While Mom's Away.....

     I am thoroughly enjoying work right now.  My first day was last Monday, and although I have yet to do any actual patient care (that starts tomorrow) I find myself so content to simply be working on a regular basis.  As cheesy as it may sound, I get a little thrill every morning when I clip my badge to my chest.  Something about seeing that red tag with those big, bold, white letters "RN" makes me get a surge of pride and excitement.  It's a daily reminder of all I set out to do and accomplished, but it's also a humbling reminder to earn the right to continue wearing the badge for as long as I am willing and able.  I know that a lot of these feelings are related to the newness of it all, and I'm sure they will fade with time.  I only hope they don't fade too quickly or completely.  

     All this time away has caused a bit of an upheaval on the home front.  Poor J has had to pick up my slack by taking charge of Monkey, which includes getting her to and from school, packing her lunches, overseeing homework, and intercepting all messages from school.  Not to mention he's now in charge of dinner and most of the housework while I'm gone most of the day.  He has received these new duties with as much grace s is humanly possible for him.  He even mopped for the second time in our entire marriage yesterday.  It's been interesting to watch as he navigates these mostly uncharted waters.  And it hasn't been without its funny moments.  Take lunch for example, y'all have seen the cute-sie lunches I usually prepare for Monkey.  Let's just say that J has a more simplistic approach.  Let me present my case this way:


How Mommy does lunch:
      Cute and coordinated themed lunches that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are nutritious.

How Daddy does lunch:
     I think they're supposed to be lips....

How Mommy does breakfast:
     Bakes yummy Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins the night before so no one is rushed or scrambling to find breakfast in the morning.

Recipe below

 How Daddy does breakfast:

J (yelling up the stairs):  Kid, if you want to eat this morning you better get down here now and grab some cereal! We leave in 5 minutes!!!

How Mommy does dinner:

Begins the process several hours in advance, making sure to enlist the help of Monkey so that she's engaged and occupied.  Presents a hearty, healthy, and filling meal to her family with pride.  

Recipe coming soon

How Daddy does dinner:    

J (walking up to my car as I arrive home from work):  Are you full of germs?
Me: No; I didn't take care of patients today.
J:  Cool, don't get out.  I forgot to defrost the chicken.  I'm taking y'all out to eat.  


     As much as I love poking fun at him, my husband has been a great help these days, and I have every confidence he'll find his own groove soon.  Or at least I hope he does ;-) Now, how about a recipe before you go?

Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from two twenty one blog
Makes 15 muffins 

1/2 canola oil
1 cup 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Combine oil, pumpkin, sugar, egg, and vanilla.  In a separate, small bowl combine milk and baking soda; add to pumpkin mixture.  Next add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and flour to pumpkin mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Allow the batter to sit for 15 minutes.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Use a scoop to ladle batter into prepared muffin tins.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes away clean.

Race You to the Castle

     My poor little neglected blog needs a bit of an update.  I've been busily finishing out the last bit of Nursing school, and as a result I've been adjusting to the life of a "real nurse".  The schedule is not the typical 9-5 I've been used to, with twelve  hour days 3-4 times a week, and it's taken some getting used to.  Poor J has had a time trying to navigate this blog for various recipes, and I've had one too many nights where I've come home to a disaster in the kitchen with a note on the table saying, "The kitchen's a mess; don't judge me".  It's all a learning experience though, and I think we will make it out of nursing school alive after all... I hope.

     In my down time I've still been cooking as always, and of course I have a recipe in store for y'all, but in the meantime I am super excited to announce that my sister and I will be participating in the  2016 Glass Slipper Challenge :-D  This is a runDisney event that consists of the Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  Ultimately it's a Disney fanatic/insane runner's dream come true, and I'm going !    

     This is coming at a good time because the heat has me needing some motivation to run.  I've recently begun a weight training program by Jamie Eason, but I miss running.  With school ending soon, I'll have fewer excuses to not get out there.  Now I get to have fun picking which princess I want to be for a day :-)  

     Now I think I owe y'all at least two recipes since this poor blog has been so neglected lately. 

