New Moon

New Moon Fans! Check this out (thanks Holly!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJXV1-ww0v8

You know you will be screaming too (Kate!)

Some Yummy food posts!

I have been working in the kitchen lately and I have found some BIG hits for our household. John LOVED this and I have a feeling I will be making it often. You will want to lick your plate clean and leftovers are yum as well. This is a simple dinner!

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (Can substitutes paprika for the cayenne – if it looks to hot for you I did half and half – for kiddos)
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Combine all ingredients except chicken. Pour sauce over chicken and refrigerate for one hour. Cook chicken in frying pan. Discard marinade.

1/2 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over hot rice. (This didn't seem like a hot meal on the scale to 1 to 10 I would say it is a 4)

For Sides: (steam and mixed them with sauce on plate-YUM!)
Cauliflower
Peas & Carrots
Lima Beans


Root Beer Float Cake

1 - Carmel or yellow cake mix
Root beer
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 recipe Celebration Icing (see down)
Maraschino Cherries (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to directions except SUBSTITUTE the root beer for the liquid called for and add vanilla, lemon peel. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake to directions. Cool completely.

2. Spread cooled cake with Celebrations Icing and garish with cherries.

Celebration Icing

Mix in medium bowl - 1/3 cup softened butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup of powered sugar, beat well. Slowly add 3 Tablespoons of root beer and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Gradually beat in 2 more cups of powered sugar. Beat more root beer or powered sugar if needed.

Pictures of us

It has been awhile since I have posted some pictures of us. So one Sunday this month I took some. John was of course gone -to his church meetings, so he is MIA.
Izzie's hair is so CRAZY - yes, she has a mullet but it is so curly that I can't cut the back off. So we are giving a lot of front head massages to get the front area growing. Matthew is as cute as a button - but he won't let us give him a haircut!!! So we are on the way to longer hair again (the in-between stages are so bad!!)

Typo!

I do make mistakes and my sister had to find out the worst way! So sorry Jen (her bread turned out mushy) The flour said only 1/2 cup - it is suppose to be 1 and 1/2 cups. So if you copied this recipe please fix the flour!!!! Sorry!!!!


Banana Coconut Pineapple Bread
Ingredients
1/2 cup pineapple puree
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 medium overripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
½ cup coconut
1 & 1/ 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Or mini loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Add pineapple puree and brown sugar until creamed, mashed bananas, and extract until creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, soda. Gradually add this dry mixture into creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Stir in chopped pecans.
5. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Mini pans 45 minutes.
6. Makes 1 loaf.

Shrimp Enchiladas

I really wish I took a picture of it - but anyway I didn't. Let me tell you that the diet goes out the window with this dinner - Shrimp Enchiladas. I never had really good luck when I ordered them at restaurants but I saw this recipe and I had to try it and man am I GLAD! They are cheesy, rich and soooo tasty - even if you don't like shrimp, this might change your mind.
It looks like a lot of ingredients but I am guessing you will have more than half in your pantry and fridge.

TRY IT and you WILL thank me later!

Shrimp Enchiladas

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced (I used food storage onion - no chopping just add water)
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
1.5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used already cook shrimp and it worked and saved time)
1/4 cup onion, chopped (I used food storage onion - no chopping just add water)
1 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
8 (9-inch) flour tortillas (I used wheat tortillas)

Saute red pepper, onion and green pepper in 3 T butter until crisp-tender. Add oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, cream and flour; blend well. Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese; stir until melted. Add sour cream, stir to blend. Set aside in separate bowl.

In skillet, melt 1.5 tablespoons butter. Saute shrimp and 1/2 cup onion until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp and chop; return to butter and onion. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/2 of the cheese sauce. Spoon 1/3 cup shrimp mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of shrimp mixture. Roll up tightly. Arrange seam side down in a 9X13-inch glass baking dish. Spoon remaining cheese sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Books

My sister-in-law was reading this book while we were on vacation and it sparked John interest. Fablenhaven by Brandon Mull. The first book is good, but the sequels are even better - I couldn't put it down. They are young adult books - but totally fun. I would check them out!

This is from book two - loved it! (and book 3 is even better- now I am waiting for 4 and 5!!) No worries on spoiling - just a funny quote.

" You should have Hugo throw you in the pool." The golem turned his head toward Seth, who shrugged. "Sure, that would be fun." Hugo nodded, grabbed Seth, and, with a motion like a hook shot, flung him skyward. Kendra gasped. They were still thirty or forty feet away from the edge of the pool. She had pictured the golem carrying Seth much closer before tossing him. Her brother sailed nearly as high as the roof of the house before plummeting down and landing in the center of the deep end with an impressive splash. Kendra ran to the side of the pool. By the time she arrived, Seth was boosting himself out of the waster, hair and clothes dripping. "That was the freakiest, awesomest moment in my life!" Seth declared. "But next time, let me take off my shoes."

Blender pancakes

I got this from Leigh Ann and Everyday Food Storage.

They are really good - and I gave them a little kick by adding smashed strawberries and blueberries - YUMMY!

Blender Wheat Pancakes

1 Cup Milk (translation for powdered milk is 3 T. Milk and 1 C. Water)

1 Cup Wheat Kernels, whole & uncooked

2 Eggs (2 T. powdered eggs 1/4 C. Water)

2 tsp Baking Powder

1-1/2 tsp Salt

2 Tbs. Oil

2 Tbs. Honey or Sugar

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt and honey or sugar to above batter. Blend on low. Pour out batter into pancakes from the actual blender jar (only one thing to wash!) onto a hot greased or Pam prepared griddle or large frying pan. Cook; flipping pancakes when bubbles pop and create holes.

My sis and her family

My sister and her family came to visit us last month and I am finally posting! They haven't visited since Matthew was born (it is about time!!) We did some crazy stuff with a whole lot of kids - shopping, they did the Strip (go ahead without us - seen and done that many times!), cold weather swimming and lots of eating ($80 worth of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory). I LOVE when they visit and I loved having Stef (17) and Jake (14) stay with us. They are so cool - and I am hoping they think I still am. They adored Izzie and spoiled her rotten as Matthew ran wild with all his cousins. I hated to stay goodbye and cried when they did. I wish they didn't live so far (Oregon).