Frito Soup

This soup is one that my family asks for all the time and it's very easy too.

2 lg. cans chicken broth
1 lg. can black beans (drain & rinse)
1 can Rotel tomatoes (spicy, diced tomatoes)
2 C frozen corn

Heat all ingredients in large saucepan. Serve with toppings.

Toppings:
Fritos
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese

Letti's Intro

Thank you so much for letting me join your group. My name is Collette but most people call me Letti. I live in Southern California and I am married to a wonderful man named Darian and I have 5 children. Chase 12, Garrett 11, Chloe 6, Kaidee 5, and Cole 1. My husband works as an engineer for BNSF Railroad. He has every little boys dream job...lol I am a stay at home mom and I love what I do. We have been married for 8 years this June. Chase my oldest son is from a previous relationship and has been adopted by Darian we were also able to have him sealed to us in the Los Angeles Temple in 2001. Garrett is my stepson (Darian's son from a previous relationship) we have him in our home more than 50% of the time. Well I guess I will tell you a little bit about myself. I am the oldest of 6 children and I love sports and going to Disneyland with my family. I am a huge Angels and Laker fan. I enjoy blogging, reading, puzzles, shopping, movies, playing games, and just being with friends. I am really excited to get to know all of you and learn from you too. If their is anything you would like to ask me please feel free.

YUMMY GARLIC BREAD

Our family LOVES this garlic bread. We eat it with soup and any pasta dish we have. It makes quite a bit, so it keeps good in the fridge and can be used on several meals.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
2 t. garlic powder

Directions:
Slather french bread, baguette, or other crusty type bread and broil until golden and bubbly.

I really like to slather it, so it's not healthy, but it sure tastes good! I also like to add some basil, parsley, or chives.... just to make it look pretty. Enjoy!

Shelly Myers--Intro

My name is Shelly Myers and this is my kid, Charlie who just turned one. (We dress alike sometimes without even planning it!) We moved from Minnesota about 7 months ago. We live in California, Maryland and my husband, Dave, works for the government as a mechanical engineer for the Naval Air Station here. I'll give you a quick tour of my life from the beginning: Born in Provo, UT October 14, 1977, moved all over the US because of job/schooling/don't know why (UT, IN, TX, ID, NJ) until I moved to Montpelier, Idaho to live in my grandmother's basement after my parents were divorced in middle school. I had to get out of that town as soon as I graduated from high school and chose to do a Rotary Exchange to Osaka, Japan for a year. It was life altering and Japan culture has become a big part of me. Back in the states, did Utah State for a bit before I was called back to Japan on a mission! Transfered to BYWooo after the mission (I drove a scooter to school everyday) and finished a B.S. in Biology. A strategic move up to Bozeman, MT to work in a lab at MSU proved promising when I met my husband-to-be and we were married in the Logan Utah Temple July 21st, 2005. I "dragged" Dave to the University of Minnesota (he had to transfer) so I could pursue an advanced degree in Molecular Biology. We met a lot of you there (hi all!) and loved it even though it was a bit chilly. I miss it because it was the first place on my own as a married person and we made such good friends that I know I will keep in contact with all my life. A PhD track turned to an MS when Charlie was born and I am LLOOVVIINNGG being at home with him! (though it is an adjustment). Tap dancing feeds my soul, I knit, can't cook worth a nut (that's were you guys come it to rescue me), dabble on the guitar and harmonica, and do the outdoors thing as often as I can. Blogging is a new hobby (read Pioneer Woman daily) and I may need to join a support group to help limit my time on the computer. I'm suppppper excited to join the Mommy group. Hopefully, I will be able to add something among all the wonderful stuff I'm gonna get! Charlie is up, gotta bolt.

Oriental Steak Broil

This is one of my favorite Sunday dinners! And I don't use a whole 1 1/2 lbs of steak for my family. I just buy the 3 or so lb package from Sams or Costco and cut it into 3 chunks, then we can have it 3 different times.

