Gluten free update, Labor Day, and NEWS!

We've made it over a week without gluten!

It's been tough, but also easier than I expected. I've realized that far more foods than I thought don't have wheat. It's pretty exciting. Now if only I would not overcompensate by eating the entire XXL bag of peanut m&m's or the whole carton of chocolate ice cream, I might lose those 15 pounds that lady talked about...

The hardest day was Saturday. I made these amazing S'mores bars for a BBQ with some friends. I did not eat one. single. bite. Not one lick of dough. Not one corner on a spoon (that's my way of "tasting"...with the biggest spoon possible). Not even a taste test to make sure they turned out alright. Proud of myself is a bit of an understatement...

Then on Labor Day our ward did a 5k fun run and breakfast. Of course we have connections to St. Louis Bread Co. and they brought in 200 fresh bagels. Cinnamon sugar bagel? My favorite. Did I have one? No. Instead, I filled my plate with fresh fruit and a gogurt after I killed it in the race. I ran with my running bud Leia and we finished in 28:06! Woot woot.

Speaking of Leia, I wanted to announce that I'm joining her food blog! We are so excited about this new endeavor and have lots of delicious posts planned. Jump over to: eatitandsayyum.com to see what's up! I'll be posting all my favorite recipes, new and old, there, and keep this blog as more of a family update and ramble blog.

Happy Wednesday, friends! Eat some chocolate chip cookies for me!

The Best Bread in the World aka Honey Whole Wheat with Oats

Awhile back I was searching for a delicious, from scratch, whole wheat bread recipe. My Grandma on Scott's side gave me an old ward cookbook a couple years ago, so I cracked it open. The first yeast bread recipe was titled: "The Best Bread in the World." Of course with a name like that I was intrigued and had to make it to see if it truly was the best bread in the world.

I must say, I was not disappointed!! Especially when I opened the plastic bag and cut a slice 3 days later and the bread was still as soft as the first day.

Now, a couple years later, I have made the recipe more than just a few times. Every time it turns out good, but I've discovered some tricks that make it even better.

1. I freeze my whole wheat flour (speaking of, the kind I have was fresh ground from my dad. He's the best). I only realized just last week that when I add freezer temperature flour to a warm yeast mixture, the dough doesn't stay cold enough for the yeast to rise well. Dur dur dur. So, if your flour is not room temperature, plan ahead and let it sit on the counter for a couple hours to warm up!!

2. I'm a big fan of really wheaty bread, and when I make wheat bread, I want 90% wheat flour. The original recipe only had 2/3 cup of whole wheat and the rest white flour. So I reversed it.

3. Kneading. I'm not a serious bread baker so I really never knew what "dough pulls away from bowl" meant until I actually kneaded my bread in my Kitchen Aid for 8 minutes. There was a magical change in texture after about 7 minutes. For the first 6 minutes I thought the dough didn't have enough flour, so I kept adding a tiny bit more. Then it started pulling away from the bowl slightly, so I stopped. Suddenly at minute 7 or 8, the dough went from almost total mushiness (read: soft cookie dough texture) to a nice, tight, springy and smooth ball. I stretched a little piece and found it didn't break easily so I stopped kneading (though another minute would not have hurt....except my mixer was getting tired).

I now know that kneading is essential for the gluten to bind and create air bubbles which in turn makes a lighter, fluffier bread. So, knead like crazy until you can't knead anymore!

4. Be patient with rising. I let the dough rise for 2 hours. Then I rolled it into loaves since I don't have bread pans, and let it rise another 3 hours. This also helps create a fluffier finished product. Someday I hope to have real bread pans...

And now, without further ado, here is:

The Best Bread in the World!!! 

Aka: Honey Whole Wheat with Oats

adapted from Twin Falls 15th ward cookbook

2 c. boiling water

1 c. rolled oats, uncooked.

Pour boiling water over the oats in a large bowl or mixer bowl. Let stand and cool about 5-10 minutes, stirring several times.

In a small bowl mix and let sit 5-10 minutes until foamy:

1 Tbl. yeast

1 Tbl. sugar

2/3 cup warm water (think shower temp)

When the oats are lukewarm, add to mixing bowl and stir to combine:
1 Tbl. salt
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbl. oil (or butter, melted and cooled)
1 1/3 c. white flour

Add yeast mixture. Then add slowly:
3-4 cups whole wheat flour**

Optional: 1/8-1/4 c. flax, chia seeds, other seeds/grains, etc.

When it gets too hard to mix with a wooden spoon or paddle attachment, switch to dough hook. Add wheat flour a little at a time while kneading until the dough just barely starts to pull from the side of the bowl. Knead for at least 8 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand until dough forms a soft ball, a smooth texture, and a small piece stretches easily without breaking quickly. Cover and allow to rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into two portions**. Shape and place into two greased bread pans and allow to rise 30 minutes-3 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. (You can brush the tops of loaves with warm honey and sprinkle with oats to dress it up before baking. I've never done it)

**I used fresh ground whole wheat flour and it took 4 cups. If using store bought, you may only need 2-3 cups. Add slowly so you don't add too much!!
**If you don't have bread pans: shape the dough into a rough rectangle and roll out gently to about 3/4-1 inch thickness. Cut in half lengthwise (perpendicular to long side) and roll each side like a cinnamon roll. Kinda tuck and pinch ends in and be sure to lay seam side down on a cookie sheet. You can bake both loaves at the same time on one sheet.

And if you're looking for some killer Chocolate Chip Cookies, check out my recipe in this post: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

My Relationship with Trader Joe's

I really, really, want to love Trader Joe's. All my friends love it, everyone who has ever shopped there love's it, I'm pretty sure even the employee's love it.

