A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

Seriously, how much Mexican food can one family eat? Some of my favorite Mexican  food is the simple "authentic" kind.  Not the Tex-Mex that most of us are used to. By simple I mean . . . simple.  Yummy flavors that pop. Minimal ingredients that are maximum on taste. And finally, not covered in yellow, stringy, gooey cheese (like Tex-Mex can be). Here's a recipe for authentic chicken tacos.  You might see it called pollo asado, which means "roasted or grilled chicken."  That's pretty simple! Chicken Tacos Choose what type of chicken you're going to use.  It does need to be with the bone and skin. I used quarters (which includes the leg and thigh).  My package of quarters had 3 quarters -- which was enough for my family of 4. Marinade : 1/2 cup of olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1/3 cup lime juice 2 lemons, juiced 2 tsp. vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper Pour the marinade o...

 City livin' can be for the birds!  Sometimes you have to go out and create your own fun!  . . .and that always involves b.b guns! My girl cherub -- waiting her turn.  My boy cherub -- walkin' to the shootin' line. To make it fair, everybody shoots from the same spot!  Lookin' down the barrel as my girl cherub takes aim. Not one of my cherub's -- but he could be!  I'm old enough to be his mother!  That's devastating! He's a college kid that's livin' with us this Summer. My cherub's L.O.V.E havin' him here! My boy cherub -- using his sister's pink gun! All man-hood has been put aside! 

Who, in the right mind, wants to cook when it's so hot outside? The thought of turning on the stove can make you go insane. Not to mention the oven! At our house, in the Summer, if it can't go on the grill, then we don't have it. Until now! I remembered, in the garage, in a box, down on the bottom shelf was this! The roaster oven! It's transformed our Summer menu! I've roasted a turkey in it this weekend. Then I made or turkey and dressing casserole. Then I baked the blackberry cobbler in it. I could go on and on, but for sake of boredom, I won't! The point is this:  the roaster oven is a great! Pros: Works like your oven But doesn't heat up your house Easy to clean up Cons: It's bulky -- so storing it can be an issue when not in use Only holds one 9X13 pan -- so industrial-sized cooking isn't an option There you have it -- the pros win!  And so will you if you use a ...

Friday morning, as the Mr. and I are driving back home from taking the car to the shop, I say: "What do you want to do today?" His reply: "Well, if you don't have anything planned, I can rip the tile up in the kids bathroom." "And then do what?" (Why did I ask?) "I can get the new tile laid." Really? He's never laid tile before. Guess what went on around our house on Saturday? Old tile gone and the game plan made for the new tile. Using the tools of his friend, the Mr. tackles his project. Well, using his friend too!  And the gutter people come today. Of course!  My little cherub wants to decorate the extra cookies that I had left over. Because I made birthday cupcake cookies for my friend's birthday! Whatever happened to "nothing to do on a Saturday?"

When we got back from vacation, we've made the commitment to get back to better eating;  more fruits and veggies, grilled lean meats,  . . . and chocolate cake! After all, you need something to wash the cold skim milk down with! Chocolate Cake 1 package chocolate cake mix 1 small package instant chocolate pudding 1 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract* 1 cup chocolate chips Chocolate Frosting 1 stick butter 3 TBSP cocoa powder 4 TBSP milk 1 tsp. vanilla* 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Mix cake mix and next 5 ingredients with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Stopping to scrape down sides, if necessary.  Gently stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake for 38-42 minutes or until done.  Test for doneness:  when cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. For frosting: Place butter, coc...

My little cherub was watching the Food Network, when the show chef made stuffed tomatoes. Ever since then, that's been my cherub's request. Doesn't that seem strange? While at the store I grabbed some large tomatoes and it thrilled her soul! Today, after swimming, she decided that a stuffed tomato would be a great lunch. Together, we made her first-ever stuffed tomato. It was simple; but that's what she wanted. "Momma, I wish we would have done this sooner this Summer.  This is delicious!"  When it's their idea -- it's so much tastier! Stuffed Tomatoes 2 large, ripe tomatoes Salt 1/2 cup bread crumbs Freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the top off of the tomato and scoop out pulp and seeds. Salt insides and rest upside down on a paper towel for about 15 minutes to drain. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pepper, grated Parmesan and oil. Stu...

This is the real stuff. Not angel food cake with some strawberries.  Which, by the way, I dearly enjoy. This is shortcake -- delicious and tender.  Baked to perfection, cooled just a bit; split open and piled with fresh strawberries. I would have taken a picture of the shortcake while making them -- but it's hard to operate a camera with shortcake dough stuck to your fingers! Shortcakes * 1 1/2 cups flour 2 TBSP sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/3 tsp. cream of tartar 1/2 cup butter* 1/3 cup heavy cream* 1 egg, beaten Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar.  Stir until incorporated. With a pastry blender, mix in butter until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in cream and beaten egg.  With a fork, stir until well mixed, but not over stirring. Flour a surface and dump the dough on the flour.  Knead the dough for about 2 minutes until your dough is not longer sticky. Using a biscuit cutter or knife, cut into desired size/sha...

