Day 16- 6 Layer Casserole

This was a normal meal in my household growing up. It filled you up, was hearty, and cheap to make. My mom made it a lot during the winter months. I now make it for my family and we all enjoy it a lot.

LAYER 1: 3-4 Peeled and Sliced Potatoes (Top the potatoes with salt and pepper)
Layer 2: Chopped Onions (I use dried minced onions, just sprinkle it over the top)
LAYER 3: 3-4 Peeled Sliced Carrots (Or a couple handfuls of baby carrots cut in half)
LAYER 4: 3/4 Cup Rice (NOT Instant)
LAYER 5: 1 pound Raw Hamburger crumbled on top
LAYER 6: 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce mixed with 1 can of water. Pour evenly over top

*Bake in a 9x13 pan for 1 1/2 hours at 350
*Top with Ketchup, if desired.

Day 15- Friendship Tea

I drank this ALL the time growing up. It is so yummy. This is a great tea to serve at a party or just have a container of it in your cupboard for cold days. I have also made a huge batch of this and put them in cute containers and gave them out for Christmas gifts. I LOVE this tea. :)

FRIENDSHIP TEA

INGREDIENTS

1 18 oz jar Tang (2 Cups)
1 Cup Instant Tea
2 Cups Sugar
1 pkg Presweetened Lemonade Mix
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Cloves
1/4 Cup Red Hots Candy

*Mix all ingredients well.
*Store in airtight container
*Add a couple of TBL to an 8 oz cup of boiling water. Adjust to your taste.

Day 14- Homemade "Shake and Bake" (For Chicken)

This is one of my mom's recipes. It is so nice to have in the cupboard and it is WAY cheaper than buying the box of shake and bake.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Cornmeal
2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp Garlic
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Onion Salt
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning

*Mix all ingredients
*Store in airtight containers
*Bake chicken at 400 for 30-40 minutes

Day 13- Campfire Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

5 Medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 Medium onion, sliced
6 TBL Butter
1/3 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 TBL Parsley
1 TBL Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 Cup Chicken Broth
salt and pepper

*Place potatoes and onion on foil. Dot with butter.
*Combine other ingredients.
*Sprinkle over potatoes.
*Pour on broth
*Place on grill for 35-40 minutes

Day 12- Hot Dog Casserole

This is a really special recipe to me. This was my favorite meal growing up. It is still yummy today. Every year, my mom would ask on our birthday what meal we wanted to have. Every year, I asked for Hot Dog Casserole.

INGREDIENTS:

1 12 oz pkg Macaroni rings
2 cups cottage cheese
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg hot dogs
2 eggs, beaten
parmesan cheese
Dried Oregano

*Cook Macaroni, Drain.
*Mix macaroni, cottage cheese, salt, pepper,cheddar cheese, eggs and hot dogs.
*Pour in 9x13 pan
*Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and oregano.
*Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.

Day 11- Layered Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a great one for a simple meal you can throw in the crock pot and not worry about.

LAYERED CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

INGREDIENTS:

4 Chicken Breasts, halved
1/2 lb deli sliced cooked ham
1/2 lb baby swiss cheese, sliced
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Box Stuffing, Prepared

*Layer ingredients in order listed.
*Cover. Cook Low for 6-8 Hours.

Family Photos-- Fall 2011

Here are some of the Family Photos we took last weekend. One of my friends is a photographer, so we were out to Lyndon's grandmas house and took our family picture. We ultimately wanted one for our Christmas Card. :) We got one! :) YAY!

Here are some of our favorites.

Alden and Momma.




Family Picture




Our Buggie



Daddy and Alden




Bug!



Lyndon and I




LOVE





And....


Our Christmas Card Picture. :)

Day 10- Taco Soup

While I worked at the home health agency in Fruitland, I went to a health fair. They served lunch and this was on the menu. It was SO yummy. I went into the kitchen, hunted down the cook and asked (Politely) for the recipe. :) Thank goodness for small towns. She shared it with me. :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 lg onion, chopped
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can chili without beans
1 lb cheese, cubed (Velveeta preferred)
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
2 cups Sour Cream, divided

*Cook beef and onion. Drain.
*Add beans, tomatoes, chili, cheese, and seasonings
*reduce heat to low. Stir in 1 cup sour cream
*Heat through, do not boil!
*Garnish with remaining sour cream

Yield: 3 1/4 Quarts

Day 9- Cowpoke Casserole

VERY IDAHO!! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Hamburger
1/2 Onion, chopped
salt & Pepper
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Can Chili Beans
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Water
1 Pkg Cornbread Mix
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Egg, Beaten

