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Tuesday's Tidings for October 2, 2012

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1. Josh and I have found a new show to watch. We are incredibly addicted to Downton Abbey! I'm not normally a fan of English shows because they can be really long and hard to understand, but this is very entertaining and I love all the characters. Well, I don't love them all, there are always a few villains ;) And the music is amazing!

2. I finished reading "My Life in France" last week. Such a great book! Julia Child is pretty funny about the way she explains and gets excited over several things. I've discovered though that we are not much alike at all though. She is all about the scientific evidence about why a recipe does or does not work and I don't care how or why, just that it does or doesn't. That's just one of a few things we don't have in common. But her zest for her life is incredible and she really has a way of making you excited about food. I think I need to go to France now, and EAT, EAT, EAT!

3. I do think I am at the point in my pregnancy where everything is starting to get uncomfortable. I'm thrilled that I managed to go 27 weeks without much of any problems. But now, sleep is getting difficult and I'm to cheap to buy a pregnancy pillow because I only have 11 weeks left.

4. Speaking of my pregnancy, this little man is so stinkin active!!! I swear, he is always moving! I'm not complaining, I love it. But last night I had to google if it was normal to be that active. Apparently, it is. But I've never had a baby be this active before. He better enjoy it while it lasts, because his quarters are getting smaller and tighter as the days go on, lol!

5. I can't wait to buy pumpkins! I really want to do something fun and paint a few this year.

6. The weather is cooler today and I am so grateful! I have been way to hot. It's just not normal for Oregon to be in the 80's in October.

7. I have a thing for strawberry jam right now. I happen to adore jams, but strawberry is calling my name and I forgot to buy some at the store on Sunday. Grr, so so mad!

8. One of my friends found Egg Nog the other day! Can I just say how jealous I am! I LOVE egg nog!!!!!

9. OMG, have you all seen the newborn photo of Nick Lachey and Vanessa's new baby boy Camden? He is so flipping beautiful!

10. Who's tried the new Salted Caramel Cake Pop from Starbucks yet? It's pretty yummy!!!!

Weekly Menu 10/1-10/5

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Happy 1st week of October!!! Not only is Fall my favorite season, but October is one of my favorite months too! October always seems to be the month where the season really begins to change. The air becomes crisp and aromatic, the leaves turn into sorts of different shades of amber and reds, and people start decorating their homes, whether it be to welcome autumn or halloween.

I've got dinners planned out for the week and not the weekend because we'll be out of town again this weekend. I know, again? Yes, again. But this is the last time for awhile. My sister is going off to college at Ecola Bible School on Sunday, so we're making it a mini vacation since it's Columbus Day weekend. It will be a short trip, but since we hadn't gone to the beach at all this year, we thought it would be fun to just spend a few days there for the kids.

I still plan on making some yummy dinners this week and baking up a few yummies too. The girls and I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday and I was able to pick up a few things there which are making two of the dinners on the menu this week a cinch to plan for.

Monday
Polynesian chicken with rice and steamed broccoli
Tuesday
Turkey Stew with Dumplings in the slow-cooker
(This is a new recipe out of my Taste of Home Mag)
Wednesday
(New recipe from my Rachael Ray Mag)
Thursday
Hot Turkey Sandwiches with mashed potatoes & gravy with a side salad
Friday
Saturday
&
Sunday
Gone at the beach
I'm really excited about the items I'm baking this week. I've decided to go for complete pumpkin goodness! 
Desserts, Etc

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
Have any of you started any Fall baking yet and has autumn already hit your neck of the woods yet? What is your absolute favorite thing to bake when Fall rolls around? If you have any favorite recipes, I would love to know what they are? If you've got links, leave them in the comment section please :)

Tuesday's Tidings for September 25, 2012

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1. FALL IS HERE AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!!

2. We had a wonderful time on vacation, but it's so good to be home. What's your favorite thing about coming home from a trip? Mine is sleeping in my bed :)

3. In true Fall fashion, today I'm wearing orange tank with a brown cardigan and JEANS!!! I am so so excited to be able to wear jeans.

4. I got the new iPhone 5 over the weekend and I have to admit, I'm using Siri more than I thought I would. Mainly, I'm using her to send text messages to my husband to ask him to fetch me things so I don't have to text or yell. For example, the last two mornings, I've asked Siri to ," Tell my husband I'm awake and I need coffee please." LOL! The last two mornings I've gotten up around 7am and I'm so tired and half asleep, I'm barely function-able.

5. Have any of you decorated for Fall yet or do you decorate for Halloween?

6. My two basil plants are nearly dead and I'm trying to bring them back to life. I think it's working because among all of the brown leaves, some green basil leaves are still hanging on for dear life.