     

Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from The 36th Avenue

3 cups old fashioned oats  

1½ cups brown sugar 

5½ cups milk 

½ cup peanut butter 

3 eggs, beaten 

1 cup walnuts 
1 cup dark chocolate chips 

In a large pot, combine oats, milk, brown sugar, peanut butter, and eggs. Mix well and simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly, 20 minutes or until thickened. Once mixture is thick, stir in raisins. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and top with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve warm; top with milk or additional brown sugar if desired.

This made for a yummy breakfast for dinner meal.  That is, for everyone except Monkey, who has found peanut butter personally offensive for some reason.  Oh well, you can't please everyone.  This next one had a much better reception from all parties.   

Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry with Asparagus 

From Cooking Classy

1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces

• 4 1/2 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1 lb asparagus, end portions trimmed and remainder diced into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced*
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, then more for garnish if desired
• 1 Tbsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• In a 12-inch non-stick wok (or large and deep non-stick skillet), heat 1 1/2 tsp canola oil over moderately high heat. Once oil is hot, add diced chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through, tossing occasionally, about 6 to 7 minutes. Pour chicken onto a large plate and set aside.
• Return wok to burner, reduce to medium-high heat, add remaining 1 Tbsp canola oil. Once oil is hot, add asparagus, yellow onion and mushrooms, and red pepper flakes and sauté until tender-crisp, about 4 - 5 minutes, adding in garlic and ginger during the last 1 minute of sautéing. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl (or in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup) whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch until well blended. 
• Pour chicken broth mixture into skillet with veggies, season with salt and pepper to taste, and bring mixture to a light boil, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to gently boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Toss chicken into mixture and serve warm over white or brown rice, sprinkled with additional red pepper flakes if desired (note that this is best served immediately as the liquids from the veggies will begin to break down and thin the sauce).

    

I can be Lazy and Productive

      I have a problem.  I've been on break from nursing school for about a week now, and I feel like I've accomplished nothing.  And I'm okay with that.  I've been super lazy; spending my days relaxing with my husband.  Okay, maybe I haven't been completely lazy.  I have been bringing Monkey to Kindergarten.  Joel has me on a new workout schedule that's left me sore every day.  And I've been trying to be creative in the kitchen.  Today I'm making English Muffins.  They're currently rising, so I'll let y'all know how they turn out.  I'm hoping they're good.  I've also been trying to make Monkey's lunches more fun by packing colorful, cute food that make her want to eat healthy.  Today's lunch was no exception.

     Today for lunch I packed her three kabobs, made up of cubed ham, cubed mozzarella cheese, and cherry tomatoes.  To that I added a bit of Veggie Chips, half of a banana, green beans, cucumbers cut into stars, and a bit of Ranch for dipping.   I'm always worried she's not getting enough to eat, even though she typically comes home with a lunchbox that is rarely empty.  

     Well the English muffins are officially finished.  The verdict is in, and they are good!  J has already chowed down on a few.  The batch made 27, though, so they should hold him over for a bit.  (Hopefully.)  I got the recipe from AllRecipes, and there were a few commentors who claimed these weren't "real" English muffins, whatever that means.  But they're good, whatever they are, so I'll share the recipe anyway.

English Muffins

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted shortening

2 TBS white sugar

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast OR 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

Cornmeal for sprinkling

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it starts to bubble, but don't let it boil.  Remove it from heat. Whisk in sugar until dissolved, and set aside. Let cool to lukewarm.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water.  let stand about 10 minutes, or until creamy.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your KitchenAid if you have one) combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, melted shortening, and 3 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add salt and remaining 3 cups of flour.  Knead (or if you're using your KitchenAid simply change out the mixing paddle for you dough hook).  Place in a grease bowl, and let rise about 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

Sprinkle a fine layer of flour over your work surface, and turn out dough.  Roll out until about 1/2" thick.  Line a baking sheet with waxed paper, and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Using a cup or a round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of dough.  

