cinnamon roll cake.

first, i can't take credit for the recipe. 

i found it at rumbly in my tumbly thanks to ashley.

second, any recipe that calls for THREE sticks of butter is bound to be good.
can i get an amen, paula deen??
{i know, i know, she's got diabetes now.}

third, you will promise not to hold me responsible when...

a) you eat your first piece - covered in glaze - warm & fresh from the oven,

b) you eat your second piece minutes later, and

c) you wake up the next morning to find that the cake is gone.

 it's THAT good, y'all.

my eight year old eats what?

so there is a pretty popular book circulating the parenting set about expanding your child's particular palate. i haven't read it, so please forgive me if what i'm about to say seems harsh but...

do you really need to read a book to figure out how to get your picky eater to eat?

in my opinion, no. i believe that picky parents produce picky children. why? well, if you don't like it, what makes you think your child is going to like it? i was raised by parents who believed that you ate what you were given. if you didn't like it, you either sat there until you ate it or you went hungry. and - surprise, surprise - i am raising my children the same way. 

i'm not a short order cook. my kitchen is not a restaurant. there is a menu, but there is only one thing on it: you get what you get & you don't throw a fit.

don't get me wrong, there are things my children choose not to eat. malia refuses to eat tomatoes, brussel sprouts & blueberries. aidan also doesn't care for brussel sprouts {but he'll eat them...reluctantly}. but, what my children will and do eat amazes people. i've blogged about it before, but my children are actually quite adventurous when it comes to food. i think a lot of that is due to the fact that adam & i are not picky eaters and are quite adventurous ourselves. are we foodies? i guess so. but, i do the draw the line at certain things and - more often than not - my children surprise me and show that they are more adventurous than i am when it comes to culinary deliciousness. 

case in point...

{gotta love a blurry cell phone pic}

that picture above? that's aidan eating a duck foot. yes, a duck foot. and, that particular duck foot was wrapped in a skin made from tofu. there was also taro root & steamed shrimp inside {my father & i joked that was the duck's toe jam}. 

i know, i know...ew, right? i don't even eat duck feet. but, aidan wasn't made to eat it. we were at our favorite dim sum spot in boston. my mom ordered them and we asked the kids, "do you want to try one?" malia said no. aidan said sure. i always tell my kids to give something a shot before they decide they don't like it, especially when it comes to food. this is what aidan did and guess what? he liked the duck foot.

so, while some of you are battling the "i only want chicken nuggets" blues, don't get frustrated. instead, get smart. hell, outsmart your child. stop catering. serve what you are eating. your child might surprise you. but, if you're picky, well, i don't know what to tell you. this mama doesn't do picky.

p.s. food allergies and other sensitivities do not count as being picky. 

because hurricanes require carbs & chocolate.

here in southeastern virginia we are bracing for irene's arrival. and, because it is hurricane eve, i figured the kids & i deserved a fun breakfast. yes, chocolate for breakfast.


my friend, lis, posted the recipe on her blog. i've made it many times {most recently for a girls brunch}. my kids love nutella crescents & you will, too. well, unless you don't like chocolate or nuts or carbs.

four ingredients:
refrigerated crescent rolls
nutella
sugar
sliced almonds*

*nuts are optional. you also don't have to use sliced almonds. i've made this using chopped pecans & it's just as yummy!

preheat your oven to 375 degrees {per the instructions on the crescent roll package}.

open the crescent roll package, break into individual triangles and coat one side in sugar {not pictured}.

then, arrange on a baking sheet {ungreased} and coat with nutella. careful: this is a messy job!

sprinkle with sliced almonds. or, you can leave them plain.

then, roll 'em up like you would when making regular crescent rolls.

bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

i have a gas oven and this seems to make for the perfect golden brown color without burning the bottom {remember, the outside will have a coating of sugar on it}.

transfer to a plate.

enjoy while warm.

be warned, they are scrumptious!!

