NAME THAT CAT!

My good friend Camille is giving away some lip gloss if you can name her cat! So get to thinking, and NAME THAT KITTY CAT!

Summer Recipe Challenge 2009 - WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Jennifer Ginelli of Party MOMster You and your Spinach Lasagna just won!

*********************************************** CONGRATULATIONS! Audrey Freisen of Audrey's Favorite Recipes You just won the "2nd Chance Drawing" A big THANK YOU to everyone who entered and to all our sponsors. This was a lot of fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crepes

YUMMO: I have never made crepes before so if this isn't how they are supposed to look, I'm sorry. I served these crepes when my parents came over one evening. I did most of the work ahead of time and then assembled them on the spot. Everybody went nuts for them. They took a lot of patience to make and I wouldn't recommend making them with two kiddos hanging on ya. But they were fantastic and I can't wait to try and make them again the next time I need a desert. Batter: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tbsp. Sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 cups milk 2 eggs Filling: 8oz cream cheese, softened 1 carton whipped topping, thawed 1/2 C Confectioner's sugar SAUCE 2 1/2 C chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb (1" pieces) 1 C water 1/2 cup sugar 2 tbsp. grated lemon peel 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup sliced fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 3-4 drops red food coloring, optional In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, water, sugar, lemon peel and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until rhubarb is soft, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in strawberries, lemon juice and cinnamon. Add food coloring if desired. In a large bowl, combine filling, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a 8" nonstick skillet, melt 1 tsp. butter. Stir batter; pour about 2 T into the center of skillet. Lift & tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, add butter as needed. When cool, stack crepes between waxed paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat the filling ingredients until smooth. Spread 2T on each crepe; roll up. Top with sauce.

Rio Sweet Pork

I loved this recipe! It was so versatile and my entire family ate it. It was super easy to cook the pork overnight. I am absolutely in love with the dressing and our family has been putting it on the table almost every meal now. I loved that I could give my kiddos the rice and beans on the side. We served ours as tacos with rice, beans, pork, dressing, fresh lettuce, and some guacamole! FANTASTIC, and made TONS of leftovers. We ate it as a salad the next evening. 



2 pounds pork (I used boneless pork Tenerloin) 
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)  
1 ¼ C brown sugar  
dash of garlic salt  
1/4 cup water  
1 can diced green chilies  
3/4 can enchilada sauce  

Marinate: 1 ½ can of coke and ¼ C brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight. Drain marinade and put pork, ½ can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock-pot on low for 6- 8 hours. Remove pork from crock-pot and drain any liquid. Shred pork.  

In a food processor or blender, blend ½ can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste.). If it looks too thick, add more Coke slowly 

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock-pot and cook on low for 2 hrs.
 

Cilantro Ranch Dressing  

1 Pkg dry Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK) 

1 c. Light Sour cream 

1 c. skim milk 

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro 

1 clove garlic 

juice of 1 lime 

diced Jalapenos to taste  

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

 

Cilantro-Lime Rice  
2 C cooked rice (long-grain, brown rice) 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice 
3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro  
Once rice is cooked add all ingredients together.

Caribbean Salad

SALAD

Lettuce (I used Romain and Spinach)

Corn (I used left over corn on the cob)

Black beans

Fresh Pineapple Chunks

Pineapple chunks

Your favorite teriyaki sauce

chicken

pico de gallo (sometimes I just use fresh salsa and drained the juice out of it)

Marinate the chicken in Teriyaki sauce for atleast 2 hours - grill and cube. Dice all ingredients and add all other components.

HONEY LIME DRESSING

1/4 c Grey Poupon mustard (the smooth kind)

1/4 c Honey

1 c Sour Cream

1 T Olive Oil

1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 t lime juice

Blend all together, cover and chill. Make ahead so the flavors have time to mesh

Blue Berry Chicken Salad

2 C fresh blueberries 2 C cubed cooked chicken breast ¾ C chopped celery ½ C diced sweet red pepper ½ C thinly sliced green onions 1 carton (6 oz.) lemon yogurt 3 Tbs. mayonnaise ½ tsp. Salt Set aside a few blueberries for garnish. In a large bowl, gently combine the chicken, celery, red pepper, onions and remaining blueberries. Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise and salt; drizzle over chicken mixture and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Top with reserved blueberries. Great on a Salad or as a sandwich. This recipe was great, perfect for a girly lunch. It was also great because I could use leftover grilled chicken! I left out the red pepper for no other reason then I just forgot to get one at store. I had my mom over for lunch and we whipped this up in no time at all. We opted to have it on toasted rye bread. YUMMY! The best part of this recipe was it got me thinking. I wonder if something like "Orange Chicken Salad" could be made. I'm so going to try making chicken salad with : Teriyaki Chicken, Orange yogurt, pineapple chunks, toasted cashews, and green onion. I"ll let you know how it goes.

