Meat Loaf Cupcakes.

Yummy! I got the idea from a friend of mine who got the idea from Pinterest. I am not a big meatloaf lover but I did pick up a packet of McCormick Meatloaf seasonings a few weeks back. So I figured I would make it. Everyone loved it, the kids had multiple servings and loved that they were in the cupcake wrappers (which are reusable!) and that they got to pick what color they wanted. Also didnt hurt that they cooked in about 20 minutes and I served with a salad so it was a very simple and delicious dinner.

~Recipe~
McCormick Meatloaf seasoning packet
2 pounds ground beef (or you can use turkey)
2 eggs; lightly beaten
1/2  cup milk
1/4 dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup ketchup, tomato soup

Preheat oven according to package directions 375, I did 350
Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Seperate into muffin pan, cupcake wrappers, whatever you wish. I also have a mini heart cake pan that i have used previously. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Eat and enjoy. :D

Note. I cut the recipe in half and used 1/2 the packet. I knew my family wouldnt eat 2 pounds of meatloaf so I made one pound and there were no leftovers. I still have enough seasoning to make another meal out of it in the near future. 

My JoJo Bear.

Most of the excitement around here lately has been centered around Teddi. Here is a post about my JoJo. She is the complete Opposite of Teddi. She is very shy, reserved, quiet, sneaky, She is also a Practical Joker, with tons of funny quirks and personality traits that are so amazing. She 100%  brightens any day. It is so hard to believe that I will be planning her 3rd birthday in a month. Some days I feel like she is turning 4 and then others I feel like she is still my little baby.  One of my Fav quirks so to speak that she has is she HATES to be called Princess. If you call her a princess she will ball her hands into fists tilt her head down and in a growly voice tell you " I am NOT a Princessesa!!!!" She adds the A at the end, I think for dramatical purposes :p My mom believes that we all have had previous lives. She thinks that Josie must have been a high woman of power in a previous life and to her the term princess is an insult to what she is capable of. She says how else do you explain a little girl who Hates the word "princess" with such passion?! It does make sense in a weird way....lol. She is totally a Mama's girl. Although she has Dad wrapped her tiny little finger. She is also afraid of the dark. She has to go to sleep with the light on, we shut it off when we go to bed, 99% of the time when I wake up her light is back on from her waking up in the middle of the night. Sometimes if she doesnt want to get out of bed to turn the light back on she will cry for me to come and turn it on. She has been afraid of the dark basically since she was born. We had to have night lights in her room. But as she got older those stopped "cutting" it and now the overhead light needs to be on. I love her shyness and reservedness and little things about her that are just part of who she is. Every kid is different in my case my girls are as different as Night and Day. I had one friend one time when commenting about her Shyness say "make me wonder what happened to her" LOL nothing happened to her, she is the way she is and she is perfect. I never have to worry about her going off with a stranger LOL, where as Teddi introduces herself to every person she meets whether on a sidewalk or in a store. Josie just sticks closer to me or dad when people are around. I have my Princess Teddi and I have my TomBoy Josie. I love my Midgets with everything I have.

Deliciously Simple Pork

This is the easiest way to cook pork chops, you can use bone in or out and they are oh soooo good and makes the house smell like apple pie! Yummy!!!!!!!!!!

~recipe~
 pork chops
4 medium apples
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lay the pork chops in a crock pot (cook on low 6 hours) or in a casserole dish (cook at 300 for about 2 hours) in a single layer, cover with sliced apples, mix all the seasonings together and sprinkle on top of apples. Layer more pork chops, cover with apples, sprinkle with seasoning. Do this as many times as needed. Cover, cook and enjoy!!!!!!! :D

Brown Sugar Wheat Sugar Cookies.

These are my new absolute favorite cookie. The texture alone is wonderful. They are so flaky and delicious with a wonderful glaze to top them off with. The photo does NOT do them justice please make them and try them for yourself. Here is the oh so easy recipe!!!