7. Only 88 days till my due date!!!! I feel so behind! I haven't even done a thing to the nursery nor done really any shopping or even bought one baby outfit yet, lol!

8. I'm getting my hair done on Friday and I'm so ready for it. Seriously, my bangs are out of control long and Gracie wants to get some bangs. I can't wait to see how she's gonna look :)

9. Eden is having her 4 yr. Well Appointment this morning. I hope she doesn't have to get shots :/ but I plan on bribing her with candy to make the shots not so horrible if that's the case.

10. The little man discovered where one of my lower ribs was last night when I was cooking dinner. OW!

Weekly Menu 9/24-9/30

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Am I the only one in shock that it is the last week of September? Where in the heck did the week go? We got back from vacation on Saturday and it was really sad and hard to leave, but it did feel really good to be back home, sleeping in my own bed and cooking in my own kitchen. Anyone else feel that way?

I got all of my "Fall" decor up Sunday evening. I never decorate for Halloween. I like Halloween, I think it's a fun holiday. But I get so much more bang for my buck by just using and buying Fallish decorations that I hate the idea of having to do both. Plus, Fall stuff is prettier in my opinion.

Our menu is somewhat up in the air this week. We're going to do a light grocery trip on Tuesday, just to pick up a few must need to have items, but I think our full grocery trip is on Friday or Saturday. So I'm getting creative with what we already have and making up a menu for this week and the following.

Monday
Shepherd's Pie with a side salad
Tuesday
Garlic Spaghetti with green beans 
Wednesday
Nacho night
Thursday
Sausage and Bell Pepper Pizza
Friday
Pancakes
Saturday 
& 
Sunday
 These nights are up in the air. LOL, Not sure what we're going to do yet. 
Since we haven't had the chance to do really any shopping, I'm afraid my treats are up in the air next week. But don't worry, I've got some splendid ideas already written down. 

Penne with a Creamy Pesto Sauce

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You know how sometimes you stumble upon a recipe that is so easy and such a no brainer, that you go,"Gee, now why didn't I think of that?" Well that is this recipes. Honestly, it is so so easy, my 8 year old could make this entire meal, and she hasn't even really begun to cook yet.

What I loved about this dinner, was that it was using up ingredients I already had on hand around the house. I always have a couple boxes of penne pasta lying around, because it's Josh's favorite and jarred pesto is pretty much a pantry staple too. If I don't have any jars in the pantry, I can guarantee there is one already opened in the fridge.

The hardest part about this meal, is waiting for the water to boil for the pasta, that's it! So in about roughly 10-20 minutes, you can have a delicious pasta dinner at your beck in call and ready for you to devour!

Penne with Creamy Pesto Sauce

1 box, penne pasta
½ cup pesto
¼ cup milk
Shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese (I prefer the shaved)
Fresh basil leaves, torn for garnish
Boil the penne noodles, according the directions on the package. Drain, and rinse with cold water. 
In a mixing bowl, combine the pesto and milk together. Toss with the pasta. 
Top the pasta with the shaved/shredded parmesan cheese and basil. 
Serve right away!

Tuesday's Tidings for September 18, 2012

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1. We're in Sunriver on vacation and having a great time. I'm still trying to get over this cold that bumped into me last weekend, but I definitely feel better than I did last week and I'm not about to let a stupid cold ruin my vacation. I'm drinking tons and tons of water, taking my meds, and trying to get enough rest. Not always easy when your sleeping in a bed that isn't yours.

2. Grace learned how to swim underwater today. My in-laws took the kids to the family swim center here in Sunriver and helped Grace learn how to swim and I think she's caught the swimming bug now. I'm hoping this continues because my mother in law has offered to continue teach Grace through the winter at our community pool in our town.

3. In the 2 ½ days we've been here, I've ridden about 16-17 miles on my bike. It's definitely a challenging workout now that I'm pregnant. I'm not sure if it's the extra baby weight or the fact that I'm 2 weeks away from my 3rd trimester that is making the whole biking thing more or a challenge than when I'm not pregnant. But it's so much fun and I know I've worked hard when I get off and I'm feeling tired. I'm being careful to listen to my body and not push it to hard though.

4. The little man is finding all the biking activity fun though. He starts kicking and jumping around half way through our rides, lol! Of course, he's a pretty active fella anyways; nights are his favorite time of day.

5. I would like to know, who's pre-ordered the iPhone 5? I'm really excited about it!!

6. Has anyone seen that Thomas English Muffins have a pumpkin spice version for a limited time? I'm so drooling over these. For the last few weeks I've been eating an english muffin with my yogurt and I love it! Now I have to have these! So far, I haven't seen them in any of the stores up here, but I am keeping my eyes peeled!

