Thursday, December 29, 2011

Perfect Rice

I've been on the search of a perfect rice recipe and I have tried many.

What I am looking for is rice that is similar to that which is served at a chinese or mexican restaurant.

My rice always seems sticky and somewhat mushy. Blah!! So not what I am looking for.

I want rice that is cooked done but not mushy, that isn't sticky and doesn't stick together in clumps.

So I've seen a few recipes online and I've watched a couple cooking shows and this is what I tried tonight.

1 tablespoon oil or butter- tonight I used sesame oil
1 cup of rice
1.5- 1.75 cups of water

Here's what I did

In a saucepan I put the oil and the rice, and stirred it up and let it cook a bit, everything I read said cook till somewhat translucent, then I added the water, it boiled immediately so be careful, put the lid on, turn the heat down and set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off remove from heat and fluff with a fork. That's it and it turned out great!!

Now to try to recreate the red tinted rice we get at the mexican restaurants!! That's my next adventure!!!

~ My sweet girl is 2!! ~

Yesterday my baby girl had her 2nd birthday!!

I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I am to be her momma!! I just love her to pieces!! Every last spoiled rotten bit of her!!!

As it was daddy's last day home before going back to work, we spent the day just haning out and playing with the littles!!

I did a couple loads of laundry and of course the meals and dishes but nothing over the top, it was a very relaxed day.

After Little Miss Boo woke up from her nap she was in the mood to cuddle and so we did for quite a while. We were cuddled up on the couch, she and I, wrapped up in a cozy blanket watching a movie. Bliss!!! Truth be told she hadn't got her nap out and just wanted Momma to hold her, and ya know I was good with that!!!

It came time to start thinking about dinner and I knew I would have to run to the store and little miss don't put me down- take me with you or I will scream and drive daddy nuts, and I got ready to go and we went to the store. I needed fresh loaf of bread and a bag of chips for daddy's lunch today as well as some mozzarella cheese and sausage for our birthday pizza night!!!
Little Miss picked out some bananas and also a wee little cake for our birthday celebration.

We made hm pizza and bread sticks, ate cake and just hung out some more. Kara opened 2 new "Yee-Has" aka mini my little ponies for her birthday gift, she won't get her big gift till her party but she doesn't care. She loves those little ponies!!
The Birthday girl was treated to "bubbles" while I prepared dinner. "Bubbles-nigh-night" is her way to ask for a bath!! Which she enjoyed emmensely while the dough was rising!! Isn't it cute how she understands a bath then bed time??

We played a board game then watched a couple shows together and then the boys went to bed and Kara and I curled up on the couch with that snuggly blanket and we fell asleep cuddling on the couch while daddy finished watching a crime drama show!!

When the show went off, I tucked a conked out birthday girl into her bed and daddy and I made the rounds locking up and setting up coffee and then we too retired for the night.

It was a great day to spend with family!!

The funniest part of the whole day is someone would call and say to Kara, Is today your birthday? And she would ALWAYS answer "nah"!! She says no to everything even when she means yes, lol

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Menu Plan for January 2012

Yes I just wrote 2012!!! Seems weird but it is what it is, ready or not 2012 is just days away!!!

Anyway with Christmas behind us, and the New Year upon us its time to get my focus back!! I need to be and have to be diligent about everything, money and time being the big ones. So that being said, the hubs and I worked out a menu, the shopping list is made, the coupons have been clipped and friday I will be doing a big shop!! And I do me BIG, I am out of everything yall!!! Time to stock this house back up!! I am sure my family is probably tired of "What do yall want for dinner?? Then after answering me they hear, " that would be great but we're out of that". Its been interesting, I've been resourceful and inventive, we've not gone hungry but we haven't nessassarily had the norms or the faves, its getting bottom of the barrell so the big shop MUST TAKE PLACE on Friday!!!

Here's the menu!!

Tonight 12/27/2011 I am baking a ham, and am also making mashed potatoes with gravy, I have leftover green beans and corn so will heat those up as well to go along with our Ham dinner.

Tomorrow 12/28/2011 my baby girl will be 2!! Yes 2!! Tradition in this house dictates hm pizza, and brownies or cupcakes!!

Thursday 12/29/2011 Leftovers, probably leftover pizza for the kiddos and leftover ham for the adults!!

Friday 12/30/2011- Our traditional New Year's Eve, seafood dinner only a day early!!