Margarita Chicken

I love any recipe that starts with Margaritas! Ingredients: 1 pitcher of Margaritas 3 lbs boneless chicken breast 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1/2 T chopped garlic Salt and pepper to taste Cheese & your favorite salsa Directions: Marinate Chicken, Cilantro and garlic in 2 cups of Margarita Mix (including Tequila) for 4-8 hours in the fridge. Drain chicken and season with salt and pepper, then grill the chicken. Serve topped with salsa and Cheese, along with a pitcher of Margaritas! Chicken is great on rice or in quesadillas and salads. Great left over! I loved the recipe, because it was so versatile. And I'm gonna be honest, If I have to make margaritas for a recipe, I'll do it. And if the recipe says to drink those margarita's, I'm gonna do it. That is just the kind of cook I am. ;) Once again my kiddos loved it and it was great left over. We served ours on whole wheat cilantro lime rice, topped with cheese and onions. For a side dish I threw some corn on the grill. Wowo! I'm almost not even cooking this meal,,,, the grill is doing all the work! The Chicken had tons of flavor so we opted to leave the salsa off. The next night we ate the chicken in quesadillas and my family went crazy for them. A great Summery recipe to add to my collection.

Spinach Lasagna

This was such a Yummy recipe, and OH SO EASY. I'm not sure how I have lived this long without knowing about NO-BOIL noodles. They even come in whole wheat! This recipe was easy for me to make because I had most of the ingredients on hand already. I also loved it because it was super healthy and I felt great about feeding it to my family. I also loved that I could have easily added any number of other ingredients ie; leftover chicken, olives, mushrooms. It also looked great and could easily be used when having company over. I served it with a simple green salad and TaDa I'm a fabulous Chef who spent all day cooking, wink wink. I loved it and my family loved it! I will definitely be making this AGAIN! Harry Loved the noodles!

"my tummy is the lasgunas home" - Emma

Fire Cracker Pony O's

Fire Cracker Pony O's are popping up all over my house. Be sure to get your before they are gone! Every set comes with a prize!

Here are my choices!

Thank you to all who sent in recipes! Here are the 6 recipes I will be making. Yes I know I said I was going to make 5. However, there were so many lovely recipes I wanted to try that I had to make 6. I will eventually make all of them.

(In no particular order) Margarita Chicken Blueberry Chicken Salad Rio Sweet Pork Spinach Lasagna Strawberry Rhubarb Crepes Caribbean Salad

I'm pretty sure my husband is going to go crazy when he sees the grocery bill. Eeek!

************************* It's not too late to enter the "2nd Chance Drawing!" All contestants are automatically entered in this drawing. Would you like 7 extra chances to win? Here's how:

• "Follow" this blog. Already are? remind me in a comment!
• Share the love and make a post about this contest on your own blog with a link.
• Do you still want more? Get up to 5 extra entries : Leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite item is from each of these lovely shops.

Now for the GOOD STUFF!

The Grand Prize Package includes: ( a $70.00 Value!) Half and Half Apron - from Amber's Ambry This adorable little apron is a blend of Vintage and Modern Fabrics. Be stylish while you cook! Be sure to Check our Amber's BLOG!

Vintage Bottle Cap Magnets from Boutiki a la kiki

Completely unique, colorful and fun, and they're upcycled and reused which is great for our beautiful earth!

Fiesta Napkin Rings- Set of 4 From Divine Designs Pretty opaque seed beads in bright yellow, red and turquoise blue set off the center glass bead beautifully!

Set of 4 Glass Bead Wine Charms From Emily Houtz Keep track of your wine glass with artist flair!

Be sure to check out Emily's Blog! 2nd Chance Drawing Prize Package Includes: ($20.00 Value) Vintage Bottle Cap Magnets from Boutiki a la kiki

Completely unique, colorful and fun, and they're upcycled and reused which is great for our beautiful earth!

Reusable Sandwich wrapper and napkin set from BisForBadger Lunch in style with this Eco-friendly set. Keep those plastic baggies out of the landfill! This set is perfect for school lunches, work, and picnics.

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A BIG THANK YOU to all the sponsors for providing such lovely prizes!

Let's Get Cooking!

"Hi my name is Shelly, and I'm addicted to Facebook"

My lovely blogger friend Alyssa posted an interesting blog about facebook this morning and it got me thinking, yea I'm addicted to Facebook, and I don't care who knows it. Okay addicted is not a strong enough word! As I am writing this blog I have two windows open on my computer, Blogger and Facebook. It is the first thing I check in the morning and anytime throughout the day when I get 5mins. Ialso probably say "google it" about ten times a day. Oh, and I also "think in tweet" I think for us stay at home mommas it's a way for us to stay in touch with reality and take a break from sippy cups and dirty diapers. I would be lost if I couldn't find out "whats on your mind". I wonder if some day there will be a "Facebook Anonymous"? "Hi my name is Shelly and I'm addicted to facebook"

Lets hear it for the boy, ahh lets give the boy a hand....