---

hurricane eve.

irene arrives tomorrow. some of her clouds are already here.

our home is as prepared as it will ever be. i double checked the flood maps to make sure we were okay. {we didn't flood during isabel, but you never know.}

the evacuation notices are causing panic with my mother. she keeps hearing that all of virginia beach is being evacuated. no, it's not. never mind the fact that she's also worrying about my sister who lives in boston. they're supposed to feel the effects of irene later this weekend.

we are choosing to stay. foolish? perhaps. but, we're not the only people making this decision. this is also not the first hurricane we've been through nor will it be the last, i'm sure.

i'll do my best to keep you all updated on what is going on. the plan, as of now, is to leave the computer on for as long as we have power {because i don't want to run down the charge on my cell phone if i don't have to}. i have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow, but your best bet is to catch me on the twit. 

bizarre food? yes. good eats? hell no.

last month we took a trip out to california {i know i owe y'all a recap plus pictures...one day, i promise}.  my cousin was getting married.  

so, what does any chinese family do when they get together for any type of 

celebration or for just no reason at all?  

they eat.  

and eat is what we did.  the welcome/rehearsal dinner the night before my cousin's big day was nothing short of amazing {never mind the fact that it was served just a few hours after the crazy, fabulous buffet-style welcome lunch}.  the dinner was ten courses {or was it twelve??} of quintessential chinese cuisine including this:

the dish we ate looked very similar to the one pictured above except the veg served with ours was a 

different type of chinese green.

{source}

that, my friends, is abalone with...wait for it...sea cucumber.  can you guess which is what?  the abalone is the stuff along the outside of the plate.  the sea cucumber is the slimy looking black crap in the middle of the dish.    

yes, you read right.  i said sea cucumber.  i also call it slimy looking black crap.  some may love it.  i sure as hell don't.  have you seen what a sea cucumber looks like? {think diseased sex organ...yeah, i went there}

coincidentally, the article i took this pic from was about two people dying from sea cucumber 

poisoning. oh, my. 

{source}

so, if you're still wondering, YES, i ate it.  well, not all of it, but a piece of it.  my sister & i decided to man up together and try a piece.  i've seen my mother eat it before & we've been to quite a few family functions where it was served but we have never, and i repeat NEVER, wanted to try it.  until last month. what in the eff were we thinking?  don't get me wrong, we've eaten some crazy stuff, but chowing on sea cucumber is not our thing.  andrew zimmern, we're not.

anyways...

fast forward to the day after the wedding.  we find ourselves in san francisco at fisherman's wharf. after walking around snapping up pictures of the sea lions & alcatraz, the kids asked to go to the aquarium.  i'm pretty sure my parents & my sister wanted a break from us*, so adam & i took them. aquarium of the bay is a neat little aquarium tucked into one side of fisherman's wharf.  i saw it the last time i was in san francisco, but i never thought to check it out.  i'm glad we did this time.  the kids had a blast.  

of course, no family vacay is ever complete until one child calls you out on someone. 

preferably a complete stranger.

while riding in the elevator in the aquarium, the tour guide was telling the kids about the touch tanks.  she said there were stingrays, a leopard shark, starfish, anemones, and even a couple of sea cucumbers.  cue my seven year old son, aidan...

"um, so we went to a wedding this weekend & we ate 

chinese food.  

did you know that my mom and dad ATE sea cucumber the other day?  

they did.  it was gross."

{sorry for the crummy pic quality...i was using my not so fancy point & shoot.}

the people in the elevator with us were mortified.  the tour guide looked at me.  she looked at adam.  then, she politely asked us to remember to touch, and not eat, the sea cucumbers in the touch tank.   

um, no problem, lady.  trust me.  there is a reason the sea cucumber looks the way it does because i honestly don't know what in the eff would possess someone or something to want to eat it.  unless you're at a fancy chinese dinner**.  i'm just sayin'...

* how did i know they wanted a break from us?  my dad was at the ticket counter with cash in hand buying the tickets for us before we even got up there.  yep.