Saturday 12/31/2011- We have been invited to the neighbors for dinner and fellowship, so lookign forward to this!!

Sunday 1/1/2012- Happy New Year!! We will also be having little Miss Boo's Birthday party after Church. She is in love with Mickey and Minnie Mouse right now so we will be having "Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot diggity dogs!! With all the fixings: chili, cheese, kraut, ketchup, mustard, onions, relish- not all together mind you, lol more like a Hot Dog Build Your Own Buffet!! :) with chips and dip, pink punch and cake!!

Then for the rest of January 2012 (maybe the more I type/write 2012 the faster I'll get used to it....meh who knows, but its worth a shot right? )

1/2- Leftovers from the weekend or Beef Tips, with Mushrooms and gravy over noodles- my bet is that there will be plenty of leftovers from the weekend but I wanna be prepared just in case!!

1/3- Broiled Salmon, Baked Potato, Broc
1/4- Sausage Gravy on Toast, fried potatoes
1/5- Fahjitas, spanish rice
1/6- Hm Pizza
1/7- My honey's 35th birthday, he has requested Crab cakes, and we will have them with either ff or bake potato
1/8- Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and pan gravy, another one of lovey's faves, so why not, just going to give him a birthday weekend of favorite meals!!
1/9- Soup and grilled cheese
1/10- Nachos
1/11- Waffles, sausage links
1/12- Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
1/13- Hm Pizza
1/14- Burgers on the grill, ff
1/15- Greek Chicken, Baked potato, salad
1/16- Leftovers or Soup and grilled cheese
1/17- Spaghetti and garlic bread
1/18- Hot dogs,baked beans, mac and cheese
1/19- Roasted Whole Chicken, mashed potatoes, corn
1/20- Hm Pizza
1/21- Chicken and Dumplings
1/22- Beef Roast, mashed potatoes, mushrooms and onions
1/23- Lasagne, garlic bread
1/24-Fettuchini alfredo, with chicken, mushrooms and garlic
1/25- Bacon, eggs, and fried potatoes
1/26- Salmon, Baked Potato, broc
1/27- Hm Pizza
1/28- Bowling with the boy scouts, eating out this day!!
1/29- Baked Ham, mashed potatoes, green beans
1/30- Grilled Ham and cheese, or Ham and eggs, or Ham and potato empanadas
1/31 Unstuffed Peppers, leftover mashed potatoes, gravy, corn

Saturday, December 24, 2011

:) Merry Christmas:)

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to All!!!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry 2 days before Christmas!!!

Today will be a whirlwind I am sure!!

I want to finish cleaning up the kitchen and do the floor first thing this morning.

We are having company later this evening so I need to make sure things are done!!

I still have wrapping to do, and 3 gifts to finish for the kids, but I will get it done!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!
Merry Christmas!!!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Hope Chest Suggestions???

I have a neighbor friend whose daughter is I think 15. The mom and I have discussed how we had a hopechest and how it helped us get ready for life on our own and the daughter seems somewhat curious. So being that no one, including this family has any money these days I was wondering what suggestions you might make for someone who wants to fill a hopechest, what could she make for her hopechest?? The only thing I can think of is blankets, pillow cases, quilts.
Is there anything else she could make??

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Ready for Christmas???

Ummm No, me neither, lol

I still have a couple things to buy, then of course the baking and there's always the housework that needs done and to be honest we haven't even put up the tree yet. I know I know its awful.

Partly I am hoping that by putting it up late I will only have to decorate it once, not the 40 or 50 times it might need redecorating once the baby has her way with it, lol

Speaking of the baby, its not gonna be easy on me to come to terms with the fact that she will be 2 on the 28th of this month. No, not easy at all. She's my last child and I just am not ready.

I am however excited that she is excited about all the lights on the houses that we see when driving at night, how she lights up when she sees someone's christmas tree when we are visiting, the fact that she does a super adorable santa inpersonation, both with the Ho Ho Ho's and the munching of cookies, I wonder though if Santa leaves as many crumbs behind as she does??

My christmas spirit is slow in coming to surface this year, I'm doing better than last year, last year I didn't want to do christmas at all, I miss him, so terribly much, I grieve for what my kids are missing without my dad here. I miss that "Santa" won't call them like he did me when I was their age. I know in my heart that God had a reason to take him, I know that and I trust that, I have faith that my dad is enjoying christmas in heaven with great grandma who raised him, with Great Uncle Jennings that was his father figure growing up, I am sure he is up there spoiling the baby we lost, I know he is better and not sick anymore. But it still hurts not to have him here. And I know Jesus is the true reason for the season but it just doesn't feel like christmas without my daddy.

