Maier's 3rd birthday & a recipie

So it was a successful party over this past weekend; we had one big giant play date outside {thank goodness the weather was amazing-65 degrees and sunny} complete with all the bikes, scooters, and mini-motorized vehicles for riding, a {free/borrowed} jumpy castle for the static cling, and a craft table for the artists.

Umm, Maier?  Are you crashing from a sugar high?  

The parents of all the children that came are also mine and Jon's friends, (many of them already knowing each other), so the adults got to enjoy some great company while our kids enjoyed the fresh air and amusements of freedom outside:)  I didn't get any pictures of the 'grownups'!!  I can't believe that!

I wish I had taken more pictures and better ones of the b.day banner; it was glittery but none of my pics show it well, bummer.

And as I mentioned before, we sang happy birthday and Maier blew out her 3 candles on some Oreo Surprise and it was so good.  And I took pics to I can share the recipe with those of you that were interested in it from Kayla's shower:)  If you hadn't considered it before, you definitely  should because I'm telling you, this is the easiest crowd pleasing dessert you can find!


(Disclaimer: I doubled my recipe b/c I wasn't sure how much we would need; 10 adults+12 kids=more than enough.  We will be eating Oreo surprise for a week! But 1 batch wouldn't have been enough.  The recipe below is for one 'batch':

Oreo Surprise

• 1 bag of oreos or any chocolate/cream sandwich cookies
• 1 large tub of cool whip
• 1 large box of vanilla or french vanilla instant jello pudding plus the milk it calls for
• a little milk in a bowl for dipping cookies

Directions:

1. In a bowl mix pudding according to directions on the box;don't forget to let set for a full 5 min. in the fridge
2. Then mix in the cool whip with the pudding**Cool whip needs to be thawed to a soft consistency so it mixed well
3. Then in your dessert dish you will begin the first layer with the cookies; dip each oreo into milk and make one flat layer.
4. Cover cookies with a layer of pudding mixture
5. Do this until pudding/cookies are gone or your dish is full; and you can crumble some cookies on top for the last bit.
6. Refrigerate for a few hours to 'set' so it won't be soupy.

This is so easy and you can really get creative with the flavors of pudding, cookies, and toppings.  I hope you try it!

A recipie and a 'Before' pic

We had this for dinner a couple of nights ago and it was a success,{I measure success by the amount of serving/number of helpings my girls eat/ask for}.  So that means I can share the pictures I took while preparing it.  And it is easier than my over used chicken soup takes because it's a crocker {not Betty} meal.  It does not have an official name but I am thinking maybe Enchilada-less Chicken Enchiladas Verdes.  I just wanted a long name for something.  Not really, I just didn't have any flour or corn tortillas on hand.  So maybe the name should be Tortilla-less Chicken Enchilada Verdes?

Ingredients:

• Salsa Verde (a green chilies salsa that is not spicy)
• 1 tbsp Minced garlic
• 1 c Sour cream
• 1 c Cream cheese (I prefer whipped b/c it is less lumpy when mixed)
• 1/2 Sweet onion
• 4-6 Chicken breast (frozen or thawed)
• 1/2-3/4 c of Milk
• Shredded Cheese
• Crock pot aka crocker

 Mix together

•  sour cream,  cream cheese, milk, and minced garlic
• spray or oil your crock pot dish and layer your chicken with the sour cream mixture 
• top with sliced onions
• cover and cook on high for 4 hours
• top with shredded cheese and salsa verde

I don't have any after pictures because really, food just sometimes looks like slop when you serve it up in a bowl with melted shredded cheese on top you know?  And know one wants to see that.  But if you like enchiladas or cheese or mexican food or chicken even, you so should try this.  We ate it with tortilla chips this time but next time I might get fancy.  I may serve it up actual enchilada style, with mexi-rice and all.  And whatever you do, if you try this, don't skip the salsa verde; that stuff is so good, "I put that sh*** on everything!".  Please tell me you've heard that commercial on the radio for Frank's Red Hot sauce??  If you haven't you need to google it now-so that you don't think I am crazy and so you can laugh you buns off.

Oh and here is a couple of pics for a little furniture 'project' I am working on.

This is an entry way table I got to inherit after my great great aunt Violet passed away.  I love it.  And I actually like it the way it is but I would love it even more if it were a shade of white blue.  So she is sitting in my garage with a coat of kilz primer waiting for me to pick which color to paint her.  It isn't going to go in my entry way, it's going to be a 'sofa' table.  My couch is white so I want a little color and I really can't decide on how 'little' or lot to go.  Hmmm-it will probably be a lot easier if I just forget these 3 color options and just go back to the Depot and get lost in a ridiculous sea of choices.

