The Buckeye Five

S'more Pie a la Marshmallow Creme - August Pie Pilgrimage

2012-09-02T19:53:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure if my hiatus from blogging this summer is over or not. I still haven't decided how I want to spend my "free" time now that the kids are back in school. So far, I'm not off to a very good start considering my August pie post is just now coming up on September 2nd! I thought for sure I took care of this. Scout's honor...this pie really was prepared and devoured during the month of August!

We love to build a fire in our back yard in the evening and roast marshmallows. Love it even better when the marshmallows cozy up with a slab of chocolate in between some crunch grahams. Well, it's been too hot for fires most of the summer, so this is the next best thing.

S'more Pie a la Marshmallow Creme

Here's What You Need:

6 oz. chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup tiny marshmallows

Graham Cracker Crust

Marshmallow Topping (recipe follows)

Here's What You Do:

In a heavy saucepan, mix the chocolate, 1/4 cup cream, corn syrup and water. Heat and stir constantly over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a bowl, mix chocolate mixture and cream cheese. In a chilled mixing bowl, beat 1 cup cream and the powdered sugar with mixer until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture.

Place marshmallows in the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Use your favorite recipe or just buy one already made to speed things up for you. Spoon the chocolate mixture over the marshmallows. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. Spoon on the marshmallow topping before serving.

Marshmallow Topping:

In a bowl, mix one 7 ounce jar of marshmallow cream and 1 Tablespoon of milk. Pour over top of pie before serving.

Butterscotch Pie- July Pie Pilgrimage

2012-07-31T19:28:00.000-04:00

Is there a recipe in your family that has a history or maybe there's even a legend behind it? Maybe there's a recipe that was once prepared by a beloved family member that is no longer with you and it was never written down and you have tried, in vain, to replicate it?

I've blogged about my maternal Grandmother many a time on here. She was famous for entering recipe contests (and winning!), for pulling pranks (fake ice cube with fake fly, birthday cake candles that won't blow out, etc.) and for her butterscotch pie and homemade noodles. Over the years, since her death, I have oftentimes regretted that I never took the time to spend an afternoon with her to learn how to make those noodles. I craved them during the pregnancy of my firstborn. Grandma was already gone by then and made me want them all that much more.

Her butterscotch pie recipe was published in a local cookbook many, many years ago and I have made this recipe many times over. Each time trying to decide if I got it right, this time. I swear, this was her final prank. Publishing a favorite recipe and leaving out one of the key ingredients. Maybe the key ingredient really was love, which means, the butterscotch pie simply never will be the same.

Grandma Blue's Butterscotch Pie

Here's What You Need:

2 cups whole milk or cream
2 cups dark brown sugar

4 heaping Tablespoons, flour
4 Tablespoons butter

2 egg yolks
1 deep dish baked pie shell

Here's What You Do:

This is one of those recipes that I never truly appreciated as a kid. It's a rich dessert and one that my palate simply did not accept until, sadly, it was too late. My brother called me earlier this summer asking me to walk him through the steps to make this pie. He was making one to share with his son.

Without further ado...the Legend of the Butterscotch Pie:

Go ahead and bake your pie shell and set it aside to cool.

Cream the brown sugar, flour, butter and egg yolks. Heat the milk on medium and whisk in the sugar mixture before the milk gets too warm, otherwise, you'll end up with a scrambled egg mess and have to start all over again. This has happened to me before and it's not fun! Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to whisk for one minute after it begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour into the pie shell. Let it cool a little and then chill in the fridge.

Some recipes call for making a meringue but I prefer the way Grandma always served it and that was with a very healthy dollop of whipped cream!

Warning: So rich it makes your teeth itch! No, really!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-06-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Pie Pilgrimage - Taco Pie

2012-06-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Taco Pie is a recipe I've been making since way back in the day when I was, oh, say about my daughter's age. She's close to ten years old, so we'll just say, I've had this recipe around for a while. With that said, I can't recall where my Mom and I first dug this recipe up from, but I do know we liked to make it and my brothers loved to eat it.

It's the savory side of pie making and I wanted to share it with you. If you like tacos, you'll like taco pie!

Taco Pie

Here's What You Need:

1 pie shell

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 finely chopped onion

1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning

1 can fat free refried beans

1 jar taco sauce, salsa can be substituted if it's all you have

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

12 crushed nacho chips

shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sour cream and avocado slices to garnish

Here's What You Do:

Pour yourself a margarita. Proceed with the rest of the meal...

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and then bake the pie shell for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and let the pie crust cool.

Brown the ground sirloin with the onion. Add the taco seasoning according to the package. That means, be sure to add the amount of water also that your package calls for! In a small bowl, combine the refried beans and 1/3 cup taco sauce. Spread half of this mixture in the bottom of the pie shell. Top with half of the sirloin mixture, 1 cup cheese and nachos. Repeat layers.

Bake for 20-25 minutes to heat it completely through. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut into pie wedges and serve with the lettuce, tomato, sour cream and avocado. You can also toss on some black olives or sliced jalapenos. Whatever you like with a taco, you'll like with this!

