I Ate WHAT???

Way back, when B & I were young parents, one of our favorite dinners happened to be... TACOS!

The ingredients were cheap, easy to find & cooking took very little time! Clean-up was even easier!

T asked for tacos, a lot!

C, however, did not!

She liked the soft tortilla well enough, but she wouldn't eat any other part of the taco!

This made dinner a bit of a challenge, since I refused to operate a "restaurant" in my own home.

Solution?

Heat up a can of Spaghetti-O's, let her put the pasta into her tortilla & eat a peaceful dinner. 

Eventually, thank goodness, she began to think she was missing out on something cool & now, 

tacos are one of her favorite meals to have for dinner!

We never tried her Spaghetti-O tacos, BTW. 

EW! GROSS! YUCK!

According to this photo, C was onto something way back when!

My Baby's 21!

Above photo: T is almost 4, C will soon be 1!

Below photo: C's wearing the Easter dress her grandmother made for her for her 1st Easter! Check out those curls! Now, if she wants curls, she has to make them!

Above photo: Big sister, T is very excited to hold her 2 day old little sister, C! 

Ahhh, if only that feeling lasted as they grew! 

Below photo: A 3 1/2 yr old C is proudly showing off her pink bandage! Under that she was sporting 2 stitches from falling on the corner of the pew @ church due to running! 

Oh, & she's Snow White for Halloween!

Above photo: Taken in early 2011, C tries to go shorter w/her hair. Didn't last, she's back to long!
Below photo: With her cousin, N, showing off their American Girl dolls they had been wishing for, for years! Grampy & Grammy came through!

Ooops! This last photo is of my baby's baby At 24 hours old! Zee is now 3 years old!

Pillow, Anybody?

Aww, Lil Miss Carlotta is all tuckered out from another exciting day on her vacation to Ocean City, MD with her mom & dad! Her neck is gonna be sore when she wakes up!

I hope her parents took lots of photos to prove they took her to a cool, fun place! 

In my experience, kids don't seem to remember much before age 10 or 12! 

I'm glad I took pictures of my girls doing things & going to fun places!! 

Now, whenever my daughters claim we never did any fun things while they were growing... 

I simply pull out the photo albums!

I Do Not Like Green Eggs or Jell-o!

B & I have been trying to control our Type 2 Diabetes (yes, he has it too, though just barely!) by making very low carb food choices. This often leads to omitting any and all desserts! 

But sometimes, you just gotta have sweets!

(On a side note: B has shed about 20 lbs. Me? About 10 lbs. thus far! He does more physical things than I do, but I'm increasing that part of my life) 

I scour magazines, Internet sites & cookbooks for low-carb recipes! Some recipes I find yummy, interesting or just plain nasty, may find their way onto my blog. 

No worries, I'll be sure to let you know which is which!

Tonight, I thought I would bring a low carb dessert to our dinner w/friends.

(B is in Bermuda for the week so I'm going on my own!) 

I began searching for a yummy sounding recipe!

Why do so many low-carb dessert recipes involve JELL-O!

I must've mentioned before how much I detest Jell-o! 

It's a disgusting food that feels like slimy algae in my mouth no matter what the flavor! 

And that's if its made correctly!

I cannot tell you how many times in my childhood, my older sisters did not stir the powder in hot water until the sugar was dissolved before putting in the fridge to set. 

Inevitably, I, being one of the younger kids who got served last, got a bowlful of a thick, slimy, gummy substance that didn't dissolve! YUCK!

My kids like Jell-o, weird, huh? Then again, they also like oatmeal!

I have a few recipes which involve using the POWDER of Jell-o & are tasty. My angel food cake comes to mind. I'll come back one day & print it out for you readers. It's NOT low-carb though!

Then, there is the poke cake! Another Jell-o recipe, NOT low-carb, but sure is tasty! 

My friend, S, makes a cream frosting using whipped heavy cream & Jell-o, its pretty good too!

Jell-o made using the directions on the box is... 