*Brown Meat with onion. Drain. Add salt and Pepper
*Stir in chili powder, beans, tomato sauce, and water.
*Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
*Pour into dish
*Combine cornbread, milk, and egg.
*Spoon over meat mixture.
*Bake 350 for 25 Minutes

Day 8- Cajun Potato Wedges

POTATOES:

1/4 Cup Butter
1 TBL Cajun Seasoning
2 16 oz packages frozen potato wedges, thawed

SAUCE:

1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onion
1/4 Cup Milk
1/2 tsp garlic salt
5 drops hot pepper sauce

*Heat oven to 425. Combine and melt butter and seasoning.
*Toss potato wedges in butter.
*Spread on cookie sheets (Greased)
*Bake 25 Minutes
*Combine all sauce ingredients. Mix Well.
*Spoon in small serving bowl.
*Serve together.

Day 7- Homemade Oreo's

When I was in college, I had to take a speech class. One of our speeches was a demonstration speech. I made chocolate chip cookies for my demonstration, but one girl made homemade oreos. They were so good, I wrote down the recipe as she did her speech. Who would have thought I would get such a good recipe from a college class?! Ha!

Here it is:

HOMEMADE OREO'S

Ingredients:

2 Boxes Devils Food Cake Mix
4 Eggs
1 Cup Shortening
1 Jar Cream Cheese Frosting

*Mix cake mix, eggs, and shortening. Do not use an electric mixer, use a spoon or a kitchenaid. I enjoy mixing it with my hands, it seems to mix better that way. I will be a VERY THICK dough.
*Scoop onto a cookie sheet. (Remember that you have to use 2 cookies to make one oreo, so the smaller the cookie, the more you get in the end. I like bite size.)
*Bake 6 minutes at 350*
*Flatten with a spatula.
*Bake 4 more minutes.
*Cool Completely
*Frost.

These are soooo good! I love making them for winter holidays. They go very quickly in my family. I usually have to double or triple this recipe.

Day 6- DINNER

GARLIC-PARMESAN CHICKEN
SLOW COOKER CHEESY POTATOES

What a great meal for a cold day and something that will stick to your bones. Alden and I both have a cold, so this sounded good.


GARLIC-PARMESAN CHICKEN
-I'm not sure where I got this recipe. I think I got it out of a magazine once and have used it ever since. It's an easy recipe and tastes great.-

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Mayonaise
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp garlic powder ( I tend to double, triple, or even quadruple this... I like the garlic flavor)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Bread Crumbs

*Mix mayo, cheese, and seasonings in a bowl.
*Coat chicken with mixture. Coat with bread crumbs.
*Arrange in a 13x9 pan (Greased)
*Bake at 425* for 25 minutes



SLOW COOKER CHEESY POTATOES

-I do this recipe a little different than what is asked. I never buy cheddar cheese soup, so I just make a cheese sauce from scratch. I will give instructions below.-

INGREDIENTS:
30 oz Shredded Hash Browns
1 Can (10 3/4 oz) Cheddar Cheese Soup ***
1 can evaporated milk
2 TBL butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

*Spray interior of crock pot.
*Break hash browns into pot.
*Stir together soup, milk, butter, salt and pepper.
*Pour over potatoes. Mix well.
*Cook on low for 5 hours.


***Cheese Sauce***

There are no real measurements for this. You just keep adding milk and flour until you get the right consistency.

Ingredients

Butter
Flour
Mix
Shredded Cheese (About a cup)

*In pan, mix a spoonful of butter with a little flour. Warm until it mixes together.
*Add milk. Keep stirring until in almost boils. Turn down and keep stirring. It will start to thicken.
*When its at the consistency you like, add cheese, and melt.

Fire Department Open House

Last night, our family went to the fire department that Lyndon volunteers for, for an open house. They had spaghetti, bread, cookies, lemonade and cake. It was a great time.

I got there a little late with my neice, Hannah, because I was teaching dance and she wanted to stay with me. When we got there, there was lots going on. The boy scouts were there learning about the fire department and had a Stop, Drop, and Roll lesson.



I got some food to eat and then Lyndon and I took Alden through the fire trucks. He really enjoyed them. So many buttons to look at. :)





We had a great time. Alden was exhausted by the time we got home. He was passed around from person to person the entire time we were there. He loved every minute of it.

Day 5- Pumpkin Bars

Since it is fall, I love making pumpkin anything. I was given this recipe a couple years ago from a woman that I go to church with. I made them for a church lunch. They are very moist and so yummy.

PUMPKIN BARS

Ingredients:

1 Can (2 cups) Pumpkin
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Water
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon

*Mix wet ingredients.
*Mix dry ingredients.
*Combine.
*Pour into 2 9x13 pans.
*Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Cool completely.
*Frost with cream cheese frosting.
*Refrigerate until serving.