Oriental Steak Broil
3 T lemon juice
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 T soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 anise seed or ground allspice
1 1/2 lbs flank steak

In 1-qt saucepan combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and anise seed. Bring to boil and stir 30 seconds. Pour hot marinade over steak and let marinate for 30 minutes or longer turning at least once. Then you can either broil the steak 3-5 minutes on each side or bbq it. Cut steak on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices and serve.
** I always broil mine since we don't have a bbq but it's never been done after 3-5 minutes on each side... I usually end up doing almost 10 minutes per side. So just watch it and cook it till it looks done. It should still be pink when you cut into it but not bleeding red! Enjoy

The Moms' Club Diaries

So, sorry that I've been absent from this blog for a while, but we're in the middle of getting ready for a move back to the "promised land" as someone told me on Sunday. But, I just thought I'd tell you about a fun book for which I was lucky enough to be a contributor. One of my high school friends (Allyson) is a great writer and put this project together of moms' experiences with raising kids. My chapter is about the joys of having a toddler who is a little (okay a lot) too assertive. I've read a few of the other selections and they had some great insights into being a mom. You can find out more about this book at:

http://www.springcreekbooks.com/catalog/98927.html

Chicken & Dumplings

This is so good, especially on a cold day. The easy to make dumplings make their own gravy as they cook. This is one of my favorite chicken dishes. It makes extra chicken broth so bag it and freeze it. It is really tasty in other dishes.

Chicken & Dumplings
3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf
1 3-4 pound chicken, cut up
1 tsp dried parsley
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered

For Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk

Bring water to boil, add chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, garlic, bay leaf and parsley. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Liquid will reduce by about one third.
When chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set aside. Strain stock (into a large bowl) to remove all vegetables and scum. You want to save this stock! Toss everything else out. Pour 6 cups of the stock back into the pot and save the rest for other recipes. Add pepper, ½ tsp salt and the lemon juice, then reheat stock while making the dumplings.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dumpling ingredients. Stir well with wooden spoon and let rest 5-10 minutes.
Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to ½ inch thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into ½ inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough. The dumplings will swell and then partially dissolve into a nice gravy. Simmer for 20minutes. Stir often.
While dumplings are cooking, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to pot and stir. Simmer 5 minutes more.
Serves 4-6

A Potty Party

My daughter (and I) are officially potty trained. It's been a week, a few accidents, lots of focus and lots of books read from the bathroom floor. I have to admit it was 1000 times easier than I was expecting. Here are some things we did:

• We set a date and talked for days leading up to the big day (Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day to me!) we discussed how we weren't going to wear diapers anymore...yada yada yada.
• She "threw away" her diapers. We put them in a big bag that I actually put in my closet. I still put a diaper on at night. I'm not ready to deal with laundering sheets.
• We have "special books" that we read only when she is using the bathroom. She also has special underwear, a special toilet seat (thanks Bridget!) and a special stepping stool to aid in getting on the toilet and washing hands at the sink. Oh, and she had special drinks all week long (orange soda and Martinelli's apple juice.)
• We ended the week with a Potty Party...we're always looking for an excuse to party.

I think mostly you and your child need to be ready. Leave a comment and share what were/are some of your tricks of this trade?

Peanut Butter Sushi

Ok one more peanut butter post to finish off the week.

I saw this on Rachael Ray (I really don't watch it that often!) and Parker was really excited about it because he loves bananas with peanut butter. And it's healthy and so easy! All you do is flatten 2 pieces of bread together with a rolling pin, spread peanut butter, lay down a banana, roll up and slice into like 4 or 5 sushi pieces!

Now Parker wants to make this every day! For more detailed instructions go here:

Banana Sushi

Glazed Carrots

So this was inspired by my sis-in-law Annie (Hi Annie!) I got the recipe out of my favorite new cookbook--America's Test Kitchen that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. Sounds like lots of in-laws...anyway. Here is a great side to any meal...

COMBINE in 12-inch frying pan:
1 lb of carrots cut on the bias
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.