BLECH! GROSS! SLIMY! YUCKY! 

...in my humble opinion, that is!

As for what I'm bringing tonight?

Sliced strawberries, store bought, 17 carb dessert cup & sugar free Cool Whip.

And mixed vegetables!

update on 5/23/2012

Angel Food Jell-o Cake 
( I haven't made this cake while using a recipe in decades so the measurements are estimates! But with own trial & error, you'll get it right in no time at all!)
(Sugar free Jell-o had not been invented when I learned how to make this cake, so I've never tried it! If you do try it, let me know how it turned out!)

Start with a boxed angel food cake mix & create the batter according to the instructions on the box.

Put 1/3 of the batter in a separate bowl & mix in 1T or so of your favorite flavor of
 Jell-o POWDER (4 oz box).
(Save the remaining powder to use in the frosting recipe)


In an angel food cake pan,
(Do not use a bundt pan! The sides of the pan must be able to be removed!)
put 1/3 of the plain cake batter in the pan.
Gently swish a table knife through the batter to smooth & remove air bubbles
 (not too much though)
Now, spoon in the colored batter. Don't let the colored batter touch the sides of the pan!
(Why? It weakens the sides of the cake & won't stand properly!)

Put the remaining 1/3 of the plain batter on top of the other layers.
Once more, very gently, swirl a knife through the batter to help remove big air bubbles.
Or you could slam the pan down on the countertop a few times!

Cook the cake according to the instructions on the cake mix box.
When the baking time is done...
Invert the cake onto an empty wine bottle to cool & keep the cake from sinking.
(Now my kids know why I have a single, empty wine bottle on my fridge even though I don't drink!)

When cooled, remove from the pan & frost with its special frosting (see recipe below)

When cutting this dessert, use a serrated knife & a sawing motion...
otherwise, you'll have a smushed cake!

Special Frosting for Jell-o Cake

Make the remaining powder into "Jell-o" but be sure to use a little less water than the box instructions call for... remember, you used a tablespoon or so in the cake!

Place in fridge to set, but don't let it get too gelled!
Though if you forget, the frosting stills works but don't serve it to me because it will have Jell-o bits in it which I find gross!

When the Jell-o is gelled to your liking,
mix it into a 12 oz tub of Cool Whip, a spoonful at a time, until you get the texture you like.
You may not use all the Jell-o. I don't!
(note: I've tried cheaper whipped toppings, but only Cool Whip gives me the texture I like!)

Now, frost your cake starting with the inner hole, then the sides & finally, the top!

YUMMO!
  

A Quick Ketchup. Ooops! I Mean... Catch Up!

Everything is better when Mommy calls things "Princess..."

Lately, Carlotta has been allowing her mom to put her hair up into ponytails, braids and such.

In the above photo, she sat so still as her mom painted her tiny nails on both hands & both toes!

T says Carlotta calls her hairdo... "Pincess hair"

I'd post a cute video, but I forgot to download it from my phone & now I am off to go low carb grocery shopping which is not as much fun as regular shopping!

I dislike all shopping, so why did I just use the word "fun" in the above sentence?

Gah! 

Anyway, Carlotta is growing big, getting smarter & on vacation w/her parents!

Don't Knock the Mock Potatoes!

I do like my immersion blender! I made Mock Mashed Potatoes tonight & got to use it!

I found it relaxing & oddly satisfying to watch the blade tear into the cauliflower & reduce it to pulp!

Argh! 

Now I understand why guys like to blow things up & make loud noises w/power tools!

DESTRUCTION!

But back to why I was using my immersion blender in the first place...

Mock Mashed Potatoes  
serves 4 (about 1 cup each) 
This has only 9 carbs per serving when following the recipe w/o any modifications. I bet it would taste much better using full fat/sodium ingredients!

