Lil' Dean Fam

Trevor invited a friend from his mission up to our house to cook Indian Food.   We made quite the feast.  Trevor and Venky were amazing in the kitchen.  I had fun playing sous chef.  We made: chicken biryani, palak paneer, butter chicken, raita, chapati and kheer.  My house smelled like curry for days and it was surprisingly amazing.  

I went to a cooking class a few weeks ago.  We learned how to make dumplings and a Japanese dish.  It was a fun afternoon and I finally learned how to fold a dumpling so that it looks pretty.  The Japanese dish is called Oyako Donburi which means Mother Daughter.  It represents the chicken and egg in the dish.  It's a little bit like how I make fried rice but much tastier.  I haven't' made this one at home yet, but I should.  Maybe I'll put it on the menu for this week!  

This time of year is hard for me.  It's so cold and I find it down-right depressing.  I really should take a cruise every time this year to somewhere wonderfully warm.  Unfortunately, I've never been on a cruise.  Some times, we're able to take a vacation around this time of year but it isn't happening THIS year.  Recently, I've discovered my love for a few old favorites.  First, cooking.  Second, quilting.  My life has changed dramatically since I've quit my job away from home.  One thing I definitely have more of, is TIME.  I do have plenty to do but my time is certainly more flexible.  I struggle with the fact that there are no deadlines or anything to meet.  I try to schedule my time up but it is still a challenge for me.  Anyway, I totally got out of the habit of cooking while Colin was in school.  I really do enjoy cooking and I suppose I had forgotten how much I really do enjoy it.  I've started on Weight Watchers and last week I decided I'd

Summer is coming to and end for us. I go back to work this coming Thursday for the duration. If you need me, I'll be available next June. Okay, so that's not total reality but it sure does feel like it. I'm really looking forward to being on a traditional school schedule for a myriad of reasons, but I'm realizing as I look at my calendar that I'm definitely going to miss those three week breaks. Yes, there are a lot of days off throughout the traditional calendar, but they just don't compare to the three-week block. Colin's family is in town for another week so we've got lots of fun things planned for the coming week at home. Colin will be off work and gets to spend some much needed vaca time with us. He just finished off a really tough mini-semester and is looking forward to taking a break from it all. August has been really busy and with Ryan going to preschool tomorrow, me starting work on Thursday, and Ryan's big birthday bash on Saturday, we&

Colin invited some buddies over to watch UFC 100 at our house on pay-per-view. We had a great time. I really enjoyed putting together a fun barbecue menu and cooking for everyone. The fights were a lot of fun to watch too. Aloha Kabobs recipe from Better Homes and Gardens new Grilling cookbook Prep: 30 minutes Makes: 10 side-dish servings 10 8-inch wooden skewers 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups) 20 red or white pearl onions, peeled (I actually used golden) 2 yellow and or red sweet peppers, but into 1 inch pieces (I used green too) 20 sugar snap peas (I did not use these but used cherub tomatoes instead) 1/4 cup teriyaki or Szechwan glaze 1. Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Drain. Alternately thread pineapple, onions, peppers and peas onto skewers, leaving a 1/4 inch space between pieces. 2. For a charcoal grill, grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 to 8 minutes or just until onio

This is one of my favorite Christmas recipes. I guess the original recipe calls for a completely different filling. My mom told me she just made this one up, but she always uses the cherry filling. I was assigned to bring a dessert to the ward Christmas party, so these are what I brought. Bishop eyed them the second I brought them in. Everybody loved them and the whole plate was gone quickly which is what you hope for when you bring a dish to a social function, so it was a success. Recipe: Ingredients: Cookie: 1/2 c. butter 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed 1 c. flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 egg, separated 1/2 c. nuts finely chopped Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add yolk of egg, save white. Roll dough into small balls. Dip in egg white, roll in chopped nuts. Press thumb-print in center. Bake 350 for 10-13 minutes. Allow to cool well before adding frosting. Filling : 4 maraschino cherries 1/2 c. powdered sugar 1/4 c. milk 2 Tbsp. butter 2 tsp. cherry juice Mix together sugar, butter and milk. Chop che

I've had a subscription to Cooking Light for about two years now and I've never tried a recipe out of it, until this week. I saw this one (on pg. 136 of the September issue) and had to try it. If the pictures make you drool, you can use the recipe listed at the bottom. I've shortened some of the directions slightly but it will turn out, I promise. This tasted just as beautifully as it looks. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas) 1/4 cup plain low- fat yogurt (I used vanilla flavored so I didn't have to buy a huge container of plain) 3 tablespoons dark rum (I used apple juice and it turned out fine) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut 1 tablespoon coconut for top of bread spray pan with cooking spray Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice (I used lemon) Direct