The Best Ruined Soup Ever

     I love this time of year!  It's starting to get chilly here in the South, and it puts me in the mood for warm soups, gumbo, freshly baked bread, and savory desserts!  C'mon, y'all have known me too long to be surprised by the fact that I ended that sentence with food.  Which brings me to the reason I'm writing tonight.  It was chilly earlier this week, so I decided it would be a nice change of pace to make some grilled cheeses with some tomato soup.  I started following this one recipe before realizing that it was not the same one I had used to make my grocery list.  I quickly switched over to following this recipe, convinced that I had ruined the whole thing, but too stubborn (and cheap) to throw the concoction out.  I'm glad I didn't, though, because what resulted was what J deemed, "the best tomato soup I've ever had!"

Ruined Tomato Soup

1/2 onion

1 medium-sized carrot, peeled

1 celery stalk, end trimmed, but leaves still attached

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 cans diced tomatoes

46 ounces tomato juice

3-6 tablespoons sugar

3 chicken bouillon cubes

black pepper

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

shredded Mozzarella, optional 

In a blender, combine onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Puree until smooth.  Add diced tomatoes.  Pour contents of blender into a large pot over medium heat.  Add tomato juice.  Next add the sugar.  (This is to contrast the acidity of the tomatoes, start with 3 tablespoons and taste your way to the right amount.  I wound up needing 5 tablespoons, but it just depends on your tomatoes.)  Add chicken bouillon.  Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and add heavy cream, stirring to combine.  Add basil and parsley and stir.  Top with mozzarella if desired.

     As I said, this was the best soup I had ever tasted!  J polished off three bowls of it, and I enjoyed dunking my grilled cheese in it like I was a kid again.  The only one not too impressed was Monkey, but that's okay.  I had plenty soup left over to freeze and some for lunch the next day.  J downed another bowl that day before heading back to work.  That's when I decided it might be a good time to clean out the refrigerator.  As I was getting rid of certain items I found an extra bottle of heavy cream in the corner.  I checked the date and was surprised to see that it hadn't expired yet.  In fact it still wouldn't be expired for another month.  With a sick feeling in my stomach, it began to dawn on me that perhaps I should have cleaned the refrigerator out sooner.  I quickly grabbed the bottle of heavy cream from the night before and checked the date only to find that, sure enough, I had mixed up the expired one with the new one.  The cream I used in the soup had expired September 9th.  I was mortified.  I don't know how none of us got sick, especially after I got brave enough to do a sniff-test.  There goes my world's best tomato soup....

     My dear husband wasn't nearly as horrified by this discovery as I was, but maybe that's for the best, considering how much of it he ate.  He just shrugged and said, "Well, it was still delicious!"  

Mary had a Little Lamb, Whose Meat was Tender and Delicious

     It never fails.  Every time I get the wild hair to take both my husband and my daughter to the commissary for groceries, I wonder if I'm a glutton for punishment or if I simply block out the memories of how horrible the last time was.  Thankfully, this time the car didn't magically disappear on me, but I do think my daughter is permanently scarred from the experience.  Let me fill you in on the conversation that took place in the meat section.

Monkey:  Daddy, what's that?

J: That's veal.  It's a type of meat.

Monkey: What's veal?

J: Well, it's baby lamb that was killed when it was really young.

Me (only hearing the tail end of that statement):  What on earth are you telling her?  Don't tell her stuff like that.

At this point I noticed a random onlooker stifling giggles.

J: Well it's true!

Monkey:  Mommy!  Do they really make veal out of baby lambs?

Me: No, of course not!

J: Yes they do! Don't lie to her.

Me (whispering):  It's not a lie; veal is actually baby cows.  They use the babies, because the meat is more tender.

J (to Monkey):  I'm sorry, kiddo.  Mommy's right.  It's not baby lamb.  It's baby cows that they kill for their soft meat.

Monkey: crying over sweet baby cows being killed for their meat

Me: Oh my goodness!  Are you freakin' kidding me?  Why would you tell her that?

Random passerby is now outright laughing.

J:  What?  She'll figure it out eventually.

Me: You're going to turn her into a vegetarian!

     At this point Monkey was crying/whining over the fate of baby cows; I was flustered and worried about my child's sanity, and the random passerby walked by and commented, "that's awesome", which of course, encouraged J to do it again with the remaining products in the meat section.  Someone, please remind me next pay day to leave one or both of them at home!

     On a less disturbing note, couple of weeks ago I posted a week's worth of lunch ideas for little ones.  Well I think it's time I share another.  Here's a week of yummy, healthy lunches for your kiddo.

Monday: Hawaiian Kabob Bento

     For a bit of a tropical twist on the Ham and Cheese Kabobs I shared last time, try these by threading diced ham, cubed mozzarella cheese, and pineapple chunks on a wooden skewer.  I added some pretzels, chopped cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and black grapes as sides.