** i can say that because i'm chinese.  well, only half chinese, but still.

the great cheese debate.

a few weeks ago, while the kids & i were at the grocery store, a fight broke out.
okay, it was a heated argument, but still...my kids were doing the arguing.

and, they were being kind of loud about it.

what were they arguing about?


cheese.

but, i'm not talking about the american {yuck} versus cheddar debate.

no.

my kids' have a bit more sophisticated taste than that.  they couldn't decide on which cheese to get for the salad* we were having that night.  aidan wanted goat cheese and malia wanted feta cheese.

so, what did i do thanks to my kids' near meltdown in the grocery store over a simple {effin'} container of cheese?

i bought both of them.

and, let me just say, that night when we ate the salad both kids requested feta cheese.  figures.

*for a quick & easy side, we usually make a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes & balsamic viniagrette.  the salad is usually topped with cheese - either feta or goat.

valentine's day...

...should be every day, right?  i mean, it's nice to be caring, loving & wonderful all year long, but the real reason is because everybody needs a few of these in their lives:

good thing {our local} strawberry season is just a couple of months away!

gastronome.

my kids are not picky eaters.  well, unless you try to serve them frozen peas or brussel sprouts {this makes me sad}.  i take pride in the fact that my kids will try most anything once.  if they like it, they'll ask for it again.  in our home, you eat what is served to you or you go hungry.  but, i think a lot of what my kids eat is due to the fact that adam & i are not picky eaters ourselves.  in fact, we're very daring when it comes to food.  apparently, so are my kids.

here are just a few favorites that my kids - ages 7 & 9 - enjoy:

pho, more specifically chicken pho:

{via}

mochi with red bean paste: 

{via}

peking duck:

{via}

kimbap:

{via}

dan tat: 

{via}

okay, okay...everything pictured is some sort of asian treat and, yes, i grew up on all of this stuff so maybe that is why my kids like it, too, but here are some other things {in list form} that my kids love that might surprise you:

• greek yogurt
• blue crab {they can pick the hell out of some crabs}
• clams
• sauteed spinach {heavy on the garlic}
• blue cheese dressing
• prunes
• fish of any kind
• couscous

this certainly doesn't cover everything they love, but it does give you a good idea about how atypical their palates are compared to other 7 & 9 year olds.

do you have some quirky food favorites?  what about your kids {if you have any}?

psst...don't forget to enter my scentsy giveaway!

croutons.

sometime last month i decided to make my own croutons.  i don't know why i never made them before because homemade croutons are ridiculously delicious, budget friendly & super easy to make.  it's a great way to use up a loaf of bread - stale or not.

really, think about it.  a loaf of french bread or a baguette costs next to nothing at the grocery store.  all of the other ingredients you'll need - olive oil, salt, pepper, parmesan, dried basil or oregano - you will have at home.  how much does a bag or box of store-bought croutons cost?  anywhere between $2 & $3, right...maybe more.  well, for less than $2 you will have bread for your meal AND croutons to toss in a salad {this is based on a family of four}.  trust.

{this was part of a baguette from trader joe's. the baguette was only $1.79.}

{after tossing the bread in olive oil, salt, pepper, dried basil & parmesan cheese, i spread it out on a baking sheet & baked it in a 350* oven for about 10-15 minutes.  just keep an eye on it.}

{while the croutons were baking, i cut & washed some romaine lettuce.}

{voila! a yummy caesar salad topped with homemade croutons. delicious!}

the granite state.

first of all, i find it very intriguing to know that at this particular rest stop in new hampshire, you can buy booze {tax free!} & lotto tickets...after you pee, of course.

{taken through the van's window as we drove down the highway}

after three days in boston, we drove to new hampshire.  

my brother-in-law lives & works in andover {while my sissy finishes her fellowship in boston}.  my b.i.l. works for the prep school that he attended, proctor academy.  he's also a dorm parent so he lives in the bottom half of the boys dorm...so cool.*  

anything & everything our family does revolves around food.  food & shopping.  we met at famous dave's in manchester.  after some bbq, we went shopping.  first at the l.l. bean outlet, then to eastern mountain sports & finally to the tanger outlets in tilton.  the lady in the coach store tried to entice me with an extra 20% off clearance prices, but i resisted.  i do love my banana republic jeans, though {$30 for $90 jeans?? yes, please!}.

