Welcome 2012!!

We had a lot of things happen in 2011--

Good

and

Bad

and we look forward to 2012!!

Happy New Year!

What's for dinner?  Day 31

Tonight we had dinner with our friends and have an International dinner of sorts--

Salmon

Thai soup

Chips and Dip

Oranges

Pomegranetes

Kiwi

Brie

Potatoes au Gratin

Mango

Spaghetti Pie

Deviled Eggs

Sticky Rice

Dole Pineapple Whip

A little taste of things around the world.

Did you know that in Portugal (and many other countries) they eat one grape for each strike of the clock at midnight.  Make a wish on each one!

What's for dinner? Day 30

Tonight we had some yummy cashew chicken.

I would actually never choose cashew chicken at a Chinese restaurant--there are to many other things I'd rather have :)

But my sister has been raving about this Cashew Chicken

(it's even become her fall back meal!  Who always has cashews in their house?)

So I figured I had better try it!

Everyone like it!!  Peyton especially like the sauce and the rice.

Cashew Chicken



Group A

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed or thinly sliced (I used 2 large breast and thinly sliced them)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp oil (I used canola)

dash of pepper, garlic powder, and sesame oil

Group B

2 green onions

1 cup carrots, thinly sliced

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

1 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

Group C

3 tsp soy sauce

Dash or sesame oil and pepper

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

2 cup chicken broth

1.  Mix together ingredients in Group A

2.   Put a couple of drops of oil in the wok.  Heat until its hot.  Add Group A ingredients.  Cook until the chicken is done.  Remove from wok and set aside.

3.  Put a couple of drops of oil in the wok.  Cook the vegetables for about 3 minutes.  Add a little bit of water.  Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.  Season with a dash of salt, pepper, sugar and soy sauce.  Add cooked chicken to vegetables.

4.  Mix ingredients in Group C.  Add to the cooked chicken and vegetables.  Cook until the sauce thickens.  Add a generous portion of cashews to the mixture.  Stir-fry for a minute.  Serve with steamed rice.

Family time!/What's for dinner? Day 29

We went to some family friends tonight for dinner and a big family/friend gathering in Sedro Woolley.

There was a lot people that we hadn't seen i n a long time.

It was nice to see everyone and dinner was delicious.

We had. . .

grilled chicken

cheesey potatoes

green beans

spinach salad

bread

corn casserole

Spinach Salad

Fresh spinach

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 green onions, diced

2 red apples, diced with skin

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Dash of pepper

1/3 cup oil

1/8 tsp. curry

1/4 tsp. salt

Toss salad ingredients with dressing and serve immediately



What's for dinner? Day 28

Tonight was not a hit initially with the kids :(

"I don't want the vegetables!"

"I am not going to eat the chicken!"

But after they tasted it, they were singing a different tune!

"Oh this is good chicken!"

Joe and I both like it.

This is one of my sister's favorite!

Creamy Chicken and Penne Pasta

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

2 cups chicken broth

3 cups sugar snap peas

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 small onion, cut wedge slices

1 jar whole mushrooms, drained

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

6 cups penne pasta, uncooked

In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add chicken.  Cook 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.  Add carrots, inion, mushrooms, broth and salt; heat boiling.  Reduce heat; add peas, cover and cook 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and chicken is done.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.  Stir cream cheese into chicken mixture until completely melted and smooth.  Remove from heat; stir parmesan cheese.  Serve over hot pasta.

What's for dinner? Day 27

We had delicious Lasagna soup for dinner tonight. 

According to my niece it's "Freakin" good!

It's easy and perfect for a rainy night in Seattle!

and that's exactly what we had tonight :)

We had it with Caesar salad.

"Freakin'" Good Lasagna Soup

1 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (28 oz.) can Italian Style tomatoes

crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 beef boullion cube

3 chicken boullion cubes

4 c. water

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 - 4 Lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (I sometimes use different noodles if I have them, tonight I used some curly ones)

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 c. ricotta or cottage cheese

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic. Drain fat. Add tomatoes (I chop up canned tomatoes before I put them in), tomato sauce, boullion cubes, water and seasonings. Heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Add lasagna noodles; continue cooking until noodles are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with a dallop of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese on top and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Hallelujah!!

