Preschool Class Photos. Are you ready to giggle???

 A mom from preschool called me the other day to ask if I had logged on to see the preschool photos, that had been taken the week before.  I hadn't.  She told me that Logan's picture was very funny.  How right she was, I can't stop smiling when I look at this picture of my sweet little 3 year old.  This is her, in a nutshell (Superman t-shirt and all)!

 Logan Elizabeth, age 3 

She is hilarious.  She asks a lot of questions.

She is so very sweet to her baby brother, Benny.

She loves to run, jump, play catch, kick the

soccer ball, read books and watch 'toonies'.

 She can also be kind of serious.  And by serious I mean 'girl can
seriously strike a JC Penney's photo studio pose like non other'!

 I love that the class photos were actually taken outside, verses the
drop screen 'outside scene' we are all too familiar with
(cue the painted fall foliage scene...that kills me!)

These are the days I treasure (although I have said that since the day

she was born), I just love my little sweets.  She gives me a run for

my money, most days, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Logan and Benny make today what it is, a wonderful and blessed

Mother's Day!

Is it just me, or does Ellen need the top photo for a segment?

Chicken Marsala Parcels

I really wanted to make Chicken Marsala, but didn't want to make it the way I always 

make it: with pasta or smashed potatoes...so I looked to my favzy box of frozen pastry 

and decided it would be the perfect addition to the wine drenched chicken breasts.

First, butterfly and pound chicken breasts, between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

You will need 2 pounded chicken breasts, for this recipe.

Remove the pounded chicken breasts from plastic wrap and dredge in:

1/3 c. flour

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

heat 2 T oil in a saute pan, over medium heat

brown the dredged chicken breasts, remove from pan once cooked through 

(a few minutes on each side)

After you finish browning all of the chicken breasts (add a splash of oil to the pan

between each browning process, if needed), add the following to the pan, leaving

all the brown bits from the chicken in the pan:

1 T. butter

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

Cook the onions for a couple minutes.

To the onions add 1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms.  Continue

cooking cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender.

to the pan add:

1 cup Marsala wine and 1 cup chicken stock, heat until simmering then add:

roux (in a cup mix 1 T. flour with 2 T. chicken stock, use a fork to 

combined into a chunk-free slurry which will thicken the sauce)

1 T. brown sugar

4 T butter

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Continue to simmer the wine sauce, allowing the flavors to meld and sauce to thicken. 

 Then return the chicken, cut up into bite size chunks, to the pan. 

 Remove the chicken and sauce from heat and allow to cool completely, before 

wrapping in the puff pastries (this can be done the night before...chill in
the refrigerator, and pull out when you are ready to assemble the parcels)

 Puff Pastry.  Find it in the freezer section at the market.  Remove the 

puff pastry from the freezer the night before, place in the refrigerator. Pull out
of the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before assembling the marsala parcels

Use a rolling pin to lightly roll out each rectangle of pastry 

(2 rectangles of pastry, per box).

Then, have completely cooled chicken and sauce, 

along with shredded mozzarella ready to go.

Use a pizza wheel to cut the pastry into 2" by 3" sections. Place

a scoop of chicken and sauce in the middle of the pastry, and top

with a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella.  Keep the edges of the

pastry free of chicken and sauce.

 Top with another piece of pastry, 2" by 3" (this does not have to

be exact, at all) and press edges from top and bottom pastry together,

using the pad of your finger (or use the prongs of a fork).

Continue making parcels, until you run out of pastry.  Then gently

brush the top of each parcel with an egg wash (1 egg white, 2 T. water)

and if desired, crack black pepper and sea salt the tops.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

Yum!!!

last minute I decided the parcels needed a sauce on top...so in a saucepan I heated to boil:

1 cup Marsala wine

1 cup chicken stock

Roux (mix 2 T. butter & 1 T flour together into paste, before adding to

 the heated wine/stock, this will thicken the sauce- I used butter this time
to add a little richness to the sauce)

2 T. brown sugar

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste 

(why yes, this is the same thing the chicken, onions and mushrooms are 

soaking in, it needed to happen!)

Once the sauce boils for a couple of minutes, allowing the roux to fully cook through, 

reduce heat to simmer for a couple more minutes and it will be thick and delish.

I served the parcels with a loaded green salad and wild rice.

Cozy Baby Blanket and Burp Cloths

If you have to walk around with a burp cloth on your shoulder (hello, motherhood)...it might as well look fantastic.  

Cue, these adorbsFest chevron cloths.  They are scrumptious.  

Soft and absorbent to boot.  Could you ask for more, in this department?  

I think not. 

The cloths are backed with cuddle fleece 

(which I like to refer to as the hobnail of fabrics...looooove)!

I love chevron.  I appears to be wicked on point right now, as I feel like I see it everywhere!  But, I think chevron/zig zag is a classic pattern that will always mix with what you are working.  Yes, I even think of this stuff, when picking out fabrics for something simple like a colorful stack of burp cloths.  Cannot help it. 

