The ugly truth

The family, specifically Jason and the girls, like to eat gummy bears...worms...spiders...frankly, anything gummy. I can't stand anything gummy!

When I say they like to eat gummy bears, I really mean they like to bite the heads off of some...

and the bodies off others, and then make little Franken bears!

When they have exhausted all possible Franken bear color combinations, my normally sweet girls, proceed to lining up the gummy bears so the bears may watch as their little gummy bear friends are impaled on toothpicks. 


Oh dear, I think one of the yellow ones passed out!

Finally all gummy bears are put out of their misery and they are consumed!

It's sick, I know! But there it is, and it's the ugly truth!


Christine

The recipe file #2

Several months ago I purchased Pappardelle pasta.

I thought the giant noodles looked amazing and I could imagine that there must be something wonderful I could make with them, so I went in search of a recipe. Finding a recipe that the family would like was not as easy as I expected.


One recipe I found had mushrooms and Taleggio cheese...the family said no to mushrooms. 


NEXT! 


I found a recipe with butternut squash and blue cheese...the family made gagging faces!


THAT'S A NO! 


I was getting pretty bummed that the beautiful pappardelle pasta sat in my cabinet—unused!


Isn't it a pretty pasta?

Thanks be to the Pioneer Woman for posting a recipe on her blog for short ribs in tomato sauce with fettuccine. I finally had a recipe the family would like and the pappardelle would substitute nicely for the fettuccine. 


HURRAY!

I know, I added another recipe to the file! But I did make it this week, and I had the pappardelle already, and the picture looked sooo good...I couldn't help it!


If you have some pappardelle pasta in the cabinet that you don't know what to do with...do this! 

DELICIOUS!!


If you are interested in this recipe, use this link for short ribs in tomato sauce to go directly to the Pioneer Woman's site where she did an amazing job going through the recipe step by step.


Christine

New additions

Around Christmas, I think I lost my mind a little, because I began to entertain the idea of getting Guinea pigs for the girls. We went to the pet store to price the little rodents and the equipment necessary for maintaining said rodents. 

A Guinea pig costs around $20, and the housing for a little piggy is between $80 and $120. Keep in mind we were talking about purchasing two piggies and a habitat that would accommodate two piggies. We were looking at a total of around $120 to $140, and that didn't even include; bedding, food, toys (oh yes, they need toys to chew on—who knew?), or the giant, clear plastic balls that allow the guinea pigs to run around the house without actually running free—definitely need those!


The reality of the cost of Guinea pigs was causing my mind to come back to me. What really set me right again was learning that guinea pigs can live five to seven years. In our household that will be during teen years. Momma doesn't want to be care taking guinea pigs when the girls become busy teens who don't have time for them. I let the Guinea pig idea go faster than the hot pan I recently tried to pull out of the oven with my bare hand!

I should have mentioned to the girls that the piggies were a no go, because they asked about it last weekend. After we told them Guinea pigs were a "NO", Sofibug asked "can we get a fish then?" Because I felt bad or maybe my mind hadn't completely returned, I said yes.


After buying two fun glass containers at only $5 each and three Betta fish (Jason decided he wanted one too—good thing we had a fish bowl at home) at $4 each, we had three happy campers—six if you count the fish!

Including the cost of fish food $2, a fish net $2 and plants $2, we spent under $30! Yep, Momma got her mind back!!


Betta fish are very pretty.

Mr. Nibbles

They only live up to four years.

Señor Bubbles

And they are low maintenance.

Filet-O

My favorite thing about Betta fish...they don't shed!!

Yes Lilo, we still love you!!


Christine

It's time!

I can hardly contain my excitement! It's March and I have my Martha Stewart Living magazine (special gardening issue) in hand and it clearly states...It's time to start planting!

And if Martha Stewart says it's time, then it must be time! 


Obediently I pulled out my graph paper and quickly sketched a plan for my vegetable garden. It's a sloppy sketch I know, but it's time, so I felt I needed to hustle!

