food preparation, and brought delicious enchiladas, pork tacos, salsa, chips, lime cilantro rice, and black beans. We truly had a Mexican feast. Have you ever tried Cheesecake Chimichangas? I don't know how authentic they are, but they are to die for. Truly. Heaven. Abigale Vincent from Texas shared the recipe with me from a favorite taco joint in her town. How lucky we are!!!

No Mexican celebration is complete without a pinata. To keep costs low, I purchased the lips pinata on Valentine's clearance at Walmart. I had the girls decorate it to turn it into something else. Though not elegant... they had fun and I didn't break the bank. I love to watch the different personalities as they take a wack at a pinata. Some are timid, others aggressive enough to break the stick, and others just plain enamored with the brightly colored hangy thing.

After all ten children had dented the strange face, the women had a go.

Every kid and adult secretly wants to be the one that breaks the pinata. I had the satisfying experience of hearing the crunch of the cardboard as the candy went flying.

The children favored us with a lovely rendition of the Mexican Hat Dance, then ran crazily around the back yard. Ole!

Cheesecake Chimichangas Recipe
1 package phyllo sheets
1 box Jello no-bake cheesecake
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cube melted butter

Make cheesecake filling according to directions then blend in the cream cheese. Cut phyllo sheets in half. Keep phyllo under a damp towel to keep moist and workable. Layer 2 phyllo sheets, and scoop in cream cheese filling. Roll like a burrito. Using a pastry brush, paint the phyllo wrap closed with melted butter. Deep fry until light brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve plain or with fruit. I served it with cherry pie filling and it was great but Abbigale served it with a raspberry sauce and it was heaven. Enjoy and let me know how you like it!!!

Top of the World

2009-04-28T10:03:00.010-06:00

We needed a quick and easy break from the normal tonight. I remember dining by candlelight on the top of a freeway overpass with a date years ago. It was simple but the change in scenery made it special.

Little Mother carried the lightweight table, I carried the picnic backpack, complete with tablecloth, candle, and sparkly drink.

The girls loved watching the world go underneath them. Many passing under us waved. We waved back. We connected with a world we did not know personally and discussed the amazing fact that so many people we did not know were going about their business and God knows them all.

The food was a complete hit. Sunshine gave the Southwest Pockets a "V", our family's victory sign for a delicious meal. The other favorite was a simple snack of Nutella and apples.

Southwestern Bundles are a classy take on a simple favorite. Try them. They travel well and are fabulous and easy... a great combination!

Southwest Pockets
(Makes 8 pockets)

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used the Costco canned chicken)
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup dry seasoned stuffing, coarsely crushed or seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds (optional but fun)

In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, green chilies, green onions, chili powder and cumin. Add chicken and combine; set aside. Separate crescent rolls to form 8 rectangles, pressing seams together. Place 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of each rectangle and roll up ends to cover filling. Seal edges securely. Dip each folded roll into melted butter and then carefully roll in stuffing mixed with sunflower seeds. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Top with Black Bean Salsa.

Black Bean Salsa - This is also a wonderful dip for chips. Trust me it disappears!

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped ripe tomatoes, drained
1-2 avocados, chopped

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onions, lime juice, oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Just before serving stir in tomatoes and avocados.

Picnic of Chance

2009-04-19T19:37:00.005-06:00

To celebrate Spring, we took a walk around our neighborhood. At each corner we rolled the dice, at an even roll we went right, at an odd roll we went left. In addition, we rolled to see which numbered food we would eat.

Our picnic consisted of 6 items: Mediterranean Wraps/Bagels, Kale Crisps, Sweet Potato Crisps, Strawberry Ladybugs, Soda, and Rice Crispy Treats. The roll of a six meant we ate the Rice Crispy Treats first. The roll of the dice continued till we had gobbled up the entire picnic.

