a Latte' with Ott, A

Hot Days in May call for Homemade Frozen Custard

2012-05-22T12:49:00.000-04:00

You probably didn't know this but Ott, E's hometown had the first Culvers restaurant in Wisconsin. And Culvers is famous for their frozen custard, which we both enjoy eating. Well this past spring Ott, E bought me the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchen aid stand mixer, but we've been so busy we haven't been able to try it out. This past weekend we broke it in my making homemade frozen custard in it. We used a random recipe Ott, E found on the Internet, and it could give Culvers a run for their money. (just joking)

Ingredients: 4 c. milk, 4 eggs, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup corn starch, 1/8 tsp. salt, 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk, 2 T. Vanilla extract.

Directions: Bring Milk to a boil in a saucepan on the stove. Combine Sugar, corn starch, salt and egg in a separate bowl. Gradually add to milk milk. Return sauce pan to heat and cook stirring mixture until 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir in Condensed milk and vanilla. Chill for 3 hours in refrigerator.

After the 3 hours we placed the mixture in my ice cream maker attachment and put on the low speed for 30 minutes. At this point the custard could be eaten or you can place it in the freezer to be eaten at a later time. We added some candy toppings after we dished up a bowl and enjoyed this frozen treat as the temperatures started to rise outside.

New Baby Hospital Visitor Favors

2012-05-21T15:21:00.000-04:00

So when you are an organized person and like to have things ready well in advanced, having a baby two days after your due date leaves some time for you to stew and look for additional projects you can do to keep yourself occupied. One of the things I made in the last days of my pregnancy was favors for people who came to visit our baby in the hospital. Now I know just having the baby and letting people come see and hold it was enough, but like I said I was 2 days overdue and looking for something to keep my mind busy. So I decided to make labels for a candy wrapper with our baby's stats as the nutritional information.

Not knowing the gender of our baby, I was looking for a candy that said baby but wasn't pink or blue. I settled on sugar babies candy as the wrapper was yellow and baby was in the title.

I then measured the length and width of the candy wrapper and made a label using microsoft word to imitate what the Nutrition Facts table looks like but renamed it "Baby Facts". I also used a piece of clip art of a bar code to ensure the label looked as real as possible. I then left the number area of the label blank so we could hand write in the weight, length etc.

Lastly, I added the line; "thanks for visiting our sweet baby" and listed the Candy Makers as my husband and I and the name of the City and State the baby was born in. It made for a cute memento to give guests who stopped by to visit the baby and they had all the important information about the baby on the candy wrapper so they could tell others all the details.

How I take care of Leftovers: A ChicWrap Review

2012-05-19T10:08:00.002-04:00

"What I like a Latte' today" is this awesome plastic wrap dispenser from ChicWrap. With being a new mom, I've been fortunate to have people stop by with dinners and desserts for Ott, E and I to eat during this time of adjustment to having a new baby in the house. This ChicWrap dispenser has come in handy when wrapping up leftovers to place in the fridge to be eaten another day.

Now, I know we've all had our momemts where we struggle with plastic wrap. Either we can't find the end, or we can't get it cut and it ends up sticking to itself and is a big hassle. Well after testintg out this ChicWrap dispenser I have to admit, it makes working with plastic wrap much more enjoyable.

Firstly, I love the sunflower design as it matches my kitchen theme perfectly. But if you're not into sunflowers don't worry, they have lots of other designs to choose from to match your personality and style.

The Chic Wrap dispenser holds any variety of plastic wrap you buy in the store and it just makes storage and use of that plastic wrap fashionable and practical

Here's why it's so easy to use: each container comes with a zip safe slide cutter which makes cutting the plastic wrap a breeze. No more struggling with the cheap cutter on the side of the box that you buy in the store. This cutter cuts straight and clean each time,every time. And the remaining plastic sticks to the bar for your next use, so you don't have to work to find the end of the plastic wrap the next time you want to use it.

If you are interested in seeing more of the designs of the ChicWrap Dispenser or learning more about this product please visit their website or check them out on facebook. And if you like them on facebook you will be entered into a drawing where they give away one ChicWrap Dispenser a month! What a deal!