Tuesday: Under the Sea Sandwich Box

     This is my favorite so far.  No, it's not as flawless as the original that was my inspiration, but I was proud of it.  (I know; I need a life.) It's a ham sandwich that I cut into the shape of an octopus using a pair of meat scissors.  The head and two front arms are all one piece, but the remaining limbs were cut out separately and arranged so that they resembled an 8-legged octopus.  I added the spots using bits of grape tomatoes.  I cut the eyes and mouth from a cucumber, using the peel for the green pupils and the mouth.  Next I used a cookie cutter to cut out 4 dolphins from watermelon.  Then I drew a swirly design on a boiled egg using food markers to resemble a conch shell.  Lastly, I threw in some goldfish, and voila! Under the sea fun!

Wednesday: Tuna Fish Sandwich

     As cheesy as this one was, it made me giggle when I thought of it.  To make the fish I used one whole English muffin, and another English muffing cut to look like a tail using a heart-shaped cookie cutter.  I filled the sandwich with some tuna salad.  I sent Monkey to school with the sandwich and a few sides that aren't pictured.

Thursday: Not-so-sushi Tuna Rolls

     I like this one because it's something I would fix for myself, but Monkey liked it too.  I made two rolls, using one tortilla each.  I layered some julienned cucumbers on the tortilla, and then spread the tuna salad on top.  I rolled the tortilla and sliced it like a sushi roll.  I added some cheese cubes, grapes, grape tomatoes, snow peas, and broccoli as sides.

Friday: Rainbow Bento

   
     I thought that this bright, colorful box was just the thing to help Monkey end her week at school on a high note.  The bottom of the box held grape tomatoes, a bit of corn, sliced carrots, broccoli, and black grapes.  The top layer held colorful goldfish, an eggs dotted with food markers, and ham and cheese on an English muffin with a fun rainbow drawn on top by yours truly.

     When I'm not packing lunches or attempting to repair the damage to my child's psyche caused by her father's frankness, I'm usually trying to come up with meals for my family.  I like to do one meal each week without meat to cut down on the grocery bill, but since J is such a carnivore, it's not always easy to find things that he'll truly enjoy.  Tonight, I think I succeeded, since he ate 3 servings, and then fussed at me for putting the rest in the refrigerator for later.

Penne with Roasted Marsala Mushrooms
From "Quick from Scratch Pasta"
Serves 4-6

1 lb mushrooms, cut in halves or quarters depending on size (I used baby bella mushrooms) 
2 TBS cooking oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry Marsala
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS butter
3/4 lb penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a roasting pan or dutch oven, toss the mushrooms with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes; some liquid will remain in the pan.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add penne, and cook until just done, about 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the mushrooms from the oven, and transfer them to a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-low heat.  Stir in garlic and Marsala.  Simmer until liquid is almost evaporated, about 4 minutes.  Add the broth and tomato paste and simmer until about 1/4 cup of liquid remains, about 2 minutes longer.  Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the butter and remove from heat.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce and parsley.

Enjoy!

These are Better That MRE's

     I have a Nursing exam tomorrow.  I also have a Psychology midterm on Tuesday.  Oh, and let's not forget the 15 page paper that will be hanging over my head until some time in January.  Yet all I want to do is take a nap with my cuddly new kitty, Bruce.  I think it's this time of year.  It's not even that cold out, but I find myself wanting to hibernate until March.  But, there's too much to be done, and so little time to do it all.  The holiday rush is making me feel the pinch, but my husband's looming deployment is also making me want to squeeze in as many activities as possible, so we have a plethora of fun memories to sift through as the months until he comes home pass slowly by.  And of course, I'm still cooking up a storm.  I like to fill J's last couple of months with us with a mixture of his favorites and new dishes I know he'll enjoy so that he'll appreciate my cooking even more when he is living off of galley food and MRE's.  ;-)

     I found this new recipe in my Country Cooking book, and it was really good.  It would make a great  game-day food for a football party or a small gathering.

Crab Melt Loaf
1 lb imitation crabmeat, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup diced celery
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (1 lb) loaf unsliced French bread, halved lengthwise

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients.  Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.  Spread over bottom of bread; replace top.  Wrap in a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Cut into 8 slices.

Enjoy

     Now that I feel slightly productive for posting a blog, I'm going to keep this tremendous momentum going by flipping through some notecards for tomorrow's test.

I Can't Come Up with a Witty Title Before I've had my Coffee

     You know what I discovered last night?  My husband is extremely competitive!  I was up all night because he wouldn't let me go to sleep until he had won a round of cards.  I kept winning which meant we kept staying up.  Finally I had to cut him off for my own sanity.  I passed out, exhausted, at 1:00 am only to be awoken at 7:00 by a four-year-old Howler Monkey who was calling to the moon or something.  Today requires coffee.

     Thankfully my competitive J has decided to make it up to me by making breakfast and coffee :-)  I think I'll keep him.  I've been so preoccupied with Christmas projects that I haven't really felt like cooking.  Shocking, I know, but I have some really fun crafts I'm working on right now, which I'll share later.  In the meantime my dinners have been a little more thrown together than usual, but that's okay because I found a new favorite for a quick weeknight meal.  I saw a picture of these on Pinterest, and decided to try it.

Cornbread Waffles

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (this was just enough for J, Monkey and I; you may need more if you have a bigger family)
2 cans of your preferred chili (or click here for an awesome crockpot recipe)
Toppings such as lettuce, diced tomato, cheese, salsa

Mix Jiffy according to directions on package.  Cook in waffle maker according to instruction that came with your waffle maker.  Meanwhile heat up chili.  When the waffle is cooked, spoon chili on top and add desired toppings.

