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Catch up – think we’re overdue??

04-Dec-11

Okay, so, you think I let this go just a bit?? Cripes. I did what I said I’d never do and what irked me about so many people… I started a blog and left it hanging in cyberspace for what seems like eternity in the internet world – a year. Holy balls. Well, where do I start???

Let’s cover the milestones and then we’ll talk about it. We sold our house, moved 200 miles away, bought a new car, house hunted for what seemed like eternity, lived apart for 3 months, Madeline turned 3, we celebrated our first holiday season without my mother in law, and we welcomed a new baby girl into our family (not in that order at all though!).

So, we decided once the work was finished on our house in PA to put it on the market. We needed a change of scenery. There was soo much sadness, and actually quite a lot of bitterness following my mother in law’s death from people we thought to be family. We quickly found out that was not the case. Brett had been hunting for work in upstate NY and got an offer from a company in Northern CT. We came out here and fell in love with the area. He took the job, and they were patient enough to wait for him until we sold our house. We put our home on the market in early November 2010. We celebrated our first Thanksgiving without momma. It was very sad – she was all about food and family and togetherness. I cooked the full meal just for the 3 of us at home and it was really nice. We traveled to NY for Christmas and celebrated with my family. A few days later we got wonderful news – that we were going to have another baby, and then we found out something even cooler – my cousin was pregnant with her first child – and our due dates were 6 days apart! So exciting!

We sold our house in April and moved Memorial day weekend. Brett went to stay with a friend in CT because he had to start work. Madeline and my pregnant self headed to NY to stay with Barb until we had a house and a closing date. It ended up being all summer and a lot of back and forth visiting. We found a beautiful home and moved in on August 19. For those of you keeping track, my due date was Sept 8. Yep. I moved with less than 3 weeks to go, so ridiculously pregnant I was surprised my water didn’t break on moving day. But our little peanut hung in there. She stayed put through the earthquake and the hurricane (all within 10 days of us moving in). Brett worked labor day (sept 5) so he could take off Sept 6 (I had an OB appointment early in the am). I went to my appt and my darling, wonderful obstetrician told me not to drive the 40 minutes home and to stay close. I went for coffee, and called him an hour later. He ordered me to the hospital and I was admitted at 11am. Quick labor, once again (thanks mom!), easy easy labor and delivery. I am a lucky lady in that department. Thank goodness Brett was home, because he packed up Madeline and met me at the hospital. They admitted me at 11am and she was born at 5:55 pm.

Our beautiful angel Alaina Rose was born on Sept 6, 2011. She was 7 lbs 10 oz and 19.25 inches. For those of you keeping score, that’s nearly 2 pounds smaller than her big sister and nearly 3 inches shorter. She’s a peanut! My darling cousin was 4 days overdue at this point. She delivered a healthy baby boy on 9-10-11. It would have been awesome to go together since we delivered at the same hospital, but you can’t beat two healthy babies

Here’s a picture of our darling Alaina being held by her very proud (and incredibly overprotective) big sister

And here’s our first shot as a family of 4 :)

So that’s where we are. We are settled in beautiful Northwestern CT and loving it. We are slowly meeting new people, making new friends and starting some new memories in a happier place. Let’s hope I can keep this going

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Quick Update

15-Sep-10

Ok, so yes, I’m here, yes, I’m alive. Things around here have been slightly crazed, to say the least. Since my last post, our entire house has [almost] been redone and I haven’t had a moment to breathe. That all came to a screeching halt yesterday when the last few months caught up with me and I ended up with a high fever, throat infection, and sinus infection. So I’m instructed to just “relax” for the next couple of days. So I thought I’d say hi to all of you [if there's any of you left after my hiatus!].

