Like years past, I'm happily hosting Thanksgiving for my parents.  Both have retired this year, but in the previous years, my mom always had to work Thanksgiving Day so when I offered to do all the cooking they excitedly accepted our invitation. I wouldn't have it any other way, and Thanksgiving is quickly becoming one of my fav holidays.  I love being able to stay home and cook for them, after years of having provided such a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for our family growing up, my mom certainly deserves a break.  My kids love having the special time with Grandma and Grandpa, and I really do appreciate this time with my parents.  After all, Thanksgiving is about being thankful, and who better to spend that time with?
Whether you're having 6 people or 36 people, planning ahead is key.  Everyone likes to relax on Thanksgiving, so I do what I can before hand to make the actual holiday a breeze. Make as much as you can ahead of time and set in crockpots or just reheat in the oven.  I'm making the potatoes ahead to reheat in the oven, the pie, and I'm also throwing together a delicious swiss veggie bake that I can just throw in the oven when it's go time. I will NEVER (I repeat, NEVER) make the turkey ahead of time.  The "Thanksgiving smell" is part of what I love the most about Thanksgiving! (after family time, food and wine, of course)  Most potatoes, casseroles and desserts can all be made ahead and will give you more time with those you love best!
I also put together a very simple, yet pretty tablescape.

 Want to know the best part?  It was VERY inexpensive to do. I just used a few things I had around the house to start. To add a bit to it, Target sells wine glasses for about $5 per box, so I snatched up some of those along with a box of bulbs in the Christmas section.  (While I normally shake my head that they can't at least wait until after Thanksgiving to throw all the Christmas décor in our face, it does come in handy now and then...) I planned to put a pillar candle on the top of each glass, but when I opened the bulbs up and saw the pretty gold snowflakes, I just knew that was the new route I was gonna take.  After all... gold AND sparkly?  That's a no brainer!

It was bitter cold yesterday and the roads were slick.  I printed out some turkeys, pumpkins, etc.  I sat out some crayons and my kids went to town with coloring and creating placemats for our family, Grandma and Grandpa.  They turned out perfect! I took them in to get them laminated and the girls are SO excited to have such a big part in setting our Thanksgiving table.  I just know they will be the stars of the show and I can't wait to bring them to the table in the years to come.

Whether you are hosting or you are a guest this year, I hope you're Thanksgiving is full of good food, fun and those you love. Be thankful for all your blessings. Cheers!

Let Me Tell You A Secret

I loooooove getting homemade gifts.  They always seem so sweet, special and they come at just the right time.  But I also like to give them.  I don't think of myself as super creative or crafty, but I've been really working hard to put more time and effort into it, outside of the kitchen, where I feel most comfortable.
So, something I've really liked the thought of doing is making my own bath products.  I wouldn't go as far as actual soaps or shampoo, but have been easing into it with bath salts, sugar scrubs... things us moms, or just busy women in general, don't usually don't take the time to pamper ourselves with.  I recently made my own lavender bath salts, but then knew that before I'd give it to friends, I'd have to try them out myself.  MY GOODNESS!  How wonderful!  I felt so relaxed, refreshed and then snuggled up in bed with a book... it was a perfect night.  The next day, I went to the local grocery store, stocked up on ingredients and made a few batches to keep on hand for gifts.  So easy to throw together and make pretty, something you know will get used because everyone likes to relax once in awhile... a wonderful gift to give to a friend for a birthday, Christmas, teacher gifts or just a small way to let someone know you care and are thinking of them.
So here's what you need to give yourself or a dear friend the gift of relaxation...

Lavender Bath Salts

*2 cups Epsom salts (flushes toxins from the body, eases muscle aches and is also said to help with migraine headaches)

*2 tbls baking soda (refresh and sooth skin)

*1.5-2tbls coconut oil, melted (soothes and softens skin, can even help with mild eczema)

*8-10 drops lavender essential oil (a natural detoxifier, helps with relaxation and sleep)

Mix together well in a bowl and store in half pint mason jars.  The above recipe will fill three half pint mason jars.  I just used a few things around the house to make my jars pretty and ready to give to loved ones.  Now, pamper yourself!