The dice took us around our neighborhood in new ways. We picked out our favorite landscapes and houses. At one point my children said, "Mom, those people driving by are staring at us!"
"That is because they are wishing they could have such a nice picnic too."
"Oh. O.K."

Here are some of our picnic foods. The Kale Crisps and the Ladybugs came from Family Fun.

Mediterranean Wraps- So healthy and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
Rosemary Wraps
Gouda Cheese
Honey Maple Turkey
Olive Salad or imported olives, chopped
Mixed Greens

Layer the ingredients on a wrap. Roll up and cut in 1/2.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes - We eat these like candy... and no, I don't like sweet potatoes.
2 sweet potatoes, sliced thinly
olive oil
Rosemary
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cooking sheet with olive oil spray or cover with olive oil. Toss sliced potatoes with a little bit (1 T) olive oil till coated. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Salt and pepper and sprinkle with Rosemary. Roast for 16 minutes.

Kale Crisps- I knew these were a "healthy snack" but wasn't sure if the kids or husband would eat them. I thought they had a bit of a kale aftertaste. BUT, everyone had thirds and fourths. They all asked me to make it again. Next Time I'll experiment with a season salt.

Ingredients:
Kale
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coarsely chop Kale, place in bowl or plastic bag and toss with 1-2 T of olive oil until coated. Lay on baking sheet with none overlapping and sprinkle with salt. Cook 8 minutes or until crisp.

Strawberry Ladybugs
Strawberries
Red Grapes
Chocolate Chips

With a sharp knife, score the back of the strawberry to make the wings. thread the strawberry on a skewer. Top with a Grape. With finger, press in chocolate chips for spots.

April Fools Day Dinner

2009-04-01T22:30:00.003-06:00

I experienced limited success trying to give my children fun jokes today. I tried to redeem myself at dinner. Early in the day I unveiled the menu. Backwards, of course, because it is a crazy type of day.

Strawberry-Banana Lemonade
Cupcakes with a side of Broccoli Salad
Eggs over easy, their favorite
and for dessert, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

We dressed in our most foolish finery.

We dined at a most foolish table. Ties hung from the chandelier, boots held flowers, and the side dishes rode on trucks. (I love hot glue!) It was so fun to give the little truck a push and see it roll to the next person!

Ladybug kept flatulating when she moved. (poor girl was sitting next to me and I was thrilled to work a push button whoopee cushion for the first time so I got a little carried away).

Two at our table kept spilling their water because they had holes poked under the rim of their cups.

After dinner, we played truth or dare. Dad ran around the yard in his finery squawking like a chicken. We found that Ladybug's teacher caught her picking her nose. Sunshine stood on her head and drank water... and then went nuts with the whoopee cushion which was her favorite part of the evening.

Dinner was consumed. Everyone loved it. YEAH!!!!!

Cupcakes were meatloaf cupcakes frosted with garlic mashed potatoes dyed a lovely pale purple.

The Strawberry Lemonade was difficult to slurp through a straw, though we all had a great time trying, because it was jello.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches really were what they seemed. I just made the sandwiches with toasted angel food cake and the cheese was strawberry cream cheese mixed with Cool-Whip and dyed a lovely orange. Finally my sort of success on April Fool's.

Snow Bound Camping

2009-03-24T21:07:00.007-06:00

Our family does some of our best bonding camping. Our preferred way is as rough as we can make it. The further we are from any signs of humans, the happier we are. We are in the midst of another cold and snowy spell, I wonder if I can recreate any of the joys of camping in my limited time budget.