Day 4

31 Day Challenge- Day 4

DINNER

SLOW COOKER "ALMOST LASAGNA"

Ingredients
1 12 oz box Rotini- Cooked
2 TBL Olive Oil
2 Jars Pasta Sauce with Tomato (I Make my own pasta sauce* Description Below)
2 cups tomato juice
1 lb hamburger
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 cups Mozzarella
2 Cups Ricotta

2 eggs
1 Cup Parmesan
3/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp pepper

*Toss Pasta & oil.
*Add sauce and juice. Mix.
*Brown beef. Drain. Add 1 cup parmesan, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1 cup mozzarella to meat
*Beat ricotta, 2 eggs, 1 cup parmesan, parsley, salt & Pepper.
*Pour 1/2 sauce in cooker. Spread ricotta mix over. Top with meat sauce. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
*Cover.
*cook Low for 4 hours.

***My sauce***

4 8 oz cans tomato sauce.
1 1/2 can filled with water
2 16 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 packages spaghetti sauce mix

*Put all ingredients in pan. Let it cook for a while so the spices mix.
TA-DA! :)






CHEESY GARLIC BREAD

Ingredients
1 loaf french bread
1/2 cup butter-softened
1 cup Fresh Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mayonaise
1 bunch chopped green onions
3 cloves garlic, pressed

*Split loaf horizontally.
*Mix butter, cheeses, mayo, onions, and garlic. Blend well.
*Spread on each half.
*Bake 350* for 7 minutes
*Broil 3 Minutes

Day 3

31 Day Challenge- Day 3
DINNER

BBQ Hot Dogs
Macaroni and Cheese
Dilled Peas

This meal was way simple. Obviously. I had to teach dance and I needed something quick and easy. I had hot dogs in the freezer and Lyndon asked to have mac and cheese with it.

Lyndon and Alden BBQed the hot dogs together.



Macaroni and Cheese was Kraft. :)

Dilled Peas

Ingredients:
Frozen Peas
Spoonful of Butter
Dried Dill

Put everything in the pot and boil for a few minutes. I drain most of the water before serving.

Simple dinner, but pretty good. Not my normal meal.

Day 2

31 Day Challenge- Day 2

DINNER:
Beef Stew
Corn Bread
Canned Pears
Brownies

BEEF STEW

Ingredients

1 package Beef Stew Meat
4-5 Medium potatoes
2 handfuls baby carrots
1 can green beans
1 Can diced tomatoes
Frozen corn
Frozen Peas
1 can tomato sauce
Diced onion
salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, rosemary, thyme-- to taste

*Brown meat with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion.
*Cut potatoes and put in crock pot.
*Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, and meat. Stir.
*Cook for 2 hours.
*Add green beans, peas, corn. Stir.
*Cook 30 Minutes.

CORN BREAD
Thank you Jiffy! I followed the direction on the box.

PEARS
Just opened the can. :)

BROWNIES
I made Betty Crocker brownies for dessert. I always add chocolate chips on top before baking, to add more chocolate. :)

Sorry no pictures today.

STACY

31 Day Challenge: Number 1

DINNER:
Salisbury Steak (Or Poor Man's Steak)
Green Beans
4 Cheese Rice
Homemade White Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

The main dish was Salisbury Steak.

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/3 can cream of mushroom soup... The rest of the can is used later.
Garlic, Pepper, Salt, Dried Minced Onion- To taste

*Mix all ingredients in a bowl.


*Make into 4 quarter pound patties and place in pan. Grill until brown on both sides.


*While frying, combine the rest of the can of cream of mushroom soup and about 1/2 cup of water. Mix well. Place patties in 8x8 casserole dish and pour soup mixture over the top.


*Bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.



GREEN BEANS
*I add dry minced onion and a shake of pepper to the pot before cooking. Since Alden is eating, I always buy canned anything with no salt added.



4 CHEESE RICE
*Thank you Rice-A-Roni! :) It was a simple side! :)


HOMEMADE BREAD
*My loving husband bought me a bread maker one year for Christmas. We eat a lot of homemade bread! I use the quick bread setting, to make bread in 58 minutes.


Thats what we had for dinner tonight. :) Alden really enjoyed it.


Lyndon made us ice cream cones for dessert. Alden enjoyed a few bites of ice cream! :)

9 Months Old

Mr. Alden is 9 months old. This sounds horrible, but that means only 3 more months of buying expensive formula. :) Just kidding. But, really. I'm excited to not have to buy it. :)



Here are the updates.

