Crazy Wonderful

MOST DELICIOUS TURKEY BURGERS!

2013-11-22T23:08:00.002-08:00

Thank you to the Yummy Mummy Kitchen Cookbook....AGAIN!

These are seriously the MOST delicious turkey burgers!! Joe hated when I said Turkey burgers for dinner, up until these! He must have said 4 times tonight. "Man those were good burgers!"

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

2 teaspoons fresh ginger: minced (tonight I just used ground, was fresh out of fresh:)

1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 cup fresh cilantro: chopped

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce: I used Gluten Free Tamari Teriyaki...still delicious

Serve

On whole wheat buns or our favorite...just whole wheat rolls

With Butter lettuce

And thin sliced tomato

Ketchup is optional

Here is what the Yummy Mummy says to do. I have to admit, Joe barbeques these on our smoker and so I am guessing these cooking directions are just about right.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, ginger, cilantro, cottage cheese, and teriyaki.

I use my hands to mix, it does the best job, no matter how groadie (I just googled how to spell groadie...only to be found in the "urban dictionary" Ha!....

Anyways...Spray your hands with a little olive oil spray and form into 6 patties. Lightly coat your grill with a little olive oil spray and cook patties covered until dark grill patterns can be seen...she says about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until cooked through. ABOUT another 5 minutes. The internal temp should be at 165 degrees.

I, of course, have a little mayo on my burger and we served on the rolls with the butter lettuce and tomato. I added some sliced pickle. These burgers are so delicious! I have made them at least 5 times and have never gotten a photo...mostly because they get eaten so quickly that I don't have time to get one before they are gone...that would be why I have one little pic...after the fact. The lone leftover. Keegan wasn't here to gobble it up :)

I really hope you try these. Even if you say. Oh I don't like cottage cheese...Oh I don't like cilantro...the flavors are AWESOME not overwhelming...The cottage cheese just makes the burgers moist and the cilantro adds great flavor. I hope you will just try and

enJOY!!

healthy throw together dinner ideas

2013-11-06T12:23:00.001-08:00

Here is a flyer I made, for a talk I gave last night on healthy eating habits. The hard thing about how we eat these days is that I am usually throwing a little of this and a little of that into a bowl or pan. I feel like I have a good grasp on the flavors we like and what tastes good so it works, but I know not everyone feels comfortable doing that...thus the "recipes" below. Click on the picture and it should enlarge on your screen. if you have trouble let me know.
enJOY!

Refrigerator Salad Bar

2013-09-21T00:14:00.001-07:00

I love a good salad. I love even more the chance to create my own. Apparently so do my children. We do a lot of salad in our house and ever since Joe and I did the Advocare 24 Day Challenge I have tried to keep items on hand and quick to grab to make healthy salads. But after getting into my Yummy Mummy cookbook I have been motivated to create something easy, mindless and effective to add a little bit of fun to dinner for my children and simplicity to my lunch and dinner time. In dream world I loved this concept but in reality was getting sick of the many bowls and Saran Wrap covering them. So I started fantasizing about a large rectangular container with smaller containers in it and here's the kicker: one lid. It sounds silly but the type of things that make me happy are these. I love to find ways to make eating healthy and happier easy.

So here's my first night of salad bar and though YUM! I saran-ed all those bowls.

Maddie is a fan :)

But here is my newest version. 1 container with 6 small ones and then 1 lid.

The fun part is I can change this in a jiffy! They are only 1 cup bowls so I change them often before they have the chance to go bad and I cheaply have many empties on hand to rotate them.

I tell the kids I need to see at LEAST 4 colors in their salads. They dig it :)

My favorite dressing is from Eileen. Eileen is another Mom to me (lucky me:) This is yummy healthy and easy.
Here's what she uses. This is what I have used but as always feel free to play :)
2/3 vinegar (red wine vinegar)
1/3 oil (olive oil or veggie oil)
1 big lemon per bowl of salad
Salt & Pepper to taste

enJOY!!

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The Yummy Mummy Kitchen Cookbook

2013-09-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

My mom gave me this cookbook right before our last vacation and some might say its pretty odd to sit on the beach and read a cookbook like its a novel, but to me it's totally normal :)

The Yummy Mummy Kitchen by Marina Delio is a must have for any woman: Whether Mummy or just Yummy :)
Being on vacation, I was without 90% of my belongings and doing great. Feeling the freedom not being surrounded by the every day clutter and junk. Realizing how little we really needed to get through our day-to-day was extremely freeing and exciting. I was not under the delusion that I would sell our home in exchange for a 2 bedroom rambler (like we started out in) I get that we need more space for our larger family. AND I get that we need things at home that are unnecessary on the beaches of Maui...But that doesn't mean that we can't simplify, clarify and make our home space/life more peaceful.

How did a cookbook help take me to this realization? Good question. But in her book Marina Delio talks about making simple food and using things that are local and in season to make shopping easier, less expensive and more fun. She encourages kid involvement and making meal times key parts of your day. Many things that I have already touted as important parts of my life including some encouraging words to the Mummy's of the world letting them know they aren't alone and she gives sweet tips and anecdotes about her childhood and the things her mother and Grandmother "Tai Tai" (the original Yummy Mummy" have taught her.

Her style is beautiful. The pictures in the book gorgeous! The recipes I have tried so far, easy and delicious!!

Lentil Soup! Yum!

Refrigerator Salad Bar: Brilliant!

Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini-For us Parents a Win- The kids not so much! We are going to keep trying it though.

Tzatziki Sauce for Grilled Mahi Mahi Gyros which I didn't get a picture of because we ate them too fast :)

We have also LOVED (but not photographed) the Lean and Juicy Turkey Burgers, 15 minute Mascarpone Fettuccine with Broiled Salmon. They all are SO good!! Oh and the Peach White Sangria was pretty awesome as well :)

I hope some of you will grab this book! It is available on Amazon and I am sure other places. I am not even close to being done with it yet. Sooo many recipes to check out and enJOY!

PS...thanks mom xoxo

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Where have I been!?

2013-09-04T13:12:00.001-07:00

From the date on my last post and the scarcity of the posts prior to that, it is obvious I have been a little disconnected from this blog. I started this blog with the thought that as a stay at home mom and wife and woman I needed to have something that made me feel a sense of accomplishment. There was no paycheck coming home, no progress evaluations saying I was doing a good job (well besides the sweet hug from one of my kiddos here and there:) No promotions to obtain (besides the promotion from diaper changer to butt wiper or the reader to the read to:)

As there were (are) days where I didn't sit down from 6 in the morning to 11 at night and I went to bed wondering what the heck I had done all day. Mostly the same cleaning and cooking and picking up. Again and again. I knew I wasn't sitting on the couch being lazy. But what was I doing. I needed to show myself and in essence the world that I was a busy mom and that I had things to be proud of. That there were rough days and and many trials and maybe someone else out there could relate to my day to day. The fact was the blog was here at a very Crazy Wonderful time in my life. 4 kids 9,7,5, and 2. (Now 11,9,7 and 4.YIKES!)

I took the things I loved and shared them with the world not knowing if anyone would care and that fact that some did meant the world, to me. I loved sharing recipes and rants and raves and seeing what you all had to say. So why would I stop? Well life last fall started to weigh more heavily on the Crazy then the Wonderful. As a perpetually optimistic person I hate to say it was horrible, but I will say it was horribly difficult. My poor Cam reached a turning point in his journey with his Sensory Processing Disorder and it took our whole family to a crossroads.

After months of figuring out how to live life in a new way for him-See My Boy Gluten Fwee Post.
Joe and I jumped on a healthy living bandwagon and have been riding it all Summer. As I sit here September 1 I feel like this journey this past year has taken me on, is a remarkable one. I have had lots of people ask where I have been and then when told asked why I didn't take the world along for the ride and honestly the only thing I can say is that it has been so overwhelming and life changing that I needed to figure it out. I was so caught up in the day to day that I didn't have a minute to process it all myself let alone write posts about it.

But I am here. I am back. I am still cooking, eating and drinking, exercising, loving and living and all with a renewed sense of happiness. I am excited and ready to share some of the changes we have made this past year. I hope those of you that were with me before will stick around and see if you still enJOY it.

So keep checking back. I am adding a GLUTEN FWEE Resource section. I am adding the fitness challenge I am working on and I will start adding more recipes and what's for dinner updates. I won't be posting every day that is for sure...But I really am back...And happy to be!

My Boy "Gluten Fwee"

2013-09-04T13:08:00.002-07:00

Some of you have heard parts of this before, but for those that haven't...

