Busy Week!!!

Last week was a super busy week for me. We had an anniversary, a birthday, a baby (I didn't personally have the baby) and parties!
Starting with Tuesday, August 21st, it was our 13 year Anniversary and Anderson's 6th birthday. He was born on our 7 year Anniversary weighing 7lbs. 7oz. I always thought I should have given him the middle name of "Seven".

This was Brad and I a mere thirteen years ago.

Yes, Brad actually had hair back then! 

Happy Birthday to Anderson! I made these football cupcakes for him to take to his class. He was a little thrown off by the coconut grass, but after eating them, he said that was his favorite part.  

Which brings me to Wednesday. I got a call early Wednesday morning from my mother letting me know that Michelle and Dustin had just left for the hospital. She was only a week overdue, only...!I got crazy getting ready to go. As soon as my mother-in-law arrived, I was ready to leave. I made it up there just in time, so I thought. More like eight hours early! Poor Michelle had been in labor since 3am and didn't have little Claire Marie until 8:07pm. It was a long labor for her and I felt so helpless sitting next to her. It's pretty strange for me to be on the other side. I am finally an Aunt!

Welcome to the world Claire Marie! 

I'm a very proud Aunt!!! I miss her already! 

I came back home from Minneapolis on Thursday and had Anderson's friend party on Sunday. I decided to keep it simple and made a sports obstacle course in the back yard. While we were designing it and setting it up I got a big, enthusiastic hug from Anderson as he said, "You're the best mom ever! I love my party!" That totally made my day!

Anderson and his little friends before we said GO!

 I made "staff" shirts for the other kids out of a yellow plastic table cloth. They all helped the little kids get around the course. They were a huge help, thanks to Hailey, Grace, Jackson and Annaliese!

A quick shot of part of the obstacle course. They had to climb the rock wall on the play center, go through the tunnels, ride bikes to a tball station, throw a basketball in the hoop, more tunnels, a balance beam, blow bubbles and run through the trees. The kids all loved it and it kept them busy, outside of the house! Later that evening, we celebrated with the grandparents and rest of the family. I was exhausted by the end of the day and in bed before 8pm. I think Anderson had a great day and I'm thankful I have a break until the next birthday in December.

~ Misty

Where did my summer go??!!!

I have no idea where my summer went. I had high hopes for things with the kids, lazy days at the pool, picnics in the park, playing the rain (okay, I had no intention on playing the rain, but still) basically, just enjoying summer. I think it all started to go awry with the 100+ temps we had for so long. Couple that with a busy sports schedule, throw in the five kids, there ya go. I had three kids in golf, Jack had baseball, Hailey and Jack had track, Anderson had tball and Annaliese had swimming lessons. All of that lasted until the end of July. We barely made it through and it really cut into my pool time. Lesson learned for next summer.

Summer is gone, kids are back to school.

Hailey is in 6th grade, Jackson 4th, Annaliese 2nd and Anderson is in Kindergarten. They're super excited to be back in school. They walk to school and walk home, so for the first time in a long, long time, I don't have to drive kids to school. It is so nice to have them off in the morning and not have to go anywhere. I've always had to take kids to school or preschool.

And now, this year, it's just me and Piper. 

I can't wait to spend my days with her. She's already partial to me (the only one that is) and this will cement my status as her favorite! 

In addition to hanging out with Piper, I have a few plans for myself.

This is how I want to spend my mornings. Front porch, book, coffee, sun - does it get any better? I've already committed to increasing my reading, both fiction and non-fiction. I've been browsing through a book that's inspired me to get back to writing, Writing Motherhood. I'm not sure if this will find its way into my blog or not, but I'm looking forward to pen and paper and the rhythm of writing.
I had mentioned earlier that I was thinking about another cooking/baking project for my Block Party blog. I think I have most of the details worked out. I'm very excited about that and getting to be a better baker.
Brad has his own plans for me. He asked yesterday, the first day the kids went back to school, if I planned on doing anything on the house? Seriously? It's the first day! Give me a minute to enjoy it! I think his plans are for me to finish all the caulking, filling nail holes, painting and painting and painting. I'm super excited to get started on that, can't you tell?
I've got a lot planned, but if I were forced to take a nap every now and then, I suppose I wouldn't complain too much.