Set them on the wax paper, and sprinkle the tops with cornmeal.  Continue until all the dough is used up.  Allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Grease your griddle, and heat to about 300 degrees.  Cook 5-10 minutes per side, or until light brown per side.  Allow to cool, and place in plastic bags for storage.  To use, slice in half, and toast.  Serve with butter, jam and cream cheese, etc.  There are so many options for these yummy little things!  

Things I've Learned from my Cat

     My cat has quite the personality.  He's my bratty diva, and he knows it.  I know not everyone is a cat person, but they should be.  After all, there's lots to be learned from cats.  I've compiled of list of life lessons my own little fur ball has taught me.

1.  If someone dangles something in front of your face, walk away.  That's right, you're too good for that "carrot before the horse" mentality.  Walk away with your head up, and once you've put some space between yourself and that arrogant asshole dangling the thing, turn around and attack their hand with all your strength.  That'll teach 'em.


2.  Don't let anything stand in your way. No, really.  If something is standing in your way, maul that sucker until it's an unrecognizable heap of shame…then play with it.


3.  If you want something, go for it.  I suggest by taking a running leap.


4.  If someone has the audacity to try to cage you, put up the world's biggest fight.  You're too full of life and potential to be held back by four walls.


5.  Let your feelings show.  That's right: happy, sad, manic, it's all good.  If you get urge to sing the song of your people at 3 am, go for it, and the neighbors be damned!


6.  You're not fat.  You have extra protection from disembowelment.  (Seriously, it's a thing.)


7.  If you claim something, that makes it yours.  Just make sure you hide it really well to make sure it remains yours.


8.  Take naps.  How else will you be able to party all night long?  Concerned about the neighbors?  See #5.


9.  If someone's not giving you the attention you deserve, demand it!  That's right, go full-diva.  Strut your stuff right in their face, and if that fails, lay down on their laptop.  That'll teach 'em!


10.  It's good to have a dog for a best friend.  Who else would you pin your bad gas on if not for the lovable mutt laying next to you?


     And since you sat through my randomness, regardless of your affiliation with cats, you deserve a banana split.  For breakfast.

Breakfast Banana Split (Greek Yogurt version)

Inspired by Pinterest

1 banana, split lengthwise

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 TBS honey, plus extra for drizzling  

Fruit of choice, diced (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pineapples, etc)

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

Mix yogurt and honey together.  In a separate bowl prop up two halves of the banana; dollop the yogurt mixture between them.  Top with fruit and oats.  Drizzle with extra honey as desired.  Enjoy!

Calories: 351
Fat:  1.5 grams
Carbs: 76.1 grams
Protein: 15 grams

Vitamin A: 2%
Vitamin C: 39%
Calcium: 18.9%
Iron: 7%

*These numbers are based off of the types of fruit I used, so if you decide to go with a different combination of toppings, your numbers will be a bit different.

Breakfast Banana Split (Cottage Cheese version)

1 banana, split lengthwise
1/2 cup cottage cheese
Fruit of choice, diced

Prop up two halves of banana in a bowl.  Dollop cottage cheese between the halves, and top with fruit(s) of choice.  Enjoy!

Calories: 229
Fat:  2.6 grams
Carbs: 42.3 grams
Protein: 11.3 grams

Vitamin A: 8.4%
Vitamin C: 44.9%
Calcium: 15.2%
Iron: 2.6%

*Same disclaimer as above.

Smooth Operator

     I've been on break from school for almost a week now, so you'd think I would have posted a new blog by now, but what can I say?  I've been busy catching up on all that nothing I wasn't doing while I was in school ;-)  I did get a few thing accomplished this week but nothing too noteworthy.  The biggest event was when my little Monkey "graduated" from her daycare on Friday!  She'll be starting Kindergarten this fall, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that.  She sure looked cute in her cap and gown, though.

