First Foods: Peas

Peas.

I'd heard from friends who have kiddos that peas were a hit with their little ones.

Apparently Marcus did not get the memo on liking peas.

He hates, hates, hates them. The second the peas are brought out for lunch or dinner the mouth locks shut. I'm beginning to wonder if there is any food out there that my little man is going to like (even bananas have gone by the wayside).

This is how every meal with peas ends. Some tears and a bottle. 

Any suggestions on getting my little one to eat (anything) is more than welcome. Lunch and dinner time is a struggle for everyone.

Confectioners "Crack" & RAK Roundup

The original name of this was "Christmas Crack," that just wasn't going to fly with me. It's not Christmas, and I'm not ready for Christmas. Why would you only want to eat this at Christmas? What about all the other holidays?! Shoot, give me any reason to make this and I probably will. Let's not save it just for the winter holidays.

When you make this have a list of people you want to hand this stuff out to. It's good. Real good. Like, lives up to its name, good. Like, Scott offered to take a bunch to work (this is monumental, people!). If you don't give this away you'll find you're sneaking bites here and there. Then you'll realize you have a real problem when you're tip-toeing into the kitchen when you should be fast asleep, picking little pieces, hoping no one will notice anything is missing in the morning. Not that I'm speaking from experience...

When you get to the ingredients don't go bolting in the other direction. You can easily cut this recipe in half, or, as I mentioned, hand it out to friends and family.

Confectioners "Crack"

1 12 oz box of Rice Chex cereal
1 12 oz box of Golden Grahams cereal
1 7 oz bag of shredded coconut
1 4 oz bag of slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups corn syrup

Combine Rice Chex and Golden Grahams, coconut and almonds in the largest mixing bowl you have.
Stir to combine.
In a large sauce pan, add sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook on high heat.
Stir continuously until sugar, corn syrup and butter come to a boil. Using a candy thermometer it should hit about 234 degrees.
Pour over cereal mixture, stir until all is well coated.
Pour mixture out onto 2 large baking sheets to cool.
Stir around occasionally to prevent large clumps from forming.
Store in air tight container until ready to serve.

This would be perfect for large gatherings, holidays, birthday treats, days that end in "y"...

Enjoy!

Source: Simple Fare, Fairly Simple

*****

Be Kind. Be Generous. Be Thankful.
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Roundup

Friday, November 9

I'm a huge Cyclone fan. Huge. And, though I'm from the state of Iowa, I just cannot cheer for ISU's arch rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes. But, I  put all rivalry aside. With the help from my talented mom and her amazing sewing skills I had an adorable a little Hawkeye jacket made up for my friend's kiddo. This is monumental for me. At one point I made my mom promise to never make a baby jacket with the Hawk's logo... I wasn't able to share this last Friday, as I hadn't made it to the post office by the time I posted, and I didn't want any slipped surprises.

Saturday, November 10
While snagging lunch at Subway I purchased a gift card. I was a little bummed we were the only customers in the restaurant, but the Subway employee agreed to give the gift card to the next customers.

Sunday, November 11
With pockets full of change I placed the appropriate amounts into vending machines, and the machines that dole out little trinkets kids love. A few lucky people are going to have their goodies courtesy of a RAK.

Monday, November 12
My RAK came to me... I was doing a little shopping when a random woman approached me and asked if I could help her return some items she had purchased. The woman spoke in broken english and didn't have a photo I.D. (according to the story policies, a photo I.D. was needed for returns). I gladly tried to return her items so the woman could receive store credit. Unfortunately, there was a hang up with some store policies and the items being returned, so the poor woman was unable to return her purchase. Because the return didn't happen as planned I felt I shouldn't stop there. Later, while leaving the grocery store I saw a man who was stuffing his vehicle with several bags. I offered to take his cart to the cart return. The man seemed a bit surprised, but genuinely thankful to have the small chore taken off his hands.

Tuesday, November 13
Marcus had a doctors appointment (p.s. we hate shots). While in the waiting room I left a coloring book, some crayons, and a couple of activity boards for other kiddos to enjoy.

Wednesday, November 14
The 14th was World Diabetes Awareness Day. A while back I contacted the International Diabetes Federation and obtained pins. As part of the Federation's push to promote awareness they urged people to "pin personalities." I "pinned" people I knew who live with diabetes, or whose family members live with diabetes. If you would like to learn more about diabetes, or the International Diabetes Federation please click here.

Thursday, November 15
We have one of the greatest mail carriers. He is so sweet, and always seems to be in a good mood, he even doesn't mind our crazy dog barking his head off when the mail man comes to the door. To thank him for all of the aforementioned I made him a batch of scotcharoos.

Mom's Meatloaf

"Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf." Except for this one.

Please don't go running from this post. Please. I'm begging. Yes, I agree, meatloaf isn't the most appetizing sounding dish. Couldn't there be a better, prettier, name for it? I've been thinking of all sorts of different names, but I've got nothin'. If you have any "a-ha" moments and come up with something more creative and appealing, please, let me know.

