It's that time of the year again

Everything is hitting at once. We have parades, banquets, concerts, birthdays... Ai-yi-yi! Below are two video's of DQ singing at her choir concert at church last night. BD did the recording, and as you can see, he is quite wiggly!

Cheer Routine!

Here it is, DQ's halftime cheer routine (also the one they used at competition).

Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes

I saw these in the October 2009 issue of my Cooking Light magazine and just had to make them. DQ helped. We had a great time. Unfortunately, with that much amaretto in them, I had to limit the amount of batter she got to eat. :-) With the glaze below, I messed up though and did 4 tablespoons instead of teaspoons of milk, so my glaze is W-A-Y too runny! I'll do better next time!

Ingredients:
Cooking spray and 12 cupcake/muffin tin liners
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (I used fat free)
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk (I used skim)
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds (I omitted)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk (I used skim)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. Spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
   
4. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
5. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended.
6. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
7. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat just until blended.
8. Fold in apple mixture with spoon.
9. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
10. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or fork, until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds (I omitted).
11. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes.
12. Bake at 350 for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
13. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on wire rack and remove the cupcakes from the pan.
14. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
15. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.

Right out of the oven, next time I would do more streusel:

With the glaze below, I messed up though and did 4 tablespoons instead of teaspoons of milk, so my glaze is W-A-Y too runny! I'll do better next time!

Bugs

Now, I don't love bugs. In fact, I don't like them very much at all. The other day (actually it was Monday, July 27 (the day DQ got her tonsils out) that we noticed this guy sitting on the deck right outside the door. DQ thought PM would like to see him, so we took a picture. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself...

Chocolate Molten Cakes

Besides the Best Chocolate Sheet Cake from Pioneer Woman, there is one other dessert the kids ask for by name. That is, the Molten Chocolate Cakes. On Friday night, we were going to a friends house for dinner and they requested the Chocolate sheet cake, so I obliged and made it. They kept the cake, my kids were mortified! So, last night, the kids wanted me to make it again. But, it's just so big that I suggested the Molten Chocolate Cakes instead. The nice thing is about these is that there are not any leftovers. It makes four and that's it! While the original recipe (linked above) suggests making your own whipped cream to serve with the cakes, we prefer vanilla ice cream (personally, I prefer French Vanilla).

DQ kept trying to peek at the cakes as they cooked:


Molten Chocolate Cakes
4 pieces (1 oz each) Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour
Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large bowl on high for about 1 minute, or until butter is melted
4. Remove from microwave and whisk until chocolate is also melted
5. Stir in powdered sugar until well blended and most of lumps are gone
6. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks
7. Stir in flour
8. Divide between the 4 sprayed cups
9. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until sides are tender and center is soft (here they are baking)
   
   
10. Let stand 1 minute
11. Invert cakes on dishes and serve with vanilla ice cream

Ah... Heaven on a plate:

So, there you have it. Nice and easy. The hardest part is the inverting onto plates. I put a plate on top of a custard cup, grab the plate and cup with my oven mits with the rubber on them and invert at one time. It works pretty darn good.

Inspiration

First, I want to state that I have nothing against people who truly have a handicap. If you are, or someone you know is, handicapped and need alternative modes of transportation, then, by all means, you or they should be able to use it.

That all said, I now know where the inspiration for the movie Wall-E came from. If you have seen the movie, you will recall that the people on the ship became so lazy that they did nothing for themselves. In fact, they didn't even walk, they simply reclined on motorized vehicles that did everything for them. They pushed buttons and sucked their meals through straws.

I believe they got the inspiration for all these people from Disney World. I say that because while we were there, it seemed that every other person was riding a motorized scooter. Most of these people did not need to be riding in these scooters, in fact, the walking probably would have been very good for them. In fact, when they would get on a bus, they would sit on the scooter until the bus got there. When the driver got off to help the person get on the bus, the person would either stand and let the driver put the scooter on the bus or they would drive it on themselves and then stand. Eight times out of ten, the person had no problems walking onto the bus or to a seat. When they got off, it was the same thing.