   
        Here's hoping the transition from daycare to "big kid school" is a smooth one.  Speaking of "smooth", I have been on a huge smoothie kick lately, and of course I want to share a few of my favorites.

How's that for a smooth transition?  I guess I'm just a "smooth" operator.  ;-) 

     Last time I shared the Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie.  When a friend of mine saw it, she shared that she loves to put something green in hers, and that's when I decided to give this guy a try:

Green Smoothie

From Alida's Kitchen

1/2 Avocado

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1 banana, frozen and sliced

1/4 cup pineapple juice (I simply used the juice from when I sliced up the pineapple)

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender, and enjoy!

Calories:  322

Carbs:      55.9 grams

Fat:          12.2 grams

Protein:    3.3 grams

Sodium:    29.5 mg

Sugar:      34.1 grams

     I was a little weirded out by the idea of a liquified avocado, but it was really creamy and good.  However, I figured that was enough green to last me a while, not to mention my spinach crop shriveled up, and I ran out of avocados.  So for the next smoothie I nixed the green to make this:

 Tropical Blackberry Smoothie
1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen
1 cup blackberries, frozen
2 small tangerines (I stole a couple of my daughter's Halo's)
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tsp sugar

Mix everything in the blender, and enjoy :-)

Calories:  446 

Carbs:      65.4 grams

Fat:          20.9 grams

Protein:    8.8 grams

Sodium:    3 mg

Sugar:      43.4 grams

     This one has been my favorite so far.  I've made it several times, which is no problem this time of year when blackberries can be found in abundance around the base.  Monkey and I pick at least 2 cups every time we go for a run or a bike ride together.

     Now this next smoothie requires a little explaining.  What had happened was, I was craving a milkshake, but we had no ice cream in the house (mainly because J is deployed).  No biggie.  I simply turned to Google to find a makeshift recipe, and I found this:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake
from Yummly

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup milk
12 ice cubes

Mix everything in a blender, and serve.  This actually makes 4 servings instead of 1.

Calories:  442

Carbs:      30 grams  

Fat:           33 grams

Protein:    15 grams

Sodium:    300 mg

Sugar:       15 grams

      My only caution with this recipe is that you should start off with 1/2 cup of peanut butter and work your way up.  I did the full one cup, and it was way too much, even though I love peanut butter.

     Since that didn't really satisfy my chocolate craving, I tried again today to get my fix with this next recipe.  Oh, and I added something green :-)

Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

1/2 avocado

1 1/2 banana, frozen and sliced

1/4 cup walnuts

2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani's)

2 tsp sugar *optional*  (I have a big sweet tooth)

1/4 cup milk

Blend and serve.  Serves 2.

Calories:  311

Carbs:      38.3 grams

Fat:          17.9 grams

Protein:    7.9 grams

Sodium:   25.6 mg 

Sugar:      21.4 grams

     That got the chocolate monkey off my back for a while (I hope anyway).  The next smoothie doesn't have a picture, but it was another top ranking one.  The only thing stopping me from making it again is the lack of grapes.  Monkey ate them all :-(

Grape Smoothie with Oats

I'm sorry to the original poster, I found your recipe on my phone, and now I can't find the link!

1/2 cup black seedless grapes

1/2 cup-1 cup oats (1 cup was a bit much in my opinion)

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (Again, I used Chobani)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 banana, frozen and sliced

1 TBS honey

Blend and enjoy.  Makes 1 serving :-)

Calories:  601 

Carbs:      122.1 grams

Fat:          6 grams

Protein:    22 grams

Sodium:   63.7 mg

Sugar:      53.6 grams

       So there you have it.  An arsenal of quick, but yummy smoothies for breakfast or snack time.  I will probably be posting more soon considering I now have a freezer packed with pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.  I love spring time!