Add to the fact, I currently have no kitchen. Yes, no kitchen. I have a stove and a fridge. No cabinets, drawers, nothing. It should be finished by the end of next week, so hopefully by then, my posts will be picking back up. I have boxes of samples here from a few companies and will be putting those to good use in the brand new kitchen. Not to mention it’s fall, which is my favorite time for baking! Pies, cookies, and wait until I get back from apple picking!

Anyway, thanks for hanging in there. I promise new stuff will be coming soon :)

Filed in Miscellaneous, Musings, Random | | Comments (59) »

Arabic Tabbouleh here in America

08-Jul-10

I don’t know if any of you have ever heard of (or tried) Tabbouleh. It’s a delicious dish from the Middle East. I love it. Brett loves it more. It’s absolutely wonderful, especially when it’s been over 100 degrees here for the last week and the thought of turning on my stove (let alone my oven, even in central air) is enough to make me sweat. We had gone away over Memorial Day to DelFest, a music festival in Maryland and had some of the best hummus, tabbouleh, and falafel that we’d ever tasted. Brett had an Egyptian stepmother when he was a child and he always said hers was the best, until we’d tried this.

Well, way to throw me a challenge. I’d been thinking about it lately (probably because it was so hot I didn’t want to eat anything) and thought I’d give it a whirl. I did some digging to find out about it and what the differences were.

Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة‎; also tabouleh or tab(b)ouli) is a Levantine salad dish. Traditionally a mountain dish from the Lebanon, and one of the Lebanese main dishes, it has become one of the most popular salads in the non-Persian side of the Middle East.

Its primary ingredients are finely chopped parsley, bulgur, mint, tomato, spring onion, and other herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and various seasonings, generally including black pepper and sometimes cinnamon and allspice.

In the Arab world, but particularly the Greater Syrian region, it is usually served as part of the mezze, and is served with romaine lettuce. The Lebanese use more parsley than bulgur wheat in their dish.

A Turkish variation of the dish is known as kısır, while a similar Armenian dish is known as eetch. In Cyprus, where the dish was introduced by the Lebanese, it is known as tambouli.

Anyway, what I found was that most tabbouleh here in America is crap. It’s made with cous cous, and is more of a rice-y type dish than what it’s meant for – almost a palette cleanser between spicy Arabic dishes.
I found that in authentic tabbouleh, the parsley is the star, not the grains. I definitely can taste the difference. So here’s what I found:

You’ll need:

1/2 cup bulgur, fine cracked wheat
juice of 4-5 lemons
3 bunches fresh parsley, finely chopped
handful fresh mint, finely sliced (optional)
3 medium tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced (with green stems)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt (to taste)
romaine leaves, for serving

Soak the bulgur in the juice of 2 lemons until it’s all absorbed (about 30-40 minutes). The parsley takes the longest. In Lebanon, they use flat leaf parsley and thinly slice it little by little. I don’t have that kind of time. I found nutritionunplugged.com, she recommended using curly parsley and pulsing it in a food processor. I used my coffee grinder. It came out perfect. I tossed it all together with the tomatoes, added the olive oil, the juice of 2 more lemons, and a bit of salt. I opted to leave the mint out. That was because I didn’t have any inside, and didn’t feel like venturing to the back of my yard to get a few leaves. It’s delicious. So much so that I’m eating more of it right now. You can serve it with raw vegetables, pitas, or just scoop it up with some romaine leaves. I eat it with whole wheat pitas because I usually make hummus with it as well.

This is healthy, and a great snack when you want something light but filling! Enjoy!

Filed in Appetizer, Grains, Middle Eastern, No Cook, Quick, Side-dish, Snack | | Comments (7) »

Gluten-Free IS good!

