Recipes

I have started back with my recipe blog, Michelle's path of recipes.
http://michellespathofrecipes.blogspot.com/

You can find the above dinner recipe there. I made it last night and it was great!

The Pampered Chef's, Warm Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad.

Turkey??

So far the plans for Thanksgiving are us going to a friends house. I plan on making a second turkey since we life leftovers, and so do they. Original plans for turkey were for Nick to deep fry one. But he doesn't feel like doing that now. So, my other idea was to put one in the slow cookers. In my mind, seems like it would come out very moist and juicy. I could throw it in the night before and just transport the whole pot over to friends house along with all the other side dishes I planned on making.

But...for the life of me I cannot find any slow cooker turkey recipes on the internet.

Is this unheard of? Why cant I find any? I know it must be possible...do people not do this for a reason? Whats the deal?

Help!

Perfect concoction..

for menstrual cramps that is. 1 part Malibu rum, 2 parts orange juice...makes the cramps a lot less intense and relaxes me just enough to grow an appetite and want to watch a movie on the couch with my 2 others.

Today's agenda...Nick volunteered to help clean up the beach. So while he's cleaning it, Kayla and I will be using it.

Cookies and packages

Wow. Thank you everyone for the comments on my 'Really?' blog. I had no idea so many people thought so strongly of me. You all make me feel so warm. So cared for, so cared about. The support you all offer me brings me to tears sometimes. We don't all agree with this dumb war that's going on, but you all support me and my husband with no question. You have no idea how much I am going to need your words of encouragement as this deployment approaches. I'm still on my pre-deployment emotional roller coaster. Nick has no idea. I hide it from him, every time. Especially this time. This is going to be hard on him and I don't want to make it any harder.

So, to drown out my roller coaster yesterday I made No Bake Cookies. These are bad. If you like chocolate, peanut butter, and oats, please be warned...don't make these and stay away from them. If you don't, you will eat every last one. Just like I almost have. They are super easy to make, which makes this cookie even worse.

4 oz butter, 1/2 cup milk, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, 3 tbs peanut butter, 3 cups old fashioned or quick oats, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Place Ch. chips, oats, vanilla in bowl. Combine sugar, butter, milk in saucepan. Bring to rolling boil for 1 minute. Combine hot mixture with oat mixture. Stir well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. I added in just a tiny bit of crushed walnuts too. You can add just about anything into these cookies. Coconut, dried fruit, raisins, nuts, etc.

For Thanksgiving we are going next door to our neighbor's and good friend's house. Everyone attending is designated to bring something. I am in charge of desserts. So I'm making my Great Grandma's recipe for Impossible Pumpkin Pie, Gingerbread cookies and of course these God awful No Bake cookies.
The evil cookies:

Kayla laughing at Daddy after I made the cookies:


Yesterday, to my surprise we got an unexpected package. Which happens alot around here thanks to thoughtful, loving family members. But, this one was especially unexpected. A good friend of the family, who is considered to be part of the family sent a very special package. Bonnie sent us a framed picture. A picture that Nick's Grandfather, AKA Poppy drew in 1984 of a clown. This picture had been given to Bonnie when her teenager boys were little and it had been hung in both their rooms growing up. Nick opened this package, saw the picture, his mouth hit the floor, and he said, "Oh my God, I remember this picture! I remember seeing this picture hung in their house!" He was just elated. Here is the picture:
And Kayla in the package:


I am so Thankful for the supportive family members that we do have. The ones that care so much to take time out of their busy lives to send us a package. Weather it be as small as a care package for Kayla, a box filled with baby wipes and small toys, to packages as big and special as we got yesterday. I'm so thankful that they think of us and love us. It's hard being away from family at times, so these things are very special to us.

court date and rice!

I havent been around the blog lately. I took the idea I was seriously considering and Im doing it. Im turning my blog into a book via this website...http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook
I been at it all day everyday in between attending to Kayla and I am now onto page 135! I cant wait to see the finished product! I been putting off everything on the computer minus this big project. I owe so many people emails and pictures and I owe my blog an update and I have laundry thats been sitting in the drier for 2 days. Oh well, I'll get to it when I get to it.

Nick woke up this morning at 5 am to the phone ringing. At that time of morning, Im deep asleep. I heard the phone ring but wasnt aware of anything after that. After he came home from PT he told me the attorney called. We should be getting in the mail the documents that he will be using in court for Kayla's finalization on.............DECEMBER 2nd! The adoption will be finalized on December 2nd! 3 days before Nick's birthday. He said court is that day and it will be final on the same day. We will have to be on the phone during the hearing just in case there are any questions. With us being 15 hours ahead of United States east coast time, that will be the middle of the night for us, but that is A-OK with us!!!!!!

