It could have been worse...

Last night Mark and I went to bed a little later than usual.  We are getting old and I'm exhausted by 10:00, but I was repackaging 40 pounds of ground beef and it took longer than I expected.  It was 11:00 when we climbed into bed.  At 11:20 Mark jumped out of bed, turned on the closet light and I could hear him getting dressed.  As he was heading out the door I asked what was wrong.  He said, "Something is on fire."  I didn't smell anything and was comfortably in bed so I laid there for a bit.  A few minutes later I heard him come back in the door and go to the kitchen.  I got up and followed him around sniffing areas of the apartment.  He had walked around our building outside and didn't see smoke or anything unusual.  We have a neighbor behind us that smokes.  We can smell every cigarette that gets lit up.  Their garage borders our kitchen and the boys bedroom.  As we sniffed around all of the rooms we could tell that the smell was coming from the neighbors garage and it wasn't the smell of cigarettes.  It was definitely a fire.  I asked Mark to go out one more time and just double check.  He was outside for a loooooooong time so I got dressed and went out to see what was going on.  There were red lights flashing and the fire department was already there.  Mark had felt their garage door and it was hot, unlike the others.  He knew there was a fire but the neighbors didn't answer the door.  He had some different neighbors call 911 while he alerted others.  The firefighters had to pop the garage door open.  Apparently there was a plastic trashcan that had smoldered (starting with a cigarette butt) and the fire was just starting to spread to more combustible things - some shirts and a couch were nearby.  They got the fire out just in time.  If Mark hadn't smelled a difference and investigated a bit it could have been devastating for our building.  Brett, Evan and Adam were sleeping just on the other side of the wall.  My heart was racing last night at the thought of what could have happened.  Mark and I both said a prayer of thanksgiving for the protection we had and for the quick response of the fire department.

So today we made some cookies and wrote a thank you card to take to the fire station.  Apparently it was a slow day and they were happy to give us a tour and let us have a turn spraying the fire hose.  Here are some pictures from our unplanned, but fun, afternoon at Fire House 63.  These firefighters were AWESOME!

More Pinterest recipes that we have tried

Here are the latest new recipes that we have tried.  Most were a hit!

White Texas Sheet Cake - http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/white-texas-sheet-cake-with-chocolate-fudge-frosting/
This cake tasted good, but the texture wasn't good.  It was pretty dense - not sure what I did wrong.  The icing was delicious.  Will probably just stick to regular Texas Sheet Cake next time.

Coconut Toffee Chocolate Chip Bars - http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/04/coconut-toffee-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/
Oh my!  These bars are DELICIOUS!!  Brett said they were a glorified Seven Layer Bar.  We will definitely make these again.  They would be perfect for a picnic or BBQ.

Easy Homemade French Bread - http://www.dealstomeals.blogspot.jp/2009/03/blog-post_09.html
WOW!  This is by far the best French bread recipe that I have ever made.  For lunch the next day the kids just wanted more bread dipped in olive oil, vinegar and seasoning.  We had enough for three meals and it stayed fresh for a couple of days.  We will be making this bread again but I am going to try it with wheat flour - at least half wheat next time.  Here are two of my loaves.  Doesn't look like the internet picture, but still fabulous!

Muffin Tin Mashed Potatoes - http://pinterest.com/pin/169166529725984745/
There is really no recipe for this.  I made garlic mashed potatoes: cooked red potatoes, garlic, butter, canned milk, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits.  Drop spoonful of potato in greased muffin tin and run fork over top for a design.  Spray with olive oil and bake until crisp.  YUMMY!!

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus - http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/04/parmesan-roasted-asparagus-recipe/
I made extra so Mark could have leftovers in his lunch the next day, but it got all gobbled up at dinner.  Everyone liked this.  Thumbs up.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes - http://www.caramelpotatoes.com/2011/10/13/crispy-smashed-potatoes/
These were okay.  We didn't cook them enough and I think they would have been better if they were crispier.  And we will put garlic salt or Italian seasoning or some other seasoning on them too.  They were kind of bland.

ENJOY!!