Enjoy :-)

     This meal literally takes under 10 minutes to make, and J and Monkey love it!  It's perfect so that I can feed my restless natives and still manage to get back to my craft room in record time.

     One of the crafts I'm working on is an Advent calendar.  We had one as a kid, and I remember my sisters and I taking turns each day moving our little mouse into a new pocket until Christmas day.  I've been wanting to make one for Monkey, but I could find a cute enough template.  Last night (in between card games) I started finding ideas for one.  I had never heard of a Jesse tree before, but after seeing this one on another blog, I decided that's what I want to do.  I like the idea of each ornament teaching another part of the Bible that led up to the birth of Christ.  I'm not using her pattern (sorry, $52 dollars for a craft kit? No thanks.), but I do like the idea.  I'll let y'all know how it turns out.  :-)

It's the Little Things in Life...Like Sushi

     There's something to be said for enjoying the little things in life.  Sometimes I get so caught up in planning for the future, in trying to stay on top of things, and on attempting to not miss out on anything that I end up doing exactly that, missing out.   I've noticed that I want so badly to control everything in my life that most of the time the things in my life start to control me.  This past week I challenged myself to simply let go of the minor things.  I let the dishes pile up; I let the laundry go a bit, and I focused on loving my family and enjoying the things I like to do.  You know what happened?  I had an excellent week!  The chores I was so worried about got done without me, thanks to my husband and daughter.  I started on my first quilt.  My family went for runs together; my husband coached me on boxing as our daughter cheered me on.  Monkey and I went exploring one night, and we were chased by the "Big Bad Mouse".  He almost got me, but Monkey stopped him with her Cyclops powers.  Yesterday we pulled a date from our date jar, and followed the instructions that said, "drive until we see something new, and we can only talk about how much we love each other".  Of course, we had a great family outing, and we found a pretty campsite about an hour away.  Yesterday we topped it off with a great morning at church and homemade sushi for dinner.

     It's amazing to see how many wonderful things we miss out on because we get so "busy" with distractions.  Yes, the house needs to be cleaned, but I need to remember the dishes can be in the sink until morning.  Yes, I need to keep up with my homework, but I can take my daughter to the park and let her run around while I study.  Yes, I enjoy vegging out in front of Facebook, but when I turn off the computer and look around, there are so many more beautiful things to see.  It was a humbling week, and it was a good reminder to stop taking things for granted.  Everything God gave me is precious, and I need to cherish it more.  

     This may shock some of you, but I even took a break from cooking this week.  Okay, that's not entirely true.  I took a break from trying any new recipes, and I stuck to a few of my favorite foods that can be prepared quickly. That is, except for the sushi last night, but I made the exception for Monkey who loves it.  So that's what I want to share with y'all: my sushi rice recipe, and a few tips and tricks on how to make your own.  (I learned using this kit and this book, and I recommend both.)

Making the rice may seem tedious, but it's important to pay attention to the little detailed instructions, so your rice comes out just right.  I suggest you read through the instructions first before attempting.  But don't worry, it's not hard!  It merely requires some attention to detail.

Sushi Rice
2 cups Nishiki rice
2 cups plus 6 tsp cold water
cold water for washing rice
1/2 cup rice vinegar (I use Nakano Original)

You'll also need:
-medium-sized bowl and large strainer
-medium-sized heavy saucepan or electric rice cooker
-clean towel
-large, non-metal platter or dish for cooling rice(I use a glass, 2-quart casserole dish)

First wash your rice by soaking in a bowl of cold water.  Stir rice around in the bowl with your hands.  After the water becomes cloudy, pour the rice into the large strainer.  Once all the water has been strained out, pour the rice back into the bowl.  Add fresh cold water, and repeat the washing process.  Keep washing the rice until the water is no longer cloudy (this usually takes about 5 minutes).  Finally, leave the washed rice in the strainer and let it sit, draining for 30-60 minutes.

Next you cook the rice.  If you have a rice cooker, simply follow the directions that came with your cooker for this step.  If you don't have a rice cooker, you get to do it the fun way :-)  Place the washed rice into a heavy medium-sized pot.  Add the water.  Cover tightly with lid.  DO NOT lift the lid at any point until the rice is finished cooking, or steam will escape and it will not cook properly.  Place over medium heat until the rice steams (about 8-10 minutes).  Turn the heat to high, and cook 2 minutes.  You may notice white foam around the lid and the lid jiggling up and down.  Next, reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes, until the foam stops and you hear a crackling sound.  Turn off heat, and let stand, covered, another 15 minutes.  Next, remove cover and fluff the rice using a bamboo paddle.  Then wrap the cover in a cloth towel, and return the cover to the pot.  Let stand another 15 minutes.

Now we need to season the rice.  With the rice paddle, gently spread out the hot rice in a shallow, large-bottomed, non-metallic bowl or platter-the large surface is necessary so that the rice can cool quickly and the material must not be metal because the vinegar will react with it, creating a bad taste.  As the steam is escaping, sprinkle the rice vinegar over the rice, and with quick, horizontal motions, scooping back and forth along the bottom, toss the rice with the rice vinegar.

