What's for Dinner? Day 90

So yesterday is a bit of a blur :)

I had to

 get everyone back to school

deal with the housing dilemma

Peyton had piano lessons

Peyton had karate

we went and looked at the house for rent down the street

we took an application for the house down the street

turned in the application for the house down the street

We had pizza for dinner :)

But tonight I was back on cooking.

First things first, our application was approved for the house down the street :)

8 houses down from us on the same side of the street.

The house is a bit bigger and the kids loved it when we went to look at it because:

there was a jet tub in the master bath

a playset in the back yard

and a basement

So besides moving locations we stay in the same schools and same ward.

Phew!!

Tonight for dinner we had an

Our Best Bites meal--check them out here  They have lots of yummy, easy recipes.

Creamy Corn Chowder

Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. water

2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably)--I used skim

2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base

1/2 lb. bacon (optional)--I'm not sure this should be optional :)

1 small onion, minced

2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes--I used Russett because that's what I had.

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn--Frozen for me, I don't like canned.

Salt and pepper to taste

A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Because, you know, if there’s anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup (it’s only 3 Weight Watchers points!) needs, it’s some extra bacon and cheese!

The only thing different I would have done is to double it.  There were no leftovers.  Which meant Joe had no lunch.

The kids had two thumbs up!

They get a kick now out of

Thumbs up

Thumbs down

or Thumbs to the side

they ask almost at the beginning of each meal.

How can you know at the beginning if you like it or not? :)



Be Our Guest!

We were supposed to go to the Broadway

Beauty and the Beast

last week, on Tuesday before my parents came.

But the weather got yucky and the trucks that were carrying the equipment evidently couldn't get over the pass--which was closed.  It was to be opening night.  They cancelled the show last week and rescheduled it for tonight.

After we dropped my parents off at the airport we then headed back into Seattle to go the the show at the Paramount.

Addison wanted to wear her Belle dress :)  A lot of little girls wore their Belle dresses as well and were greeting each other as Belle.  It was very cute.

The thing I would change next time--is not doing a night show.  I would stick to the matinee :)  It got very late for Addison and she was GRUMPY (and we were not even watching Snow White).

But I enjoyed it!

And they both say they would like to go again.



The Emerald City

We had a busy day today.

I gave the kids the option of staying home from school or not. . .since it was the last day that my parents and Claire would be here.  They both chose to stay home.

It was not raining. . .although cold. . .so we went downtown again.

The kids wanted to go to the Children's Museum at the Seattle Center.

My parents wanted to go down to Pike Place Market as neither of them had been there for a number of years.

We headed out around 10:00.

We first parked at the Seattle Center.

Then we caught the Monorail to Westlake Center so we could walk down to Pike Place.

Then we took the Monorail back to grab some lunch and then we went to the Children's Museum.

There was hardly anyone there so the kids got to do what they wanted and not have to wait.

They got to go to--

Taco Time

The Theater

The Grocery Store

The Harware Store

Camping

Japan

The Philippines

Africa

The Bus stop

The Post Office

The Fire Station

At the Theater

Bob the Builder?

Grandma Cherie is checking out at the grocery store

Claire can hula hoop with 5 hula hoops--pretty impressive.

Are these moles?

This room replica of a Philippines home looks the same as a family's home that I knew when I was there.

On the bus in Africa


After the museum we went to take Grandma and Grandpa and Claire to Panera Bread for some mac and cheese and then to the airport.

Thanks for coming!!

We loved having you!!



Just breathe!

Birthday's over, baptisms over!

Visitors leave tomorrow.

Cub Scout meeting tonight.

All of that means. . .

Leftovers for dinner :)

We had lasagna, salad, and whatever was left in the fridge :)

Now it's time to breathe!

Except the fact that I now have to deal with the fact that the owners of the house we are in have decided to sell their house in this "fantastic" housing market.

We need to find a new house before April 30th :)

Peyton's baptism

Today Peyton was baptized!