Please note ChicWrap did send me this product to review but all photos and opinions expressed on this blog are my own.

MacchiOTTo's Birth Story

2012-05-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

Our little MacchiOTTo arrived on May 8th, 2012. After much anticipation and waiting on our part; the big day finally arrived. As you may recall we were due on May 6th. For weeks leading up this we had everything ready around the house; at the office, in the nursery, etc. So that weekend both Ott, E and I were a little anxious to get this show on the road. He worked out in the yard and garden to keep his mind busy and I tried eating spicy food and taking long walks as I heard those were wives tales to help spur on labor...but... no luck. On Monday, May 7th I had a Doctor's appointment in the morning and when I went in to the office they said everything looked fine, but they suggested inducing labor since I was overdue. At first I was a little disappointed because I wanted the surprise of feeling contractions or water breaking, but at the same time I knew Ott, E and I were tired of waiting so at 8 pm that evening we were checked into the hospital and ready to start this process.

It was an awkward night of sleep in the hospital as I was given something to soften the cervix around 9 pm and again at 1:30 am. I was hooked up to a machine to monitor the baby's heartbeat as well as having a blood pressure cuff around my arm which went off every so often to check my blood pressure. so sleep was a bit difficult. By 4 am I started to feel some contractions and when the nurse checked me at 6 am I was dilated 4 cm. My body had started to go into labor on it's own without any more assistance so I was happy with that.

The contractions continued throughout the day and by 10 am I was at 8 cm. At that point the contractions were getting stronger and more painful so I asked for an epidural. Once that took effect things felt much better. The Doctor broke my water around 11:30 and I started to push a little around 12:30. By 1:47 pm our little MacchiOTTo arrived.

The doctor allowed Ott, E to call out what it was since we had decided to keep the gender of the baby a surprise. He looked down at our baby (half shocked with what had just happened and trying to decipher the umbilical cord from the rest of the baby) and said, "Uhhh.... I think it's a girl." The Doctor said yes it's a girl and handed him scissors to cut the umbilical cord.

After that they placed her on my chest for some skin to skin time. She was pretty peaceful and didn't cry very much. She just laid there and looked at me with these big blueish gray eyes. I thought she was the cutest thing I had ever seen. She had long dark curly hair and there was no doubt where she gets that from.

She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and measured 20 inches long. She also had a head circumference of 14.5 centimeters. (Only a mother would mention that stat.) She passed all her test and is perfectly healthy in every way. We got to bring her home on the 10th and the past week has been a blessing of getting to know her and she getting to figure us out. She eats and sleeps a lot and we have changed a lot of diapers. She is a gift and we are truly blessed to have her in our lives.

Double Chocolate Zucchini cookies

2012-05-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

I was looking for something to use up the last of my shredded zucchini I had in the freezer from last summer and thought about putting a spin on Ott, E's favorite Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake and transform it into a cookie. Here is the recipe I came up with for a Double Chocolate Zucchini Cookie and Ott, E liked them just as much as the cake version.

Ingredients:2/3 cup margarine, softened, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats, 1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 T. baking cocoa, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, 1 cup chocolate chips, 2 cups chopped, shredded zucchini.

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat margarine and sugar together, until light and fluffy. Add eggs. In a separate bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, cocoa and spices. Then add to wet ingredients in several additions, mixing well after each. Finally, stir in chocolate chips and zucchini.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes; cool on wire rack. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Blackberry Glazed Duck Breast

2012-05-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

I had some Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast in the freezer so I thought I would fix Ott, E and myself a nice dinner. After flipping through some of my recipe books I decided on a blackberry glaze to adorn our duck. The recipe turned out great and Ott, E said it was his favorite duck entree so far. (So you know it's good.) Here is how I made it.

Ingredients: 2 Duck breast, 1 cup blackberry jam, 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/4 cup white grape juice, 1 T. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, 1 T. parsley flakes.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a saute pan on the stove and allow to heat up for 3 minutes. Place duck breast in pan skin side down, cover and cook for 10 minutes. At the same time in a separate medium saucepan mix jam, chili sauce, grape juice, lemon juice and allspice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

Transfer duck to greased baking dish, and place skin side up. Pour 3/4's of your glaze over the meat and place in the oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until internal temperature of the duck reaches 165 degrees. Serve with vegetables and enjoy!!!