Window To The World

2012-06-23T11:17:00.001-04:00

What does a person's kitchen window sill say about that person?

If the window sill is empty, does that imply that the person's life is empty too? Or maybe they are just OCD about having cleared spaces in their home. I like cleared space. I despise clutter. It makes me nervous and anxious and I can't rest until the clutter is gone. My mom's the same way. I'm sure glad I inherited that trait from her. It can be stressful at times, though, when I can't relax and just enjoy a moment, not if the sink is full of dishes, or the counter is covered in crumbs, or there's a pile of laundry that needs to be done.

I digress.

So, I looked at my window one day recently. Rather than looking out the window. And I took note of the items that had collected there, either over the years or some, recently.

This plant is one that I brought home from the office where I used to work. I can't remember how big it was when I brought it home, but I've been a full-time stay-at-home mom for 10 years this summer; it was just before Jenna was born.

My trips to the beach have been countless throughout my lifetime and I feel truly blessed that I've had the opportunity to behold the beautiful of the ocean so many times. Sand and sea shells have come and gone during that time, but this jar is a peaceful reminder to me that no matter how stressful life may get, I can always count on a return.

Evan made this vase for me in a pottery class he took. Once in a while they are the perfect vessel for a small fistful of ~~weeds~~ flowers.

This shell is one that a student from my preschool class brought me after his trip to Florida to visit his grandparents. I remember the bag full of shells and how he specifically picked this one, "just for you Miss April!"

More pottery, this one from Jenna. This coiled bowl holds my rings when I'm cleaning up in the kitchen.

Keeping track of the weather, inside and out!

A science experiment by Owen and Jenna makes a pretty window decoration too. A little water, a little vegetable oil and a lot of food coloring and you have yourself a homemade lava lamp!

The spare change bowl is where we usually scrounge to make the kids weekly allowance and the clay palm tree was a token of love from Evan. He knows my obsession well.

I've had this stained glass cross longer than I've had my own home. Made from the stained glass windows of my grandparents' former church, it is a constant reminder to me of home and family and faith.

Buckeye Pride can be found in just about every room of our house!

Do you have a small, tucked away spot in your home the tells a story about you and your life? Where is it and what does it look like?

Pie Pilgrimage - Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

2012-05-22T08:28:00.001-04:00

Baseball/Softball season is upon us. And although football and NASCAR seem to be the two American sports that rake in the most dough these days, baseball is still nostalgically considered an "All American Past Time."

Baseball isn't the only thing considered "All-American."

There's also...Apple Pie!

Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

Here's What You Need:

For the crust:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

1/3 cup shortening

4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

For the Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 medium (6 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon sugar

Here's What You Do:

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in large bowl; cut in 1/3 cup butter and shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in enough water just until flour is moistened. Divide dough in half; shape each half into a ball. Flatten slightly. Wrap each ball of dough in plastic food wrap and refrigerate.

Roll out remaining ball of dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into 9-inch pie pan; unfold dough, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan; set aside.

Combine all filling ingredients except apples, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar in large bowl. Add apples; toss lightly to coat.

Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Roll remaining ball of dough into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough over filling; unfold. Trim, seal and crimp or flute edge. Cut 5 or 6 large slits in crust. Brush with melted 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover edge of crust with 2-inch strip aluminum foil.

Bake for 35 minutes; remove aluminum foil. Continue baking for 10 to 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool pie 30 minutes; serve warm. Store refrigerated.

This recipe came courtesy of the good folks at Land O Lakes butter. There's nothing better than homemade apple pie for Memorial Day...an All American holiday for sure!

My Apologies

2012-05-17T17:52:00.002-04:00

This is the longest I have gone without posting on my blog.

I wish I could say that I have missed it. The writing. The sharing. The venting. The observing.

I have not.

It has been a bit freeing to just let go of something and not worry about it. It's not say I have not thought once about the neglect I have been issuing this blog. There have just been so many other things that truly held me ransome with greater priority than publishing my words to the world. There I go being melo-dramatic as I am prone to be at times.

(I wonder where my darling daughter gets it from.)

So almost a month since I shared a tempting recipe for Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. I'd like to tell you that I have been uber-busy sampling new recipes and baking up a storm.

Alas. That is not the case.

No, we are in the season of quickie meals and aggravation over our inability to sit down at the table, all five of us, and share a meal together. We eat in shifts, sadly. Bowls of cereal, hot dogs on the grill, meatballs kept warm in the Crock-Pot and the like. With three busy children and two equally busy parents, it truly is difficult to plan, execute and serve a quality meal these days. My neighbor and I were lamenting to one another the other day (Hi Becca!) about the very fact that our pantries and freezers and cupboards and refrigerators are stocked with a myriad of ingredients capable of culminating into a prize-worthy meal. It is just that, where do you find the time to prepare and enjoy said meal when your evening is full of school music programs, homework assignments and baseball practice (also softball and soccer and karate), or baseball games (and softball and soccer) and church meetings and baking cookies for birthday treats and writing thank you letters to the donors of the recent school carnival.