Spring-time Recipes

     I love this time of year!  The weather is beautiful.  The birds can be heard chirping away outside my window.  The blackberries are beginning to ripen.  Everything just screams, "Spring!"  I come alive during this time of year.  One of my favorite things to do it take Monkey for a run and then walk home, picking blackberries along the way.  Pretty soon, my favorite you-pick farm will be opening, which means even more fresh produce.  There's just no down-side to this time of year.  Well, except snakes, but we're not going there this time.

     With the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies at the store and in my own garden, it's so much easier to eat healthily this time of year.  Which is helpful, considering it's about time to drag out that bathing suit again.  In honor of bathing suit season I'm going to share a couple of healthy, yet simple meals.  The first one, Grilled Chicken with Strawberry and Pineapple Salsa, comes form the American Heart Association, and it was different, but in a good way.  You'll have to click the link to get the recipe.  It's copyrighted, and I'm not that big of a rebel (You hear that, Mom?).

     In addition to attempting to eat healthier, I've also been pressed for time in the mornings.  Thankfully I don't have to sacrifice nutrition (or taste) for simplicity or speediness.  Lately I've been throwing a few things in the blender, and drinking my breakfast.  This time of year is perfect for smoothies, thanks to all the fresh produce that's available.  Here's one of my latest concoctions:

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie
Makes 2 servings

1 banana sliced
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 TBS honey

Put all ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until nice and smooth!  Enjoy :-)

     Now I'm off to study for my final exams, one more week, and then I'll have a three week break!  I'm not going to know what to do with myself!!!

Mama Said Be a Nurse

     It's February now!  That means one month closer to homecoming, and I can't wait to have my J back home.  I need someone to keep Monkey entertained ;-)  February means this semester is almost over, and if I survive it, by the end of this month I will be entering the Nursing program (like, for real, y'all)!  I just have to pass Dosage Calculations first.  When I say that people are all, "Oh, you've got that," but I don't think they quite get it unless they're in the class.  "Passing" Dosage Calculations does not mean I have to simply not make an F.  In order to pass we have to have a 90 average.  Even when I tell people that, they're still insistent, "Oh, you'll be fine, you make A's all the time."  Then I have to dig a little deeper and explain we only have 4 tests, and each test has had either 10 or 20 questions on it.  This means each question is worth 5 or ten points, so if you miss only one or two questions there's your 90.  If you miss more....well...

     It's no wonder I ate half a pan of homemade brownies by myself over the past week.  I'm stressing out, but I'm determined to make it.  To fail this would mean waiting until the Fall to start the Nursing Program, and I'm so tired of waiting!  I just want to get started so I can finish.  I know there's more stress ahead, but I'm ready for it.  If I can just pass Dosage Cal...

    At any rate I found a rather funny Nursing video the other day, and I shared it with my mom because I blame her for telling me to go into this field.  Don't get me wrong, I want to be a nurse, but my mom has always pushed it too, so this goes out to my loving Mom.  It's all your fault, woman!





      I hope you got a laugh out of that video like I did.  Now let me share a recipe and send you on your way.  Here's another recipe Monkey and I made from her new Paula Deen's Kid's Cookbook Monkey received for Christmas:

Monkey Bread
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cans refrigerator biscuits (10 biscuits each)
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a shallow dish mix together white sugar and cinnamon.  Remove biscuits from the tubes, and cut into quarters.  Place each piece of biscuit into the cinnamon sugar and shake it around until it's coated.
At this point I had to help: Place butter and brown sugar into a small pot over low heat, and let butter melt, stirring to mix.  Once completely mixed, turn off the stove and remove from heat.
Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray; place the biscuit pieces into the bundt pan evenly.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over biscuits.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
To serve, turn Bundt pan upside-down on a large plate or a serving platter.  The Monkey bread should fall right out.  Let cool for a few more minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

Sneaux Day

     It's Tuesday afternoon, so by all rights I should be on my way to drop Monkey off before heading out to school, and I would be doing just that if it weren't for the fact that I live in the south and if it even looks like it might possibly freeze, sleet, or snow everything gets shut down.  Not that I'm complaining.  The drivers in south Mississippi are bad enough on a normal day, so I shudder to think how they'd handle driving around on something as foreign and as hazardous as an iced road.
   
