Family Fun!!

This week we celebrated Bman's birthday!  It's official, she' now 28!!  PF Chang's was the gathering place.  Good food, great laughs, glorious Family Fun!!

Snap Thursday!!

Who is that "Masked Woman"????

Look What I Found!!

Let me start by saying....I don't do many dessert recipes on a regular basis at my house.  Harley Man and I made a decision some 8 years ago to lose weight and so desserts were put on the back burner for special times only!!!  Even so....I couldn't resist sharing these two recipes today because I know there are lots of cooks out there with little ones at home and these desserts would be easy to make for them!!!  I haven't made either of them so if you decide to give them a try, I'd love to hear your comments.  I found both these recipes over at Chef In Training.

No Bake Cake Batter Truffles

• 1 c vanilla cake mix (I used yellow cake mix. This recipe is very flexible with what cake mix you use)
• 1/4 c sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave (optional and you can just use all sweetened condensed milk if you don’t have agave on hand)
• 1.5 to 2 cups chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

This mixture should be quite solid and not runny, but not so dry that you can’t mold it into balls. If you find that your mixture is a little too runny, add a touch more cake mix. If it’s a little too dry, add more sweetened condensed milk/agave. I ended up using about 1.25 c of cake mix to get the perfect consistency.

After you’ve made the dough, refrigerate or freeze for 15 minutes and then remove and roll into balls.

After the balls have been made, refrigerate or freeze for 15 minutes minutes or until well-chilled, ensuring the melted chocolate will adhere and set up properly.

Place parchment paper down on a cookie sheet or pan.

Melt the chocolate chips, and dip the chilled cake batter balls into melted chocolate. After the balls are dipped in chocolate, place on parchment paper. Place truffles in freezer or fridge to set up.

Enjoy!


Yields: 20 to 30 truffles depending on size preference. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Cake Batter Truffles

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup yellow cake mix
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 Tablespoons milk
• 2 Tablespoons sprinkles

Truffle Coating:

• 16 ounces (8 squares) almond bark (or white candy melts)
• 4 Tablespoons yellow cake mix
• sprinkles

Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake of excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffle back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until finished.

Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes around 24-30 truffles.

My September Sweetie!!!!

It was September 27, 1983.

The due date had come!

Around 1:30 a.m. I knew it was time to head to the hospital.

Sure enough at 4:24 a.m. she was born.

My second child, my second baby girl!

A tiny bit of hair on her head,

Beautiful blue eyes,

She weighed 7lbs. 9 ounces

Her length was 20 1/2 inches.

She was right on time!!!

 

My how the time has gone by!

Now she's a beautiful young woman.

Independent, smart....a business woman who is making her mark!

She's my friend and my daughter.

I am so blessed!!!

She'll always be my September Sweetie....I must confess!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BMAN!!!

LOVE YOU LOTS!

What A Weekend!!!

Well, the Biker Blues and BBQ Rally is over and what an awesome event it was even with the rain that rolled into the area this weekend!!!  I was exhausted Sunday but it was worth all the hard work!!

If you've never been to a KCBS Cook-Off, you need to attend one of these events.  The BBQ Teams have some serious cookers to prepare their meat entries and they work hard to provide the judges with the best of the best.  I had the opportunity to co-ordinate the Judge's Room for this event and let me tell you it was awesome!  I learned so much about KCBS, how the meats are judged and how much training the judges have under their belts!

I didn't get to take photos this time(so I grabbed some from some folks who were there) because I was so busy...it was the first time I've done anything like this but believe me, I plan to find a way to take them next time!  If you want to read some great articles and see some photos, go to these blog posts:

Barbequemaster

http://www.bbqsmokersite.com/

It's Food Friday!!

Bacon Ranch Chicken

2 Tbsp. of real bacon bits

1 tsp. garlic minced

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

Can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

Egg Noodles, prepared

Directions:

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Pour over chicken in slow cooker.  Cook 3-4 hours on high or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred.  Place shredded chicken back in slow cooker and heat (this allows chicken to absorb sauce).   Serve over hot noodles

*Side note from one recipe user:  
She added a whole packet of ranch but also added more than just a cup of sour cream ( you have to work with the ingredients). She put in like 3 cups of sour cream 3 spoon fulls of minced garlic, 1 can cream of chicken soup and it came out wonderful. Not too strong; you could taste the ranch but it wasn’t strong... although her family are ranch LOVERS and they'd rather had just the noodles with the sauce, they didn’t even care if the chicken was in it or not.

Seriously?! Thursday...Again!

Seriously???!I know we need the rain but I'd really appreciate it holding off until Sunday! The Biker Blues and BBQ Rally starts tomorrow and we really need a "no rain" policy!!!  So here's hoping the rain moves out quickly...fingers crossed!

Seriously???!I am all for change.  Change happens...it's a fact of life but.....Facebook has added a few new features I find quite annoying!!!  I want that ticker to disappear!!!  I don't need it, don't want to see it, find it useless.  So Facebook....get rid of that ticker!!!!!!

Seriously???!When it's pouring down rain on the interstate so much you can't even see, people need to SLOW DOWN!  Nothing is worth causing a wreck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously???!My youngest daughter will be 28 years old soon!!!  Good grief, where does the time go??? 

Seriously???!You fill in the blank today__________________________________________!!



All About Coupons!!!

Are you a coupon lover?  Well, I'm not one to spend lots of time trying to find coupons but I know lots of people do and that's great.  So today I want to share some blogs and sites with you that are totally devoted to coupons.  Just click on the button or the link under the photos.  Let me know what you think!!