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Hunk of Meat Monday on Beyer Beware, Mingle Monday with Add a Pinch, Made my You Monday on Skip to my Lou

a recipe for Porkloaf

2012-04-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

If I haven't mentioned this before; we go in with my family and have a hog butchered once a year. We buy one at the county fair in July each year, have it butchered and divided amongst us and then enjoy the meat all year long. One of the cuts of meat we get is pork burgers, and we usually eat them as burgers and fix them on the grill. So when I found a recipe that called for pork burgers I was anxious to try something different. This recipe is similar to meat loaf but calls for pork instead of beef so therefore it's called Porkloaf.

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground pork, 2 cups frozen hash browns, 1 large carrot shredded, 1 small onion chopped, 1/4 cup parsley, 2 egg whites, dash of salt & pepper, 2 tsp. Italian seasonings

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pork, hash browns, carrot, onion, parsley, egg whites, salt & pepper and Italian seasonings. Mix until well combined.

Transfer mixture to parchment paper to form into a 5 x 9 inch loaf. Place in loaf pan or baking dish with a raised wire rack. Bake until loaf is golden brown on top and cooked through (about an hour). Thermometer should be 160 degrees. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday on Add a Pinch, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Hunk of Meat Monday on Beyer Beware, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life, and NapTime Creations Tasty Tuesday Party.

Pineapple Mango Crisp

2012-04-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have been eating a lot of fresh fruits lately and was flipping through the pages of the latest Fit Pregnancy Magazine and found this recipe for a Pineapple Mango Crisp. I never knew Pineapple could pair so nicely with your average crisp topping, but it makes for a nice dessert. The other great thing about this recipe is that it has ginger in it which helps queasiness and digestion.

The other thing I really like about this recipe is that it gives me a chance to use my pineapple slicer, which is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.

Ingredients: 1 pineapple sliced into chunks, 3 mangos' peeled and sliced into chunks, 2 tsp.ground ginger, 2 T. finely chopped candied ginger, 2 T. fresh lime juice, 2 T. cornstarch, 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Topping Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/4 cup cold butter.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced pineapple and mango in a bowl. Add ginger (ground and candied) lime juice, cornstarch and brown sugar. Toss and set aside.

In another bowl mix topping of brown sugar, flour, oats, and ground ginger. Add butter and blend with pastry blender until the mixture forms clumps.

Place mango/pineapple mixture in a large baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes until topping is crisp and fruit is cooked through. Sever warm. (Great with ice cream.)

This post was linked to: Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life.

Ott, E's Dad-chelor Party

2012-04-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

With only days before our bundle of joy arrives; Ott, E got once last chance to hang out with some friends this past weekend at his Dad-chelor Party. (That's right a Dad-chelor Party; for 1st time dads.) Ironically, Ott, E's best friend and his wife are expecting their first child a month after we are, so I thought why not combine the two and have a party for both of them at the same time. And, as I always say any good party starts with a great invitation. So I worked with a lady who prints out cards and came up with the following invite to explain the situation. She did the graphics of diapers hanging on a line next to shorts and I did the wording with a cute rhyme explaining all the details.

Wording on the card.

"With babies due in June and May,

a Dad-chelor Party is held right away.

Their wives gave permission so it's ok,

to hang with the guys one last day."

"Meet at _____ on ____ a Saturday,

From ___ till ____ you'll eat and play,

and enjoy some guy time before Delivery Day."

With simple appetizers, drinks and some games, the guys had a great time, and Ott, E had one more night of fun before the baby, bottles and burp clothes arrive.

This post was linked to: Made by You Monday on Skip to my Lou, It's a Blog Party,

Nesting time

2012-04-17T20:43:00.002-04:00

As we get closer to our due date I've started to get some nesting tendencies, but maybe not in the normal sense as far as cleaning. I feel like our house is normally pretty clean, but you always hear stories of woman who scrub and clean every little square inch. I can safely say I don't feel compelled to do that at all. However, I do feel a strong urge to organize and find ways to make things more efficient and utilize our space better. So I've prewashed all the baby's clothes, towels and sheets, I've organized the nursery closet, toys, books and even the stuffed animals. I've stocked the diaper bag, assembeled baby first aid kits and a bath time caddy. We have stocked up on diapers and wipes and have those organized according to sizes and brands and I could keep on going but you get the idea.(As you can see below, our little MacchiOTTo is well on their way to becoming a shepherd with this flock of stuffed sheep.)