When Cam was 4 years old he got Mono. My once sweet, cuddly, though kind of quirky kid turned into a emotionally unstable, obsessive compulsive, ticking time bomb. Things that had bugged him before: his socks, clothes...Foods he had loved: everything...Done...Gone. The light I once saw in his eyes was replaced by what I can only describe as fear. He couldn’t tell me what was wrong, I couldn’t figure out what had changed and I arrived at our Pediatricians office convinced he had a brain tumor or some sort of psychological disorder. When we found out that he had Mono it was a relief for sure but getting Mono had aggravated tendencies that were there all along. This is where our story began.

Over a year later we had been going once a week to Vision Therapy for 12 months and Occupational Therapy for 18 months and we were at a road block. Not sure what set it off but after months of progress, we were seeing not necessarily regression but almost a sidestep, like we were running along the bottom. Symptoms and reactions weren’t worsening, they were changing almost like he had become so accustomed to every one adapting things for him, that he was comfortable with that and expected it. Now we were faced with this question, was he acting like this consciously or what?! It felt like he had formed a bad habit and as much as I wanted to shout “SNAP OUT OF IT!” When I looked at his eyes I knew...He was NOT in control.

By last October, I was getting phone calls from our school every day. Cam was spending a good chunk of his day in the office. It wasn’t that they were punishing him but he was a distraction to his peers and too much for his teacher. The school was MORE then willing to accommodate him. If he was having a fit over a paper he was working on (this led to screaming, crying, yelling at the kids around him to stop looking at him, and more fun antics) They would let him sit in the office peacefully and finish. I would get calls that he had spilled on his shirt and I needed to bring a spare for the spare he had already changed into. He wouldn’t like the library book he got because he “didn’t have enough time to find the right one!” He would throw full on tantrums in the hallway. Sometimes becoming so upset he would bang his head against the wall and scream "I HATE MYSELF!" All the kids in our Pre-K through 8th grade school were noticing now.

At the lowest point he started being physical with others. Somewhere around Halloween he began lashing out at anyone who looked at him funny. He was painfully aware of how he was feeling and when it was acknowledged by anyone around him he went nuclear. Hitting or pushing. I received a text from his Kindergarten Teacher from the year before saying Cam was in the office again! Was there anything she could do to help. He was spending more and more time in the office... I knew that, but hearing from her made it real. The wheels in my head started turning.

In November we again went to our Pediatrician. She knew Cam and what we had been dealing with. We had always said meds weren’t out, but they were last on our list of options. So when I sat in the exam room crying I knew what was coming. We had been trying everything. I had almost convinced myself to pull him out of school and Home School him, knowing that was the last thing I should do (he needed socialization skills) but not thinking I could handle one more phone call from school. In that appointment we went over a lot of things. I got the name of a psychologist, a psychiatrist, she said we could talk to our school district to see if he applied for any help. There was also the mention of going Gluten Free and of course Medication options. While imagining going Gluten Free for Cam was overwhelming, the alternative of medicating him was heart wrenching. All I could imagine was a shadow of the child I loved so much. I had heard stories of kids going from dynamic and full of life to almost a zombie status on meds. If that was the route we eventually had to go then fine, but I wanted to feel like I had exhausted EVERY option first. I was already feeling at the end of my rope. I left the appointment my head now spinning.

To make matters worse, my husband and I were a little at odds about how to deal with this. He saw how Cam was and he knew my frustration but he was at work all day, while I dealt with it head on all day at home. He wasn’t getting the phone calls from school, doing the walk of shame down the school hallway to go either deal with him or pick him up depending how bad it was, or managing the tantrums except when he was home. He walked a fine line of really wondering if Cam was just being naughty. He knew better but he was of the school of thinking that things like this were “in our heads” and we needed to just NOT do them anymore. The thousands of dollars, countless hours of discussing and the hundreds of miles we had logged back and forth to school and therapy, was all too much for him. He knew I was going to do what I thought was best and frankly I think it made him feel better. He wasn’t sure WHAT to do. I walked a fine line of wanting his help but not wanting his help. We were treading water. This was affecting our ENTIRE family. Our WHOLE life. So what to do?!?!

Where to start? There was SO much info and which did I try first. If I have learned anything in the past it is that I don’t do well with overwhelming, so I decided to start crossing things off the list. Starting with the Psychologist since she was already connected to his Occupational Therapy center to see what her thoughts were. Had this evolved into a behavioral issue? I just couldn’t convince myself that he was just being naughty. Next I met with his teacher (again!) I wanted to know how she saw Cam’s behavior and did she think he would qualify for any help from the public school district. She didn’t think so but encouraged me to go that route if I felt we needed to. In that meeting we decided to make a time when Cam wasn’t at school to discuss with his classmates why Cam acted the way he did. She had gone through a local School District Library System and found a book about a child with a Sensory Disorder. It was so like Cam. I read it to Cam. Reading a story about a kid like him. His eyes lit up. "That's like me!" He couldn't believe it.

I came to the class one Wednesday morning while Cam was attending his weekly therapy sessions and talked with the class. I told the kids I knew they had noticed that Cam got easily upset. I told them it was ok to wonder about it and that is why I was there. We read the story. I brought tools he uses to do his Vision Therapy and Occupational Therapy. I even brought in a piece of sand paper and a t-shirt he hates because “it’s scratchy.” I explained that to them or I the shirt feels fine (though not the softest) but to Cam it felt like the sand paper on his skin. We had them try his vision exercises and answered any questions they had. I left hoping we had sparked at least some understanding for Cam. I couldn’t stomach the thought of him being labeled a “weird-o” or just a “bad kid.”

The next day I got an email from his teacher, telling me some observations she had made in the class that first morning he came back. A couple of the kids entered the class before Cam and immediately started a conversation about how they could make the day better for Cam...then when Cam came in a few more kids started talking to him about how they didn’t like when the tags on their shirts rubbed on their necks and one didn’t like wearing a coat over a sweatshirt because it was too bumpy. Mission Accomplished...Empathy! Success!!

So now besides medication, Gluten was the last thing to try. We love to cook in our house. We have no other allergies in our family so the thought of changing his diet was DAUNTING! Since having Mono he had become so picky. In fact he had become what I called “a Carb-o-holic.” Our doctor had said that a lot of times, the things we are intolerant to, are the things we crave the most. This would be very telling because in Cam’s case he CRAVED bread and frozen waffles more then any other food. He had become famous for sneaking into the freezer, stealing frozen waffles until the package was empty. Because I was so overwhelmed I started there. Bread and waffles, that’s it. I bought Gluten Free bread and Gluten Free toaster waffles. That was at the end of last November.

Within 3 weeks we had noticed a HUGE change. The tantrums were less and less, he was even willing to try wearing different clothes then the standard shorts and one t-shirt he usually insisted on wearing. His teacher was blown away. She herself is Gluten Free and even so she couldn’t believe the amount of patience he was exhibiting already. I held my breath. As with so many other things we had tried over the past couple years, there was always a honeymoon stage. Was this it? I was cautiously optimistic.

We had decided to be upfront with Cam. Explaining about the Gluten and why he wasn’t eating it. He took it great. He felt special. I made sure to write on his stuff “Cam only” which he thought was cool. We branched out buying Gluten Free cereals and other products. I probably spent 3 times my average grocery budget that first month. Just looking for the products that tasted good. If I knew anything, it was that Cam was going to get sick of this really fast if he wasn’t able to eat goodies like his friends. We don’t actually eat a lot of processed stuff regularly but I wanted to keep Cam interested so I sought out the best tasting of the Gluten Free. I went to friends that had been Gluten Free for years and piggy backed on their trial and error buying to find out what tasted good.

Then I looked at what we were eating as a family and figured out how to improvise our go to recipes in order to make it Gluten Free for everyone. Buying “normal” products that were Gluten Free as it was. Anything that markets itself as Gluten Free is going to cost more. I even spent $8 on Gluten Free Ketchup before realizing most ketchup is already Gluten Free...Lucky for us, being Gluten Free is very popular right now so there are tons of options even at the regular grocery stores in this area like; Safeway, Haggen’s, Fred Meyer, QFC, Albertson’s, and Central Market. We are also lucky to have several Co-op’s in the area as well as Janell’s Gluten Free Market for the hard to find items.