     A day of no school also means extra time with Monkey.  Yesterday while everyone was at Wal-Mart stocking up on bottled water and canned food, Monkey and I were there gathering supplies for a few crafts to keep us busy.  Last night while she was sleeping I made Monkey a reversible superhero cape, using this tutorial I found on Pinterest.  It was super simple, and it only took me a couple of hours from start to finish.

Finally seeing her surprise.

She loved the personalized side!

"I'm Batman!"

You'll need:
Two types of fabric of your choosing, each measuring about 1 1/4 yards (I just got plain black cotton since I knew I wanted Batman, but I wasn't sure about the reversible side going into the project.)
Thread to match
Felt for your superhero symbol in appropriate colors (For free templets, click here)
Chalk

Fold one of your pieces of fabric in half, and draw a rough cape-shape.  It should look like this:

You can use a small plate or a bowl to make the neck nice and circular, and I cut mine all the way to the end of the fabric.  If your child is shorter, you can always hem it later.  Cut it out.  Fold your next piece of fabric in half, and use the one you just cut out as a template to make sure they are the same size.  Make your superhero emblems.  You can either free hand them like I did or you can go here for a tutorial and printables.  Sew one symbol on each half of the cape, making sure to line each up in the middle of the fabric.  Once the symbols are sewn in place, lay out one of the capes with the symbol facing up.  Lay the other one on top with the symbol facing down.  Pin them together, leaving the bottom unpinned, and then sew all along the edges, except for the bottom edge.  Turn the cape right side out, and hem along the bottom once you've tried it on your child to get the length right.  You can either tie the cape, or you can add velcro or buttons to it to fasten.  Because mine was a little big on Monkey, I left it to be tied.

   She was so excited when she came downstairs to find it waiting for her.  She promptly put it on and dubbed herself "Super Bat Girl".  After that we made Green Eggs and Ham from her Paula Deen Cookbook she got for Christmas.  She loves that cookbook, and it has really simple and fun recipes for kids.

Even superheroes get hungry!

Paula Deen's Green Eggs and Ham
from Paula's My First Cookbook

3 eggs
1/4 cup minced ham
1 drop blue food coloring
Salt and Pepper to taste

   Have your little one crack the eggs into a medium sized bowl, and then let them whisk the eggs until well blended.  Add one drop of food coloring.  Add the salt and pepper as desired.  Have your little one stir the eggs again.  (Depending on their age you may have to take over here.)  Cook the minced ham over medium heat in a medium skillet for about 3 minutes.  Pour eggs mixture on top.  Scramble until cooked through.  This makes just enough for two people.

   After breakfast, Monkey planted Pink Cosmos and Forget-Me-Nots in her little greenhouse containers I found at Walmart for $1.00 a piece.  Freezing or not, I have a feeling the little seeds will be just fine in my warm house, sitting up my window that provides sunlight for more than 8 hours a day.  That's one good thing about the south, you can count on it getting warm again rather quickly no matter how cold it gets.

   Next we made bird feeders to put outside tomorrow after all the rain/sleet/snow has passed.  I remember making these as a kid myself.  You simply cover a pinecone in peanut butter and then roll it in bird seeds.  Add a string, and you can hang it from a tree near a window where you can watch for birds.  Monkey thought it was so cool that we were going to feed the birds.

I love the look on her face in this one, because she hates peanut butter.  She couldn't understand why the birds would eat the seeds if they had peanut butter on them.

Ta-Da!

