Recipes of the Week

I just made these for dinner tonight. I used veggies from the garden to make the pasta, it was pretty tasty! And for the breadsticks, let me say there are only 2 leftover...

Bruschetta Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb linguine
• 5-6 large ripe roma tomatoes
• 4 green onions *I didn't have any, so I left these out*
• 2-4 large minced garlic cloves (if you don't like large amounts go with two)
• 12 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook linguine per directions.
2. While it is cooking dice the tomatoes and thinly slice the onions.
3. Place tomatoes (and their juice), onions, basil, garlic, oil, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl.
4. When noodles are al dente remove from heat, drain and pour the hot noodles onto the other ingredients. Toss together with tongs and then grate in as much fresh parmesan as desired, tossing well to coat all.
5. Serve with a little thinly sliced basil and a bit of fresh grated parmesan to garnish.
6. To make a meal of it serve with grilled blackened chicken or garlic shrimp.

Soft Italian Breadsticks

Dough

• 1 cup warm water (70 to 80)
• 3 tablespoons soft butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Topping

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place all dough ingredients in your bread machine pan according to manufacturers direction.
2. Select dough setting.
3. When dough cycle is complete, turn out onto floured board and divide dough in half.
4. Cut each portion into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a 4 to 6" rope.
5. Place 2" apart onto greased baking sheets.
6. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until doubled.
7. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
9. Note: Be careful not to overbake or they will become tough.

Another trip to IB

Pam gave us 2 tix to Indiana Beach that needed to be used by the 29th (Thanks Pam!), we had already planned on going Friday evening, so it was a bonus for us. Ryan picked me up at Purdue and we headed to Monticello after work. We bought the boys their own wristbands (in the past we had used the ride tickets) so they could ride as many rides as they wanted. I had been feeling kinda cruddy (allergies?) all day, so I knew that I would not be up to my usual. In fact, I only rode Cornball once, if that explains how bad I felt! Ryan rode the new coaster "Steel Hawg" and said it was a fun ride. I just felt like my head would explode if I rode anything.

The park was dead. No waits for anything. It could have been the perfect night, well it was the perfect night for the boys, so that's okay with me. They rode almost everything, except the Frog Hopper, they refused to get on it. Maybe next year they will be up for it again. We rode the train and Brooks was a little afraid of the spook in the tunnel, but was okay with it. Ryan just made a spook face at him (like the one in a rollercoaster book he has) and Brooks made one back.

Brooks wanted to finish up our evening with a spin on the ferris wheel. It's a pretty big one and he was a little scared when it started, he had a death grip on me the whole time, but he really liked it. Hudson didn't seem too sure about it, but he didn't cry, so it seems as though he liked it too.

Hudson didn't look like he was having any fun on the rides, but really was.

This is Brooks' "spook" face. He has a really long tongue!

Date with Brooks

I took Brooks on a date yesterday afternoon. We went to Pizza Hut for lunch. Brooks has been wanting to go there since his preschool took a field trip there last spring. He was very well behaved and enjoyed his pizza.

After that we went to preschool for orientation. Brooks was happy to see his teachers from last year, Miss Ashley and Miss Nicole. He had fun playing with the cars and parking garage (the old school Fisher Price one). He didn't want to leave and is excited to start school next week.

We then went to the library where Brooks played with some toys and then looked at Thomas the Train books while I read the paper. We found a helicopter book for Hudson that we checked out. We had some errands to run and stopped at Sonic and got a couple slushees (1/2 price from 2-4pm!).

When we got home Brooks told me he had fun and wants to go on a date with me again. Hudson was really happy to see him and gave him a big hug.

Brooks just informed me that he gets old enough to drive that he is going to drive Hudson to Pizza Hut so they can have some pizza.

Easy Recipes

Here's some recipes that I've made the past couple days.

Herbed Roast Chicken for CrockPot

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 orange, sliced or 1 lemon, sliced
• fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Directions

1. Cut up the onion, celery and carrots and put them in the bottom of your crock pot. You are not going to eat these with the chicken, they stay there for making stock. Limp veggies are OK for this part. Putting them in the bottom of the crock pot keeps the chicken elevated out of the juice and lets the bird roast instead of stew.
2. Combine the garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add about 1/2 tsp of the fresh thyme leaves or all of the dried thyme. I combine in a small food processor, but you can do this by hand.
3. Remove all the stuff they pack on the inside of your chicken and place them (neck and innards, NOT the plastic bag) in the crock pot with the veggies. You aren't eating innards, but they DO make the stock taste richer. Remove as much of the excess chicken fat as is practical.
4. Take the garlic paste and spread it under the skin of the chicken. Try not to poke holes in the skin. Make sure you flavor the breasts and thighs. Now stuff the orange or lemon slices and fresh thyme (if using) under the skin as well. If you have extra, place it in the middle of the bird.
5. Roast in your crock pot for 3 to 4 hours on hi.
6. Remove chicken and enjoy for dinner. Add 2 cups of water to your crock pot and turn it to LO.
7. I remove the thighs, legs and wings to a platter for serving. I put the breasts into a ziptop bag for use in another meal unless we're serving company.
8. After removing as much of the chicken meat as you care to, return the bones to the crock pot. It helps if you separate the bones or mush them to make it lie flatter. Add enough water to come 1/2 way up the bones. Turn your crock pot on LO for 8 to 12 hours.
9. Strain the liquid from the crock pot and refrigerate. Dump the solids into the trash. After the stock has cooled, remove the hard fat from the top and discard. Freeze the stock or use it within a few days.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb shredded cooked chicken *leftover from the above recipe*
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chili peppers *I used fresh jalapenos from the garden*
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup water
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies, and garlic into a slow cooker.
2. Pour in water and chicken broth.
3. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.
4. Stir in corn and cilantro.
5. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
6. Garnish with fresh tortilla strips or tortilla chips.