Immediately start to fan the rice to cool it.  A piece of cardboard or a paper fan can be used.  The cooling process should last about 2 minutes.  Cover the rice loosely with a clean, wet towel and let stand for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is at room temperature.  Keep the rice covered with the damp towel if it is not to be used immediately.

 Now to make your first rolls you'll need:

Nori (toasted seaweed sheets)
Bamboo rolling mat
Gallon-sized ziploc bags (to cover your mat for quick clean-up)
A very sharp knife
Your chosen fillings/toppings, some of my favorites are:
-cream cheese
-avocado
-julienned cucumbers
-tempura shrimp (found in the frozen foods)
-imitation crab meat
-Crab Salad (recipe below)
-oyster sauce (can be found in the oriental foods section)
-smoked salmon (can be found at Wal-mart)
-sashimi-grade tuna (for special occasions, I splurge and get this from the local seafood market)

Start by having your fillings/topping ready.  I like to slice up all my ingredients and lay them out while the rice is standing for the last 15 minutes.  Have a clean cutting board by your work area with your sharp knife for cutting your rolls into pieces.  Also, have either a bowl of warm water nearby, or work next to your sink and run the tap, so you can rinse the rice off your fingers (this stuff sticks like you won't believe).  It also helps to have a wet kitchen towel on hand to wipe your finger off.  Cover your bamboo mat with the ziploc to save on clean up later, it is especially helpful if you're making inside out rolls.

For regular rolls, where the seaweed is on the outside:

Take a sheet of nori, and cut it to about 3/4 it's original size.  Lay it on the bamboo mat in front of you, with one edge lined up with the mat's edge closest to you, shiny side down.  Cover nori with rice, starting with the edge closest to you, and leaving about 1/4 of it uncovered.  This should be the long side that's farthest from you.  Add you filling to the middle of the rice.  Keep in mind that you will be rolling in a minute, so don't overfill or they'll pop out the sides.  This may take some practice, but you'll soon see about how much you can fit in there.  Now, grasp the mat in both hands, thumbs underneath, and, pressing lightly on the fillings with the index finger of both hands, lift the mat so the edge of the nori closest to you meets the edge of the rice-free margin of nori at the far end.  Press straight down on the sides of the mat, not on the top of the roll.  Lift mat slightly, and finish rolling the roll, so that the rice free edge of nori adheres to the roll.  Press gently alone tops and sides to square the roll a little.  Carefully remove mat.

Carefully move the roll to your cutting board, and use your sharp knife to slice the roll into 6-8 pieces.  You may need to wipe your knife with the wet towel if too much rice sticks to it.

For inside-out rolls, where the rice is on the outside:
Cut the nori as you did before, and lay it on the mat.  This time cover the entire sheet with rice, and then flip it over, so the side with rice is facing down, and the nori is facing up.  Place your ingredients in the middle, and roll as before.

To make Crab Salad, you'll need:
Imitation crab stick
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Mayonnaise

Peel the crab stick into strings, (like you would string cheese).  Place in a bowl.  Add a bit of mayo, and a squirt of hot sauce until you get it to the desired heat.

     One of the things I love about sushi is how much you can customize it.  No two rolls have to be the same.  I've tried other ingredients besides the ones listed above, such as chicken, carrots, etc. but these are the things I find work best and taste the most "authentic".  Feel free to experiment.  I hope the instructions helped.  Next time I make it, I'll come back and add pictures to help clarify.

     Oh, and one more thing before you go.  I think it's fair to warn you that by the time you're finished, your kitchen will look something like this:

Enjoy!

You can't say "Uterus" at the table!

     As most of you know, I'm finishing up my last few prerequisites and will be applying to the Nursing program in the Fall.  Since August most of my focus has been on my science courses: Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II mainly.  This means a lot of at-home studying.  After the first week of attempting to hide the diagrams in my Anatomy book from my then 3-year-old, I eventually gave up and let her look.  Then I realized how much of a teaching opportunity it was, considering she's actually showing interest in the human body.  In just a few short weeks I went from slamming the book closed anytime I heard her footsteps, to openly explaining different body systems to her.  Since this practice has become second nature, I've found myself taking every opportunity to educate her.  So it was nothing to me at the dinner table tonight when she started a certain conversation about babies to correct her on a certain point.  She asked me about when she was a baby in my belly, and I responded, "Well, actually you weren't in my belly, you were in my uterus."

     I swear my husband almost spit his chicken across the table.  After a few sputters and coughs, he gasped out, "Baby!  Don't say uterus at the table!"

     I just laughed and explained that I wanted her to learn the facts and learn them from me.  J agreed, but I did notice he made himself busy cleaning up the dinner dishes when I pulled out the actual Anatomy book and started showing Monkey the diagrams of the different stages of fetal growth and labor.  Perhaps it's a bit unorthodox, but she soaks it all up like a little sponge.  Hopefully it'll pay off when I have a doctor for a daughter.  Or just as long as I don't end up having to pay for therapy for warping her.