7. I think these Candy Corn Oreo Truffles are the cutest thing ever and I want one right now! I want to bake some up as soon as I get back home!

8. I feel like such a lame-o. Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte has been out for a few weeks now and I haven't even had one yet. Have you?

9. I want to try Spaghetti Squash this year. I've never cooked with it before. Do you guys have any favorite recipes you think I should try? If so, please link it up in the comment section. I would love to check them out.

10. What is your favorite vegetable that Fall brings?

Make Ahead: Baked French Toast

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One of my favorite meals for dinner is breakfast. Breakfast for dinner is almost always more appealing than having breakfast for breakfast. I like my morning meals to be smaller and my evening meals to be more indulgent. But I have been known on occasion to really throw caution to the wind on Saturday mornings and eat a large brunch! I say brunch, only because, when the time rolls around in my house that we're all up and running about, it's close to 11am and then breakfast becomes brunch, and I will eat whatever meal my husband puts in my face.

But sometimes cooking breakfast, brunch, or even dinner can take fooorrreveerrr! Ya know what I mean? When I'm not the one cooking and I'm starving, sometimes I just want to light a fire underneath my hubby and say, "Hurry Up" - ever so sweetly, of course. That's why I love me a good make ahead meal! I love to just get all the work done in the morning - or the night before - and then throw it in the oven when I am good and ready. Not the other way around.

I saw Pioneer Woman make this as a breakfast a few weekends ago on her show on Food Network and I loved how easy it looked!

Now, I happen to adore french toast. It was always my #1 favorite breakfast my mom would make for me as a kid. In fact (and this is going to sound so ridiculous), I loved my mom's french toast so much, I would make her cut it up for me because in my mind, the bite sized pieces she would cut just tasted better than when I would cut into it. Okay, I know, that's a little cray-cray, but honestly, that's how my mind works.

This french toast is more like a bread pudding, and boy do I love me some breeeaad puuuddding! It's the consistency and texture of bread pudding with all the flavor elements of french toast rolled into one! How good does that sound? You're thinking pretty dang good right? Well, it gets better. Remember how I told you you could make this ahead? Yeah, you can make it the morning you're going to serve it for dinner (like I did), or you can throw it together the night before and bake it in the morning, if that's your poison! Or, if you're one of those go-getter types, you could always skip the make ahead part and just make it and bake it in the heat of the moment! It's up to you!
Now, tell me, what is there not to love about this kind of a meal? To finish a masterpiece like this off, all you need is some warmed syrup and fruit. I liked the combination of blueberries and strawberries, but depending on the season, you could always serve up some buttered sautéed apple and pear slices, or segmented grapefruit and oranges would be delightful too. Or, you could be really naughty and just skip the healthy fruits all together and eat this all by itself. It's whatever your hungry little heart desires! The choice is up to you!
Baked French Toast

Butter, for greasing
1 loaf of crusty sourdough or french bread ( I used french bread)
8 whole eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 TB vanilla extract
Topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon salt
ground or grated nutmeg
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
warm syrup, for serving
berries or fruit, for serving
To make the Breadish Pudding French Toast: Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a large bowl, whisking together the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed, or make and bake it right away. 
For the Topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Add the cold, chopped butter, and with a pastry cutter, mix together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles and crumbs. You can store this mixture in a plastic bag in the fridge until you're ready to bake the french toast or scatter it evenly over the french toast. 
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, bread pudding like consistency or for 1 hour plus for a firmer texture. 
Top with warmed syrup, butter, and fruit. 

Caramelized French Toast

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In the spirit of Catz in the Kitchen's breakfast week, I present for your consideration, Caramelized French Toast. And, yes, it's as yummy as it sounds. Actually, the idea here is very simple - rather than cooking your French toast in a more standard ingredient like butter or oil, cook it in something that will caramelize it. It's virtually irrelevant what French toast you make; the key is what you cook it in. The Bon Appétit recipe that served as my inspiration here called for thick slices of French bread, but I used the sandwich-style sourdough that I had in the cupboard. I think you could use this recipe on essentially any standard kind of sandwich bread and be quite happy with the result.


When it comes to the caramelization, which is the key differentiator in this recipe, it's all about the brown sugar. I've found myself making a number of breakfasts lately that require an initial whipping together of brown sugar and butter, and the result is always scrumptious. Normally, the whipped brown sugar butter is used as a topping, but here it's simply the pan greaser! I started with a couple of tablespoons of the stuff in my pan, and added a tablespoon each time I added more bread. The end result is a wonderfully sweet, slightly crispy crust on the bread, while the inside of the toast remains light and fluffy and full of flavor. Lastly, serving with berries really brightens the whole plate up, both for the eyes and the palate. Give it a shot - you won't be sorry!