One other thing....
The locals here eat Red Rice. Its rice, that is red obviously. I cant get enough of it. Since we got here I been eating it like crazy. I love it. Red Rice to the Chamorros is like pizza to Americans. I guess that would be a good comparison? You will not go to any function here without it being served. It is served in all the village festivals, parties, BBQ's, at all the resturants, at the mall...pretty much any place that has food and people you can find it...and in massive amounts. Anyhow, I went to the handy dandy internet and serched how to make this rice. And I might have to brag, that it turned out fantastic....along with the finideni sauce that they serve on top of it.

Finideni sauce...1/4 cup soy souce, 1/4 cup white vinigar, crushed red pepper flakes, and finely chopped onion. Serve a couple spoon fulls on top of rice. YUM.
Here is the rice. Ingredients- 2 cups of rice, 2 cups of water, 4 oz of Anatto seeds soaked in the 2 cups of water for atleast 30 minutes, bacon and onion.

Here is what the soaking seeds look like. They will make the water turn red.

Saute onion and bacon.

Strain seeds. Put rice and red water, onion and bacon into rice cooker. And you get this when its done..

I have made this rice with and without the onion and bacon. Its great both ways but the bacon gives it a nice flavor.

Ok, Im going to try to catch up with everyone's blogs now.

Oh, and Kayla has learned how to reach for toys!!!!!! I have a video I will share as soon as I get to upload it.

pics and crock recipie

Yup, took more pics yesterday. How could I resist? Look how beautiful they turn out.







Over to the right of my blog you'll find the crockpot recipie blog.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

From that website I've picked this to experiment...errr...make next. My husband wouldnt go near this meal with a 10 foot pole, but I on the other hand very much enjoy all types of squash. In fact, I think its my favorite veggie.

Acorn Squash CrockPot Recipe
The ingredients:
--acorn squash
--2 T brown sugar
--2 T butter
--2 tsp cinnamon
--4 pinches of salt
Cook for 2 hours. Of course there is more to it, so check it out over at her blog.

Oh, and a shout out to one of my dearest greatest blogger friends, who has become more than just a blog friend to me. She is the true meaning of a friend, who most of you know is going through IVF, which I know about all too well. She's getting so close to creating her baby I can just already see her BFP!

Tammy...I have passed to you ALL my wishes, prayers, baby dust (if I even have any!) luck, thoughts, hugs, love, kisses, smiles, crossed fingers, and thoughts. I am eating, breathing and sleeping and dreaming of your BFP. You, Mark and Peanut deserve this miracle of life more than anyone I know. And more than anyone else I know, I want YOU to have the blessing of being able to look at, smile at, smell, fall in love with, and feel the warmth of YOUR baby. I want YOU to drown in your baby's eyes just the way I have. I want YOU to be exhausted in the morning. I want this for you as much as I wanted this for myself. Words cant even explain.

9 weeks old today!

The above pictures were taken yesterday. Click on them to see them big.

Kayla had her 8 weeks shots today. Yesterday was her well baby appointment. She weighed in at a whopping 11 lbs and 12 oz!!! She is in the 50th percentile for her height and weight, so she is right on target! Whoo Hoo! She is happy healthy and in the doctor's words, PERFECT! The doc could have told me something I didnt know at that appointment. hehe!

As far as night sleeping, she's back to her normal self. Now that its over and I think about it, I think it was a growth spurt. She was eating a whole more and pooping a ton.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice. I too thought she was too young for the cry it out method. I just got up with her when she did and napped with her when she did and now I feel good again.

My mind is blank and I dont even know what to blog about at this moment..so until next time!!

Oh wait...one more thing. Im doing an experiment crock pot dinner tonight and it smells so wonderful in the house right now. Got the idea from a friend but I mixed up the recipie a bit.

Here goes...
In the crock pot: 1 can sprite or 7-up, 1 packet of dried onion soup mix, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, stewed beef chunks
Extras that I added: fresh garlic, fresh parsley, 1 chopped up potato, fresh ground black pepper. I think baby carrots would taste good in here too but Nick doesnt eat carrots.
Serve it over top of egg noodles.
Im also going to bake cresent rolls to dip in the sauce.

28 May 2008

World’s 2nd best Potato Salad


Here my friends the worlds second best potato salad recipe. It comes in 2nd place because my mother in law's potato salad is loved by so many of our family members. I remember as teenagers, my sister in law and I would eat a 5 pound bucket of it with the help of her then boyfriend-now husband while my father in law would say he wasnt going to share the bucket and my mother in law would say, now kids, I can always make more.

When they visited us the first time when we moved to Virginia in 2005, my mother in law brought all the ingredients to our house along with them. She taught me how to make the potato salad.

Up until 2 months ago, that was the only potato salad I would ever make. It still didnt taste the same though because that motherly love wasnt one of the ingredients when I made it.

2 months ago we had a BBQ, abotu 10 people which here in Guam's tropical paradise is a monthly event always held at someone's house on a Friday or Saturday night.

Everyone loved it and was asking who made it.

Here my friend's is the recipie.

Bacon, Cheddar and Potato Salad

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into cubes, 1 cup mayo, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup sliced green onion, 8 slics of bacon crisp cooked, crumbled, 2 tbs milk, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar.