A few weeks ago my husband randomly said to me "I love reading your blog" Say Whaa? You read my blog? Why on earth would he want to read my blog, as if its not enough that he has to live with me! In my utter state of shock at this revelation I said "why?" His response was he liked reading and seeing a different side of me and my perspective on our lives. Oh, interesting I thought. So, I said that if he ever wanted to write something for my blog to inform my readers what our lives are truly like, he was more then welcome. Last night he showed me an E-mail it was titled "BLOG". OH CRAP! He actually wrote something and I'm going to have to publish it because I said I would. Sometimes it sucks being a person who keeps their word. When I opened the E-mail this is what I found: ************************************************** So, I don't know much about meditation... but I think I've been experiencing something very close to it. On most mornings I get up with Harry (the 10 month old stink butt) sometime around 5:00am and feed him a bottle. Now, keep in mind, he doesn't actually get "up" and ask for the bottle (wah, wah, wah). It’s just something my wife and I decided to do in order for him to sleep until 8 or 9 am. And I will be the first to admit, sometimes I have a hard time dragging myself out of bed at that time, or I think I’m too busy getting ready for work to stop and hook up the H-man with a little milk. But, once I get in there and gently pick him up out of his crib… then hold him in the rocking chair and feed him… I’m reminded of how great life is. He’s pretty much half asleep, so you can imagine how sweet he is at that time. Occasionally he will open one his eyes and look up at me, telling me in his own little way how safe he feels with me. He sinks into my arms, his tiny little hands "help" hold the bottle, and his little feet drape over my arm. Anyways, that’s that… those few minutes start my day off great... and I’m so thankful for that little guy. Husband *********************************************** Thanks Honey! I'm speechless

UP and AWAY

Today we had girls day out! We hired a babysitter for Harry and hit the town. We had a lovely lunch outside, and then went to the movies. We saw UP in 3D!

Emma is explaining to me about all the candy she "needs"

Flower Skirt

Last week when Melissa sent my daughter a headband, I knew I had to make a skirt to go with it. It ended up being a little long, but thats what I get when I sew after she is in bed, I can't have her try it on. I'm pleased with how it turned out, and I think it will fit her for a long time, I can't wait to try it with tights this winter!

She was a bit tired and goofy during this picture.

We have a Dave fan on our hands

My husband is a huge Dave Matthews fan.... and if I'm being honest with myself, I'm am too. His music is daily being played at our house. So when Dave was on the Morning Show, our children were mesmerized, and I can't say I'm surprised. It must run in our blood.

Okay I know you have recipes! SO ENTER NOW! Please don't make me beg! I have over $100.00 worth of prizes!

Snail Mail Treats

I LOVE snail mail. Our mail box is down the street and around the corner for us. So, if I'm going to make the trek up there, there better be something waiting for me. Coupon, Junk, Bill, I don't care, just SOMETHING! Luckily I have a friend who loves genuine, hand written, authentic, mail too. Which means on occasion, I get an absolute treat. When she phoned to say she had sent me a small package in the mail my heart began to beat wildly! Oh a package, for Moi? YIPPEE! When It arrived I tore it open to find all sorts of goodies for my daughter and I!

This is a lovely little needle case. She knows how I have been storing my needles (not properly to say the least) and made this for me. It is so cute and will keep my needles safe. She also sent along this "Children's Needle" for Emma. Emma loves sewing with me and doing "Craps" (crafts) I can't wait to help her sew with this! This is a Sugar Cookie and Spoon Set that she made for Emma to go along with our other Felt Food. This adorable little headband makes me just swoon. It is so lovely and summery! She sells them in her shop and I was so honored that she gave one to me for FREE. I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I think I will have to talk her into doing a GIVEAWAY! hint hint

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So here's the moral of the story: I know you have at least on person you can send a piece of mail to. Brighten there day and send them something.

Thanks for making my day Melissa!

FREE APRON!

FREE APRON!

I made this lovely little apron for a GIVEAWAY at Wichita Handmade. No stings attached, just enter and win!

Lemonade with Norma

I have a lovely neighbor named Norma. Emma is always so interested in her because she is retired and thus stays home like us. Emma loves to wave at her and watch her work in her garden. So when Norma asked if we would like to come over for some lemonade, we made some cookies and headed over!

We drank some Lemonade, ate some cookies and read a book We played a little Hide and Seek We explored Norma's yard We had a great time, Thanks Norma!