20 years later...

Last June, on our 19th wedding anniversary, I said something really silly.  I said, "Wouldn't it be fun if I could fit in my wedding dress on our 20th anniversary?"  Now there were two things wrong with that:
1.  Thinking that it could be a reality.
2.  I said it out loud and in front of Mark.  He thought it was a great idea.  Now I was committed. 

WHAT WAS I THINKING???

Last year, about 2 months before this all happened I started making some changes, both physical and mental.  I had already changed some eating habits (cut out white flour, decreased bread intake, cut back on white sugar, started drinking more water) and was exercising regularly again.  I started thinking differently about my body.  I started accepting that I'm getting older.  By my birthday this year I wanted to feel better about myself - not for anyone else, but for me.  I want to accept that I'm turning 39 and that my body has done some pretty amazing things over the last 18 years.  I want to love my body as much as Mark loves my body.  Why is that so hard for me?

I'm haven't met my goal yet about loving my body.  I honestly don't know if I will ever "love" it.  I never have, even when I was in the best shape of my life.  I have come a long way though.  I have reflected on each of my pregnancies and the miracles that I produced.  My body changed with each baby in a new and different way.  Gaining 30 pounds during the last trimester with Brett created stretch marks that go from my legs to my core.  Not pretty.  Some people call them "scars of a warrior" or "mommy badges" or whatever else.  I still don't like them and if I were to put my wants ahead of my childrens wants and needs I would spend the money to get a tummy tuck.  Maybe one day...or not.  Maybe by then I will have accepted them.

In May my mom sent me a box in the mail.  Her and my dad are cleaning house in preparation to move.  She was cleaning the attic and found a few of my things.  I opened the box and in it was my letterman's jacket, my dress from hand bell choir, and an old cheerleading uniform.  I laughed as I held it up and Kehli wanted to try it on.  It was quite loose on her (she's only 12 and stick thin).  She said enthusiastically, "Maybe it will fit you mom.  Look how baggy it is on me." I assured her that my shape had changed since high school.  Then another kid chimed in, "Maybe you can at least get it up over your bottom."   Thanks for the confidence girls!  Why torture myself so back into the box it went.

Then Mark brought home my wedding dress from storage.  It hung in the closet and I looked at it in the bag every time I  went through the closet for over a week.  I knew it wasn't going to fit and that was okay with me.  I remembered what I said last year about wanting to try it on but kept putting it off.  Mark said, "So you are just giving up?"  I hadn't given up, I just decided that being able to put on my wedding dress after 20 years just wasn't important.  It wouldn't change who I am or the goals that I already have.  I just wanted to accept that I am healthy and should appreciate my body for what it has done in the past and what it does for me today.  I could have gone on a crazy diet the last few months and lost another 10 pounds and it would have fit fine.  I would have been able to wear the dress until I started eating regular again.  But what is the point in that?

Last night I decided it was time to put on the dress.  I have been changing my thinking habits for over a year and I was okay with not being able to button up the dress.  I wanted to talk to my girls about the fact that we change as we age and it's okay.  I have never told them that I feel "fat" or that I exercise to be "skinny."  I try to always use the word "healthy" because I don't want them to have body image issues.  It's tough enough being a girl and the images of "perfect" that the media portrays are unrealistic. We do what we can to build their confidence and encourage them to be active and healthy.  It was okay for them to see me struggle to put on something that fit perfectly so long ago.

I put the dress on.  I pulled it up and called for Mark to come zip it up as much as possible.  He got the zipper up part way then started buttoning from the top down.  (Maybe I should have purchased a girdle - but that would have defeated the purpose I guess.)  He got about 10 buttoned then tried the zipper again.  This time I took a deep breath and he was able to get it to the middle of my back, where the zipper ends and the buttons begin.  It was pretty tight.  I teased that I was getting dizzy from lack of oxygen.  There was about 5 buttons in the middle that were not going to be able to loop.  I was fine with that.  Let's show the kids, take a picture and be done.  But Mark was determined.  He encouraged me with, "There's only about another 1/2 inch to go.  Take another deep breath."  He worked for a while and was able to get everything connected.  I danced around (because it was too tight to sit in) for the kids to see.  Erin just laughed at how tight it was.   Kehli and Kendall were fussing with the train wanting me to pose for more pictures when Erin chimed in with, "You guys, let mom go take that thing off.  Can't you see she can't breathe?"  Thanks for worrying about me Erin!