Crisis of the Seasons

Truth?  I was going through a total identity crisis of seasons here.  My eyes could see the forecast, I can feel the cold but my heart just WANTS it to be summer.  I finally broke out the winter coat yesterday since it was sleeting/snowing and the temps were dipping into the high 20's. My flip flops are still laying with the rest of my shoes... I suppose I should probably put them up in the closet?
My husband was gone for the first weekend of deer hunting, and the kids and I REALLY enjoyed our girls weekend! I had sushi with friends on Thursday night and the kiddos ate up all the grandma time they could while mom was away enjoying girlie chat.  Friday we went to the Children's Museum with friends and had SO much fun! Saturday was boutique shopping and Sweet Girl's first sleepover at our house.  Total success!  Sunday, thankfully, was just to relax and welcome home the husband. So, Monday rolls around.  It was expected to be the first measurable snowfall for MN this winter, and we hunkered down with pajamas, movies and crafts, including these super cute little turkeys. 

Here's where the crisis of the season's comes into play...
My mind was on my husband.  Hunting.  Vension. Warmth.  I knew he was gone all weekend and would probably really enjoy some good comfort food, so I decided to tie in venison with the meal.  I decided on venison stew and the girls and I got to chopping veggies.  BUT then I opened the freezer and saw them... the raspberries and strawberries we picked when the weather was warm and sunny and I immediately wanted THAT.  I'm a sucker for warm weather.  I'm happiest sitting outside, soaking up the sun and watching my kids splash and play in the pool.  I'm happiest at the cabin with my friend and her littles for a girls weekend.  Happiest having wine on the deck, watching the sunset with the guy I love. I'm NOT happiest having to bundle up in layers just to drive my oldest to school or go out and play.
I decided to make both.  I made comforting, warming venison stew and I also made some muffins for breakfast the next day with both strawberries and raspberries we picked earlier this year.  It's wonderful tasting sweet summer berries when the weather is cold and snowy!  But it also made me come to terms with the fact it's time to retire the flip flops and dresses until May or so. Boo.

So, here is what you need to say an official "good-bye" to warm weather and "hello" to (gulp) winter.

Venison Stew

 (substitute beef if venison isn't your thing)

*1/4 cup bacon grease (yes, it does make a difference. If you don't have any on hand, fry up about 6 pieces of bacon and you can throw the bacon in the stew, too!)

*2 pounds of venison, cut into chunks (I used loin last night)

*1/2 cup flour

*1 medium onion

*2 cups of sliced carrots

*1 cup of chopped celery

*whatever other veggies you have on hand.  I tossed in about a cup of sliced fresh mushrooms and a few potatoes I had boiled and cut up into chunks

*2 cans of beef broth (or use your homemade beef broth)

*1 beef bouillon cube

*3/4 cups of red wine 

*2-3 bay leaves

*salt & pepper

Heat up your bacon grease in a large pot over medium/high heat and throw in your veggies.  I started with the potatoes first so they'd get nice and brown, removed them and tossed in the rest. Cook them until they're tender and remove from the pot to make room for the meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then coat the chunks of meat in flour.  Set them into greased pot and brown them.  Don't COOK them, just brown them.  I set my pot to a medium high heat and did about 2 minutes on each side so the chunks were nice and brown. Add back veggies and pour in the red wine.  The wine will help get all the delicious brown bits off the bottom of your pan and into your stew.  Mmmmm.  Add your bouillon cube and let it simmer a few minutes.  Then add your beef broth. I use two cans because I really like a lot of gravy, but you can just add slowly and decide for yourself when you want to stop. Add bay leaves, a bit more salt and pepper and then cover and let simmer on low for about 1 hour.  To thicken the gravy, mix together 1/2 cup cold water with 3-4 tablespoons of flour.  Whisk it together nicely so there are no lumps.  Then spoon out about a cup of gravy/broth from the stew to add to the flour/water mix.  Whisk so there are no lumps and then pour into the stew and stir well.  Cover and let simmer for about a 1/2 hour or so, stirring now and then.  I really like this with hot crescent rolls.  SO good.  Since I only make this a few times a year, I often forget that this makes A LOT of stew.  Be sure you are hungry, invite friends over, or share with a neighbor!

This next recipe is seriously the most fantastic muffins I've ever made.  Ever.

You're gonna love them.

Morning Muffins

*7 tablespoons butter, browned and cooled

*1/3 cup buttermilk

*1 egg

*1 egg yolk

*1 tsp vanilla

*1.5 cups flour

*1.5 tsp baking powder (NOT baking soda)

*3/4 cup sugar

*pinch of salt

*1.5 cups berries, fresh or frozen (I used strawberries and raspberries. Be sure to thaw them first if using frozen!)