At one point we were asking ourselves the question, “Is this seriously what is helping him or is it just that he broke the habit, what?!?” It just seems crazy that his diet could be this involved. Flash to a weekend 6 months ago when we were out to eat with friends in Portland. It was the first time we had really ventured out since switching him and since we really went Gluten Free. We were all hungry and not sure where we were going, and we ended up in a neighborhood restaurant that was more of a Pub Style. Not a Gluten Free option to be found. This was our first time really out with a gluten free kid. We just figured what do we do? move 10 people to another location? We decided, “Well, what’s the worse that could happen. He isn’t deathly allergic...we’ll just order him pizza and hope for the best.” BIG MISTAKE! At this point Cam had not had ANY gluten in months. By that evening he was crying uncontrollably about EVERYTHING, he was back to screaming if any little thing didn’t go his way, like when the blanket fort he was building caved in, again and again. The next morning he woke up with black circles under his eyes. He cried most of the way home from Portland to Seattle. Low parenting moment. BUT an important one nonetheless because it made us aware that THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. Another low parenting moment (months later) when I accidentally gave Cam his older brother’s lunchbox (they look identical, in hindsight a bad choice) He even realized the sandwich was a Gluten Sandwich and tried to tell his substitute teacher who replied “Why would your mom send you a Gluten sandwich if you are allergic (answer: Because his mom is sometimes sleep deprived and running around making lunch like a crazy person!"..."You need to eat 1/2” She thought he was just trying to get out of eating....Understandable but Not good! He had a rough one the next day.

What I think is interesting is that since switching Cam he eats less of the Carb items. Where he may have gone through (and snuck) 10 frozen waffles in a day, now he is maybe eating 2 at breakfast, if that? He has begun eating WAY more fruits and veggies. Because we talk about balanced nutrition he will ask things like if he should eat an egg for protein. I am also trying to be very understanding that sometimes it is really hard for him to be Gluten Free. Most days if there is something that looks yummy to him he will ask if it is "Gluten Fwee" and when told no he will opt out of it. In a rare case, he wanted a bite of a churro at a Mexican restaurant and we gave him the choice. You may eat that bite, but that doesn’t give you a “get out of jail free” card. If you end up feeling crummy from it, you don’t get to throw a tantrum. Lots of people get through their day not feeling great and not accosting those around them. He has had an AMAZING strength in withholding from things he knows he loves.

It is a work in progress. The cooking, lunch packing, etc. is getting easier. The traveling and locating Gluten Free friendly establishments WAY easier thanks to handy apps like Find Me Gluten Free. People hear more and more about Gluten Free so they are more understanding. And Cam keeps getting older and more mature and HE FEELS SO GOOD being Gluten Free he is willing to do whatever it takes. How he was, is very much at the front of his mind and he has no desire to go back.

Did going Gluten Free “cure him?” No! The things that bothered him before are still there. His Sensory Processing Disorder will ALWAYS be there. He will always tend to fall on the O.C.D. part of the spectrum BUT the Gluten that was aggravating his system is out and he can now HANDLE the things that bother him. “This is a marathon not a sprint”...”We have won the battle not the war” these are phrases I repeat weekly, sometimes daily, sometimes hourly...But since going Gluten Free Cam is nearing graduation from Vision Therapy, and he has gone from attending O.T. once a week to once a month.

My husband who once was skeptical is a Gluten Free Convert :) He touts the effects on Cam and our family all over town :) He said to me a month or so ago, that the light is back in Cam’s eyes. He was recalling how “blank” he looked merely months ago. I catch him shaking his head in disbelief when he watches Cam running the bases at baseball with a huge smile on his face. Interacting with kids he would have screamed at last baseball season. This has been LIFE-ALTERING! There is not a better way to explain it. Cam has a better relationship with us and with his 3 siblings. They look out for him. Being sure things he eats are Gluten Free. If he has a moment of frustration the first thing they ask is “Did you eat Gluten?” We have to remind ourselves that he is 6 and is bound to have a meltdown as ANY 6 year old might.

At school, he has made some friends! He has not visited the office in MONTHS! His report card which sported about 10 minuses in the first trimester, went to all checks which means he is at standard and pluses meaning he is exceeding standards in other places. His teachers remarks on his report card this trimester said this:

“Cam is like a new student. He is working hard, cooperating more often and putting a lot of effort into his work. He is showing a lot less frustration with his abilities. He is tolerating activities which were SO difficult for him only a few months ago. I hope this continues and we can focus on academic progress now. Cam seems to be getting along well with others. He is proud of his accomplishments and so am I”

People keep saying “Cam is like a new kid!” But to me Cam is BACK! He is himself again! The kid who snuggled me so tight and wanted hugs years ago...The kid who had the sweetest laugh and the biggest smile...He has returned! While going through the darkest parts of all this I had blocked those things out as distant memories, not really thinking I would ever see them again. Yet, here we sit. Cam is dancing in the kitchen behind me as I type this. Laughing with his sister and asking me where his “Gluten Fwee” Pancakes are.

We’ll keep doing what we are doing. I know there are things that will arise as the years march on. Knowing we made it through this last year gives me a renewed sense of strength, that we can make it through anything.

UPDATE: So since I wrote this 2 months ago I already have changes to report. After a great Summer (albeit a very FAST Summer:) Cam hit a threshold I knew would at some point come. In the past few weeks he has started asking questions like "why do only I have to go to Thewapy?" And "why do I have to do extra homework?!" I hear "Is _________Gluten Fwee?!" a LOT more then usual. And on vacation after the 10th time a restaurant sweetly brought the bread basket, he hung his head cried and whispered "I just want a bite of bread" :( He has been sad and questioning all the adjustments he has had to make this past year and rightfully so. The fact is, he doesn't think its fair and sometimes I don't either. We have been doing a lot of talking about the fact that everyone is different and that everyone has their cross to bear. He is at an age that even without a sensory processing problem, gluten intolerance and visual weakness, he would be looking at the world differently then he did a year ago. His new teacher called it the Age of Reason, when we met the other day. Luckily for Cam and us, we are blessed with incredibly supportive family, friends, school, health professionals and community.
In this journey I have been so blown away by the kindness and empathy in the world. I am still just trying to give him the tools he needs and will continue to. Being on vacation and being less in control of what he ate, it is obvious we need to remain ever vigilant with his being "Gluten Fwee" :) He knows it and we know it.

He told me that his goal this year is to make good friends. He has friends but he says he wants his friends to be really real or "weally weel, like the kind that have play dates" :) I told him that was sure to happen if he kept working hard and being himself at school. I hugged him last night after letting him know he was going to be taking a break from "vision thewapy" for a while. I told him I was so proud of how hard he has worked every day to feel better. Having been working on my own dietary needs I know it isn't always easy and I marvel at his fortitude. I know this is a bump in the road and given that it is the 2nd day of school and no phone calls yet...Fingers crossed...I'm sending this out to the universe...a silent prayer...a wish...

...please, PLEASE, PLEASE make this his best year yet :)

For anyone dealing with living "Gluten Fwee" please feel free to contact me at crazywonderful4me@gmail.com
I am always looking for G.F. recipes and support. We need each other to not only survive but thrive! That is for sure!

Quinoa Salad

2013-01-17T23:10:00.001-08:00

For my version you will need:
-Quinoa (I think I used 1 cup dry- made according to package directions)
-Green Onions
-Cucumber
-Grape Tomatoes
-Feta Cheese
-Black Beans
-Chopped Power Greens (mix of spinach, arugula and mizuna or any of these separately)

Dressing-
-1/4 c Apple Cider Vinegar
-1/4 c Olive Oil
-Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
-Dash of Chili powder (the original recipe calls for Cayenne-I'm not a big fan:)
-Dash of Cumin (I LOVE CUMIN!)
-Salt & Pepper too taste

I just started adding ingredients until it tasted good to me. As with all my recipes... remember this is more a guide. You should add/delete the things you don't like. To me the dressing: oil/vinegar/lemon/cumin is the most important piece. I even did this salad once with black beans, cilantro, green onions, chopped almonds, Cotija cheese, tomatoes and avocado. A little more Mexicany (I know, not a word) but really yummy.

If you haven't tried Quinoa yet, do! If you have and didn't like it, try again. It took me trying it like 5 times and it was this salad that finally did it for me. Now I am obsessed. Tonight I made a Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Quinoa Casserole for dinner and num num! It was delish! I hope you'll give this salad a try ;) and look for more idea soon.

I know it's been a while my friends :)
It's a New Year and I have been trying to write out a post since January 3rd. After writing and typing and drafting and editing and not finishing yet...I deleted it and decided I was going to do exactly what I've always strived to do...speak from the heart, don't over analyze and give people some yummy ideas :)

So with that said Happy New Year and I hope this finds you well!

enJOY!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Santa Lucia Tradition

2012-11-30T13:51:00.000-08:00

Santa Lucia Tradition

I have many Pinners pinning this, but I realized it is not readily accessible so I have linked the post here to make it a little easier. I hope you enjoy this little tradition :)

Turkey Felt Place Settings

2012-11-21T15:02:00.001-08:00

Saw something similar on Giada at Home. Bought some cute colored felt squares. Delaney and I cut out bodies and feathers. Some Hot glue to hold them together and then wrote the kids names on them. So bright and festive...and EASY!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful for Thanksgiving

2012-11-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING IS HERE...MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!

