Worthwhile Challenge #5-a cookie

My challenge recipe from last week is a little late since it's now this week that I'm just getting around to posting it.

Last week was a very tough one, to say the least. My little munchkin was sick. Like as in both ends sick. Starting late on Saturday night (like as in, January 30th)...and just finally getting back to her old self the last day or two. It sucked. To add to the already miserable mix of having a sickie, I had a big kid with three snow days last week.

And not the kind of snow days where you have mountains of snow to go have fun in. Noooo. We don't get THAT kind of snow day. We get "got some snow, but it's arctic frigid out there" snow days (as in-too cold for the kids to stand at the bus stop).

So. Sick munchkin. Snow days. Sick big kid hits just in time to go back to school. Mommy's body thinking it needs to get sick. Off for a scrapbook weekend (more to come on that later). It was hard to get the recipe posted.

But i DID get one made. Now I just need to catch up and do another one for this week! :)

The recipe I did last week came from the same church cookbook that our favorite cookies came from. While I think it's hard to really screw up a cookie...I mean, a cookie is a cookie as long as it's not burnt, it's probably worth eating...I don't see this one in our cookie jar too often. It was a drier, crispier cookie.

I kind of gathered that from the name of it; Crunch Drop Cookies. But I was in the mood to try a new cookie, so here it was. Good dough. Totally edible cookie. Just not our preferred kind. But if you're a crunchy kinda person, give these babies a whirl!

Here we go:
Cream 1 cup shortening with 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Add in two eggs and 1 tsp vanilla and mix well.

Add in 2 cups flour, 1 tsp soda, and 1/2 tsp salt that have been mixed together.

Add in 2 cups oatmeal, 1.5 cups rice krispies, and 3/4 cup shredded coconut. Because everything is better with chocolate, I threw in about a cup of choc chips too. mix well.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. I removed these from the pan pretty quickly... as they did not seem to be the kind that would come off real easily once they started cooling.

And that, my friends...is your recipe for last week.

Coming up this week: scrapbook stuff, the return of a happy Hannah, and more!

Super Bowl

Are you a Super Bowl watcher?

Do you watch for the game or the commercials?

We're not big football fans around here (ssshhhh don't let my side of the family hear that). I love going to college football games, but I don't care much about pro football and I've never been big on watching sports on TV.

So Brooke says the other night "Superbowl is boring. Why do we watch it?"

My answer was "Well. Because it's an American tradition. And the commercials are funny."

But she's right, otherwise it is pretty much boring and just about the menu, right?! :) For those of us non-football kind of people.

Though if it's a good, close game, I do tend to enjoy it a bit and get more into it.

So, what do you do to make Super Bowl a little more fun for your kiddos?
What is on your Super Bowl menu? (I think we're having a nacho bar).

I'd like to make it funner for the girls, without a whole lot of prep from me. (I've got an insanely busy week and then I get to go away for a scrapbook weekend!!).

And, who are you rooting for? Or are you just a commercial watcher?

Modern Family-TV Show

Last week, a friend of mine was telling me how funny she thinks the show "Modern Family" is... so I dvr'd this week and we just watched it tonight.

While I think it is a sad state of affairs that the real modern family today often includes divorce, and does not always consist of a mother (female) and father (male), I did still find the show totally funny. It did ring true though... whether right or wrong (and that's not for me to judge), today's "modern family" snapshots are not the same as they were 50 years ago!

One family's bit on the show tonight made me laugh and think of Matt and I. We've had several moments of, um...heated discussion...when I'm adamant that "his way" is not the ONLY "right way." (This is my blog, so I can say it like this. IF it was his blog, he may word it differently...lol!). That family bit also touched on "both parents can't be fun. There's one fun parent, and the other one has to be the responsible one." I wonder who plays the "fun" role in this house? I think it's usually me.... though Matt has his moments too! Perhaps the show is wrong... maybe there can only be one fun parent at a time, but we can take turns :)

There was another family where the (spanish-accented) wife was looking everywhere for her keys. The kid was in a mood, the dad was being sarcastic, "told you so"-ish, and unhelpful. The best part of the show is when the mom got her hands on the kid's new bb gun. Funny!

If you're looking for some laughs...and a break from all the reality shows (I'm a reality show junkie indeed), "Modern Family" might be a fun one for you to catch!