I haven't jumped on that bandwagon yet....
Why the heck? Are you crazy? you might ask.
Well, here's why:

1. TJ's is intimidating to me. Always.

Not quite as intimidating as Whole Foods, where I feel like a completely lost shmuck who has no idea what the heck kamut, spelt, and tahini are, so thus I shouldn't shop there...aside from the fact that I feel like it's a store for rich and organic (read: skinny) people who have unique taste buds, which really means it's not for me. Because other than it being a grain, I don't have a clue what spelt is or how to use it. Nor have I ever cooked or eaten Swiss Chard, Bok Choy, or even Kale. It's like visiting a foreign country for me to walk inside.

That aside, WFs does have some killer breads, ready-to-eat lunches, and amazing dips. I hear the gelato is amazing, the sushi looks incredible, and I know their cookies are yummo too. I'm just not well educated enough to shop there.

So, to me, TJ's is a little, mini, Whole Foods, but cheaper. I'm not educated well enough on what the best things to buy are and I don't care so much about organic or not, so it's intimidating and often frustrating to me.

2. Don't ever, ever, ever, go to TJ's on a Saturday.

I did that once. Or twice. Or maybe three times. I'm forgetful and pregnant and blame it on that. When there's too many people crowded in a small grocery store it stresses me out. Especially when I have no idea where to find what I'm looking for, so it takes me awhile of staring at an aisle to figure it out. It's even worse when I realize there are 50 different types of dried fruit, and I can't find any without added sugar. Then I look for the granola, and can't find what I'm hoping for. Then I check the bread and realize almost every loaf is "multi grain" so how do I know which one is the best with the most natural ingredients? All this while people are reaching, grabbing, dodging, and zooming around me trying to get their own groceries.

By the time I made it to the register, my blood pressure jumped about 50 points and my head was aching from the tension in my shoulders. Once in my car, I chugged some water, breathed deep, and promised to never return on a Saturday.

3. TJ's is expensive to me. 

Maybe it's because I've turned into such a tightwad. Maybe it's because I live a mile from Aldi. Maybe it's because I'm not accustomed to shopping at more specialty type grocery stores. Maybe it's because I don't care about buying everything organic. Maybe it's because I know when we move it won't be nearby.

Mostly I think it's because I'm a tightwad and I live a mile from Aldi, which is about the cheapest groceries you could possibly buy: $1/lb strawberries, 99 cent bag of carrots, $1/pint blueberries, 99 cent tri-colored peppers, 79 cent bag of onions, etc. I've never found cheaper produce than at Aldi. (although sometimes it doesn't last quite as long, and sometimes you have to be picky and choosy, but overall it's worth it!!)

When I go to Aldi, I can fill up 2-3 huge bags to the brim with everything I need for a week and usually pay $40-50. At Trader Joe's I filled up 3 smaller bags for $60 and still had to drop a pretty penny at Costco for eggs, milk, fruit, chicken, fish, etc. When I went to Whole Foods once, I got about 6-7  items, more than half of which was produce, and it cost me $45. Yikes!

So, in my mind, since I'm so used to shopping cheap at Aldi, everything else costs a fortune. I must be a tightwad.

4. But Trader Joe's has some serious deliciousness happening.

Have you ever tried their Pumpkin bread mix? How about the 7 minute steel cut oats? Or perhaps the sprouted whole wheat bread? Mmm. The frozen orange chicken, Joe joe's (oreos), and creamy, fatty, delicious yogurt, are some other tried and true favorites. Their bakery bread is to die for, their fresh flowers are gorgeous, and I hear they have some killer homemade pizza dough. Let's be honest, I haven't really ever had something from TJ's that I hated. Especially not that dark chocolate salted caramel bar... I just need more experience.

Conclusion

 I can completely understand why people love Trader Joe's so much! They've certainly hit a hot market right now with organic and healthy food at half the cost of Whole Foods. They also have a fun vibe happening inside and their cashiers are always super friendly and chatty.

Both my hubby and I have found a few things that we really, really, love at Trader Joe's, and perhaps I'll start shopping there more often to see how it really truly compares financially, but I will most definitely be planning that trip on a Wednesday, which is their slowest day.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll request the companionship of friends who are much more experienced at shopping there than I am so they can show me the ropes.

Moral of the story? I'm not completely in love with Trader Joe's, but I certainly don't hate it! I just need some more experience on a less stressful shopping day.


How do you feel about Trader Joe's and what are your favorite things to buy there??

Quinoa Burgers, Cookies, and Snow

 I have a confession: I am a weather nerd.

There. I said it. I feel much better.

When big storms, winter or severe, are in the forecast and headed our way, you better believe I check weather.com, the news, and the radar, about 1,023,895 times before the storm actually arrives. I'm only slightly obsessive about this.

I have realized, through the years of my weather addiction, that winter storms are incredibly difficult to predict and prepare for. For example, earlier this winter they forecast a terrible ice storm and prepped all the roads with salt and brine. When we woke up, not a drop or flurry had fallen. None, nada, zip. A couple weeks after that, they forecast a very slight chance of maybe a flurry during the night. We woke up to 3-4 inches of snow on the ground.

So, when they started forecasting the storm that came yesterday, I didn't take it very seriously. I actually laughed out loud when I saw that schools had canceled class for the day...at 7:00 pm the night before. Since I had been following the weather, I knew the timeline and thought the schools were ridiculous. Especially when my friends in Kansas City were in the heart of the worst part and didn't cancel school until late that night or the morning of.

I was particularly amused when we woke up and found things to be dry as the desert.

