My Life

Rasberry/Strawberry Lemonade Slushy

Have I ever shared this recipe?  It is divine.

It is a summer time treat at our house.  You'll need:

1 can of minute maid frozen rasberry lemonade concentrate

5-8 strawberries

5-7 fresh mint leaves

2 liter bottle gingerale

Put concentrate in your blender with one can of water, then add the rest of the ingredients minus the gingerale.  That's for after it's frozen.  Double up a freezer ziploc bag so you don't have any leaks in the freezer.  Put in the liquid from the blender and add 2 more cans of cold water.  Seal that baby up and put her in the freezer until firm.  I usually let it freeze overnight then whack it like crazy with a metal spoon.  Spoon out slush and pour cold gingerale over the top.  Sit back and enjoy.

Couple of Recipe Shares

I am so behind and have some backtracking to do here on the old blog.

That will have to wait until later.

Until then, I found and tried a couple of yummy recipes that are perfect for summer.

grilled vegetable sandwiches

Steve asked where the meat was.  I thought it was perfect as is :)

Salsa

This was better the second day after the flavors blended.

Enjoy!

Bread Recipe

We started making our own bread in December and haven't bought a loaf at the store since.

It was an investment to get all the equipment, but well worth it.

I have had several people ask for our bread recipe.

This makes 4 loaves.

Put this in the bosch (or your preferred mixer):

6 cups warm water

2/3 cup canola oil

1 cup honey

2 T salt

3T flax seed

Blend on low for 2 minutes

Add:

1/4 c. wheat gluten

4 T. powdered milk

2 T. yeast

2 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour

3T dough enhancer

Blend on low for a couple of minutes.

While the mixer is on, add 8-12 cups of wheat flour.  I usually end up adding close to 12 cups.  You know you have enough when the sides are clean and no dough is sticking.

Knead for 10 minutes

While your mixer is doing the work, turn your oven on for just a minute or two and then turn it off.  You need it to be warm enough to make the bread rise, but not too hot that it will kill the yeast.  Prepare your bread pans, spraying Pam in the insides.  When your dough is complete, put it on a floured cutting board.  I usually spray Pam on my hands too.  Cut it into four even sections and form the loaves.  Place in pans.  Put them in the oven.  I then take a piece of plastic wrap (enough to cover 2 pans), spray the tops of the bread with Pam as well as the wrap.  Let rise in the oven for about 60 minutes.  Remove plastic, turn your oven on to 325 and bake for 30 minutes.  Take out of the pan to cool, otherwise they get soggy. Once they are cooled, wrap them up and freeze them.  

I usually make 2 batches and if we are lucky it lasts us 2 weeks.

Also we had this yummy tortilla soup this weekend.  Thanks Erica for sharing!

Response to a Comment & The Roll Recipe

I received this comment today from this post:

All of the above is true IF you believe in God. We live in a FREE country where we are able to choose...This is our given right! You moromons are so judgemental & hypocritical.

--from Claire in Springfield, IL

I tried to respond privately in an email.  It turns out the email she provided is no longer valid as it was returned to my mailbox.

Since this is a "FREE country" and this happens to be my blog, I will respond here.  Not sure if she'll be back, but I'll feel better about responding.

Dear Claire,

Yes we do live in a free country and I expressed my belief.  That is my right.  Just as it is yours to disagree.  I hesitated to even post my feelings, but sometimes standing up for what you believe is difficult. I felt strongly about the situation.  I find it interesting that when anyone is opposed to same sex marriages or any moral issue, then they are attacked personally.  You don't know me.  I am not judgmental or hypocritical.  I will not attack you personally because our views do not match up.  I live by a set of rules and can't just go with the flow when my moral rights and the rights of my children will ultimately be challenged.  I am a very tolerant, open minded individual.  I don't care what homosexuals do, that's their business and their choice.  I do have problems when the family is redefined to fit their lifestyle and then shoved down my throat and I'm supposed to accept it and be alright with it.  Last time I checked, I was entitled to choose how I felt about the issue.  Hoping we can agree to disagree.
Thank you for your comment
Heather

On a lighter note.....

the "easy" roll recipe

2 to 2 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. lukewarm water

1 Tbs. yeast

2 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. oil

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

Put water in the bottom of a large bowl.  Sprinkle yeast on top.  Add sugar, oil, egg and salt to yeast with one cup of flour.  Mix until well blended.  Place bowl on rack over another bowl filled with hot water.  Cover with dish cloth; wait 15 minutes.

