An Easter Mystery at 3 in the Morning!

Easter morning, 3 am we were awakened by our girls who were checking to see if the Easter Bunny had brought them any goodies. The girls had checked out their Easter baskets and had were helping themselves to bowls of cereal. . . at 3 am! They also woke up their brothers to share the good news. . . at 3 am! After being sent back to bed on a sugar high (from all the Easter candy they ate) they went back to sleep until about 7 am. Does anyone else's kids get up this early, is or is just ours? (This wasn't the first time!)

The mystery came later when we discovered that the eggs full of candy that the Easter Bunny had so carefully placed in our 4 kids Easter baskets had mysteriously disappeared. We searched the house for the missing jelly beans and chocolate eggs and grilled the kids, waiting for one of them to crack under pressure. I'm suspicious that they may have ended up in our 4-year-old Emma's little tummy, although I can't prove it.

Despite the mystery of the missing Easter candy going unsolved, we had a wonderful Easter visiting North Point Church in Springfield and meeting my family for lunch at Ryan's Steakhouse. The weather was gorgeous. All in all it was a truly blessed Easter!

Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa Recipe-Memories Of The Cheesecake Factory

Last week while my husband and I were visiting Florida, we ate at The Cheesecake Factory, one of my favorite restaurants. We ordered the fish tacos because we wanted to try something new. I love seafood, but wasn't sure I would like them in a taco. However, they were awesome with the fresh salsa and guacumole. I'm hoping to try this recipe soon in an effort to recreate the wonderful fish tacos from The Cheesecake Factory.

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 medium mango, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup seeded and chopped cucumber
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 pound fresh or frozen swordfish steak or tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick
2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach or torn romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups Ready-To-Eat Cereal Smart Start® Healthy Heart

Directions
1. In medium bowl toss together mango, tomato, cucumber, jalapeno pepper, green onions and orange juice concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
2. Thaw fish, if frozen. Remove any skin from fish. Crosswise cut fish into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
3. In large nonstick skillet cook and stir fish strips and jerk seasoning in oil over medium-high heat about 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Remove from skillet.
4. Top tortillas with spinach, fish pieces, KELLOGG'S SMART START HEALTHY HEART cereal and mango mixture. Roll-up. Serve immediately.

Honey-Glazed Bunny Rolls-Great For Easter

Honey-Glazed Bunny Rolls
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast, or 2 1/2 teaspoons
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt

For glaze:
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
12 dried currants, halved

In a small saucepan heat milk with honey, stirring, over low heat just until lukewarm and remove pan from heat. Stir in yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add softened butter and yolks, whisking until combined well. Transfer milk mixture to bowl of a standing electric mixer (or to a large bowl if kneading by hand). Add flour and salt gradually to milk mixture, stirring until incorporated. With dough hook knead dough until smooth, about 2 minutes. (By hand, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place, until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Make glaze: In a small saucepan heat glaze ingredients, except currants, over low flame, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Remove from pan and keep warm and covered.
Grease two baking sheets. Punch down dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into and egg shape and transfer pieces to prepared baking sheet. Form a bunny tail on each roll by holding scissors, points down, perpendicular to baking sheet, and making a 1/2-inch long snip at base of wide end. Form 2 bunny ears by making a 2-inch long snip on each side, starting near wide end and cutting toward narrow end. Form eyes on each piece by making 2 holes in narrow end with a wooden toothpick and pressing a currant half firmly into each hole with pick. Brush half of warm glaze on rolls and let rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap in a warm place for about 45 minutes (or until doubled in bulk).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat remaining glaze and brush rolls. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions half way through. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown, and transfer to racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My Hero

While taking my 9-year-old son Cooper to a routine dental check-up today, I was informed that he needed to have 2 baby teeth extracted ASAP. Being the compliant mom that I try to be, I concurred and my very brave son now has 2 black holes in his mouth where his teeth were this morning. It was fairly traumatic (for both of us!), but it's over now and he is recovering nicely. I think a trip to the movies (and a little Advil) tonight will help get his mind off the pain. What can I say, but he's one tough dude and my hero for the day!

Easy Chicken And Stuffing Recipe For The Crockpot

I love my crockpot! It's been with me for several years now and has helped simplify my life and make me more efficient. I use it to make everything from soups and chili to Italian meatballs and roast beef. I love being able to just throw a couple of ingredients in and leave it to do it's magic while I get along with my day.