Some of you know that Peyton has been saving for about 3 years (from what we can remember) for--

a LEGO Deathstar

with a price tag of $399.99

with tax that comes to $436.89 that he needed to save.

He

sold things

did chores

had birthdays

Christmas presents

he very rarely bought anything

but on occasion did

He was getting very close to earning all the money he needed

He was $60.97 short as of yesterday.

But going to Joe's parents we knew that he would be getting some money, we just didn't know if it would be enough to get the Deathstar.

As a side note, Joe and I bought the Deathstar a few months ago and stashed it in the closet.  We had it on good word that it was on it's way out and if it was discontinued the price would go up.

Of note: The price right now on Amazon is $436 + tax and $18 shipping.

So before going to Joe's parents yesterday we put the big Amazon brown box in the car, just in case.

Peyton gets enough money, with a little to spare :)

Joe goes out to "see if he might be able to rustle up a Deathstar"  Peyton has no idea we have one.  He is just excited to go buy one tomorrow :)  But when the big box comes in he starts wondering, with big eyes, thinking this just might be it.



He opens the box and can hardly believe it.  It's the "best day ever".  He really wants to just rip it open right then but refrains and instead gets out the manual/instructions.  Which by the way is 262 pages!!!



We have taken the Christmas tree down in the Living Room and replaced it with a card table and a lot of LEGO pieces.  It seemed like the safest place to put something like that without losing pieces and causing probems.

It has started construction today--I am not certain the estimated time of completion--but we'll keep you updated.

Now we just have to decide what the next thing he wants to save for. . . :)



The Day after Christmas--Is that a holiday?

We went to Joe's parents the day after Christmas and the holidays continued :)

What was for dinner? Day 26

We had a lovely dinner with--

pork loin

potatoes and green beans

caprese

bread

and a lovely chocolate cream pie (from Safeway, oops!)

Joe got a new stationary bike and a Corvette (that's as big as the Corvette gets right now)

Peyton got a Star Wars book and a lot of money (come back tomorrow for more on that)

Addison got these cute new boots and a Paris shirt (Addison loves Paris!)

Keith got a "retro" phone headset for his cellphone :) (and a new cellphone)

I got a lovely new platter for my dishes I usually serve dinner on (the brown pottery)
Cathie got her regular yearly calendar

Is this anything like Dueling Banjos?

What's for Christmas Dinner? Day 25

We wanted to try something new and nice but easy for dinner.

We didn't have any visitors coming on Christmas Day. . .so we had. . .

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

I found it here from the Pioneer Woman.

The recipe is below.  I made a few changes for ease, they are in red

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8

Ingredients

PORK
■3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■1 whole Pork Shoulder Roast (also Called Pork Butt)
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■4 cups Apple Juice
■1 cup Beef Stock
■3 whole Apples, Cored And Cut Into Wedges (I used Red Delicious)
■3 whole Medium Onions, Sliced  (I only used 2)
■1 whole Bay Leaf

WILD RICE
■2-1/2 cups Wild Rice
■4 cups Water
■3 cups Chicken Stock
■1/2 stick 4 Tablespoons Butter
■1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions

OPTIONAL: Saute onions until brown. (Or you may just add them raw to the roast.)  I just added mine raw.

To make the pork roast, heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Salt and pepper pork roast, then sear on all sides to give it some color. Reduce heat to low. Add apple juice, apple slices, onions, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. (Or you may place in a 300 degree oven if you prefer.)  I did sear my pork roast, but then I just put it and all the ingredients into the crock pot and cooked for about 5 hours on high and 1 hour on low.  Then I didn't have to hassle with it.

