Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Snapshots of Our Week

The song from the Small World Disneyland ride comes to mind, but with different lyrics.

It's a world of mischief, a world of tears
It's a world of mischief, and silly cheers
So much fun to be had
Pepper's good, Pepper's bad
It is our world after all!

It is indeed a world of mischief at our house! And mischief takes its form in my 2-year-old son. A picture speaks a thousand words. So here are 4,000 words for you. In summary: Stickers. Sharpie. Ketchup.









So I spend a lot of time cleaning up after the 2-year-old tornado. I spend a lot of time holding my breath and turning my face away so as not to let him see me laughing. He's such a stinker, but so stinkin' cute! Just a few minutes ago, he took off his pants, went potty, and then fell down on his naked little booty. He came crying over into the dining room where I am currently sitting. Then he backed that bare butt up to me, bent over and said, "I fall down, Mama. Kiss my bottom!" Ha ha! I'm still chuckling over that one! Since I've shown you Pepper's naughty file from the week, I must also show the cute collection.









There! Now isn't it worth all the mess and poop and tears the he produces? Yes! It definitely is. I love this little guy like crazy.

Entirely changing the subject, today was my bimonthly cooking day. Once again my freezer is stocked with yummy dinners for my family. Life Artistry in action, Matt says! Today I'll go ahead and post the recipes from this time. You can cut and paste them directly from my page.

Tomato Basil Soup

In a large saucepan, bring to a boil 2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes and 28 oz. chicken broth.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add: 18 leaves minced, fresh basil
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Reduce heat to low.
Add: 1 cup unsweetened whipping cream (or fat free half and half)
1 stick butter
Cook until the butter is melted.
Serve with French bread and green salad.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

In a crock pot, layer the following ingredients in the order they are listed. Do not stir.

16 oz. dried split peas
2 cups diced turkey ham
1 cup chopped carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
5 cups boiling water

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours
Stir in 1 cup milk.
Discard bay leaves before serving

Pizza Casserole

Prepare 2 cups egg noodles, according to package directions
Brown together:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped bell pepper
Drain
Stir in:
Cooked noodles
1 cup turkey pepperoni
1 (16 oz) jar of pizza sauce
4 Tbsp. milk
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes more.

Hearty Ham Casserole

Peel, dice, and boil 4 cups potato
In a large bowl combine: 2 cups diced turkey ham
2 cans corn, drained
Cooked potatoes
Saute 2 Tbsp. chopped onion in 1/2 stick butter for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in 1/3 cup flour
Gradually add 1 3/4 cups milk.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes)
Pour over potatoes
Spread into a 13x9 baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Uncover, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Enchilada Casserole

Grease a deep dish pie plate and set aside.
Brown together:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 chopped onion
Drain and return to pan
Add 2 cloves minced garlic
Stir in:
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. chili powder
Salt to taste
Allow to thicken slightly.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce into pie plate.
Layer flour tortilla, sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese twice.
Final layer should be cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I'll close out this long blog with some good news. Fall has arrived in Little Rock! It is currently 68 degrees outside with blue skies and a few high clouds. There are hints of red, brown, and orange in the trees. My cinnamon candles are in full service, and I spent some of my birthday money on silk flowers to make a wreath for my front door. Hooray for Fall!

1 comment:

Lori said...

Your wreath is just beautiful!