Freezer dinner prep = kitchen chaos

Freezer dinner group meets tonight and I'm making Penne Rustica.

 My kitchen may be chaotic at the moment but the results will be so worth the mess.

End of summer flower garden

Boys will be boys...

Surround sound gaming headphones make for a very happy hubby and a very happy wife since I don't have to hear it ♥

Today's Fresh Pick - 2012 Garden update

My garden bounty is small this year.

Perhaps it's due to a big German Shepherd that likes to snack on veggies that are still growing on the vine?

After I caught her eating my zucchini and squash plants down to the root, I banished her to another place in the yard.  She won't even look at me now.

Honey Bun Cake

Holy cow.  You have GOT to try this recipe.  It is amazing!

It is cinnamon-y goodness at it's best and a definite recipe favorite in my house.

It's sort of like a coffee cake...only different.  The sour cream adds a rich denseness to it and the cinnamon sugar mixture sends it over the top.

Make this today for your honey bunnies.  They will l♥ve you for it...Probably even more than they love you today.

 

Honey Bun Cake

For Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

For Cinnamon Sugar Mixture:

3/4 cup brown sugar 

3 Tablespoons cinnamon

For Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3-4 Tablespoons milk

Mix the ingredients for the cake together.  When thoroughly mixed, pour HALF of the batter into a bundt pan or 9x13 baking pan.

Combine the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle HALF of the mixture onto the batter.

Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture and then top with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven 300 degrees for about 45-50 minutes.

Prepare glaze mixture right before taking the cake out of the oven.  Drizzle the glaze over the hot cake and let cool.  The glaze will harden as the cake cools

Fresh Peach Pie!

I've been craving peach pie all summer long and finally made one for my family to enjoy devour.  The shortbread crust is delicious, the peaches fresh (of course) and the cream is freshly whipped - say hello to fresh peach pie...

Hello!

Super good!

Fresh Peach Pie with (thick) Shortbread Crust 

 Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons (heaping) cornstarch

3 drops yellow food coloring

1/4 cups fresh lemon juice

1 pinch salt

1/4 cup butter

7 whole peaches, peeled and sliced

1 recipe Shortbread Crust (see below)

Directions:

Combine water, sugar, cornstarch, food coloring, lemon juice and salt in a medium saucepan.  Whisk until combined.  Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thick and almost hard to stir.  Remove from heat and add butter; stir until melted and combined.  Add peaches and gently fold to coat.  Pour into precooked, cooled pie shell.  Refrigerate for 4 hours to set.  Top with whipped cream and serve.

Shortbread Crust

Makes one thick 10" pie crust or two thin 9" crusts

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir together flour and baking powder, blend into butter mixture.  For a thick crust, pat into a 10-inch pie plate - or if you prefer a thin crust, divide dough and pat into two 8 or 9-inch pie plates and pop it into the  freezer for 10 minutes before baking to firm up butter.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

 

NEW school days

My two youngest start school today. A new public charter school. It's a conservative, traditional, preserving-our-history kind of school and Jeff and I couldn't be more pleased about it.

We live in California and there are not many public schools here that are conservative or traditional or that believe in restoring America's heritage.

We went to orientation on  Friday.

We pledged allegience.   The last time I pledged allegience to our flag at a public school was when I was in elementary school - more than 35 YEARS ago!!!

We listened to an AWESOME inspirational quote of the day.

Our national anthem was sung by all.

My kids met their advisers, their teachers and a bunch of new kids that were friendly, modestly dressed, and excited to start school.  Let me tell you, as a parent the modestly dressed part was awesome.  No piercings, no tattoos, no shorts up to here and tanks down to there on the girls, and no underwear hanging out of jeans on the boys.  Just great kids excited to learn  and challenge themselves without the distractions of boobs and butt cracks.  (let's just get it out there).

My son was invited to start a percussion group for band.  He's over the moon excited about it and had the opportunity to meet with the Dean of Scholars to discuss his plans.

My daughter was scared to death about getting lost and not meeting any friends.  Both of her fears were quickly eliminated as she met a group of girls in her grade and they all helped each other out.

Day one and I know it's going to be a great year.

Here we go.

Last day of summer fun

Jeff and I spent Friday with 5 teenagers riding water slides. Are we crazy or what?  I was able to get tickets from our new school at the discounted price of $10.00 each.   Fantastic price considering daily prices are nearly $30 each.

I wish I had a water proof camera so I could have taken action shots on all the water rides.  Crazy fun and a few really good wipe outs for Jeff and me.

I have the huge, and I mean HUGE bruise on my rump from my best wipe out of the day.  The ride was really fun...the wipe out was not - (my 15 year old son said I looked HILARIOUS as a flew out the shoot of the ride all the way up the steps and on to the sidewalk only hit my rear on the edge of the pool and be dumped upside down onto the stairs IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!!!!!

Nice.

Way to go mom!

I spent the rest of the afternoon recuperating in the wave pool, lazy river and parked on a lawn chair up on the grass watching everyone else.  No problem for me.  I love the sun!

 

Happy end of summer!

Coconut Pudding Pie

Coconut Pudding Pie
crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans - optional

Mix and pat in an 8x8 inch pan, bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden.  Do not over bake.

Layer two:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipped topping

Beat together sugar and cream cheese.  Fold in whipped topping.  Spread on cooled crust.

Layer three:
1 small package coconut cream instant pudding
1 1/2 cups whole milk (any milk will do, but whole milk makes pudding so much tastier)

Mix until thickened.  Spread over cream cheese mixture.

Top with remaining tub of whipped topping.

Toast 1 cup coconut.  Sprinkle evenly on dessert.  Refrigerate.

 

Penne Rustica for a crowd

 

Via

Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pound thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp cayenne pepper OR  substitute chili powder
8 cups heavy cream (I used 4 cups half-n-half and 4 cups heavy cream)

Topping:
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 tsp chopped rosemary

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.
Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour


 

Freezer Dinners Rock!

I joined a freezer dinner group with some of my friends.

Our first month was so successful.

 I cannot tell you how awesome it was to have these meals in my freezer and ready to go for easy summer dinners on the fly.

On the menu (top to bottom, left to right - click on links for recipes)

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells (recipe coming soon)

Creamy Taquitos with Refried Beans

Baked Penne Pasta

Cilantro Lime Pesto with Chicken and Flour Tortillas

Sweet n' Sour Chicken with Rice

How it works:  Using one recipe, make one family sized meal for each member of your group.  We have 5 participating in our group so I made 6 meals - 1 for my family to eat that night.  Meals are packaged in large freezer sized ziploks or 9x13 foil pan, labeled with directions and frozen or ready to be frozen.  Meet at a home and exchange meals once a month.  

So, so glad I joined this group.   Find some friends who know how to cook and do this too.  It's awesome.

Happy 22nd Birthday Alyssa!

It's.good.to.be.home.

*sigh*

Really though.  It IS good to be home especially since it's birthday time again!

My birthday girl requested her favorite chocolate cake aka Nothin' Bundt Cake Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake aka The Jane Austen Cake - (follow the last link for the recipe and back-story from 2010). 

Every girls deserves a hot date on her 22nd birthday, right? - especially a really tall guy so that you can wear your HIGHEST heals.

Hello Ryan.

Who is 6'6" now?

My cheesy take on a last minute photo...I think I drive my two oldest girls crazy with my photo taking!

I'm BACK!

A day in the life - Huntington Beach: US Open

A day in the life - Seal Beach