Three Reasons I Love My Life

Twas the night before Monday when all through the house,

The third child was a screeching, oh my, what a grouch.

Tenth grade was not easy, we all understood,

The sisters together helped her where they could.

With Malaina on Chemistry, Jordan on Math,

These sisters between them, put her on the path,

To a happier Monday, Hurray, Hip Hurray!

May these three sisters ever, be happy I pray.

Muffins and Clam Chowder lite.

Cranberry Crumble Muffins

Our Bishop gave us a lovely Cranberry Muffin mix from Lehi Roller Mills. I added the crumb topping and I must say, these were really yummy.
(as most Utahans know , Lehi Roller Mills is the site for the big dance in the Kevin Bacon movie "Footloose")
Also, I found the really colorful jumbo silicone muffin cups on sale at Sur la Table at The Gateway mall a few months ago. I use them all the time. Unfortunately they were on close-out and are no longer available there. The manufacturer is Siliconezoneusa.com.

New England Clam Chowder

Can you believe this is the first time I have ever made a clam chowder? I am not that big a fan of it; the chowders that I have tried never seemed that inspiring. And, I have always balked at cream soups too, since they contain ....CREAM! Do I look like a woman who needs more cream?! So why try it now, you ask? Well my local grocer had clams on sale and Dave loves clam chowder so I figure, "what the heck? "

I ran across this really good "make-over" recipe in Healthy Cooking magazine; (Oct./Nov. '08);page 32. Dave said it was really good.

4 center-cut bacon strips
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice
3 teaspoons reduced sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free half and half, divided
3 cans (6 1/2 oz. each) chopped clams, undrained

1. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute the celery, onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half and half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and sir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Stir in clams and remaining half and half through (do not boil). Crumble the reserved bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

1 1/3 cup equals 260 calories, 4 g fat (1 g sat. fat) 13 g protein, 3 g fiber

Sunset in Provo

My daughter called me from Utah Valley University in Orem telling me to look at the sunset yesterday. It looked like the sky was on fire. According to the meteorologists it is due to cold ice crystals in the air above these cirrus clouds.

Then I went into the house and noticed the sun hitting my family portrait just so! Look how the light loves me.

This is the view from my front porch! In this photo below I Photoshopped the chimney and antenna out. Awesome!

It was such a cool picture, Marti Skold from channel 4 put it on the air that night! Check it out!

Barefoot Bloggers--Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

This week for our Barefoot Bloggers post, Karen of Something Sweet by Karen choose, Ina's Banana Sour Cream Pancakes, from the Barefoot Contessa's Family Style Cookbook, page 177. I had made these before and several times thereafter. They are exceptional.
Banana takes on a really beautiful flavor when you get it warm. You need perfectly ripe bananas as pictured above to get the full bouquet of the fruit though. The bananas in the pancake itself will almost melt in your mouth; and the bananas you top the pancake with will provide a nice "tooth" to your bite. (I prefered mine diced as opposed to sliced)

I have found that to get a really beautiful color on the pancake itself you need to use oil, not Pam, then wait until the sides of the pancake are dry looking before turning. It will be nice and crispy too.

Pancakes are really personal. We have preferences for thickness, and color, some of us want butter, or fruity syrup opposed to maple syrup, even others want nuts or whole grain. This is a recipe that you can adapt to your preference. I added whole grain to my pancakes in the form of Dee's Cereal . I added 1/2 cup of Dee's Cereal in addition to what is listed in Ina's ingredients list.

My Guilty Pleasure

I have belonged to the Good Cook Cookbook club for about 23 years. It used to be Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook club, but they combined into one several years ago. That is why I have hundreds of cookbooks. I get catalogs and have a website, and then I collect points and get really good deals. It really is an obsession, I have a hard time NOT buying them. Here are a few of my new books that just came. "The Spice Merchant's Daughter" was a gift from friends. As you can see I am into Artisan bread baking right now. Let me know if you want to join the club too....I get free cookbooks for every friend who signs up......(gulp:)

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Christina is miserable. She had her wisdom teeth out on Friday, she has been fighting a rotten cold, and Christmas vacation is over. He poor face is as fat as a chipmunk gathering food. She took one look at herself in the mirror and broke out in sobs. Oh, there is a party at the Glad house tonight. She is going to school sick or not. So to celebrate the end of the vacation, I prepared this sophisticated pasta dish. She couldn't chew it, so,I didn't bother with a vegetarian version...Oh I am so mean.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

I have had this recipe pinned on the fridge to try since I saw it a month ago. Did you know it is next to impossible to find Orecchiette shaped pasta in Provo? I saw a great package of it at Sunflower Farmers Market and didn't bat an eye at the $3.50 price tag; I figure it is organic and made by monks in Italy, so what the heck. But it IS impossible to find broccoli rabe in Provo, if you know where to find some let me know. So I used two crowns of broccoli and 3 large handfuls of spinach.

