BBQ Ribs

These are so good! This is not my recipe. I got it from a ward recipe exchange so some of you may already have it. But I retyped it to make more sense to me and added some measurements because the original didn't have any. So I hope it makes sense to you. The sauce is sooo good! You'll be licking your fingers after the ribs are gone! These instructions are for oven baked but you could easily throw these on a grill as well.

BBQ Ribs:
Rack of pork ribs
Seasoning salt
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Italian Dressing (about half a bottle)
Vinegar (just a couple splashes)
BBQ Sauce (about half a bottle)
Brown Sugar (I used about half a cup)
Lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons)

Prepare ribs- cut off fat, cut to fit pan, etc. Shake some seasoning salt, garlic powder and pepper over ribs. Place in pan and cover with Italian dressing. Cover and let marinate for at least 1/2 hour or overnight in fridge.
Let ribs warm up to room temp before placing in oven. Then cover and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. You can use a little vinegar mixed with water to sprinkle over ribs to make sure they stay moist (this is mostly for if you are grilling them).
While cooking mix some BBQ sauce with a little brown sugar and lemon juice. After an hour take ribs out of oven and cover with sauce. You can also cut them apart at this point. Then place back in the oven for about another 30 min or until fully cooked. You can also leave uncovered for last 10-20 min.
YUMMM Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Muffins

I know you have already heard from me this week, but these are my favorite muffins. I love to make them with Sunday Roast Beef dinners instead of rolls. (I know it sounds weird, but I love them!) They are also great for brunches!

1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. nuts (optional) (I don't use nuts)
Mix butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Add nuts. Bake in greased muffin tins or paper cups at 350 degrees for 15 min.

Whole Wheat Pancakes or Waffles

Okay, this doesn't have lots of brown sugar in it, but it has some... and I thought that was weird the first time I made these. You never think that pancake or waffle batter might have brown sugar in it... I didn't anyways. These are delicious we made them Sunday!

Mix with a whisk:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. salt
1 heaping T. baking powder

In a separate bowl combine:
3 heaping T. brown sugar
3 eggs (separate, beat whites until stiff and fold into everything very LAST)
3 c. milk
1 T. vanilla
3 T. oil

FOR WAFFLES: add 2 more eggs and 1 more T. of oil
Mix wet ingredients with beaters, add dry ingredients with a whisk, fold in egg whites, and do not over mix. *sidenote* Here's what I do: 1. put the flour mixture in a big bowl 2. put egg white in a separate bowl and add the yolks right into the flour mixture. 3. beat the whites until stiff 4. add all the other wet ingredients to the big bowl and beat with the beaters 5. fold in the egg whites with a spatula.... This seems to save bowls and it isn't as complicated.

Enjoy - let me know if you have questions!

FHE Resource

I am not going to say that FHE has been super successful in our home with a 20 month old little boy, but I have found a great resource that may help spark ideas for your FHE.

I work in the Nursery and have found that the lesson manual is a little more advanced than a 20 month old can sit through. There is a website, www.sugardoodle.net, that has additional resources for every lesson in the manuals (Nursery, Primary, Young Women, etc...). There are craft ideas, object lesson ideas, and other random ideas that kids seem to like and that helps to get the concept through to their little minds.

These resources have helped teach my nursery class some harder-to-understand topics, and I have found that they actually understand what I am teaching!!!!!

You can also browse for ideas by topic, so you do not need to go through a particular lesson in a manual....

I hope this helps!

~Heathere

It's Monday night!

Time for Family Home Evening. My husband and I have a two year old little boy and I struggle coming up with FHE ideas that apply to little ones. I grew up in a home that didn't have FHE at all, so I don't have a lot of experience to rely on. I really think this program is so important for a strong family, as well as, a great teaching opportunity.

Here are some FHE ideas that we have tried:
1. Look up Ian's latest nursery lesson and use the related craft he made to reinforce what he has just learned.
2. Pick out a few pictures and talk about them. Usually pictures of Jesus, Joseph Smith, Prayer, etc.
3. Read a story from the Friend Magazine or from Book of Mormon Stories.
4. Sing a bunch of Primary songs, especially the ones with actions (a little workout!)

Our family home evenings are not very structured other then the songs and prayers and they are usually pretty brief (10-15 min). We haven't really incorporated an activity or snack into it yet, unless our FHE was a family trip to the park or something like that.

My question to all of you is what do you do for FHE, how long are your lessons, what kinds of activities do you do, or any great ideas, etc.

Cream and Honey filled Crossiants

We made these for a baby shower to snack on and they were a hit, plus they were very easy!

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. honey, divided
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Dash ground cinnamon
PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix cream cheese and 2 Tbsp. of the honey. Stir in almonds.
UNROLL crescent roll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Spread 1 rounded Tbsp. cream cheese mixture onto each triangle; roll up each loosely, starting at shortest side of triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place rolls on ungreased baking sheet; curve each into crescent shape. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until golden brown. Serve rolls warm, drizzled with remaining honey.

Calise Zollinger

Hello Everyone!