Toward the end of the cooking time, make the rice: melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add pecans and saute for a couple of minutes. Add wild rice and liquid, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is cooked out.  I just cooked some wild rice and did not do this but mostly because of a time factor.  I thought it sounded delicious.
When the roast is done, remove the roast, apples, and onions to a platter. Raise heat to medium-high (to high) and boil liquid, reducing it until thick and rich.  I removed the roast and dumped the sauce into a saucepan to boil and reduce.

Spoon thick sauce over the roast, then cut the roast into slices. Serve with apples, onions, and wild rice.

It was delicious! 

The kids loved the rice and the pork (and a little sauce on the rice).  They did not like the cooked onions and apples :).  Joe and I liked it all



Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful day!  We hope you all did!

Christmas morning

We have a sausage breakfast casserole every year for Christmas.  We started having it when Peyton was a year old.  It's about the only time we have it all year, but we all love it then.

Rapunzel came to breakfast

Sausage Casserole

7 slices bread

7 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard (I used regular yellow mustard as I was out of dry)
1 tsp dried onion
1 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I use Colby-Jack)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup canned milk
1 lb sausage, cooked and drained
Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Lay bread on bottom of pan covering the whole pan. Mix eggs, milk, mustard and onions. Pour over bread. Sprinkle with cheese. Mix soup and canned milk and pour over cheese. Put sausage on next. Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes to melt cheese.
Yummy!!

Christmas Eve fun/What's for dinner? Day 24

We had a very fun and very busy Christmas Eve!

We started out by going to see Santa--oops hadn't seen him yet this year!

We went to Redmond Town Center near our house and waited for an hour!  Evidently there were a bunch of people who had not yet seen him this year either :)

Peyton asked for a Nintendo 3D-S

Addison asked for a Rapunzel dress and a Rapunzel Wii game



Here we are are waiting in line.



Merry Christmas!



 Then we went to find some snow!

We drove up to the top of Snoqualmie pass and the kids loved it.  They made a snowman, which Peyton lent his glasses to and sledded. 

Nothing like snow for Christmas!

 Then we rushed home to finish up some last minute preparations for Christmas Eve dinner and our variety show at the Lewis'.

What's for dinner you ask?

We had roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad for dinner.

And lots of yummy treats. . . scratch that make it too many yummy treats!

And then came the variety show. . .

Addison did her dance recital number to "Let it Snow" in her jammies

Peyton played his piano recital songs--Jingle Bells and Silent Night

Paul played his guitar--Rudolph and Jingle Bell Rock

Caprielle did a comedy routine--

Gary did juggling--oranges

Martine and I did a little redo of Deck the Halls

And Joe revamped 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Here's Addison introducing her number.

Peyton finished up and takes a bow :)



What's for dinner? Day 23

Tonight we had a Thai coconut soup--I found it on Pinterest here.

Joe and I thought it looked delicious!

Joe ate two bowls-he must have liked it.

I thought it was fine but I don't know if I would make it again :(

The kids ate it fine but did have a bit of complaining (they added oranges and yogurt to supplement)

I made a few adjustments to the recipe online.

I put my adjustments on the recipes below :)

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Two 14 oz (398 mL) cans of premium coconut milk

1 heaping tablespoon (15 mL) of Thai curry paste (I used red curry)

Roots of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 cups (500 mL) of chicken broth
1 stalks of lemon grass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed

2 tablespoons (30 mL) of fish sauce

Zest and juice of 2 limes

A small knob of ginger, grated

A handful of bean sprouts

One 8 oz (225 g) package of rice noodles

Leaves of 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed well
A sprinkle or two of salt or soy sauce

Directions

1. Scoop the thick coconut cream from the top of just one of the cans into a large stockpot set over a medium-high heat. Melt the cream, add the curry paste and stir for a few minutes until they begin to sizzle.

2. Add the cilantro roots and chicken and sauté until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the coconut juice from the first can and all the contents of the second can along with the chicken broth, lemon grass, fish sauce and lime zest and juice. Grate the ginger into the broth with a Microplane grater or standard box grater. Simmer for 20 minutes or so.