I am not hosting this year which feels weird. When I host it is chaotic and tons of prepping and crazy and FUN! I LOVE IT! It really becomes a 2 day party where my family comes and we cook and eat and drink and laugh and turn my kitchen and house upside down and when it is all said and done...I get to decorate for Christmas! YAY!

This is year is different I am a guest and I am only in charge of mashed potatoes, my nemesis. I am going to make them now so that if I screw them up I can remake them in time. Yes I bought more then double the needed potatoes. I also am throwing together a few of my side of the family staples like cucumber salad and cranberry relish. I have made the mistake of making too much to bring in the past.

It is funny how certain food items are "have to haves" in some family and not in others. Think about it, what are your favorite sides? I mean everyone has stuffing and gravy and cranberry dressing and green bean casserole, mashed potatoes...but every family has those extra sides, that only come out on special occasions. For Joe's family it is Frozen salad, a frozen fruit cocktail of sorts. In my family it is my Nana's lime jello with cream cheese and pineapple chunks in it. Cranberry relish (see link below) Cucumber salad and Ambrosia Salad (see recipes below) These are sides I could not enjoy my turkey without. They are special flavors and tastes from my childhood and I MUST have them in order to enjoy my dinner :) They are my Nana saying Eat Ashley Eat! And her arms around me as I ask for seconds. It is her kiss on my head as I enjoy every bite. She loved to watch everyone eat and enjoy. I wonder if that came from either not having enough to eat as a child or maybe that even though they didn't have very much of everything else, they always managed to eat delicious food. That is a great question for my Aunt. I will have to find out the answer to it.

So in the past, I mentioned above, that I had brought all these things to Joe's family Thanksgiving and frankly WAY too much of them. But see, these are MY food memories, not theirs so not surprisingly they weren't eaten up as I thought they would be. SO this year I bought ingredients enough to make 1/2 as much of only the cranberry relish and cucumber salad. These are the 2 things Joe really likes so I know at least 2 of us will be eating it :) And that's just great cause maybe we'll have leftovers. I should have bought a small turkey to smoke, so we could have leftovers. I think that is really the only thing that really bugs me about not hosting. NO leftover turkey :( Boohoo. No turkey soup and sandwiches or turkey pot pie....Ok that settles it I'm getting a turkey Friday :)

Well I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday. Eating, drinking and being grateful for the people around you! I am thankful for all of you! Have a wonderful holiday. I linked my Thanksgiving posts from last year below keep your eyes peeled for lots of Crazy Wonderful to come!

Thanksgiving in Pictures 2011

Thanksgiving Leftovers 2011

Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving HELPlines!
-and just for good measure-

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Cucumber Salad:

Cucumbers: Peeled and sliced thin

Sweet Onion- Sliced thin

Tomatoes- I like cherry or grape sliced in half (big enough Joe can pick them out :)

Bernsteins Restaurant Italian Salad Dressing
Dill again to taste- Fresh is the best but dried will do

Basically I don't have a REAL recipe on this. Depending on how much I am serving I just kind of eyeball it. I probably will use about 3-4 cucumbers, 1/2 an onion and a couple handfuls of tomatoes, dress to your liking. I like a LOT of dressing but that's just me :) Toss all the ingredients together. Chill before serving. I am making mine tonight for tomorrow. This is so fresh and on a day with so much heavy food it is a really welcome contrast! enJOY!

TASTE OF TULALIP

2012-11-16T10:52:00.002-08:00

We were lucky enough to win the bid on a weekend away at the Tulalip Resort and Casino. We left Friday on a much needed mini vacay! The best part Tulalip is a short 20 minute drive North for us. SO it is really like a little "stay-cation" This makes getting away much nicer for me. No worries of being too far from my kids and yet I still get to have fun and relax.

We started out the festivities by arriving at the hotel only to immediately get to the T-spa for a 50 minute couples massage! I know it is tough but someone had to do it. When we were done with that we got all ready for my favorite event the Taste of Tulalip Celebration Dinner. An 8 course meal of AMAZING food paired with AMAZING wines! Before that though a Pre-Dinner Wine Tasting. Since we obviously weren't going to have enough wine. I took pictures all night. Embarrassing Joe as always :)

I was going to go into great detail about everything but it is a bit overwhelming to sit down and do that so I will just post the pics for you to see! With brief descriptions :)

This is a GREAT wine maker. ZD Cellars of California. This 2010 Chardonnay was strong tasting but smooth, fresh and buttery. YUM!

This is how the table was set for our 8 course meal.

Our commemorative Plates.

An Aromatic Experience! Each glass vile held a different smell. Fresh chopped Basil, Allspice and then a mixture of italian spices, Parm and Sundried tomatoes. When Chef Perry the Executive Chef for Tulalip Resort spoke and had all smell each one, he asked the question. What do these make you think of? The basil for me was a hot summer day, fresh tomatoes and balsamic. The Allspice, A crisp Fall day, Thanksgiving, Even picking out a Christmas tree. The Italian one is just comforting to me. I LOVE all food, but spaghetti, pizza, pastas those are go to comfort food meals I can always rely on! Funny how just a sniff can say all that :)

This is the menu!

Course 1

Course 2

Course 3

Course 4

Course 6- Palette Cleanse

Course 7

Course 8

Saturday: Cooking demo with Chef Marcus Samuelsson

Red Curry and Coconut Milk marinated Fried Chicken with Sauteed Bok Choy and Collard Greens

Sweet wine I never would have tasted, but delicious! Even Joe liked it!

Really good red from Local Woodinville Wine Cellars. Not there only great wine of the weekend.

Chef Marcus Samuelssons spread from the camera above his set up

Bought his book YES CHEF! So far a great read! So he can write and cook or shall I say create!

ALL ACCESS MAGNUM PARTY! Crystal anyone?

Yes please :)

Soup shots!

This sparkly couch was my best friend at last years Taste. I refrained from getting to comfy on it this year :)

Turkey sliders with mango chutney on mini biscuits

This was my view on the following day. For most of the day :) It was great fun. It was a lot of food, a lot of wine, new friends, old friends, and staying out too late! Then it was also a lot of gratitude to amazing parents/grandparents who took on 4 wild things, 2 who ended up being sick :( while we were gone. I felt very blessed!

enJOY!

My spin on 1770 House Meatloaf from Barefoot Contessa

2012-11-13T12:07:00.001-08:00

So Ina Garten recently released another cookbook.
Barefoot Contessa FOOLPROOF. I have been obsessively reading it for the past week and a half. Pouring over each recipe again and again. Becoming familiar with them.

I have posted several recipes that were versions of Barefoot. In fact you may recognize the bruschetta on the cover of it :) I LOVE her cookbooks. I love the simple layout. The beautiful photos. I love how she always includes an anecdote that tells a little bit about why she loves each recipe. I read her cookbooks like a fine novel. She writes so you hear her voice. Like a guardian angel in looking over your shoulder while you create. Whispering to watch for this or wait for that. Little notes in the margins so you are sure to succeed. I never have tried a recipe and thought Oh I can't do that.

Cooking is not only her job, but her passion, and the thing that makes her happy. I SO identify with how much she enjoys feeding her husband and friends. She is so relaxed and she instructs you about being organized so you can relax too.
Pretty much all of her recipes are from scratch. That is something I respect but can not always pull off. So while I am sure her meals taste even more divine then mine, I am also sure that mine taste pretty damn good for being semi-homemade. The best part though is that her recipes are great either way.

So 2 things immediately entered my mind as soon as I decided that I wanted her meatloaf for dinner. The first things being I did not have ground beef or ground veal. The second that I did NOT want to go to the store.

That being said I am going to post Barefoot's version of 1770 House Meatloaf, then tell you what I did differently. 1770 House is one of her favorite restaurants in East Hampton. That's just one more thing I love about Ina Garten. She is not afraid to talk up another chef, when she loves what they make!

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 extra-large eggs,
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Heat olive oil in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the beef, veal and pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Put the panko in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until panko is finely ground.

Add the onion mixture and the panko to the meat mixture. With clean hands, gently toss the mixture together, making sure its combined but not compacted.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Pat the meat into a flat rectangle and then press the sides until it forms a cylinder down the middle of the pan (this will ensure no air pockets) Bake for 40-50 minutes, until thermometer inserted in the middle reads 155-160 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve hot! She serves with a garlic sauce.

NOW HERE"S HOW I DID IT! I am highlighting in red, what I did differently do to lack of ingredients or time.

2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (2 stalks)
2 pounds ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freeze dried chopped chives
4 large eggs
2/3 cup 1% milk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. This is when I chopped my celery and onion. I would have used my mini chopper if I could find it. (Darn!) So I hand chopped everything nice and small, realizing that my family would be find if they just didn't realize it was in there :)

Heat olive oil in a large 12 inch pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the turkey and pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. I did not food process the panko. I just poured it by the cup or so into my hand and ground it between my fingers until it looked a little more finely ground.