I've also been working on stocking our freezer full of meals to pull out, heat up and serve. Here I made homemade meatballs. These can be used for spaghetti, sandwiches or appetizers.
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground hamburger, 2 eggs beaten, dash of oregano, dash of parsley, dash of salt & pepper, 6 slices of dried bread, crumbled, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Directions: Mix ingredients together and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Line on a greased rack inside a baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and place into airtight freezer containers.

I also made some of Goodness Gracious Brown Bag Burritos, some of 2 Maids a Milking Pizza Casserole, some shredded Pork roast for sandwiches. For breakfast I have frozen a variety of muffins. I also browned up some ground beef and chicken to use in tacos or other quick dishes to make for dinners. I made some homemade rolls to freeze to have for some dinners. We have some hamburger and hot buns frozen so we can through some burgers and brats on the grill.

And we stocked up on lots of paper plates, cups, napkins and silverware so we don't have many dishes to do. We fill really ready for our new addition to arrive so know we are just waiting for the day to get here, and we'll see if I start to feel the urge to clean.

a downright delightful peanut butter brownie cheesecake

2012-04-16T07:46:00.000-04:00

I sat down the other evening to watch TV and saw a recipe that had been torn out of one of my Midwest Living magazines. Since I didn't tear it out I assumed Ott, E had. So I asked him about this recipe and said, he thought it looked good and wouldn't mind eating it sometime..... (he wouldn't mind eating it... of course that meant I would have to be the one making it.) Well I looked over the ingredients, thought of a few ways I could make it better and today I am showing this recipe for a downright delightful Peanut Butter Brownie Cheesecake.

Ingredients: 1 box of brownie mix, 3/4 cup hot fudge flavored Ice Cream topping, warmed, 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, 1 (8 oz.) package of Philadelphia Indulgences Milk Chocolate Cream Cheese, 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, 2 T. powdered sugar, 7 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped, 2 T. chocolate flavored syrup.

Directions:Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, pour half the batter into a greased 9 inch spring form pan and the other half into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake according to package instructions, cool on wire rack.

Spread fudge topping over baked brownies in spring form pan. With the 8 x 8 pan of Brownies cut into 2 inch bars and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream cheeses and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until just combined. Add sweetened condensed milk. In a medium bowl beat whipped cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar but until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1/2 of the whipped cream mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the hot fudge topping. The place the cut brownie squares on top to create a layer of brownie. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture over the top of the Brownies. Top with the set aside half of the whipped cream mixture.

Sprinkle chopped Reese's cups on top and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Cover and chill the dessert in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours. Slice and serve cold.

Once removed from the spring form pan you can see the layers and let me tell you the taste of peanut butter, brownies and cheese cake is amazing and your guest are sure to want seconds.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday with Add a Pinch, Made my You Monday on Skip to my Lou, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life.

Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins with Orange Glaze

2012-04-09T07:08:00.002-04:00

With our due date right around the corner I have been baking up lots of casseroles and freezer meals to have on hand for after the baby arrives. I have also been working on some different breakfast foods to have on hand as well. One of the new recipes I've been tampering with is a muffin with a cornmeal base, cranberries and a Orange Glaze. While I was a bit worried that the cornmeal would dry the muffin out, the glaze kept it quite moist and tasty. And with using yogurt instead of eggs it keeps the muffin low in fat, making it a little healthier for a breakfast option.

Ingredients: 1 cup + 1 T. all purpose flour, 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 T. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt, 3 T. unsalted butter, melted, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest, 2 tsp. orange juice, 1 1/4 cup dried cranberries,1/2 cup confectioner's sugar.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, butter, vanilla and orange zest. Add to flour mixture stirring until combined.

Add cranberries to batter, divide batter among muffin cups.

bake until puffed and set, about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.