My name is Calise Zollinger and even though I felt it was a little strange to ask to join, I went out of my comfort zone to ask. I don't know many people who will blog with me and I loved your idea of this blog so THANK YOU!

I live in Nampa, Idaho (by Boise) but I am originally from Idaho Falls, ID. My husband and I grew up in the same town, went to rivalry high schools, and met at BYU-Idaho. We met 3 weeks after he returned from his mission in Portugal, our first date was the end of April, we were engaged in June and married in August. I love staying home with my 3 children: Patrick(4), Reed(2) and Madalyn(3mths). My husband is a financial analyst for a wood company here and we are moving to Atlanta, Georgia as soon as we can sell our house. I love to bake, and I love finding new recipies to try-especially if I can get my picky eaters to eat them! I love watching my children play together and I love teaching them the gospel. I just love being a mom! I love to scrapbook, read, and bargin shop- well I love any kind of shopping. I love dishes- finding new and unique pieces to display is such a thrill.

I am so excited to be a part of this blog and I can't wait to start sharing recipies from the western side of the U.S.!!

Grilled Peanut Butter and Honey

Honey is a harder ingredient than I thought. I couldn't find a recipe to put up even though it seems like we eat a lot of honey. But one of my favorite meals does include honey... I just wouldn't call this a recipe.
When I was growing up instead of grilled cheese sandwiches my mom made grilled peanut butter and honey sandwiches and we all loved them. And all of us still love them. Brian thinks I'm crazy but Parker and Mayli are both fans as well. So on nights when I just really don't feel like cooking I just slap some peanut butter and honey on some bread cover the top and bottom of the sandwich with butter and throw on the griddle (or frying pan) and then cut up some fruit to go with. Try it! It's good I promise! :)

Fun cupcakes

Thanks for all the advice on dental stuff. Very helpful. We always make sure Charlie watches my husband and I brushing our teeth and we have a "family teeth brushing party" as often as we can. I just let Charlie chew on the tooth brush and he is even getting the back and forth movement.


However, this post has nothing to do with good dental hygiene practice. In fact, just the opposite. But we all can use a little treat now and then. I made these for a cub scout cake auction last week and they were a hit. My husband and I spent some time "wrapping" the roses but they were well worth it in the end. I got the idea from Family Fun, however their recipe calls for MINI cupcakes which I didn't read until after I had already made normal sized ones. But it still worked. Make sure you get the fruit-by-the-foot with the wavy perforated line instead of all the other crazy design that are available. We had to search for a box in the back that showed on the front that it was, in fact, the wavy design, which, I think, only comes in Cherry Rage or Strawberry flavors. We wrapped a cereal box in foil and taped the cupcakes down for a nice presentation. Sold for $27!

From the Dentist's mouth

Kent here…I know I'm not 'mommy' material, but I thought I might chime in on this one. Great questions! I'll start with the easy ones and work my way up.

Q: When should my child see a dentist for the 1^st time?

A: The answer you will get from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists is 1-year or around the time of the first tooth, whichever comes first. My humble opinion is that is too early for most children. Here's why. First, congenital dental abnormalities (the kind you would want to try to catch at such an appointment) are extremely rare. The most common ones are associated with cleft palate and lip and would have been caught already. Second, pediatricians are doing a far better job these days at making parents aware of their young child's few, but extremely important dental needs. Most parents know better than to send their child to bed with a bottle/sippy cup, and if you do, it is should have nothing but water in it. If you put your child to bed with free access to liquid sugar in any variety, the bacteria that cause tooth decay will run rampant. (This includes cow's milk, breast milk and any other creature's milk you want to give the kid) Before your child has teeth, clean the gums regularly with a clean, moist cloth. After the first tooth appears (anywhere from 4-14 months is normal) use a small toothbrush. Toothpaste is optional but make sure it is fluoride-free until your child is old enough to spit it out. Pea-size is plenty.

So my answer: 3 years old…unless there is trauma to the mouth or teeth or there are specific concerns or questions you have. If you came to see me before then, most of the exam would be spent discussing home care and diet. I don't even use the normal chair. The child stays on mom's lap during the exam.

Q: How do I prepare my child for his/her first dental visit?

A: I realize that many people dread the dental office. Many people's anxiety stem from a negative experience in the past mingled with legendary tales of someone else's horror story. For the large part, dentists trained in the last two decades are going to be a bit more sensitive to this and you may find that things at the dentist are not as scary as they were "back in the day." Dental anxiety and the fear of the unknown, however, are two very different things. Before their first visit, children do NOT have dental anxiety, they fear the unknown. (Be careful not to project any anxiety on your child by talking negatively about yours or anyone else's visits.) Cassi is exactly right. The more you tell them what to expect, the easier this appointment will be.

Here's what to expect at your first visit (in my office anyway): A special chair that you get to ride up and down in, sunglasses (the light is too bright for kids' eyes), tooth counting, searching for sugar bugs, special flavored toothpaste with a special brush that tickles your teeth (a little, not too much), and maybe some special pictures of their teeth, but NO scraping. Lots of education at these early visits. As with anything pertaining to your health, the more questions you ask, the better.

Q: What do I look for in selecting a dentist for my child?