    Now I better get off of here to make sure Monkey's really cleaning her room like she's supposed to.  I'm not holding my breath.  Before I go, let me share something I saw on Facebook that's rather fitting:

Winter in the South

Breaking in my Christmas Gifts

     I hope everyone here had a wonderful Christmas.  I know we certainly did.  We spent 3 days back home, and it was just enough for Monkey to stock up on what looked like a year's worth of toys and clothes.  As much as I enjoy my visits home, I always look forward to being back in my own house, and especially in my own kitchen.  This year for Christmas my amazing husband surprised me with a bread machine under the tree!  He joked that with this I could make bread, and still be able to use the oven to cook him dinner.  I know I may sound like someone out of the dark ages, but I was amazed how easy it was to dump the ingredients in the pan and let it do it's thing.  I kept running back to it to make sure it was all okay.  I'll admit, I was a little hesitant to believe that the bread would come out as good as my hand-kneaded with love recipe, but much to my amazement, it was better!  So here's the recipe I used for my bread machine to make a 1.5 lb loaf of white bread:

1 cup warm water
3 TBS vegetable oil
3 TBS white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Dump your liquid ingredients into the pan first.  Next add the dry ingredients, saving the yeast for last.  You don't want your yeast to touch the liquid ingredients.  Place the pan into your machine and set it to Basic (or White Bread, depending on your machine).  Let cool on wire rack before slicing.

    You have no idea how excited I was that the bread just did its own thing while I was able to scurry around the house, putting away all our other holiday goodies!  Another present I was excited to try out was my first ever cast iron skillet!  I've been wanting one for a long time now, so when I opened the present from my Grandma, I couldn't wait to get it home to break it in.  After the initial breaking in of the skillet, per my step daddy's directions, I decided to try it out on breakfast.  We always have grits and eggs for breakfast on the weekend, and I always have leftover grits.  Instead of throwing them out, I made these yummy grits cakes: (The following comes from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible)

When you make grits, pour your leftovers into a widemouth mason jar or another cylinder container.

Let them sit in the fridge overnight.  When you're ready to make breakfast, pull them out and run an offset spatula or thin knife around the edge to loosen them from the container.

Slice the grits "log" into 1/2" slices.

 

Heat some butter (I used 3 TBS per batch) in a skillet, and add grit cakes.  Cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and heated through.

Enjoy :-)

And now I'm off to break in yet another Christmas present: The Big Bang DVDs

When I Get Bored, I Stop Being Bored and Get Awesome Instead

     Today I learned something about myself, and that is that I shouldn't be left to my own devices.  That goes double if I have access to internet and Pinterest.  Earlier while Monkey was watching a movie, I was perusing Pinterest, and I came across this:

     Of course I took advantage of the fact that Monkey was occupied and raced upstairs with yarn, scissors and tape in hand.  The plan was to surprise her and make if fun by asking her to rescue one of her "X-men" from her room.  (She's recently renamed all her toys to either Avengers or X-Men characters.)  Needless to say, I'm winning the Awesome Mom Award this year :-)

     I didn't stop there, though.  You see, last night J had the 0-400 watch (midnight to 4 am), so today he slept until about 1:00 pm.  That gave me plenty of time to have this waiting outside our bedroom door for him :-)

His initial, "WTH?" moment.

Shortly followed by, "Let's get down to business".

If you want to see J's trip through the lasers, here you go:
  

(Warning: I have an obnoxious laugh, and I provide the background music.)

     Not all of my day was spent being awesome yet unproductive; part of it was spent being awesome and productive.  :-)  I got to try out a new recipe from one of the cookbooks my Grandma sent to me a while back.  This one is called The Best of Country Cooking.  I have liked everything I've sampled from this book, but what I made today was too good not to share.

Ta-da!

 Cinnamon Raisin Bread
(Makes two loaves)
For the bread:
1 (1/4 oz) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
5 3/4- 6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups raisins
1 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS water

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 TBS milk

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a mixing bowl.  Add milk, 1/3 cup sugar, oil, salt, and 2 cups flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

Punch down dough.  On a lightly floured surface, divide in half.  Roll each into 15"x7" rectangle.  Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough.  Sprinkle with water.  Starting with a short side, roll up tightly, jelly-roll style.  Pinch seams and ends to seal.  Place seam side down in two greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pans.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves.

Enjoy! :-)