You get the picture. Said neighbor and I decided we truly would not want it any other way. My husband even suggested that the truest way to avoid this mayhem would be to simply not enroll our children in any activities and to not engage in any sort of volunteerism, whatsoever.

That really does not seem to be an option. I like involvement and activity. I enjoy fellowship with my fellow parents and neighbors.

So I have been on a sabbatical of sorts and hope to return to the blogging routine that I once enjoyed. But if I don't, it's good to know that the Earth will continue to rotate. Sometimes you just have to let go of one thing in order to grab hold of something else.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

2012-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Most of my recipe shares on The Buckeye Five are for desserts, main dishes and more desserts. I don't hear anyone complaining, but I do feel a certain sense of responsibility to offer up the occasional side dish.

We've all had twice-baked potatoes before. You know the ones I'm talking about. The center of a baked spud scooped out and mashed together with a wonderfully, sinfully combination of sour cream and butter and cheese and bacon.

Heart attack alert!

How come I'd never considered a similar process with a sweet potato?!

We love sweet potatoes around our house and I usually just bake them up and mash 'em with a little butter and cinnamon. Great, easy side dish that my kiddos have always loved.

Here's a simple Twice Baked Potato recipe to try sometime if you're having company over. They are super easy to do up ahead of time and then pop in the oven before your main course and other dishes are ready to serve.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Here's What You Need:

5 medium sized sweet potatoes

2 Tablespoons butter

4 ounces goat cheese

salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 Tablespoons butter

Here's What You Do:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the potatoes with a fork, all over. Place the potatoes on a large piece of foil and fold the foil around the potatoes to form a packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.

When they are tender enough to pierce with a fork, remove the potatoes from the oven and open up the packet so they can cool. Once they are cool enough to handle. Slice each potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop out all potato but 1/4 inch around the inside skins. Set 8 skins aside in a baking dish and place the potato "pulp" in a food processor. Add 2 Tablespoons butter and the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, 2 minutes. Add the chives and pulse to combine. Spoon the mixture into the skins.

In a small bowl, stir together the pecans, panko and 2 Tablespoons butter until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture over the sweet potatoes and bake until golden, 10-12 minutes.

This recipe was found in Everyday Food which is published my Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Teacher Appreciation

2012-04-27T09:32:00.001-04:00

Teacher Appreciation Day is fast approaching - May 8th to be exact.

Time to think of something fun to give your child's teacher to recognize the job they do to guide, educate and care for your child while they are at school. There is no reason to spend a ton of money or even spend a lot of time on it. A simple hand-written note or a drawing from a younger child truly is sufficient. But if you'd like to do something more and not just go out and buy a gift card and slip it in an envelope, here is a fun play on words with a few useful supplies. You can tie a gift card to a restaurant, department store or spa to the outside tag if you really wanted to do something more.

Here is something I put together last fall. Our school's PTO likes to leave a little something in each of the faculty and staff's mailboxes as a little "Welcome Back" to a new school year. I was in charge of it this year. This is something that you can do for an end-of-the-year gift as well.

Once again, the air hockey table turns into a useful work space!

Inside a cello bag you place:

one highlighter
one Sharpie marker
one small hand sanitizer
one calculator (I ordered in bulk and got some cute ones in school colors with our logo printed on them.)

You can change the little ditty for Teacher Appreciation to say:

According to my "calculations,"

It has been a "bright" year!

Just wanted to say, before we "clean" up,

Thanks for making Jennifer so "sharp!"

Thanks teachers for all that you do!

Kentucky Coffee Tree Scones

2012-04-20T09:04:00.003-04:00

Legend has it - okay, it's not a legend. But I've heard the story a few times over about how my Grandma took up coffee drinking when her youngest child started school. Truth is, she never had time to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee until my Uncle Keven was out of the house. Raising my own children, I cannot imagine raising my uncle as a youngster. Something tells me he was a handful and then-some! Of course, he likes to tell stories about my mom forcing him to eat dog food. I'm still not buying that one!

My mom's a big coffee drinker herself, and I like a cuppa as long as it's chocolatey tasting. Jenna seems to have inherited the caffeine-loving DNA as well. When she hears the word Starbucks, her ears perk up and she sniffs the air like a bloodhound!

Today's recipe share is for scones that actually have coffee in them, and some chocolate chips too! A perfect combination in my book. These go great with coffee or tea or anything you might like to sip. The chilly days are waning and I am grateful for that. Make these while the time is still right and before the kids are out of school for the summer! Before too long, you won't have time for a cup of coffee either!

Kentucky Coffee Tree Scones

Here's What You Need:

1 1/4 cups butter

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup instant espresso powder or dark instant coffee granules

1 Tablespoon cream or milk

sparkling or coarse sugar

Here's What You Do:

This recipe came from The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook that I told you about in a post earlier this year. The recipe was listed under the chapter for February. I actually made these scones in March. And now I'm sharing them with you in April. That's how things have been rolling around here lately. Have I mentioned I have three busy kids?!

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Really important to have the parchment paper! Place the butter in the freezer to chill. You'll understand why in a minute.