Alright, let's get back to the topic at hand. Meatloaf. Growing up (before I knew what ground beef really was) my mom made this meatloaf. It. Was. So. Good. Served up with some mashed potatoes and string green beans, DELISH! When I retrieved this from the archives I knew switching up ground beef with ground turkey would be no problemo. I was spot on.

This dish is not too ketchup-y, it never comes out too dry, and it's action packed with flavor.

Mom's Meatloaf

2 lbs ground turkey (or ground beef)
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
2 eggs
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp ketchup

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients, mix well.
Put meat mixture in 9x13 pan.
Poke holes in meat (a wooden spoon works well).

Topping
1 small can tomato soup
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

Combine all topping ingridents into a sauce pan.
Heat sauce on medium-high until well blended, just before sauce begins to boil.
Pour sauce over meat loaf.
Bake meat loaf for 1 hour.

It'd be a cardinal sin if you didn't serve these with mashed potatoes, so don't forget those.

When I prepared this my mom was in town, and she commented on how great the turkey worked. Scott wants to find a topping that doesn't contain tomato soup. Can someone please tell the man that there isn't a meatloaf recipe out there that doesn't have tomatoes incorporated into it somehow?! This will be made again (and again, and again), tomato soup and all.

Please try this. You just might change your tune when it comes to meatloaf.

Source: Grandma D

Baked Chicken Parmesan

I wonder if Scott ever wishes I'd surprise him with a big ol' juicy steak, or some pork chops for dinner? Give me a new chicken (or turkey, or seafood) recipe and I'll gladly accept the challenge. However, the thought of dealing with aforementioned meats kind of makes me nauseous. I'll just stick with the birds (no duck, no quail, no pheasant) and fish, thankyouverymuch.

Parmesan chicken has never really interested me. But, there was something about this recipe that I just had to try. Maybe it was because I had every needed ingredient on hand? Whatever the case, I loved this, Scott loved this, and  I hope you try it so you can love it, too.

Oh yeah, and did you notice it's a skinny version of Parmesan chicken?! Bonus points!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 8
3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
1 cup homemade marinara sauce (just leave the meat out and you're good to go - or grab your favorite store bought jar)

Preheat oven to 450.
Spray a large baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.
Lightly brush olive oil onto the chicken.
Dip chicken into breadcrumb mixture.
Place chicken on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Turn chicken over and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet from oven, spoon 1 Tbsp marinara sauce over each piece of chicken.
Top with 1 1/2 Tbsp Mozzarella cheese.
Return chicken to oven.
Bake for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Place your chicken atop your favorite whole wheat pasta and you have one complete, tasty, and good for you dish!

Nutrition Info
Serves 8
Calories - 225
Fat - 9g
Carbs - 14g
Fiber - 1.5g
Protein - 25g

Enjoy!

Source: Skinny Taste

Girls Trip - Temecula Wineries

A trip to the SoCal wine country has been in the works for months. It was near impossible to stifle my excitement as the weekend neared. It has been ages since I've been out with the ladies. I could not wait for our trip to Temecula for a little wine tasting!

Our wonderful group of ladies.

Our limo promptly picked us up at 11:00 and away we went! Four fabulous wineries had no idea what was about to hit them.

First stop, Faulkner Winery.

How cute is the "wine tasting" model?!

Of the four wineries this was my favorite. Immediately upon entering the wine tasting room you felt welcomed. Warm and cozy, with an amazing server, Fred, who showered us with great little tidbits of wine trivia.

With two options, seven tastings or four, naturally we went with seven. :)
Faulkner had some fabulous wine, with the 07 Amante ringing in as my favorite.

Our second stop of the day was Monte De Oro Winery.

Monte had the most stunning views. With their fountains over looking their vineyards, and the mountains quietly nestled on the horizon, it's easy to see how our group was able to spend a lofty amount of time at this winery. 

Though Monte focuses a majority of their production on reds I found their Nostimo was too amazing for words.

I quickly learned had I had more time, I would have taken as many pictures of vineyards as the number of tastings we enjoyed.

The third stop on our tour, Lorimar Vineyard and Winery.

I may have held my group up, as I was blissfully wandering through the rows of grapes.

By far, the swankiest of the wineries we visited. And, the place seemed crowded compared to the others. A full winery in no way hindered or slowed the fun our group was having. Lorimar is also known for their live music. Unfortunately we were either too late, or too early, for live entertainment. By the third winery we were our entertainment.

Lorimar's whites and sparklings were DELICIOUS. My next visit to Lorimar I will just sample their Sparkling Wine. SO GOOD.

Temecula is so much more than I could have ever hoped it would be.

The last and final stop of the day was Bel Vino.

A perfect way to wrap up our wine tasting tour, this place was hoppin'! The atmosphere was that of one big party. Though there were many other vino lovers tasting the goods of Bel Vino it didn't feel cramped or crowded.

Bel Vino is known for its reds, and I enjoyed each that I tasted. By the fourth winery things become a smidge fuzzy. :) I do believe their Zinfandel and Syrah made more than one appearance in my glass.