Ladybug is creative. I set her to work on the tent. With a stepladder, a tarp, an yardstick, and some packing tape, she creates a very credible tent in our front room while I start our Dutch Oven favorites.
Briz gathers the children around and tells them stories from our past camping trips. They then look at pictures and remember the time dad almost went crazy trying to defend us when a truck alarm went off. After recounting an owl sighting, they read a family favorite, Owl Moon.
We light the "fire" (candle) in our tent, eat, then roast marshmallows. My new favorite roasting marshmallows are the ones covered in a coconut. When roasted, they produce a crispy sweet and crunchy crust on the outside and for whatever reason, a much gooier center. We start roasting over the candle, then switch to the flame on our gas stove, because is was quicker. For singing around the campfire, we sang "Rose" in rounds and "I Love the Mountains". Even my reluctant singer took part. Have you ever examined the beauty of a pea pod? Hold it in front of a flame. The veins and peas are visible and it is quite exciting. Full and sticky, the small campers snuggled up in the tent to watch the movie Dash.

After dark, we took out the flashlights and made shadow pictures on the wall.

I missed the smell of pine, so next time I will spray the pine scent I use on our fake Christmas tree around our tent. The food was amazing but like most good camp food, not number one on the Weight Watcher program. Hot dogs only taste good in the mountains. But I discovered that Dutch Oven tastes just as good in the oven.

Dutch Oven Sausage and Vegetables
This is the quickest and tastiest Dutch Oven dish we make. Only the spices, onion, sausage, and potatoes are constant. The other vegetables are as you wish or whatever is at hand.

1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage
1-2 onions in thin wedges
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 sweet potato or potato per person (I love sweet potatoes in this dish)
Any other vegetables you have. I have used:
carrots
green pepper
mushrooms
turnips
parsnips
2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Saute the onions, garlic and sausage till onions are soft. Add rest of vegetables, stir till mixed and add the spices. Cover at cook at 350 degree heat for 30 minutes.

Apple Soda Dumplings
These tart sweet buttery morsels are as good and easy as it gets. This is a must try.
2 large Granny Smith apples
1 12 oz. can of lemon-lime soda
2 8 ounce cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick real butter - yes a whole stick
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Use a Dutch oven large enough to fit all apples in one layer.
2. Cut each apple into eight pieces. Wrap each piece in one crescent roll
3. Melt butter in the bottom of the Dutch oven and roll each piece in the melted butter before placing them in the bottom of the pan.
4. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle mixture over all apple pieces. Carefully add the soda so as not to wash away sugar from the dumplings. It will steam and look really cool.
5. Based on oven size, adjust the amount of briquettes on top and bottom and bake until dumplings turn golden brown. (in conventional oven 30 minutes at 350 degree heat)

The best part of this camping experience is that clean up was easy and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight!

Leprechan Kidnapping

2009-03-18T22:12:00.006-06:00

The Leprechauns came to our house on St. Patrick's Day. In the morning they left treasures for everyone, in the evening, they returned to do some mischief. Right before dinner the doorbell rang. One of my girls answered the door and found a note notifying them that the leprechauns had kidnapped their parents. Luckily they left clues so we could be rescued before the dinner got too cold.

After 10 plus agonizing minutes (for us with gags), they burst into our playhouse with their grandparents who were assisting them and freed us from our bonds.

The leprechauns, always capricious, left us a full meal set up in the playhouse. Though the accommodations were a little squishy for seven, we enjoyed BBQ salmon, snow white salad, bacon flavored green beans and mint brownies. The kids had Little Cesar's Pizza.

While we ate, the two older girls who just this morning told me privately that they knew that I left the treasures, wondered about the little green men. "What did the one that got you look like? What color was their hair? How tall were they? If they are only about knee high, how did they overcome you Dad?" Then they found two little green flies. They knew that the kidnappers had changed themselves by magic into those flies. We had to be very careful because they could hear everything we were saying. We planned to set a trap next year to curb their mischief, but it had to be done in code so our plans would remain secret.

So, we all had a WONDERFUL time.

I had plans for a creative leprechany dinner, but health concerns interfered and I had to do the best I could. Thus the pizza etc. Here is my absolutely favorite brownie recipe. It is not too cakey and not too fudgy. It is not super healthy... In fact, the brownies are the opposite. But I love them and can eat a whole pan. Sometimes I make a pan and cover it with a layer of cookie dough (without the egg) and top it with fudge icing. This time I covered the fudgy topping with a light green mint drizzle in honor of the day. The secret is in the corn syrup so don't leave it out or substitute.
Vonnie's Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 cups shortening or oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or just until knife comes out clean. Frost with favorite butter cream icing.