Uncover, bring to a boil again and cook until the sauce has cooked down to about 2 tbsp. (about 2 minutes)

ADD:
2 more tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (mine was salted) cut into 4 pieces
Cook until carrots are tender (about 3 more minutes)

Off the heat ADD:
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (mine was concentrate)
pepper

Voila! Candied carrots! It was really fast and really easy! Serve with a side of Peanut Butter (ha ha...I was feeling guilty I didn't have a peanut butter recipe this week.)

Bean Cake?!

I just heard this great idea for "healthifying" some of your baked goods. In anything that has a cake-like texture (cake, cupcakes, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, even biscuits), you can swap all of the fat (i.e. butter, shortening, oil) for mashed white beans! Just think, this adds protein and fiber while reducing the fat. I am so excited to try it! Let me know how it works out if any of you do. The swap is completely even, so no need to figure out conversions.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These are a simple take on chocolate chip cookies. I like the oats and peanut butter mix.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Beat together: 2 eggs
½ cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add: 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
Mix together and add ½ cup peanut butter, ½ cup chocolate chips, and ½ cup walnuts. Form into balls and bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes or till lightly browned. Remove and cool.

Chicken Satay Noodles and No Bake Cookies

I was planning on posting this No Bake Cookie recipe all week. But then yesterday we tried out a Rachael Ray recipe that also had peanut butter in it and it was actually pretty good and not too hard. So I figured I could put up the cookie one and the link to the Rachael Ray recipe.
So for Cold Chicken Satay Noodles click below:

Cold Chicken Satay Noodles Recipe

I left out the scallions and the cilantro and it was great! And I just noticed on the recipe that the last 2 steps are in the wrong order. You're supposed to add the tamari, garlic, etc. before the oil and noodles, etc.

And now... this is one of my favorite cookie recipes! They are so good and way too easy to make! And the recipe says the peanut butter is optional but I can't imagine them being as good if you leave it out.

No Bake Cookies
2 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
1/2 C butter
1/2 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 C oats
1/2 C peanut butter (optional)

Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Drop spoonful sized balls onto waxed paper. Let cool maybe 30 min before ready to eat.
Hint: When bringing to a boil, let top get all bubbly. Add oatmeal last. If runny, add more oatmeal, no more than a cup extra.

a Cook'n necessity

This is one of my favorite Christmas gift, its normally 99.95 but on sale right now for 79.95. You can also download it but I don't know if its cheaper or not, I like having the the actual softward. I use this all the time, well in the month that I have owned it now. It is a recipe organizer and it can: (copy and pasted from its website)

Search thousands of recipes--just tell it what you have on hand
Organize your own recipes
Adjust serving sizes automatically
Analyze nutritional value of your recipes
Build weekly menus
Display hundreds of food photos
Make grocery shopping lists
E-mail recipes to your friends
Print recipes on decorative cards
Publish your recipes in html for web browsers
Download recipes & shopping lists to your Palm Pilot!
Show preparation video clips
Search the internet for coupons

I have one folder that is filled with my mom and family recipes and then I have one folder that is just my recipes. It is so easy to use and so fun. One of my favorite features is that it adjusts the serving sizes, to often I make way to much food because I can't figure out how to reduce it properly so you tell this how many servings you want and it does all the math for you and gives me a recipe to make for 2. Once you register your software it will automatically update it with more recipes, and you can by other recipe cd's to go with it. I have Cook'n low carb, Cook'n chinese and one other that I can't remember. But seriously if you have this you will love it. The website is www.dvo.com

Preschool

So I have some questions about preschool and I'm hoping some of you mom's of past and present preschoolers can help me out. Mikelle turns 3 in June and I have been thinking its time to start her in preschool. Is she too young? We just moved so I don't know anyone that would want to do a joy school type thing. So should I enroll her in a preschool and how do I go about choosing one. I saw on a blog that this lady had just enrolled her child for preschool in the fall, she went and toured the facility and had a little interview. Is it too early to do that? What questions would I ask them, I have no idea so please help me!!!