This morning I pulled out a recipe that I've made several times that the entire family loves. It's surprisingly healthy, yet at the same time hearty. I usually serve the dish with a vegetable side and tonight I'm baking a mocha chocolate cake for dessert.

Easy Chicken and Stuffing for the Crockpot

3 large or 6 small boneless chicken breasts

2 boxes of stuffing mix (sometimes I buy the chicken flavor, but today it's cornbread)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (or any other cream soup such as celery or chicken)

1 cup chicken broth

Spray the inside of the crockpot with Pam cooking spray. Then place the chicken in the bottom. Next, in a large bowl, mix the stuffing mixes, cream soups and chicken broth. Simply spread the stuffing mixture over the chicken and cook for about 6-8 hours on low.

This makes enough to feed an army, and if you're like us, that's a good thing, but you can always cut the recipe in half if you're cooking for fewer. As is, the recipes makes 10-12 generous servings.

My Baking Experiment: Peach Cake Recipe

Okay, I'll admit it. . . I love to create recipes, throwing ingredients into a bowl, adding a touch of this and a hint of that. Sometimes, I'll admit, my creations come up a little short, but this time it was a success! David, the kids and I all loved it. Here's the recipe, if you're interested.

Peach Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 regular sized can of peaches, sliced into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup orange juice

Frosting:
1 tub of fat free Cool Whip
1 T. peach jello mix (I used regular, but sugar-free might work too.)
1 small can mandarin oranges, mostly drained

In a large bowl mix the cake mix with the can of peaches (partially drained) and the orange juice. Put batter into a 13X11" pan and bake according to directions on the back of the cake mix box.
Let the cake cool completely. Meanwhile you can prepare the "frosting". Fold the peach jello mix into the Cool Whip. Then fold in the mandarin oranges. Spread the frosting on the cake and enjoy! The oranges and peaches really taste delicious together.

Easy Tator Tot Casserole The Kids Love

I found this recipe in my Four Ingredient Cookbook my mom bought me a few years ago. I believe in simplicity, and when you're short on time using only 4 ingredients really helps speed things along. The recipe actually called for ground beef, but I substituted fat-free hot dogs because all the beef was frozen.

Ingredients:
1 large bag of frozen tator tots
1 can cream of chicken (or celery, or mushroom) soup
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
1 package hot dogs, cut up OR lean ground beef, browned

Spray an 11X13" pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with the hot dog pieces. (If you have very small children, be sure to cut the hotdogs up into very little pieces.) Next, pour the soup over the top of the meat. Then sprinkle the shredded cheese and finally, top with the tator tots. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. I served this with veggies and ketchup and the kids (and the parents) loved it!

Our Little Toothless Wonders-The Toothfairy Must Be Broke!

After school last week Cooper and Maddie were excited to show me that they had each lost a tooth while eating an apple at lunch time. The nurse gave them each a small tooth-shaped box that they proudly wore around their necks to transport the teeth home safely. I took this picture right after school. Then about an hour later, Maddie lost her 2nd front tooth! They both looked cute and Maddie started talking with a lisp without her 2 front teeth. The toothfairy did tripple duty at our house that night.

Easy Bran Muffins Recipe-Enough To Feed An Army

If you have a big family like me, or you simply love eating muffins, here is a tasty recipe for you. You can prepare the mix and just store it in your fridge for a couple of weeks. They are very healthy and use heart-healthy olive oil.

Refrigerated Bran Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:
1 20-ounce box raisin bran cereal
2-1/2 cups sugar
5 cups unbleached flour
5 t. baking soda
2-1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (I like to use pecans too)
1 quart low-fat buttermilk
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, undrained
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1/2 cup olive oil

Pour cereal into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into cereal. Add walnuts and stir.

In a separate large mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, pineapple, eggs, egg whites and oil. Stir until completely mixed, then pour into dry mixture and stir completely.

Bake in sprayed muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. The batter can be refrigerated fro up to six weeks. makes 5 dozen muffins (about 15 cups batter).

Each serving contains approximately: 131 calories, 3 grams fat, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 284 milligrams sodium, 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein and 1 gram fiber.

On The Menu: Baked Bolognese

Well, my dear hubby has done it again! He prepared a delicious meal last night that had all 6 of us going back for seconds (and thirds). I think he's trying to show me up! It's okay though, who am I to complain about such a tasty meal?