     Now if only I could get her as excited about helping me make dinner as she is about learning A&P with me.  Oh well.  Honestly I sort of relieved that she's not that into joining me in the kitchen.  It's become my sanity, my quiet place now that school is picking up as everyone's racing toward finals.  Plus with J home I've been neglecting my sewing room, and my room has been taken over by his combat boots and miscellaneous gear.  It helps that I suddenly have more motivation to cook.  I found a few cookbooks my grandmother in Florida had sent me a while back.  These were books I had been excited about when I got them, but I then discovered Pinterest, and they got shoved into a cabinet.  I'm glad I unearthed them recently, because I found this awesome recipe from the Quick from Scratch: Pasta cookbook.

Fusilli with Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan Cream

2 TBS butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 cups (2-14 oz cans) canned, drained artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters

3/4 lb Fusilli (I substituted rotini)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS chopped parsley

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over moderately low heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir in the cream, salt, pepper and artichoke hearts.  Cook until just heated through, about 3 minutes.  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rotini until just done, about 13 minutes.  Drain the pasta and toss with the cream sauce, Parmesan, and parsley.

This was a really good side to this Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Or you could make it a Meatless Monday Meal.

Enjoy :-)

  

Bedtime Blues

   
     According to the diagram, y'all, my darling J is the wife.  Every night when Monkey gets up at an ungodly hour to wake me up for water or a potty break or a hug, J, without even stirring from his lovely sanctuary of slumber, wriggles his way onto my side the bed, and every night I have to finagle my way back into the bed.  Last night was the worst, however.  After tucking Monkey back in after a nightmare about a dragon, I came back to bed to see J on my side of the bed again.  I quietly asked him to get back to his side, and he complied...sort of.  He moved his head back to his pillow, but the rest of him was still on my side.  I gently began prodding him to scoot over, and he responded by grunting and rolling over.  This should have been the end of it, but for some unknown reason he decided it would be most comfortable to sleep with his head and knees on his side of the bed while his rump rested on my side.  I don't even fathom how the man accomplished the feat of taking up the entire bed with just his butt considering baby ain't got much back.  He did it, however, by channeling his inner Will Smith (think Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and pushed that hinny all the way to the edge.  I was forced to mold myself to the odd V shape in order to pass out for 45 minutes before my alarm to run woke me up.  Thankfully it was raining, so I had a legitimate excuse to stay in the (somewhat) cozy bed.

     I was already sleepy from the restless night, but now I'm exhausted.  J and I decided that in order to spend time together and still have time to get to the gym, we'd start a workout together.  I foolishly let J pick it out, and blindly followed him to the gym.  My reward?  The loss of all feeling in both arms.  That is, until the numbness subsided and was replaced by a burning sensation any time I move them.  I think it's safe to say the workout he chose is effective, if not painful.  It's nice to be able to do something constructive together, though.

     Tonight I probably negated everything we did at the gym with these awesome pan pizzas:

but it was totally worth it.

     The original poster said that these were just like the ones you can get from Pizza Hut, but I can't confirm that, as I've never tasted their pan pizza.  J has, however, and he says that these are even better. This is the first time I've made my own crust.  It turned out to be way easier than I thought it would be.

"Pizza Hut" Pan Pizzas

For the dough:
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/3 cup warm water
2 TBS oil (I used canola) + extra for greasing pans
4 cups flour

Mix yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a 2 qt bowl.  Add water and stir, mixing well.  Allow to sit for 2 minutes.  Stir in oil.  Add flour and mix until dough forms.  Turn dough out onto a lightly flour surface, and knead for 10 minutes.  Divide dough into 3 balls.  In three 9" round cake pans, grease with oil, making sure it's spread evenly.  Using a rolling pan, roll out each ball into a 9" circle.  Place one in each pan.  Cover with a plate, and allow to rise in a warm location for about 1 1/2 hours.  (I usually stick mine in the oven, but make sure it's off lol)

For the sauce:
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram (I substituted dry thyme b/c I couldn't find this)
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Combine in a small bowl and let sit for about an hour.

To assemble the pizzas, spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce onto each pizza.  Add a little cheese, then your meat toppings followed by any additional toppings before adding the rest of the cheese on top.  Bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is browned.

     The best part was that we each had our own pizza to top with whatever we chose.  Plus, Monkey   got to assemble hers on her own.

   Well I hope y'all enjoy the rest of your evening.  Here's hoping I can get a full night's sleep tonight, but if Monkey does wake me up, I'm going to skip the middle man by letting her sleep next to her daddy while I steal her bed.

Winter Food is Comfort Food

     Well Christmas came and went without Monkey making it onto the Naughty list.  She did manage to get her name put down onto the "Check-Twice" list for next year, though; not that that has deterred her in any way.  Nor has it curbed her attitude.  This morning my child had her extra-sassy britches on, and at one point I just looked at her astounded and asked, "Kid, when did you turn 13?"  She responded in with her hands on her hips and a matter-of-fact tone in her voice, "I didn't.  I'm turning 4!" while wagging her head to emphasize every syllable.  I think I have my work cut out for me on this one.