When we got that thing off I went and grabbed my old cheerleading uniform.  I figured that if my lungs were already bruised from buttoning up my wedding dress, what is the harm in squeezing into something else.  Thank heavens that uniform is made out of polyester and is probably 40 years old.  It had a lot of give to it.  In fact I think I have permanently stretched it out.  Oh well. 

My wedding dress and cheerleading uniform are all put away.  I don't ever have to do that again.  Yes, I was able to get them on, but they fit a lot differently.  I had to reposition rolls and push and pull areas around.  It was fun.  Mark was proud.  I don't feel any different and I think that's a good thing.  Now I'm ready to go to my Group Power class and continue just being healthy.  I have a ways to go still in my mentality about my body, but it's getting better and I just hope that my children develop positive body images and strive to be healthy.  We are only given one body so we have to do the best we can for it.

Links to new recipes

Here are some new recipes that we have tried.  I am just going to post the link and personal notes if any are applicable.  I think all of these have come through Pinterest.  ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Icing:
http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2010/11/snickerdoodle-cupcakes.html
These are DELICIOUS.  We will make them again and double the batch so we can share (or eat!) more.  A very moist cake and the icing is perfect.

Brussel Sprouts with red onion, bacon & avocado:
http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2012/11/15/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-red-onion-and-avocado/
Mark really liked this recipe.  Not all of our kids like avocado so they had to pick it out.  It took a little longer to make than I normally spend on a side dish, but Mark says it was well worth it.

Oven Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms:
http://www.thesweetslife.com/2009/12/oven-roasted-asparagus-and-mushrooms.html
I cooked ours in a skillet because our oven was busy with other dinner food.  Again, some kids don't like mushrooms so they just picked them out (as long as Mark wasn't looking)

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes:
http://recipesineed.com/scalloped-hasselback-potatoes/
These are a new favorite and we have made them a couple of times already.  I had to cook 6 potatoes so the cooking time was longer.  Mark said it was like eating candy at dinner.  They were great with pork chops or grilled steak and I had a leftover one for lunch the next day.  They are fabulous!

Parmesan Pull Apart Bread:
http://www.life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/2011/06/parmesan-pull-aparts.html
These were good and I actually just bought some more biscuits today to make these again.  The crunchy cheese in the pan is the best to pick in!

Parmesan Roasted Garlic Potatoes:
http://www.daydreamkitchen.com/2012/12/parmesan-garlic-roasted-potatoes/
These were good but had to roast for a long time to get crunchy on the outside.  Maybe I will turn up the heat next time and they will crunch up faster.  They were good.

Mississippi Roast:
http://bergecentral.blogspot.com/2011/01/mississippi-roast.html
This roast melts in your mouth and the juices make the BEST gravy.  Very tasty - will definitely make this again.

A few more new recipes...

I hate meatloaf.  It's probably the texture.  But Mark suggested it for our menu last week so I took to the internet to find a new recipe.  I thought baking them in muffin tins would help because there would be more crunch edge to squishy inside ratio.  This is a great recipe that everyone was a fan of, even me.  The sauce was delicious. and so were the mash potatoes that were suggested to serve with it.

 

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin (I just used ground beef)
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through. Serve meatloaf with Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese on the side.

Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese:
2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
8 ounces plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces
10 chives or 2 scallions, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. While the water boils and when the potatoes are cooking, you can be working on the meatloaf recipe.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Then add chives and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.


This next recipe is DELICIOUS!  This bread was moist and hearty. I will be making this many, many more times.