Add the onion mixture and the panko to the meat mixture. With clean hands, gently toss the mixture together, making sure its combined but not compacted.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Pat the meat into a flat rectangle and then press the sides until it forms a cylinder (this will ensure no air pockets) I made 3 smaller meatloaves instead of one big one. Last time I made 1 big one it took longer then 60 minutes. This baked for 40-50 minutes, until thermometer inserted in the middle reads 175-180 degrees.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve hot!

I served it with a store bought Brown Gravy

There is just something about meatloaf, peas, mashed potatoes and gravy!

Clean plate club! Cam complained and complained until finally he gave in and took a bite...then proceeded to clean his plate! We all did. YUM is right!

I made enough that we all ate our fill and we still had 1 whole and 1 half left. Looks like we are having yummy meatloaf another night. Lucky us :)

There is nothing better then craving something for dinner and then having it turn out as good as you hoped. This was that meal. I could have licked my plate clean but I refrained :) Ok maybe just a little lick. I hope you'll try it soon!

enJOY!

Bruschetta for dinner

2012-11-06T23:17:00.001-08:00

It is November 6th. It is Election Night. It is Harley's 1st Birthday. It's been a long ass week. What it's only Tuesday??!!?? Oh well :) I won't go on about political divisions or ideals. All I will say is this. What's done is done and its time to move towards a future we ALL can live with. Time to pull together people!

With that said. It HAS been a long ass week already and after a hard day for Cam yesterday, 4 kids home sick today, and my trying to hit my 30 day-100 mile run challenge by next Monday, I was looking for an "easy squeezy" dinner as my mom would say.

What's easier then pouring tomato soup in a pot and heating it up? Cutting up a baguette and slicing some cheese to make grilled cheese bruschetta? Not much!

I bought Creamy Organic Tomato Soup. It comes in a box. The best priced version of this I've found is at Trader Joes. But that's not to say you can't get good deals on it elsewhere.

I had already a package of sliced cheddar cheese, you can use whichever type of cheese you like

I also bought a French Baguette, ok 2 for my family :)

Step 1) I used olive oil and a good silicone brush. I brushed my pan which I had on the stovetop on medium heat.

Step 2)Then brushed one side of my bread slices LIGHTLY with olive oil.

Step 3)Placed them in the pan oil side down

Step 4)Placed my cheese slices on the bread and then watched and checked as the cheese melted.

Oh Harley Boy! Happy Birthday!

Done!

I serve my kids tomato soup in coffee cups. They dip they're grilled cheese in it! Yum!

So now for my dinner. The REAL bruschetta. Repeat Steps 1-4 but instead of cheddar place mozzarella slices on the bread. Then while the cheese melts...

Chop your tomatoes. I used mini heirlooms

I then tore up basil leaves and put a couple Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, kosher salt (a pinch) and fresh ground pepper (a couple turns for taste!) then just let it sit and marinate until the cheese melted.

I spooned the tomato mixture onto the bread slices and drizzled the remainder of the balsamic for good measure :)

Um yum!!!!!

I'll be honest, I ate so many tomatoes I can feel the canker sores starting, but it is worth it!
Harley was patiently awaiting any dropped remnants. Poor buddy didn't get any.

He did get a few birthday treats though!

This was a great, EASY, delicious dinner! I HIGHLY recommend!

enJOY!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Life can be short and sweet and crazy

2012-10-31T09:46:00.002-07:00

Sorry for my hiatus.

Things have been CRAZY WONDERFUL as usual but CRAZY BUSY as well. I won't go into ALL the details (mostly daily grind same old, same old) but one thing that has been weighing on my mind lately I thought was worth bringing up.

It is sad that life is like this, but it just is. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to wake us up and make us realize that while life is sweet, it can also be short. Keegan had a friend lose his dad very unexpectedly after a very short illness, and to say that it threw me for a loop, is a gross understatement. That morning had started like many lately, with a medium sized blow up, of how this was the worst day and how can I be SO mean and I hate this day....on and on... Not by me but by my 10 year old. Now signal in the snowball effect that one child has on the rest of the clan...Seeing them off to school was at that point welcome as I was SO looking forward to a 3 hour break AWAY from the "little darlings."

I actually had a quick meeting at school and then was planning a run. It wasn't until after my meeting that we were told about Keegan's friend and his family. Shock. Sadness. Poor wife. Poor kid. Poor class to watch their friend go through something so shocking. To be faced with this question of mortality theirs, ours, SO YOUNG. Through my sad thoughts and feelings of sympathy I was blown away. Here in the midst of a tragedy. Here was a group of people rallying together to do something, anything for this family. Yes, we know each other and yes, our kids are friends, but it wasn't as if we had all been hanging out every day. People literally dropping everything saying without a second thought "What can we do?" I have seen this before in times of trouble but yet it NEVER ceases to amaze me.

It was a week of emailing and calling and organizing but together we pulled off a very lovely funeral reception. Food for an army donated by the friends, families and classmates of this dear boy. Watching him walk into the hall, my heart sunk. He was the most dressed up I had seen him :) And so when I hugged him, I told him I was sorry, and that I thought he looked very handsome. He held back some tears as all these moms gave him a squeeze and then was off to the church for the service. I wasn't close to his dad, I had talked to him a handful of times, but I had the image of him walking through the parking lot a few weeks before, saying hello emblazoned in my memory. How much his son would grow up to look like him.

It is an interesting thing, how when someone you are acquainted with dies, you suddenly find yourself thinking about how much you "kind of" knew them. In my case I may not have known he himself, well, but I do know his son. Having taught him art the past few years and seen him in the hallways, out at recess playing with Keegan, I could say I know him well, and it is in that connection where my desperate need to help came from. His wife, a kind, busy, helpful woman with a great laugh and a big heart. Thinking of how I would feel if it was me!

Coming home, waiting for Joe to walk in that door. Knowing that he would be! I felt sad and happy at the same time. Then I felt guilty. Feeling thankful that my husband, my love, the father of my kids WOULD be there for dinner. We all hugged a little tighter that night. Realizing our luck. But I have spent this week walking a fine line of gratitude and reality. It is important that these types of happenings, DO make us grateful and realize the fragility of life. But I spent the next couple of days going a wee bit crazy. My kids were pushing buttons and I contemplated putting them up on Craigslist for a minute (ok 2 minutes) JUST KIDDING! Kind of :) but in the midst of again feeling guilt ridden that I was getting irritated with them and saying to myself to remember how lucky I was to be able to be there WITH them even if they were being naughty and driving me crazy. I had to stop myself!

This is what makes life great. THE CONTRAST! If every day was beautiful and shiny we wouldn't appreciate the sun, because that is all we would know. It is the rain, and the clouds and the wind AND the sun that give us this contrast, so we can see the variety of life. The reason our family driving us crazy is beautiful and necessary is because it provides us with the contrast that not every day is great but something great can happen every day. My kids might be in an all out brawl and I may feel like heading for the door, but the next moment one of them will say something hilarious and we will all be cracking up. It is a beautiful thing. It is what make life great.

So I will take this sad event, and I will take it as a reminder but I will also cut myself some slack. Though these types of things always send me a shock for a minute, where I question every piece of my parenting and wifely life. After taking a moment or many moments, I usually relax. I think I am very conscience of how lucky I am. And the more I contemplate my blessed life, I have made peace with the fact that a blessed life, a happy life, isn't ALL happy ALL the time. And that is OK, because it gives me the contrast so those fantastic days and minutes are appreciated, knowing that they don't happen all the time. I don't want to live life like it might end tomorrow, I just want to live everyday to its fullest. Living with the knowledge that more then not, my kids know I love them, my husband knows I adore him, my family and friends know I'd do anything for them. And allow myself the guilt free knowledge, that I am allowed to get ticked sometimes, and allow myself the freedom to turn on a dime and be joyful. That all of these pieces of the human condition make up a puzzle that makes life oh so sweet! Hey without the sun AND rain we'd never see a rainbow, right?! So take this day and live it to its fullest potential. As always with the good, the bad, the ugly and the inspiring!

Pot Roast

2012-10-14T23:42:00.001-07:00

What is it about the rain and the wind and the leaves blowing that makes me crave...MASHED POTATOES! After waking up on this blustery Fall morning, I was perusing Facebook, when I noticed my friend had posted that her Pot Roast dinner was in the crockpot...and it got me thinking...Craving actually!

Pot roast and mashed potatoes...YUM! I was imagining how the aroma would waft through our house. Creeping up the stairs, and into every nook and cranny. I could almost feel the happy, warm, fullness in my belly. My thoughts drifted to visions of happy kids, spooning every bite happily into their mouths. Begging for more! A lovely dinner, had by all. But alas, it was all of 10am :)

We had a date as a family to clean the garage, so a trip to the store wasn't on my to do list. I had no pot roast cut of beef, but I did have a Tri-tip roast. So...called my mom (had to get the go ahead, that a Tri-tip would suffice:) then got to work. Had a bag of carrots, plenty of onion, and coincidentally a brand new box of beef stock I had accidentally opened thinking it was chicken broth yesterday.