However, I ended up being incredibly grateful for the precautions administrators took, because by 9:30 am, things started getting bad. First some snow, then sleet, then ice, then more snow. I haven't seen snow like I saw yesterday in a very long time. When it was all said and done, we got about 5-6 inches of snow with some ice and sleet mixed in. Since the air has been really cold for several days, every single thing stuck to the ground. 

Around 4:30 pm, we watched a poor Domino's delivery guy get completely stuck in our parking lot above. He was going absolutely nowhere. My neighbor and I finally sent our husbands out to help. They couldn't do much since even they couldn't get traction (it hadn't been plowed). Then 2 more men came by to assist. Luckily, one of them had a shovel so they had to shovel a small path, drive as far as possible while pushing the back, shovel again, drive and push, shovel again, and so on until he finally made it out. The whole ordeal from start to finish lasted about 30-40 minutes. 

Reminded me of my dad in his "abominable snowman" days of helping everyone get unstuck in the neighborhood. What a guy. 

Ever had a Quinoa Burger? 

Me either. Until this week.

I have been completely, utterly, disgustingly, bored with everything I know how to cook, and decided to try a new recipe every day this week. It has been really fun and sometimes not delicious. One of my favorites were these Quinoa Burgers. Light, refreshing, and really yummy. 

I know you're intrigued, so pop over to my food blog for the recipe: Karissa's Kitchen. These burgers come out around 125-150 calories per patty, so you can have two of them and still indulge in some amazing  no bake cookies. They taste as good, or better, than they look. 

You can thank me later for being so awesome and sharing such delicious food. ;-)
Happy Friday, everyone! Go enjoy a cookie. You deserve it.

Post-election thoughts & Grandma's Clam Chowder

Quick Thoughts on the Election:

-It's been interesting to see the "true colors" of people I thought I knew. I will never, ever, understand why people love Obama so much. What part of "4 trillion dollars in debt and millions of people unemployed" do you not understand?
-My hubby was right when he said "I hope Romney wins, but he won't. Our nation still needs to get a whole lot worse before it can start getting better." Makes me wonder what my children's lives will be like 20 years from now.
-What's done is done. We can't change the past. I did all I could do by voting, and so did you. Thus, we can't be mad about something we can't change. Now we just have to live with the consequences and pray.
-I feel a greater need to follow the prophet's counsel and build up our food storage, 72 hour kits, and become more self-reliant.
-I'm especially grateful for my testimony, for the Gospel truth in my life, for the Prophet of our church, for local leaders of our church, and for the knowledge I have that things will in fact get worse before they get better.


Now, onto more delicious things...


Comfort food for another cold, rainy, day. Or to feel better about the past 24 hours of election day.
I realize that not everyone loves, or even likes, clam chowder. I am not one of those people.
Thick, rich, creamy, sweet and salty, clam chowder is one of my all time favorite cold weather meals.
It reminds me of my Grandma, although I'm not sure she ever made it for me.
The way I received the recipe is very indicative of how my Grandma cooked: a little bit of this, some of that, mix together and walah.
I've added a few notes here and there, and once again, here's another example of a well loved, well used, crumbly, scribbled, stained recipe.

I have learned a couple things since the first time I started cooking this soup:

1. Use brand name clams

2. Make a Roux.

3. The veggie measurements don't matter too much. 

First off, brand name clams. Snow's is the best. I tried Geisha one time to save some money and there were mysterious black parts included in the meat. I don't know much about clam meat, but I know it wasn't very pretty and it bothered me. So now I use Snow's. You can use minced or chopped depending on your preference of size. Sometimes I use a combination of both, sometimes I don't. But I usually feel like chopped gives too many large chunks. Also, the recipe calls for 2 cans, I always use three. I like a little more meat and clammy flavor. If you don't, just use two cans. 

Second, a roux. If you're not familiar with what a roux is, google it. Basically, it's combining equal parts flour and fat (butter, shortening, etc) in a saucepan and cooking the flour out. In my experience, a roux is cooked adequately when it starts getting really thin and watery feeling and starts turning darker brown. However, when I researched it, instructions say to melt the butter and then add the flour. I usually melt them together. Whatever works for you. Then I add in the liquid (milk, water, broth), and bring it all to a boil. It thickens quickly and smoothly and is perfect for sauces and gravies. Before I knew what a roux was, and how to make it, I didn't ever cook the flour out enough so my cream sauce ended up lumpy. Now that I know, it turns out perfectly smooth and thick! Also, the flour binds to the milk somehow and prevents curdling. I read it somewhere and can't remember why, but it's true. 

Third, measurements. I'm talking about measurements for the veggies. The recipe doesn't specify an amount for carrots, and never has, and everything else is about 1 cup. I've found that I can use numbers of carrots, potatoes, and celery, without measuring it and it's always turned out fine. 

And now, here's the recipe!

Clam Chowder

2-3 cans minced or chopped clams

1 c. chopped onion (1 medium size)

chopped carrots (2 medium-large, peeled)

1 c. chopped celery (2-3 hearts)

2 c. diced, peeled, potatoes (2-3 medium size)

Drain clam juice over the veggies in a large stockpot. Fill water to the top of veggies. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Cream Sauce:

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

4 c. half & half (or 1 can evaporated milk, 1 c. milk, and the rest water)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

Melt the butter and then add the flour in a saucepan. Create a roux and cook to desired color (I like golden brown). Whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken and get creamy. Add the spices. When desired thickness is reached, pour cream sauce into pot with veggies. Add the clams and bring to a boil to thicken more if desired (5 minutes or so). 

I find this recipe to be really simple and quite easy once you get the hang of a roux for the cream sauce. Everything comes together in about 30 minutes if you're quick at peeling and chopping veggies. I love serving and dipping crusty artisan bread, like Ciabatta or Sourdough, in the soup. Enjoy!