One of the special touches I loved was toasting some really good day old bread crumbs from a Great Harvest loaf of bread and a spoonful of olive oil, and topping them on the pasta. Inspired by a Nancy Silverton recipe that was featured in the January 2009 issue of InStyle Magazine.

1 box (12-16 oz.) orecchiette pasta (ear shaped)
1 bunch (1 1/4 pound) broccoli rabe
3 handfuls of spinach about 3 cups
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 1/2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orecchiette according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 3 minutes of cooking;drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add cooked pasta and broccoli rabe to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in marinara sauce; cook 1 minute or until heated through.

3. Sprinkle with cheeses and the toasted bread crumbs before serving.

Happy New Year bingo game

Have fun next time you go to Walmart. I will be the first person to say...."I love WalMart!"
Happy New Year everyone! (click on the photo for a clearer pic.)

Third Toe Hysteria

Did you ever see "Moulin Rouge" with Nicole Kidman? We watched it at least 20 times when we first got it on DVD. One of the best one liners from the show, was when at the beginning of the movie the old geezer father says to the son..."What is this crrazzy obsession with LUUVV??!!!"

Well, I ask myself that question all the time, except my obsession is with feet and most importantly with toes. Ask my parents, brother and sister, or my own family, I am obsessed, I always have been. So you can relate to my absolute delight when years ago I noticed the incredible right feet of my husband, and the two of my daughters who take after their father the most. Will you just look at those third toes? They all are 1/2 an inch longer than the 4th toe, and equal in length to the 2nd toe. I LOVE IT.

Thanks to Dave, Jordan and Christina and their patience whilst I gathered this genetic anomaly digitally for posterity. (Also, the girls had just gone for mani/pedi's earlier in the day, so their toes looked fab.)

Sorry to Hear You're Getting Sick

Buche de Noel ===Entrements

Daring Bakers is in the House....
This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

Different Strokes......

Can I just say not everyone has the same idea of fun in the kitchen? Sorry Hilda, there was no perception of this recipe taking too much time. This recipe actually took 7 hours to make; that is about 4 hours too many during the Holidays. And can I say there was in my opinion, more cooking than baking. There was also a screw up with the mousse element's original instructions they were not highlighted or brought to note for several days after the gauntlet was thrown ( At least not on my computer). And the perceived expense....nuts for the fuilette, 5.dollars, whipped cream for the mousse and creme bruele, 7 dollars, chocolate for the whole thing...11.dollars, free range eggs for the whole thing, 6 dollars. You do the math. Speaking of math....continue reading...

This recipe caused me to loose my enthusiasm the minute it mentioned going out and buying plastic overhead projector films (Acetate); you know the ones that teachers in the 70's used to teach you math with? It was suposed to help you form a smooth tube like mold for the Buche. Nonsense.

It is comprised of 6 French Elements:This was such an exhausting recipe to thumb through that I got stressed just looking at it. It was not fun, nor was it challenging, it was just PERCEIVED by some, as those two things. An office worker might relate if I compared it to paperwork,,, but for the kitchen.

There were Six Elements involved in this molded and layered cream dessert

1. Dacquoise--nut meringue- I liked this one. I ate all the trimmings.
   
2. Mousse- the dog of the group for me. And dog...not in a good way.
3. Creme Brulee--insert-- and Another bower.. I just ended up spreading mine on instead of making another even smaller mold out of the accursed Acetate, like suggested.
   
4. Ganache--insert
5. Praline Feuillete--another insert kinda like a Krackle or Crunch bar (yawn) I used Cocoa Pebbles and a Heath Bar!!! genius of me. I got your Praline paste right here. Can you tell I am seeing red?
   
6. icing to go over the whole thing.

You can link a version of the recipe here: Buche de Noel in the Entrements or Creme dessert style.

Okay enough whining. People were encouraged to come up with their own rendition of the flavors for this. I elected (thank Heaven) to stick with the main flavors for this one. My only creative touch was the the addition of the Cocoa Pebbles and the Heath Bar to the Feuillete. I don't think even Jacques Torres would have thought of that substitution. Ummm we were instucted to buy or make Gavottes, a lacey unavailable ingredient in the USA, let alone Provo. Most of us substituted cereal of some sort.

Click on the link above for more details.

I have come to the conclusion that I, me, Cindy, really dislike recipes that require 5 or 6 other recipes be created before even attempting to think about creating the final product. I prefer recipes that start at step one and progress and end at step 15 or 20. Kind of like bread or a cake.