Here is the recipe courtesy the Food Network's Good Deal with Dave Lieberman.

Baked Bolognese

For the tomato sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Couple dashes red chili flakes

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

Sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the bechamel:

1/2 stick butter
1 large onion

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup white wine, optional

1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed

Dash ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon

2 cups grated three-cheese blend, divided

1 pound parcooked rigatoni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add oil to large skillet over high heat. Add ground beef and saute, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Add garlic, oregano and chili flakes and cook a couple minutes. Add tomatoes and season, to taste, with sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

For the bechamel:

In a large saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add onions and saute until translucent. Sprinkle with flour, stirring constantly and cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Gradually whisk in the wine, if using, and then gradually whisk in the milk and nutmeg and cook until smooth, thick and creamy. Combine the meat sauce and pasta, and then pour in half the pasta mixture. Spoon half the bechamel over the pasta and top with half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Just in case you were wondering (like me) how to pronounce bolognese and bechamel maybe this will help:

bolognese: [boh-luh-neez, -nees, -luhn-yeez, -yees] 1. Of or pertaining to Bologna or its inhabitants. 2. Italian cookery.

bechamel: [bey-shuh-mel; Fr. bey-sha-mel] A white sauce, sometimes seasoned with nutmeg and onion.

Valentine's Be-Mine Cupcakes Recipe

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I wanted to share this recipe with you, courtesy Parent's Magazine online:

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups red melting wafers
2-1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 can (16 ounce) vanilla frosting
Pink icing color
18 cupcakes, any flavor
Red fruit slices or any soft, chewy candy, halved
Red licorice strings
Sprinkles

Directions
1. In bowl, combine red melting wafers and vegetable shortening. Microwave on medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Pour mixture into a foil-lined baking pan, and spread out into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Refrigerate for 3 minutes, or just until set.
3. Using a 1-1/2" heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as you can. Place scraps of wafers back into the bowl, and microwave again to melt. Pour into baking pan, and spread into a 6" x 8" rectangle. Follow previous directions for chilling and cutting.
4. Tint frosting pink with icing color, and frost cupcakes. Place two hearts at angles, points together, in center of each cupcake to make butterfly wings. Place a fruit slice or candy between wings for body. Insert 2 small pieces of licorice strings for the antennae. Top cupcakes with sprinkles.

Our Special Meals for the Month of February

Drew: Baked potatoes with ham and cheese, mixed veggies, fruit salad, Candy Sushi (recipe from Rachel Ray's Kids Cookbook, p. 20).

Cooper: Turkey with gravy, hashbrown casserole, corn on the cob, peaches, and chocolate milkshakes.

Maddie: Pancakes, hard-boiled eggs, sausage, grits, and blueberry muffins.

Emma: Homemade pizza, corn on the cob, carrots, Oreos.

Low Fat Gingersnap Recipe

These cookies are so yummy and full of flavor. It's hard to believe they have virtually no fat! I like to bake them the minimum amount of time so they are soft and chewy. But, if you prefer, you can bake them longer for a crisp cookie. I baked them Sunday afternoon and made a double batch, one for now and one to freeze for later.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. ground allspice
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 T. butter
3/4 cup applesauce
4 T. molasses
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, allspice and baking soda, set aside. In a medium bowl, cram together the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir in the applesauce and molasses. Add dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and mix until just blended.
3. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet, flatten slightly. Bake for 6-8 minutes in the preheated oven for chewy cookies, 12-15 for crisp cookies. Cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 48
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 63
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: less than 1 mg
Sodium: 30 mg
Total Carbs: 14.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 0.8 g
1 point per Weight Watchers.

Great Weight Watchers Recipe for White Chicken Chili

I'm making this today in the crockpot. It was so simple to prepare and smells great cooking! It's also a core recipe from Weight Watchers, so it's very healthy. I'm thinking about serving it with some type of homemade bread or muffins.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili (Core)

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

2 cans (15-16 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) white shoepeg corn, drained

3 T lime juice

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Place the first eight ingredients (through red pepper sauce) in crockpot for 4-5 hours on low, or until chicken is done. Remove and shred chicken. Return chicken to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients to crockpot; cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes, or until beans and corn are hot.

Optional condiments could include, chopped black olives, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Calories: 265, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 30 mg, Sodium: 530 mg, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Fiber: 8 g, and Protein: 24 g.