~Recipe~
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup vegi shortening (not Oil)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 egg white
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon orange rind (optional)

Cream the sugars and shortening together. add the extracts and orange, add the dry ingredients and egg white.  The cookie dough is going to be pretty "runny" not like normal cookie dough. Refridgerate for 4 hours.

preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. (you can also grease the pan but I find that parchment paper makes for much better cookies) Form into balls or use a spoon and lightly dump onto pan. bake until brown About 20 minutes give or take a few depending on your oven.

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
water

Add all ingredients and whisk together, add the water last and keep an eye on the consistancy. you want it kind of thick.

Spoon the glaze onto warm cookies and let it run where it will. it will harden as the cookies cool.

Eat and enjoy! If you make these please let me know what you think. I LOVE them! :D

Tooth Fairy!

As if turning 5 was not a big enough deal for this Mama, she went and lost her tooth a week later! Her other bottom front tooth is loose too and will be falling out within a few weeks. My beautiful little toothless wonder :D The tooth fairy came and visited her which of course made her whole year! Nate went to the bank and asked the teller "What is the going rate for the tooth fairy these days?" She asked if the child had been good, of course Nate said Yes! He traded a $5 bill for some beautiful Gold coins (the kind tooth fairies give out in the movies and commercials with their big bag of coins, it is much more believable that way) Then we debated on how much her tooth was worth. I initially threw out that $2 was good, we ended giving her the whole $5 worth of coins. We decided since she will lose about 16 teeth (we dont really know how many kids lose and have not "Googled" it yet) That over the next few years we can handle $5 a tooth, what a lucky little midget! I got a dollar and Nate got a Quarter when we were kids. We also told Teddi that when you lose a tooth you have to put a note on your door so that the tooth fairy knows to stop. It was Nate's idea because that way when she gets older and loses a tooth and decides not to tell us we will see the note and know that the tooth fairy has some work to do that night.  We woke up the next morning to Teddi Dancing and screaming in joy that the tooth fairy actually came! It was sooooooo cute! She called the whole family the day she lost her tooth and told everyone what a big girl she was. She is growing up too fast in case anyone is curious how I feel about this LOL. I am so proud of my big girl and I love her gape toothed grin. Melts my heart.

My Baby is 5!

WOW I can not believe my little Teddi Bear is 5 years old. I cried when she turned 1. 2, 3, & 4 were no problem but 5, FIVE holy buckets this one is a biggy (for me) We did her family birthday dinner and presents on her real birthday. In my family we always got 1 big present and then smaller presents. Teddi's big gift was the Leapfrog Leap Pad. She LOVES it. When she opened it she got all super duper excited couldnt believe she was getting one, then straight face and calm looks at us and asks "what is it?" We were laughing so hard! She plays with it all the time. :o) She has even taught her younger sister how to use it. I can hardly believe how well Teddi is sharing her gift. The minute Josie wants to play with it Teddi says "ok but then it is my turn" Is this a sign that the 5s are better than the 4s?? The 4s are rough, only someone with a 4 year old knows what I am talking about. My friend Sara put it perfectly that it is all the emotions that they are learning and experiencing and like Teenagers they just can not handle them. It is like they have a million split personalities some with bipolar disorder and some of those personalities you would swear like to drink! LOL JK :P  The next day we did her friends birthday Party! It was so much fun! We decided to do a bonfire so that the kiddos could roast their own hotdogs and marshmallows, we had TONS of Balls everywhere, bubbles, chalk, and a big yard for them to run in. The theme was Monster High, I had a large wall poster that we put up on the garage, hanging thingies that we hung outside, and I made homemade cupcakes and decorated them to look like the monster high skull with the pink bow.