Set the oven to 375 and prepare your muffin pan. Whisk buttermilk, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in cooled brown butter. In separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add the wet to the dry and mix. Then add berries.  Spoon into your muffin cups.  THEN top with a streusel topping... 3 tbls very cold butter, 1/2 cup flour and 3 tbls sugar.  Crumble with fingers until crumbley. (is that a word??) Sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake for 20 minutes.

Freaking awesome.

Of course, this morning brought us snow and while thankfully it wasn't a LOT, it was enough to get the kids and I out there to have a blast sledding down our little hill out back.  Needless to say, being warm in my pajamas, fuzzy socks and enjoying a coffee this morning was the last relaxing moment of the day. Winter has officially begun for this MN family.

French Onion Soup

Ever have those days where it's pretty much impossible to warm up? My FIRST preference would be to stay under the covers all day long, refusing to do anything.  Since that's absolutely impossible for me to do, I go with option two...
My girls and I stay in our pajamas, (granted there is nothing on the agenda for the day) turn on the fireplace and get out our favorite blankets.  Then we turn on the music and start the ovens. One is used for baking our favorite muffins, breads or cookies.  The other is used to prepare the most satisfying French onion soup.  Ever.  I've tried a lot of recipes for French onion soup.  A LOT.  My taste buds just always found fault with each recipe.  It was never as good as the kind I could get at a restaurant.  After screwing around a bit, I finally came up with a recipe that I personally think tastes better than some of the bowls I've had in some pretty great restaurants.  If you're looking for a delicious French onion soup, then you, my friend, have come to the right place.  However, while this recipe is easy, it does take awhile to make and will not work out with any short cuts!  The time is worth it.  Trust me.





Here's what you need:

*2 large onions

*butter (4 tbls)

*beef bouillon cubes (6)

*1/4 cup red wine (you want to use the same wine that you would drink)

*1/3 cup water

*2 cans Swanson beef broth (or use home made beef broth if you have some on hand)

*1 tbls parsley

*bay leaf (3)

*pepper

*shredded fresh parmesan cheese

*sliced provolone cheese

*baguette

Set your oven to 300. Grab your onions and cut into them to hollow out the center.  I usually cut a square about 1.5" and then use a spoon to scoop down inside the onion to hollow it out.  Don't go through the onion all the way to the bottom though.  I'd say about 2" down or so, depending how large the onion is. Then cut a few pats of butter off of the stick, and push one down into the onion. Top it with a cube of bouillon. Top that with another pat of butter and two more cubes. Do the same with the second onion.  Wrap each onion in foil and place in an oven safe dish.  Bake at 300 for about three hours. 

This is were you'd want to snuggle up on the couch in those favorite blankets while the time passes...

Remove onions from the foil and cut them up. You can cut them with a fork because they will be SO tender... AND delicious!  Dump the onions and all the juices into your soup pot. Add the red wine and simmer for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and let it all cook together on low for about one hour.

I usually cut off a few pieces from the baguette and put it in the oven for a few minutes to get extra crusty while I let my soup cook.  Spoon the soup into oven safe bowls.  Top with a few pieces of crusty bread.  Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of fresh parmesan and then top that with one of two slices of provolone cheese.  I REALLY like this combo of cheese with my soup, but feel free to experiment with yours!  You might find something you like even better!  Set the oven to 375 and bake for about 10 minutes or so, or until the cheese is nice and melted.  OR if you'd rather broil it to get the cheese to brown, feel free to do that. I baked it in the picture, but sometimes I broil. Either way, it's insanely good. Also, I'm not a huge fan of thyme, but that's a very popular herb people add to it.  If you choose to, throw some of that in! I just like to leave it out of mine.


Enjoy, friends!

The Best Laid Plans...

Ask anyone who knows me... I'm a planner.  I plan every single thing I possibly can.  In advance.  Lots of advance.  MOST days that works out for me pretty well.  Today was NOT one of those days.
I woke up while it was still dark and the kids were still snoozing.  I began to go over my plan.  Go downstairs and have a nice, quiet breakfast.  After the kids are up and fed, I'd clean the kitchen and then clean the bathrooms upstairs.  We would all jump in the shower, get dressed and head into town.  The girls need their bangs cut and it's  a nice day to swing by the library and the park before heading home for lunch.  Maybe make a batch of muffins to freeze for next week? Lay Ella down for a nap and work with Ava on her reading homework and numbers...
I got as far as going down the stairs.  Seriously.  And even that BARELY happened.  I must have turned wrong or stepped wrong, but suddenly a jolt went thru my neck and back and into my head.  I must have pinched a nerve/pulled a muscle or something.  No biggie!  I'd just do what I normally do.  Work it out.  But this was different.  I couldn't even hardly move.  Breathing hurt.  Talking hurt.  It was awful!  John was at work and the kids were coming down the stairs.  I was panicked.  I had no idea how I was going to get into the kitchen and get my kids breakfast going, let alone do ANYTHING I had in my plan for the day.  So I did what any girl in my situation would do... I called my mommy. Now, I wasn't so sure that my mom would be up for a break-up of her own plans to come and help me out with my kids, but THANK GOD, my squeaking, high pitched voice of panic and pain, mixed with tears melted my mom and brought her straight to me!  She got me ibuprofen, made me a heating pad out of a sock and rice, made my kids breakfast and played with them until I was finally able to get off the couch and move a bit.  We chatted while the kids worked on their little Frankenstein's... my very favorite (easy!) go to kids craft at Halloween time.  They turn out the cutest!