~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - BLT Pasta Salad

This past weekend we had the opportunity to host a family get-together with my mom's cousins from Colorado and Hawaii. I don't think I have ever met Deb, Joyce and their husbands before. They are slightly older than my mom and don't get here to visit much. My great Uncle Melvin and Aunt Ann also were able to come with their daughters, Kari and Kim. It was a last minute thing to have it at my house, but I was happy to host. Hailey and Jackson wanted to help decorate and I figured they would make posters or something like that. While I was preparing the BLT Pasta Salad, they went upstairs to get the decorations ready. When they returned downstairs about an hour later, they had made the coolest Lego creations to honor our guests. I was impressed as was everyone else. I think they did a fabulous job, and all on their own. Don't they look great?!

I did have to make a dish to share, and given my recent passion for pasta salad, I chose a BLT Pasta Salad, found in the latest issue of Cuisine at Home. I loved all the ingredients and I've been wanting to try out the campanelle pasta, so it was a perfect fit. I mean how can you go wrong when there are bacon drippings in the dressing? 

This is the smaller batch that I brought to our neighbors for them to try. I tried a small sample of this before putting the rest of it in the refrigerator without the bacon. I do this with all pasta salads so they can cool and the dressing has time to come together. I have to say, it was much better fresh, not chilled. Something happens to the dressing after it's chilled and it loses a lot of the bacon flavor that it has when it's fresh. So, while it was still a great salad, I'll know better for next time.

BLT Pasta Salad with creamy bacon dressing

Cook:

1 lb. dry campanelle pasta

1 lb. thick sliced bacon, diced

Whisk:

1/2 c. mayo

2 tbsp. minced shallots

2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

Salt and black pepper to taste

Stir in:

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

4 cups halved grape tomatoes

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Transfer pasta to a bowl of ice water, drain well.

Cook bacon in large non-stick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 3 tbsp. drippings; set aside to cool.

Whisk together mayo, reserved drippings, shallots, basil, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in pasta, romaine, tomatoes and bacon; toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.

*** I'm quite certain I broke a few copyright laws, but there are no links to recipes on their website, and I did provide the link to that, it counts a little - right? I'm slightly frustrated by the fact that I actually had to retype all that... Shhh, don't tell!

Enjoy!

~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Chicken Enchilada Bites

I'm always looking for a good appetizer recipe, particularly one that I can throw together quickly with what I have on hand. We were invited to a birthday party right after an event we had last month. I had no time to come up with anything fancy. I had prepared chicken tacos for us to eat during our event and we had a bunch of the mixture left. I figured there had to be a way to make something for an appetizer out of it. I came up with a quick version of chicken enchiladas, in a bite size format. They were absolutely delish!  The recipe was a sort of combobulation (is that a word?) of different things I have made before.

I will try to recount it as best I can, bare with me:

Chicken Enchilada Bites

(recipe modified - drastically! - from Chicken Enchiladas)

Chicken taco filling (this comes from one of my favorite crock pot recipes - chicken breasts, can of rotel and one taco packet. Cook on low for a few hours and shred- Genius!)

Won ton wrappers

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 tsp. each - chili powder, garlic powder and cumin

1 cup shredded co-jack cheese, plus extra for topping

Cream cheese - 4 oz or so

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray, place won ton wrappers in each and bake 5-7 minutes.

Saute onions in oil until soft. Add seasonings and cream cheese, cook until cream cheese is softened. Add chicken taco mixture, and co-jack cheese. Combine all, use a cookie scoop to fill won ton wrappers and top with additional cheese. Bake for 7-10 minutes until cheese on top is melted.