I do appreciate the time and effort our hosts and all the D. Bakers put into this. It wasn't hard, just, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw..."a little bit too much".

Grown-up Christmas

Gone are the days where our children wake us up at 6:00 am to see what Santa brought.
Dave and I woke up about 10:00 and we had to go wake up the girls to come upstairs and open presents.

But the 16 year old baby of the family was still thrilled to get a few Barbie accessories. This child loves Barbie more than any other girl I have ever seen. One time she told me.."Mom, I don't like Barbie, I LOVE Barbie". Here she is with her Doodle Pro, and off camera...a Barbie beanie and gloves.

Yes, we handled Christmas like grown ups this year. Our clutter was much more contained than usual.

Cat Scratch Fever

A picture says a thousand words!

Traditions You Just DO

You have your family over!

You go in the kitchen!

And you make mincemeat empanadas!
Our beloved late Grandmothers are sisters.
Making empandas at Christmas time is a tradition that is at least 4 generations old on my father's side of the family. My dear cousin Jody and I carry it forward!

Nativity in the Sun

The light coming through my window was magical..
This is my cute little Mexican Nativity, and the top left
corner is a darling trio we made in Malaysia for Young
Women's. I carted those little pots half way around the
world (All the way from Robert's
Craft) so those girls could do this activity. They
had never seen or done anything like it.
The print in the background is a common one, and so is the frame.
I found this frame at WalMart YEARS ago. I took it
to Asia with me. The back of the frame was hanging
by a thread, so I took it to Pearl, my personal
framer in Penang, and she fixed it up,
for free and it is perfect now. BETTER than new.

Merry Christmas... I DO celebrate Christmas.

Malaina Goes Fiber Optic

As the Malaina Turns

My dear Malaina is gearing up for her study abroad adventure t0 Cordoba, Argentina & Patagonia, coming up in just over one month! As such, she has begun a new blog to keep us all apprised of her travels. Please check it out by clicking on the link above or the photo above. You will read how she is fine tuning one of her most precious assets....

....Her fantastical left wrist.

Malaina is a Junior at Brigham Young University majoring in Biology, and minoring in Music. She is currently the only female that performs with the BYU Classical Guitar Ensemble.

When she is feeling better, I will make her play the new Rodrigo piece she has mastered, and post the performance here.

Clueless Cathy

I have Jordan's permission to post about this insanely funny thing that happened.

She and her boyfriend Casey went to dinner with her friend Ashley and her husband Patrick last Saturday. They went to Mi Ranchito in Orem, Ut. Let's just say that Jordan's birthday is in mid-January to set this story up...

There they sit...4 adults having a really uncomfortable meal, Casey was not minding his social manners. He was being a really bad boy. Jordan was cringing every time he opened his mouth. She just knew he would say or do something really insanely immature, tell a stupid irrelevant story, blow soda out his nose or something. Not being one to disappoint..... out of nowhere he gets up from the table using the excuse to go to the bathroom, and returns less than two minutes later. Jordan, ever the mommy, asks if he remembered to wash his hands. (That should have been clue number one: gone too short of a time to pee).

Clue number two: 5 minutes later when you see your waiter gathering all the other waiters and lighting a candle on complimentary fried ice cream.

Clue number three: they start walking your direction.

Clue number four: They place the fried ice cream in front of you and begin singing Happy Birthday to you.

Clue number five: ( and this is the part that made me wet my pants when I heard this story)

They put a sombrero on your head and make you do a birthday dance!!!

She was so mortified. Ashley could not believe what she was seeing, and just whispered for her to play along. *It seems Casey wanted some free dessert* Later in the car Ashley texted Jordan with the message "Patrick wanted to kick Casey's ass", yes, it was that bad.

Next time Jordan will have to remember to bring Casey's sippy cup and Cheerios to keep him entertained.

Get Thee Hence...Braces!!!

Oh Happy Day!!!! Now she can kiss, smile, and floss like a normal person!!!! I could kick myself for not getting a before picture (I am just too lazy to go scan the records) and a picture of the Orthodontist's office we began this journey at in Penang. You can see from the background of this shot that our current office is quite luxurious. NIGHT AND DAY from good old Dr. Looi on Burmah Road. But he was American trained and he was excellent. Our current Ortho, spoke kindly of him.

Here is a cute photo. She was 11 here in this photo. By this time she had had at least 6 baby teeth pulled and 4 adult teeth already removed.



Both of these girls have my big teeth and their Dad's itty bitty mouth.
They had to have those bone strechers, (sorry don't know the right term) that stretch the roof of your mouth, and a total of23 teeth pulled, not including the 8 wisdom teeth.
Now they have the same smile.
Her best friend Tesha and her boyfriend Brandon seem to approve~