I am pairing the burp cloths with a cozy blanket, coated in a pattern of vintage style bicycles.  

 The blanket is also backed the the cuddle fleece.  Perfect for snuggling.

The littles and I are leaving on a jet plane in a few days, so Logan can be present at her best friend's birthday party (I will do all in my power to never miss this party!).  While we are there, we will pop in and see another friend, who is going to have her second baby...any day now!  I just know she will love these, as much as I do. 

Caramel Coated PIRATE'S BOOTY

ArrrrrrMazing!

Place 9 cups of Aged White Cheddar Pirate's Booty in a roasting pan
 (or split on two sheet trays, if you do not have a roasting pan).

 In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp sea salt

Heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

 

Keep the saucepan on the heat, and quickly stir in 1 tsp baking soda.

Making sure all bits of baking soda are fully stirred in.

 The baking soda will really make the sauce bubbly, this is why you

must use a large sauce pan.  

 Pour the hot caramel over the Pirate's Booty

 

Toss the Booty, until each piece is coated.  Pop in a 250 degree, 

preheated oven, and bake for 40 minutes (removing pan every 10

minutes to stir)

 Place a large piece of parchment paper* on the counter, and pour the

caramel-coated-puffs-of-heaven out, pulling apart big chunks, as they 

will harden up while resting on the parchment.  

Once cool, store in an air tight container or bag.

This stuff will certainly please a crowd! 

* PARCHMENT PAPER IS NOT THE SAME AS WAX PAPER*

The Weekend Home I Dream About

We had a picnic along a babbling brook and I instantly fell in love and started dreaming about the place across the water.  It was just dreamy!  I snapped this picture, so I can keep dreaming...who knows, maybe someday I will have a little weekend getaway, just like this.  A girl can dream, right?

There was even a hammock slung down by the water, so I did feel slightly taunted by these homeowners, as I live for a hammock. 

Lasagna Bread Bakers

All the goodness of lasagna, piled high on french bread...need I say more? 

In a large skillet heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add:

1 lb ground beef, bison or turkey

1/3 cup onion

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

 

After the meat-of-choice is browned add 3 cups of marinara, 

1 T. tomato paste and 2 T agave nectar. 

This creates an exceptional bolognese sauce.  Set aside. 

You can even make the night before and pop in the refrigerator.

 In a bowl mix 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/3 c finely shredded parmesan.

(the stuff in the green can will work just fine...promise!)

To the cheese add 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp onion powder, 

1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt.

Cut one loaf of french bread in half.  Be smarter than me and transfer

the cut bread to the baking sheet, at this point.

 Top with the cheese mixture.

Then top with the bolognese sauce.

Then top with a mix of equal parts shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the cheese on top is bubbly and starting to brown.

Use a pizza wheel to cut into chunks and serve with a green salad.  

This is sure to please everyone!

(and is a great way to use up bolognese leftovers, if you have them on hand!)

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Pretzely 'Easter Eggs'

I was spreading peanut butter on some crackers for my little sweets, remembering 

that peanut butter crackers are the second best thing to peanut butter pretzels 

(in the peanut butter department).  Well thank the lawdy for some little elves living 

in a tree, as they were wise enough make straight up pretzel crackers...not pretzel thins.  

These are pretzel on one side and butter cracker on the other.  Amazing!  Of course 

I then remembered that chocolate makes almost anything better, 

so I give you my 'gas station style' Easter egg treat!

What you need:

pretzel crackers

peanut butter

semi-sweet chocolate chips

On a nonstick surface (parchment paper or Silpat)

place crackers, pretzel side down, and spread with

peanut butter.

 

Pop the chocolate chips in the microwave for 25 seconds at a time,

this is after 2 spins in the microwave (stirring after 25)

This is after the third spin in the microwave (3-25 second spins)

This is after the fourth spin in the microwave (4-25 second spins)

For every peanut butter cracker, you need a cracker mate.  Spread

the melted chocolate on the cracker side of each mate.

Sandwich the chocolate cracker with the peanut butter cracker.

Same chocolate melting steps, but 3-25 second spins in the microwave,

as I melted less chocolate.  Transfer melted chocolate to a bottle.  I have

a few squirt bottles, one from the grocery store (pictured), and a couple

from a baking/restaurant supply store...you can even find them at a 99 cent 

shop. I only let the chocolate fall to the bottom of the bottle, for this pic.  

otherwise, I work  to keep it at the top, filling bottle on it's side...it is easier 

than knocking the bottle on the counter until all the chocolate is back at the top...

which you want before 'decorating the eggs', to avoid air bubbles.

No rhyme or reason to the 'decorating'...just make sure the chocolate

is at the top of the bottle to avoid air bubbles.

After each 'egg' had a bit of decoration, I popped the tray in the 

refrigerator.  An hour later the chocolate was set.

Reason #24 that you need to raid the kitchen aisle at TJ Maxx...

a ceramic egg tray!