4. Stir in the bean sprouts. Add the rice noodles, gently pushing them beneath the surface of the broth. Turn off the heat and let stand until the noodles soften, about 5 minutes. Rice noodles don’t need to simmer like pasta to cook; they simply need to rehydrate in the hot liquid.
5. Stir in most of the cilantro leaves. Remove the lemon grass stalks. Taste and season with a touch more salt (or soy sauce) as needed. Ladle into large bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves.

Serves 4

Their picture looked better than mine.  I forgot to take a picture until mine was half eaten:)



Sugar cookie fun!!

Joe suggested decorating sugar cookies for a holiday activity for our family.

As kids Joe's family did cookies at their house for Christmas.

Sugar cookies

Chox (Haystacks)

some others that Joe can't remember the names

(maybe we'll update that when we talk to his sister)

We did candy at my house growing up for Christmas.

Cereal stuff

Fudge

 (dad's yummy homemade with marshmellows)

Caramels

 (mom's yummy homemade)

Peanut brittle

 (cashew brittle if we were lucky)



I made the cookie dough in the morning and then I let it chill. 
Then the kids and I cut them out before Joe came home.



Here they are learning to put them close to the edge and close together so we don't waste dough :)
There are rules to cooking!



The kids wanted to do a "funny" picture.  Peyton put me in a head lock :)

 

Getting ready to decorate the cookies!



We had a lot of variety of cookies.  Multi colored, sprinkles, lots of frosting, not much.



What's for dinner? Day 21 and 22

Last night we had hot pastrami sandwiches and some potato chips.

Tonight I had pastrami sandwiches for leftovers :) 

Joe took the kids to dinner and Christmas shopping for me.  What a nice break!

We love pastrami sandwiches!

The kids like them with just the pastrami and cheese.

The do not like the mushrooms and pickles :(

My dad makes them, at least that's where I got them from.

When Joe and I used to live in Washington and would go to visit my family in Utah we would always request Pastrami sandwiches the night we got into town :)

My dad would always make them--and sometimes we got in VERY late!

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

Deli Pastrami-very thinly sliced

 (I like to use the kind from the counter that they slice right there on the spot)

Dill pickles, chopped

(I used delicious homemade ones that our friend Mikki made)

Mushrooms, canned stems and pieces

Sliced mozzarella

Hoagie bun

Mayonnaise

Mustard

In a skillet (or on a griddle) heat the pastrami along with the pickles and mushrooms.  When pastrami is heated place in the shape of your bun and put the hot mushrooms and pickles on top.  Place sliced mozzarella cheese on top and let melt.

While cheese is melting prepare the bun with a little mayo and mustard.

Place hot pastrami and cheese into bun.

Enjoy!!

What's for dinner? Day 20

Tonight we had these chicken enchiladas that I found on Pinterest--here at Pink Parsley

They were claimed to be so good you wouldn't want to order out at a restaurant again.

They were pretty good!

You even make the enchilada sauce from scratch and it did smell delicious while cooking.

We topped them with sour cream and guacamole.

Addison ate her's without complaint!

Peyton gagged and fell on the floor!

 (he has been a little dramatic lately, I gathered he didn't like them)

I'm always adjusting a bit on recipes as I don't always like to measure :)

But I did follow this one pretty close.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce


adapted from Tide and Thyme, orginally from America's Test Kitchen

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine

• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine (I used one jalapeno and one serrano)

• 1 teaspoon canola oil

• 3 medim cloves garlic, minced

• 3 Tablespoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 3 teaspoons sugar

• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce

• 1 cup water

• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped (I used a tomato on the vine)

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)

• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded

• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

• cooking spray

• salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.
Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.
Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onin mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).
Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

After "crisping" in the oven, before sauce

Out of the oven, I should have garnished them with cilantro.
It would have been prettier!

Imagine!

Today we went to the Imagine! Children's museum in Everett!

We met all the Wyman side cousins there and played and had a great time.