While all of this is going on whisk the flour, sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In yet another bowl, mix together the buttermilk and espresso powder. Take the butter out of the freezer. Using the large holes of a box grater or cheese grater, grate the chilled butter into the flour mixture. Mix gently with your hands to combine. Using as few strokes as possible, fold the buttermilk mixture into the flour and butter mixture. I'll be honest, I don't feel like I truly got this whole concoction thoroughly mixed together. I was so worried about over-mixing. The next time, I do believe I'll opt to use the dough hook on my mixer and see how that works. I'm thinking that if I only do it for a short time, I won't over-mix and end up with hockey pucks rather than delicate, flaky scones.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, flour-dusted counter top. Pat the dough into a large circle about one inch thick. Cut the circle in half and cut each half into 6 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet. Brush the scones with cream/milk and then sprinkle with the sugar. Bake until light golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Serve right away or cool on a wire rack.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Blue Cheese Butter Topped Steak

2012-04-13T16:01:00.001-04:00

It's grilling season again! Time to dust off your tongs (not to be confused with thongs!) and start marinading some chicken, skewering some veggies or tossing some steaks on the grill.

I've never really enjoying grilling steaks. I'm a bit of a freak about serving undercooked food and so, as you can well imagine, the steaks I have served in the past have been a bit leathery. I've told Kevin that if he wants a good steak, then order one the next time we eat out!

Last summer, however, we went in with another family and purchased some beef from a local farmer. So the steaks have ended up in our freezer by default and I have looked into different methods for preparing them. I've gotten pretty good at grilling steaks as a result of this.

Honestly? The best steak I've ever had was one that just had some salt and pepper sprinkled on it prior to being thrown on the barbie. A little A-1 on the side is nice, but today's recipe makes it look and taste like something you'd find at a high-end steak house.

I remember way back in the day when I had a "real job" and I travelled some, expense account and all. I had been out-of-town working in New Orleans for two weeks and my co-worker and I decided to really treat ourselves and eat at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on our last night down there.

(We'd had our fill of po' boys and jambalaya and hurricanes and beignets.)

I had never seen a steak served with a big dollop of whipped butter on the top. Talk about indulgence!

Blue Cheese Topped Steak

Here's What You Need:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

crumbled blue cheese

4 steaks

Here's What You Do:

Mix up your softened butter with a teaspoon or two of Worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper to taste. Take a piece of plastic wrap and scrap the butter mixture onto the middle. Wrap it and roll it up tight so it's in a log shape. Stick it in the fridge to firm up. Meanwhile, set your steaks out so they come to room temperature. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bring your grill to medium-high heat. Put the steaks on and turn the heat down just a bit after a few minutes. You'll have to figure out how long to leave them on based on how you like your steaks. Be sure to remove them from the heat before they are where you want them. They'll continue to cook a little more. Have a few slices of your blue cheese butter ready when the steaks come off the grill. You want the butter to melt over the heat of the steak. You will not want any steak sauce. The Worcestershire sauce and the blue cheese add such an intense flavor that compliments the steak wonderfully.

And, yes, those are hot dogs that you see in the picture with the steaks. We're not all steak eaters in our house.

Happy Birthday Oscar!

2012-04-10T17:05:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that our first "baby" is 13 years old. Crazy as it sounds, just like a human baby, I remember the warm, June day I brought Oscar home from the breeder.

Oscar was trained early on to have a strong disdain for all things Michigan. That hat he's chewing on in the photo above was given to us as a gag gift one Christmas. We gave it to Oscar as a chew toy and he took to it quickly. The hat was ripped to shreds with lots of growling for good measure. He was meant to be in our Buckeye family!

We've done some crazy things with you over the years Oscar. Let me apologize for some of the more humiliating moments in your life, like the pink nail polish two summer's ago, and this...

And now, here he is, 91 in dog years, not many teeth left, and spending most of his time on his bed rather than chewing on toys or Michigan hats. He sees the vet more often than our bank account would like, but he's a part of our family and we love him and will continue to take care of him until his time here is through.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OSCAR!

We Love You!

Pie Pilgrimage - Whoopie Pies

2012-04-06T19:05:00.002-04:00

I have not been blogging much lately.

I have not been feeling very creative.

Or like I have anything to share.

I've been feeling a bit lazy too.

There.

Excuses, reasons, explanations. All out there for you to judge and "tsk tsk" over.

I just haven't been feelin' it and that's all there is to it.

Today is the first day of my kids' spring break from school. I've come to terms with the fact that the weather is going to pretty much STINK while they are out of school. Today was a beautiful day, but a bit more chilly than I would prefer considering it felt like late June weather about a month ago!

This morning was heaven. No alarm clock going off at 5:30 in the morning commanding me to get my lazy butt out of bed and go work out. Instead, I slept until I woke up, which was 7:30 and I felt so rested and peaceful. Everyday should begin this way. (Can't wait until summer!) Then I had a nice, long workout - didn't worry about what time it was or what I should be doing or where I needed to be. Pure bliss. Breakfast, shower, load of laundry in the washer, off to Kroger's with Owen, Starbucks fix, home, groceries put away, lunch and then....THEN...

