SNOW DAY(s) !!

Hi Gals!

I've been busy, busy this week, getting ready for our Stake YM/YW Snow Trip! I'm 'privledged' again this year to have been asked to be the COOK for this little trip. I must admit, so far it's much easier this time, since I'm using the same menu that we used last year. Still had my shopping list! So, if you have any teens, (or adults) going, here is what they will be eating:

Dinner- Homemade Chili, with Cornbread, and Veggies w/ Ranch Dressing
Dessert- Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies (i premade 10lbs of cookie dough)
Breakfast - Pancakes, Bacon, Fresh Fruit, Milk, Juice (maybe eggs for a few special people)
Lunch - Hot dogs, (chili dogs if there are leftovers) Chips, Fruit, Lemonade
Snack - Granola Bars, Fruit

See, no worries, plenty of yummy food...no one will starve!

Ok, I promise to get caught up blogging next week. Maybe a few recipes, definitely a BAKING SPECIAL (can you say LEMONS, again?!) and BIG, HAPPY news on hubby's Job Search!! I'm off, see ya in a few days!
Hugs, and Happy Eating...and Fun in the Snow!

It's NOT Purple

Just a photo for the naysayers out there in Cyberland, who feel the need to form negative opinions my daughters choice of colors for her upcoming Wedding, without either knowing Jenni OR seeing the actual colors. (yea, I'm really going there)

The color of the bridesmaids dresses in this photo is close to the color of dresses that all TWO of her 'bridesmaids' (younger sisters) and the Maid of Honor will be wearing. Her sisters dresses will be tea length and have sleeves though. Her others colors are a Soft Yellow, (different shades) and some Silver for accessories. (like shoes, and such) Her whole reception is going to be a Vintage Garden theme, she has purchased many of the decorative and serving items herself. It will be cute and quirky, with things like wire bird cages, wicker chairs, white 'distressed look' ceramic trays and photo frames to name a few. (don't want to give away too much, you'll have to come to the reception to see for yourself!)

Oh, and just in case anyone needs something else to comment on...her actual Wedding Dress that she will wear at the reception is IVORY! {{gasp!!}} And looks absolutely Beautiful on my very fair-skinned redheaded daughter. (check photos below for proof of her coloring, in case you doubt my word, lol)

Ok, I'm off my soapbox for now. (and a word to the wise, it might not be a good idea to piss off the Mother of the Bride 6 weeks before the wedding. just saying.)

HUGS!

Valentine's Goodies!

Hey! It just occured to me that Valentines Day is THIS Sunday! Do you know what that means?? I need to offer some AWESOME Valentines Goodies for my most AMAZING customers to order! (yea, all 4 of you. wait, i think i'm up to 6 now, go me) By the way, did you gals know that I am a certified Cake Decorator, for the last 25 yrs?? Yep, from Eagle Scout Cakes to Wedding Cakes, and even a year of teaching for Wilton, I've done it all. Or so it feels at times, lol.

So, here's what I've some up with;

1. 'Heart' Cupcakes - Regular size Cupcakes, decorated with Frosting Swirls, and Fondant Hearts. Available in 3 yummy flavors; Devil's Food, Vanilla, or Red Velvet. Frosted with a Chocolate Buttercream, or Vanilla Cream Cheese Swirl. (yum-yum) These are 6 for $12, minimum of 6 (same flavor, please) That is only $2.00 per cupcake, a dollar LESS than the little boutique bakery around the corner sells their's for. Mine are homemade, and just as good. Promise!

2. Sweetheart Cake - An 8" Heart shaped Devils Food Cake, filled with a Raspberry Cream Cheese, and covered with a Chocolate Fudge Frosting, then drizzled with Chocolate Ganache. Double Yum! Also available in Red Velvet, with Cream Cheese Frosting. A Sweet Deal at only $25 each...and that includes a written message if desired! (just keep it 'clean' haha)

Now for the ordering info; You have 48 hrs to make up your mind, and let me know what you will be wanting. (or until Thurs at 10pm). I will spend Friday/Sat baking, and have all items ready for PICKUP Sat Afternoon/Evening. No orders taken after Thurs night, I need to purchase special boxes, etc. Sorry. Leave orders HERE, under comments (with your contact info) OR Email me - carrot_top6@yahoo.com OR Call me;
562-500-4859

LAST, ALL monies made off this Valentine Special will go directly to purchase my daughter Jenni's Temple Wedding Dress!! (she is the lovely young lady in the post below). She has already purchase her Official Wedding Dress, but it is light Ivory color to go with her fair complextion. I want to purchase the White Temple dress for her...a special gift from Mom.

Thanks Ladies! And Happy Eating!!

It's not Fair!