• 1 head of fresh cauliflower (cut the florets into bite size pieces. I didn't use the tough stems)
• 1T cream cheese (the "1/3 the fat" variety)
• 1/4 cup light sour cream (fat free is just disgusting!)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used fresh Parmesan & grated it myself)
• 1T reduced sodium vegetable broth (personally, I think this recipe NEEDED sodium!)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (the jarred kind works well)
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1T chopped chives (or green onion)

Set a pot of water on HIGH & bring to a rapid boil.

Add the chopped cauliflower & cook for about 6-7 minutes or until tender.

Drain well.

Return cooked cauliflower to pot.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, garlic, broth & pepper.

Use an immersion blender to mash together until smooth (doesn't really get "smooth")

note: no immersion blender? Improvise! Use your food processor or hand mash it!

Garnish with the chopped chives!

It looks like real mashed potatoes. It feels like real mashed potatoes.

It tastes like real mashed... cauliflower!

Enjoy!

Grown Up!

I've spent the past 24 hours at a beach house in NH! 

I was there to help my first family of kids stay safe @ the ocean while they & others celebrated their mothers 40th birthday/Mothers Day.

At one point, for about 3.5 hours, yesterday afternoon, I was the only adult present, with 7 children to watch... at high tide! Long story!

High tide became my friend though! 

The big waves crashing on the rocks along the shoreline provided enough fear to keep the kids from going in the ocean!

Thankfully, the other 4 kids I had "inherited" were very well behaved!

I also had the foresight to bring toys, games & such.

The above photos are of my favorite 5 1/2 year old & her friend, Ava! They are so grown up!  

Dryer Sheets

Whenever I went camping, I always brought a big box of dryer sheets with me. The strongest scented ones I could find! I would place them in & around my tent to ward off those blood sucking bugs called, mosquitoes! I often put them through my belt loops too!

While browsing through June 2012 Readers Digest, I discovered even more uses for dryer sheets, other than repelling bugs.

In my never-ending effort to inform my readers about things many would find dull & boring, here's their ideas on uses for dryer sheets!

• Wipe w/dryer sheet to remove pet fur from furniture & upholstery.
• Place a dryer sheet in your vacuum bag to for a fresh scent in the room.
• Put a dryer sheet in a pan w/baked on food & fill pan w/hot water. Let soak overnight & baked on gunk should come right off.
• Musty smelling books? Put a dryer sheet in the book & seal in a ziploc bag for 3 days to banish the smell!
• Dip a dryer sheet in water then use to wash away bugs from your cars windshield & grille.
• Cut the dryer sheet into 1" strips & tie to low hanging branches in your yard to discourage deer from eating the leaves.

I have yet to try the other methods, but I swear by the dryer sheets when camping!

Did you know you can GRILL a slice of WATERMELON?

In the same Readers Digest as the dryer sheets ideas, there is a recipe for Grilled Watermelon!

I hope to try it out this summer so I'm going to put the recipe here because I KNOW I'll forget about it!

Grilled Watermelon

Brush a 1 1/2" wedge slice of watermelon with a mixture of olive oil, minced onion, salt & pepper.

Grill for 5 minutes on each side until caramelized & beginning to look dried out.

Serve as a side dish, 

or if adventurous... cut off the rind, top with cheese & place in a bun for a "watermelon burger!"

Grilled Romaine w/Red Wine Vinegar Ice Salad

In a bread baking pan, pour about 1" or less of red wine vinegar & place in freezer. 

Allow the vinegar to freeze, but not too solid.

Using a fork, scrape at the frozen vinegar to create a icy slush.

Use as little or as much as you like. 

Halve a head of Romaine lettuce, lengthwise. Brush w/a light layer of olive oil. 

Place FLAT side down on a medium-high grill for 1-2 minutes.

Top the grilled lettuce w/the icy slush & some fresh, grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy your salad!

Mayonnaise

Did you know that MAYONNAISE is the most often misspelled word on a persons grocery list? Yep, it is! Though, to be honest, I think we all write "MAYO" instead.