I'll say it again. We love Mexican food. There are so many dishes that I'd love to learn to make. But when we're hungry -- that's not necessarily the time to try something new! Tonight was a Mexican kind of night. I'm not sure what constitutes a "Mexican kind of night" but I'm certain that's what was happening around our house. Here's a quick throw together that I made. It's my own recipe and it's as adjustable as you want it to be! Creamy Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup green salsa 1/2 of an onion, chopped grilled chicken, chopped 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 small can green chilies, drained 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese tortillas (for gluten free, use corn tortillas) Put everything except the tortillas in a bowl and stir until well incorporated.  Taste it -- do you like it?  Make any adjustments at this point.  You may want more salsa or throw in some cumin...

I've always finished the pickles and poured the pickle juice down the drain. I didn't know there could be other purposes for pickle juice. Then, in the same weekend, I learned there are two new uses for the juice . It's amazing! First, and really the only legitimate use for the leftover pickle juice , is to use it to thin out mustard.  You know, when you get towards the end of the bottle of mustard and it's hard to get any out.  That's when you put in a little bit of pickle juice to help! Really!  That's pretty cool!  I didn't know you could dilute mustard with pickle juice! I asked my friend how she knew that!  "I used to work at Dairy Queen.  That's what we always did!" Well!  If it's good enough for "The Dairy Queen" then it's good enough for me! The second use for pickle juice was told to my little cherub by our dear family friend.  This is what she used to do when she was a little kid.  To quote her, ...

It's hot. H.O.T ! There are no other words for it. You can try not complain about it. You can try to ignore it. It doesn't matter what you do - there's not getting around it. It's H.O.T! But guess what's coming! BRRRR!  I can't wait!

I had Oreo's in the cabinet. I don't usually buy Oreo's unless I need them for a recipe. These Oreo's were a "gift!"  They had sat there long enough that I decided I'd do something with them. So here's my little concoction. I'm not sure if it's a new favorite of mine or not -- but the Mr. and two Cherubs really loved it. Chocolate Oreo Cream Cheese Bars Cake Layer 1 cake mix; I used milk chocolate 2 eggs 1 stick of butter, melted Oreo cookies, broken Cream Cheese Mixture 1 package cream cheese, softened 2 eggs 4 cups powdered sugar (1 pound) 1-2 tsp. vanilla, depending on taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, 2 eggs, and butter together.  You'll have a very stiff dough. Grease a 9X13 pan and press the dough into the pan evenly. Using your hands, break the Oreo's and evenly sprinkle them on top of the dough.  I used 15-20 cookies; you can use as much ...

OK -- so 4th of July is over but this little firecracker craft is too cute not to show. It's easy to put together and your kiddos will have fun doing it . . .next year!  My youngest cherub made this during Sunday School.  That tells you 1) it's a fast craft and 2) perfection isn't necessary. Supplies : Lifesaver rolls Red, White, Blue electrical tape Sparkler picks (found at craft stores.  Now would be a good time to get these -- they'll be on sale!) Wrap the lifesaver rolls with electrical tape, alternating colors, as seen in the photo. Stick the sparkler pick in the top! Celebrate!

Not only will you say, "Ooh and Aah!" But you'll also say, "MMM!" These firecracker cupcakes will be a hit! They're easy to make, but truthfully, the icing is a bit time consuming to do. If you decide to make these, you'll need a #233 icing tip and an icing bag. Easy Cake Recipe 1 boxed cake mix 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup of oil 1/2 cup of water 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla (or almond or butternut or whatever goes well with your cake) Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix 1 minute on low, to incorporate ingredients.  Scrap down sides and mix 2 minutes on medium speed. Line a muffin tin with liners.  Fill cups 2/3 full.  Using a cookie scoop makes for easy and even filling! Bake 18-23 minutes or until done. Cool completely. Buttercream Frosting 1/2 cup of butter, softened 1/2 cup of shortening 3-4 cups of sifted powdered sugar 1-2 tsp. of vanilla 2 TBSP milk Cream butter and shortening together.  Begin adding powdered sugar ...

I love potato salad and so does the Mr. and the cherubs! The best recipe only recipe I make of potato salad is from my mother-in-law. Since Independence Day is just around the corner; a day where family and friends gather under the giant oak trees for the iconic 4th of July picnic celebrating the occasion with good food, family and friends, I thought I'd give this recipe for you to enjoy!  Not my picture! But it does resemble my potato salad! Potato Salad for a Crowd 5 lbs. potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and diced (I've used white, red, and yukon gold potatoes) 1 dozen eggs, boiled and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped (sweet or purple onion) 1 cup sweet relish 2 oz jar pimento, drained 1 tsp. celery seed 2 TBSP sugar 2 TBSP vinegar 2 cups mayonnaise (or miracle whip, if that's what you like.  I only use real mayo) 1/4 cup mustard 1tsp. salt (or to taste) 1 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder Have all of the ingredients prepared...