Mayo v. Miracle Whip: The Great Debate

Folks, sometimes I get in a mood. The kind of mood where I make things up in my head, compose letters, scripts, stories, and responses to teasing. These things are generally funny and slightly clever, to me. It is during these times that I usually feel a need to blog.

Today we have Mayo v. Miracle Whip.

Some people may think, like I did in my immature, inexperienced, newly married life, that these two things are interchangeable, nearly identical, and one in the same. 

I am here to tell you, they are not!

My first glimpse of the vast differences of these products came by way of my sister in law at a summer bbq several years ago. I was hosting and planning and said we would have all the condiments for burgers: ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. But what I meant was Miracle Whip. When everyone arrived, she was disappointed to find that my "mayo" was not really mayo at all, but indeed Miracle Whip, something I believe she was not fond of.

After that experience I thought perhaps I should start buying Mayo to see if it was better, worse, or nearly the same.

What about Miracle Whip? 

Miracle Whip is something I grew up on. 

Miracle Whip to us was mayo. We used the names interchangeable. We never saw real mayo in our home unless someone else bought it and left it there. 

Miracle Whip went on flat, round, eggs (fried, really).

Miracle Whip went on sandwiches.

Miracle Whip went on burgers, and in fry sauce, and in recipes. 

Mayo did not exist.

For over a year, I continued to purchase Mayo, thinking that maybe I would like it one day. We managed to make it through a big, round, container, before I decided to buy Miracle Whip again. That decision diminished slightly when I needed to make a dip with Mayo. Enter, small bottle of Mayo.

Then my mom came to visit. 

For breakfast one morning she asked if we had MW and if I still dipped my eggs in it. Of course I responded: "yes! I love MW on my eggs! But, no, we don't have any..."

From that time forth, I have realized: I do not like mayo. 

Mayo is too creamy, too eggy, too smooth and fattening tasting. MW is tangy and delicious and many other things. However, when disguised on a Subway sandwich, mayo is completely edible.

While I may upon occasion host Mayo in my fridge for various reasons, I would like you to know that I much prefer MW. 

I can't wait to dip my flat, round, egg in some tomorrow morning! 

...why yes, I did have a Mayo v. MW photo shoot on my kitchen table. 

It's been one of those days...

Chocolate Therapy for a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Every so often, as life is quickly sailing by, we get hit by a "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."

Mine came last week.
My morning run began by encountering a random man, in the darkness of dawn, who stopped me to ask for directions. Then I waited patiently for a car to cross the intersection. Then another. And another. I also waited for a couple cars back out of driveways. All of this while it was very nearly black outside and all I wanted to do was run. A sort of omen for the way my day would progress.
Back at home things started falling apart quickly.
Bubs woke up an hour early (read 6 am).
Puppy consumed most of Bub's breakfast. Then vomited.
Remote to DVD player became un-programmed (darn universal things) and Cars was unplayable.
Bubs stole favorite makeup brush and dipped in Puppy's water. Then fed to Puppy. (who did not eat it)
Puppy found and explored an old, wet diaper. Yum.
Bubs "poo poo!"-ed then sat on his potty. Said poo poo leaked and smudged all over the seat.
Puppy vomited again.
Bubs decided that screaming, whining, and tantrums were the most fun means of communication.

Naptime.
For almost 2 hours.

Normally it lasts 3-4.
Cue aforementioned screaming, whining, and tantrums.
Then a bath for the Puppy.
5 minutes later, chalk, all over clean Puppy.
5 minutes later, Puppy pee on my rug, due to scary vacuum.
During dinner prep, an entire container of wipes, piled on my kitchen table.
Water on kitchen table.
Bubs on kitchen table.
Frame that was on wall, on kitchen table.
Pizza in oven, smoke detector beeping angrily.
Repeat.
Smoke detector beaten to smithereens by frustrated cook.
Sudden, unknown pain in finger.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Somehow I chopped a chunk out of my finger between attacking the smoke detector and removing the pizza from the oven.

Whining, screaming, dinner tantrums.
Finally, bed time. And peace.

It was a whopper of a day.

So guess what I did the next day?
I ran. Then we drove to Kathryn's.(we're related)
When two tired, overwhelmed, stressed, and missing their hubbies, moms, get together, usually chocolate breaks forth in a wonderful, incredible, therapeutic way.
This time it was cupcakes. Recipe courtesy of Sweet Tooth Fairy.
Rich, fudgey, dark chocolate with melty chocolate chips. Topped with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
They were the perfect anecdote to a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

source & recipe

After this one, I think I'm set with bad days for about a month. At least.

W.W.W.

W.W.W. aka "Whole Wheat Waffles"

This is what we had for breakfast.

When I was young, almost every Spring Break we would jump in the car and make the 16 hour drive from Kansas City to Utah to visit our family. We would always stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house (for at least the majority of the trip). One of my absolute favorite memories was waking up to the smell of waffles. But these were not just any waffles, they were Grandpa made and kid approved. They were also whole wheat.

To this day I'm still not exactly sure what he did to the batter to make them taste so. darn. good. But he did something. And let me tell you, I've never tasted a better whole wheat waffle in my life than Grandpa's. I've also tried to recreate them many times. All failing.

When he served those waffles, they came piping hot off the pan, dished up with lots of butter, hot syrup, bacon, eggs, orange juice, and whatever else you could possibly imagine for breakfast. Breakfast at Grandpa's is still a very special treat, and something me and my siblings all look forward to when we visit!

Today I made some w.w.w. They didn't turn out nearly as good as Grandpa's. But, they were from scratch, and they were altered from a recipe, and turned out yummy the first try. I didn't want to forget what I did, and I wanted to share it with you, because nothing says awesome like a breakfast you can feel good about (that tastes good too!).