if there is anything to be said about life in rural new hampshire, it's that you have to drive {and i mean d-r-i-v-e} to civilization.  we learned that the hard way one night around 9pm when we needed children's tylenol for malia.  note to self:  next time, bring some...huge mommy fail on my part.

other than eating & shopping, the kids got to play in the snow and spend time with the dogs.  moxie, the bernese mountain dog, and bruin, the newfoundland, are two of the sweetest dogs on the planet.  they also both believe they are lap dogs.  bruin & aidan became fast friends.

we watched "how to train your dragon" & aidan and uncle james played a little lego harry potter on the wii.  we also did our christmas with monica & james.  it's so hard living so far away from family {they used to live in virginia}, but it was lovely being able to share a portion of the holidays with them.

on our last night in new hampshire, monica & james took us to dinner at lui lui.  oh. my. word.  the food was ridiculously delicious and the portions were ridiculously huge!  after dinner, we drove to see christmas lights at a shaker village {the name escapes me & i didn't have my camera on me}.  that very same night i also managed to pass up on a pair of uggs that were 20% off and tax-free.  i'm both proud & ashamed of myself!

we left new hampshire the morning of new year's eve.  after six full days together i think all of us were ready to get home & sleep in our own beds.  we walked through my front door at 11:15pm...just in time for me to get settled and see NKOTB rock out with BSB {priorities, priorities!}.

---

*my b.i.l., james, is a phenomenal lacrosse coach.  phenomenal.
don't believe me?  then read this.

beantown.

aidan: "mom, christmas day is jesus' birthday."

me: "sure is! do you know where he was born? 

i'll give you a hint...it starts with a b."

aidan: "boston."

{1st row: dim sum on day 1, boston as we drove in}
{2nd row: snowy chinatown, boston common}
{3rd row: the view of downtown boston from our hotel room, dim sum on day 2}
{4th row: malia & aidan with their new bogs boots, a random chinatown pic}

with an impending blizzard creeping up the east coast, we decided to go full-speed with our post-christmas vacation plans and visit my sister who lives in boston, massachusetts.  originally, we were going to leave on sunday, december 26th, but after hearing that boston was expecting up to two feet of snow we decided to get on the road.  the kids & i packed up and loaded up my parents' van.  the five of us were on the road by 8:30pm on christmas day.  adam & frisco stayed behind.

it was already starting to snow as we were leaving virginia {virginia beach got over a foot of snow while we were gone!}.  fortunately, there was no traffic...i mean, who would be road trippin' on christmas?  only us.  we stopped for the night somewhere in new jersey after driving on the jersey turnpike for a while.  we all needed sleep.  sleep & a yummy cracker barrel breakfast.

although the drive was fairly uneventful, the weather quickly deteriorated once we hit the new york-connecticut line on sunday.  as we approached the city limits of hartford, we knew the rest of our journey would be slow & pretty damn difficult {in a front wheel drive vehicle}.  there's nothing like having a two hour commute {the normal distance between hartford & boston} turn into a five hour fiasco that involved:
1. unplowed highways {the plows were out but they were barely keeping up with the snow!}
2. numerous stops to beat ice off of the windshield wipers
3. driving at the top speed of 30mph on a stretch of road that has a normal speed limit of 65mph
4. witnessing several cars on the side of the road with their front ends totaled because they thought they could go 65mph
5. answering the question "are we there yet?" about fifty gazillion times

but, we made it. and boston was so beautiful as we drove across the charles river.  the city was quiet.  there was no traffic.  just snow.  praise the lord there was a whole foods behind our hotel because we were starving!  my sister met us at our hotel on her way home from work {she is a pathologist at boston children's hospital*}.  and, so, our three day adventure in boston had begun!

we spent our time eating dim sum in chinatown, riding the t, walking in blizzard-like conditions, wearing dirty jeans thanks to slushy snow, shopping at copley place & prudential center, chillaxin' in my sister's apartment in fenway & just loving every minute of each other's company.

aidan told me that he wanted to move to boston.  he is in love with riding the t.  he also said he wants to be closer to his auntie monica.  bless his heart.

after three days in boston, we loaded my sister in the van and drove to andover, new hampshire to visit with her husband, do a little more shopping, eat more food & play in the snow.