Serve warm!

*** I originally tried it in the mini-muffin tins and they were too small. They are still a great bite size with the regular muffin tin.

This got rave reviews from everyone and will definitely be an appetizer I make again!

~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Lemon Lemon Cake

Jackson has been begging me to make Lemon Cake. I'm not sure why exactly, I don't recall making it before or where he would have eaten it? He hasn't let up on it and even put it on our summer Bucket List. I finally submitted and bought a bunch of lemons. After finding this recipe earlier, we made it this morning. Jackson helped with just about everything. We only had a few hiccups with the recipe, my fault, not his.

This biggest downfall to this recipe is it took quite a while to put together. Part of that was because I had "help" and the other due to all the ingredients, measuring and prepping. It takes quite a while to squeeze and zest all those lemons!

We did two loaves, although they were slightly different in size. 

Final product, very lemony! Kids loved it, except Anderson. I don't think he likes lemon anyway, so it's not really a reflection on the cake. We will definitely make this again - after I get a lemon juicer!

Lemon Lemon Cake
Source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
FOR THE LEMON CAKE
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
8 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
FOR THE LEMON SYRUP
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE (OPTIONAL)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, or more if needed
4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
MAKE THE LEMON CAKES
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides and bottom of two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.
Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until combined. With the motor running, drizzle the butter in through the feed tube. Add the sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Sprinkle the flour mixture, one third at a time, folding gently after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F., and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE LEMON SYRUP
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves.
Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
(The soaked but unglazed loaves will keep, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and frozen, for up to 6 weeks.)
LEMON GLAZE
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. If the mixture is too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk again, adding small amounts of lemon juice and/or confectioners’ sugar until you get the right consistency. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.
The glazed loaves will keep for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

***Enjoy!
~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Baked Chicken Ziti

Okay, apparently yesterday was Tuesday?! Yes, I'm a day late. I have gotten over it, I hope you can too. I just haven't coordinated my summer schedule yet, and I can't guarantee this won't happen again, but I hope it doesn't. Now that we have that out of the way!!!
I semi-sorta created this one. I had purchased some ziti pasta a while back, although for what recipe, I can't quite remember. Obviously that never came to fruition, hence the box of ziti waiting to be used. I also had left over shredded chicken in the freezer - as everyone should, truly a life saver. A quick search revealed many variations of the same, so I made up my own. It's very simple, not rocket science, but a nice change from spaghetti or lasagna.
1 box cooked ziti pasta
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 jar pasta sauce (I used an Italian sausage and garlic blend)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups mozzarella, plus more for topping
Season as desired. I used more oregano, garlic and Morton's Nature Seasoning.

Mix all, top with remainder of cheese, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Yes, it was family and Brad approved!

Enjoy!

~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Recently I had the opportunity to try asparagus for the first time. I know, yet another rather common food that I haven't eaten. I always thought it was just one of those things I wouldn't like. I'm not sure there's a valid reason for it, other than I didn't eat it growing up. Well, long story short, Tara did an awesome job with the asparagus and I found that I do like it. Surprise, surprise!
I purchased a bunch of it this week, fully intending to make something fabulous with it. This wasn't what I originally had planned, but I will say it was pretty fabulous. I mean, you can't go wrong with bacon - right?! A little research and a video later, I taught myself how to prepare the asparagus. It's not rocket science, but being that I had never made it before, I wanted to do it right. The video was very helpful and the recipe was a winner. I did alter it a little to combine the two techniques.
So, starting with the asparagus, I rinsed the stalks and chopped off a little of the ends. As it mentions in the video, I peeled the ends slightly to get rid of the woodiness (is that a word?)
I drizzled  liberally doused them with olive oil, and sprinkled on a little grey sea salt.