Oatmeal Honey Bread (from Joanne Gilles):
1 cup rolled oats
2 pkgs. yeast
1 T salt
1/2 cup honey
2 T butter, melted
5-6 cups flour

Pour 2 cups of boiling water over dry oats.  Let mixture stand until soaked.  In separate bowl, place yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water and let rise.  Add salt, honey and butter to soaked oats.  Stir in yeast.  Gradually add enough flour to make dough kneadable.  Knead  until dough is smooth and elastic.  Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with damp, warm towel, and let rise in warm area.  When double (approx. 1 1/2 hours), punch down, divide and shape into two loaves.  Top loaves with soft, drained mixture of oatmeal soaked in milk.  Bake for 50 minutes at 325 degrees.


Grammy's White Sheet Cake - this is the dessert that I made on St. Patrick's Day and added green food coloring to.  The comments say it melts in your mouth, but mine didn't do that - probably because I used wheat flour instead of white.  Mark said it tasted like cornbread with icing.  If I will it again I will use white flour because I think it should be good.   Some recipes just need white flour.  The kids ate it up.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2012/04/grannys-white-sheet-cake.html

New Recipes

We like to try new recipes and thanks to the internet and Pinterest we have a few to share. ENJOY!!

The first is Paula Dean's Crock pot Potato Soup.  Everyone loved this recipe and next time I will make a double batch and add ham.  We sprinkled bacon bits on top and that was good too.

Ingredients:

1 (30 oz.) bag frozen hash-brown potatoes (I used shredded hash browns because that is what I had in the freezer)

2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c chopped onion

1/3 tsp. ground black pepper

1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened)

Garnish: minced green onion

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, broth, soup, onion, and pepper.

2. Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours.

3. Stir in cream cheese, cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until combined.

4. Garnish with green onion.

 

 

The next is Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken.  I made this when we had the missionaries over for dinner and served it with a pan of Funeral Potatoes.  It's one of the easiest recipes I've ever made and it was DELICIOUS!

 

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.

1. In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.
2. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.
3. Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes

 

This next soup recipe we made and everyone liked it except Kendall.  It reminded me of the soup from Olive Garden.

Creamy Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound of ground Italian pork sausage (I used mild)
6-8 cups of chicken broth
5 small russet potatoes, washed and cut into 1 inch cubes with the skins still on
1/2 cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup of organic half and half
2 cups of coarsely cut spinach
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Place the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion gets soft. At this point add the Italian Sausage and cook until its browned. Our sausage isn’t very greasy so I didn’t need to pour any out, if your sausage produces a lot of grease pour some off before adding the soup.

 

In a large stock pot over medium-high heat add in the chicken broth, potatoes, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

 

After the soup has been simmering add the sausage, onion and garlic mixture and cook another 5-10 minutes. After it is done simmering, add in the half and half and stir. Reduce the heat and be sure it doesn’t boil. Cook another 2 minutes. Taste the soup, add more salt and pepper to taste. More red pepper flakes if you want it spicier.

 

Remove the soup from the heat, add in the spinach and cover. Let it sit for an additional 3-5 minutes until the spinach is cooked.  Ladle the soup in your bowls and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.

 

 

This picture is floating around on Pinterest, but when you click on it you get sent to a place to order these from some company.  I decided to try them on my own so I mixed up a batch of brownie batter and a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough.  I used my cookie scoop to drop some brownie batter then a scoop of cookie dough.  Mine didn't look like this when they were done baking.  If I ever make them again I will use my smaller scoop for the brownie batter and the regular size for the cookie dough.  I think that will make the finished product look more even.  Mine looked like a small drop of cookie surrounded by a big brownie.  They tasted good but it was hard to tell the difference between the cookie and brownie.

 

These homemade Twix bars were delicious.  The crust was crumbly, just like several people wrote in the comments.  I decreased the flour and baking time but it was still crumbly.  So, so good though.

 

Thousand Dollar Bars (aka homemade Twix bars)

Source: King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

Shortbread Layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

 

Caramel Layer:

2 cups caramel, cut into small chunks

3 tablespoons heavy cream

 

Chocolate Layer:

3 cups chopped milk chocolate or dark chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)

 

Directions:

1) FOR THE CRUST: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9" x 13" pan lightly with cooking spray, or line with parchment, and set aside.