Here is what I used:

1 Tri-tip roast
1 onion (chopped to your liking)
1 cube of frozen garlic
2 bay leaves
Just about 3/4 of a cup of red wine, give or take a little
32 oz. of beef broth
Chopped carrots (I used 6 I think)
Fresh Thyme and Parsley
Smoked paprika just a few shakes
Salt and pepper

First things first, I started cooking onion in some olive oil. Just getting it nice and soft, translucent and then a bit browned. I threw in the roast and seared it. I did NOT cook it, just a quick turn for some color. Something I heard from Carla Hall last year at the Taste of Tulalip cooking demo... "There is flavor in the brown." :) I love that!

Then I threw it in the crockpot and added the rest of my stuff. I tossed in the carrots, the wine, the broth, bay leaves, garlic, a few shakes of my smoked paprika, just for flava :) and then added some fresh chopped parsley, and a little bunch of fresh thyme. I had already tossed in a 1/2 tsp of dried, but decided to float a small bunch of fresh. You can see the thyme pretty clearly. The parsley was not a full handful. Maybe half a handful, chopped. Then I let it sit and sit and sit.

It was on high from about 10:30am, until 4pm. Then I turned it to low. You need to decide what is best for you and your crockpot. Mine cooks SUPER hot. It was at a boil at 4 when I checked it. By then all my day dreams were coming true. Lifting the lid, the smells filled my nose and my heart was happy :)

By 7 when we were ready to eat, it was falling apart. Joe used our meat cleaver (not sure why) to pull it apart. Perhaps that's the manly way to do it :) Though it was SO tender!

Now we are in training, Joe and I, for a half marathon coming up in December. I knew we needed (ok I needed) mashed potatoes to eat happily :) But as I said we had a date to clean the garage and run training meant we had a longer run to get in. So I did what any self sufficient busy mom would do...I called my mommy!

Growing up my mom made mashed potatoes, I could swear she made them once a week. Happily the case for me. I have brought myself up to be a decent cook, but for some reason I cannot make mashed potatoes that ever come close to my mamas. So although I was somehow on top of my dinner, with all my garage cleaning and running I knew potatoes were going to be tough. SO Thank you Mommy :) Not only did she watch our kids while we ran but she had piping hot mashers waiting for us when I picked them up! Now that's love! Here they are all silky and beautiful!

Long story...still kind of long :) Dinner was delish! Hit the spot and was everything I hoped for. I love when you want something so bad and it turns out just how you hoped. Well almost...The kids... well Delaney, said it was not good (gasp!) I don't take it personal any more. She says that even when I make her favorite meal. It's a phase right!?!?!

It is that time of year. So here's to tummy warming, tongue tickling delicacies!
enJOY!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Homemade Syrup

2012-10-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

We had breakfast for dinner the other night. Pancakes, bacon and fried eggs. I realized that I had NO syrup after I already started my pancakes so there was no turning back :) I have made homemade syrup before (very simply) but I was in the market for something a little more authentic. After looking through several recipes I combined a few to make this.

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)
3/4 c. water
1 tbsp. butter
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In your saucepan, mix together: brown sugar, water, butter and salt.

Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Stirring constantly

Remove from heat.

Stir in maple flavoring and vanilla.

Serve warm.

I doubled the recipe and have enough left over for several batches of pancakes. I am keeping it in the fridge because I am not sure how it will keep. I will heat it up before serving it anyways so...Yum!

enJOY!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2012-10-01T16:45:00.001-07:00

Now I should preface this: If you are not a Mayo fan, you may not like this...I am, a fan that is :) So this tasted delicious to me...
It also tasted delicious to Joe, Keegs and Cam. Delaney hates everything lately and Maddie wasn't feeling good. So I can safely say more then 50% of my family enjoyed it :) Here is the recipe from the Mayo jar. See below for my adjustments.

-I had 6 chicken breasts so I increased the recipe. I used
-1 cup Mayo
-3/4 cup (maybe more) Parm
-I have no idea how many breadcrumbs I used I just sprinkled until them until the chicken was covered :)

I covered a pan with foil to eliminate a mess, but put a piece of parchment down as well. Don't ask me why :)

Mix together Mayo & Parm

Spread on each chicken breast until it is covered. You will have extra.

425 degrees for at least 25 minutes. Like I said I used 6 chicken breasts and they were rather big so they took more like 35 minutes. Check the temp. They should be at least 180 degrees with a meat thermometer.

I sliced and served with corn and salad. Simple tasty supper!

enJOY!

SOOOOOOO Much zucchini! Ideas?!?

2012-09-24T12:07:00.001-07:00

Mediterranean Chicken with Quinoa

2012-09-19T09:29:00.002-07:00

I saw this recipe on a show called My Family Recipe Rocks a while back. Lorraine Brown shared this Mediterranean Chicken with Quinoa dinner that her family loves. Now my family, besides Maddie and I, DOES NOT LIKE GREEN OLIVES, but don't let that deter you. If you chop them big enough, they are very easy to pick out, and they add to the flavor so you don't want to totally omit them.

Here is what you need.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
Approx. 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cans organic diced tomatoes
approx. 1 cup green olives (sliced into thirds)
approx. 1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric (according to your taste preference)
dash black pepper
2 cups Quinoa and 4 cups water

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the package. In large skillet with olive oil, saute garlic, onion and chicken until no pink remains and chicken begins to brown. Sprinkle with black pepper.
Add white wine while scraping browned bits from pan.
Stir in tomatoes, olives, oregano and turmeric. Cover and simmer on low heat (with the lid vented slightly) for approx. 15 minutes.
When quinoa is ready, spoon into serving bowls and top with chicken mixture and serve immediately.
If desired sprinkle a little asiago or parmesan cheese on top.
It's great accompanied with a green salad or a side of steamed broccoli (or both). It is also great for leftovers -- the flavors intensify!

-PHOTO HOW TO w/ DIRECTIONS-

Cook the quinoa according to the package.

In large skillet with olive oil, saute garlic, onion and chicken until no pink remains and chicken begins to brown. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Add white wine while scraping browned bits from pan.

Stir in tomatoes, olives, oregano and turmeric. Cover and simmer on low heat (with the lid vented slightly) for approx. 15 minutes.

Oregano, Basil and Parsley from my garden :)

I didn't have turmeric but after doing some searching online and found out ginger would be an ok substitute.

When quinoa is ready, spoon into serving bowls and top with chicken mixture and serve immediately.

If desired sprinkle a little asiago or parmesan cheese on top.

This was not my family's favorite. But I REALLY liked it. For something light and different it was very tasty. It has taken me some time to really get into the taste of Quinoa but I am so glad I stuck with it.

enJOY!

All by myself...

2012-09-18T11:25:00.002-07:00

Just typing the title to this post I am envisioning Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones singing at the top of her lungs, in her flannel pj's, flailing her magazine into the air! I love that! Anyways. I am indeed all by myself this morning. Having dropped off Maddie and the rest of my monsters at school. Hooray! But what is to become of these free moments...Well here is how my morning went.

Let's start with last night. I am still dealing with pain from my burn. I can manage through my pain in the daylight hour but when it comes time to lay down and relax aka sleep, my legs suddenly contract restless leg like syndrome and I am overwhelmed by the sensation of even my sheet touching them. I toss and turn and can't get comfortable/ As soon as I do start to fall asleep, even the tiniest shift of the covers sends a chill throughout my body that won't go away. You know that feeling when you get a shiver. That initial woosh that comes over you and then quickly subsides...Yes that is the feeling I am talking about except it also comes with pain and it doesn't subside quickly if at all. SO I was up late last night. As you may have seen from my 1 am post.

Now as I was trying to doze off, Joe started tossing and turning. He has been having back trouble so he was up not able to stay comfortable. SO here we are talking, wide awake at 1 in the morning. Luckily this was all reaffirming the fact, that us buying a new mattress yesterday was a good thing. I digress. Finally drifting off God knows what time...

BEEP BEEP BEEP! Time to get up! (Actually we wake up to Onerepublic- Good Life :) Roll over, snuggle up to Maddie who has stowed away into our bed, AGAIN..."ASH WAKE UP!" Joe yells from closet.

Get everyone rolling slowly and inefficiently. Cam is crying "I HATE SCHOOL!" This is super. I remind everyone it is Maddie's first real day of school and we need to get going. I am driving us and the cousins and we need to get downstairs so we can leave by 8. At 7:45 we are finally ALL downstairs, dressed, groomed and ready to roll. Now if we can just throw some breakfast into our tummies we will be set.

