4th of July Weekend

Monday, July 6, 2009

We had a nice 4th of July weekend. Friday, we went to Hanauma Bay (one of our favorite spots) with friends, got some yummy shaved ice, and then later had dinner at Buca Di Beppo's. Saturday, the 4th, we went to the Dole plantation, enjoyed going through the maze and taking a ride on the train. Lukas was so excited to ride the train that he was screaming and jumping up and down for joy. Sunday morning I made pancakes for breakfast and we cleaned house. We went to the store and bought some gardening supplies. Then I made some red beans and rice for dinner. It was my first time making red beans and rice so I was happy that it turned out pretty good. My husband ate 2 bowls so I figure it was either really good or he was really hungry. After dinner, we cleared out my flower bed and my husband saved me from a big scary centiped. Now I have to figure out what we should plant. I want some pretty, colorful, tropical plants and flowers.

Slowcooker Mac N Cheese Recipe

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I totally forgot to come back and post the mac n cheese recipe I talked about in my last blog. I didn't get to take a picture but it did turn out pretty yummy. You could even try using different cheeses. But anyhow here is the recipe:

Slowcooker All Day Mac n Cheese (not my recipe, I found it online somewhere a while ago)
8 oz elbow macaroni
4 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 C. milk
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

In a large pot cook macaroni pasta until al dente. Drain. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of the sharp Cheddar cheese, cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.Transfer to a slow cooker which has been coated w/non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle w/ remaining 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.Cook on Low for 5-6 hrs, or until mixture is firm and golden around the edges. Do not remove cover or stir until it is done.

Another day in the life of me

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

It has been a nice day so far. I took Lukas to the mall to meet up with some friends for a playdate. Lukas had a blast and it was nice to get out. I tried to take a few pictures of Lukas playing but some kid started climbing all over me and trying to take my camera. His mother just was NOT watching him at all. So I had to put my camera away. When my friend came with her 3 little girls (including her 1 month old itty bitty baby) the crazy kid with no supervision proceded to dig in her stroller and PINCH her 1 month old's cheek. FINALLY his mother comes and just stands there and says, "I'm sorry." I guess I am venting a little bit but it really irks me when people don't watch their children and let them run all over other people. I wouldn't let my son near a stroller with a tiny baby in it.

Anywho...Other than that incident we had a nice time and the kids really enjoyed playing together. Lukas even said, "more" today when he wanted some more snacks. I was so proud of him because I have been trying for months and months to get him to say it. He said it all on his own without me even prompting him! YAY, Lukas!

Last night, I made some sauce with some frozen meatballs I had left from a weekend or 2 ago and served it over angel hair pasta. It was pretty good. Lukas wanted PB&J while I was cooking but he did have some pasta from my plate.

Veggie Tomato Sauce w/Meatballs Over Angel Hair Pasta

Frozen Meatballs (I used maybe half a bag or so)

Ragu Sauce (2-3 cups...I had a BIG jar from Sam's Club)

1 can Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste
Green Onions (Chopped)
1 green bell pepper (Chopped)

1 small zucchini (Chopped well)

1-2 TS minced garlic

couple of TS of sugar/brown sugar

Angel Hair Pasta...or whatever you've got on hand

Put it all in a pot and let it cook for 2-3 hours or so. Boil your pasta when the sauce looks about ready to eat. Serve sauce and meatballs over pasta. Ta-da!

Geaux Tigers!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

I decided I would write a blog while Lukas is napping and my husband is playing a game. It's been an okay day so far. I'm excited about the game tonight. I'm big LSU football fan even though I live in Florida now. That doesn't stop me, I'm rooting for LSU all the way! Geaux Tigers! My husband has a buddy coming over to watch. His buddy is rooting for the WRONG team, lol. Not my problem that his team is going to lose :)
I made some cupcakes this morning. In an hour or so I'm going to throw some frozen meatballs in the crockpot with a jar of chili sauce and a jar of grape jelly. Sounds a bit strange but it's super yummy!

I took some pics of my cupcakes and meatballs:

Gumbo and such

Monday, October 6, 2008

Yesterday went pretty good. We woke up, got ready and went to church. The pastor talked about love and marriage. I heard some things that I really needed to hear. I really enjoy going to our church because it is so different and the pastor is awesome. He really makes it interesting.

When we got home from church I fed Lukas lunch and started dinner in the crockpot. I decided to make Gumbo. I was born and raised in Louisiana so Gumbo is always a nice treat around here. Unfortunately, the grocery store here doesn't have the mix I usually use for the rue so I had to make it myself out of brown gravy mix and cajun seasoning. It turned out pretty good. I think next time I'll make sure to add a little more seasoning and water (so that it's not quite as thick).

Tonight I am going to make some mini taco pizzas. I don't have a recipe so I'm just throwing this together myself too, lol. If it turns out well, I will try to post a pic and the recipe. Last time, I forgot to take a picture so hopefully I remember.

Gumbo Recipe

1 lb chicken (2 chicken breasts)

1/2 lb of turkey sausage

3 packets of brown gravy mix

1-2 tsp cajun seasoning (I use Tony's)

1 onion-chopped

celery-chopped (about 3 stalks, chopped small)

green onion chopped (optional, i didn't use a whole lot)

1-2 tsp minced garlic

rice (I use minute brown rice but it doesn't really matter)

Cut up the chicken in small pieces/cubed and throw it in the crockpot (or big pot on the stove) on low. Chop up the sausage and your veggies and throw them in. Add the gravy packets and cajun seasoning (you can season to taste later if need be). Add water and stir(I don't ever measure water for gumbo. I just add as I go throughout the day. You don't want it to be to thick). Cook for about 6 hours, stirring throughout the day, and serve over rice.

Here is how it should look while it is cooking. I forgot to take a picture of the end result.

What's cooking?

Thursday, October 2, 2008

I didn't mention it in my last blog but I like to cook. Sometimes I like to see what I've got hanging around the kitchen. Whatever I've got, that I think will go good together, I throw in my crockpot. Today is one of those days.
So I have a pound of ground chicken, taco seasoning mix, can of cream of chicken soup, can of rotel tomatoes, a can of corn, and I've got some brown rice. I put the ground chicken in and got it thawed out (I guess I forgot to mention it was frozen) and I threw everything in on top of that except for the brown rice. I'll probably throw that in later with some water if I don't precook it before.

So I've got dinner started and just ate lunch with my son. Not sure what we'll be doing for the rest of the day. Lukas will probably take a nap soon. I'll start some laundry and try to watch some of my soap (Young and the Restless...yes, sadly I have been addicted since I was a child). If the weather stays nice out, I'll take Lukas out to play. Tommorow, I'll let you know how dinner turned out. If it looks good enough, I will try to post a picture.