But I digress... in a recent This Old House magazine (May 2012), they listed several things that MAYONNAISE could be used for... other than sandwiches or salads!

Here they are... in no particular order:

• Mayonnaise can remove tree sap! Simply coat the sap with mayo , wait a bit then wipe w/a clean rag! (The sap on you, not the tree! Leave the tree alone!)
• Ring removal... from a swollen finger. (It doesn't matter HOW it became swollen!)
• Removes crayon & marker from painted, scrubbable walls or furniture! (note: always do a test spot first in case you do not know if your paint is the scrubbable kind!) Spread on the mayo, wait & wipe!
• Shines houseplant leaves. Apply & buff until shiny. (I hate dusting my furniture so I doubt I'd dust a plant!)
• Removes fingerprints from stainless steel appliances. Apply a thin coat then buff away w/a clean, dry rag. (BTW, I dream of an all stainless steel applianced kitchen w/matching decor!)
• No WD-40 on hand? Use some mayo on a squeaky hinge.
• Supposedly, mayo can help get rid of head lice. ( That scares me! I'd stick to the drugstore stuff!)
• Tar removal. Dab on, let sit & wipe. (doesn't say if it removes the feathers too)
• Removes water rings from furniture. (Use a coaster & never have water rings in the 1st place!)
• Sticker residue removal! Price stickers, kids stickers whatever! Let the mayo soak on the spot for a while, then wipe w/a cloth.

Now, I have not tried any of these hints myself, but know of others who have & now swear by mayonnaise for help in their chores!

Ketchup makes a great brass cleaner!

My Day

My birthday & Mothers Day are within a week of each other every year. I never noticed until I became a MOM & then I realized I was often gypped on the number of gifts I would normally receive as my husband & daughters would give me ONE "bigger" gift to cover both events.

I really, honestly do not mind this tradition of theirs. At least one of those days is made into a pretty big deal, so it's OK by me.

This year, my husband is away @ Scout training, C is a day away from being home & T is married & lives very far away! I wasn't expecting much.

T surprised me with a very special blog entry on her own blog, Simply 14. I'm still weepy from her heartfelt words & thoughts. I'm thrilled she is such a fine writer! And better daughter! And turning into a wonderful mother too!

C will be home for the summer tomorrow & has passed her sophomore year @ college, so THAT is a great present also! She continues to work as many hours as she can get to help defray much of the expense of college life. Less stress in my life is always a good present!

I received a wonderful card from R&C. I'm old enough to remember the "REMEMBER WHEN?" events listed on their card! Phew! I am old! 

Thank you & enjoy your trip to South Africa!

I was greeted by the 2 girls, 

their mom & infant brother this morning, with homemade cards (a favorite kind of mine!) & a digital kitchen scale! I had been wanting to get one since B & I are trying to get our weight & sugars under control. They found out about it & surprised me with one! LOVE IT! Even their dad sent me a birthday text!

I am expecting a Skype date w/Carlotta in a little while & I anticipate it to be the highlight of my day!

Thank You to All!

A Cat From Outer Space?

Today, I drove over to SNHU to pick up a carload of C's stuff! Her successful sophomore year will be over tomorrow & she will be home for the summer on Saturday!

I put her boxes in the family room. I don't have the energy to keep going up & down stairs with heavy boxes! Normally, B would help me, but he's away @ Scout training until Sunday.

This meant Zee could climb all over her things! I think she is confused though! She could smell C, but couldn't find her! I thought it was adorable so I grabbed my iPhone & got a video of her.

Cats eyes are so cool when on camera! She looks like she has glowing eyes! Too funny!

I am amazed at how much stuff C was able to fit into her dorm room! 

B picked up some of her stuff last week. I had my trunk stuffed as well as the back seat & I think her car will be stuffed to capacity when she comes home on Saturday afternoon! 

I swear, there was enough stuff there to furnish an apartment, not just a room!

I'm glad she'll be home for a while. She has booked her summer with several part-time jobs, but I'll still get to see her more!