At the parks, you would rent a scooter, or a wheelchair, just like you could a scooter. At Hollywood Studios, I took this picture:

I couldn't believe my eyes! After I saw this, I realized why I could barely walk down one of the streets of the park, as the scooters were stretched across 5 wide blocking the path. Sometimes, you would see several together and riding on the laps of some of the drivers were children. Not little children either, but tweens who could walk perfectly fine.

After several rides, we finally realized why so many people rented the scooters and wheelchairs. It's like having your very own Fast Pass. The driver and their family could drive to the front of the line to a special handicapped entrance and get right on the ride.

Now, as I said earlier, if someone truly needs a wheelchair or scooter, then, by all means, let them use it. But, don't encourage people to be lazier than they already are by renting the scooters and wheelchairs on site to anyone willing to pay the money. Maybe to rent one you need a handicapped tag from your car to prove you need it? Who knows. I just know that by the end of the trip, we were referring to the scooters, with riders, as Wall-E.

Quiche

I like Quiche. I've made a healthy version for a few years now. But, this week, I had to make one for the teachers at the kids school. About the same time I was asked to do this, I saw a recipe on Pioneer Woman's site. So, what goes in looking like this:Comes out looking like this:
Along the way, I fried the peppered bacon:
Sliced the onion very thinly:
Quartered the artichoke hearts:
After the bacon was removed from the pan, the grease poured off, but the good stuff left in there, I added a stick of butter...
I added the onions and cooked them for a few minutes, don't they look yummy?
Then, I added the mushrooms. I didn't get good shots of that, as I was too busy looking at this:
A few pieces may have become missing... But, that's ok. Where were we... Oh yes, then I added the artichoke hearts:
Back to the bacon...
Here's where things changed a bit from the original recipe. Since I was making this for a large group of people, I wanted them to all be able to easily get a piece. Baking in a pie dish, the pieces just would have been difficult. I figured, we could get more pieces from a 13 x 9 pan. So, I bought the {gasp} Pillsbury pie crusts and arranged them in the greased 13 x 9 pan.
I stored all of the pre-made parts (crumbled bacon, cooked onions, mushroom, artichoke hearts, shredded swiss cheese, lined 13 x 9 pan) in the refrigerator overnight. This morning, I mixed the eggs and heavy cream, added the swiss cheese and then other ingredients. In the oven it went, and came out looking absolutely lovely!
But, was it as good as it looked you might ask??? The answer is YES! I cut it and removed a small piece to bring to work and try. So, I took it to the school missing one piece. They didn't mind though, and I hope they liked it!

Here's a link to the recipe. I only modified the crust and type of pan used. I baked mine for 40 minutes, lightly covered with foil and then another 15 uncovered. DQ smelled it and came down saying something smelled good and she was S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G! Now you know whey we call her Drama Queen!

Key Lime Bars

My bosses birthday is today and one of his favorite things is Key Lime. So, last night, I whipped these up. I had found a recipe to use here, and decided to tweak it a little bit...

Crust
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 TBSP salted butter
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 1/2 limes

Filling
2 egg yolks
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Grease 8" square glass baking dish with Pam, line it with parchment paper that hangs over the edge of the pan by a little bit
3. Melt butter in glass bowl
4. Add sugar to butter, mix
5. Add lime zest to sugar/butter mixture and stir well
6. Add graham cracker crumbs and mix thoroughly (a fork works best at this stage)
7. Press into the prepared pan, pressing a little bit up the sides. About an inch or so
8. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool until you can no longer feel the heat coming off the crust
9. In another glass bowl, using an electric mixer, combine egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk until well mixed
10. Add lime juice and only use electric mixer briefly, finish stirring by hand, as you don't want air bubbles in the mixture. It will begin to thicken slightly
11. Pour filling into the crust and make sure the filling reaches the edges
12. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until set
13. Cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate overnight
14. Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 16 squares. Use a very sharp, large knife for smoothest and quickest cutting. Also, wipe the knife between cuts.