Don't you just love the cute little faces they drew?

While the girls worked on their craft, mom and I grabbed the chicken I had shredded the day before and started prepping for dinnertime.  She grabbed all the ingredients off the shelves while I read the recipe off to her for the most delicious chicken enchiladas I've ever tasted.  For real.  Here's what you need:

*3-4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts

*can of cream of chicken soup

*one cup of sour cream

*an 8oz bag of shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp for an extra kick!)

*1 small can of corn

*1/2 can green chili's

*1.5 cups of your very favorite salsa

*2 cans of your fav enchilada sauce (OR make your own using the recipe below!)

*12 soft tortilla shells

Mix together chicken, soup, sour cream, half a bag of cheese, corn, chili's, and the salsa.  (You can prep this ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 3 days if you'd like.) Top each soft shell with a heaping spoonful of filling and roll up.  Lay them in the pan seam side down.  Top with at least one can of enchilada sauce (two if you like a lot of sauce) and the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  I serve mine with lettuce, sour cream, guac or avocado slices, more salsa and sometimes I toss on some black olives.  YUUUUUUUUMMMM.

***If you only need half of the filling, save the other half!  Spoon it into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for a quick meal later on in the month! This filling freezes really well.

If your feeling up to making your own enchilada sauce (and you may as well because this recipe couldn't be easier) here are the deets:

*2 tbls canola oil

*2 tbls flour

*4 tbls chili powder 

*1/2 tsp garlic powder

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/4 tsp cumin

*1/4 tsp oregano

2 cups of chicken of vegetable stock

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add flour and mix it in there for about one minute.  Then stir in your other seasonings. (chili powder through oregano) Gradually add your stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat and simmer about 10-15 minutes until your sauce thickens up.  Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. 

My mom and I had such a nice time catching up, face-to-face rather than our usual over the phone conversations.  She helped me out SO much, and she didn't have to.  She laid her plans aside to help me get through my day.  My kids loved this extra special, unexpected time with Grandma, and it served me as a good reminder that just because a plan doesn't work out EXACTLY how I had it all in my head, doesn't mean that it's all going to be horrible day.  Despite the pain (and let's face it, how ticked off I was that my kids were gonna go yet another day with long bangs...) we had a pretty good day and made some memories I'll treasure. 

 

Minnesota Fall Days

Being from  Minnesota, a girl's gotta be tough.  We have summer days that get to 100 with humidity that doesn't compliment ANYONE'S hair, and we also have the winter days that get to below zero... even that doesn't keep us inside!  Don't get me wrong, I loooooooove summer and I love winter, too.  (Well, okay, maybe the first month of it.) But, do you want to know my absolute FAVORITE season of all??  Autumn.  *sigh*  The colors here in Minnesota are breathtakingly beautiful.  A trip up to the North Shore is well worth the drive.  Some mornings are spent driving my Sweet Girl to school with the heat on, and by afternoon we are playing outside in the warm sunshine. 
Do you ever have those kind of days where you feel like life is just "perfect?"  Let's get real, nothing is ever REALLY perfect.  But I felt like everything yesterday was just perfect in my own little world.  We took a trip to the library, baked pumpkin chocolate chip bread, made cheesy broccoli soup and THEN took a trip to our local pumpkin patch.  (Yes, I added food to my list of things that made my day perfect... I know.)
We went to Barten's Pumpkin's in New Prague and they have the cutest set up!  The weekends are filled with activities and are pretty much packed.  We chose to go during the weekday to skip the lines and enjoy time with our little family. 

Picking out natural décor to put around our home was a cinch! 

Think we got enough?? 