It was a wonderful day!

We had many family and friends come to the Stake Center in Redmond.

My dad gave a talk on Baptism.

I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost.

Both per Peyton's request.

We had a lovely slideshow in between the baptism when the boys were getting dressed.

Peyton only had to go under once :)

He said he felt kind of tingly like all of his sins were washed away.

I asked him if he had a lot of sins?  He said maybe :)

Pretty sure he didn't!  What a wonderful day!!



After the baptsim, we went back to our church in Sammamish and had dinner and present and cupcakes.

Peyton chose lasagna for dinner.  Another of his favorites!

We had. . .

lasagna

caesar salad

bread

fruit salad

some delicious appetizers

white cupcakes, with lemon buttercream

What's for Dinner? Day 85

We had one of my favorite dinners tonight :)  And Peyton's favorite as well :)

He usually requests it for his birthday!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I orginally got it from Allrecipes.com, Chicken Cordon Bleu II

(well actually we had it at my sister-in-laws house where Peyton fell in love!)

I adjusted it a little to not have to roll it (it's pretty time consuming)--I have made it many times the way listed below.  But I adjusted a few things this time--in red.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves--I use the large ones from Costco and cut them in half lengthwise

6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine--I use chicken broth
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1.Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a cheese and ham slice on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the edges of the chicken over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl, and coat the chicken pieces. --I didn't roll the chicken.  I cooked it per instructions in step 2 and then put chicken breast on a cookie sheet and placed the ham and then a slice of swiss cheese on top and put in the oven on 225 while I finished the sauce.

2.Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

3.Remove the toothpicks, and transfer the breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a small bowl, and whisk slowly into the skillet. I added 2 slices of swiss cheese directly to the sauce to let it melt in (honestly part of the yummiest of the sauce is that the cheese usually oozes out of the chicken and gets mixed up in the sauce.  Cook, stirring until thickened, and pour over the chicken. Serve warm.

It is delicious!!

We serve it with rice, some kind of veggie (depends on the day or the season) and sometimes bread (today we used the leftover loaf from Valentines Day)





Pacific Science Center

Peyton had to go to school this morning to do his spelling test!

But then I let him get out early to go play since my parents and niece are in town.

Peyton wanted to take them to the Pacific Science Center.  So we headed downtown.

We had a great time!  The Science Center was empty and the kids got to do anything that they wanted there without having to wait much time at all.

This is their cockroach they named "BOB"--The kids were very intrigued and the guy at the Pacific Science center was digging that they wanted to hold it and learn all about it.

They say if a butterfly lands on you it's good luck :)

What's for Dinner? Day 84

My parents came in late last night with my cute niece Claire.  They came for Peyton's baptism.

Today we went to McDonald's for lunch :)

Peyton had to go to school :(

And we had ham fried rice and egg rolls for dinner.

I forgot to take a picture.

Oops!!

My kids love my dad's ham fried rice, so they specifically asked my dad to make it when he came up.  they ate very good.  It was delicious!!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Peyton is officially 8 years old. . .therefore he is officially a Cub Scout :)

He is very excited to be a Cub Scout.

Tonight we had the Blue and Gold Banquet--for the Cub Scout birthday.

The fathers and sons had to make and decorate a cake for dessert.

The theme was President's Day.

I helped the boys out a bit :)  As Joe worked late that night.  So I had the cupcakes baked and frosted for them :)  They had to arrange and decorate.  It turned out cute!

What was for dinner you ask?  They catered Italian food--which for catered food was pretty OK.



Happy Birthday Peyton!

Today was Peyton's 8th Birthday!

I can't believe how fast time goes by.  It really seems like just yesterday that he was born.

He was off school for President's Day so we decided to find something to do. . .but it was raining pretty hard and was cold.

We decided to go to Kelsey Creek Farm.  We were the only ones there but the kids has a good time checking out the animals.