Our day went by much too quickly. If there is any way we could go back and re-do the day the only thing I would wish for is more time.

To the ladies that made the trip so memorable, thank you, thank you, thank you!

And ladies, don't think I forgot some of our quotes from the day:

• "It smells like a pine tree, but it still tastes good!"
• "I didn't take my wine with me!"
• "Now I know [I've had too much] when I look at that girl and say 'Oh, she looks like Catherine!' and then say, 'Oh, it is Catherine'... That took me about eight seconds."
• "Rudy (our limo driver), you'll forever be in my blog."

There are more, many, many more. But, we'll save those for another day and another glass of wine.

I look forward to our trip in 2013!

Cheers!

Happy Marcus Monday!

That little pudgy tummy...

And those big blue eyes... 

Enough to make this mommy's heart melt.

Happy Monday!!

First Foods: Acorn Squash

Well, this didn't go nearly as well as I'd expected.

After I whipped up the acorn squash I did a quick taste test. Not bad, reminded me of sweet potatoes, which the little man liked. 

I figured these would go over a bit better than the butternut squash had.

Not so much. He wanted NOTHING to do with the acorn squash. Little stinker.

And then I did the quintessential "mom" thing. I mixed the squash in with his oatmeal (which he enjoys). It was a little rocky at first, I think Marcus knew there was more to his oatmeal than I was letting on. But, that was the only way any acorn squash was going to be eaten. 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies & RAK Roundup

Christmas displays are already out in many of the big box stores. Christmas music can be heard on some radio stations. Just excuse me while I continue to enjoy my pumpkin and apple recipes... IT'S STILL FALL! We still have about two weeks before Thanksgiving. Let's pump the brakes. Enjoy Fall before rushing into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!

Now that I've stepped off my soap box, I introduce to you this little gem, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

I asked my neighbors if they enjoyed whoopie pies. They looked at me as if I was growing a third arm. They had never heard of whoopie pies. WHAT?! Life is not complete without having a least one whoopie pie. That settled it, I had to make these.  If not for me, for my neighbors... *ahem*

Pumpkin Cookie

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger (I'm not the worlds biggest ginger lover, so I used 1/2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp ground cloves
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined.
Add pumpkin puree to brown sugar mix, and whisk until combined.
Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Let cool completely on baking sheet.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 Tbsp heavy cream
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and beat just until combined.
Slowly add powdered sugar, a cup at a time and beat to combine.
Once the mixture starts to get very stiff and hard to beat, add the heavy cream and beat well.
Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Spread mixture on to the cooled pumpkin cookies. I put the frosting in a zip lock, snipped one end, and filled the cookies that way. If you have piping bag that works, too!
Sandwich cookies together, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Yields 15-20 sandwiches

I thoroughly enjoyed these, as did my neighbors. My neighbor is a pumpkin pie lover, and she said these reminded her of that, so score for me!

My next go around with these I'll add more cream cheese filling to the cookies. I had so much cream cheese left over, I didn't want all that goodness go to waste. What to do, what to do. Cinnamon graham cracker + slather of pumpkin cream cheese = WIN!

In lieu of pumpkin pie bring these to your Turkey Day celebration and watch as they are gobbled up.

Enjoy!

Source: Lemon Sugar

*****

Be Kind. Be Generous. Be Thankful.
Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Roundup

Saturday, November 3
I had a blast participating in the Color Run, in San Diego. Proceeds from the event benefited Big Brothers and Big Sisters. What better way to help a charity/organization than going out, getting a good run in, and getting splashed with color along the way?!

Sunday, November 4
Things were pretty busy around our place, but a few minutes on freerice.com, and I was able to donate 2,000 grains of rice to the World Food Programme. To earn rice simply answer trivia questions correctly and 10 grains of rice is donated per correct answer. Easy peasy!

Monday, November 5
There were a few dollar bills that had been hiding in my wallet for who knows how long; long enough for me not to miss or need them. I stuffed solo bills into envelopes and attached the envelopes to random items in the dollar bin at Target. Some unsuspecting person/persons is going to have their dollar indulgence pre-paid.




Tuesday, November 6
There were a few coaches in high school that left big impacts on my life. I took a minute to write each of them a thank you for leaving such great impressions.

Wednesday, November 7
It didn't take long to discover how expensive little ones are on the budget. Going through a stack of coupons I noticed I had a good number of "checks" from certain formula manufactures. I knew I wasn't going to use the "checks," and I didn't want them to go to waste. Surely someone could use them. While running errands at different stores that carry formula I attached the coupons to the formula containers. Hopefully someones grocery bill is a little lighter.

Thursday, November 8
There have been a few times I've been out and about with the little man and realized I didn't have baby wipes. Never, ever a good situation. And, toting a little one can be exhausting. So, I put together a mini care package complete with: an unopened travel package of baby wipes, a bottle of water, a granola bar, a few bite sized candy bars, and a little note explaining the contents. The package was left in the nursing room in a store dedicated to all things baby.



Friday, November 9
I want to share so badly with you today's RAK, but I can't. I will explain next Friday. Stay tuned. :)