Butter Cream Icing:
Melt 1 cube margarine in pan. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 1/2 cup or so cocoa, beat together with electric beater or whisk. Add powdered sugar until desired sweetness is reached. (About 2 cups) Over low heat stir in milk teaspoon by teaspoon until the frosting takes on a glossy sheen.

Irish Anscestor Dinner

2009-03-10T19:32:00.007-06:00

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, I created an authentic Irish meal and used the opportunity
to connect my girls with some Irish great great great grandparents. I found the Downs they lived in and googled them to find pictures of the cities they would have walked when they would have walked them.
While dining, we looked through books on Irish Culture from the library and listened to Nightnoise, with many of the songs in Gaelic. After dinner, my husband read some Irish stories to the kids.

We told stories of the two grandparents as we passed around pictures from their hometowns. I explained the Irish love of Stout or Guinness. At the table, we each had a mini bottle of soda to pour in our beer glass to see who could get the largest head.

For dinner we had an Irish Bacon and Cabbage Soup that the reviews said was really authentic. It was o.k., everyone ate it, but next year we go back to the plain Corned Beef and Cabbage Boiled Meal because everyone loves it.

The real hit was the Oatmeal Soda Bread. We each broke off many helpings and couldn't get enough. The crust was crunchy and the inside was soft and mildly sweet. This recipe is also much lower in fat than other similar recipes. So, you had better try it for your St. Patrick's Day feast with some Irish Butter... Ooooh that stuff is amazing. It really is.

Oatmeal Soda Bread

3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8 ounce) container low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
In another bowl, mix together sour cream, milk, honey, and sugar. Add to the flour mixture, and mix just until well blended. Stir in melted butter or margarine.
Turn dough onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Shape into a round, lightly mounded circle, about 8 inches diameter. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter or margarine, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon oats. With a knife, score the top of the loaf into quarters.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until browned. Cool completely before slicing.

Secrets for a fantastic Bread and quick rise bread
1. Preheat the oven with a cooking stone on the middle rack and a broiler pan underneath.

2. Let any quick rise bread, muffin, biscuit, pancake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the soda and baking powder to dissolve and start to work, making a fluffier item. I let the bread sit on the baking peel while the oven preheated.

3. Pour 1 cup of water in the broiler pan when you place the bread on the stone or pan to cook. The steam assists the rising process, and keeps the inside moist.

Enjoy!

Gotta Wear Shades

2009-03-03T19:04:00.007-07:00

The sun cleared for a moment, turning my spring fever into spring madness. There is nothing for it but a picnic. It's too cold and dark outdoors, so I did my best to bring summer indoors in less than 10 minutes.

picnic table cloth
beach towels scattered over sofas and other nearby surfaces
sunscreen lying around
lawn and camping chairs scattered around the kitchen
beach umbrella stuck in a corner of my sofa
sunglasses/ swim goggles laying everywhere (everyone had to wear them)
sun hats hanging on our fake tree
Gipsy Kings music for that sunshiny island feel

Our picnic menu included tons of classics like deviled eggs, lemonade, chips, fresh fruit, focacia bread, kabobs, and dirt for desert. Enjoy two FABULOUS recipes.

Chicken and Bacon Shish Kabobs
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar (I used pomagranate because it was all I had)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
10 large mushrooms, halved
2 green onions, minced
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, chunked
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut in thirds
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
skewers

1. In a large contained mix soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey oil, green onions, ginger and red pepper flakes. Place chicken and mushrooms into the mixture and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 1 hour.2. Preheat grill for high heat. (I used my George Foreman again)
3. Wrap chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves and pineapple chunks.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook for 15-20 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade, until bacon is crisp and juices run clear.
*Note: I usually keep a jar of minced ginger and garlic from the produce department in my fridge. I also keep a knob of ginger in a Ziploc in my freezer. It is easier to zest that way and it lasts for months. I've had this knob for 7 months and it tastes great.