Whole Wheat Waffles 

(K's version)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat

1/2 cup white flour

2 TBL. brown sugar, packed

1 TBL. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten,

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 + 1/8 cup applesauce**

1/8 cup cooking oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients separately. Add the wet into the dry and stir JUST until it's moistened. The batter will be quite lumpy. Pour onto a waffle grid and cook according to grid directions. 

**With the applesauce/oil, it called for a 1/2 cup oil but instead I filled a 1/2 cup about three quarters of the way full with apple sauce, then topped it off with the oil. So I'm not sure of exact measurements. You couldn't even taste the applesauce, and they turned out nice and moist!

These took about 5 minutes to throw together, all with ingredients I had on hand. Try them. They're yummy! And I felt great about having a healthy breakfast. 

Happy Saturday everyone! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. I'll be running a 5k on Monday and I can't wait! Especially after running 4 miles at 10 minutes per mile this morning. Small victories, people, that's what it's about!!

Now to go clean up the mess of Bubs "cooking" in the dogs food and water bowl. Oy.

F.A.S.T. Food & Vacay

A couple months ago I created an Acronym/Nomenclature for "Fast" Food.

F. Fattening
A. Addictive
S. Spendy
T. Tainted

Food

On our vacation to run away and escape the stress of the world, we had ample opportunity to test this acronym. I found it to be quite true.

Fattening-
This should be common knowledge that fast food is fattening! Have you ever looked at the nutrition facts for a burger from Mcdonald's?? A Big Mac has 29 grams of fat. 10 of which are saturated. I feel queasy thinking about it...not too mention french fries.
Fattening I know to be true because I think I gained about 3 pounds on our trip. That means I consumed at least 10,500 more calories than my body needs. Oy.

Addictive-
What happened here surprised me. The more we ate out (which was far too often), the more I would sit at home trying to think of a meal to cook before eventually feel like nothing sounded good. Healthy, home cooked meals lost some appeal, especially when I thought of the effort to produce them.
However, in contrast to that, by the time we were ordering dinner at BK on our way home from Utah, I wanted nothing more than a green smoothie and some grilled chicken.
The flavor, ingredients, and convenience of fast food are addictive. Click here.

Spendy-
In 7 days, we spent: $120.26 on fast food (including Chili's and Texas Roadhouse).
That comes out to be an average of $17.18 a day.
I think I just had a heart attack.
That's not including the meals that were paid for us by others.
That's not including the money we spent on a few items to cook at my sister's.
Typically, when we make meals at home, we spend about $50-60 a week, including snacks, desserts, main meals, side dishes, etc. Sometimes that amount rises when we restock the basics. But, in all reality, most of our dinners cost around $5-10 and we have leftovers for at least one or two more meals.
So yes, eating out at fast food, or restaurants in general, is very, very, costly! I challenge you to add up your fast food bills (including pizza, sit down dinners, and drive thru), for the month and see how much you spend.

**If you survive solely on the dollar menu at your favorite burger joint, I can see how it could be cheaper. But, you're paying a buck for some fat and salt with no fruits and veggies. It's a give-take. Spend a little extra on good for you food, or go cheap now and risk spending more in medical bills years down the road?

Tainted-
This one makes me sick to my stomach when I think it through.
Have you ever heard of "Mechanically separated meat"?

Read this article.
In addition to this form of "meat," many restaurants add excess amounts of sodium and other additives to help the food taste better. I don't really want to do too much research on this because I don't feel like throwing up right now. Just know that it is common knowledge that fast food is loaded with all sorts of wrong calories.


So, once again, from the words of K, fast food is really "Fattening Addictive Spendy Tainted Food."

Now that that's off my chest...

Our vacation was lovely.
We thoroughly enjoyed some much needed R&R.
We thoroughly enjoyed some much needed family time.
We thoroughly enjoyed eating Costa Vida, J.Dawg's, Texas Roadhouse, and Chili's.
Sometimes it's good to forgo the cooking, abandon responsibility, and live on the wild side.
Just know that I think it gets old after about a week. :-)

In 14.5 days
More than 3,000 miles
More than 43 hours in the car (with a baby and puppy, in a Mazda 3)

It feels good to be home.
It feels good to cook again.
It feels good to sleep in my own bed.
It feels good to be back in a routine.
It feels good to leave Utah knowing that it won't be too long before we're back on that side of the country again. For good.

New Happenings in our House...er, apartment!

I'm finally back.

Perhaps you may not feel that way, but I sure do! If I go a week without blogging I feel like it's been forever.

Would you like a sneak peek into my past week?
I'm a really good rhymer...

Friday-
I can't remember what happened this day. It was far too long ago. I'm quite sure I ate some chocolate.
Ooh! Wait! It's all coming back to me!
I spent the morning teaching my choreography to a group of youth in the Chesterfield ward who are performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat next weekend.
I spent the afternoon birthday window-shopping with my dear husband.
I also tried on skinny jeans.
That's monumental.
And a story in and of itself.
I also spilled water on our laptop. Somehow.
It ended up frying the keyboard, which we had to replace, which meant no blogging for a week.

Saturday-
More birthday window shopping plus we finally bought a fun, new, addition for our home!
After 3.5 years of this...

(focus on the card table in the center)

We finally graduated to this!:

TA-DA!!!!!!

A real, grown-up table! (thank you tax refund)

Sunday (Easter)-
Actually went to church at the same time as Mr. Man. Oh, how I wish every Sunday could be like that!
We also enjoyed an Easter dinner with our wonderful family, and I made these killer, amazing, Cupcake Wars worthy, cupcakes.