Jenna and I had the afternoon off (NO BOYS!) to go shopping. We were both in need of new shoes before Easter and she needed a new sweater to keep her shoulders warm from what will be a chilly Easter morning. There was no rush. There was no race. She had her Starbucks fix for the day as well. If it weren't for the typical chaos at dinner, today would have been, dare I say, perfect!

Today's recipe share is an oldy but a goody. I've been making these Whoopie Pies for about five years now. From an October issue of Everyday Food, my "friend" Martha showed me how to make "healthy" Whoopie Pies using applesauce to keep them so moist you will just about die when you eat one.

Please make these!

They are heaven in your mouth. The first time I made these, my kids just about kissed my feet - they were so thankful. Then I made them again when Jenna was in first grade as the snack for their Halloween or Valentine party. Then my friend Jen wanted to kiss my feet because she was at the party and got to taste one. Now the rule is: If I make Whoopie Pies, I have to save back just one for Jen. One time I made them and no one in my family got to have one (not even me!), but Jen got one. See what kind of friend I am?!

Whoopie Pies

Here's What You Need:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, at room temp.

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Here's What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Turn the mixer on low and add some flour mixture and then apples sauce. Alternate adding flour mixture and applesauce. Be sure to end with the flour. Careful not to over mix. You'll have tough whoopies!

I use my cookie dough scooper to scoop out the dough onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. This helps all of the "pie halves" to be uniform in size. I'm fussy about things like this. They spread a bit, so be sure to leave plenty of room on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or so. Remove to a cooling rack right away to cool.

To make the filling, beat the vanilla and 1/2 cup butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and turn the mixer on low so you don't get a huge poof of powdered sugar in the air! Turn the mixer up to high after it's all mixed together and whip for a short time until all of the filling ingredients are properly mixed. Spread the bottom of a half "cookie" with 1 tablespoon of filling and top with another "cookie." Let rest 15 minutes to set.

This recipe only makes about one dozen Whoopie Pies, so I always make a double batch whenever I make these.

First Fire of the Season!

2012-03-29T22:44:00.003-04:00

We had our first marshmallow roasting of the season tonight! Yah!

Note to self...buy more marshmallows.

And chocolate bars.

We're good on graham crackers.

Kevin instructed Owen on proper kindling placement in order to encourage the fire rather than snuff it out.

Really? Do we seriously want to teach a six year old (particularly this six year old) to build a bigger fire?

Just sayin'.

Searching for more wood, we have a great supply of kindling to be found on our property.
Note to self: Ask Dad for more firewood the next time I see him.

Owen mugs with me. Yes, that's marshmallow on my bottom lip. I eat s'mores without a care in the world!

Owen goes in for seconds on graham crackers. Love those grahams!

Miss Jenna, I do believe the orthodontist explicitly said, "No hard, crunchy or sticky, chewy foods." You've got both there sister.

And for some reason, the never-camera-shy Evan was avoiding the camera tonight.

You can run, but you cannot hide my friend.

The mom-cam always catches her prey. Just please don't spill your milk on your father's back!

A-ha! Told ya I'd getcha!

Happy Marshmallow Roasting to One and All This Summer!

Beef Ragu

2012-03-26T09:03:00.004-04:00

It seems a chill has returned to the air. We so enjoyed our week of summer-like weather and we knew it couldn't last until...summer.

Seriously? Central Ohio in late March and mid-80's for an entire week? We all knew it couldn't last forever. It was nice while it was here though and I hope we get just a little bit of it to return during the week that my kids are out of school for spring break. Especially since we aren't going anywhere on a trip!

Today's recipe share is a good one for a chilly day. You can serve Beef Ragu over noodles, rice or, as the recipe suggested, even polenta. I'm not into polenta, however, so I would never consider that. This is a very tasty and filling dish. Give it a try!

Beef Ragu

Here's What You Need:

1 medium yellow onion, diced small

3 minced garlic cloves

6 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 teaspoons dried oregano

1 beef chuck roast (about 4 pounds)

coarse salt and ground pepper

1-2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Here's What You Do:

In a 5-6 quart slow cooker combine the onion, garlic, tomato paste and oregano. Season the roast with the salt and pepper and place the roast on top of the onion mixture. Add 2 cups of water and cover with a lid. Cook on high until the meat is tender and can easily be pulled apart with a fork. It will take about 4 1/2 hours. Or you set the slow cooker on low and let the roast cook for about 9 hours. Let the roast cool for ten minutes and then shred the meat with two forks and add the vinegar to taste.

Three Things I Like About This Recipe:

It is relatively inexpensive to prepare coming in at about $3.80 per serving.
I can start this meal either in the morning or midday and my family's meal is on the table with little work when there is homework to give attention to!
I love having the leftovers to store in the freezer and get out in another week or so. This flavorful meat reheats nicely and tastes delicious served up on a good quality sandwich bun!

Note: This recipe comes courtesy of a recent issue of Everyday Food. Love that magazine!

Kicking and Screaming

2012-03-20T11:29:00.001-04:00

I'm a little bit stubborn.

No. Really!

I don't like to be forced to do something.

Who does, really?

As a teenager, I wasn't influenced by peer pressure a whole lot.