Italian Sausage and Pasta Bow Ties

I would say this recipe below could use a little tweaking. It seemed to me like it was missing something. I think maybe some additional salt/oregano/basil/pepper would do it. BD and PM liked it as is. DQ gave it a thumbs down, but she was tired last night.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked
4 Italian sausage links (1 lb.), cut into 12-inch-thick slices (I had 5 sausage links for 1.24 lbs)
2 green, red or yellow peppers, cut into chunks (we used one green and one yellow)
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta as directed on package
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat 15 min., turning sausage for even browning. Add sauce; cover. Cook on medium heat 10 min. or until heated through.
3. Drain pasta; mix with sausage and peppers in skillet. Sprinkle with cheese

We're riding!

PM learned how to ride his bike a few weeks ago. Since then, he hadn't been on it again, until yesterday. By the time we were done yesterday, he was not only riding, but had also mastered the two things that had previously alluded him; starting and stopping by himself. Here's a small video of that (taken by my cell phone, so it's tiny).

Chocolate

So, I gave up chocolate for Lent. I know, pretty standard stuff, right? Well, I didn't realize just how many things I eat have chocolate in them. Also, how many recipes I look at online that have chocolate in them. Wow! Other than just not having any more Cadbury Mini Eggs until Easter (the total count that I ate in 1 week and 1 day was 34 oz, that was three 8 oz bags and one 10 oz bag, yes, pretty much all by myself), which is killing me by the way and I need to make sure I buy a bag for the Easter Bunny to put in my basket, there are lots of other things that I eat that have chocolate in them. The number one example, Hot Chocolate from Starbucks. UGH! I was buying that at least once a week, if not more. Also, my Fiber One Oats and Chocolate bars. Those are a great snack when I need a sweet fix, but want something semi-good for me.

Chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip cookie dough, donuts, chocolate chip cookies someone brought in for work... The list goes on and on. I can honestly say that I have strictly adhered to my promise, with one small faux paux. When we had our snow days, and we had come in from spending over three hours in the snow, I made the family the best hot chocolate in the world. I had a small mug. I figured, we only get snow once every five years or snow like that, and I wanted to enjoy the day with my family.

The recipie for this wonderful hot chocolate is below:

Hot Chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
2 TBSP sugar
pinch of salt
8 oz dark chocolate, shaved or finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
marshmallows or whipped cream for serving

Heat cream, milk, sugar and salt until hot. I use my glass Hot Chocolate Pot from Williams Sonoma for this. I can put it right into the microwave for 5-7 minutes and it is perfect!

Once heated, add the chocolate and vanilla and froth (if you don't have a frother, invest in a cheap drink mixer, again, my pot came with one) until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream. I prefer to use whipped cream and the kids marshmallows

Things that make you go hmmm....

1. People that claim to know a lot, and may have certificates to prove it, but really are clueless about the world and maybe even that subject!
2. Mom's that have kids and then leave them with the dad and go off to live their own lives.
3. Kids that think they can sneak their Nintendo DS out of the house in their pants pocket to school.
4. Eczema, why oh why...
5. Mood swings
6. People
   

Out of the mouth of a child

Tonight, DQ was asking BD what kind of cat ours was. He asked what she meant and she said, "you know, like our dog Quincy was a bagel". Yes folks, I guess our dog was an edible pastry. Darn, if only I had known!

Really though, he was a Beagle. A super pain in the hiney Beagle, but a Beagle just the same. I am sure he is up in heaving getting into God's trashcan on an hourly basis!

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

I don't have any pictures for you, as we ate it all, but I wanted to share a very yummy and pretty healthy recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can reduced fat/fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 16oz container fat free sour cream
1 packet onion soup mix

1. In crockpot, mix soup, sour cream and onion soup mix
   
2. Add chicken in crockpot
3. Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours
4. When finished, shred/break up chicken into bite size pieces
5. Serve over brown rice or wheat egg noodles

This makes enough for a family of 4 for at least two nights.