I found out today that my dearest, adorable, beautiful daughter Jenni is CHEATING me out of one of the best perks of being a 'MOB' (mother of the bride). You'll never guess what she did. Come on, give it a try...Whatever you guessed, you're probably WRONG. You know what my sneaky, sly, clever girl did????? She had her Fiancee Phil's address put down as the 'ship to' address for any gifts ordered off her Gift Registry!!!!
Do you realize what that means?!?!?! It means that any gifts she gets before the wedding, get delivered to HIS house, and I DON"T GET TO SEE THEM! And worse, I don't get the opportunity to 'borrow' anything, or 'try stuff out' ahead of time to make sure it works! Cause you know, I would just HATE her to get something like a Belgian Waffle Maker and discover the first time using it that is doesn't work. Yeah, I really try to being a loving, caring Mom...but she just doesn't give me the chance. (lol)

And one more thing...she even gave Phil all the Gift Cards she got at the Showers on Sat, so 'she' couldn't use them! Dang kids...

That's Ok, I'll just get back at her by posting embarrassing photos of her with Honeymoon Nighties. Bwahahahaha!

Love you Jen, and I had a great time at BOTH your bridal showers! (but couldn't you have at least slipped just ONE Target GC in my purse???)

What's for Dinner?

Every few days on Facebook, I like to ask "What's for Dinner?"
Why? you ask...For one thing, it gives me a topic to post that people might respond to that might not usually reply to other posts. Another reason, it gives me new ideas for dinner time. There are an amazing number of great cooks out there in cyberland, and I think we should ALL have the opportunity the share our FOOD. lol. (ok, except maybe Hillary, and her chicken-noodles-mashed potatoes stuff. The jury is still out on this one) (love ya, Hil!)
And lastly, it gives me the chance to Google "dinner" images, and come up with this photo, titled - "Redneck Seafood Dinner" ROTFLOL, I kid you not!! My husband would KILL me if I made this, but my kids would probably LOVE it, especially Cami.

Bet ya didn't know, (well, how would you?) but most weeks I plan a Weekly Dinner Menu. I find my week goes so much smoother if I know in advance what I'm making for dinner any night of the week, instead of just 'flying by the seat of my pants'. I usually only plan Mon-Friday, cause I used to insist that I had 'weekends off', but in reality, I still do cook on weekends too...just not full-on dinners, unless we are BBQing or having company. (and THAT happens so often...not!) Planning menus ahead also lets me take advantage of what I've got hidden...er, 'stocked' in the freezer, and use grocery sale items too.

Also, by writing down menus, I can look back at previous menus to remind me of things we haven't had in awhile,(Steph begged me for 6 months to make Beef Enchiladas) or maybe have been having too often. (like those cheap Trader Joes Potstickers...sorry honey!) I can also look at my week, and figure that Wednesday, with Work, Mutual, and Musical Rehersal, (and accompaning taxi service) might not be a great day to make a time consuming Chicken Pot Pie from scratch. Or a day that I have 4 loaves of bread, 2 pans of cinnamon rolls, and a batch of cookies to bake, wouldn't be the best day to ALSO use the OVEN to cook Meat Loaf and Cheesy Pototoes. yep, did that the other day.

So, now that I've given you so many positive reasons to create a Weekly Dinner Menu...will you?? I'm gonna CHALLENGE you to do so this week! An to sweeten the pot, (haha) I'm going to offer a PRIZE! Post your weekly menu HERE (in my commnets) or on your OWN BLOG,(and leave a link here)...and you will be entered to win either a SEE'S CANDY GIFT CERTIFICATE, or a ONE LOAF of my HOMEMADE BREAD! (your choice of flavors). I'll post my menu first, to get your menu-planning juices flowing...the rest is up to you. I'll also try to post some of the recipes I use during the coming week. Sweet deal, no??

Here's my menu, lets see your's ;)

Monday - Pork Chimichangas (Pork cooked in Crockpot)with Homemade Guacamole, Green Salad
Tues - Pan Grilled Chicken Gryos, on homemade Flatbread, Steamed Broccoli
Wed - Crockpot Chili with Steamed Rice, Grated Cheese, and Cornbread Muffins
Thurs - Leftover BBQ Pork on Buns, French Fries, Fruit Salad
Friday - Ranch Chicken, Spanish Rice, Sauteed Squash

OH, and I haven't forgotten...someone will be WINNING a NUTTY SURPRISE in the next couple of days. Keep checking back for the winner! Hugs, and HAPPY EATING!

**WINNER**WINNER**WINNER**

Well Folks, we have a WINNER!! Remember my post last week, about having my FIRST blog giveaway?? Bet you thought I forgot, huh?? Oh ye of little faith...tsk, tsk.

As soon as this upcoming crazy bridal shower weekend is over...AMY SUE will be feasting on a loaf of my Famous Cinnamon Swirl Bread!! WHoo-Hoo!! Congrats to YOU!!
(I'll give ya a shout-out on FB when I have it ready Amy)

Oh. Are you feeling bad that YOU didn't win anything?? Well, it's not too late. Here's your chance. Read yesterdays blog post, "Oh Nuts" and follow the directions in the post, and YOU too might be a lucky winner like Amy. Except next week it will be something 'Nut' related. Yes, it's a surprise, and I'm not telling yet. And Yes, I'm kinda mean that way...just ask my kids. Or better yet, my husband. ha!

Hugs and Happy Eating!

Oh Nuts!!

Sorry, couldn't resist...had to follow up a post about 'Fudge', with a post about 'Nuts'. {Jessica, you can get your mind outta the gutter right now. I refuse to have my blog sink to an even lower level of degeneration}{lol} Anyway, I was thinking about nuts last night after making another banana split for my hubby.