Dirt Pie with Worms
Serves 10

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages jello instant chocolate pudding
3 1/2 cups milk (skim works fine)
12 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
20 ounces Oreos, crushed finely
20 gummy worms (optional)

1. Mix butter, cream cheese and sugar in bowl and set aside. In separate bowl, mix milk and pudding. fold in Cool Whip. combine the two bowls gently by folding until combined completely.

2. Layer in individual buckets or in one large pot. Start with a layer of cookies on the bottom, pudding mixture, cookies, pudding and cookies on top. Top with gummy worms. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. (Not totally necessary, but it tastes better).

Note: Be creative in your packaging, sand pails are darling! I used a lined flower pot, then stuck a few cleaned artificial flowers in mine and used it for the centerpiece.

We did a little salsa dancing as the skewers finished cooking. I should have done the limbo. But WE FEEL WARM!!! I can't wait for warm weather and BBQ season.

Crazy Table Setting Day

2009-02-21T20:28:00.005-07:00

We have been serious all week, with sickness Monday through Wednesday. We need a dinner celebration that is fun and not a lot of work. Oh, I know! I remember a dinner my mom did for us when we were little that we thought was loads of fun. I'll see if it works for a new generation as well.

The kids need an outing... We'll go to the farm in 1/2 hour. I need a dinner that I can get a good head start on. We will try Chicken Supreme Pie.

I stick the chicken and bacon on myGeorge Forman Grill (Man I love that thing).
I place the bread dough in the oven over a pan of boiling water at 200 degrees.
I finish the pie filling and place it in the refrigerator.
Off we go on our adventure.
We return home at 5:15 and want dinner on the table by 6:00.

I finish dinner and while it bakes, I prepare the bags. We have seven for dinner tonight, so I number 7 bags. I fill each one with: 1) plate like object 2) something to drink out of 3) a utensil to eat with. There are papers with numbers 1-7 to draw for a paper bag.
For the plates I have used a pie tin, muffin tin, cutting board, griddle, fry pan, casserole dish etc. For utensils we have a ladle, tongs, meat fork, tablespoon, spatula, an ice cream scoop... For glasses we have an egg separator, a jar used to sprinkle pd. sugar, a pitcher, a thermos, a tiny cup, a vase and oh how I wish we still had a baby bottle or sippy cup.
Everyone picks a number. I explain that the numbers correspond to a bag which contains everything that they will eat with tonight. Oh the eruption of giggles when they opened their bags! The chitter-chatter at my table was fast and furious as all showed how they had the worst collection and there was "NO WAY" they could eat with what they had. My husband and I dished the food. (We had to be careful where it went on some of the plates) Giggles turned into confidence. "Hey look at me!" was heard over and over. The silliness of the evening turned into stunts at the table, such as spoon hanging or balancing things on our heads.

Result? Definitely a do again. It was a ton of fun and not much harder than setting the table. The jury is still out on the Chicken Supreme Pie. It was super filling...How can you go wrong with chicken, bacon, and mozzarella? I guess I would have liked it a bit more exciting or savory. Well, for the meat and potatoes folks, I'll share the recipe because it was easy, everyone ate it and it was different.

Chicken Supreme Pie
4 cups cooked cubed chicken
15 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
2 cups Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2-1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together and put aside.
Take a 10-12 inch greased springform pan. Cut 1/3 off the end of the loaf leaving 2/3 for the bottom of the pie. Roll the 2/3 portion into a large circle. Place in the bottom of the pan and press the dough up the sides of the pan half way or more.

Place filling inside dough.