     I certainly didn't need the reminder of how quickly time passes.  With the holiday season coming to a close, my focus has shifted to the next big event in our family: Monkey's birthday.  She has declared that she wants a Princess Party this year, so if any of y'all find some cute ideas, send them my way.

     In the meantime, Monkey and I have been relaxing, watching the movies Santa brought her, playing the games she got from family, and cooking (of course).  Given that we're finally having some wintery weather, I decided to give this recipe a try.

Tomato, Basil and Cheddar Soup
2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you can't find veg.)
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed
2 tsp of oregano
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

     Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

     This is the perfect winter comfort food, and it was paired nicely with that French Bread recipe I shared a while back.  Enjoy :-)

The Sound of Pitter-Pattering Little Feet Usually Means Something Horrible is Happening

     My poor little blog was feeling so neglected, it logged me out of my account.  It was rather snooty too when I tried to log in.  It was all "Do you have a blog?"  Lately, the answer depends on the day I guess.  Oh well, I have a few spare minutes to try to squeeze in one more entry for this month.

     Besides running around trying to keep up with school, I've been chasing my little Monkey around.  I think I set myself up for failure by giving her that nickname.  It seems she's taken it as a personal challenge to live up to it in every way possible.  The night before last I put her to bed before heading off to shower.  It wasn't long before I heard those little feet going up and down the stairs.  I begrudgingly turned the shower off, got dressed and went to investigate.  I found Monkey standing next to her bed, wiping some kind of white powder off of her pajamas.  My mind immediately went to the Clorox I had been using to clean the bathrooms just a few hours before, but I reassured myself that I had put that way out of reach, hadn't I?  I rushed to the laundry room to check, taking Monkey with me to prevent her from licking the stuff off.  (You may laugh, but I wouldn't put it past her.)  On my way, I found a trail of the same white powder leading all the way down the stairs and into the laundry room/pantry.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the Clorox was in its proper place on a high shelf.  The relief turned to frustration, though, when I saw the bag of flour half emptied onto the floor.  When I asked Monkey why she had gotten into the flour, she said she had wanted more cupcakes.  Confused, I just stared at her.  I had made cupcakes the day before, but those were in the kitchen, not the pantry.  That's when it clicked.  The flour bag had a picture of cupcakes on the side.  

     Sighing, I cleaned Monkey up, put her back in bed, and cleaned up the flour mess before putting myself to bed.   Yesterday, I went to school as usual, and when I got home I thought I'd help myself to one of those yummy cupcakes that were still sitting in the kitchen.  I was sorely disappointed, however, when I lifted the lid and saw there were none left.  Apparently Monkey had polished off the remaining four cupcakes before venturing into the pantry in search of more, and that's when she saw the bag of flour.  I was laughing too hard to even be frustrated.  The best part is that my child did all this and managed to get back to her room before I could even make it out of the bathroom.  The next 15 years are going to be interesting to say the least.

     I was going to insert a very funny eCard that was highly applicable to my awesome story, but I can't find it!  Oh well, here's a yummy recipe instead:

Pasta Salad

1 lb Tri-color Rotini
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1/4 red onion
1/2 cup diced Mozzarella chunks
1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup peeled and quartered cucumber
1/2 cup Italian dressing (I usually add a little more at the end)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook Rotini according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.  Once cooled, mix with other ingredients in a serving bowl.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Enjoy!

     This is seriously one of my favorite side dishes for get togethers.  I'm not a big fan of pasta salad, but this is the perfect amount of some of my favorite veggies.  Monkey enjoys it too.

     Well I guess I need to get off of here and return to my studying.  Finals are in less than two weeks  O.O

Brain Break

     I'm feeling a good deal better about all these tests this week.  I took my first in Psychology today, and I have a good feeling about it.  Tomorrow I have an A&P Lab test.  Wednesday I have a Microbiology test, and Thursday I have an A&P Lecture test.  I feel ready, so I'm giving my poor brain a break in order to share this awesome thing I made!

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

     Monkey finally decided on a costume for Halloween; she's going to be Rapunzel from Disney's Tangled.  I found an excellent tutorial for this wig on Pinterest.  The original poster was making her wig for a much older child, so she used more material.  If your child is smaller, like my Monkey, you'll only need to cut your yarn to about 100", and you'll probably end up loping off a good bit after you braid it.

     I've also been working on a few Christmas goodies, but you'll have to wait to see those.  I will share Monkey's Rapunzel dress, however, once it's finished.  As long as I don't completely ruin it and go buy one from the store, that is.

     I have one more thing to share before I go; here is a recipe for Spinach and Tortellini Soup.

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
9 oz package of tortellini
6 oz package baby spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Bring broth and water to boil in a large sauce pan.  Reduce heat.  Add tortellini.  Simmer until pasta is tender.  Add spinach, and cook until wilted.  Season to taste.  Sprinkle Parmesan over the top.

     This soup was so quick and easy, and it tasted really good.  The best part is that it's only 250 calories.  Monkey approved :-)  Speaking of Monkey, she wants to go to the park, so I'll catch y'all later.