It was a bit chilly, so coming home and warming up with some cheesy broccoli soup felt wonderful!

I've tried many a bowl of cheesy broccoli, but I keep coming back to this recipe.  I've been making this for a good 10 years now, and while it's not the HEALTHIEST recipe you'll find, I personally think it's the tastiest!  I even add fettuccini noodles broken up into bite sized pieces to give the soup a bit more substance.  I like to eat and feel satisfied and full afterward, and I think this soup does the trick!

Here's what you need:

*4 cups of water

*4 chicken bouillon cubes 

(You can skip the water/cubes if you have 4 cups of homemade chicken stock you'd rather use)

*1 carrot, diced

*2 teas minced onion

*half a bag of frozen chopped broccoli

*1/2-3/4 cup fettuccini noodles broken into bite sized pieces

*can of evaporated milk

*8oz cheese whiz (I know... but I find it melts so nice and reheats well for leftovers!)

*1/2 teas garlic salt

*salt and pepper, to taste

Mix water, chicken bouillon & onion. Bring to a boil. Add carrot and broccoli. After veggies are tender, add noodles and cook until noodles are tender.  Reduce heat. Add milk and remaining ingredients.  Keep on low heat until cheese melts.

I serve this with crusty bread and I swear... it's comfort food at its finest.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

What is YOUR fav way to spend a fall day? 

Road Trip Prep

The excitement is beyond.  As a little girl, we didn't take very many out of state trips as a family... with the exception of ONE.  South Dakota.  I must've been about 5 or 6 years old, packing it up in the family station wagon and headed west.  I remember hotel swimming pools with my brother, a trip to the corn palace, adventures in deep dark caves and of course, seeing Mount Rushmore.
As a mother, I'm ALL for packing up the kids and heading out of state.  I want them to see it all and have all sorts of travel experience. So... we're headed back to South Dakota.  WITH my parents! Say whaaaaaat????  Yes, I'm pretty pumped about it.  I'm also a bit nervous.... I haven't spent that much time with my parents since... well... since I moved out of the house.  But I'm really excited that my children will be able to have this special time with Grandma and Grandpa, I will get that special time with my parents and my dear husband is going to be the ring leader of this trip.  YIKES!  Bless his heart... he is a KEEPER!
So... traveling with my husband, two children, my parents, and of course, Pixie (the family dog) I'm trying to prepare as much as possible.  One of the things I'm doing is fixing a few snacks for the road.  I'm not really a huge fan of giving my kids fruit snacks.  I really think they are just big huge cavity makers.  No, thanks.  Instead, I give them dried fruit.  Mostly mango and strawberries.  Honestly, they don't even miss the fruit snacks.  They are easy peasy to make!  I just go to Costco and get a big ol' carton of strawberries, rinse them, slice them and throw them in the dehydrator.  About 8 hours later... VOILA!  Healthy snack!

Mmmmmm!

Another one of my FAVORITE road trip snacks (and Little One is a big fan, too) is homemade beef jerky.  My Recipe?  Simple...

*package of round steak (up to 3 lbs), sliced into strips

2 cups soy sauce (or reduced-sodium soy sauce)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup liquid smoke

Mix the soy sauce,  sugar and liquid smoke together.  Throw in the round steak and let sit in the fridge for 5-8 hours to marinade.  (I find if I let it go longer than 8 hours the taste is too strong for my liking)  If you have a dehydrator, lay the strips on the racks and let them dry according to your dehydrator recommendation.  Mine is set to about 145 degrees.  OR if you don't have a dehydrator, you can stick tooth picks through one end of the strip and hang from the racks in your oven. Set the over to 200 and leave it cracked open a bit so the meat dries out nicely.  Low and slow.  Check after about 6 hours.  Then check every hour or two after that until it's done.

We've been getting some MAJOR rain this past week.  Since the last few days have been sun shiny and bright (thank goodness) you just know I can't resist some relaxation time on the deck.  My latest book I finished is The Unlikely Pilgimage of Harold Fry.  I loved it.  Read it. 

Ahhhh... water with lemon and strawberries.  DELISH. 

And just because I'm obsessed with flowers everywhere in my house during the warm, summer months...

Fresh flowers.  In the bathroom.  Yes.  I just take one of two and stick them in a little vase.  I get compliments on them all the time.  Never mind the big bouquet as a centerpiece in the dining room.  Nope.  Bathroom flowers are apparently where it's at. 

 

Give the treats a try and let me know if you're a fan.  What are your fav road trip snacks?