Roll the 1/3 portion into a circle and cut it into 8 pie shaped triangles. Take the triangles and overlap them on top of the filling. Seal the bottom crust to the top crust by pinching the ends together like you would a regular pie crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Serves 8 hearty servings.

Valentine's Dinner

2009-02-15T16:51:00.007-07:00

Often, my girl's eyes widen as they watch me prepare for a party. They finger the silverware and seat themselves for awhile where they can drink the ambiance. Always they ask, "Is this for us?" Sadly, usually, the answer is no. Well, no more!!! The most special people in my life deserve to use the good china once in awhile. They deserve something fun to look at while they dine and a little extra effort just for them. So here came a good opportunity. Valentines' Day is one of the easiest dinners to spruce up because the elements are so clearly defined. Pink, Red, Hearts, Love... Simple, using things we already have.

Breakfast was celebrated with a fun morning table, pink and red balloons hanging from the ceiling and valentine's paper goods, that I purchased the previous year after the holiday for 75% off. We feasted on omelets and heart shaped scones with honey, cut out of Rhodes Bread dough. As I am normally a stickler for fat content and fried foods, it was a special treat.

I would love to go out to dinner with my husband and do something special, but for us, getting a babysitter is very difficult and very expensive. Plus, we don't love crowds. So, we decided for the present, to make Valentine's Day a family affair, a celebration of all our love.
For the table, I pulled out the gold chargers and gold tablecloth. Ribbons are wonderful table dressers. Two different ribbons in pinks run the length of the table. I purchased a small amount of gold sheer fabric on sale and hemmed the edges and sewed a jewel on each corner. This was crumpled up on the table and fake flowers were stuck in and out of the folds along the length of the table. For the centerpiece I filled my glass trifle bowl with water and pink floating candles, recycled from old taper candles that were too short to use. I differed from the instructions and used silicone muffin cups, but I'm sure cookie cutters work great and will try them next time for some fun shapes.

During dinner, we passed around a box full of questions, drew a slip, and answered the question listed. This was a HUGE HIT. Everyone wanted to answer all the questions, not just their own. This was a great opportunity to let everyone have their say and feel appreciated. Some of the answers were humorous and others informative. There are many versions of this floating around... you can probably download the questions somewhere.
Some examples of questions in our box are:

What is your favorite food?
What do you like to do in your spare time?
If you could ask your Mom any question what would it be?
What is your favorite restaurant?
What do you like most about Christmas?
What is your favorite thing to do?
If you could have any animal in the world-what would you choose?
What is your favorite indoor game?
Tell us something you are proud of.
What do you want to accomplish next year?
What is your most embarrassing moment?
What are Grandmas good for?
Who is not a friend of yours - but you would like to be?
What is the worst thing about being a kid?
What is your favorite way to help Mom?
What makes Dad mad?
Who helps around the house?
Grandma makes me happy when...
What do you like to do on warm sunny days?
What do you like about growing up?
What do you like best about your brothers and sisters?
What is your least favorite room in the house?
What time of day do you like best?
What do you feel when you look at a sunset?
If you could ask Grandpa just one question, what would it be?

I wanted dinner to be quick and easy so I could spend the day with the family, but look fabulous so everyone would feel fancy.

Bacon-Cider Pork is delicious and looks fancier than run of the meal dinners, but it is also fairly simple, with only 5 ingredients. This recipe makes 8 steaks. I halved it to serve 5.

Trim, Cut, and Season
1 pork tenderloin (1 1/2-2 pounds)
Wrap; Saute in 1 T olive oil:
8 strips thin-sliced bacon
Saute; Deglaze;Season:
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
2 T unsalted cold butter, sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Trim tenderloin of fat and cut into steaks about 1 1/2 " thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Wrap each steak with a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Heat oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high and saute pork 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Tip the steaks on their edges to brown the bacon, rolling them as they brown, about 3 minutes total. Cover and finish cooking to an internal temperature to 145 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove pork and keep warm; pour off all but 1 T. drippings.