Gradually add remaining flour until dough is thick and somewhat sticky.  Knead until dough is soft about 6 minutes. (this is where the bosch comes in handy) Turn dough out onto floured surface.  Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and form rolls.  Place in greased pan and let rise for at least 25 minutes (may rise longer if desired) Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes or until browned on top.

While you're at it go ahead and double the recipe.  These rolls are so good!

There's nothing better than....

a fresh fruit salad. Squeeze a lemon, add a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. Yummy!

I found the most delicious dessert recipe. I made it for Sunday dinner, and it was a hit. I had to leave the leftovers for fear that I would scarf it all down myself. It was that good!

Banana Split Brownies

To make the frosting: combine 8 oz of cream cheese with powdered sugar. Drain a can of crushed pineapple reserving the juice. Add juice to the cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture until it is the right consistency. (There were no exact measurements)

 After your brownies have cooled, spread frosting over the top. Add cut strawberries, bananas and chopped pecans. Squirt chocolate syrup on top. Serve with vanilla ice cream. We decided that the frosting really makes the dessert.

Try it won't you?

I'm still alive

We had a splash of a good time on the fourth! The heat is actually bearable when your sopping wet. Kade's get up cracks me up. He needed some sort of floating device, so I didn't have to worry so much about him. He preferred the life jacket over floaties. The goggles and flippers are a definite must have. I'll share more of our holiday and Kyle's birthday later.

The heat is really sapping my motivation. I noticed that we (me & the little boys) do the same thing all day long: I work around the house and they watch TV until the big kids get home. We are totally holed up in this house trying to survive the wicked heat. So I decided we would do something productive and educational and fun for the boys today. We went to the Lied's Children's Museum. They had a BLAST! We will probably have to make that trip one more time this summer when the big kids get out of school. I felt like such a good mom today :)

We had a delicious BBQ on Saturday following Kyle's baptism. There were a couple of requests for some recipes. Thought I would share here so we could all benefit.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 c. crushed pretzels

3/4 c. melted butter

 3T. sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. sugar

8 oz. cool whip

6 oz. strawberry jello

2 c. boiling water

20 oz. frozen strawberries (including juice)

Preheat oven to 400. Mix butter, pretzels and 3 T. sugar together and press to the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake 8 min. Beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar and cool whip and spread over cooled crust. Dissolve jello and stir in frozen fruit. Let it set in the refrigerator until it begins to gel. Pour over cheese layer and refrigerate for several hours.

Sunee's Yummy Tortellini Salad

cheese tortellini

bag of spring mix head of i

ceberg lettuce

craisins

mandarin oranges

cottage cheese (I left this part out)

Dressing:

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

3/4 c. canola oil

2 tsp. poppy seeds

4T sugar

1 T minced red onion

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Cook tortellini and let cool. Mix rest of ingredients together with the tortellini. It does become soggy so right before serving, add cottage cheese and dressing.

Memorial Day Weekend

We survived Steve being gone.  He had a blast and we enjoyed the gorgeous California type weather. Our weekend in a nutshell:

• Went to the Springs Preserve for the first time.  Got an annual family pass.  The kids had a blast!  I vowed to never go again ALONE with my four "active" children.  It was really hard to keep them together.  So much to see and do and we didn't even get to half of it.  A definite must see place.  Very well laid out and very interactive.
• Kade's social calendar has been booked the last few weeks.  He has had parties galore.  Went to Blake's party and had a blast.
• Had a family party for Brandon who turned two on Monday.  My kids had so much fun playing with their cousins.
• Survived sacrament meeting in the chairs with a door close by that the little boys kept helping themselves out of.  A very vocal boy that expressed his displeasure with screams and back arches. Need I say more?  He can't ever wait for nursery though.....he LOVES it!