Creamy Pasta Bake

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) rotini pasta, cooked *I used Ziti since that was all I had*

1 cup Sour Cream

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

SPOON into 13x9-inch baking dish.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

Ryan is awesome!

Ryan had his last mountain bike race of the season yesterday at France Park in Logansport. If you remember, he had his first race ever there last year where he finished second from last in his division. Well, this year he got 3rd place in his age group and 10th overall in his division! As Brooks would say, Awesome!

The boys and I had a fun time watching the race and playing. Brooks and Hudson really got into cheering for the other bikers. They would both say, Go go go! Brooks found a tree branch with some leaves on it and started shaking it while he yelled. I don't know if he caused it, but one of the times when he did this, a biker rounded the corner by us and wiped out. I made him step back further away from the course after that. It was sure fun to see the crash though!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of Ryan racing. I was a little too excited when I saw him finishing already and didn't have my camera ready!

Start of the race

Looking for Daddy

It's been a year

It's been a year now since I started this blog. I've had fun with it, keeping everyone up to date on what's going on with us, I hope you enjoy it too!

We met my parents (MeeMaw and PawPaw) near Charleston, Illinois on Saturday. We had a nice picnic at Fox Ridge State Park. The boys played on the playground with MeeMaw and we all took a hike. This time we had Hudson walk and he is quite the little hiker, just like his big brother.

We stopped at a orchard on the way home and picked up a peck of GingerGold apples. They are pretty tasty! We love fresh local apples. I can't wait to try all the different varieties each fall.

Helicopter!

Hudson has come obsessed with helicopters. He gets so excited when he sees one, whether real or a picture. Yesterday I was reading the newspaper and he came over and was so excited about something on the back of the newspaper when I realized there was a picture of a helicopter. He took the paper from me and had to show Ryan and Brooks.

Ryan started the school year today and the boys have a new sitter. She is a friend of ours from church. The boys are having a great time with her. Brooks really likes it there because her boys have "mean guy" Legos.

It's peach season, we went to a local orchard and picked up a half bushel. I froze some, made peach cobbler (yum!) and we've been eating them fresh. Brooks can eat a whole peach in under 2 minutes. They are really juicy and messy to eat but taste so good!

"Come on Hudson, it's not too cold!"

"I'm not too sure about that!"

Enjoying a summer evening downtown...

Here's a picture of us from the Gallery Walk last Friday. It was snapped by our local newspaper. I was wearing Hudson in my Babyhawk, so all you can see in this picture is his little hand on my shoulder. It looks like Brooks spotted the photographer, but we had no idea our picture was taken!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan turns 32 today! I am so blessed to have him as my husband and as the father to our sons.

No big plans for the day, but I do have a special menu planned:

Breakfast
Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes w/Blueberry Syrup
Bacon

Dinner
Caesar Salad
Bruschetta
Basil Cream Chicken w/Linguini
Blueberry Crumble Pie

Brooks' New Bike

Brooks decided that he wanted to spend some of his birthday money on a new bike. Ryan and I had been researching little bikes and we decided on a balance bike for him. The theory is that learning to balance is harder than learning to pedal. All of the reviews that we read about this type of bike say that the kids never need training wheels, they just go right from a balance bike to a real bike. We ended up getting the Kinderbike. Brooks picked red for his bike color.

Brooks was so excited to see the FedEx truck pull up yesterday afternoon with his new bike. He helped Ryan assemble it and they had it out in the backyard in no time at all.

Helping Daddy assemble the bike....

Final adjustments...

Hey, what about me???

Testing it out

Recipes of the Week

I've been slacking again with my recipes. So here are a few. I made the Thai Fried Rice and the Green Beans for dinner last night. We all went to the Gallery Walk downtown, we fed the kids before we went since it didn't start until 6pm. Ryan and I enjoyed the snacks that many of the galleries offer and then we came home, put the kids to bed and enjoyed a dinner by ourselves. The green beans came from Sarah and Dan's garden (They kindly are allowing us to pick from their garden while they are out of town. Thanks!!!) and the basil and jalapeno were from our garden. I've just recently started liking green beans, but only if they are cooked in some exotic way and they have to be fresh.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice with Basil - Kao Pad Krapo

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thai red chili pepper *I used jalapeno*
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups cold cooked rice *I used Jasmine Rice*
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1/3 cup Thai holy basil (regular basil ok)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a wok or large skillet, stir-fry garlic in oil until golden; then add chilies and chicken and stir-fry until chicken is cooked.
2. Add rice, sugar, fish sauce, and soy sauce, and stir-fry, mixing gently.
3. When well mixed, add shallots, basil leaves and cilantro; cook another minute or so, and serve.
4. If you desire, serve with lime wedges, chile sauce, fish sauce, or soy sauce at the table.

Oriental Green Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• crushed red pepper flakes (, mild is just a sprinkle)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed, toasted,garnish

Directions

1. Steam beans for only a few minutes, you want them crisp.

2. Dash beans in cold water to stop the cooking (do this the day ahead if you wish) Heat the oils and saute,over low heat, the garlic& ginger until you can smell that wonderful aroma (the garlic will be golden) Add beans, pepper flakes,soy and water.
3. Cover cook over high heat for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the oils have coated the beans and they are hot Shake the pan as the beans cook.
4. Garnish with sesame seed.
5. 
   

And here's a bonus recipe....I finally made these this afternoon. They tasted pretty close to the original!

Frappuccinos

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup coffee (double strength and cold)
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 4 tablespoons vanilla syrup
• 2 cups ice (crushed seems to work a little better)

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in blender and enjoy!