Coupon Suzy.com

 

Delicious!!!!

Prissy, my oldest daughter, loves to cook and this past weekend she made Carnitas from a recipe she found on one of the blogs I recommended.  She says this recipe is delicious...so I wanted to share it with you today!!  Enjoy!!

Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)                                                     
recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated June 20081    

Ingredients:
4-pound boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
juice of 1 lime
2 cups water
1 medium orange, halved and juice (seeds removed)

Preparation:
Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Add all the ingredients in a Dutch oven and heat the ingredients until they begin to simmer, stirring to combine the spices and meat. Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour, take a peek and give the pot a stir to turn the meat. Put the lid back on and let it continue to bake in the oven for another hour. A bit of patience is needed, but you'll definitely be rewarded!

After 2 hours of baking time, remove the pot from oven. Remove the bay leasves, onion and orange rinds from the pot and discard. Place the pork in a bowl and set aside. Place the pot on the stovetop and let the remaining liquid come to a boil. Let it boil until it thickens up and is reduced to about 1 cup.

Turn oven to broil and lower racks to near the bottom of the oven. In the bowl, pull each piece of pork in half using two forks. Pour the reduced liquid over the pork and add salt and pepper to taste. Place the coated pieces of pork on a wireor cooling rack set on a baking sheet. Broil the meat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side until well browned. You can pull the pork further if you want and then serve immediately in warm tortillas. Garnish with salsa, cheese, etc as you'd like.

To make ahead/freezer meal - Place all ingredients in a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and freeze. When ready to prepare, defrost and follow the directions as written above.

Prissy also made fresh Pico de Gallo to top off the Carnitas!!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:                                                                                             

• 1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Refrigerate.

What To Do In NC This Month???

Do you wish there were some great places to visit in NC during September??  I know I love to find events happening on the weekends, especially this time of the year.  There are several I know about coming up soon and some I just found out about when doing a little investigation.  So grab your family, your camera and head out one weekend to a nearby festival for something fun and different to do!

Apple Festival

http://www.jaycee.org/

http://events2000.com/festivals/free-listings/icalrepeat.detail/2011/09/18/1482/-/burlington-nc-burlington-carousel-festival

http://www.lincolncountyapplefestival.com/

http://www.bikerbluesbbqrally.com/

 

http://www.muscadineharvestfestival.com/index.html

http://www.visitsalisburync.com/calendar/default.aspx?eventDate=9%2F25%2F2011

 http://www.ncseafoodfestival.org/

You can also go to: http://www.visitnc.com/calendar to find more things to do!!





Gearing Up!!

Do you realize the first day of autumn is just around the corner??  Yep, it's next Friday!!  I love autumn...the changing of the leaves, the cool crispness in the air, orange pumpkins springing up in church lawns, juicy apples ready to be baked into luscious pies, county fairs for the young at heart...doesn't get any better than that!!

Bman and I decided with fall just around the corner, it would be a great time to cook a delicious beef stew for the coming fall days.  So yesterday, we made Beer Beef Stew together. Since Bman works long hours, this one can be cooked and then placed in the freezer to await those cool, crisp autumn days!

It is a fabulous stew full of juicy beef, tons of potatoes and carrots swimming in an awesome broth.  The recipe is one of Pioneer Woman's and we think it's perfect for the coming fall weather.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!


Beer Beef Stew

Ingredients:                                                                                           

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Stew Meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
• 4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes)
• 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• ½ teaspoons Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1-½ teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
• 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
• Minced Parsley (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.
Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.
Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve in bowls next to crusty French bread. Sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired.

Taking A Break!

I've decided to take a break from my blog for a few days.  Hope everyone has a super day! 

We Will Not Forget!!!!

Survivors--Found

-Joan Murray

We thought that they were gone--
we rarely saw them on our screens--
those everyday Americans
with workaday routines,

and the heroes standing ready--
not glamorous enough--
on days without a tragedy,
we clicked--and turned them off.

We only saw the cynics--
the dropouts, show-offs, snobs--
the right- and left- wing critics:
we saw that they were us.

But with the wounds of Tuesday
when the smoke began to clear,
we rubbed away our stony gaze--
and watched them reappear:

the waitress in the tower,
the broker reading mail,
a pair of window washers,
filling up a final pail,

the husband's last "I love you"
from the last seat of a plane,
the tourist taking in a view
no one would see again,

the fireman, his eyes ablaze
as he climbed the swaying stairs--
he knew someone might still be saved.
We wondered who it was.

We glimpsed them through the rubble:
the ones who lost their lives,
the heroes' doubleburials,
the ones now "left behind,"

the ones who rolled a sleeve up,
the ones in scrubs and masks,
the ones who lifted buckets
filled with stone and grief and ash:

some spoke adifferent language--
still no one missed a phrase;
the soot had softened every face
of every shade and age--

"the greatest generation" ?--
we wondered where they'd gone--
they hadn't left directions
how to find our nation-home:

for thirty years we saw few signs,
but now in swirls of dust,
they were alive--they had survived--
we saw that they were us.

Growing Old

As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself and less critical of  myself. I've become my own friend.. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before  they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM or sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's and if I, at the same time, wish  to weep over a lost love .. I will.  I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. 

I know I am sometimes forgetful.  But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I  eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not  break when you lose a loved one or when a child suffers or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken  hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will  never know the joy of being imperfect.


I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray and to have my youthful laughs be forever  etched into deep grooves on my face.  So many have never laughed and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore.. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I  like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever but while I am still here I will not waste time lamenting what could  have been or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert  every single day (if I feel like it).

---received this in an email and had to share! (even though I'm not old)!!!!