17-Jun-10

Okay, well, now that the craziness of life has somewhat subsided (for the moment!), I’m back. I have a delicious new recipe, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. Right now, I have a glowing review from one of my favorite people/baker/graphic designer (she’s pretty awesome), Marilla, from Cupcake Rehab. She was one of the winners of my giveaway that I did last month of Teri’s gluten free products from Mixes From The Heartland. I tried two of her products and LOVED them (and if you know me, you know I’m a crazy carb-whore). So I knew they were good… but would everyone else? She sure did. She got the Creamy Italian Noodles, and, well, here’s what she thought:

Let me start by saying I’m not a very adventurous person when it comes to food. Andrew Zimmern I am most certainly not. I mean, I refuse to try sushi, and the mere thought of vegan cheese or vegan hot dogs make me cringe, let alone anything like roasted crickets, dung beetles on toast or whatever it is that guy eats on that show. However, when it comes to stuff like pastas, I’m pretty open. I’ll try brown rice pasta, whole wheat pasta, potato pasta… anything. So I was pretty psyched when Brianne told me I won the Creamy Italian Noodles mix in her giveaway. Psyched, but yet not entirely optimistic. I was a bit uncertain about the flavor. These are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, low sodium products, so you know, I was kinda unsure. Usually in my opinion, when something says “______ FREE” it also means “taste free.”

I decided to make it as a side dish, although on the package it tells you to add a pound of chicken to make it a meal. I made homemade chicken fingers and had the noodles as a side. The prep was easy, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup milk plus the seasoning packet in a saucepan, then cook the pasta until tender. Brown rice pasta cooks differently than regular wheat pasta. It gets soft pretty quick, but also sticks together more (like rice, I guess). They don’t give you a cooking time on the package so I just sorta played it by ear. When the pasta was cooking, I melted the butter with the other ingredients for the sauce in the saucepan. I’m sure if you’re vegan you could use rice or soy milk and vegan butter since the mix itself is vegan-friendly. Also the mix has no cholesterol, so if you use a fat-free milk and a butter substitute like Smart Balance you could reduce the fat even more. I was a bit more appeased when I saw the seasoning packet was loaded with herbs & dehydrated veggies (on the package it says it contains: powdered whey, dehydrated carrots, celery, red and green bell peppers, onions, parsley, tomatoes, rosemary, basil, oregano, marjoram, cilantro, thyme, savory, bay leaves and garlic powder). Lots of seasoning = lots of flavor. By the time I was done with the chicken, the noodles were done. I mixed the sauce with them and let it sit for a minute, just to thicken up a bit.

They were SO GOOD. Really. I’m not lying, I would definitely make these again. I’d add a little salt next time, but that’s just because I’m a bit of a salt fiend. The flavor of the sauce was like a kind of creamy pesto. My 92-year old grandmother who never ate a gluten-free thing in her life (let alone vegan-friendly) and who also dumps an ass-load of salt & butter on everything she eats said they were delicious too, and when I explained to her that it wasn’t “real” pasta but rice pasta, she just didn’t understand and asked me how that was possible, that’s how good it was. As a matter of fact, I’d like to try more of these mixes. They’re healther and more substantial than those name brand mixes you buy in the supermarket.

Thanks to Teri from Mixes from the Heartland and Brianne for the opportunity to try something new and outside my comfort zone. Now that it opened me up to a whole different world, I’m definitely willing to try more gluten-free foods!

So there you have it. I told you they were good. Stay tuned for more reviews, and recipes.

Also, if you’re interested, please check out the new widget of Mixes From The Heartland on the left side of the page. Click on that to take you to Teri’s site and try out some of her products. They’re delicious, and (I think) very well-priced. The amount of food is quite substantial, and much healthier since there’s no preservatives or any crap in them. It’s just GOOD food. So check her out. Or I’ll kick your ass.

Filed in Cooking, Giveaway, Gluten-Free, Miscellaneous, Pasta, Plugs, Product reviews, Side-dish, Stove-top | | Comments (8) »

Summer Sauce

04-Jun-10

Well, it’s now the “official” start of summer. I guess that might be unofficial, seeing as how summer doesn’t technically begin until June 21, but whatever. It’s been over 90 degrees for most of May and into the beginning of June. So, it’s here!

This is a short post for a few reasons. I suck, and have been incredibly busy lately, finishing up school, finals, we are doing major work on the house and I’m trying to de-clutter lots and lots of things. So I’ve been listing on ebay and amazon and half.com, just to name a few. And it’s after midnight. And I have a busy few weeks ahead. But I will be back. I have quite a few recipes for you, some new products headed your way, and reviews of those who won the gluten-free items in my giveaway back in April.

When you’re busy, sometimes it’s easier to get takeout (Case in point – my darling husband ordered chinese at 8:30 tonight). But it doesn’t have to be. This is a sauce of my grandmother’s. It’s one of my favorite things to make. It’s easy, delicious, and for those of you still cramped in a small apartment (or in your parent’s house), it’s super cheap! This is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer, and whenever I can get my hands on some really nice plum tomatoes!

Summer No-Cook Tomato Sauce

You’ll need:
1 lb pasta
12-14 decent sized plum tomatoes, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil (roughly 1/2 cup… start with 1/4 and add. I don’t measure this, I’m guessing)
Fresh basil, about a fistful, torn into pieces
1/2 tablespoon salt*
1 teaspoon pepper*
*(again, I’m guessing. I’ve never measured anything for this sauce except counting the tomatoes.)

Boil water – once you throw the pasta in the water, take the tomatoes and put them in a blender. chop them up just a bit and add the olive oil. Add garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Pulse on Mix or Chop until all is mixed, but tomatoes are still chunky. Don’t heat this sauce – when the pasta is done, simply pour the sauce over hot pasta.

This seems shitty and lazy of me, but that’s how I make it. Each time it’s a little bit different. I love garlic, so I usually use between 2-3 cloves. I go lighter on the salt because I’m feeding a small child and we just salt our plates a bit more to make up for it. You can tailor it to your needs. It’s a great go-to when you want something healthy and fresh but don’t have a lot of time. This can be made in just 5 minutes!

Filed in Dinner, Meal, Pasta, Quick, Sauce | | Comments (68) »

G-Free IS yummy. Wanna try?

30-Apr-10

Have any of you ever eaten, or “gone,” gluten-free? Let me tell you, I was never one of those people. I know some people have to eat gluten-free for medical reasons, be it an allergy, or celiac disease, or something else. I LOVE BREAD. I love pasta, I love bagels. Gluten-free was definitely NOT for me. Until I heard from Teri.

A lot of people knock Twitter. I think maybe they don’t get it. I didn’t at first, I’ll admit. BUT – I have opened my eyes up to many different things since being on there. I have learned more about different businesses, heard from many people about my blog, and become friends with people all over the country who share the same love for cooking, baking, and food as I do (that and I get to find out what Bobby Flay is doing on a daily basis. Which can’t be bad!). That’s where I first heard from Teri. She owns Mixes From The Heartland, a completely Gluten-free company. A good portion of their stuff is vegan-friendly as well, for all of you out there who go that way (again, not me. I love butter and eggs way too much. But it’s a personal decision).

Teri contacted me a month or two ago and asked if I’d be interesting in trying some of her products for a review/giveaway. I told her I would, then with my MIL’s passing, I dropped the ball on my end. When I gathered myself again, she was totally understanding and agreed to send me some products. WOW! I have to say, I was severely mistaken. HER gluten free stuff is amazing. I had some friends over the other day and made them my guinea pigs. She’d sent me (among others) her Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup and her Gluten Free Sweet Potato Brownie Mix. Okay, WOW. They were beyond delicious. The Minestrone suggests adding Italian Sausage (which I bet would have been amazing). I didn’t have any at home, so I just added some Ditalini pasta to bulk it up a bit. It was so yummy. We ate a ton of it, and Brett ate leftovers of it last night and raved about it. Plus, it was enough for 3 of us for lunch, Brett and Madeline for dinner, and there’s probably enough for two more BIG bowls of it. It was a huge potful when I made it. And Sweet Potato Brownies? Holy crap were they good. They were sweet and cinnamon-y and deliciously wonderful. AND healthy! All in all, I have to say I judged a book by its cover on this one. I won’t make that mistake again. I’ll be placing my own order with Teri soon enough.

Now, it’s YOUR turn! Teri has graciously sent me 4 extra samples of her products for you all to try! She’s sent me her Gluten-Free Tuna Casserole Meal, Gluten-Free Strawberry Pound Cake Mix, Gluten -Free Creamy Italian Noodles, and her Gluten-Free Beer Cheese Soup. And one of them could be yours. Here’s what you need to do:

Go to Teri’s site, Mixes From The Heartland. Take a peek around, and leave a comment here with the meal you’d most like to try from her site, and which of the 4 she’s sent me that you’d like to try and why. I’ll be picking a winner at random on Friday, May 7.

Also, Teri has passed the word along to me that any shopping done at her site between now and May 30 will receive a 10% discount. So shop away! And ENJOY! I definitely did!

Filed in Baking, Brownies, Cooking, Dinner, Giveaway, Gluten-Free, Meal, Product reviews, Soups, Stove-top, Sweet | | Comments (200) »

You say you want a revolution?

16-Apr-10

I have been dragging ass lately. Well, that’s a complete understatement. Since we lost Brett’s mom, I think we’ve all felt a little lost. Cheated, sad, angry… and much more. It’s hard day by day since there is a 2 year old here who loved and adored her. We do the best we can, and that’s all we can hope for. But, I feel like I’m starting to get my headspace back to some sense of normalcy.

We’re a pretty healthy family, food wise. I try to use as little processed foods as I can. They’re filled with sodium (and crap) and just not good for you. I mean, think about it. If you buy something in a can, and that same can of “food” can sit on your shelf for 2 years before it goes bad, then what the HELL is in it? I buy fresh produce (fruit by the ton, it feels like!) as often as I can. Yes, I have frozen veggies, because my child eats broccoli more than any other food. But it’s the nutrition that’s important. I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef (yes, I’m aware he really doesn’t go by that anymore, but it’s still adorable). He’s a fantastic chef from England who is all about healthy foods with natural, unprocessed ingredients. I’ve always been a fan of his, and now I am even more. He’s started the Food Revolution. Basically, he’s trying to integrate fresh ingredients and healthy foods into school districts, instead of frozen, precooked, processed… crap. AND – he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s so inspirational. Parts of this country (including where I live) are incredibly overweight, and I see it in children already. I take my daughter to the pediatrician, and see that there are weight problems in little kids already. My daughter was a bigger baby at birth (9 pounds, 5 ounces), so we constantly watch. She’s not overweight, she’s tall and lean, but most issues begin young. So we have always been conscious (even before her!) of what we put into our bodies.

I post a lot of dessert foods on here. I should note that my daughter barely eats them. She eats a cookie every once in a while (and I’d rather her eat the ones I make than store bought ones). Her weakness? Organic lollipops. And frozen fruit bars. She’s a kid that would much rather eat fruit and yogurt than cakes and heavy foods, thank goodness. Do I eat junk food? Yes. Do I eat Taco Bell, and drink soda? You bet. But – I cook healthy meals for my family and that’s my top priority. Will I let my daughter drink soda? I’d like to say never, but I’ll say not in the next few years.

People tend to think that homemade, healthy meals take a long time to make. They don’t. Not if you know what to do, and I know that plenty don’t. I feel like I want to be a part of Jamie’s Revolution, and while I can’t get cameras to follow me around and get me through the red tape of helping people, if I can educate a few people, then I feel like I’ve accomplished something. It’s important that we all try to help our kids.

So, for all you busy moms, dads, families, people out there… here’s a great dinner recipe that takes such little time and is packed with nutrients for you and the kiddos.

Broccoli – chickpea pasta

You’ll need:

one box pasta*
one large broccoli head
one can organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
olive oil
chicken broth
salt and pepper

Boil pasta according to directions (If you like whole wheat pasta, go for it. I do NOT. I actually switched to Ronzoni Smart Taste. It’s a white pasta, but enriched with extra nutrients including Calcium, Vitamin D and Fiber.).

Steam broccoli in small pot. In a large fry pan over medium-low heat, cook beans slightly. I add a bit of paprika, cumin, and fresh tarragon to add a little zing to the dish. Let the beans cook in the pan about 8-10 minutes.

After pasta is drained, toss with a small amount of olive oil (1/2 tablespoon or so). Mix pasta, broccoli and beans together. A lot of restaurants use olive oil as a sauce. I love olive oil, and yes, it is good for you. But you shouldn’t eat a pint of it with dinner. It has good fats, but too much of them makes them bad fats. I toss it with some chicken broth. You don’t really notice the taste difference, it makes the dish seem lighter, and olive oil is loaded with calories.

Enjoy! I’ll be back this week with some more yumminess. Happy Friday!

Filed in Broccoli, Food Revolution, Meal, Miscellaneous, Musings, Pasta, Plugs, Quick, Stove-top, Vegetables | | Comments (107) »

Easter cupcakes… take 1

04-Apr-10

Well, I hope everyone had a nice Easter celebration today. We really had more of a celebration yesterday. Brett’s mom’s aunt, who was like a mother to her, invited the 3 of us to her house for a celebration-of-sorts. Her two kids and 5 grandchildren were headed there for what seems to be an annual tradition. There was lots of eggs to be colored (I think 5 dozen), then there was an egg hunt, and lots of playing inside and out. Madeline and Aleah, Aunt Pat’s 3 1/2 year old granddaughter, were like two peas in a pod. They’ve met and played together a few times and always have fun. It was a super long day, topped with delicious fajitas that were well worth the wait for. We had a lot of laughs and a wonderful time. It was so nice to be around such wonderful people. Brett and I felt like we’d been going there for years.

Anyway, in honor of Easter (and baking all things yummy), I decided on two kinds of cupcakes this year – the first is below. The second, I think I’ll post in the morning, since it’s already almost midnight and I’m tired.

So, here you go:

Adorable green liners courtesy of the faboosh Lyns at Sweet Cuppin’ Cakes

Banana cupcakes with Cinnamon-Honey Buttercream.

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar (I used about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Fill a muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the butter, bananas, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

2. To make the frosting, beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

3. Spread the tops of cupcakes with the frosting and serve.

**Ok, so here’s my edits. First of all, this recipe says 12 cupcakes. Well, yes, 12, but they were HUGE. I mean the rise on them was RI-dic. I filled them around 3/4 and they blew right up…I’d suggest filling them halfway, which means you’ll probably get 15 or so cupcakes. Also, they’re a bit dense, but maybe I wouldn’t think so if they were smaller.

By the way, that icing? Beyond delicious. It was sweet and tasty and paired amazingly with the cupcake.
I tinted the frosting with Wilton’sRose Pink tint and used a 22 tip.

So now that you’ve seen the cupcakes, here’s some snapshots of our “Easter” Saturday. Stay tuned tomorrow for the follow up of today’s activities and the second cupcake recipe. Enjoy!!

Coloring eggs


Madeline and Aleah playing with the tire swing


Daddy & Madeline with her Easter Bucket

Filed in Baking, Banana, Buttercream, Cupcakes, Dessert, Frosting, Holiday | | Comments (122) »

Barbecue..just like mama used to make..

02-Apr-10

Well, the last two weeks have been pretty difficult for all of us. But, it’s back to the grind. Brett’s back to work, and I’m back to, well, mom. It’s been a whirlwind and hopefully things will get easier. I have found my way back to the kitchen…. armed with a handful of my MIL’s recipes. To have my kitchen smell like her house… makes me feel closer to her. One of my favorite things she used to make was her hamburger barbecue. Yeah, it’s a fancy name for a sloppy joy, apparently. She never called it that. Anyway, this is great to make for lunch, dinner, for the kids (mine LOVES it)… and it freezes well. I didn’t need to freeze it. I actually doubled the recipe and ate pretty much all of it in about 4 days. Considering that was the only thing I ate though…. we’ve all shed a few stress pounds over the last few weeks. So, when my Cooking The Booksgirls sent us a beautiful basket of goodies, I dove in. Cookies make everything better. Especially when they’re gigantic.

Anyway, here’s the recipe for Momma’s Hamburger Barbecue. Make it… enjoy it. It’s delicious!

You’ll need:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbs light brown sugar
1 Tbs vinegar (you can use either… I used cider because it’s all I had)
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion

Then:

In a saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 1/2 hour. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add the vegetables and saute until veggies are tender. Drain any visible fat (this step is optional. I use 90/10 beef, so I leave the little bit of fat in there). Pour the sauce over the meat mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve on hamburger buns.

I have to add a plug here – please check out my friend Yoyo’s site Topstitch. On the 2nd of every month, she donates 100% of her sales to a worthy charity. Last month, the fight for Mollie’s Fund was a great success. This month, she is donating her sales to Let’s Bring ‘Em Home. This charity is for the military. What they do is they collect money (or frequent flyer miles) and buy tickets for soldiers so they can come home to their families for the holidays. Please visit her site, her items are beautiful and even the smallest purchase will make a difference. So, if you’re visiting my blog today (Friday), please click the link above and check out her items. Thanks!

I hope to be back in full swing now. Maddie and I are going to make some Easter cupcakes today.. and I am backlogged with recipes I’ve been meaning to post. I’m featured on Foodie Blogroll today as well! So if you found me from there, please bookmark me and come back and visit :) There are more product reviews coming soon!!

Filed in Cooking, Dinner, Donation, Meal, Meat, Musings, Plugs, Quick, Savory, Stove-top, Vegetables | | Comments (111) »

Some sad news….

21-Mar-10

Well, this has certainly been an awful few days.  There’s really no words to describe what’s happened here.  As some of you know, we were housesitting for my mother-in-law and Brett’s stepdad since March 11 while they went on vacation to Mexico.  They were due to fly in last night.  Well, Wednesday (St. Patrick’s Day), we got the phone call that no one wants to get – or have to make.  Brett’s phone rang and it was his stepdad calling from Mexico – his mom had suddenly passed away.  This has been such a whirlwind and an awful nightmare since then… trying to get his stepdad home, dealing with the consulate to get her back home, the funeral home, cemetery, it’s all like an awful dream.  Those of you who knew her, knew how wonderful she was and how much she loved Madeline.  We are doing our best to stay strong for her, but she knows something is wrong.  She isn’t eating as much, isn’t sleeping well, and sees us upset and asks us what’s wrong constantly.  Sometimes I think we’re more sad for her than for ourselves.  This is going to be a long road for all of us.

Many of you have reached out to us on facebook and twitter to share your condolences, and I just want everyone to know how much it is all so incredibly appreciated. We’ve read every message that’s left, and this is the first I’m at the computer since Wednesday night when I had to make that awful announcement.

We’re heading out to meet with the reverend this afternoon to go over the service and what mom would have wanted. Madeline has been holding up quite well, despite being shuffled all over the place. I like to think she’s more resilient than we are, and that definitely seems to be true.

Again, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and your love. The viewing and funeral will be on Tuesday at Fox Harding in Slatington. Hopefully I’ll be back sometime next week if we can get some sense of normalcy back. We love you all.


Madeline and her memmy.. Memorial Day 2009. One of my favorite pictures of them together.

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