He ALWAYS has to have chopped nuts on his banana split, and they ALWAYS have to be Pecans. The man loves his pecans. Must be the Okie in him. Make him Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans (instead of Walnuts) and he is happy. Give him a German Choc. Cake with Coconut-PECAN Icing and he is in heaven. Pecan Sticky Rolls, and he will swoon. And a Homemade Pecan Pie?? He'll do almost ANYTHING for a homemade Pecan Pie. {wink-wink, nudge-nudge} I meant mop the kitchen floor!!!! Sheesh, some of you people....! He also loves Cashews, but not really cooked in anything, just roasted-salted to eat out of hand.

Me?? I like almost any type of nuts, just depends on what they are being used for. Walnuts in my cookies, Pecans in my Praline, Almonds in my Asian Cabbage Salad, (and toffee!) My earliest 'nut' related memory though involves Pistachios. YUM! My Dad was in the Navy, and was the Ship Supply Clerk. (or something like that). He would occasionally bring home leftover goodies from the ship for us...like Ribeye Steaks, (that is where I get my love for rare Beef) Beer, (before we were re-activated LDS) and bags of those RED DYED PISTACHIOS. I would sit on the back step, and crack them open and eat them as fast as a 8 yr old could. The downside was red-stained fingers for the next 3 days, lol. And if I was really lucky, my Dad would shell them for me! No stained fingers! (yea, I was a bit spoiled)

All this Nutty rambling brings me to this...you should EAT MORE NUTS! They are healthy, and good for you. (in moderation) I love buying the HUGE bags at Costco, they are great quality. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE buying them at Sprouts. They put different types on sale every week, and considering the awesome quality of their nuts, the prices are GREAT! (i stocked up on 8 lbs of Pecans during the Holidays...and used them all)

So, what are YOUR favorite kinds of Nuts?? And what is your favorite way to eat them?? Leave a reply, and next week I will have a special NUTTY surprise for one of you! {{wink-wink, nudge-nudge}} haha! I'll let you know who the lucky winner is on Sunday.

Hugs and Happy Eating!!

ps...HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY to my youngest son, MICHAEL. (only a day early!)

Oh Fudge!

No really. Fudge! HOT Fudge! The dark, chocolatey goodness that dreams are made of. (oh come on, I know I'm not the only person that dreams of Hot Fudge...!)

I made some last night. Not in my dreams, but in REAL LIFE. In my kitchen, on my (messy) stove. Yea, you know you have a messy stove too...it just proves how much you use it! And after I made it, and we ate it on Banana Splits, I thought, "hey! this is so easy and good, i should post it on my blog!" (no, i don't use capital letters when i think)

A few notes on ingredients before we get to the recipe. Sometimes the brands of food I use in recipes doesn't matter. Like canned corn. If I'm making my Santa Fe Chicken Salad, the salsa doesn't care if the corn is Del Monte, or Stater Bros brand. (Salsa is not snobby like that. Jambalaya is, though.) However, other recipes definitely turn out better when certain brands are used. For instance:

Nestles Chocolate Chip (semi sweet) are the BEST tasting, reasonably priced Chocolate Chip you can buy. Don't buy store brands to try to save a few $$. Your finished recipe will not taste as good. maybe even nasty. I get these in like 18 lb bags (ok, only 5 lbs) at Sams Club or Costco. And I go thru ALOT of them. At least one huge bag a month. You might say our family is full of chocoholics. Better than booze, right??

Now, at the other end of the brand name thing, is Sweetened Condensed Milk.

<< -----Most people use this one. Guess what?? You don't have to! There are 3-4 brands of sweetened condensed milk on your store shelves, and ALL of THEM are cheaper that this one! At my grocery store, Eagle Brand averages $3.00 a can. The other brands average around $2.00 a can, and I regularly find them for 2/$3 !! That is HALF the cost of Eagle Brand! And it tastes the same! And works the same! I'm embarrassed to say, it took me quite a few years to discover this. But now I only buy <<--- if it is on sale cheaper than $1.50 a can. (Sams club had a 4 pack last week, for $3.80. yep, i bought it) Anyway. I do't want none ya'll sayin ya didn't git ya sum ed-chu-ka-shun from mah blog.

Without further ado...(i always wanted an excuse to say that) here it is;

The BEST and EASIEST HOT FUDGE SAUCE in the WORLD!

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

1 Cup mini-Marshmellows

1/2 Cup Milk (just the stuff outta the fridge)

1 t. Vanilla

pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, to keep the chocolate from burning. Keep stirring until all the marshmellows are melted and mixed in. (this will take 5-10 min. It's worth it, really.)

Serve this over a Banana Split, make a Hot Fudge Sundae, smother a Hot Fudge Brownie, pour over Pancakes, (ok, just kidding about the pancakes. maybe.) or practice fingerpainting your Honey. (hey, no one ever said this blog was 'G' rated!)

Keep any leftovers in a container in the fridge. Hide from the kids if neccessary.

Hugs, and Happy Eating!