 

A Healthier Side

This past week has been absolutely crazy busy.  However, we've been enjoying the beauty summer brings.  One of our FAVORITE places to go anytime of the year, (but let's face it... warm weather brings more opportunity!) is the Minnesota Zoo.  The girls and I met up with some friends for the day and we were so excited to see that they were offering camel rides.  I mean, how often does one come across a chance to do that??  Of course, they were all for it. 

Then, they spotted the best surprise... BABY camels!  Here, the three little ones are checking out Mama Camel and her babes. 

Other than keeping my Sweet Girl and the Little One busy, I've been trying my hand at some more healthy dishes.  That's not to say I'm giving up my comfort food, but I figure swapping out a few of those meals now and then for something healthier certainly couldn't hurt.

One of my favorites was a meal I made for a friend and I for lunch.  Grilled tuna, grilled asparagus, wilted spinach with garlic and morel mushrooms.  If you aren't able to get morel mushrooms, portabella mushrooms would work well too.  I was lucky to have a cousin who just happens to be an excellent morel mushroom hunter, that was willing to share the goods!

I got myself a sushi grade ahi tuna steak from a local grocery store. I poured some Lawry's Sesame Ginger marinade on in and let that sit for about 6-8 hours.  Turn your grill up super high and sear the tuna steaks for about 2-3 minutes a side.  DO NOT overcook them.  You really want that nice pinkish red center and the beautiful grill marks on the outside.  If you overcook the steaks, they just won't taste right.  Tuna steak isn't meant to be cooked through.  Before you put your steaks on the grill, start preparing the asparagus.  Trim the woody end off of the asparagus, toss them in some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Turn one side of your grill to low and throw on your asparagus.  No need to put them on foil or anything, just watch them closely so they don't burn.  I cook mine for about 4 minutes, turn and then do another 3-4 minutes.

Wilted spinach is about the easiest thing ever, and SO delicious.  It's a good side for almost anything.  I put a big pot on the stove and heat it to a medium, put in a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon (or two if your a huge fan like me) of minced garlic.  Cook the garlic for about a minute and then throw in a whole bag of spinach.  Stir it all up so the oil and garlic mix with the spinach and watch it as it wilts. You'll really want to use the whole bag of fresh spinach.  When it wilts, it really doesn't make that much.  Take it off the burner as soon as all of the spinach has wilted down.  Again, you don't want to overcook.

Now, for the morel mushrooms.... MMMM!  I'm a bit of a newbie to this, but I must say, they were delicious.  Soak the 'shooms in saltwater for about 10 minutes.  This will bring out any bugs or worms that may be in them.  (Ew, I know.  Thankfully, nothing came out of the ones I got.)  Gently squeeze the water from the mushrooms and lay then in a sauté pan that has been set to a medium heat with a few tablespoons of butter added.  Let them sauté for 7-8 minutes or so until they start to get a golden brown.  Sprinkle with Lawry's Garlic Salt. (I put that stuff on pretty much EVERYTHING.) Turn them over and let the other side sauté for 7-8 minutes, or until that side turns a nice golden brown too.  Done. So absolutely delicious!

 

 

Another thing I make A LOT during the summer months is caprese salad.  It's SO easy, pretty, yummy, fresh... everything.  Did I mention easy???  Grab a fresh mozzarella ball and slice it up.  Grab a fresh tomato and slice that up.  If you choose, grab a few little orange sunburst tomatoes or yellow tomatoes to throw in for color.  Grab a handful of fresh basil.  Now, you can either layer it all like I did in the picture below, or toss it all together in a bowl.  Pour a little olive oil over it for dressing, sprinkle on some Lawry's Garlic Salt, (see... I told you I use it on everything) salt and pepper.  Done.  A bonus to caprese salad is that it tastes SO light, but it's actually really filling! And beautiful.

 

Now... you've had yourself a nice meal so sit down and enjoy a sunset.  You deserve it. 

I caught this on my way to bed the other night as I was headed to bed early. I felt like my patience was drained from just the constant demands of the day.  As soon as I saw this, I was filled with peace and my heart just felt full and light.  God is good.  Count your blessings... even the days that seem hard are FILLED with reminders of His love.

