So this winter we decided to have a book swap with some of the ladies in our neighborhood. Each person brought a book they wanted to share with someone else. When other ladies found the book they wanted, they brought their new read home in a cute paper bag filled with a water bottle, bookmark, and cookies. (Everyone needs a yummy treat in my opinion while reading).

For the water bottles we bought a 48 pack of 20 oz bottles from Costco, then tied them with cut out paper from a real book and twine. The handmade bookmarks were made with cardstock and scrapbook paper and tied with twine. The cookies were the Neiman Marcus $250 chocolate chip cookie recipe from earlier this year.

Here are some other great book swap ideas from around the web:

Related Links:

Check out slips

Book Swap Flyer

Milk Bottle Book Swap Favors

Cute Decorating Ideas for A Kids Book Swap

Book Wrapping Ideas

Party Food–Brownies!

“I love, love, looooooooove the 49ers, but the Ravens are like, awesome too. I can’t decide who to choose Mom!”

Well son, this is a hard one for us too, but I’m leaning towards 49ers. And the rest of the family is leaning that way too. And for his sake, I’m trying to locate a hat that has both teams on it since he can’t decide.

While he tries to figure out who his vote will be cast for, you can figure out your Superbowl menu along with me. With the cold going around the house I’ve waited until the last minute to decide our menu. But a few of these will make the list:

Superbowl Recipes, BurntApple.com

Appetizer

Five Can Queso Dip

Smoked Gouda and Pork Tacos

Superbowl Nachos

Drinks

Pomegranate Cranberry Lime Spritzer  

Dessert

Applebee’s Maple Butter Blondies

Healthy Texas Sheet Cake

Lightened Up Lofthouse Cookies

Neiman Marcus $250 Chocolate Chip Cookie

 Main Dish

Just Like Costco Chicken Bake

Lo Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust with CPK Pear Gorgonzola Pizza

Meatball Hero Subs

Stuffed Gouda and Bacon Pork Chops

Side Dishes

Grilled Cinnamon Apples

This year it’s a toss up as to who we want to win. I think we’re all leaning towards the 49ers, but my son and daughter love Michael Oher from the Blind Side so the Ravens  are on their list too.

When I first got married, you all know by now that I couldn’t cook. It was pretty scary and our takeout and grocery bill was pretty insane. First because I tried to cook and then we just opted for takeout after a horrible attempt was made to try to recreate a meal I saw in a cookbook. Our grocery bill back then rivaled the one that we have now with three kids and two dogs to pay for.

One of the first recipes that I was introduced to was called “Five Can Casserole.” My mother in law made it all the time while my husband was growing up and it became one of his favorites.

The meat mixture has become one of our favorites, and we’ve turned it into an incredibly easy queso dip.

If you do an internet search though, “Five Can Casserole” recipes actually come up with tuna and chicken ingredients. The one that we enjoy has beef, creamed soups, enchilada sauce and salsa. It’s then made into a casserole with the use of corn tortillas.

While this might not be considered the healthiest of recipes to some with the use of canned food, we also understand that it’s hard to cook organic from scratch every night. This meal is a healthier game time alternative and a meal that we make on occasion when time is short. Often I have already made up the beef and have it frozen so I can quickly thaw it and add the ingredients.

You won’t be disappointed. It’s a hearty meal that is delicious for you. Grab your chips and queso and sit down, it’s Superbowl time!

Five Can Queso {Makeover}

1 lb lean ground beef or bison (you could substitute chicken or turkey too).

1 14.5 oz can cream of chicken soup (I used Health Valley organic)

1 14.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup (I used Health Valley organic)

1 10 oz can mild enchilada sauce

1 4.5 oz can mild diced green chiles

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Cabot 1%)

1 cup salsa

Turn on stove to medium heat. In a large sauce pan, pour approximately one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the meat in the pan and with a spatula break up the meat as much as you can into little pieces. Cook on the stove, stirring meat frequently until meat is browned and no pink remains. To check for doneness, break open some of the larger pieces of meat and check for any signs of pink. Remove meat from the stove and drain meat and fat in a colander. Rinse for one minute with hot water.