{tomorrow's installment will be about our time in new hampshire...}

---

*remember how i mentioned that my sissy works at boston children's hospital?  well, a few days before christmas we were g-chattin' and she said, "i just heard joey mcintyre singing with the boston pops here at work!"

seriously.

check it:


{source}

pillows of love.

i failed to mention that i made marshmallows last weekend in addition to candy corn.

homemade marshmallows are ridiculous.  ridiculously easy & ridiculously good.  you should try it.  i use alton brown's recipe.  it hasn't let me down yet...and i don't own a candy thermometer.

a friend of mine told me that {in the last picture} the marshmallows resemble an illicit substance.  if you ask me, homemade marshmallows are an illicit substance.  trust me...your sweet tooth with thank you.

a serving of veggies.

i've told y'all about pat before.

i don't know who pat is, but i love pat. i love pat for sharing her {or could pat be a dude, i don't know} award winning carrot cake recipe on all recipes.

i used this recipe twice in the past week - once for a bake sale at work benefiting relay for life & once {for work} just because. i didn't bake a cake, however. instead, i made cupcakes* and not a 10" bundt cake** as the recipe calls.

behold, the beautiful crackberry photo {because i still haven't fixed my camera yet}:


for the carrot cake recipe, click here {i'm too hopped up on allergy meds lazy to type it out for you}. i did add some nutmeg & pumpkin pie spice to the recipe...just a dash of each.

as for the cream cheese frosting, yea, that is homemade, too. i used this recipe {again, from all recipes} and it hasn't failed me yet. my only advice is to whip, whip, whip the cream cheese first & then add the butter in small chunks. whipping the mess out of it makes a lighter, more enjoyable frosting in my opinion.

y'all this is a good carrot cake/cream cheese frosting combo. every time i've baked this cake, i've heard nothing but wonderful things. people love it. even people who don't like pecans or coconut {yes, both are in the cake} like this cake.

bake it. you know you wanna.

*the batter makes approximately 36 'regular' cupcakes or 24 'regular' cupcakes and 24 'mini' cupcakes.
** if you don't want to make a bundt cake or don't have a bundt pan, this batter makes a lovely two-layer 9" round cake.

eclairs are evil.

evil

chocolately

lucious

awesomeness

indulgent

ridiculous

sweet

{source}
since sunday, three boxes of these evil things have been consumed in my home. three whole boxes. of the mini variety, though, i might add.
three boxes.
obsessed much?
nah. just feeling a little self-indulgent, that's all.

chocolate + sheet cake = ♥

i'm hanging my head in shame because i've held out on y'all. i can't believe i'm just now sharing this with you.

sometime after thanksgiving, but before christmas i baked this little gem:

you know, ree drummond's the pioneer woman's chocolate cake. not just any cake, but the best chocolate sheet cake. ever.

sorry about my fancy, schmancy cookbook set up...this was before i gifted myself with a cookbook stand. but, a sugar pourer & a magnetic clip did the trick, right?

it was good...and easy to make. while i still prefer black magic cake as my 'go to' chocolate cake recipe {it's darker & more mysterious...it also has coffee in it}, i thoroughly enjoyed the pioneer woman's cake. it was moist. it was chocolate-y. it had nuts in the frosting for God's sake {although you could omit them if you didn't like nuts}!

you can find the recipe by clicking here.

i had all of the recipe ingredients in my fridge & pantry. i even made my own buttermilk so i wouldn't have to go to the grocery store & schelp out a few dollars for something that i would only use to bake one cake. pretty cool, huh?

i definitely recommend that you try this cake. if you're already a fan of the pioneer woman & her cooking {as i am!} then you won't be disappointed with this cake. promise.

january 1, 2010

happy new year, y'all!

we had a lovely time last night celebrating the coming of a new year with some good friends in the comfort of our home. everyone had a great time. unfortunately, i must now shampoo my carpets, scrub the heck out of my kitchen floor & search for one of my painted wine glasses that has turned up missing, but what the hell. we had fun.