 

Pineapple-y Deliciousness

I loooooooooove me some pineapple.  I mean, who can resist?  Certainly not me.  While I have so many pineapple desserts that I love, here are a few that the kids and I made today. 
First up?  Grilled pineapple.  I don't even need to make an ingredient list for you.  Seriously.  That easy.  First, I cut up a fresh pineapple and leave one whole chunk intact.  Heat up your grill to a medium heat and then turn it to low heat.  Toss on that big chunk of pineapple.  Watch it closely and turn a few times.  Be sure to get those pretty grill marks! Remove the pineapple from the grill, drizzle some honey on it and top it with your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt.  OR if you wanna be super healthy, skip the ice cream and yogurt all together.  (If you have that kind of self-control.) Grab the biggest fork you have and ENJOY!

 Next up... pineapple upside-down cake.  The nice thing about this recipe is that you get not one, but TWO cakes!  (YES!)  I've been known to share the second cake with a lucky neighbor or friend, but not very often.  Here's what you need to make this deliciousness:

*1 box yellow cake mix

*1 stick of butter

*1/2 cup packed brown sugar

*8 pineapple slices (fresh or can is fine)

*pecan halves

*2- 9" round cake pans

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Set the batter aside. Split the butter in half and put one of each half in the pans. Turn your oven on to 350 and set the pans inside to melt the butter as the over is pre-heating. After the butter is melted, remove the pans from the oven and add 1/4 cup brown sugar to each pan.  Mix it all together with a fork and spread it so it makes a nice glaze in the bottom of each pan.  Lay 4 pineapple slices in each pan and arrange the pecans around them.  Next, pour 1/2 the cake batter into each pan, on top of the brown sugar, pineapple and pecans.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for about 5-10 minutes and then take a knife and loosen the sides.  Invert onto a plate.  Serve warm.  SO good.  My husband and kids go crazy when I make this... It will take you about 10 minutes to put together.  So quick and the rewards are scrumptious! 

Gardening and Graduation

This weekend has been absolutely perfect.  The BIG news of the weekend?  My Sweet Girl graduated from preschool on Friday! She is a giver, and had so much fun putting together these cute little thank you gifts to her teachers.  She even helped me decorate the bags!

Our next stop was THE GREENHOUSE!  Honestly, one of my very favorite places.  The smell of fresh flowers, herbs, even the dirt...  ahhhhhhh. The possibilities are endless.

I mean, how adorably charming are these colorful watering cans? 

We had LOTS of seeds, veggies and herbs to pick up, and thankfully I had my Little One there to help me out. 

This is our third year gardening and we've already decided to double the size of our garden.  I was absolutely THRILLED at the opportunity to try out some new things this year.  We decided to take the frame from our old garden, move it and let the kiddos have their own little garden to care for.  Here, Sweet Girl is busy planting strawberries and flowers. 

High fives complete with adorable gardening gloves. 

Of course, all work and no play makes Sara a dull girl.  I just had to relax on the deck for a bit with my sunshine, lemon water and In Style magazine.

All year round, one of our favorite go to lunches we enjoy is my veggie pasta.  I'm SO excited that soon I will be enjoying this dish, using a mix of fresh veggies from my garden and the supermarket.  I normally use zucchini, yellow squash, baby spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, onion and garlic. YES!  In the meantime, I use my favorite frozen veggie combo, which is the Archer Farms (Target brand) asparagus stir fry. It's got ALL the good stuff. 

Here's what you need to make this easy, scrumptious dish:

*1 pound of your fav noodles (my girls always choose the bowtie shapes)

*2 tbls olive oil

*2 cups heavy cream

*1 bag frozen veggies or a few handfuls of your favorite fresh veggies, chopped

*1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

*salt, pepper and garlic salt

Boil and drain your pasta. In a skillet, heat your olive oil to a medium high heat and then toss in those delicious vegetables! Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Add the heavy cream, turn heat down to medium and let it simmer, reduce and thicken up a bit. After about 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

I love this dish because it helps my kids eat their veggies!  Not only that, but it's a great base recipe... you can do SO many different things with it.  I've added fresh sage from my herb garden to the oil with a bit of butter and it adds a whole new taste. You could use cheese ravioli as your choice for pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes for a creamy tomato sauce, or add leftover steak or chicken and make it a nice dinner meal instead.  Use that imagination of yours and let me know how you make this pasta your own! 