Once water has drained from the meat, pour the meat back into the saucepan. Set the heat to low medium and pour the soups, green chiles, enchilada sauce, black beans, shredded cheese and salsa into the saucepan and heat until warm and cheese melts, stirring occasinally. If sauce looks too thin, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken. Pour queso into serving bowls and serve with chips.

Optional Cooking Directions: After meat has been browned and drained, pour meat, soups, enchilada sauce, green chiles, black beans, cheese and salsa into a crockpot and heat on high for one hour or low for 1-2 hours until cheese has been melted. Stir once or twice during cooking to incorporate the cheese.

“I was just watching Just Dance 4 Mom” she says in her raspy voice. Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” is on the screen and she has little beads of sweat on her forehead.

After three days in bed, she is finally looking like she is feeling better. She is up and moving. Every cough, every pained look on her face, her flushed cheeks and blood shot eyes for the past three days just made me want to hold her and take away her pain–but only time could do that.

As your kids get older you feel that they try to exert so much independence and try to distance themselves from you. Getting sick is often a great way to know that they still need and want you. They don’t complain when you rub their back or brush the hair out of their eyes or stroke their forehead and head.

I love these moments and will never allow myself to forget them.

I have to admit that I never knew that you could actually make chili powder until I ran out. Kind of like when I ran out of ibuprofen that one time and had three miserable angry, crying kids I dragged through the store. They were not happy with me. At all. And I ended up buying way more than I wanted to.

Back to the chili powder. I actually ran out one day and needed it for a recipe. Flipping through a magazine I ran across a recipe for chili powder.

Chili Powder Recipe

Chili powder is actually very different from chile powder. Chile powder is made up of pure ground chile peppers while chili powder is actually a mixture of ground chiles and other spices. There are a lot of chili powder substitutes on the internet, but we love using this one because of the simplistic ingredients that can be found in any cupboard when you are in a pinch.

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp ground ancho chile powder or 1 tsp paprika

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, then store in an airtight container. We always have a few extra spice bottles on hand.

I haven’t been alone in three months. It’s bizarre to be typing and not have to stop to pull up someone’s hair in a ponytail, make breakfast for the kids or iron a shirt for my husband. The dog is loving it. She sits quietly at my feet until I move or shift positions and then she is up like the crack of a whip and wagging her tail. I think she is bored too. Or just wants to go on a w-a-l-k. I’m glad that dogs can’t spell.

In the backyard sits a lone apple tree. Our only fruit tree. This time of year it is overflowing with apples. I make applesauce, apple butter, crisps, cookies, bread, and even freeze sliced apples.

And now I bring you pork.

I don’t know why I always picture Wilbur when I say “pork” but I do and then I can’t eat it. My family seems to have no problem with it.

This pork recipe is perfect for slapping on the grill and making it up if you are still in an area that will be hot for the next several months, or you can bake it in on the stove or in the oven. Whichever you prefer. The apple garnish is perfect with it!

Pork Chop with Apple Garnish Sauce

* You will want to begin by heating up your garnish so it is ready when the pork chops are.

4 boneless pork chops

1-2 tbsp olive oil

To cook pork chops:

Heat a pan over medium heat. Pour 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. Place the pork chops and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and place on plate. Top with garnish.

Apple Garnish Sauce:

1 cup finely chopped apples (or applesauce)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1/8 cup water or broth

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pepper

In a saucepan, heat mixture on low-medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and spoon several tablespoons over each pork chop.

One of our favorite recipes that we make over and over and over are these Double Glazed Funfetti Donuts from Cookies and Cups. They are so good!
Since we make a lot from scratch and not from mixes I came across this homemade mix that has  a lot better ingredients than the boxed mixes. And if you don’t have a doughnut cooker, don’t worry! We used to make these all the time with a mini muffin pan. We call them…doughnut holes. Brilliant!