Doctors Warn That Energy Drinks May Be Harmful To Kids

Have you noticed the big variety of energy drinks that are available in the supermarket? If you or your kids partake of them, even occasionally, then listen up! Doctors report that the energy drinks could potentially cause a stroke, or even a heart attack in a child or teen with an undiagnosed heart problem. This is very scary news, as I know the drinks popularity has grown by leaps and bounds, just the in the past couple of years. Due to the significant amount of caffeine in the beverages, they can also cause severe dehydration, something parents and coaches should by aware of if their kids are using the drink as a "energy booster" before sports practices or games.

For more on this, please click here.

My New Favorite Quote

I found the following quote the other day while browsing through a copy of Real Simple magazine that my Mom gave me. I love inspirational quotes and I think this might be my new favorite. Let me know what you think:

"In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."

The quote is from Edith Wharton, one of my favorite authors. She penned The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth.

THE BEST New England Clam Chowder Courtesy the Food Network (and My Husband and Kids!)

As a soup lover, I find myself drawn to soup recipes and trying all sorts of soups. It's so comforting on a cold winter's night! When David (my husband) offered to cook dinner this weekend, I immediately said okay, because it was a welcome break from cooking all week. (I love to cook, but a girl needs a break every once in a while.) I had recorded an episode of Good Deal with Dave Lieberman on the Food Network. David watched it and decided he and the kids would make the New England Clam Chowder with Pan Toasted Croutons and I was so glad they did! The soup makes enough for an army. Even in our family of 6, after we each had multiple servings, we had 2 medium sized Tupperware containers left for another night. The chowder is rich and creamy. The potatoes were perfect, tender, but not mushy and the crisp croutons were the perfect complement to the creamy soup. In addition to being delicious, it was very economical and cost around $10 to make the entire pot. I think we can probably get at least one or maybe 2 more meals out of the leftovers!

Here's the recipe:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice

1 cup heavy cream

2 bay leaves

1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pan Toasted Croutons:

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

For the Pan Toasted Croutons: Melt the butter in a large skillet and toss the bread cubes in the butter until browned and toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper.

All of our kids, ages 4 to 10 loved it and asked for more! This has definitely become a family favorite for us.

The 10 Commandments of Cooking With Kids

Here are some great tips for sharing the kitchen with kids. Let me know what you think about them and feel free to add to the list.

10 Commandments of Cooking With Kids
1. Cook with supervision. Consider the age and maturity of your kids and adjust the cooking accordingly.
2. Be clean. Wash and dry hands. Also, make sure cutting boards and all utensils used in food preparation are clean. I have found that my 2 daughters love washing dishes more than anything!
3. Protect yourself. Make sure long hair is pulled back and that loose sleeves or clothing are out of the way while cooking.
4. Use caution when dealing with water. Boiling water can cause burns. Also, when using electrical appliances, ensure that the counter is free of spills that might pose an electric shock risk.
5. Use knives properly and carefully. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.
6. Practice food-handling safety. Avoid cross-contamination.
7. Keep safety items handy (i.e. fire extinguishers and a first aid kit).
8. Use common sense. Parents, always carry heavy or hot things for your child.
9. Don't spill the pot. Always keep handles turned in to avoid being bumped off the stove.
10. Enjoy yourself. I think this is the most important consideration when cooking with your kids. Make it fun and try to relax and create a positive experience for them.

A New Year. . . A New Perspective

Happy New Year to everyone! It seems like the New Year rolls around faster with each passing year. I love New Year's Day for a couple of reasons. For one, like many others, I try to make a fresh start in life every January 1. My New Year's Resolutions might not be as lofty as some, but I try to make them attainable, so I can more easily stick with them throughout the course of the year. (Am I saying, "year" a lot, because it seems like it?) I like the idea of wiping the slate clean, getting a fresh start, and looking forward to the future.

The other reason for my affinity to New Year's is that David (my husband) and I were married on January 1, fourteen years ago. I remember when we chose the day for our wedding. It seemed like the perfect anniversary date. We would be starting the year off right celebrating our anniversary at the start of a New Year. I also loved the date because it was the also the wedding anniversary of my beloved grandmother, "Nanny" and grandfather, "Papaw". Although they have since then passed on, I think of them often, and especially on our anniversary.

I look forward to celebrating another anniversary with my sweetie and am thankful for all the precious times we have shared together.

Cheers to a Happy New Year! And remember these words from Eleanor Roosevelt, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."