I started running out of time on the skulls and had to rush them a little bit, next time I will give myself more time, but I think they turned out pretty good. The kids at least were quite impressed! Teddi got almost all the Lala Loopsies that were on her list and some new barbies that went with her Barbie Movies (they make the cutest movies!!!) She was on cloud nine and had such an amazing time.  I did learn why people hire someone to take photos at parties, I was so busy hosting and running around everywhere that I only got pictures of her opening presents. Those pics did not turn out to well because Teddi kept getting mad at the wind blowing over her presents so she has a scowl in most of the photos LOL. Next time I am designating a photographer or paying someone.  Not only did Teddi get to see people near and dear to her heart, but I got to see people that I do not know what I would do without! I am a million percent sure I have the most amazing friends. Having them here to support me so to speak and to celebrate my daughter's birthday meant so much to me. Kids birthdays are not always the most exciting thing in the world but to know that I have people in my life who care enough to come spend the day with me well it meant the world to me. A couple of my friends even made me tear up! I am such a baby! When I had kids one of my biggest fears was that I would lose friends because I was no longer able to be the girl they called on to go and party, luckly for me, my friends and I have made it work. I found this quote that sums it all up so perfectly! "Much of the vitality in a friendship lies in the honouring of differences, not simply in the enjoyment of similarities." James L Fredericks. My bestie Chelsea and I were talking one of the last times we were together and part of why we have never arugued and are able to just be there for eachother and have fun where ever we are is because she could never do/want to do what i do and I could never do nor do i want to do what she does.  It is a recipe for Perfection!  I think sometimes everyone needs a reminder of the people in their lives that are there for them & Love them and this past weekend was def a reminder for me.

My Little Teddi also had another birthday surprise for me that she woke me up for on Sunday. She has TWO LOOSE TEETH!!!!!!! Are you kidding me! Talk about mommy's baby is growing up too fast heartbreak. Nate picked up some $1 coins for when it falls out, which we are sure will be super soon since we can see the adult tooth has already broken through the gum line behind the loose tooth. I thought kids did this closer to 6 years old not 2 days after their 5th birthday! I remember when she was just a little midget curled up in my arms while I fed her. Thinking Wow she is mine. Promising her to always love her and care for her and be the best mom I can be. She draws pictures of her family with hearts & rainbows all over the place and tells us stories, puts on shows with sweet songs and dances, she is a happy child. I couldnt have asked for more. I couldnt be happier with her. Even her sarcasm makes me proud. My Mom and I spoke when I was pregnant with her that we wanted her to be part of our family (I looked into adoption) and be sarcastic like us. She fits in perfectly!!!

Happy 5th Birthday to my Beautiful Theodora XoXo

 

Home Made Vanilla Extract!

YUMMY!!!!!!!! I recently found out you can make home made vanilla extract, I bake ALOT and go through insane amounts of Vanilla so of course I had to try this making it home made thing. it is so simple a monkey could do it. All you need is 2oz glass bottles with lids, whole vanilla beans, & Vodka. If you have ever purchased Vanilla Beans you know they are expensive if you buy them at the grocery store (2 beans is around $15) I looked online and found tons of awesome deals on Amazon. I purchased 16 whole Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans for a fraction of the cost if I had purchased them 2 at a time at the store. I also found a great deal on 12 pack of glass bottles with lids. 

Directions

Slice your beans down the middle, cut the bean length wise in 1/2 so it fits in the bottle.

Use a Funnel to pour the Vodka into the bottle. Seal with the lid and let sit in a cabinet for 2 months. Voila ready to use!  When you use some out of the bottle just replace what you used with more Vodka, your bottle should last roughly a year maybe longer depending on how much you use and refill, you will know when the taste has weakened.

I also put on of my beans in a jar of Sugar for Vanilla Sugar. This only takes about 48 hours for the sugar to become flavored. I also stuck a sliced bean in a jar of coffee. Not sure how it will turn out but what the heck worst case I keep using creamer LOL!

If you try this I would love to know how it turns out! You can buy labels and write down the date so you know when it was made and when it will be ready. I am going to go buy some labels tomorrow. These bottles will also make super cute gifts. I know my Mom is super excited!

Any bets on if I can actually wait the two month to try it or if I use it early? Patience is not my strong suit! :p 



My Fav Breakfast recipe.

