Is It A Bird, A Plane.........

As a child, I was a total comic book fiend!!!!  I collected every comic book I could find of........... SUPER HEROES!!!  Yep, it's true!  Countless hours were spent reading about Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Captain America, Spiderman, Fantastic Four and.......................The Avengers!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was totally taken in by these comic books and had hundreds of them stacked up in my bedroom....just ask my mom!!!!!!  I couldn't read enough of them as a child...yep I was a total bookworm no matter what form of book it was. :)

So why is this important??  Hahaha..........well this Wednesday Bman and I will be going to the movie theater to see....................

I can't wait!!!!!!!!!  No cooking this week for us, nope we plan to enjoy some popcorn, soda and all the Super Heroes we could possibly want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The only down side.......she won't let me wear my costume!!

Do You Like Spicy?

This recipe is one of Bman's favorites...so if you like spicy, you might want to give it a try!  Just don't overcook or it will be dry! 


Buffalo Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (Bman uses 4 or 5 tablespoons)
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix the sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and parsley in a large bowl until combined; stir in the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and hot pepper sauce. Mix in the chicken broth, a little at a time, and gently stir in the rice and cooked chicken. Scrape into a 2-quart casserole dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is browned and the rice is tender, about 1 hour.

It's Been....

Yep, one year of cooking lessons for my youngest daughter, Bman!!!  Whoo Hoo!!!  She's come a long way and I am so proud for her!!!! 

So now we're off to begin year two of our weekly cooking lessons!!!  We now have four fabulous cooks in our family.

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!!

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!

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.