Funfetti Baked Glazed Doughnuts {Makeover}

3 cups cake flour (To Make Your Own Cake Flour: Use 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour. Take out six tablespoons of the flour out and add in six tablespoons of cornstarch).

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup rainbow jimmies

In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients above until well combined. Place in a large plastic ziploc bag to store.

For Cake:

Pour the entire cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add 4 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 4 tablespoons softened butter, and 8 tablespoons shortening. Mix until the mixture becomes coarse and crumbly. Add in one cup milk and mix for thirty seconds to a minute until combined. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan and cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For Doughnuts:

2 3/4 cups homemade Funfetti cake mix

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp melted butter

Mix together all ingredients just until combined. Fill greased mini muffin pan or mini doughnut pan approximately 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If using a doughnut maker, bake doughnuts according to manufacturers directions.

Remove doughnuts from pan and allow to cool for several minutes before glazing.

Doughnut Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, heat glaze ingredients on low heat until mixture becomes warm. While mixture is warming, place a cooling rack close to where you will be working, and place wax paper or tin foil underneath to catch the excess glaze.  Dip each doughnut into the glaze, flipping to cover both sides. Lift the doughnut hole or doughnut out of the glaze and allow excess to drip off into the saucepan before transferring the doughnut to the cooling rack. Immediately roll mini muffins in jimmie sprinkles to cover completely, or dip the tops of the mini doughnut holes in jimmies.

Related Links:

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes by 52 Kitchen Adventures

Pumpkin Spiced Glazed Donut Holes by Burnt Apple

Babycakes Doughnut Maker by Babycakes

Our toddler showed her true emotions during our picture taking session. Every picture she glared at the photographer. He tried squeaky ducks, monkeys, rattles, lights and jumping up and down waving his arms like a clown. Only glares were returned. I hate to say it, but I feel exactly like her during picture time. I know I’ll be grateful we have those precious family pictures years from now, but I’m not one who loves being photographed.

With the holidays come and gone and Christmas cards that never got sent I decided to take a different approach on the whole “holiday card” thing. I call it–the winter card.  Now I have the flexibility in my mind of sending out holiday cards anytime between the end of November and end of February. I really love how my brain works sometimes.

I also might  not have made it in time to post this recipe before the holidays but really pomegranates are more of a winter fruit giving me until the end of February (note the WINTER decor) to post this too.This bread is absolutely gorgeous to give (and eat). The pomegranates offer a unique twist to the melt in your mouth white chocolate.

I made these gorgeous white chocolate snowflakes to top each loaf of bread after seeing them made on a cake by Barbara Bakes. I’m still tempted to try the cake too but am trying to be good.

White Chocolate Pomegranate Bread

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter (I substituted plain greek yogurt)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pomegranate arils

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease one large loaf pan or two mini loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, stir together the milk, butter (or yogurt), eggs and vanilla extract. Beat by hand for approximately one minute until the mixture becomes frothy. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the pomegranate arils and white chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan(s). Press additional pomegranate arils onto the top of the loaf if desired. Bake large loaf for approximately 50-55 minutes, small loaves for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove loaves from oven, allow to cool in pan for approximately ten minutes before inverting the loaf onto cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Once bread has finished cooling, glaze.

To glaze: Melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with 1 tbsp milk. Stir to combine until smooth, then drizzle over the top of the loaf.

Related Links:

Lemon Pomegranate Bread by 2 Peas in a Blog

Apple Pomegranate Spice Bread by Streaming Gourmet

Pomegranate Banana Bread by Family Spice

Orange Pomegranate Bread by Cuisine by Maureen

It’s been ten years since she came into our home and she has grown to be the most incredibly beautiful girl. She is smart, witty and full of life. Currently, she wants to grow up to be a dancing concert pianist who does her own vocals and performs surgery on animals on the side. Oh, she also wants to ride horses as a hobby and tells me often that she will have a stable full of them. While she may have to scale down her dreams just a little, she will be encouraged to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. And you never know, she very well might be the first concert pianist who dances and sings and plays the piano at the same time.