For glaze stir together orange juice and confections sugar. Drizzle over muffins and let glaze set, about 10 minutes, before serving. To freeze store in airtight container, label and place in your freezer.

This post was linked to: Mingle Monday with Add a Pinch, Made my You Monday on Skip to my Lou, Made it on Monday on Larks Country Heart, Muffin Monday on Talking Dollars and Cents, Melt in your Mouth Monday on Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, 2 Maids a Baking on 2 Maids a Milking, Tasty Tuesday on Beauty and Bedlam, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace, Hearth N' Soul, Made from Scratch Tuesday on From Mess Hall to Bistro, It's a Blog Party, 33 Shades of Green, Trick or Treat Tuesday with Inside BruCrew Life.

Easter Mantle & Decorations

2012-04-06T14:57:00.001-04:00

Although I decorated for Easter a few weeks ago I am just now getting around to showing off pictures of our mantle. As you will see in the pictures below I have some Longaberger baskets I bring out this time of year, along with some bunny figurines to set around. I also have a swag with pastel colored berries I use on the back part of my mantle as well. Feel free to look around at our decorations.

Then for my dining room table I have a white linen table cloth with a scalloped edge and embroidered pink flowers. In each of the corners of the table cloth there is an embroidered Easter basket with flowers and eggs. For a centerpiece I used a purple glass basket with a chocolate bunny inside. A gold garland and candlestick holders. Obviously I haven't set my table yet, so you will just have to use your imagination as to what it will look like with place settings and food.

March's Iron Chef Challenge Winner

2012-04-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

There were some great recipes linked up to last month's Iron Chef Challenge featuring Red Star Yeast. The blogs have all been reviewed and the results are in. Guest Judge Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast selected a winner and choose......PinayInTexas for her Pan de Coco and Pan de Ube.

Guest Judge Kelly had this to say about the recipe. "I selected this recipe entry for its originality and uniqueness and also enjoyed the story of her childhood memories that prompted her to create the recipe. An added bonus were the step-by-step photos she included in her post. The photos of the finished rolls were colorful and very spring-like!" Congrats to Pinay! She will be receiving a Red Star Yeast Prize Pack for winning.

Big Thanks to all the bloggers who participated and to Red Star for sponsoring this months contest.

3 different recipes for crescent roll ring bakes

2012-04-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

Like most of you I've been to my fair share of Pampered Chef Parties and one of the recipes they tend to make a lot to show off some of their tools is the taco ring bake. It's quick, easy and tasty! Well today I have found two versions of this recipe with different ingredients and taste but with the same theme of using crescent rolls, and being quick and easy to make....and of course tasty!!

So to start with I'll share that recipe for the taco ring bake.
Ingredients: 1 lb. browned hamburger, 1 taco seasoning packet, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 tube of crescent rolls.

Directions: Mix taco seasoning with hamburger according to package directions. Arrange crescent rolls in a circle on a greased baking sheet. Distribute taco meat around the edges of the circle and sprinkle with cheese. Wrap edges of crescent rolls over meat and bake according to directions on crescent roll package.

Another version of this recipe is the Spinach & Turkey Ring Bake.

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey, browned and drained, 1 package (10 oz) chopped spinach, 3/4 cup ricotta, dash of pepper, dash of red pepper flakes, 1 tube of crescent rolls.

Directions: Mix turkey, spinach, ricotta, pepper and pepper flakes together. Arrange crescent rolls in a circle on a greased baking sheet. Distribute mixture around the edges of crescent rolls, and wrap edges of crescent rolls over meat and bake according to directions on crescent roll package.

And lastly, a recipe for Chicken & Broccoli Ring Bake.

Ingredients: 1 lb. chopped cooked chicken, 1 large head of broccoli, broken into bite size pieces, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature), 1 T. Dill weed, 1 tube of crescent rolls

Directions: Mix ingredients together. Arrange crescent rolls in a circle on a greased baking sheet. Distribute mixture around the edges of the crescent rolls and wrap edges of rolls over meat. Bake according to directions on crescent roll package.

As you can see in the picture below, arrange the crescent rolls with the wide ends in the center of the circle overlapping just slightly, then with the points of each crescent piece extending out. Place the meat mixture on widest part of the dough and then bring the points over the meat and tuck underneath.