A: If you can find a Dr. Archibald in your area, he's a pretty safe bet. :) If one of those is not available, look for "Family Dentistry" in the yellow pages or on the web. Pediatric dentists have specialized training in treating kids and usually have very child friendly offices with lots of toys. But you don't have to see a pediatric dentist. General dentists have a great deal of training in treating children. But not all general dentist offices see kids, so it's a good idea to call and ask. Ask around at play groups and storytime…there is bound to be some great dentists in your area.

Dentist Prep

I bought the fruity gel. I purchased the tiny toothbrush made with bright colors and a beloved children's show character. I even sing a special teeth brushing song. And yet, as I fight to brush my son's teeth and watch him freak out a little at the doctor when it is time for the tongue depressor, I worry about our first trip to the dentist. He is approaching the age and I was hoping that before we go, we could get some tricks on preparing him to go and not to dread the dentist in years to come.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

I know that this isn't a sweet, really, but I have to share this! I made this for Rob for dinner on Valentines, and he absolutely loved it! If you've ever been to Olive Garden and had their soup with sausage in it (Zuppa Toscana) then you have to try this recipe! It is SO good, and it's fairly easy to make! It took me about an hour or so. Anyway, this tastes just like it does at the restaurant.

2 (32 oz) chicken stock (it says you should NOT substitute for chicken broth. I found chicken stock at Target)
6 c water
3-4 med-lg russet potatoes, peeled and sliced (I also cut the slices into quarters)
3 pieces bacon (you won't use the bacon, you use the bacon grease)
1 lg white onion, sliced fine
1 lb sweet Italian sausage (I couldn't find sweet sausage so I got mild Italian and it was great)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 c cream or half-and-half
1 bunch swiss chard or kale, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp anise seed (I found this at Target as well, it was expensive though, $4.50 a container)
1 dash red pepper flakes (I just used ground)
black pepper to taste

Bring chicken stock and water to a light boil and add potatoes. Don't lower heat.
In a skillet cook bacon until somewhat done and remove (do not add bacon to soup)
Saute onions in bacon grease until carmelized (a light golden brown color)
Remove onions and put in boiling stock.
In the same skillet, add some olive oil and cook Italian sausage (casings removed)
Add the garlic with the sausage and cook until sausage is done and is the consistency of hamburger meat
Add mixture to the stock.
By this time check to see if the potatoes are done, squish them against the side to see.
If they are done, add the cream, kale, salt, anise, red pepper and black pepper
Serve with garlic bread or corn bread
Enjoy

I hope you like it! It really is so, so, so good!

Chocolate Ganache Cake

I made this for a birthday a couple weeks ago and put the pic on my blog, since then I've had a few people ask me to post the recipe. So here it is. And it would definitely work for Valentine's too. If you put some food coloring or a little pink jello in the cool whip you'd have a pretty pink chocolate cake! And what's more romantic than that? :) Plus this cake is to die for! Even my husband who hates chocolate couldn't stop picking at it all week!

Chocolate Ganache Cake
*Now I know this looks like a long process but it's really not a hard cake to make. You just have to start the day before so that it can cool completely before each step. If you try to be hasty with this one it's easy to ruin, but if you give yourself enough time it's actually pretty easy!

Cake:
1 pkg Devils Food cake
-Cook according to directions in 2 8in. round pans. Allow to completely cool. (I made the cakes the night before and let them cool overnight because if you try to cut them too soon they'll fall apart)

Filling:
3/4 C heavy whipping cream
1/3 C & 2 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
6 Tbs butter
-Combine above ingredients in saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove and cool to room temp. Then cool a little longer in the fridge.

Cut the 2 cakes in half to make 4 round cakes. Place first cake on cake plate and spread 1/3 filling then place the next cake on top and repeat for all layers, spreading 1/3 filling on each, except the top layer. Cool in fridge a couple hours.
Cover in cool whip and chocolate shavings. To make shavings peel a chocolate candy bar with a potato peeler.

My Favorite Sugar Cookies

Sorry I have a sick baby I haven't posted in a while. These are the best sugar cookies, they are soft and just so yummy especially with the cream cheese frosting. I cut them out into heart shapes and decorate them for valentines. I give them away as special Valentines treats to neighbors and friends. I don't know if I'll be able to this year but it has been a tradition from before I was even married.

1 cup shortening
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix with dry ingredients. Chill 2 hours. Roll 1/4" thick. Heat oven to 400 degrees baking for 8 minutes.

Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add sugar gradually on low speed until incorporated. Add vanilla and increase speed to medium to blend and fluff, about 1 minute. Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 2 or 3 layer cake.

Beating the Cold

It's definitely cold season around here. And it seems like when you hear one person in the ward is sick it's bound to get to your family sooner or later. And now with cold medicine being off limits for kids under 6 it's hard to make the little ones feel better and able to sleep. So my question this week is: What are you natural cold remedies? What have you found that works to help fight a cold faster or at least provide some relief? Also.. is it ALL cold and cough medicines that were taken off shelves or just a certain ingredient?

**Is anyone up for doing the tricks of the trade post next week? I'm sure you guys are sick of hearing from me! :)