This is kind of like a popover or as my midgets call is an Oven Pancake. It is sooooooooo easy and so good. You can add anything you want to it, seasonings, fruit, sugar, butter, the list could go on and on.
~Recipe~
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Butter or cooking spray
Yup that is all there is to it! I personally Love to add Vanilla, sugar, & Cinnamon. You can add any extract you want. Use brown sugar instead of granulated for a caramel taste to it. Anything!
If you are using butter place the butter in the pan when you preheat the oven and let it melt while the oven heats. If you are using the cooking spray just spray the pan.
Preheat oven to 425. whisk together all ingredients until smooth (dont over mix)  pour into an 8 inch round pan or an 8 inch square pan. I have found that metal pans work better but if dont have one you can use ceramic but it may take longer to bake.
Place in oven, set timer for 22 minutes DO NOT OPEN OVEN WHILE IT IS COOKING!!!!! It will rise up all nice and beautiful. It will deflate within a minute or two of being out of the oven. Cut it up and enjoy with warm maple syrup or jam. :D

Donut Loaf

Donut Loaf! Perfect breakfast or just a random treat :D
~Recipe
2 cups warm water
2/3 cups sugar plus two tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegi oil
6 cups bread flour
1/2 cup butter Melted
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.               
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.               
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Brush melted butter over loaves and sprinkle with two tablespoons of sugar and also cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes.

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla (or any flavoring, I really like Maple)
1/3 cup milk
cinnamon

Whisk together and pour over warm loaves. You can also melt chocolate and pour over or decorate with sprinkles.

Home made bread.

Making home made bread is very very simple. Here is the Basic recipe I use, I add things to it depending on what I want the bread for. The recipe is from the cookbook that came with my Kitchenaid. There are tons of bread recipes available in any cookbook but this one is Fool Proof and quick to make, you do not need to proof the yeast in this recipe.



~Recipe~
6 to 7 Cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup softened butter
2 cups very warm water 120-130 degrees

Place 5 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast and butter in mixing bowl. Attach dough hook and bowl to mixer. (if you do not have a kitchenaid and/or dough hook use a whick or wooden spoon to get the ingredients meshed together) turn to speed 2 for about 20 seconds. Gradually add the warm water and mix about 1 1/2 minutes longer.
Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. and mix unil dough clings to sides of bowl. (I use all 7 cups of flour and a little over 2 cups of water. I like my dough really moist but still a solid mass. your dough is ready to go when it feels almost like playdough. Stays in a ball and is moist but not dry. If you do not have a kitchenaid and are doing this by hand, knead the dough for about 10 minutes, add enough water to make it a mass of all of the ingredients then dip your hands in the water to moisten the dough and continue kneading it.) Allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 20 minutes cover with a towel or plastic wrap. (it will rise during this 20 minutes)
divide dough into 2 halves and shape into loaf and place in greased loaf pan cover with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to rise at room temp for 1-2 hours or in the fridge over night. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until you can knock on it and it sounds hollow.

~To make Cinnamon sugar bread roll out into a rectangle like shape (long but not wider then your bread pan) Sprinkle Cinnamon and Sugar and roll up like a Jelly roll. (you can also add raisins if you want!) spray your loaf pan and place the bread roll in it. spray the bread with the nonstick spray (if you are using baking spray) Otherwise melt some butter and brush it on top. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with more cinnamon and Sugar.   Allow to rise at room temp for about 45 minutes or in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until you knock on it and it sounds hollow.
**Note**  Yeast feeds off of Sugar so this bread will rise very fast so keep an eye on it to decide when it is ready to bake.

Easy dinner idea with Home Made Bread!

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato soup!
Slice your homemade bread into slices (you can do this when it is still warm if you do not want to wait for it to cool, I rarely wait) Spread with butter and add cheese and grill to perfection. Your slices will not come our perfect, do not worry about that. I personally like the rustic taste and look to making these with fresh out of the oven home made bread. They are the perfect mix of Crunchy, melt in your mouth goodness :D
Enjoy!!!!!!!!

**Note** you can also add Salt and Pepper to your loaf of bread before baking, sprinkle a tad bit of sugar with the salt just to keep the yeast alive and feeding the salt will dehydrate the yeast so to speak so you want sugar for the yeast to eat. You can add it straight into the dough or sprinkle the top with Salt and Pepper before baking. Spray some nonstick baking spray so that the Salt and Pepper have something to adhere to.