Ott, E working in his Carhartt's

2012-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am working on a project with the Real Farmwives of America & Friends today reviewing Men's Carhart Shirts and Pants. So I enlisted the help of Ott, E and he agreed to help model and is showing off his new Carhartt Jeans while he works in this nice spring weather. Not only is this a great time to review this pair of jeans, but I can also explain a little more about what Ott, E does. As I've mentioned before on this blog, Ott, E is a Field Market Development Specialist which means he does research on agri-chemicals such as herbicides and other pesticides for an ag. chemical company. Most days he works out of his truck as he drives around the mid-west checking on the trials he has going.

Today he is doing an early spring weed count. This means he is looking for what weeds have already emerged so far this spring. He does this by walking into a field and picking random points to take samples. In his hand is a 2 foot square which serves as his guide for his sample size. Jeans are a necessity out in the field as they are rugged and yet comfortable and help him get his job done.

He also carries a notepad so he can take notes as to the date, location and what weeds he has found.

Besides weeds he is also looking at the amount of corn stalk residue left behind. This field was a corn field last year that was not tilled up after the harvest and you can see the amount of remaining corn stalk left behind.

He looks at the soil type, the size of weed and other items of note so he know which kinds of herbicides to apply in the future.

Ott, E likes the dark color of his jeans and the durability yet flexibility of the fabric. This is his first pair of Carhartt jeans, and I'm doubting it will be his last.

If you would like to win a pair of Carhartt pants for yourself, then head over to the Real Farmwives of America and Friends blog and sign up! While you're there you can also see what the other men of the Farmwives are doing in their Carhartt's around the farm.

Chocolate Almond Cake Roll

2012-03-29T19:35:00.002-04:00

I received this package in the mail from Duncan Hines with samples of their frosting creations. This is a new product for the company where they sell a tub of frosting and then different flavor packets to mix into the icing to change the color and taste. Simply pour in the flavor packet, stir and frost. The two flavors they sent me to try were chocolate almond and strawberry shortcake.

So I decided to use the Chocolate Almond icing and make a Chocolate Almond Cake Roll. I used your traditional Chocolate Cake Roll Recipe, lined the bottom of the cake pan with wax paper, and I sprinkled some slivered almonds on top of the batter before placing it in the oven.

Once done baking I turned the cake upside down on a towel covered in baking cocoa and the pulled the wax paper off the bottom of the cake.

I then rolled cake up in a towel and placed in on a cooling rack until room temperature.

While it cooled I mixed up the frosting by making a hole in the center of the tub and pouring the flavor packet in. I then stirred it up making sure it was mixed completely throughout.

I unrolled the cake and iced it with the Duncan Hines chocolate almond frosting.

I then rolled the cake back up. And moved it to a serving plate.

Overall this Duncan Hines product was easy to use and ended up having great flavor. Ott, E really likes it and has been eating about two slices a day so this cake is going to go quick.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars

2012-03-27T08:36:00.001-04:00

Remember last summer when I canned that Stawberry Rhubab Pie filing?!?!? Well I have found another use for my pie filling with these Strawberry Rhubab Crumb Bars, and let me tell you they opening that can brought those summer flavors back and tasted just as good in early spring as they do fresh from the garden in the summertime. Here is the recipe I made to compliment the ingredients and make this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:
For the Crumb Topping: 6 T. unsalted butter, melted, 3/4 cup oat bran flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 c. old fashioned oats, 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips.

For the cake: 1 T. light-brown sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. bakingpowder, 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature), 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 large eggs, 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

For filling: 1 Quart Jar Strawberry Rhubab Pie Filling

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking pan. In a small bowl mix crumb topping ingredients of butter, oat bran flour, brown sugar and oats together with a fork and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a mixing bowl make the cake by beating butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. With mixer on low add vanilla and then add 3/4 cup flour and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

In a third mix Strawberry Rhubarb Pie filling with 1/4 cup flour and and brown sugar. Pour this mixture on top of cake batter in pan. Next add the crumb topping by sprinkling it on top. Lastly, sprinkle chocolate chips on top of that and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Spring has Sprung

2012-03-26T12:36:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but I am loving this spring weather. (Especially considering the alternative of a cold dreary winter.) I love the warm sunny days and all the flowers that are starting to bloom. The grass is getting greener and for the first time this year my pink dogwood tree has fully bloomed. (The past three years it has been hit my frost and I only got a couple of blossoms on it but this year it is overflowing with pink flowers.)