Caramelized French Toast
(originally from Bon Appétit)

Equal amounts brown sugar and butter (approx. 6 tablespoon each)
1 ½ cups milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8-12 slices bread (sourdough or French suggested)
Powdered sugar
Fresh blueberries and strawberries
Syrup
  1. Soften butter. Whip together butter and brown sugar in a small bowl using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
  2. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium size bowl and beat until mixed well.
  3. Heat skillet over medium heat and add two tablespoons of the butter/brown sugar mixture. Melt evenly in pan. Dip two slices of bread in milk mixture and allow to soak through. Add to hot skillet and cook approximately three minutes per side, or until a deep brown color (cooking time will depend on thickness of bread). While cooking remaining slices, place cooked French toast on a baking pan in an oven heated to 170 degrees.
  4. When plating, drizzle lightly with syrup, sift powdered sugar generously on top, and finish with berries. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu 9/10-9/14

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My dinner menu for the week is not a full 7 days this week. That's because we're leaving on Saturday to go on vacation to Sunriver (my favorite place on earth) and we'll be gone till the following weekend. I'm so excited!!! This is the trip we as a family look forward to all year long, so I guess this counts as a baby moon? We're not leaving our kids behind, obviously. So it's not like a super romantic getaway, but it is a fun family vacation that is always filled with such wonderful memories, and to be honest, I don't think I could leave me kids behind. I love having them with my, lol!


But wouldn't you know...I'm sick! Friday night, I came down with a few symptoms that appeared cold/flu like...but after a wonderful nights sleep, I woke up feeling great! All day Saturday I felt great, we went grocery shopping and while Josh grilled a fantastic steak, I made a yummy salad. After dinner, I laid down on the couch, suddenly really tired. While Josh did all the dishes and the kids got ready for bed, I snoozed for a long time and when Josh woke me up, I felt awful, and as the night went on, the worse I felt. My head ached all the way down to my toes. My head throbbed, and my throat felt swollen and sore and was unable to sleep due my bladder, a little man who refused to let me sleep on my right side, and the mere fact that I just felt awful.

Sunday morning I stayed home from church and slept. Josh brought me my broccoli cheese soup from Quizno's and I just laid in bed all day drinking glasses of water and tea and trying to let my body tell me what it needed.

My pre-natal appointment is this morning and I'm hoping my dr. will maybe just prescribe me something as a precaution in case I don't get better as the week continues so it doesn't effect our vacation coming up. We'll see how it goes, I shall update you all tomorrow! :)

The menu for the week looks like this:

Monday
My mom's Chicken Noodle Soup with rolls. 
Since I'm sick, it sounds like the perfect thing to eat!
Tuesday
Herb-rubbed sirloin roast with rice and veggies.
Wednesday
I'm using the leftover green beans and pork from last week and combining with chicken and veggies for stir fry this week with rice.
Thursday
Garlic Spaghetti with salad 
Friday
Crockpot sloppy joes
I don't think I'm going to make cookies or anything else on the side, since we'll be leaving for vacation. But do I have plans for lot's of delicious fall treats when I get back, so stay tuned!

Chocolate Cheesecake

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When my dad comes into town from Vegas, he has one request of me, and that is to make him a cheesecake. Last year, I made him a Two-Tone Cheesecake. This year, I made him a chocolate cheesecake, because he has a deep love for chocolate!

This cheesecake almost didn't happen. My dad happened to come visit during one of the hottest weeks in August and if it hadn't been for Josh buying an air conditioner for our downstairs, I would have bought a cheesecake from Costco, which are good, but it wouldn't have been made with all the heart and soul that I put into mine, lol! So, while my dad was showing his new wife our beautiful state of Oregon one afternoon, I sprung into pregnant action making this cheesecake.

This is a really flavorful chocolate cheesecake. It doesn't just speak to the chocolate loving tastebuds, oh, no. It speaks to all of your tastebuds with a delightful solo of chocolatey almond extract and a chorus of vanilla. One bite is just not enough - one slice has your whole mouth singing for more. Isn't that what you want when you take that first bite - your tastebuds all swaying in harmony?! You know you do! And that was what was heard in our living room as we all got down to business eating this cheesecake! If you love chocolate and you love cheesecake, this is the one you want to make!

Chocolate Cheesecake
Yield: 12 servings
Crust:
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 squares)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup baking cocoa
6 TB butter, melted
Filling:
3 pkgs (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
1 TB honey
In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cocoa; stir in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and up 1-in.  up the side of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. 
In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed, just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate and extracts just until blended. Pour into crust. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until center is almost set. Cool on a wired rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate until completely cooled. 
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, cream, and honey; stir until smooth. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Pour topping over cheesecake. Chill for at least 4 hours or until topping is set.