i nearly missed the ball drop. i was in the bathroom, um, emptying my bladder of what felt like three gallons of wine. i could hear adam calling for me. it's hard to buckle your belt & wash your hands in a hurry. i made it out just as the countdown went, "3-2-1...happy new year!" whew. there was a lot of hugging & kissing in my living room. pictures were taken. people were smiling. it was a perfect moment.

miraculously, i am not hungover.

we're celebrating again tonight. this time with our kids {who are coming home today} and my parents. we're planning on gorging ourselves on delicious "lucky" foods like black-eyed peas & collard greens. we're also going to have a chinese feast - peking duck, roast pork, turnip cakes. adam's going to attempt to make some homemade dim sum dishes, too. i'm already looking forward to dinner & sharing the yummy goodness with the people i l♥ve. besides, new year's day isn't complete until you've noshed on some fabulous grub that brings good luck, right?!

---

today's the first day of a new year. a fresh start. a new beginning. i'm welcoming 2010 with open arms & i look forward to the possibilities of what lies ahead...whatever they may be.

forget gumdrops & sugarplums...

i've got cookies, cake balls & marshmallows!

i went on a little baking binge last weekend. it was nuts.

i baked a batch of coconut macaroons:

{the photo is crackberry-licious}

the macaroon recipe is courtesy of ina garten {you know, the barefoot contessa} from the food network & you can easily follow along to the recipe by clicking here. it is, by far, the easiest cookie {?} recipe ever...the hardest part is whipping the egg whites & even that's not too difficult! try them because if you cuckoo about coconut {like we are} then you'll love these!

i also made snowballs, er, mexican wedding cookies again. this time, i added an almond hershey's kiss to the center of each cookie for some added oomph. you can find the recipe for the mexican wedding cookies here.

and, i made chocolate chip cookies done the nestle toll house way. yes, i took the recipe straight from the back of the bag of chocolate chips. they were crispy & perfect. i omitted the nuts because i was out. i plan on making more tonight...this time adding pecans and using both semi-sweet & white chocolate chips. mmm! click here for the nestle toll house chocolate chip cookie recipe.

yeah, that first picture is sideways. just tilt your head to the right. i'm too lazy to edit the photo so you'll just have to make do with my crackberry pics.

okay, so onto the next portion of my baking binge...homemade marshmallows. i have been wanting to try making marshmallows for a while & i finally did last friday. they were so easy to make & they taste so. much. better. than the store-bought kind. trust me. we loved them so much i made a second batch last night. i have yet to attempt to flavor them {i'd like peppermint flavored marshmallows} but i will try that soon. promise.

i used alton brown's {♥ ♥ ♥} marshmallow recipe & you can get it by clicking here. like i said, it was super easy. i didn't use a candy thermometer {because something bad happened to it on thanksgiving...i mean, really, why are you going to use a candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature in a turkey fryer. silly boys.}. i timed things by the recipe & it was perfect. some advice, though...don't smell the marshmallows while they are in the mixer 'fluffing.' it is stinky. like "i can't believe i'm actually going to eat that" stinky. once you add the vanilla and spread it in the pan, it will smell fine. trust. it's still...good eats.

remember, don't sniff while fluffing!

it's going to be hard, but it's best to let them sit overnight

hmm...somebody was up past his bedtime, but i suppose it was alright because it was a friday and momma was making homemade marshmallows. how could you pass up licking the mixer's whisk?

all you need to add is cocoa! be sure to use some restraint...it's way too easy to pop one {or five} of these bad boys into your mouth. i took a few of them & dipped them into melted chocolate almond bark & holiday colored nonpariels. delicious.

cake balls. oh, yes...cake balls. earlier this week i made two batches. i'll be making cake balls again today. i am a sucker. i know.

cake balls are super easy, but really time consuming {and, kind of frustrating sometimes}. for some really great cake ball & cake pop ideas, please visit bakerella. she's fabulous. also, my friend, lis, is just plain awesome at making these and she's got a great tutorial on her blog...here.