 

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the flour. At first the mixture may seem dry, but will come together as you continue to beat at medium speed.

 

3) Take the dough (it will be somewhat stiff) and press it evenly into the pan. Lightly flouring your fingertips will help with any sticking.

 

4) Prick the crust all over with a fork. The holes will allow steam to escape and the crust will bake evenly with fewer bubbles.

 

5) Bake the crust until it's lightly golden brown on top and the edges are deeper golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen the crust. Set it aside to cool completely.

 

6) FOR THE CARAMEL LAYER: Melt the caramel and cream over low heat in a small saucepan. Pour the caramel over the cooled crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up.

 

7) FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER: Melt the milk or dark chocolate slowly in a double boiler or over very low heat. If it seems very thick, add a tablespoon of shortening to thin it. Pour evenly over the chilled caramel layer and spread to cover all of the caramel. Return to the fridge until the chocolate is well set. Cut into 2" x 2" squares to serve. It's best to store these bars in the refrigerator.

 

8) These bars can also be cut and dipped in milk chocolate to resemble Twix ® bars. After the caramel layer has chilled firm, cut down the length of the pan, splitting the bars into two long, narrow bars. Then cut each long strip into "fingers". Dip the chilled bars into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to set for several hours.

"Martin & The Kings" and more...

Our little baby turned three at the beginning of the month.  He requested donut balls instead of cake and ice cream sandwiches.  It was an easy birthday for me!  Mark moved him from his crib to a big boy bed, against my protesting.  I'm just not ready for him to grow up.

Evan started basketball a couple of weeks ago.  It's his first time on a team and Brett volunteered to be an assistant coach.  They are both learning a lot this season.  Here is Evan playing good man-to-man defense.  We are hoping that he learns when he is on defense and when he is on offense instead of guarding his opponent the whole time.  The first few games are always entertaining to watch.

Kehli has another week and a half to go before she sees the orthopedic doctor again.  We were told that not only did she crack her knee cap, but she also had a pulled tendon with a piece of detached cartilage floating around.  That is the main concern.  If that cartilage doesn't re-attach during these 4 weeks, they will have to do surgery to remove it.  She has been pretty good about keeping her knee straight and the brace on at all times.  She is getting stir crazy having to sit down all the time and is anxious to get back to dance class.  We will have an update on her knee on January 30.

Erin joined the Channel Cats swim team this month and is enjoying being back in the pool.  She only practices an hour per day, 4 days a week.  She is enjoying her coach so that is good.

Brett is gearing up for Track season and has started after school workouts with some of the team members.  He is going to play church ball and practices with the "old men" on Wednesday evenings.  Youth games just started and the first game is on Saturday.

Evan came home very excited from school on Friday to tell me everything he learned about "Martin and the Kings" (Martin Luther King, Jr.).  He told me these things: "Martin had a dream that everyone should stop riding the bus until the rules changed.  It wasn't fair that the white people made the colored people move from their seats.  So everyone walked to work until the rules changed.  I wouldn't have made people move because that is just mean.  Also, people were rude back then because only white people got to go to school, use the drinking fountains and go to certain restaurants.  Martin said that we shouldn't fight anger with anger, only with love.  He was a good dreamer.  We have to celebrate Martin and the Kings birthday with cake."  I wish that I would have had a video camera ready for his explanation because I really got a kick out of it.  He was very serious about the whole thing.  So we made cupcakes today - giant ones.  Each one equaled 3 regular size cupcakes.  Adam had his all eaten before the other kids were even done decorating.  Fun times!

We are close to starting on the new house.  We have all the bids done and are working on all the stuff that the bank wants turned in.  We have turned in to the county a vacation of easement on the property and when that is complete we can get started on the well and then excavation.  Crossing our fingers that this all happens sooner rather than later as I am loosing my mind more and more with each passing day in this apartment.

Christmas 2012

We spent this Christmas in Quincy at Mark's parents house.  Brad flew in from Hawaii and we were able to be together for over a week.  Santa came to visit us on Christmas Eve and give the kids their pajamas.