As I have (ahem) got older, I feel a little more swayed by the people around. My head is so tired from all of the decision making I have to do regarding my three children. So if a group of my girlfriends and I go out to lunch, there might be a place I really want to go, but I'll just say, "Wherever everyone else wants to go is fine with me." Then when we go to the decided upon location, I'll agree how this was the best place to go.

See? Going along with the crowd. Don't want to muddy the water. It's all good.

I've also never been one to fall for whatever is the latest fad. Give me a timeless classic and I'm happy.

Years ago, everyone else was texting and there I was, still emailing.

During my kids' baby and toddler years, I was just too busy with them to worry about keeping up with all of the newest technology and social media. I don't consider myself old fashioned, necessarily.

But here I am now. I have come to accept the facts of life and it is this...

FACEBOOK IS NOT GOING AWAY!

I truly believed that it was just a fad and would go away and all of my friends, (real friends!) would curse the time they had wasted posting what they had for lunch and the fact that their washing machine died on them.

It's been a few weeks now since I finally succumbed to the ways of the world and opened a Facebook account. Honestly, I don't get what all of the fuss is about.

Do I regret the time I have spent on it so far? Yes.

Is it a great way to reconnect with old friends and far off relatives? Yes.

Am I truly friends with everyone on my 'friend' list? Yes and no. Some are, in fact and honestly, just really good acquaintances.

Here's what finally tipped me over to finally taking the Facebook plunge:

Last Summerr, and old friend of mine, one whom I'd lost touch with, keeled over on a routine run, was rushed to the hospital, diagnosed with brain cancer and then embarked on a hard-fought battle to save her life. I didn't find out about it until her family's annual Christmas newsletter arrived in the mail last December. It was just too overwhelming for her and her husband to contact every single person they knew to fill them in on what had happened. If I had been on Facebook, I would have known about it way back when it happened and could have been praying for and reconnecting with her a long time ago.

Another friend of mine that I once worked with but had, once again, lost communication with, lost her mother. I wish that I had known when it happened so that I could, at the very least, send a sympathy card or call her to offer my condolences. I would have found out, had I been on Facebook.

So, Facebook is here and it's here to stay. I have accepted this as a fact of life and I have joined too...

Kicking and screaming all the way there.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2012-03-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

An Old Irish Blessing

MAY THE ROAD

RISE UP TO MEET YOU.

MAY THE WIND

ALWAYS BE AT YOUR BACK.

MAY THE SUN SHINE

WARM UPON YOUR FACE.

AND RAINS FALL

SOFT UPON YOUR FIELDS.

AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,

MAY GOD HOLD YOU

IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND.

Pie Pilgrimage - St. Patty's Meal - Shepherd's Pie and Shamrock Cookies

2012-03-16T09:31:00.002-04:00

Today's post is a trifecta of sorts. There's a pie recipe to keep in line with my 2012 Pie Pilgrimage and there are two recipes in one post!

Call it Irish luck.

Or, just call it, I didn't have time to post one of these earlier in the week so you're getting them all at once!

It's that time of the year when everyone is a little bit Irish. Why is that? Green has always been my favorite color, so I'm going with that excuse. And I've often thought I'd like to visit Ireland someday, but I don't think they have palm trees there and I'm kind of partial to places with palm trees. So, I don't know if that trip will ever happen.

If you're not into getting tipsy on green beer, yet you'd still like to make like a leprechaun, maybe you could make this recipe and feel like you did your part.

This recipe below for Shepherd's Pie was found in "And Stirred With Love," which is a cookbook of "recipes and reflections shared by the Mary Kay family." My sister-in-law used to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics and she gave me this cookbook many years ago as a Christmas gift. Everyone knows I have a small problem with collecting cookbooks and they never fail to help supply the habit! This particular cookbook is almost like one of those you get from a church group. All of these talented ladies submitting there very best recipe for this or that and the recipes are written in such a way that you can almost hear them talking to you!

Shepherd's Pie
Here's What You Need:
1 onion, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
5-6 medium potatoes
milk
8 ounces fresh mushrooms
peas, carrots, celery...

Here's What You Do:
First of all, I changed the recipe up just a smidge from how it was listed in the cookbook. Also, this is a great recipe to make if you have leftover mashed potatoes or cooked veggies from a meal earlier in the week. You'll see why...

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking oil. Peel, quarter and cook the potatoes in salted water until they are soft enough to mash. While this is going on, brown the ground beef and add the onion. You can toss in a tablespoon or two of butter if you like, especially if you used the ground turkey. After the meat is browned, add the chicken broth and flour and stir over medium heat. It will begin to thicken just a bit. Cook any veggies you want to use. I have a steamer for my microwave, so I tossed some peas and carrots and a little diced celery in there and microwaved until I knew they were just beginning to soften. I sliced the mushrooms and added them to the meat for just a bit. Place the meat mixture in the baking pan first. Pour the steamed veggies on top. Do not mix! Mash the potatoes with some milk and butter. It's okay if there are a few lumps! It's also okay if you want to add some shredded cheddar cheese here too! Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of everything and pop it in the oven for about one hour.