Then I hurried to check and see if I had all of the seeds I needed...it's time you know!

Now, I am all set. I have my garden plan. I have my seeds. Now all I need...is spring to arrive in Minnesota!  

It's time!


Christine

Sewing class #1

I am a total crafter wanna be, so when the girls told me they wanted to learn to sew I was ecstatic! They want to be crafty too! Yippee! 


Because I have more desire to be crafty that actual skill, I purchased the book Sewing School to help me teach them (and me) the basics of sewing.

We invited the girl's good friend, the lovely Miss Em to join us and filled our sewing boxes with all of the necessary equipment, minus our first projects: an apple shaped pin cushion and a needle book. These projects taught us how to use a pattern,

how to sew on a button,

and how to hand-sew a running stitch.

As a bonus we learned that having Band-Aids in our sewing kits is a good thing. No blood this time, just a small needle poke, but we'd like to be prepared, just in case! And we realized it's manicure time...for all of us!


All in all we had a great time.

Our projects turned out very nicely...if I do say so myself.

As teacher of this little sewing class, I gave everyone an A+! I didn't even have to send anyone to the Principal's office. Whew!!


I can't wait for next weeks class!


Christine

Sugar and spice

Girls are made of sugar and spice...or so the saying goes.  

I agree, but I would also add...a dash of drama,

a pinch of fantasy,

a splash of pink,

a smidgen of silly,

and a whole lotta ROCK STAR!

Now that's what my girls are made of!!


Christine

The recipe file

This is my recipe folder. Yep, I know. It's very full. 

I enjoy finding new recipes. But, I am a creature of habit. Therefore I find new recipes much more regularly than I make them. I have a tendency to fall back on the tried and true meals I know my family will like. I can't stop collecting new ones though. You see, magazines like to supply a photo along with a recipe, which makes the food look so good, that before I know it, I have added another recipe to my file. 

To clear out my overflowing recipe file, I have decided that I am going to attempt one of the new recipes every week...every other week...why don't we just say, as often as I can. Once I have made a recipe, and if the family approves it, I will immediately write it on a recipe card and file it in my recipe box! If it is not approved, in the trash it goes. I should have this mess under control in no time! Right?

The first recipe I cleared out was pan-seared pork with potatoes and lemon from Martha Stewart's Everyday Foods. It's a one skillet meal. Gotta love that! I used my big electric skillet which is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. My absolute favorite is my beautiful, red Kitchen Aide mixer. I think I'm getting off track. OK, Pan-seared pork.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on med-hi heat in skillet. Add 1 pound of red potatoes that have been cut into 1/2 in cubes (I used plain old brown potatoes—still good!); season with salt and pepper. Cook tossing occasionally, until golden brown. (8-10 min)

Once browned, add 1/2 cup of water; cover and cook until potatoes are tender and water has evaporated. (5 min) Then add 3 scallions that have been cut into 1 in long pieces. (1 min) (I also added a few I had left over that had been chopped, it was fine!)Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. I put my potatoes in an oven safe bowl that I placed in the warm oven.

Cut a 1 pound pork tenderloin crosswise into 12 equal slices. Press slices between hands to flatten evenly. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet over med-hi heat. Cook pork slices until browned, 1-2 min per side. While pork begins to cook, thinly slice one lemon. 

Wearing the red nail polish for this photo may not have been the best choice, but it is a really pretty color and super sparkly! I did not cut my thumb.

Add lemon slices during the last 2 min of cooking.

Serve pork with lemons and potatoes. If you like, top the meal with cilantro. The family does not like...I skipped the cilantro.

This meal got a four thumbs up from the family! I highly recommend it. It is quick and easy and delicious!

The recipe is now written on one of the lovely recipe cards given to me by a good girlfriend and placed in my recipe box. 

Yippee! One down...only a file full to go!

Christine