She's Ready for her Close-up Mr. Demille

     I've pretty much decided that my child is going to be an actress, or a singer, or a dancer, or something that requires everyone to look at her.  She definitely knows how to command the attention of an entire room, for better or worse.  The other day, when my mom and little brother came to visit, we had to go into the Pass and ID place to get my mom's pass for the weekend to drive on base.  We were there for about an hour, waiting in line because everyone decided to go at the same time.  We passed the time pleasantly enough, talking, catching up, and of course, paying extra-special attention to Monkey's endless antics.  There was a good crowd, so it's no surprise that Monkey was in the middle of the room, where they could all see her.  She was dancing and jumping around until that got old.  That's when she started to sing.  Lately she's been making up her own love ballads, which are greatly influenced by all those Disney movies mommy lets her watch.  In the middle of everything, she belts out, "My heart is so full, and I love my Juju, and my Bubba is in my heart, and I will be so sad, because Mommy will be DEAD!!!"

   Yeah, she said that.  My mom (Juju) busted out laughing, and my little brother (Bubba) was torn between laughter and embarrassment.  I, meanwhile, was trying to recover the situation because all the old ladies who had been grinning and encouraging my little girl now looked at me with shock and indignation.  I just gave a weak smile and a shrug and said, "Gotta love those Disney movies".  That relaxed them a little, and I was able to convince my little brother to walk my little performing artist around the garden outside until we were finished.

    I'll be signing my little singer/songwriter up for dance in a few weeks.  Hopefully that will give her the limelight she seems to be craving, while also teaching her new skills and providing a new atmosphere to make friends.  I'm excited, and she is too.  She keeps asking me when we're going to dance class.  I may have created a monster.

    As for me, I've been up to my normal stuff of keeping busy.  I'm excited that July will be over in a few more days, that's one month down :-)

  I'm going to be sharing two recipes with y'all today, as soon as I figure out which ones I want to pick. How about a good ole Coffee Cake to start off with?

I love Coffee Cake for breakfast :-)

Hmmm....I can almost smell it.

 Coffee Cake Recipe

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 8 ounces (1 cup) sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and sour cream; add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add to creamed mixture; beat well. Generously grease a 10-inch tube pan. Make topping by combining chopped nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. In bottom of the well-greased tube pan put about one-third of topping mixture; alternate layers of batter and topping, ending with batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

"C" is for Coffee Cake

  And now, how about a dinner recipe?  I'm thinking this Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream will be the perfect recipe to share.  I didn't realize that I had this pinned about 5 different times on my "Recipes to Try" board, but I did, so I figured it was high time I tried it, and I'm so glad I did!

Tuscan Pasta Recipe

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli (I used Buitoni)*
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce (I used Classico)
• 2 tablespoons white wine 
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

1. 1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. 2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
3. *1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
4. **1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

It didn't last long.

Well I need to go check on my rising star to make sure she's not getting into anything.  Yesterday I caught her wearing my pink high heels from last Homecoming with a purple scarf and a pink tutu while putting on my make up.  I wish I would've had my camera ready.

Never Again

  One of these days, when I say something like "I'm never going to let J go grocery shopping with me again", I'm going to stick to it!  Needless to say, I didn't follow my own advice once again.  I know it may sound silly, but I just get these images in my head of J and I holding hands, laughing, and exchanging witty jargon while perusing the various aisles of the commissary.  Of course, this never happens, but I think last night takes the cake.

   I originally planned to go alone, but because we needed to enroll Monkey into the daycare program here on base, we decided to just do that together before heading off to the commissary.  Although this plan meant that we'd save gas by not making multiple trips to the Child Development Center, I didn't take into consideration how much later we'd be starting out.

   When we got to the commissary, all was well.  Monkey was slightly hungry, but for the most part things were going smoothly.  But as we made our way up and down the first few aisles, J began to get hungry too.  That's when he began to sneak food into the buggy that wasn't on the list or in the budget.   After catching him in the act a couple of times I got tired of berating him and simply started to replace the items on the shelf.  When he saw that he couldn't sneak past me, he decided to beg.  Then he got Monkey to beg for the items too.  I was not swayed, however, b/c what use are protein bars to a 2-year-old?  Finally he gave up and focused on keeping Monkey entertained.  This sounds helpful, but it wasn't.  His version of entertaining her was zooming up and down the aisles with her in the buggy as I'm struggling to catch up with a twenty-pound bag of dog food on one hip and a various array of cleaning products in the opposite hand.  Around this time I realized I didn't have a pen, and it was getting harder and harder to keep up with the items I had purchased and the items still needed.  That's when I asked him to run to the car for me.  And for ten blessed minutes there was peace, so much so that I didn't wonder at what was taking him so long.

  Before long he returned and chaos ensued, but the light at the end of the tunnel was getting brighter as I realized there was only one thing left on the list.  That's when J realized that Monkey's pull-up was on backwards and had leaked.  I asked him to take her to the family bathroom while I went in search of the last item.  I was telling him that I only needed one more thing before I went to check out as he was walking away, so I knew he didn't hear me.  I also knew that he probably wasn't listening when I said that this was my last item, so he wouldn't know where to find me after Monkey had gotten cleaned up.  One thing I didn't know was that cell phones had horrible reception in the commissary.