This is a very filling meal and you really don't need anything else to go with it except for maybe a salad for some extra veggies. I guess all of the shepherd's needed to eat something like that before heading out to the pasture to watch over their sheep! In reality, what I made here is cottage pie. My research shows that a true Shepherd's Pie has ground lamb/mutton in it but a cottage pie has ground beef. The rest of the process is the same. We used to raise sheep when I was a kid and I never liked eating lamb then and I'm sure I wouldn't like eating it now!

And now for part two of this post!

I found the recipe for Shamrock Cookies on a blog I follow called Thirty Handmade Days. Honestly, these could be called Heart Cookies, or Jack-o-Lantern Cookies. I'll just call them quick and easy cookies!

I had asked permission from Owen's kindergarten teacher to bring in a fun, green treat to school today. Knowing I would be busy and wouldn't have a lot of time to spend on it...that and, in reality, 5 and 6 year old kids really aren't impressed with fancy food and inhale it so quickly they probably don't even notice that the cookies are green, let alone that they are in the shape of a shamrock!

Shamrock Cookies
Here's What You Need:
1 box white cake mix
3/4 cup shortening
2 eggs
green food coloring/gel/paste

Here's What You Do:
Mix up all of the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out a medium-sized ball of cookie dough and flatten it on a floured piece of wax paper. Using a shamrock cookie cutter, cut out a shape and place on a cookie sheet. Roll out another ball, flatten, etc. Bake for 8 minutes. Mine really spread out! Different sized cookie cutters will likely yield different results.

I bought two cake mixes thinking I wouldn't get enough from just one batch. I got a little over 2 dozen and since they spread out into pretty big cookies, I'm just going to give them one cookie each which meant, I only had to bake one batch. Yah! Add some fun green punch and you've got a party fit for a 6 year old!

Happy St. Patty's Day to everyone!

(no matter where your family comes from)

Wordless Wednesday

2012-03-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday To Me

2012-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

Satchel Paige

I Made It Monday! Shamrock Wreath

2012-03-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

This shamrock wreath is my newest holiday decoration for our front door. I saved an idea I had seen on another blog called Running With Glitter where a shabby chic heart-shaped wreath was created using the same method I used here. I had already decided on a different method for creating a heart-shaped wreath for Valentine's Day, so I decided to use this method for a shamrock-shaped wreath.

After a stop at Joann's to pick out 1/2 yard each of three different green colored fabrics, I brought it home and ripped the strips into lengths of approximately one inch wide by four inches long. To rip the fabric, just snip it where you want it and then rip the rest of the way. That helps the fabric threads to fray, thusly creating what is referred to as a "shabby" look.

I had an extra large wire hanger that I shaped into a very crude shamrock shape. I used wire cutters to snip off the curved hanger part and them rigged up the bottom (stem part) of the shamrock with some duct tape. It didn't really matter how ugly it was at that point because I knew it would all be covered up with the pieces of fabric.

Fold the pieces of material over length-wise with the "right" side facing out and then just go around the wire form tying the pieces on. You will need a lot of these pieces of fabric because you'll want to pack them in tight to really fill it in.

I will admit that it didn't really look like a shamrock when I was done. I hung it up and then took a pair of scissors to just cut and trim here and there to help define the shape a little more. A longer piece of fabric tied at the top and I was ready to hang on my front door!

I know it looks a bit Christmasy since our front door is red. But I like it anyway. And thankfully, no birds have tried to build a nest in this one! Yah!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2012-03-08T09:09:00.001-05:00

Take a look at this picture.

Tell me. Is there anything wrong with it?

Is there anything missing?

Come a little closer.
There.
Do you see that open emptiness where my our microwave used to be?

Have you ever, in todays' American modern times, ever tried to function through more than one day without your microwave?

Or let me serve it to you another way.
Are you aware of how much you use your microwave?
I knew I used it a lot, but try to get through four days without one and you become PAINFULLY AWARE of how much you use and need the microwave.

Ours died on us after 10 wonderful years of faithful service on a Friday morning. I'm able to manage the meals of the day without it thinking that Kevin will come home from work, tinker with it, and all will be right in the world.

No such luck. And on top of this major inconvenience, I come down with a debilitating head cold that renders me pretty much useless for the entire weekend, making it impossible for me to head of to Lowe's to pick out and purchase a new microwave.

Thankfully, I was coherent enough by Monday to make a quick choice (interesting how in desperation, decisions become so much easier to make!) and, lucky for me, the one I wanted was in-stock!

So, now I'm back in business.

Need anything warmed up?!

Honey Oatmeal Bread

2012-03-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

When people think something is really great, they sometimes say,

"That's the best thing since sliced bread!"

Actually, I haven't heard a soul make that comment in a very long time. I'm going to try and work that statement into a conversation sometime this week.

I love words and phrases and figures of speech. As my three children have grown up, they have learned that some parts of the English language really don't make any sense. I have always taken the time to explain to them what words mean. Or even better, help them try to figure it out themselves! I truly believe that a person with a broad vocabulary just sounds more intelligent. Never-mind the fact that my 6th grader's math confuses me. I might still sound smart!