Cover potatoes with water, boil, simmer uncovered 10 minutes until tender. Drain and cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Serve chilled or at room temp.

29 April 2008- RICE!!!!!

I cant get enough of the local food here. I swear, I should be overweight by now. I could eat it every day. The rice, the chicken on a stick, the lumpia...oh my. Particularly the rice. I C-A-N-T get enough. More specifically the steamed rice. I even bought a rice cooker after we got here. Did I tell you I cant get enough of it? The rice cooker makes the rice just as good as the local people make it. Only thing missing was the great sauce they put on it. At home I just used plain old soy sauce but it just wasnt the same. Not nearly as good. I craved this sauce every time I ate rice at home. Well, that craving stops TODAY because after asking Mr. Google what the heck this stuff was...I found the recipie. Isnt he just wonderful?

Finadeni

No island feast would be complete without finadeni. This terrific sauce used to flavor rice, soups and is excellent for marinating chicken, beef and pork. Make a lot at once and store the extra in a salad dressing carafe for easy use later.

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, or
3 small red peppers, roasted and chopped
Preparation:

Combine ingredients, stir.

When I make it today, I will take a picture for you all, cuz I KNOW you wanna see it. hehe.

11/11/07

Nick is at a car show all day today. So Im home alone all day. Im going to watch movies while Im working on my quilting. I took some pictures yesterday of how my quilts Im working on now are coming out, but Nick took the camera with him so I cant load them on here. Darn.

Today in the crock pot:
Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I only used 1.2 lbs)
1 large onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves minced, 1 can tomato soup
1 can 14 oz diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, 2 cans 15 oz each red kidney beans,
1/4 cup chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, (I didnt add this, I forgot to buy it)
Cook beef in skillet. Drain. Mix all in pot. Cook low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.

The recipies doesnt call for green pepper, but I wish I would have added it.
I hope it turns out good!

Oh..and that Lemonade Stand Pie I made a while ago..turned out GREAT! Nick didnt like it, he said it was too lemony. So definatly dont add the whole 1/3 cup of drink mix. I didnt the whole 1/3rd and Nick still thought it was too tart. So...I ATE THE WHOLE PIE BY MYSELF. It took me a week, but I did it. So punish me.

Last night we went to the movies to see Fred Claus. It was great. Not your typical funny all the way through Vince Vaughn...but it was a GREAT Christmas movie!

2 Nov 2007

TTC Update and recipe experiment:

TTC Update: AF is due today and of course beacause I want her...she doesnt come on time. Figures huh? We did get a call from WR yesterday. My chart looks good, only thing I have to do is my HSG. ( that wonderful ink filled balloon they shove up into your uterus ) I have to wait for CD 1 to schedule it. IVF Nurse said there is 125 slots open for the January IVF cycle and the cycle runs from Jan. 7th- to Feb 6th..or something like that. So we are on our way shortly!!

Now for the recipie experiment for today: I got this from Kraftfoods.com.

Lemonade Stand Pie
Ingridents:
*1/3 cups Country Time Lemonade mix ( I used the 1/2 the sugar kind and I also used a bit less than 1/3 cup being afraid it would be too tart )
*1/2 cup cold water
*2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
*1 8oz. tub cool whip, thawed
*1 graham cracker crust, 6oz.
Directions: Place drink mix in large bowl, add water, stir until dissolved. Add ice cream. Beat with mixer on low until blended. Gently stir in cool whip. Freeze until mixture is thick enough to mound. Spoon into crust. Freeze 4 hours.

Cant wait to try it!! I have the mixture freezing now.

Next week's crock pot ( thanks MOM! ) experiment:
Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

17 Aug 2007

Yesterday's crock pot dinner- YUM-O! I made meatballs. They were SO good and very easy to make. 1 lb. ground beef, 1 cup italian bread crumbs, 1 egg, salt, pepper, season all, garlic salt all mixed together and formed into balls. Brown in an oiled pan then put in the crock pot. All this = YUM-O. I will be making this dish reguarly.

I posted a picture we took in Venice. Lately, we terribly miss it. We miss it a lot to say the least and are so desperate to go back. Aviano has a Staff Sergeant opening with a report no later date of end of summer 08. Nick applied to it...but the chances of getting it...I dont know. There are a lot of people to compete with. We would LOVE to go back. Our best friends are still there and will be there until the end of 09, so if we got we could spend some more precious time with them. But the chances are slim.

Even tho Im on a break this month from TTC, Ive been tracking my BBT and started OPK's today. I am on CD 14 today and no BBT rise and a very negative OPK. I want to track this to see how long it takes from the time I get a +OPK, to temp rise. Then I will know exactly when I do ovulate without clomid. But because this is the first month after 4 months of clomid, my cycle is going to be off. Obviously, since its CD 14 with no BBT rise or + OPK. Ughh. I hope this cycle doesnt drag out. Im ready to be in this again. I kind of wish we didnt take the month off, but I know it was needed.