Then we ran to Target and Costco and Safeway. . .and survived!!

The we had Mac and Cheese and Polska Kielbasa for dinner.

Peytons choice :)

He loves Panera Mac and Cheese.  So we made their knock off recipe :)

Panera Bread Mac and Cheese



The Creamy White Cheddar Sauce Makes This Side Dish from Panera Bread a Comfort-Food

From PEOPLE Magazine--here

Serves: 4 to 6
Hands-on time: 25 min.
Total time: 40 min.

1 (16-oz.) package small pasta shells
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
6 slices white American cheese, chopped--I couldn't find white at the store so I just used the regular American
1 cup (8 oz.) shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. hot sauce
Paprika (optional)

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.

3. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and is bubbly. Remove from heat.

4. Add cheeses, mustard, salt and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

5. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat, 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Serve immediately.

I made the mistake of putting mine in the oven to keep it warm until Joe got home.  It wasn't as saucy.

Then we had cake and ice cream!

Peyton requested a Hogwarts Castle cake.  Luckily I found a kit as that would have been a challenge.

Peyton asked for three things for his birthday--LEGOS, clothes, and "a jet pack that can do everything"  We got him the "jet pack" and put a bunch of little presents into a backpack that will be "helpful" or can do "everything".

Happy Birthday Peyton!!

We love you!!



Eat Mor Chikin

Have you ever eaten at Chick Fil A?

We love it!!! 

 They have the most delicious chicken nuggets that as far as chicken nuggets go are not bad for you.  But they don't have any in Washington :(  We get to eat there when we are in Utah.

But I found a knock off recipe for their nuggets.

We tried them today!  And they were delicious!

We had them with some Ore Ida frozen waffle fries, fry sauce and strawberries.

It was thumbs up all around!

Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Knock off recipe found here

I made the nuggets instead of the sandwiches by just cubing my chicken and not putting it on a bun, but I may just try the sandwiches next time :)

What's for dinner? Day 79

Addison had a friend's birthday party to go to today.

It was at a Karate Dojo.

She was a little worried at first--"what if I don't know karate?"

She had a great time.

And then we came home and had. . .

Restaurant Style Egg Drop Soup and Potstickers (we like the Costco frozen ones) for dinner.  Joe thought it was missing something.  The kids were OK with it but didn't love it.

Restaurant Style Egg Drop Soup

Via Allrecipes

4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions

1.Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

2.In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 61
Total Fat: 3.6g
Cholesterol: 157mg

Whistle while you work. . .

I have been cleaning the house today.

Oven

Shampooing carpets

Showers

Vacuuming

Sweeping

Kitchen Sink

Stainless appliances

The property management company is coming for a yearly inspection tomorrow.

I didn't want to mess up the VERY clean kitchen.

So we went driving to find something to eat.

I was wanting to stay in Sammamish, but no one was real keen on any of our options up here.

So we drove into Redmond and ended up at:

Canyons Restaurant

Everyone was well behaved at the restaurant.

It was a nice meal.

and now back to cooking tomorrow!!

~~Egg Drop Soup and Potstickers~~

What's for Dinner? Day 77

Today I scrubbed and cleaned the stove and so I didn't want to make a big mess of it.

And Joe was out to dinner for work.

So we had:

 

for dinner.  Nothing fancy--but the kids love it. 

Two thumbs up for them.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

We had our Mommy and Me book club again today.

We had it at our friend's house today.

We first had to look at all the stuff that the Mouse does in the book

(Keri had scissors, and a picture of a mirror, and all the stuff he does)

and we had to try and remember which order they went in.

The kids only got 2 wrong :)

Then we read the story--we love that story.

Then the kids got to make chocolate chip cookies.  They loved that!

Addison broke an egg (into the cookie dough)

They made HUGE cookies.

And they turned out delicious!

Then we stayed and played and visited so long that we just grabbed:

for dinner :)