Today in my travels to get here and there, I thought how busy we are.  Life has gotten crazy the older my kids get.  I always feel like I am squeezing things in and forever in the car.  Such is this season of my life I suppose.

Today Kade had swim lessons at the LV Swim Academy.  He is doing awesome.  No tears this year and he is picking up right where he left off.  Hoping to get some photos next week.  It always proves difficult to juggle the camera and a strong willed two year old!  The two year old generally wins.

Finally, a guacamole recipe share from Sunday dinner

2 plum tomatoes, diced (I didn't have any on hand, so they weren't in there...it was still just as good)\

 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 T fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

2 large ripe avocados , pitted and peeled

Combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt and cumin in a medium bowl.  With a fork mash avocados in a large bowl.  Stir in tomato mixture.  Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.  Add pit to keep from browning.

When it Rains it Pours

My day last week has just continued on throughout the weekend.  I've been in a bit of a funk.  Not quite sure what to post.  I really HATE to be so pessimistic.  Feeling much better today now that everyone is back to a routine.  But that does not help the fact that:

• My washing machine will not spin.  The clothes that go through a cycle come out sopping wet.  We have know that we needed to do something about the washer because occasionally there is a small leak on the bottom.  We of course, ignore it until something must be done.  So now....the predicament.  Call a technician who will probably charge as much to fix it as it would to replace it, replace it with a regular old washing machine, or upgrade to a front loading washer.  I stress over big purchases and the practical side of me says just get something that works.  We'll see.
• My car is still leaking oil.  Not as much as it was before but still after a $500 repair the thing should NOT BE LEAKING anything.  Need to get to the bottom of that one.
• I was summoned to jury duty on Friday.  I have never gone before.  Since I am listed as one of the corporate officers in Steve's company, I have always used that as an excuse.  Apparently that doesn't cut it anymore.  No excuses.  Nursing mothers are not even excused.  My number was not called to report a few months ago.  They have reissued me a summons and I have this feeling that I will not be as lucky this time around.  So I'm planning on a long day Friday.

Going to get a sitter for this weekend.  Because that's what I really need.  To get out of this house kid free.

On a lighter note.....Kade has this fascination with learning to skate.  He is a determined little fella because he wears Kyle's rollerblades that are way too big for him.  It doesn't stop him up and he is so proud that he can balance.  Here's a few pictures and a reminder to me to get him some skates!

Finally a recipe share.  I had this over at Jodi's for a RS luncheon group.  It was her turn to host and she made these yummy P.F. Chang's style lettuce wraps. 

3 T oil

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 c water chestnuts, minced

2/3 c mushrooms, minced

3 T onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

leaves of iceberg  or butter lettuce

Special Sauce:

1/4 c. sugar

4 T water

2 T rice wine vinegar

2 T ketchup

1 T lemon juice

1/8 t sesame oil

To be added to special sauce to taste:

mix separately: 1 T hot mustard, 2 T hot water, 1-2 tsp garlic & red chili paste

Stir Fry Sauce:

2 T soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar and water in a small bowl.  Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.  Mix well and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Combine hot water with the hot mustard and chili & garlic paste.  Add your desired measurement of this to the special sauce.  (be careful it makes it spicy....I used just a tad to ours)  It will be used to pour over the wraps.

Bring oil to high heat in large frying pan.  Saute chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side or until done.  Remove chicken from pan and cool.  Keep oil in pan hot.  Mince the chicken.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the hot pan.  Add the chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushroom to the pan.  Add stir fry sauce and saute for  a couple of minutes.  Serve in lettuce cups and top with special sauce.