Phesant Eyes

Purple Tulips

Our Red Bud tree in the front yard.

And our Crab Apple Trees.

Ginger Lime Rolls

2012-03-19T19:11:00.001-04:00

As you know this month's Iron Chef Challenge features Red Star Yeast, so the other day I made this recipe for ginger lime rolls. This recipe gives the rolls a sweet bread taste while the ginger and lime are sure to please your taste buds. And the best part is that I could use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer to knead the bread and do all the work.

Ingredients: 3 T. warm water (100-110 degrees F.) , 1 (1/3 oz.) package of Red Star Active Dry yeast, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 medium limes, 4 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour, divided, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 T. ground ginger, 3/4 cup milk (100-110 degrees F.) , 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, beaten, 6 T. unsalted butter, 1 large egg plus 2 tsp. water.

Directions: In a mixer bowl, combine 3 T. warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Let stand 10 minutes.

Grate 2 tsp. of lime peel. Squeeze 1/4 cup lime juice from limes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk 4 cups flour, salt, lime peel, and ginger together, and set aside. To yeast mixture: stir in milk, vanilla, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 eggs, lime juice, flour mixture and butter. Mix 2 minutes on low speed.

Replace paddle with dough hook and mix at low speed. (If dough is still sticky add a little more flour.) Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large greased bowl; cover and let rise until double, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Spray 2 baking sheets with baking spray. Divide dough into about 18 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Cover and let rise until double for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. beat togetehr egg and water. Cute a 1 inch "X" on the top of each roll. Brush rolls with egg wash and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

To see some other great recipes using Red Star Yeast check out this month's Iron Chef Challenge. Or better yet, link up a recipe of your own.

March's Iron Chef Challenge: Red Star Yeast Linky Party is open

2012-03-16T08:21:00.001-04:00

No matter what time of year it is nothing taste (or smells) better than homemade bread baking in your kitchen. We are very pleased to have a returning sponsor for this month's Iron Chef Challenge in Red Star Yeast. We had such a good time and turnout for them last year; I knew we had to have them again and feature their yeast as the themed ingredient.

Rules: Chefs (aka bloggers) will prepare something using Red Star Yeast in their recipe and blog about it. Included in this blog post must be the recipe along with pictures and any tips on preparing the item. Posts must include Ott, A's Iron Chef Challenge Badge (code found in sidebar).

Judge: The recipes will be judged by Kelly Olson, Consumer Relations for Red Star Yeast. She will be looking for content, pictures and how the product was enjoyed by your families and/or guests as her criteria for selecting a winner.

Prize: The winning blog post will win a prize package consisting of "The Kneaded Loaf" recipe book, a Red Star "I love to Knead" apron, a bread pan, oven mitts, thermometer and of course Red Star Yeast!!!

Red Star Yeast can also be found on twitter @redstaryeast or check out their facebook page. And feel free to join in the twitter conversations about this contest using #IronChefChallenge or @RedStarYeast in your tweets.

The Linky is open March 16th -23rd. The winner will be announced on the blog the week of March 26th.

Good Luck and may the best chef/blogger win!!!!

Week 32: maternity pics

2012-03-14T08:38:00.001-04:00

So in keeping with the theme of our pregnancy we took some maternity photos this week at Purdue. (Remember the Purdue Pregnancy Announcement Card and the Boiler Up themed Nursery???) We are 32 weeks along and Ott, E took these pictures. (Of course he set the timer on his camera and did a lot of running back and forth, but we got some cute shots of us around campus together.)

Above in the Union and below on the steps of University Hall.

If you went to Purdue you might find this picture by the Lion Statue somewhat ironic, because it did not roar while we were taking the picture.

This post was linked to:Wordless Wednesday on Project Alicia and Wordless Wednesdayon Pinke Post and Pregnancy Journal at Happenings of the Harper Household.