Bonus, both kids L-O-V-E-D it!

Feel Good, Eat Good

When cooking a LeanCuisine today for lunch, I was overcome with laughter upon reading the packaging. First, I was cooking Tortilla Crusted Fish, with rice, poblano peppers & corn in a sour cream sauce. Oooo, fancy, shmancy!

Anywho, here is what it said:
"Remove tray from box", check.
"Remove film from fish portion only", hmmm... There wasn't a little divider thingy between the fish and the rice, so how in God's green earth am I supposed to do that? Ok, I peeled the film back to expose the fish, so check.
"Cook on High 3 mins. and 30 secs, or until fish flakes easily with a fork and is cooked throughout.", check.

All was going well until I read the Wellness Tip, listed on the box as well:
"Enjoying your meals from a plate and eating more slowly can lead to a more satisfying meal experience." Huh? If I had a plate, I would probably be at home, hence, I wouldn't be eating a LeanCuisine, now would I.

I feel sorry for those poor souls who have to write the stuff on the LeanCuisine boxes. What a job.

DQ's First Tooth Lost!

Tonight, DQ lost her first tooth. It was hanging there, so BD and I decided to pull it out. It came out easily and she is so excited and proud! I am happy and sad. I am so proud of her, as she was very brave (it didn't hurt at all, that's how bad it needed to come out). But, I am also sad because she is growing up. (that and PM hasn't lost a single one yet)

Here she is!

DQ turned 6

Her birthday was a few weeks ago, but we just had her party this past weekend. It was an "Almost Sleepover". The girls were invited to wear pajamas and bring their sleeping bags. We ended up with a total of 15 girls!!

As the girls arrived, they all went upstairs and played in DQ's room and the playroom. We then brought 8 of the girls downstairs to do their craft. We had them make pink poodle purses. After a bit, we let them go back upstairs to play and brought down the remaining 7. I had some games planned, but never had time to do them, as by this time, it was time for pizza. All the girls were very, very well behaved and ate very well. They drank either pink lemonade or water out of plastic champagne glasses.
After that, it was time for cake!!
DQ was so happy! (yes, I made the cake myself!) After that, it was time to watch the movie. They had so much fun dancing and singing with Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus.
Then, at 8:30, they all packed up and went home!

Basketball 2009

Only just a tad over a week of basketball left. DQ plays tonight. They play each other on Saturday. After that, one plays next Tuesday, one plays next Thursday and then the last game is next Saturday.

Unfortunately, my good lens, is not good for indoor sports. The f-stop is not low enough. Outdoor sports and shots, it's great for. But this, crap. Here are just a few of the shots that are ok. Not great.

Here's PM trying not to smile after making another basket:
Here's DQ dribbling down the court:Here's DQ trying to block PM:A friend is renting a nice fixed length canon lens f/1.8. We are going to share it for the week. Hopefully, I'll get some better shots in this last week.

New Year

I know, I know, I know... Everyone is posting their annual New Years post reflecting on the last year and looking forward to the new one. So, I won't bore you with that.

New Years Day, I decided to cook something for dinner that I had never done before. Growing up, my parents would make Cabbage Rolls. When I was little, I only ate the insides. As I got older, I actually liked the cabbage too. My friend B also loved them. Whenever my dad would make them, he would either suggest we invite her over, or save some for her. So, I made them.

It was a long process, lots of dirty pans, but they turned out excellent! I thought they were perfect. Of course, I was the only one. BD ate one, just to be polite. The kids tried two bites of the inside of them, but decided to switch to their leftovers from O'Charley's instead. I was disappointed, but I guess I'll have lunches for a while. I saved them individually in containers in the fridge and freezer. I don't have the recipe here, but will post soon!

Christmas Parade

Both kids were in the Christmas parade in our small town last week. I scheduled my flight for very late that evening (I had to go to Chicago for work) so that I could see them both in the parade. Here is DQ!
Here is PM, see him there in the middle?