here is the rundown on making cake balls:

• bake boxed cake as directed. let cool.
• crumble cooled cake in a large bowl & add up to one jar of frosting.
• mix well until you get a 'doughy' consistency.
• form into balls & place on parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• freeze cake balls for up to an hour.
• melt whichever candies you prefer {i prefer using almond bark} using whichever melting method you prefer {i use the double boiler method}.
• dip cake balls.
• decorate.
• gobble them up.

below are the cake balls i made for malia's third grade class holiday party:

we gave out ten teacher gifts this year & each teacher recieved an ornament, four cake balls & four marshmallows:

and this...this, my friends, is the platter of misfit cake balls. i had every intention of making santa hat cake balls like i saw on bakerella's site. yeah, that didn't turn out so well. i resorted to making balls...so. much. easier.


whatever holiday treats you make for santa, i hope you have fun in the kitchen! be sure to share the recipe, too...i'm always on the lookout for a yummy new treat to make!

happy holidays, y'all...and remember to brush & floss your teeth really good after eating all of these sweets!

chicken & dumplings...soup.

foreward:
as i opened up the cookbook to type out this recipe i came to the realization that this was a soup recipe. somehow, yesterday as i made this, i neglected to read the word 'soup.' if you ask me, it's more of a stoup {if you have ever watched rachael ray you know that a stoup is a stew/soup combo}. anyways, it's delicious and i want you to get out your crockpot and make this, please.

i'm really sorry about the sloppiness of this photo. i didn't think to take a picture until my SECOND helping. whoops.

chicken & dumpling soup
{from stephanie o'dea's book, "make it fast, cook it slow"}

ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken - i used just over 2 lbs. of good sized chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped - i used 1 package of already sliced white button 'shrooms
16 oz. frozen veggies - i used a carrot, corn & green bean mix
2 (10.5 oz.) cans of cream-of-something soup - the actual recipe lists an alternative soup recipe if you're so inclined to make your own but i used two cans of cream of chicken & mushroom from that "mmm, mmm good!" brand.
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits

method:
use a 4-quart slow cooker {mine is about 6-quarts and it worked just fine for this recipe}. put the chicken & the veggies into the bottom of the stoneware insert. add the cream-of soups. cover & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

an hour before serving, shred the chicken with two large forks and drop in the biscuit dough. cover & cook on high for another hour. the dumplings are done when a knife is easily inserted and comes out clean. the dumplings will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides & top. serve in bowls with a dumpling or two per person.

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this was a HIT! this couldn't have been any easier to prep. the house smelled yummy while it cooked. and, the end result was - by far - the best slow cooker chicken & dumplings recipe i've ever tried. mine did not have a soupy consistency, but it was still delicious nonetheless. i do recommend seasoning before serving as it did have a bland taste, but it was nothing a little salt & white pepper couldn't fix. like i said earlier, i had TWO servings. aidan did, too. we're a family of four and we got six servings for dinner and one very generous serving for lunch out of the whole dish.

snowballs of fun.

it doesn't snow here. not much, at least. when it does, an inch will shut the city down. seriously. sometimes, it doesn't even take an inch.

since it doesn't snow {much} here & considering that i now have all the time in the world to bake, i made these little gems last week. they're called mexican wedding cookies, but i call them snowballs of fun.

i paired my cookies with some coffee flavored with coffeemate's peppermint mocha creamer & you, too, can serve your holiday cookies on a personalized polka dot plate by ordering one from molly lou gifts.