And ya know I can almost hear him saying, ok straighten up, you've got those kids to think about, you don't have time to boo hoo, they are expecting a great christmas and its up to you to give it too them.

And I will Daddy I promise.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Super Busy But Wonderful Weekend!!

Its been a typical Monday so far.....

Got the kids up late
Dh woke up not feeling well
Dh was late leaving for work
Oldest was late for school....
And so typical Monday, lol

But the weekend, Oh the weekend was wonderful!!

Dh took the oldest and they joined the Boy Scouts on a Day trip to the state capital. They were up early and gone all day but they had a great time!!

The littles and I went to town, then came home for naps and getting ready for a get together.

Once the guys were home, we loaded up and dropped oldest off at the neighbors house, to hang out with some older friends for a video game and pizza fest, and dh and I, took the littles and had dinner with friends as well. It was a great night, got to bed way late but everyone had a good time. Both of the boys wanted to know could this be what we did every saturday night, lol, umm Probably not but good try asking boys, lol

Sunday we got up and went to church, then the children had christmas program practice, then we got lunch and came home. I ended up with a migraine so when the baby laid down for her nap I went with her, I ended up sleeping a couple hours, and boy I needed it, because it really helped get rid of that migraine. While the baby and I napped, daddy and the boys played a board game. Its one of their favorite things to do with daddy!! They get him all to themselves with out baby sister trying to eat the pieces or tear the play money.

After my nap I got up and got everyone ready and we went to church for the childrens christmas program, all three of my lovlies were in the program this year and it was wonderful!! Both of the boys had speaking parts, they all sang and even the baby not quite 2 had a speaking part, she was the "Moon" in the creation story!! She's talking but not fully but she can say moon and it was adorablely cute when she said it for the program!!

After the program they had light refreshments and we stayed way too late talking to friends, family and church members. It was such a wonderful program!!!

Getting home and everyone in bed was late as well, which put us late getting going this morning. But it was so good, so very good and a great way to spend the weekend!!!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!!!
Dana

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Time gets away from me!!

I really need to be better about updating my blog.

So much has happened in our lives that keeps us busy that before you know it, time just gets away from me.

So how about some updates???

We had a good thanksgiving, we ate with my side of the family at 12 on Thanksgiving day. The food was great!! We had Turkey, Ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potato casserole, saurkraut, Baked mac and cheese, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, rolls, sweet tea, watergate salad, pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake It was all sooo good!!
Usually we eat a lighter dinner with dh's gram on Thanksgiving night, but this year dh's gram was very sick and so we just came home, ate something quick for dinner and worked outside around the house. We had a bonfire and burned up all the limbs that fell when we had that first freak heavy snow storm in October. The kids had a ball!!

I did not fight any black friday crowds, instead I stayed home and did some shopping via internet.

Since then dh and I both have been really sick both with horrible sinus infections, Praise the Lord that we are on the mend, it was horrible to be that sick.

I was asked to bake a couple large cakes for a Eagle Scout Ceremony, which we were also invited to. I am really glad we went!!

I put together a christmas party for our cubscout pack, I had help from great friends and it was a nice time although poor Brady was sick and didn't get to go. Thank goodness for Granny ( my mom) who took care of him so I could put this all together for the scouts. So thankfull that whatever was ailing him, he has recovered from!! Poor fella was really sick!!

I am working getting Christmas gifts finished, either bought or made, I need to start wrapping.

This weekend the older scouts are going on a field trip per se and then afterwards we are all going to have dinner with some friends, so I need to plan out what I am making for that. Its going to be more of a just hang out and visit kind of dinner I think so I am for sure planning on making potato skins, they are always a hit, I just need to figure out what else to make. I think we will probably order pizza for the kids.

Busy busy busy thats just the order of things.

Oh and I can't believe I forgot the most important update of all...

On November 27th- the first day of Advent-
My Husband, my oldest son, my youngest son, our baby girl and I were all baptized and officially joined our church!! What an amazing day that was!! I can't believe how happy that has made me!! I so love our church and the people who attend there. I love having a church home!!!!

So I think that about does it for me for updates, time to get busy and get things accomplished!!!
Enjoy your day!! Even though its raining buckets, I will enjoy mine!!!
Blessings to you!!
Dana