Disclosure: Is it weird that I own a book titled, "Dictionary of Word Origins - A History of the Words, Expressions, and Cliches We Use"? Don't answer. The truth hurts sometimes.

Today's recipe share really is the best thing since sliced bread! That didn't count. I need to use it in a face-to-face conversation with a human being. Saying it to our dog, Oscar, who is sitting at my feet right now won't do.

I spotted this recipe for Honey Oatmeal Bread on Ree Drummond's (aka Pioneer Woman) very popular blog several months ago. This bread is so delicious and easy to make and, great news, it bakes two loaves. Eat one now and freeze the other for later or share the other one now. Do whatever you like. Be sure to stop over at Pioneer Woman's sister blog, Tasty Kitchen, for a huge assortment of recipes posted by bloggers just like me!

Honey Oatmeal Bread

Here's What You Need:

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup honey

4 Tablespoons butter

2 1/4 cups water

1 Tablespoon salt

2 3/4 cups flour

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 egg

Here's What You Do:

In a medium bowl, heat the butter and honey until the butter is melted. I did it in the microwave. You don't want it boiling hot; just melt the butter. Add the water. When the mixture is warm (not hot) stir in the yeast and let it sit until bubbly. It will take about 10 minutes. Just set your timer and walk away. You can't rush anything with yeast in it!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook on, combine the salt, yeast mixture, 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup regular flour. Turn the mixer on low and gradually blend the ingredients together. After it becomes just blended, increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes. Scrape the bowl every once in a while. Add the egg and one cup of whole wheat flour to make a thick batter. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the oats and 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of regular flour. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is smooth. If the dough appears to be too sticky, add more flour. You can add up to 2/3 cup more flour, but do so in small increments. The weather plays a big role in how yeast dough rises and how much flour you may or may not need.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and put the dough into the bowl. Spray a piece of plastic wrap too and loosely cover the bowl with the plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place free of drafts. I like to bake bread on a day when I'm doing laundry. It gets nice and warm in the laundry room with the dryer running! Wait until the dough has doubled in size. It will take about 1 hour. Punch the dough down (I love that step!) and turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Cover the dough with the bowl on top and let it rest for 15 minutes. Shape the dough into two loaves and let it rise in greased loaf pans for one hour. Again, cover with a lightly sprayed piece of plastic wrap. It should take about an hour for this step too. Bake at 350 degree for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before turning out of the loaf pans. But please don't let it cool completely in the pan or the heat will be trapped inside and cause the bread to become very soggy.

You don't want soggy bread. Trust me.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

2012-03-02T15:06:00.001-05:00

I consider myself a somewhat healthy eater. I'm big on whole grains and fruits and veggies and making sure my kids get theirs and keeping the soda/sugary drink intake to a minimum. But when it comes to baked goods, I subscribe to what you might call...

The Paula Deen Philosophy

in the kitchen. Paula's been in the news a little more often lately ever since her diabetes diagnosis and I've heard about her weight lose since she's begun to watch what she's eating. The way I see it, moderation is the key. I just wouldn't be enjoying life if I didn't bake and eat cookies and other delicious yummies. I enjoy making it and I enjoy eating it too. Would I like to weigh 10 pounds lighter (or even just 5!)? Of course I would! But I don't want it bad enough to give up the cookies.

Here's a cookie you can have and feel a lot less guilty about. I stumbled across the recipe by accident, as I was certainly not seeking out blogs featuring vegan recipes. I really don't even know how it happened. It was just one of those, click here and then click there and then before you know it, you are 5 blogs removed from the one you were originally reading. It's a sickness really.

Who does not like the combination of peanut butter and bananas, or peanut butter and chocolate or bananas and chocolate?! How about having all three together with the wholesomeness of oats and just a hint of sweet compliments of pure maple syrup. No strange ingredients either that will have you trucking off to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and then never using said ingredient ever again.

These are yummy - plain and simple. I'm not about to say they are my new favorite cookie. I will say, though, that I plan on holding onto this recipe. I'll definitely make them again.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Here's What You Need:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2-1 cup natural chunky peanut butter

4 tablespoons maple syrup

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Here's What You Do:

Combine the mashed bananas, vanilla, peanut butter (I used 3/4 cup, creamy) and maple syrup. No offense ladies, by Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth, you are not invited to this party. We need the real thing for this recipe. Sorry!

The batter will be very runny at this point. Combine the oats, flour, baking powder and salt and then add to the banana batter. Mix until completely combined and then fold in the chocolate chips.

Truth? I used 3/4 cup chocolate chips. I just could not reconcile making a batch of cookies using only 1/2 cup chocolate chips. I just needed to up my antioxidant level in this recipe.

Really!

I don't buy the industrialize sized bag of chocolate chips for nothing!
Hello, Chipotle cup! Thank you for joining me at lunch today!

Drop onto either a greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet and back for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. This recipe makes about 24 cookies depending on how big your globs are.

My kids aren't home from school yet and I'm secretly hoping they don't like these cookies so there will be more for me!

Come to Mama!

This, and many more, healthy recipes can be found on Lux Hippie.