  I checked out while eyeing the bathroom door, waiting for them to come out, but I never saw them.  Finally the bagger and I walked towards the exit.  She had a cart and I had a cart, because I evidently didn't catch all of J's sneaky maneuvering.  I swung by the bathroom on my way out, and knocked on the door.  No answer.  Then I opened it, but no one was in there.  Thinking that perhaps J went out to the car the bagger girl and I headed in that direction too.  Only, there was a problem.  The car wasn't there   Now, I'm not always observant when it comes to remembering where I parked, but I did know that it was right outside the main exit and next to a buggy return.  The car was no where to be found.  I even tried hitting the panic button a few times; nothing happened.  Finally, I admitted defeat, went back to the exit so I could stand out of the rain(oh, did I mention it was raining?).  I apologized profusely to the bagger girl, who after I tipped her,  had the good grace to tell me that she's seen worse.  Then I set about blowing up J's phone like a jaded fifteen year old trying to get in touch with her ex to tell him she's still in love.  (Wow; what a flash-back!)

  Finally, my phone rang, and I could tell right away that J was still in the commissary by the background noise, and he was all "Where are you?" and I was all "Where's the stinkin' car?" and he was like "I moved it."  And I was just "Why the HELL would you move the car?"  That's when I realized people were looking at me, so I just mumbled something very threatening about what would happen if he didn't get out to of the store in the next five minutes.  He obliged, but only to realize I was not at the exit he used.  Then he tried again.  Still not the right exit.  That's when he tells me to just meet him at the car....

.................
.....................
..........................
................................
...........................
......................
..................

"I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE STUPID CAR IS!!!!"

  "Oh, yeah;  okay."  He sounded a little too peppy for my taste.  Finally he met me and took the cart as I took the buggy.  In silence we loaded up the car that was now on the opposite side of the parking lot.  As we were finishing up I said that I was going to run to the BX to pick something up.  Out of nowhere he snapped at me, saying there's milk and ice cream in the car.  Without another word I marched off to the BX in search of Vodka, not because of the stressful shopping trip, but for the spaghetti recipe I'm going to eventually share with y'all.  It literally took three minutes.  I was back in the car with my Vodka in hand, and J was apologizing for snapping.  I bit down an ugly retort because I was still a bit peaked at being embarrased and force to march around with a lost bagger-girl and a ton of groceries around a rainy parking lot looking for the car that was there one second and gone the next.  I asked J one thing, "Why did you  move the car?"

"I thought you'd like it to be closer because of the rain."

Damn his sweet, considerate, yet inevitably doomed attempts to help out!

  By this point it was 7:00, so we stopped to eat on the way home (no one brought up the milk or ice cream this time), and we all felt better.  Well, sort of.  The way home was silent, because although food made me more calm, I was in no way a sweet, purring kitty.  J was his happy, clueless, puppy self, and decided to break the silence he'd begin asking me a series of odd questions.

J:  "So, when you make new friends, what's a trait you look for?"

Me: "What?!?"

J:  "What would you say your favorite color is?"

Me:  "WHAT are you TALKING about???"

J: "I'm just curious."

Me:  "You pick NOW to be CURIOUS?  What is WRONG with you?"

   The rest of the ride was silent.  I guess he finally caught on.  When we got home, I unloaded the car as he bathed Monkey.  After tucking Monkey in, I passed out as I was about to blog.  J woke me up later to get dressed for bed.  As I was about to pass out again, I hear "So...what happened tonight?"  I turned over and went to sleep.  Perhaps there was a little bit of angst left over b/c this morning when he leaned in to kiss me before he went to work, I head-butted him.  In my defense, I was half asleep.

   So, for those of you who read this, please remind me when the 1st of March rolls around NOT to bring my darling husband to the store with me.

  Now here's that recipe I promised:Spiked Spaghetti.  

1/2 pound dry thin spaghetti pasta 
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
Scant 3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup vodka
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
Shaved or grated parmesan cheese, to garnish
Additional fresh basil leaves (optional)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add vodka (when cooking with alcohol, there is always the chance of it catching on fire, so be very careful); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.

IF you have stick blender, you can now puree the sauce right in the pan (easy peasy!). OTHERWISE, place tomato mixture in a conventional blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); and secure the lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters), and process until smooth. Return tomato mixture to pan.

Mix in cream, then cook the sauce for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cooked pasta and basil. Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.

 It was really tasty.  It was different, tangy, but yum.  J liked it, but he did say that he wished it had meat. I'm glad I tried it, but now I don't know what to do with the leftover Vodka in my cabinet.  Hmmmm.....


Disclaimer: After reading my blog entry, J requested that I clarify a few points.  
1.)  He did not ask me my favorite color.  He knows my favorite color, but he did ask me some other random, pointless question that I can't remember now.
2.)  He was not "zooming up and down the aisles to keep Monkey entertained".  He must have been doing it to simply keep himself entertained.
3.)  He now wishes he hadn't asked me to put up this disclaimer.
;-)

Update:  I made the Spiked Spaghetti again, but this time I added 1 lb of Italian sausage and fresh, sliced mushrooms, and it made a world of difference.  I also used crushed tomatoes, insted of diced, so that cut out the entire blending proces.  I was very impressed with this new and improved version, and J was satisfied that he had some meat in there.