There's a party in my tummy

Yummy yummy, yeah!  Yo Gabba Gabba anyone?  This little party in the tummy song was really the only way I could get my girls to eat their pork tonight.  I don't blame them.  My pork chops always turn out dry. At least all the stuff I smothered them with made it 'yummy'.  I will only attempt this recipe again by using the crock pot and maybe then they will be moist?

Pineapple Pork Chops with Black beans and Corn

• 6 Boneless pork chops
• 1 can of pineapple salsa
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of sweet corn(or some ears of corn)
• Minced garlic

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray your pan; season the bottom of pan with a little s'n'p
2. Lay your chops down and season top with s'n'p
3. Sing your favorite or least favorite Salt 'n' Peppa song while doing step 1 and 2
4. Cover the chops with your pineapple salsa
5. Sprinkle a little minced goodness on top of each chop for a little roasted garlic topping
6. Bake for 20 ish minutes
7. While they bake, drain the beans and corn and put in a saucepan with a little butter and a little juice leftover from the salsa jar; heat and serve w/the pork chops
8. Take those puppies out before they dry out!!

Soup! It's what's for dinner

We have been consuming a lot of soup lately.  The girls Love soup, almost any kind.  And it is pretty easy for a challenged cook {like myself} to make a good pot.  Two variations I have been doing lately are made with chicken broth and shredded chicken.  Very simple and easy to add in healthy doses of veggies.

Maier loves some shredded chicken

"More Pleeeease"

Drink it up

They love the broth so I serve them soup in coffee mugs; bottoms up!

This is what we used to make one version of our chicken and rice soup

Here's our recipie for easy chicken and rice. (There are two different ways we make it and the second way, (my favorite way), some of those ingredients are are'nt pictured.):

Both soups contain:

• One cup of rice, cooked by directions on package, (add rice in right before serving)
• In another pot, add one box/can of low sodium chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded seasoned chicken(we use left over rotisserie chicken or seasoned&baked chicken breast)

Then for traditional chicken and rice, add:

• chopped carrots
• parsley(and basil is good too)
• and most would like celery but the girls and Jon despise celery so add if you like

Or for my fave alternative, a mexican chicken and rice, add:

• add two jars of your favorite salsa, (our's is Trader Joes Garlic Chipotle salsa-amazing)
• serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips

Let your pot simmer for a bit to meld the flavors.  We usually have left overs which is also a plus to this easy dinner.  Sometimes we have a salad and fruit on the side too.

Dinner & Two sided tummies

Hey guys!  So, now that it is beginning to feel like fall around here, I have been 'feeling' the need for cooking like fall.  We had our first roasted chicken ever, that was cooked by me!  You know, as opposed to being cooked by a Publix employee in that big roasting machine:).  My oval roasting pan has come fresh out of it's original box, just before being washed and cooking in it.  Jon and I received this as a wedding gift almost six years ago, from the cook ware line we registered from.  And as we approach that sixth year mark, it felt about time to open one last wedding gift.  This chicken and the veggies turned out sooo well that this will be a for sure go to meal, quite possibly weekly!  Just look at this before and after:

Quite impressive.  And mostly because the amount of successful 'go to' meals that I have are few and far between.  I try to be a good cook.  And I enjoy it; but some how when it comes to cooking a really grand-tasting meal, I am very challenged:).

Ok that's enough of food talk.  In other news, my girls have their fall parties coming up at school and we are very excited about them!  They get to wear their halloween costumes and do crafts and games.  Maier has known what she has wanted to be upon my first inquire.  A lady bug.  Laila has been telling me for weeks that she has "not made a decision yet".  When I informed her that the deadline to make/buy/assemble any costume was here, she informed me that she would be Maier's lady bug mommy.  They always seem to surprise me in their sister connection:).

Oh wait, a little more food talk.  Plus, they will get to eat great halloween party food; which means cute little desserts.  Now, sweets is one of our household favorites.  These things are not a challenge for me.  In fact, we,(when I say we I mean the girls and me-Jon does not claim this), have two sides to our stomaches: One for the necessary things like vitamin rich fruits and veggies, etc. And another for desserts.  One whole side saved just for the sweet goodness of Dessert.  Amen.  That really will be all for the food talk for now.  But I assure you there will be more because, after all, we are headed straight into the most wonderful time of year that is accompanied by tons of nutritious and not so nutritious delights!  Oh and I show you all the pics of the girl's costumes next week!  And maybe even a success story of  halloween sweet treats:)