Cam need shoes tied and luckily his mood has drastically improved. "Are you excited for school Maddie?!" he says sweetly. "Yes" she replies back. "Hey Mom" Cam interrupts. "Today is picture day, we are supposed to have free dress." OH MY GOSH!!!! Everyone freezes and then books it upstairs to get out of their uniforms. I should have made them go in uniform, but my fashionista Delaney would have nothing to do with that :) Somehow and in record speed, they are all in free dress and back downstairs ready. Breakfast will have to be whatever we can grab, as the cousins are here and ready to go.

Somehow we are in the van and on the road minutes later and only 2 minutes behind schedule. As we drive to school I teach Katie, the oldest of our clan of cousins, how to write a check. Since I need 4 separate checks written for picture day as well. Amazingly we make every light and we arrive in the parking lot minutes before the first bell! It's a miracle. Everyone hops out and I'm just about to get out myself, ready to face my alone time head on. "Um. um. Um. Mom." "Yes Cam" I reply.

"I forgot my back pack."

Awesome. With those words I kissed my first day of freedom farewell, vowing to visit again soon, perhaps on Thursday barring and other unforeseen nonsense.

And so I sit here laughing to myself. Thinking about how yesterday I felt almost not ready for my free time and well I guess this is a good way to break into it. Slowly and partially at first :) Maybe I'll work my way up to a normal day sometime in the near future. But for today, I enjoyed my 1 hour. Now I have a bed to put together. Well I will once they actually arrive with it, an hour later then they said (so far:) Looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight and a few hours of freedom sometime soon.

Have a great day. enJOY!
Ashley

A cautionary tale-

2012-09-18T00:57:00.001-07:00

WARNING- There are really gross and graphic photos at the end of this. DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY DOWN IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT. I PUT THEM FROM BETTER TO WORSE SO YOU CAN AVOID THE REALLY BAD ONES. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED :-/

I had plans a few Saturdays ago. Just a dinner to celebrate a friend's big birthday. I took my time getting ready. Earlier that morning we had done a Memorial Run/Walk for an old friend. With my finish I had completed a personal goal of 4 races in 4 weeks. I paid to play in advance for that night and was excited for a little girls night out. Finally ready, I was downstairs making dinner for my husband and kids. Doing something I had done a hundred times before (at least!) I went to strain my stockpot full of boiling spaghetti water. Maybe it was Maddie begging me, incessantly to help, or maybe it was my 3 inch wedge sandals? Either way it slipped. Not able to hold on to it...I spilled it...Right down my front...Soaking my legs, from my thighs all the way down to my knees.

The pain was immediate and intense. I have never been in pain like that before. My knees buckled and I hit the floor. Yelling a word probably 50 times in a row, not a nice word, but the first thing that came out, I struggled to get to my feet. All my kids were in the kitchen as well as my sister Kels. When I finally got to a standing position I immediately yanked down my jeans exposing my bright red thighs, my skin already sloughing down in one spot. Trying not to scare my kids, I hobbled upstairs and did the worst thing I could do. I squirted Neosporin onto my legs. In the past I have always put Neosporin with Pain Relief on little burns and felt like it really helped. I found out later that was a big No-No! Everyone asked me why I didn't jump in the bath, into cold water. Honestly I was in so much pain I couldn't think straight.

For a moment I thought..."ok, I'm fine it will stop hurting any minute." a minute later I was shaking uncontrollably, nauseous, staggering to the toilet my ears started ringing and my hearing got muffled. It was then the realization set in... I was going to the hospital. Kels yelled to Joe to come in from outside. Thank God she was there. I was able to change, get in the truck and we were on our way.

As we drove down the driveway I burst into tears. I had tried to stay as calm as possible, as to not scare my kids, but in reality I was in such pain and so scared. I kept replaying it in my mind, and something I hadn't addressed right as it happened was the fact Maddie was RIGHT THERE!!! If I had dumped the pot away from me instead of back towards me, Maddie would have been going to the ER and not in our truck but an ambulance. It would have hit her right in the face, drenched her and I would probably be typing this blog post from the hospital tonight.

Just thinking about this made me even more sick to my stomach. I sat there shaking, crying, and doing what can only be compared to Lamaze breathing to try and get through it. We arrived at the ER, it was AMAZING. We walked in, I told them what happened and within 5 minutes I was in a private room with 4 people working on me, hooked up to an IV and on morphine. All before Joe even got back to me. I was still shaking and the pain was even more intense then it had been. The nurses asked if I wanted more morphine and I told them I didn't like being on it. A sweet nurse leaned over and said "Sweetie, there is no need to be scared, we are here watching you and won't let anything bad happen. You need to let us help get this pain to go away." They upped the dose.

After a while the pain was subsiding, but I was still shaking. I was having a panic attack. I couldn't get Maddie out of my mind. Feeling what I was feeling, the thought of this being her was horrifying. My poor baby, what would I have done?!? This train of thought was leading me down a dark path and my heart rate and blood pressure on an upward one. The nurses not liking this decided an anti-anxiety along with a lot of reassurance that it was ok and that Maddie was ok, and I needed to remember that, all helped and soon I was sleeping. Joe just kept holding my hand and kissing my head. Telling me it was ok. At one point when I woke up I guess I was crying and I vaguely remember saying "I just really wanted to go to dinner...I really wanted a blue cheese salad...." fade back to sleep :) a funny blip on a not funny night.

What seemed like a very long time, was really only a matter of 3 or 4 hours. I was stable and medicated enough to head home. Joe lovingly helped me to the truck. I have never felt so impaired in my whole life. I just wanted to get home. After making a couple stops to gather meds, a special cream and crackers and soup. We finally got there. Thankfully Kels had taken the kids to my parents. I knew they were ok and safe and happy. No need for them to see my like this. I ate all I could- not much- and went to sleep.

As we unwrapped my legs the next morning, to survey the damage, it was shocking. Blisters and darkened skin showed the path of destruction the water had taken. I decided I didn't want to take the narcotic meds they sent home for me. That thought lasted about an hour. The burning, stinging, intense pain was back and I knew I was in for a long recovery.

I have had actually quite a few surgeries. My nose reconstructed after a bad break, a lump removed from my breast, varicose veins removed from both my legs and 4 c-sections. I am no stranger to recovery. But usually I am up and going long before the estimated recovery time. This was totally different. I had to lay in shorts slathered in this cream meant to protect from infection. And just sit there. On powerful pain meds I was unable to focus long enough to read a book, or watch a full show or have a normal conversation. I couldn't walk around or clean up after my brood or cook or...holy s#%@ go shopping for all the stuff left on those to do lists!!!

Here enters the happy ending. Now if we are lucky when bad things happen in our lives, we get to realize how blessed we are. This has been my experience. I was lucky I only burned my legs. Lucky I didn't burn Maddie. Lucky that I live near a great ER and had wonderful doctors and nurses. But then when I got home I was lucky to be surrounded by the best friends and family. My phone was full of messages. Emails checking if I was alright. Meals delivered. Enough magazines to keep a girl busy for weeks. My mother was on food duty. Anything that sounded good (which wasn't much, but no matter- if it was mashed potatoes and gravy- she made the trip to KFC to pick it up, or soup-she and Gayle (her right hand gal at work) made me soup. Then there was my mother in law. She arrived every day for 2 weeks with a iced grande Americano just how I like it and a protein plate, my favorite Starbucks treat. Then she would make my beds knowing it bugged me if they weren't and started laundry or take it home. She took my kids so I could sleep and then in an amazing act of heroism, she and her sweet sister took all 4 kids school clothes shopping. ALL 4 of them! That overwhelms even me:)

I have never felt so taken care of, so loved and so thought about. It was really overwhelming and humbling. To think that this many people cared. I hate asking for help, it is probably my biggest downfall in fact, but I so appreciated every single thing that was done for me. I don't think I could ever put into to words how much it meant to me and just how much it aided in my recovery. Thank you to all of you! You know who you are:) And to my husband for following through on the whole "in sickness" part. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I knew it before, but this was a beautiful reminder.

It has been just over 3 weeks since this happened and I am almost all better. With just one scabbed area, about the size of a quarter and some nerve healing issues, I am pretty much physically healed. Mentally I am working on it. I got right back on the horse and boiled noodles. I had to!! Don't think I wasn't terrified as I strained them. But I did it.

I hope this acts as a cautionary tale. Every day we do things. Things we don't think twice about and they are dangerous, mundane perhaps, but dangerous nonetheless. It is those everyday tasks that we forget can be dangerous and if this helps everyone think about being a little more careful and maybe a little more cautious or just makes you remember how lucky we are to be healthy and well, the it was worth it.