GROWTH: Alden is 23 pounds. This is, again, me weighing him on the scale with me. He doesn't have his next appointment until next month because he was late for his last appointment. I haven't measured his length, but he is getting pretty tall! :)

SLEEP: Sleep has been very interesting this month. Alden started teething this past month. We have 2 teeth and 2 more trying to come in. He hasn't been sleeping very well... And he is back in our bed. For the past few weeks we have had him sleeping with us. I like it because he is right there and I can take care of him without having to fully wake up. But, I'm not getting very good sleep and Lyndon and I haven't cuddled for quite a while. He gets up once a night, fussy and in pain. Then, he wakes up about 6 AM to eat and sleeps until 8 AM.

EATING: I'm loving this age. I haven't been keeping track of what new foods he has eaten this month. He eats pretty much what we eat. I put what we are having on his tray for dinner. He then gets his own meal a couple hours later before bed, so he is getting the full nutrition he needs. We have been experimenting with dairy. He is eating cheeses now, so I think his tummy is okay.

CLOTHING: 18 Month size. YIKES!

DIAPERS: Size 4 diapers

DEVELOPMENT: We can now roll the ball back and forth and play together! I love it. A week or two ago, he was standing, holding onto our coffee table, and let go. He stood by himself for a few seconds, then fell. It's only a matter of time. He will walk if we hold both his hands. He is talking really well. He isn't saying just mama or dada.. He is babbling. It is adorable.

We have done some fun things this last month. I'm excited for the holiday's to come. :) Stay tuned for more updates. :)

31 Day Challenge

Every blog I'm following seems to be doing some sort of 31 Day Challenge. I've decided I'm going to do one also, just something more my style. Since I love cooking, baking, etc. I've decided I will record what I make each day for at least one meal, with pictures, if possible. I will try to do something new each day with the recipes. We will see how this works out. I have been busy with the studio, but I will try to keep up with it. :)

I hope it will keep people interested. :)

West Valley Hoe-Down!

Our church had their annual Family Fun Night. We had it at the Payette County Fairgrounds and had a Hoe-Down!

We had BBQ chicken, cole slaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, and a Dutch oven contest for dessert!

There were horse rides for the kids, skits, line dancing, singing, and jokes. We had lots of fun.

Lyndon was in a little skit.


At the end of the skit, the joke was, "Maybe we should have made our sign say- 'Bridge Out Ahead'. "

Alden was able to ride his first horse.



We had a wonderful time at the Hoe-Down!

A To Z Of Me

A. Age: 23. 24 in November.


B. Bed size: Queen. Lyndon and I have talked about getting a bigger bed, but we love our Sleep Number.


C. Chore that you hate: Laundry. The more people in the house, the more laundry you have. We have apartment sized washer/dryer so it is running all day long. If I don't keep up with it, it piles up!


D. Dogs: Sophie Lynn, our Lhasa Apso was our first child. We got her as an engagement present from Lyndon's parents. She still sleeps with me at night. :) I love my puppy.



E. Essential start to your day: A nice hot shower. Even though my showers are quite as long as they used to be, before Alden, I still love showering in the morning. It wakes me up.

F. Favorite color: Pink or Purple.

G. Gold or silver: Silver. My wedding ring is White Gold because I like silver.


H. Height: 5'6". I'm much shorter than my husband who is 6'4"


I. Instruments you play: I'm not an instrumental person. I've tried piano, clarinet, flute, and trumpet throughout the years, but none of them took off. My passion is dancing.

J. Job title: Dance Instructor

K. Kids: One amazing son, Alden!

L. Live: Weiser, ID My perfect little town.

M. Mother's Name: Carol

N. Nicknames: Oh, lots over the years. The main ones are Tace, Stace, Stacy Lynn Lynn

O. Overnight hospital stays: When I have Alden. I stayed 2 nights in the hospital.



P. Pet peeves: Oh my, people who chew with their mouth open or talk with food in their mouths is probably the biggest.

Q. Quote from a movie: Oh no! Lyndon and I constantly quote movies. Our favorite movie to quote right now is Couples Retreat. :)

R. Right or left handed: Righty.

S. Siblings: 2 sisters- Susan and Sarah... Brother- Johnny


T. ???? What happened to T?!

U. Underwear: Fruit of the Loom.... ?

V. Vegetable you hate: I love most veggies. I know they always say tomatoes are fruit, but that is the veggie I hate. I consider it a vegetable.

W. What makes you run late: Husband and child. Getting Lyndon and Alden going, getting everything together for them, and getting in the car takes a while. We are later than usual since Alden has been born.



X. X-Rays you've had: Lots during the time I did gymnastics. Mostly for my ankles.

Y. Yummy food that you make: I love to cook and bake. Lyndon's favorite meal I make is spaghetti, garlic bread and caesar salad. His favorite dessert is pumpkin pie. I enjoy making cookies. I just love cooking in general.


Z. Zoo animal: The Monkeys! By far. I could sit and watch them all day. They are so entertaining.