As a Mom, I want all of her dreams to come true. My job is to encourage her to attain her dreams, pick her up and hold her when she fails, keep her from over extending herself, and make sure she continues to have fun.

I promised pictures of this  ballerina cake over a month ago, and my guilt has finally gotten the best of me. I love this cake for it’s simplicity. Every other year our children get to have a friend birthday party. The other year it’s a family birthday year. This year was a family party, and when asked what kind of cake she wanted, she requested a bright blue cake with neon pink. And bling. Lot’s of it.

I’ll admit that cake decorating is not ever going to be something that I excel at. One look at the internet to search for cakes and I feel so inadequate. My kids also dislike fondant, so I can’t make all those gorgeous fondant cakes I see either.

The secret to the cake is the white chocolate ballerinas. The bling is made possible by edible glitter and the tulle at the bottom makes for a beautiful skirt. Or tutu, if you stretch your imagination.

The piped on buttercream frosting begins at the top with a light neon blue color that progressively deepens in color the further down the cake you go.
Each ballerina was hand made with the use of white chocolate, edible glitter, and a template. You could easily replicate this cake and make it look breath takingly beautiful for your own daughter.

Ballerina Cake

3 8″ inch round chocolate cakes, baked and cooled. (I used the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe).

Recipe for white chocolate buttercream frosting. (You will want to double it if piping).

Chefmaster all natural food dye in blue or Chefmaster gel food dye in sky blue.

Piping bag and star tip for decorating.

For Ballerinas:

6 oz white chocolate, melted

1 decorating squeeze bottle

Waxed paper

Ballerina templates, printed and cut out (Do a quick Google search for “ballerina template” or “ballerina clip art.”)

Edible glitter in white

1/4 yard hot pink tulle

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting 

Adapted from The Royal Cook

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening (I used Spectrum Organics)

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Beat the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl for several minutes until it becomes smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, continuing to beat until mixture is combined. Add the salt, then add the white chocolate and vanilla until mixture is smooth and fluffy.

DIRECTIONS:

To make the ballerinas:

1.  Slide the ballerina templates (or clip art) right side up underneath the wax paper. You will want to make sure that you are able to closely space the ballerinas together without overlapping while you are working.

2. Open the bottle of white glitter and have it close to where you will be working with the chocolate.

3. Melt the white chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave. Remove mixture from the microwave and stir. Continue to microwave in 15-30 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Once the chocolate has melted, pour it into the squeeze bottle.

4. With the squeeze bottle, trace the outline of the ballerina first. Fill in the ballerina  with additional white chocolate, smoothing with a toothpick to remove any bubbles that may form. Sprinkle with edible glitter.

5. Allow the ballerinas to harden for one to two hours before placing on cake.

To Make the Cake:

1. Make the frosting according to the directions above. Scoop 1-1 1/2 cups of frosting into three separate small bowls and use the gel colors to stir in desired tint. You will want to have one bowl with a lighter blue color, one with a medium blue color and one with a darker blue color.

2. Assemble the cake, spreading a generous amount of frosting in between each layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the exterior of the cake so the piping stars will easily adhere to the cake.

3. Scoop the dark layer of frosting into the piping bag. Beginning from the bottom of the cake, pipe a small star onto the cake. Continue to pipe a straight line of stars across the bottom of the cake. Continue up the cake, piping stars until frosting bag needs to be refilled.

4. Scoop the medium colored frosting into the piping bag and continue to pipe onto the cake. Continue piping up the cake until the medium colored frosting has run out. Scoop the light colored frosting into the piping bag and continue piping until the cake is completed.

5. Arrange the hot pink tulle around the bottom of the cake. Press the white chocolate ballerinas lightly into the top of the cake.