Accidents happen every minute of everyday all over the world. When we are lucky enough to get through them then we should keep the lessons we learn from them with us always.

Here is a few I learned:
Do not dump boiling water on yourself. Duh!
No Neosporin on your burn, cold water is better
The Swedish Medical Center ER in Mill Creek, WA is awesome!
Good friends- whether they be friends or family are an invaluable commodity
Asking for help can't hurt and not asking can
Feeling loved may be the best medicine
But seriously DO NOT DUMP BOILING WATER ON YOURSELF!

I am going to show these pictures because I think it helps send the message. But be warned they are graphic and gross :( So just be careful everyone! I'm thinking about you. I hope you are well and I am looking forward to getting back to business! The business of living this Crazy Wonderful life :)

Scroll down if you want to see the pictures...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Summer Vacation

2012-08-02T20:42:00.001-07:00

Late nights, late mornings, makeshift meals, playing outside, putting off to tomorrow what should be done today :) That to me is Summer vacation. As a mom I sat back in June with grandiose ideas of keeping to a strict routine and staying on top of laundry but just relaxing and being on top of my business :)
Haahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa!

It's SUMMER VACATION! The one time of the year where (here in Washington) the sun is possibly shining in a hopefully consecutive daily pattern. You learn to take advantage. At the end of my days am I going to look back and remember that time I got all the laundry put away, or the time I didn't think twice threw the kids in the car and went hiking or blueberry picking or swimming because Damn it! the sun was out! So I have neglected certain things, mainly housework and this blog because frankly, if my kids are out playing I have a couple options. Sit inside at my computer OR get outside and play with them. I have chosen the latter.

It dawned on me a month or so ago that Keegan is going to be a 5th grader...A FIFTH GRADER!!!! Maddie is going into preschool 2 days a week and Delaney and Cam are 3rd and 1st graders. I am going to have 2 days a week for like 3 hours each that I don't have ANYONE home?!!? All my babies will all be at school. This concept seems foreign to me and granted it is only 2 days a week-FOR NOW! This is what is crazy...Keegan was 2 days a week like...5 MINUTES AGO and now he is in 5th grade! Delaney was going 2 days a week, 2 minutes ago and we had our first real mother daughter power struggle over what she was going to wear that year. We are still doing this all these years later but it is so totally fresh in my mind. It goes to fast!
It is Summer and I remember Summer feeling like it lasted forever, really, what a year feels like now. But I just didn't want to spend my whole break with them feeling bad about things I should have been doing and instead wanted to focus on what I could be doing. We have already started the countdown. 4 weeks until school starts. There is so much to do. Supplies and uniforms to buy, bedtimes to get under control, meals to plan, schedules to streamline and I'm not ready for all that. I could use a break from my little darlings (don't get me wrong;) but I'm not ready for the real break of the school year, yet.
So I hope you'll forgive my lack of posts and understand that I was just having a juvenile attitude myself and I just "didn't wanna do it!" There were too many memories to be made.

I'll be back and on a schedule- a routine in place, but don't bet on it for another 4 weeks :)
Happy Summer! I hope you are enjoying and making the most of yours as well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Pulled Pork Nachos

2012-07-12T23:28:00.001-07:00

I always make WAY too much pulled pork. It's as easy to make a big one as a little one and it freezes well. I try to freeze it in a foil pan and then just put it in a jot oven to thaw. Super easy! Sam great taste, just add BBQ sauce if it seems drier then you remember.

Now you could throw it on a bun just like the first time...or take for a different spin. Nachos!!! Nachos???You say? Yes Nachos!

Here's what you need
-Tortilla chips (as always I say Juanita's:)
-Pulled pork
-Black beans
-Cole Slaw
-Shredded Cheddar
-Jalapeños (I like the Tamed ones from Mezzeta)
-Cotija Cheese (optional)
-Corn (optional)
Now how I layered it step by step. This is a small personal batch :)

On a microwave safe plate-

Chips

Add pulled pork

Add cheddar cheese and Microwave until melted (you know your microwave...mine took about 30 seconds)

When nicely melted add cole slaw.

Black beans I would have added corn here if I'd had it :(

Tamed Jalapeños and if you have it and/or want too Cotija Cheese.

I also drizzled a little BBQ sauce and sprinkled some freshly torn cilantro, just for looks :)

I am a firm believer and LOVER of the melding of flavors. So these REALLY appeal to me :) I hope they do to you as well!

enJOY!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Teriyaki Chicken Burgers

2012-06-27T23:07:00.001-07:00

There is nothing special really to these chicken burgers. I didn't take pictures even. But boy did they taste yummy!

All you need-
-Chicken breasts (boneless & skinless) I pounded mine so they didn't take as long.
-Iceberg lettuce
-Ketchup & Mayo mixed (Homemade Thousand Island dressing)
-Kaisar Buns
-Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki
-Pineapple Slices

Grill the chicken breasts WITHOUT the teriyaki sauce on it. Just spray with olive oil and grill. When the chicken breasts are done just pour teriyaki over them on a plate. I've learned by saving the teriyaki until the end, you don't get burnt chicken. Teriyaki has lots of sugar in it which makes it burn easily. Even before your chicken is cooked on the inside it could be burnt on the outside.

Mix the Ketchup & Mayo (Thousand dressing) I used about equal parts.

Prepare your Kaisar bun with the
Thousand dressing, a piece of iceberg lettuce, the chicken and a piece of pineapple.

This is SO simple and really tasty. It is a quick refreshing meal for a summer night.

I served with baked beans, and broccoli slaw. I also grilled a portobello mushroom cap I marinated in the teriyaki. But my family wouldn't have anything to do with that. Good, more for me :)

enJOY!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Delaney...killing me slowly :)

2012-06-08T22:41:00.001-07:00

After a CRAZY afternoon yesterday...Without going into a ton of gnarly details...Let's just say we are ALL ready for Summer Vacation (though my readiness borders somewhat on terror as well;) Anyways. I was READY for bedtime (their's not mine) last night. Over-bad attitudes, temper tantrums and short fuses, mine included. So you can imagine how psyched I was when Delaney came downstairs 20 minutes AFTER bedtime, holding her homework, that I had reminded her several times during the evening to do. The better lesson would probably have been to say no and make her not do it because she missed the boat, but she didn't give me much choice when she sat at the counter in front of me and started doing it without my approval. truth be told, I was over fighting. When she finally turned her Spelling paper to me, for me to test her...it took everything in me not to start laughing. But I was so irritated still, I decided to use it to my advantage. Check it out;)

Here is how her spelling test proceeded.
#1 Asked- I ASKED you to do you homework 5 hours ago- Asked
-Envision an 8 year old doing some MAJOR eye rolling at this point:) Oh I wasn't stopping there...
#2 Told- I TOLD you to do it right when you got home! Told
#3 Shouted- I SHOUTED at you because I was so frustrated that you didn't listen to me. Shouted
#4 Exclaimed- Why is it, you EXCLAIMED, YOU HAD TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK after I had put you to bed?!? Exclaimed
#5 Yelled- I only YELLED at you because I was SO tired of asking you do finish your homework!!! Yelled
#6 Said- You SAID you didn't feel like doing it, now you do??!?! Said
#7 Important- It is IMPORTANT to do your homework in a timely manner- Important
#8 Interest- it is in your best INTEREST to just get your DARN HOMEWORK DONE!!!- Interest
#9 Famous- Even becoming a FAMOUS artist requires you to DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Famous
#10 Generous- You have a very GENEROUS mother to let you do your homework so late in the evening. Generous
#11 Fabulous- You are entirely too FABULOUS to be pulling this nonsense! Fabulous
#12 Summer- If you want to enjoy your vacation this SUMMER, you better get your act together!!! Summer

You can imagine that by this point she was very much regretting putting off her homework :) Serves her right, being such a pill all afternoon! Felt like someone knew that we needed those spelling words...haha :)

I mean it. Summer is joy laced in anxiety for me. I LOVE IT but I also LOATHE it at times, the "I'm bored's" and the "theres nothing to do's" that follow shortly after school gets out. I think that perhaps when those arise I will just hand them a spelling test. Perhaps it will include words like:

1) CHORES
2) CONSEQUENCES
3) CLEANING
4) HOME SCHOOL
5) WEEDING
6) VACUUM

Who am I kidding :) I talk a big game but I did threaten to have them follow me around for the first day of Summer Break to help me do EVERYTHING I do on a normal day :) Just so they get some idea of what all that is. I just might. But truth be told. I want them to have fun, explore, be kids, and have a great break!

Don't worry I'll keep you up to date as things progress. I keep hearing things like "Gosh I was having a crazy day and then I talk to you and I feel better." Thanks I think?! :) So that's what I'm here for a healthy dose of perspective...Happy to be of service : >

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad