On an Unscheduled Break

For those of you that inquired and for those of you who did not I thought I should let you know that our computer has been nonfunctioning for a little over 2 weeks. I hope to be back online soon blogging about all our adventures. Hope you're all doing well and I hope to have time soon to check in on all my blogging favorites.

PS. Thanks to my gracious husband for letting me post this on his work computer. ;)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Yes, I'm still obsessed with pumpkin. And it won't be ending soon. I haven't even made pumpkin pie yet!!

I found this recipe on Bake at 350, such a cute blog, and thought I'd share it with you. It's SO delicious and is the closest thing to pumpkin cheesecake that I'll ever make. My husband even when to Panera and bought some fancy bagels for the pumpkin cream cheese. So delicious. Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese
(from Bake at 350)

8 oz cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat, ok)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp brown sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate.


Yumm-O!!

Wicked

On October 11th, my baby sister (the one who got married this summer) and I are going to Wicked in Des Moines. We're really excited as we both enjoyed watching The Wizard of Oz when we were growing up. She even had a little witch voice and said, "I'll get you my pretty...and your little dawg, too." So funny. Hopefully, this will be a chance to make some new memories with my baby sister. ;)

Slow Cooker Lasagna

It's crock pot season in Iowa. The evenings are nice and cool and during the day there is a crisp breeze but the sun can get warm. We don't want to turn on the AC so I try not to use the oven unless it's early in the morning. So, I've come to rely on my crock pot during the first few fall months. Time to get your crock pot going with this great recipe from my husband's Gramma. I added a little more garlic powder and some spice to give the sauce a little more kick.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp garlic powder
2 (15-oz) cans tomato sauce
1 cup water 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
pepper
1 pkg (8-oz) lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded mozerella
1 1/2 cups (12-oz) small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Add tomato sauce, water, tomato paste and seasoning; mix well. In another large bowl, mix the cheeses together. In a 5-quart slow cooker spread 2 cups meat mixture, 1/3 of noodles (breaking if necessary), 2 cups cheese mixture. Repeat twice ending with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. (Don't go longer than that or your noodles will be mushy.)


We served some garlic bread and a side salad with this lasagna. Be prepared, it makes a lot but is great as left overs. Maybe invite some friends/family over to share this meal with you. ;) Enjoy!!

Hearts at Home North Central Conference

In November I (along with several other women from my church) will be heading to Rochester, MN to Hearts at Home. I'm really excited to spend time with my dear friend, Emily, during this weekend of refreshment and learning.

This conference was started by Jill Savage. She's written some great books on motherhood and the Christian woman. I really enjoy reading her blog and am excited to hear her speak at the conference. I can't wait to hear Dr. Kevin Leman, as he's one of my favorite authors for parenting and marriage/sex. But he's mainly known for his books on Birth Order. It's all very interesting and I can't wait to hear more.

There's also breakouts in the afternoon and there are a lot to choose from. This conference is for all stages of motherhood and the breakouts help you get info for your stage of motherhood.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the Friday night of the conference is girls night out. Sounds wonderful to me!! Go Fish will be there with all their musical talent (funny to think I saw them at a park in Sioux Center, IA when they were first getting started). If you get a chance to go, it's a great conference and I'm really looking forward to it!!


Some of my favorite books by Dr. Kevin Leman:

Sheet Music - "This book will expand and challenge your thinking, help you start your marriage off right, or go from humdrum to exciting if you’re already married."




First Time Mom - "He describes the traits that characterize firstborn children and educates new moms (and dads!) on the essentials of parenting, offering practical tips on what to expect and how to adjust in your new role."


The Birth Order Book - "Dr. Leman will offer readers a fascinating look at how birth order affects personality, marriage and relationships, parenting style, career, and children."

Pumpkin Yogurt

I told you that I was on a pumpkin kick. ;) Anyway, I had more canned pumpkin in the fridge and I didn't want to waste it (since there's a pumpkin shortage and all) so I decided to mix up some pumpkin yogurt and it's surprisingly good.

Pumpkin Yogurt

3/4 cup pumpkin
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix and enjoy.

You can adjust the brown sugar and cinnamon to your liking. I didn't even really measure when I added so I hope the measurements are correct. You can also add some allspice and nutmeg to make more of a pumpkin pie yogurt. Have fun mixing!

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein

I love Cook's Country Magazine. It's my all-time favorite cooking magazine. It's from America's Test Kitchen (on PBS) and I love that because they go through all the trial and error to get the "just-right" recipe so I don't have to. In the center of the magazine they have 30-minute meal recipe cards. I wanted an extra vegetable with our Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein so I tried making garlic green beans and they were delicious! I also bought some wonton skins (wrappers for egg rolls) and cut them into strips and fried them. They gave the dish some extra crunch. Yumm! Makes great leftovers, too!

Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein
(from Cook's Country February/March 2009)

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar (I just used white vinegar since I didn't have rice)
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I used ground ginger and taste-tested as I added)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 1/2 cups water
4 (3-oz) pkgs ramen noodles, broken into large pieces, seasoning packet discarded
1 (16-oz) bag cole slaw mix
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/4-in-thick slices
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch (whisk in the cornstarch so you don't get lumps) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Tranfer half of soy sauce mixture to large bowl and reserve. Add water to saucepan with remaining soy sauce mixture and return to boil. Add ramen and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes (maybe a little less than 4 minutes because they'll soften as they set). Off heat, stir in cole slaw and mix. Cover and keep warm.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels (season with salt and pepper). Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute per side. Transfer chicken to bowl with reserved soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer noddles to platter and top with chicken. Serve.

Garlic Green Beans

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup water
large bunch of green beans

Use the same skillet you cooked the chicken in and add vegetable oil. Heat on meiumm-high until smoking then add the garlic and sautee until fragrent, about 1 minute. Pour in water and add green beans, mix to coat. Cover for 2 minutes, toss, and cook uncovered another 2 minutes. Serve.


That's it. And it was delicious! As good as any Chinese take out, I think. And it only took 30 minutes!! Fry up some wontons to give this meal an extra crunch. Enjoy.

Almond Bars

I make these bars often because I always have these things in my pantry, fridge and freezer. It also makes me feel really Dutch in this non-Dutch city I live in (even though it's almond extract and not almond paste). ;)

Almond Bars

4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
dash of salt
2 cups flour
1 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tsp almond extract (I usually add a little more)

Cream together the eggs and sugar; add salt. Blend in flour, butter and almond. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees. Do NOT overbake. Sprinkle with sugar before serving.


That's it. That's why I make them a lot. They're almost like cake but better. ;) Enjoy!!