Worthwhile Challenge 2011- #4

Today I present to you: Cheeseburger Chowder.

While the name may not be overly appealing, once I read the recipe, I decided it might be worth trying.

This recipe came from a cookbook published by the grocery store that I grew up with, Hy Vee. My mom bought me their "Seasons-Comfort Foods" cookbook a few years ago. It's got some good stuff in it!


Here's the recipe...or my variation thereof.

Brown 1 lb ground beef, drain and set aside.

In large stockpot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and saute 3/4 cup chopped onion and 3/4 cup shredded carrot with 1.5 tsp of Mrs. Dash until veggies are tender.

(Angie note: it also called for 3/4 cup diced celery which I did not have, nor am I a huge fan of cooked celery. and the Mrs. Dash was used since I did not have any dried basil or parsley...and I was out of Italian seasoning which would have been my first replacement for those two!).

Add cooked beef, 4 cups diced/peeled potatoes and 3 cups of beef broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

While that is simmering, in a small saucepan melt 3 Tablesppons butter. Add 1/4 cup flour, cook and stir for a few minutes. Add 1.5 cups of milk, and once that is whisked smooth, add in 8 ounces of Velveeta, stirring until it is fully melted.

Add cheese sauce mix to the stockpot and heat through. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream the last few minutes of cooking.

We served this with some breadsticks, which was great for mopping up every last bite.

I'm so glad I tried this one. It was so good.... hearty, good flavor, inexpensive, and easy.

Matt really liked it. I really liked it.

Brooke gave it two thumbs up.

Hannah had spaghetti-o's.

So.... I challenge you, my readers. To try one of the four recipes I've posted so far this year and report in.... OR share some other new recipe you have tried. You can post it in the comments section.

Have a great night!

10 Random Things About Me

10. I did not have any allergy problems at all until I moved to Kansas. Now I go a day without taking a Claritin, and I am stealing my daughter's inhaler.

9. I like watching the "Lockdown" shows. Hopefully it's the only way I will ever see the inside of a place like that!

8. I've started going to Zumba on Mondays. I like it a lot but I'm sure I look like a total idiot. But it's a great workout and a lot of fun!

7. While I temporarily enjoyed a lull in my baking biz after the holiday craziness, I'm ready for things to pick back up again so I can enjoy more baking!

6. I hate mushrooms and black olives. Both of my girls love black olives. They are weird.

5. I'd like to write a book. I have no idea what kind, and can't ever think of a way to get started, but I'd sure like to.

4. I'm a smutty romance novel junkie. Right now I'm reading a lot of Roxann St Claire. I really like smutty romance mixed with mystery. Julie Miller is also a good author for that.

3. I love New Kids on the Block, Bon Jovi, and the Black Eyed Peas. Quite a mix, don't you think?

2. My fingers swell up like vienna sausages when I go for walks. They kind of do that at night too... and the morning after I've had chinese food or Papa Murphys, you can forget about the wedding ring!

1. I love random acts of kindness. Performing them, that is. Don't recall many times I've been on the recieving end, but I love doing them to other people.

Have a great day, blog readers!

Camera Shy Cinderella

Hannah and I had a few days this week where we stayed home all day. (If I seem a little crazy to you, it would be stir-crazy!).

She decided she wanted a dress. We got out the Cinderella dress.

Did you know Cinderella was not running because she was late for midnight? Actually she was running because she was trying to get away from the MamaRazzi's camera.

I got one good shot in before she took off on me. Notice the gloves. She had to have gloves, and these are all I could find.


"Oh no! Not a camera!"


Runs so fast she is a blur...


Making her escape out of the dining room. You can literally run circles around the main floor of our house...and that's what we did :)

"Can I escape up the stairs? No, not in this dress! My feet keep getting caught!"

"Mamarazzi.... I told you, no pictures!"

Snow

Dear God,

I just wanted to send you a reminder that I like SNOW.

Notice the period behind the word SNOW.

Not SNOW with subzero temperatures where we have two snow days but it's too cold to go outside and play.

And not ICE...that makes me stay home yet another day with my two year old and get a little more stir crazy.

I'm pretty sure i don't need any help in the crazy department. I've got enough stuff on my mind driving me there anyways, without spending so much time amongst my walls.

So, would you please send us a nice big pile of SNOW. On a Friday afternoon would be ideal.

Love,
Angie