We enjoyed a white Christmas for the first time in many years.  It was beautiful but too cold to stay outside for too long.  The kids did build snowmen the following day and they were still standing when we left.

 

One Christmas tradition that our family has is that we choose a new menu for each Christmas dinner.  We make things that we have never made before - everyone helps choose the items and helps in the kitchen to prepare the meal.  This year we chose to have an Italian dinner.  None of us have ever been to Italy so I don't know how authentic these are but we found most of the recipes online.  For reference we fed 6 adults, 3 teens, and 2 little kids.

Here are the links to the online recipes and a few notes from us: 

• We started with Herbed Meatball Soup - I was worried that this would be tastless (based on the picture - it looked pretty plain), but the meatballs were very flavorful. Everyone liked it and it would be great with salad & bread on a cold winter evening.  I will make this again. 

 http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/herbed-meatball-soup-3904 

• The main dish was Rack of Lamb with Warm Apple and Lentil Salad - We tripled the recipe for the lentil salad and cooked 6 racks of the lamb.  We cooked a few racks on the grill so they would all be done cooking at the same time.  This recipe was delicious and everyone enjoyed eating it.  The apple and lentil salad was fantastic and we ate leftovers with some barbecued beef the following night. We had 2 racks left over (there was more meat on the bones that it looked like) which was actually good warmed over for lunch the next day.  We will make this again - maybe for Easter or another special dinner.

 http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/rack-of-lamb-warm-apple-lentil-salad-recipe-8931

• Marinated Vegetable and Olive Salad - No body's favorite dish.  The olives were the best part.  We probably won't ever make this again.  It was a cold salad and not full of flavor.

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/marinated-vegetable-olive-salad-3855

• Garlic Broccoli Rabe - this was good but we will add more garlic next time.

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/garlic-broccoli-rabe-rbk0108

• Rustic Italian Bread - super easy recipe.  We doubled it to make two loaves and used the Bosch mixer instead of a bread machine. 

http://www.food.com/recipe/rustic-italian-bread-95086

• Mostaccioli - these are a cake-like cookie.  They were easy to make and stayed fresh for several days.  I will make these again - great flavor!

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/mostaccioli-607

• The girls found this pie recipe in a dessert book we have so we tried it as well.  I was happy because lemon is my FAVORITE!  We made this again yesterday and doubled the recipe for the filling so we had more of the yellow layer.  But I didn't double the vanilla chips or cream cheese.  It was better that way.

 

Lemon Truffle Pie

Baked 9 inch pie shell

1/2 cup water

2 T. sugar

1 egg

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. sugar

1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 t. butter

1 cup vanilla chips

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup whipped cream, sweetened

1 T. toasted almonds

Put water and 2 T. sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil.  In large bowl, mix egg, cornstarch, 1 T. sugar, and lemon juice.  Slowly add hot water to egg mixture in bowl then pour entire mixture back into pan.  Heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add zest of lemon and butter.  Stir until mixed and cool.

 

Pour 2/3 of filling in bowl.  Add vanilla chips to the filling remaining in pan.  Stir until chips are melted.  Place cream cheese in bowl.  Add filling with vanilla chips to cream cheese and beat together until smooth.  Spread this mixture in bottom of pie shell.  Spread remaining 2/3 of lemon filling on top.  Chill for two hours.

 

Top with whipped cream and garnish with toasted almonds or sprinkle toasted almonds over whipped cream and serve on side.

 

 No visit from Brad would be complete with out a trip to the bowling alley.  Everyone had fun, except for poor Kehli, who watched from the side with ice on her knee.  We finished our Christmas vacation early so we could come home and take Kehli to the doctor.  She and Evan were running and tripped over each other.  Kehli fell hard on the sidewalk and ended up breaking her knee cap.  Her tibia hit the back of her knee cap and fractured it from behind.  It stayed super swollen for several days from all of the blood filling up the knee cavity.  She goes to the Orthopedic doctor tomorrow for a new brace and the official course of treatment.