Monday-
Vet appointment for sweet Kaiya. We got her at 2.8 lbs, she is now 6.8 lbs.
Loads of laundry.
Loads of grocery shopping (25 lbs of flour worth!)
Loads of cleaning.
Got my hair did. It looks killer good. I'll take a picture later.

Tuesday-
Babysat all day.
I made the horrific, gut-wrenching, frustration-invoking, mistake of loading two toddlers in the car and driving 15 minutes to our first of three destinations before realizing I had no wallet. 
On the way home from my last appointment of the day, Bubs and I were rear-ended in our Highlander. It has been a very interesting learning experience.
Thankfully, we did not sustain any major injuries, though my back and neck got pretty sore and tight, so I will be headed to a Chiropractor asap to be worked on. (Mr. Man is fabulous, but I prefer a pro to do the job for something like this!)
Went to YW.

Wednesday-
Helped sort garage sale items.
Doctor's appointment for Bubs. He did great! It's still pretty little, but growing. He surprised the doc by giving her loves and cuddles, then running back to mom, then back to doc, back to mom, several times.
She said he's a "high-velocity" kid, as far as activity level is concerned. She's pretty accurate.
Helped teach more choreography for Joseph.


Thursday-
Babysat all day again.
Went to the Magic House for the first time. It was pretty cool, but I think my baby is still too young to make purchasing a membership worth it. Maybe in 4 years from now? Oh wait, we won't be here anymore! :-)
Started the learning process of working with Insurance.
First night at home this week.

Today (friday)-
Discovered more about Insurance and car accidents. They've been super nice to me, which has been fabulous.
Went walking for the first time in over a week. Stress makes me too overwhelmed to want to do anything but sit around and eat chocolate.
Went to Costco and overfilled our sparse cabinet space with food. I'm not complaining. Anyone need some flour, sugar, cereal, or snacks? I also have some strawberries...
Now I'm home for the 2nd night this week, and I'm procrastinating cleaning the kitchen while listening to Bubs whine on and off while trying to fall asleep.

Was your week as crazy as mine? I hope it was. Please share. It'll make me feel better about my life.

Now I'm off to find more chocolate before hunkering down and cleaning up.

Thanksgiving Recipes!

I know I just posted a whole long deal about the Mind-Body-Spirit challenge I'm doing.
I know that I also promised I'd post my Thanksgiving Recipes.
I know that my recipes contain huge amounts of butter, sugar, and cream.
I know that those ingredients are not in line with my challenge.

Please don't judge me.

Because I also know that once you try these recipes (which do not have pictures, so sorry!) your life will change and your Thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinners will never be the same.

Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Casserole 

(a.k.a. sugar, butter, and pecans with a little bit of sweet potatoes)

3 c. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed

1/2 cube, or 1/4 cup, melted butter (it's okay to add extra, promise)

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir and mash until mostly smooth with a few bumps. Unless you like baby food and then you can puree in a blender.

Add:

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

Mix again. Or be like me and add everything before mixing it. Pour into a greased, glass casserole dish.

Topping:

1/2 stick, or 1/4 c. melted butter

1/3 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

Sprinkle the topping on the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Cranberry Salad 

(a.k.a. sugar, marshmallows, and cream, with a little fruit, salad)

1, 12-16 oz. bag of cranberries, washed and chopped (food processor)

2 c. grated apples (peeled or unpeeled)

1, 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

1 pkg. small marshmallows

1 c. sugar

2 c. heavy cream, divided in half and whipped.

Let cranberries sit in the sugar in a big mixing bowl until super juicy. Add all the ingredients except the cream. Whip 1 cup of cream. Fold in. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving whip the 2nd cup of cream and gently fold in. 

p.s. I won't tell you how many grams of fat is in 1 tbl of cream. :-)

Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 c. very hot tap water

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. yeast (quick-rise)

4 c. flour + 1 3/4 c. flour

3 eggs

1 T salt (yes, tablespoon)

1/2 c. butter, softened

Stir all dry ingredients together until well mixed. Add hot tap water and beat well. Add butter and eggs, mixing well. Stir in additional flour, mixing with a dough hook or kneading with hands. Cover and allow to rise once. Punch down. Roll out 1/3 of dough into a circle. Spread with melted butter. Cut with a pizza cutter into wedges. Roll into crescents. Dip rolls in butter or brush with melted butter and lay on greased baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise again. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

Note: This dough is very forgiving. 

This dough is actually SO forgiving, that when I made it last Thanksgiving, I didn't see the part about adding extra flour, and thus I failed to add in nearly half of the flour. Somehow the rolls still turned out amazing! If I didn't ruin them that way, I have no idea how you could possibly ruin them!

Pies.

I still haven't found pies that I would die for, but mister man is very partial to Lemon Meringue. Especially his mom's recipe. Which, I must admit, is quite amazing. My mom makes some killer Buttermilk pies, but I don't have a recipe to pass along. My sister in law also made an amazing banana cream pie this year, but I don't have that recipe either. So sorry. You'll just have to love me anyway and try this Lemon Meringue. Yum!

Lemon Meringue

Filling:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. cornstarch

1 1/2 c. water

3 egg yolks (save the whites!)

2 T. butter

4 T. lemon juice (real lemons)

1 1/3 T. grated lemon rind

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. Gradually add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Slowly stir half of hot mixture into slight beaten egg yolks, return the mixture back to pan. Stir and boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and continue stirring until smooth. Blend (beat) in butter, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Pour into a baked pastry shell. Cover with meringue. Bake at 400 degrees until delicate golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.

Meringue:

3 egg whites

6 T. sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip the egg whites in a deep, small bowl, and gradually add the sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla (at the end). The whites should form stiff peaks and be glossy. Make sure to seal the meringue around the edges of the crust before baking.