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops

2012-03-12T08:09:00.001-04:00

Today I am sharing a recipe that is sure to inspire your taste buds with a combination of flavors that are sweet and savory and pair nicely with pork. I also like this recipe because the meat cooks in the crock pot. Without further ado I give you the recipe for Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops.

Ingredients: 2-4 Pork chops, 1 tsp. sage, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup water.

Directions: Mix sage, salt, pepper and garlic together and press into pork chops. Place water in crock pot and add chops. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

In the last hour of cooking brush this glaze on your chops While still in the crock pot 2-3 times.

Glaze Ingredients: 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 T. cornstarch, 3 T. Balsamic Vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 T. soy sauce. Combine ingredients in saucepan on stove.

If you have any glaze left over (after brushing it on during that last hour of cooking) you can brush the last of it on before serving.

Part 3: The Boiler Up Baby Nursery reveal

2012-03-09T07:49:00.000-05:00

Our Boiler Up baby nursery is complete and we are ready to show off all the decorations and furniture. The first week I showed off how we painted the tracks. The second week I showed the decorations more in detail. And this week I'm showing off the furniture and the room in its entirety. After the baby is born we are going to put it's name in Gold letters beneath the tracks but above the crib.

The crib is all black and can be converted to a toddler bed and then a twin size bed. The crib sheet is black and the dust ruffle is black and white striped.

The dresser matches the crib design and is also all black. We are using this to double as a changing table. And have Purdue decorations hanging above.

Above the closet door hangs this sign.

And this rocking chair we had re-upholstered to match the room and continue on the black and gold theme. We have our diplomas hanging on the wall. Now all we need is for our little MacchiaOTTo to get here.

This post was linked to: Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Made by You Mondays on Skip to my Lou, Tip Tuesday on Tip Junkie, Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking, I'm Lovin' It on Tidy Mom, and Inspiration Friday on At the Picket Fence.

Yea!! My St. Patrick's Day recipe was featured on SITS!!!

2012-03-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well today is an exciting day here on a Latte' with Ott, A as I am thrilled to be sharing a recipe over on the blog "The SITS Gals" Since St. Patrick's Day is only a few days away; what better time to fix lamb for your family?!?! And, who better to share a lamb recipe than a real life sheep producer?!?! So, be sure to head over to SITS bog for my recipe for Kerry Pies and Colcannon.

Or, if you are just stopping by from the Secrets in the Sauce; Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come by for a Latte' and see what all we've got brewing over here.

Yes, four generations of my family have raised purebred Shropshire sheep and live/work on the same family farm since 1919. We are just getting ready to start our lambing season; which is my favorite time of year on the farm. (This is the time when the ewes; female sheep have their babies.) But remember when the lambs are processed they are fully grown and weigh around 150 pounds. The meat is called lamb, because the animal is under 1 year of age, but they are not little by any means. If you would like to know more about our flock of sheep and how we take care of them then click here.

If you are interested in learning more about production Agriculture then I urge you to check out some of my blogging friends; The Real Farmwives of America. I always say Farmwives know the best dirt and you can learn first hand from woman bloggers across the nation about life in the country, raising kids on the farm, working with their husbands out in the fields and baking in the kitchen with what they produce.

As for more on this blog; we just finished last month's Iron Chef Challenge where the themed ingredient was Duck. Each month I host the Iron Chef Challenge where there is a themed ingredient for bloggers to make something with, blog about, link up their recipe and possibly win a prize for their recipe. March's themed ingredient will be Yeast and the sponsor is Red Star Yeast. So check back March 16-23 to see the recipes linked up or better yet, link up one of your own.

We are starting to plan our garden and I can't wait to get things planted although I know we are a few weeks off. I enjoy baking what we raise in our kitchen and canning what we can't eat to enjoy all winter long.

Later this spring we are expecting our first baby (MacchiOTTo) and we have been sharing glimpses of the nursery. Later this week we will share the final reveal of the completely finished nursery; so you'll want to be sure and check back for that.

And there is always lOTTs more to see and read about. So thanks a Latte' for stopping by and I hope you will consider following my blog through facebook, e-mail or twitter!!!