The kids were so excited to play in the plane, the Italian restaurant, the vet.

They did some carpet skating, construction, played on the roof.

And then. . .

It is the first day of Christmas break and the energy is high and emotions are running high--we had two meltdowns-one from each of my children-in the parking lot on the way out.

We didn't get to go on the roof

Peyton laughed at me

Addison pulled me coat

I was not a happy mommy!

Here I had just taken them to a FUN place for them-and now I am getting grief from them both.

How do you have an incident free school break?  Is that possible?

How do I keep my patience?

Wow we are not off to a good start--time for a redo tomorrow :)

We often have redos :)



Some of the cousins (The Williams) carpet skating with Peyton and Addison.

 

Addison carpet skating--just before she fell on her head and decided she didn't want to do it anymore :(

Constructing!

Max and Addison playing the giant xylophone on the roof.

Merry Christmas!!
Music being played around the museum.

What's for dinner? Day 19

Tonight we had all intents to go to Red Robin at Bellevue Square with some friends and then go to the Snowflake Lane "production" at 7:00.

We were to meet at 5:30, go have a quick dinner and voila!

Whoa, plans changed.  It was a 60 minute wait for a table at Red Robin for 12.  That would make us miss the Snowflake Lane.

Next option--Pagliacci's pizza--oops 1 1/2 hour wait there.

Well fast food pizza and pasta--pizza by the slice was what we got in the mall.

Then Snowflake Lane at 7:00--with A LOT of people.

We didn't know what we were expecting but it was somewhere between a parade and show that we thought would happen.

What we got was some hight school band members as toy soldiers handing out candy, a drumline, music played overhead-with an announcer, and snow (which really was lovely)

Verdicts in---

We think that maybe we don't need to go back next year :)

If you look close you can see the snow falling! (Bubble snow)



What's for dinner? Day 18

Tonight we had

Spicy Thai Noodles

Or as Joe called them Spy Thaicy Noodles.

I hadn't read the recipe very closely before making it.

So upon reading while making them I realized they were supposed to served cold--refrigerate overnight.

I did not have time to do that at that point and to be honest I hadn't planned on serving them cold--so we had them hot and served with some Filipino Lumpia that I got from Costco in the frozen section.

It was delicious hot!

Joe and I both liked it a lot.  The kids liked the noodles, they just did not put the green onions, cilantro and peanuts on theirs.

Joe had them for lunch today cold and said he preferred them HOT!

The recipe is below but I found it here where there are lots of other yummy stuff!

What's for dinner? Day 17

Tonight we went to a birthday dinner for our darling friend-Caprielle who turned 14 today.

We had her favorite Buffalo Wings that her mom Martine makes.  They are also everyone else's favorite (Peyton loves them!)

I didn't make them tonight, but I have before and I do have the recipe :)

Buffalo Wings

Pour into a small coated pan:

1 1/2 cups Heinz ketchup

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. whiskey (I don't use this)

1/8 tsp. chipotle powder

Cook over med/low heat until well heated.

Separate joints of a 2 pound package of chicken wings.  Remove end piece and discard (or save for soup) then, cut between main joints.  Place chicken pieces on a microwave safe plate and cook about 2-3 minutes on high in microwave.

Place chicken pieces in a hot skillet with 1 Tbsp canola oil.  Quickly brown chicken on both sides over medium heat.

. 

Then add 1/2-1 cup sauce to the skillet.  Continue cooking over med/low heat.  The sauce will start to adhere to ther chicken.  Sauce will almost begin to carmelize.  Turn the chicken pieces after the first side is coated with sauce to coat both sides with sauce.

Serve with Caesar salad or celery and ranch.

Yum!

One Starry Night

We attended The Live Nativity for our ward and the Sammamish 2nd ward tonight.

What a lovely production!

I was very touched, especially when the shepherds came to see the baby Jesus.

The youth in our ward did the presentation tonight.  The act out the Nativity story outside with real sheep and music and word.



Our Primary was in charge of putting up the tree and garland and some signs.