Now, I purposefully left out the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. 

Why?

Well, I've never made a turkey and I don't really ever aspire to do so.

I fail at mashed potatoes, so I assign those to other people.

I could maybe make the gravy, but haven't.

And Stovetop stuffing is a comfort food. None of that made from scratch stuff for me. (although if you make it, I'll eat it, smile, and say it's wonderful. Which it probably is. But is not nearly as easy as stovetop. Which really adds to the deliciousness of it I think.)

Okay. There ya go. My promise fulfilled. If you have green bean casserole, just make the recipe on the back of the French's Fried Onions can. Don't be afraid to add extra onions.

Now I must clean my apartment. My dear sweet child has blown through it like a tornado and I've never seen it so messy.

Except after he was born.
Or when we moved in.
Or the time our storage closet was moldy.
Or when we had a bunch of visitors.
Or last week actually.

oy.

Happy Tuesday!

Picture Dump...and Utah!

I am so. utterly. lame.

And this is why: I failed to take more than 40 pictures in 9 days. On vacation.

And about 10 of those pictures were landscape or food. Not people.

I am lame.

But I cannot be wordy! I'm in a hurry this morning. I must blog, but I must pack up for my trip to KC.
So, in a picture dump, here was our lovely trip to Idaho and Utah!

Whenever we visit Twin Falls, we always visit a waterfall, and we always have to take a self portrait. Mister Man is smokin' hot. Me, well, I hadn't showered, no makeup, same outfit as the day before. Which day we had been travelling for about 12 hours. Ick. Aren't you glad I told ya?

 Nat-Soo-Pah. This is a hot mineral springs pool. I felt like I was at the pool featured in the movie "Sandlot"

The colors are not captured well. But the water was green, and everything else looked retro-vintage. Seriously, "Sandlot."

Bubs went down the water slide!

do not be fooled by their faces, they were going very, very slow.

My smokin' hott man, and my cute baby who has a mohawk the size of Texas.

I stared at this picture for about 10 minutes before I remembered why I took it. There is a lizard hiding somewhere between the rocks. If you can find it, I'll make you cookies. Maybe.

This is how he felt about being trapped in the stroller while we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire.

Hiking to Ross Falls. 

But I have no picture of the falls.

Actually, I do. 

It's just not good enough to post.

Utah! Costa Vida! Happy me!

He obviously knows that my Costa Vida burritio is WAY better than his jarred sweet potatoes.

Uh, this was before the trip. 

He gets stuck there.

Alot.

Bath time.

Mister Man thinks it's really fun to hold Bubs up high in one hand.

Bubs likes it too.

So does everyone at the airport, Jason's Deli, and wherever else this occurs.

This picture does not do the trick justice. 

I will take a better one at another time.

Looking out the window on the plane.

Arriving in Salt Lake City!

yes, I know this is in the wrong order.

Please don't judge.

And disregard how awful I look.

Thank you.

We had a great trip.

My amazing sister in law took some real family pictures while we were in Idaho. 

When I get them, I'll post them.

Looking at this conglomeration of interesting and not incredible pictures makes me wish I had a professional photographer that could follow me around and capture our life. 

Also makes me wish I had a hair and makeup team that could fix me up when I look like I've been travelling all day.

And now I'm headed to Kansas City for the weekend for a good friend's wedding, while

Mister Man is headed to Mississippi for the BYU vs. Ole Miss football game.

lucky.

But I'm excited for the wedding. 

And excited to see my family. 

Au Revoir!

Cake Bites!

I am a food blogger.

...in my head.

In reality I am not.

I am too impatient, simple minded, and forgetful to be a real food blogger.

But sometimes I make delicious things, and feel the need to blog about them. 

This is one of those times.

In the following post you will have the opportunity to see exactly why I am not a food blogger.

Here we go...

Cake Bites!

Deliciously evil little creatures.

This is how you I make them:

1. Bake a cake. Any cake will do. 

Because I like to keep things easy and simple I bought a chocolate cake mix and cooked it. In my head I think homemade texas fudge cake, red velvet or coconut buttercream would be delicious. In reality, I have two boys who want my attention.

(note that I only have a picture of the finished cake. A real food blogger would have a picture of every ingredient being added)

2. Grab some delicious frosting. One that will mesh well with the cake.

Once again, I like things simple: thus, the store bought frosting. I'm sure homemade buttercream or fudge frosting would be so much better.

3. Scoop out the baked cake into a large bowl. Scoop out the frosting and dump it on the cake in the bowl. Mix well. Very well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to overnight. 

(if you're chilling overnight, cover in plastic wrap and press the plastic onto the dough to help prevent drying out) 

4. Scoop out small amounts and roll into perfect, uniform, little balls. They must all be exactly the same size and shape. Let me know when you're done. I'll be halfway to Florida already...

Look! Picture #2!

I, obviously, have better things to do with my time than make perfect, uniform, little balls. 

Plug for my husband: Usually he is my "Goose" with cake bites. I whip them up, he rolls and shapes the balls, I dip them. We're a great team. This time he was at school and I was alone. I now realize why he always started out making good, cute, uniform, little balls and by the end they were more lopsided, large, and, well, not so cute. I will probably never tell him again "can you please make them smaller? They keep getting bigger and bigger!" because really you get sick of rolling all that dough, and your hands get covered in gooey chocolate, and it's just a trial of patience all the way around.

...except when you get to lick the chocolate off your hands.

....or sneak a few chunks bites of dough.

...or scrape the bowl with a spoon at the end

Not that I did any of those things.

moving on.

5. Chill the rolled dough balls in the freezer for an hour or so. 

6. Melt some chocolate. Almond Bark is by far the absolute best for melting and dipping.

We prefer the vanilla flavor.