Related Links:

Mod Monkey Cake 

Easy Avengers Cake with Carvel Crunchie Center

Cars 2 Cake

Toy Story 3 Cake (My first and ONLY attempt at fondant)

Bobby Flay’s German Chocolate Cake (To.Die.For.)

I do have to say that I am grateful that the washer decided to break this weekend while HE was washing. I always seem to have the bad luck with appliances and am glad that the appliances decided to give me a break this time. See: Traci’s Appliance Fund and 9 Garbage Disposals in 9 Years.

In all of the hustle and bustle of hauling laundry down to the laundr-o-mat and prepping for the week ahead, I was able to get some time to make some waffles. This recipe is similar to the apple walnut waffles I made a few months ago.

I think I need to add pears to my list of fruits I can’t live without. These waffles are delicious, good and good for you. (I consider that last one a bonus!) Try them out, you’ll love them!

Pear Walnut Waffles

2 cups flour

(I use oat flour, or a mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup ground flax

1/4 cup sugar (I use coconut)

4 tsp baking powder

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla recommended)

2 cup milk (substitute soy or almond if needed)

1 cup finely diced pears

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, flax, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon) until blended. Slowly add in the eggs, applesauce, yogurt, and milk and continue stirring until mixture becomes blended well. Gently fold in the pears and walnuts until evenly distribute through the mixture.

Cook waffles according to your specific waffle manufacturers instruction. These waffles were tested on a standard 4 inch square waffle maker and made approximately 14 waffles. This recipe has not been tested using a belgian waffle maker.

Related Links:

Apple Walnut Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup by Burnt Apple

Apple Walnut Gallette (NY Times)

Apple Walnut Bread by One Perfect Bite

Apple Walnut Pull Apart Bread by Six Sisters Stuff

I planned for that detox to start–you guessed it, January 1st.

It’s been a little struggle to get back to the diet and exercise routine I had before Christmas.  I could blame it on the weather which has been in the twenties. With ice on the ground and frigid air it’s not the most ideal of running conditions.

I could also blame my decreased exercise on the air quality. January in Utah creates air quality that exceeds the extremely poor air quality found in Beijing. With red flag days, exercising outside is a no go.

The dogs are restless as they miss their afternoon runs. I miss the outdoors and the way I can just get out, run, and plan my route along the way.

Eating is hard too when you feel like all you do is stay inside all day where food is all around you. All the time.

So, this is where my January resolutions have gone…

I just can’t

blame everything on the poor weather, or having to be inside more. By doing that, I’m justifying that it’s okay to adopt bad eating habits again, or to justify my lack of desire for exercise. Once you’ve worked so hard for something, it’s really hard just to give it up knowing how hard you’ll have to work again to get it back.

Here are some things that I found have helped this week:

Mix Up My Workouts

I’ve lived in Utah quite a few years and can’t believe that I’ve never learned to ski. We took the kids and headed up and out of the smoggy valley to the mountains where we enjoyed a day of learning to ski. It was the perfect thing to get me out of my rut and to feel energized again.

P.S. If you live in Utah, January is Ski and Snowboard Month. You can get a lesson, day lift  pass and ski rental for as low as $39!

Treadmill Mix Up

Running on the treadmill is b-o-r-i-n-g. Add to that the guilt I feel as I’m running and the dogs are laying beside the treadmill looking up at me wishing they were the ones running too. I do tend to mix it up on the treadmill. I found this great site that has three different workouts for the treadmill.

Out With the White

I am really working on throwing out the white sugar. I’m addicted and I am going to work hard this week to not bring it into the house. (If you couldn’t guess, this is last week’s goal AND this coming week’s goal. Didn’t do so well!)  Instead, I’ve started using powdered honey, coconut sugar, honey and raw sugar instead of white sugar.

Think I can do it? I KNOW I can!

Related Links:

Dark Chocolate Thin Mints (Powdered honey, coconut sugar)

No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Honey or agave)

White Chocolate Strawberry Cookies with Coconut Sugar