20 Minutes & Dinner is DONE!

Wow.  Just, wow.  Today was crazy busy.  I needed something fast, something easy and something delicious since we got home much later than usual.  I made spaghetti last night and as always made WAY to many noodles.  Never fails.  So with that on hand, I turned to my tasty lemon chicken recipe.  Here's what you will need to make this fantastic meal:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise to make 4 thin breasts)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 lemons (juice 1.5 lemons and use the other 1/2 lemon to slice and garnish)
• 3/4 stick butter, room temp
• small handful capers, drained
• 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked (or in my case, whatever you have leftover from the night before)
• parmesan cheese

Sprinkle your chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour. Heat your skillet to medium high heat.  Toss in the olive oil, let that heat up quick and then gently lay your chicken breasts in the oil.  Let them go for about 5 minutes and then flip.  After about 4 minutes add the white wine and lemon juice and turn the heat down to a medium.  Let that simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes and then remove your chicken breasts to a plate. Turn the heat off completely but keep your pan on the stove and add butter.  Let that melt into a sauce, stirring frequently, add your noodles and capers and then add back the chicken breasts.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and prepare to fall in love.  Seriously. 

Puzzles, Prayers, and Pasghetti

After a weekend of beautiful weather, farmers markets, four-wheelers and flowers, dearest Mother Nature decided to hit us with a day of stormy weather.  So, naturally, mama had to step up her game and keep these kids busy. Thankfully, since a few days have been spent completely outside, a day in wasn't THAT difficult to pull off.  However, tomorrow looks like a nice one... and I'm TOTALLY okay with that!

 My Sweet Girl is a preschooler and is now familiar with letters and sounds.  Word finds are the thing around our house lately... she loves them! I love listening to her sound out the words and we enjoy searching for them together. I think it's amazing to see how far she's come in just the last 6 months.  It's crazy how smart these preschoolers are!

While I was browsing the dollar bins the other day, (if you are one of those who can actually pass by those things, I'm stunned.  HOW??!!) I came across the cutest little pail and decided I had to do something with it.  I decided on a "Prayer Pail" and had a great time with the girls

coming up with inspiration for prayer.  Some of the ideas we came up with were:

*Family

*Health

*Happiness

*Hungry Children

*Healthy Food & Clean Water

*Our Soldiers

Tonight before bed, we sat on the bed and each girl closed their eyes and pulled out a prayers.  Little hands folded, I lead them in prayer and we decided that would be our new way to pray before bed. I love that it will be something new each night and it's very direct, which can be SUPER helpful to those small children that are just learning how to pray.

Another thing my kids really enjoy is cooking with me.  YES!  I really love to cook and I'm glad it's something I can pass on to them.  Tonight was a crowd pleaser.... spaghetti!  Or as Little One calls it, "PASGHETTI!"  In the fall, I make a big batch of sauce from a mix of my own garden veggies, and those I pick up at the local farmers markets. I freeze it in freezer bags, but we go through it pretty quickly around here.  So, on nights when I have a bit more time, I forgo the jar sauce and use my OTHER go-to marinara sauce recipe.  This is easy and fabulous. You'll need:

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 1 red onion

* 6 garlic cloves, chopped

*2 (28oz) cans of crushed tomatoes

*salt to taste

*a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity (or more of you want sweet sauce)

*3 tbls chopped fresh basil

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt.  Bring to a boil and then cook over low heat for around 20 minutes.  Be sure to stir often! Add a bit of sugar to help out with the acidity and cook another 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and throw in that delicious fresh basil... by now your mouth will be watering and your family will be slowly trickling into the kitchen asking what that delicious smell is.  This recipe is fail proof.  You will love it.

 

No Matter How Long the Winter...

Spring is Sure to Follow.  Even in Minnesota.... right?

Well, today definitely felt like spring.  After what seems like the LONGEST WINTER EVER (and PS I say that every winter) it was nice to have a day without rain and one that was warm enough to get the kids outside.

As a stay-at-home mommy of two little girls, I'm forever trying to come up with new and interesting ways to make the day fun.  One of our very favorite things to do, no matter what the season, (ok.  I'm lying.... this doesn't include winter) is a nature "treasure" hunt.  It never fails that, especially in springtime, these little excursions always uncover some interesting finds!  Today was no different.  We found what my kids now refer to as "the dandelion garden" out in the fields by our house.  My little sweeties gifted me with absolutely adorable little dandelion bouquets.

Amongst our findings, there was also a mallard nest with the prettiest pale blue eggs.  I hope we get a chance to see the little babies!

Of course, no spring day is complete without a little grilling. Chicken breasts, corn on the cob and foil potatoes were on the menu tonight.

With stuffed tummies, the kids ended the day playing in the backyard.  By then, the sun had gone down and our Minnesota spring day turned quite chilly.  But that's ok!  Nothing beats snuggling up in a fuzzy purple blanket while watching two adorable girls giggle and run around.

 

What's your favorite way to spend a spring day?