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mexican wedding cookies
{from martha stewart's baking handbook}

ingredients:
1 cup {3-3/4 ounces} pecan halves
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks {1 cup} unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

the method:
preheat the oven to 350* f, with racks in the upper & lower thirds. line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. in a food processor, combine pecans with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar; pulse until nuts are finely ground. in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar-nut mixture, flour, and salt; set aside.

in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter & 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar on medium speed until light & fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together.

roll dough into 3/4-inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale on top & lightly browned on the bottom (lift with a spatula to check), 10 to 12 minutes. transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

place remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll cookies in it to coat completely. cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

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the cookies were a hit. the kids loved them. adam loved them. of course, i loved them. next time i make them {which will more than likely be this weekend} i am going to put a hershey's kiss in the center for some added oomph.

crock pot goodness.

i've owned a crock pot for as long as i can remember {i even scored a new 4 qt. crock pot for $3 at target's black friday sale!} and we l♥ve to cook with it. we will get out the crock pot a few times during the spring or summer, but we really try to use it as much as we can during the cooler fall & winter months. and, when i was working, the crock pot was a lifesaver because it's always nice to come home & have dinner warm and waiting for you.

anyways...

if you have a crockpot, please get it out and use it. there's a lot you can do with it. seriously. a lot.

a while back, i happened upon a blog called 'a year of slow cooking.' perhaps you've seen it? if you haven't, please check it out. or, perhaps you've heard of the fabulous woman behind the blog, stephanie o'dea. or, maybe you've heard of her book - yes, book:

{source}

i own this cookbook {and, maybe, just maybe there will be a giveaway for a copy in the near future...}. i love this cookbook. i adore this cookbook. it's not your conventional cookbook because there are no pictures, but everything in this cookbook is made in a crockpot {2 qt., 4 qt. or 6qt.}. and, we're not talking just stews & roasts...

we've made a couple recipes {including super easy dulce de leche that our kids like to dip apples in}, but last night i made the pineapple pork tenderloin.

{sorry for the crackberry pic quality!}

The recipe is as follows:

3 pound pork tenderloin - the tenderloin i used was just under 3 lbs.
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning - i used an asian seasoning blend instead
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, chopped - i used the 'already minced in a jar' stuff
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced - i cut my peppers into a large dice rather than slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce - we have gallons of kikkoman in this half-chinese household!
1/2 cup apple juice
16 ounces frozen pineapple - i used canned pineapple

Combine meat, sugar, spices, and cornstarch in a plastic zipper bag. Seal and shake well to coat. Pour contents of bag into crockpot. Add garlic and peppers. Pour in soy sauce, apple juice, and an entire bag of frozen pineapple. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6.

{recipe adapted from 'make it fast, cook it slow'}

i sort of strayed from the recipe's directions. i added all of the ingredients - except for the peppers & pineapple - to the large plastic zipper bag. after all of the wet & dry ingredients were combined, i dumped everything into my crockpot - i used our 6 qt. i added the peppers & pineapple on top and i also added one chopped onion. halfway through cooking, the hubs added just a touch of chicken stock. we cooked everything on low for about 7 hours. the peppers & onions broke down, but the pineapple was still whole. we served our pork over steamed rice and, as you can tell from my picture, we shredded the pork.

the hubs is enjoying some of the leftovers as a sandwich today. i will be heating up a bowl momentarily.

we really enjoyed this recipe & i cannot wait to try more of stephanie's crockpot recipes.

enjoy!

p.s. sorry for the wonky font...i'm tired of fighting with blogger. grrr....

half a dozen.

adam outdid himself {again} this morning. he fixed us a wonderful breakfast of chilaquiles served with chorizo & eggs. he made pancakes for the kids.

as he was cooking the eggs, he asked the kids {who were already eating their pancakes} if they wanted an egg. both said yes. malia told us she only wanted one egg. aidan, on the other hand, wasn't so easy to please.

adam - "aidan, how many eggs do you want?"

aidan - "fried, not scrambled."

adam - "no, i asked how many eggs do you want..."

aidan - "oh, um, six, please."

adam looks at me & we both start to chuckle.

adam - "that's too many, bud."

malia - "yeah, aidan, you can't have six eggs. that's too much!"

aidan - "well, it's an even number!"

obviously, my little first grader has been working very diligently in school & is paying attention during the math lessons. conversations like the one above don't even surprise us anymore. i mean, the boy really does ask for ridiculous amounts of eggs whenever we are having breakfast - whether we're at home or enjoying a meal out. what can i say...the boy likes his protein in the form of, well, an egg...preferably, half a dozen eggs.