7. Poke a poker, knife, tooth pick, or stick, into each ball and dip it in the chocolate. 

Remember my forgetfulness? I have no picture of the dipping stage. Or freezing stage. Or chilling stage. Or melting stage. Or beautiful display stage. 

This, in fact, is my last picture of this whole process. And as you can tell, this was way after I had finished making and serving these evil treats, because there are only 12 left. 

I may or may not have taken this picture at 10:30 pm...

Please be kind and share some with neighbors, friends, missionaries, and other people. Because if you don't, it's very possible to consume the entire batch single-handedly in one sitting.

And I wouldn't wish that for you.

In conclusion, I am not a food blogger. But, I just told you how to make cake bites. The simple way. If you want a more complex way to do it, jump on over to Bakerella and see how it's really done.

The end. Good day. I need to clean my house now.

1. Bake a box of cake mix.

2. Add a can of frosting. Mix well. Chill

3. Shape into balls. Freeze.

4. Dip into melted Almond Bark.

5. Enjoy.

Delicious Veggie Wraps!

I've been in a cooking funk lately. I haven't really felt like making the old, normal, stand by recipes. Haven't really felt like cooking at all, actually. Much less grocery shopping. Or meal planning. Or really anything. Carry-out pizza, cereal, or ice cream with break n bake cookies have sounded most appealing for dinner. 

But I realized this was not good.

Nor healthy.

Nor budget friendly.

So I found a book at the library "The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Well on a Budget."

I'm not really a complete idiot...

But I got some inspiration and motivation to once again meal plan, try new recipes, and eat healthy. 

So after grocery shopping, with a strict list, and only buying what we needed for the week, I've made a new recipe every night. 

Last night's was the winner so far. It's the perfect light and hearty, colorful, delicious, end of a hot summer day kind of meal. Easy too! And incredibly yummy! Here is the recipe...

But you should know first that I'm not good at measuring spices. 

I'm also not good at sticking to a recipe. 

I always add a little more of this, and a shake of that. 

So bear with me. 

And read my edits in italics.

Here's a picture.

Cheesy Veggie Wraps

adapted from "Complete Idiots Guide to Eating well..."

1/4 c. cottage cheese (low fat is great)

2 oz. cream cheese (1/3 less fat is great)

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

a shake of garlic powder (1/4 tsp?)

a grind of black pepper (1/4 tsp?)

a grind of sea salt (1/4 tsp?)

1 chicken breast half, sliced, cooked, and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning.

1 c. spinach, washed and torn

1/4 c. shredded  sliced carrots

1/4 c. chopped celery. 

I do not like celery. So I opted for sliced cucumber. PERFECT!

sliced avocado

chopped tomato

tortillas

Basically you mix the cheeses and spices in a bowl. Cook up some tortillas, I like the uncooked ones from Costco. And then spread the cheesy stuff on the tortilla and top with an array of veggies. 

I'm kind of an avocado whore these days. I think avocado should go on everything and anything. It's particularly delish in this recipe because it adds nice, smooth, creamy texture. I also thought I would add grilled chicken to add some heartiness. It added good texture and flavor, but it can be omitted if you want. The cucumbers are so light and fresh and the tomatoes and carrots are vegetable staples. You could really use whatever veggies are in season at the time, as I don't think you can do wrong with this dish. 

As you can see from the italics, I don't really follow recipes and I make alot of my own changes. I think this time around my changes enhanced the meal and made it spectacular! Although the cheese spread base is what really makes the flavors pop.

Anyway, it really is a perfect summer meal. Especially served with fresh strawberries or watermelon.

As Mister Man said last night "wow, this is really colorful!" That's exactly the goal for cooking healthy. You want lots of colors! And this meal had it.

I'm done raving now. Please make it. And love it. And tell me how amazing it was. 

You can thank me in advance ;-)

The end.

Highly Addictive Substances

Ever heard of "Crack Fries?"

What about "Heroin Chicken?"

Those are a couple of delicious yummies that members of my family have discovered at local eateries. And trust me, the crack fries really are crack fries. They are highly addictive and may cause severe bouts of withdrawal when not consumed on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, Crack Fries can only be found at Freddys. 

Fortunate if you live near one.

Unfortunate if you are like me and do not.

...I have yet to try Heroin Chicken.

But, I found another highly addictive substance. 

One of which can be located at your local Costco Warehouse.

Oh, how I love thee Costco!

But please, heed to the following...

Warning: 

Once opened, you will be unable to control any stopping devices until the entire bag is consumed. Upon which you will have likely already purchased another bag, opened it, and resumed self-intoxication.

However, not to fret, this product contains 40% less fat which means you may consume 60% more.

And now, my friends, Ecstasy Chips!!

Please, oh please, try some today.

On a lighter note, here is how our 4th of July, 2011 went:

 Yes, we bought these. 

And ate them. 

And died in a pool of fatty, greasy, oily, sweet, deliciousness.

 And then further drowned ourselves in a sea of more amazingness:

After 120834589074 hours of being awake, he couldn't take any more.

Don't be fooled by his eyes.

He really was asleep.

...for about 30 minutes

(curse the vuvuzelas, loud music, and hot air)

I daresay, I have never seen so many people in my life.

And this was 30 minutes before the fireworks.

You know those pictures you see of wall to wall people filling the streets in NY?

I saw that.

But it was not a picture.

And it was not in NY.

And it was really fun to navigate a stroller through.

My boys. 

They make me happy.

(yes, he was wearing ear plugs)

Unfortunately, I was so entranced with the most spectacular firework show I've ever seen in my life, that I failed to take a single picture! I guess that means we'll be back next year. Thank you Fair St. Louis for being amazing!