After reading most of the reviews for the recipe, I decided to pre-cook the bacon a little so the finished product would be crispy. I put it in strips at 375 degrees for ten minutes then wrapped the bacon around the asparagus. The recipe calls for using half a strip of bacon, I would recommend using the full strip. By the time I had pre-cooked the bacon and then wrapped the asparagus, there wasn't much bacon left to go around the stalk, and that my friends should NEVER happen! I cooked them an additional twenty minutes as noted in the recipe.

Voila!

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh asparagus
• 8 -10 slices bacon

Directions

1. Wash and trim asparagus spears.
2. Cut bacon strips in half crosswise.
3. Wrap one-half strip bacon around each asparagus spear, leaving tip and end exposed.
4. Lay on a cookie sheet with sides.
5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bacon is cooked.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!
~ Misty

Green Thumb?

Brad would say definitely not. I've been rather notorious for starting projects in the garden and not finishing them. When we lived in the country, I had high hopes of a beautiful large garden. I truly didn't realize how much work it would be, all the watering, watering, watering... And weeds too? When Brad came to the conclusion it wasn't going to work out like I had planned, he promptly mowed over the whole thing. Even the raspberry bushes I had transplanted. I was a little angry about it, but mostly relieved.
Fast forward three years, we're in our house in Cedar Falls, and we had a beautiful strawberry patch in the back yard. It was very prolific that first year and I had dreams of enjoying strawberries for the summers to come. However, Brad didn't like the large pieces of wood that surrounded and protected it (from being mowed over) so he took the wood away and you guessed it, mowed over the whole thing. Now that I was very upset about. I think that same summer I tried another garden with the same disastrous results.
So, we have two things working in tandem here. My inability to follow through with large parcels of garden and Brad's overactive desire to mow everything in his path.
My solution is to start small. I'm throwing this out there mostly to remain accountable. Anderson and I planted a few tomato and pepper plants this morning. I had to find somewhere that would be out of the way of Brad and his tractor. I decided on the back of the garage, after about noon, it gets full sun. It's not the best place, but at least it's reachable with a hose. I also guarded it with two big rocks. That should help?

 If you'll notice the dirt and "grass" around the plants, it's obvious, we can't grow grass either. To be fair, we haven't actually planted any seed in the back yard, but still, it does look sad. I'm really crossing my fingers that this works out. I can't wait to enjoy jalapeno poppers from my own "garden"!
~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Doritos Cheesy Chicken Casserole

One of my favorite go-to websites/blogs is that of Plain Chicken. Her recipes are simple and family friendly. So what do you do when you try one of her recipes that she raves about, your family loves it, but you? eh, not so much. I guess, upon request, I would make it again. Maybe on a night where I wouldn't be home to eat it? Not to bash a good recipe, because obviously, there are those that really like it. I'm just being honest. With that being said, I still love her site and there are plenty of recipes that I'm still eager to try. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. Who knows, maybe it's just me?

Doritos Cheesy Chicken Casserole
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups salsa or 1 can Rotel
1 can of corn, drained
2 cups Mexican cheese, shredded
1 bag of nacho cheese Doritos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Crush the entire bag of Doritos and cover the bottom of the dish. Reserve one cup of cheese. Mix together remaining ingredients in a large bow. Pour chicken mixture over the Doritos. Bake for 20 min. Top casserole with the remaining cheese and bake 5 additional minutes or until melted.
***I used Rotel and regular co-jack cheese.
~ Misty

TIO Tuesday - Banana Cupcakes

We had another over abundance of bananas and I wanted to try something different from the usual banana bread. Anderson and I did a little research and decided to try the banana cupcakes. They were very similar to banana bread but much more moist and I love the smaller, easier to eat portion.
These are super easy to throw together, just in time for an afternoon snack.

I think they would look much nicer if they were frosted, but trust me, you don't need it. When I offered the frosting to the kids, they said they liked them just the way they were. You don't hear kids turn down frosting very often!Banana Cupcakes
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

***The only change I made was using butter instead of the shortening, and no frosting.
Enjoy!

~ Misty