Saute shallots for 2 minutes in the same pan, stirring constantly. Deglaze with cider, scraping up the brown bits and simmer 2 minutes. Then add butter, swirling until melted. Return pork to pan along with any accumulated juices and season sauce with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over pork and serve.

Miniature Chocolate Mouse Cakes are darling tea party food. They are small enough for each person to have their own, or share with one other person. Everything looks cuter when it's small. My friend Carrie shared the secret of using prepared shortcakes for a shortcut and I went nuts with the idea. The original recipe is to die for with raspberries, lemon curd and cream cheese. But to my husband, it is not Valentine's Day without Chocolate, so I improvised. The result was YUMMY. This recipe makes 6 cakes.

12 miniature shortcakes
3/4 cup milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup frozen whipped topping
1. Combine milk and extracts. Beat in pudding mix on medium-low for 2 minutes. fold in topping. Refrigerate 3-5 minutes.

2. Place two cakes, well sides up on two dessert plates. Plop a generous dollop of mouse in the center of the cake and top with the other cake. Finish with remaining cakes.
3. Frost with the remaining mouse.
I just love doing things like this for my family. It says I love you... I guess it is one of my love languages.

Chinese New Year

2009-02-10T20:55:00.004-07:00

One of the great thing about Chinese New Year is that though the date changes, there are celebrations that last a couple weeks, so I had a good window of time to find a day that didn't have gymnastics, dance, or basketball. My goal is to create simple family memories at the dinner table, so this isn't too elaborate.

I set the basement coffee table at 3:30 p.m. so I'd be free for homework and dinner preparations. Since we were sitting on the floor, the basement carpet is the only carpet I don't mind spilling on. The Siamese cat on the table isn't decoration, she is my Pywackit. I hung some paper decorations I bought at the local Asian market for $1.95 around the walls.

At 4:30, I started the rice in the rice cooker, and made the chicken. At 5:30 I stir-fried the vegetables, made Egg Drop Soup and sliced the oranges. When there was a lull, I downloaded the Chinese Zodiac and piled picture books and Chinese party poppers under the table.

We had some fun attire we purchased at an Asian import store years ago, so I invited the children to try them on.

The Egg Drop Soup was the biggest hit. Even my 4 year old drank her entire bowl. I'm not sure if it was the fun spoon or if it really tasted great. The fun really started when the kids took to the chop sticks. One ran to her room in frustration, then came back to master the sticks. The others refused forks and had a ball. While we ate, we found every one's animal on the zodiac. Before going back for seconds, my husband read The Empty Pot by Demi. Then those of us that could read passed around The Little Book of Chinese Proverbs and enjoyed the wisdom. My children all chanted to me, "Your kindness is engraved on my bones. " (traditional expression for "thanks a lot"). We giggled and giggled. We finished by having the youngest serve the lucky orange slices starting with the oldest, wishing us a prosperous and happy new year.

While cleaning, I found the party poppers still under the table, but the evening was a success anyway.

Red Sweet and Sours
4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 egg, beaten
Dash garlic powder
Cornstarch
Season beaten egg with garlic powder. Dip chicken in egg, then cornstarch. Fry until golden brown. Prepare sauce.

Sauce:
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
Dash salt
Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour sauce over fried chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes. Turn over every 15 minutes. It is done when there is not much sauce left in the bottom of the pan.
Note: 30 minutes was plenty in my oven.

Egg Drop Soup: From my clever friend Rebecca
5 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 T sherry (opt.)
1 sm. piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil (or to taste)

Bring stock, soy sauce, sherry (optional), ginger and garlic to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove ginger and garlic with a slotted spoon and discard. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes. Stirring in a circular motion, slowly add eggs. Simmer undisturbed until strands of egg are cooked, about 1 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions and sesame oil to taste. Makes 4 servings.

2009-02-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

I'll be up and running by Tuesday hopefully.