Rhubarb Jam

Everyone knows that certain foods can transport you right back to your childhood. For me, rhubarb jam is one of those foods. It was always an absolute favorite of mine. A special treat. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water.

I've always talked about rhubarb jam to my kids but they had never had a chance to try it. A couple of years ago I decided to remedy that and I planted rhubarb in my garden. You can't harvest the rhubarb for the first couple of seasons so this was the first year I could actually harvest and use the rhubarb.

I made the jam, and as predicted, it was a hit. A new favorite. Thank goodness I planted a lot of rhubarb. I will be making this all summer long.

The recipe is my grandmother's and it is ridiculously easy.

8 cups of rhubarb
4 cups of sugar (I try to cut the amount of sugar down if possible)
6 oz strawberry jell-o

Peel and destring the rhubarb and cut into small chunks.

Boil rhubarb and sugar on the stove (I add about a cup of water- just enough to coat bottom of kettle) for approximately 3-4 minutes until the rhubarb is tender.
Turn off heat and add jell-o.
Pour jam into jars and allow to cool.
Jelly can be refrigerated or frozen.

Superbowl Treats

Tomorrow is the Superbowl. Usually, I am fairly excited for the day even if my beloved Packers aren't playing. Football, family, halftime shows, funny/sweet commercials, and lots of tasty food. What's not to like? 

This year? I'm not excited. And that's putting it mildly. The halftime show is Katy Perry. Pass. The commercials have already been showing on the internet so that is a big bust. And I really don't like either team playing. Boo. I kind of feel like this:

I really don't think I'll even watch most of it. But, I will be making some treats. Because, why not, right?

Here are a few of my favorites:

Cheesey Chip Dip

1 pound ground beef

1 box of Velveeta Cheese

1 small jar of Salsa (mild, medium, or spicy to your liking)

While ground beef is being browned on the stove, cut the cheese into chunks and put in a crockpot. Add the salsa to the crockpot and cook both on High, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted. When the meat is done add it to the crockpot and turn the setting to Low or a Keep Warm setting if you have one.  

It is easy peasy and super yummy. Everyone loves this dip.

The next one is the ever popular Rolo pretzel. I'm sure most of you have seen this one already but for those of you that haven't it is a must try. 

Rolo Pretzels

1 bag of Rolos

1 bag of walnuts

1 bag of pretzels

(you will have leftover supplies of walnuts and pretzels so you can buy extra bags of Rolos to make even more if you want)

Preheat oven to 325. Place tinfoil (I actually used wax paper but you have to be really careful with that in the oven- but the treats to stick as much to the wax paper) on a cookie sheet. Line up as many pretzels as you can fit on the sheet. Next place one Rolo directly on top of each pretzel. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 2 minutes, just long enough to make the Rolo soft. Take the sheet out of the oven and immediately begin placing a walnut on top of each Rolo. Squish the walnut down into the Rolo so that the chocolate spreads and covers almost the whole pretzel. Set the tray aside (I usually set them outside in the cold for a little while to speed the process) to let them firm up. 

You don't have to worry about storing them because they won't last long enough to be stored. These are always gone the very day I make them. So simple and so delicious.

If you are looking to have something a little healthier you might want a fruit plate. If you don't want it  to be too healthy you can add this fruit dip.

Fruit Dip

1 8 ounce pkg of strawberry cream cheese

1 7 ounce jar of marshmallow cream

1 cup of whipped cream

Mix all three ingredients until blended and chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. You may want to add a little more whipped cream to get the dip to the consistency you like. 

I think the fruit dip might be my personal favorite. I feel good about myself eating so much fruit and it cuts the grease of all the other garbage I'm stuffing myself with. Stuff like my bacon wrapped water chestnuts, or bacon wrapped mini weenies, or little meatballs. I didn't include those recipes because most people have so many of those recipes already but obviously those are staples.

The last recipe is a little creation of my own. I don't even really have a name for it but it is another of my favs.

1 pkg of mozzarella pearls
1 small pkg of fresh basil leaves
1 small pkg of grape tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
toothpicks
(optional- prosciutto)

Start by cutting the grape tomatoes in half. Slice the basil leaves into small sections about an inch each. On each toothpick place on mozzarella pearl, a basil leave (I usually fold them in half) and then a tomato. If you are using crumbled prosciutto I place it at the end. I prefer sliced prosciutto but then you have to slice it approximately the same size as the basil leaf, fold it over and place it in between the basil and tomato. Sometimes I make a plate with half with prosciutto and half without.

Once you have all you toothpicks organized on a plate and everyone is ready to eat sprinkle a bit of Balsamic vinegar over the whole plate. Do not to this too early because if it sits around too long it will start to make the basil soggy. Also, you don't want to add too much and overwhelm the plate.

This has become a family favorite. Every time I make this for an event someone asks me for the "recipe" or where I get the mozzarella pearls (most grocery stores have them in the "fancy cheese" section of the deli or produce areas).

There you have it people. Some super duper easy recipes for your Superbowl party.

Whatever you are doing tomorrow I hope it is delicious!

Just The Ladies

The ladies had the run of the house this past weekend. The gents packed it up and went up north while Grace, Molly, and I stayed back at the house since Grace had a birthday party to attend on Saturday. It turned out to be a wonderful ladies' weekend.  

We started out the weekend in the backyard playing, reading, and hanging out in the sunshine. A good, relaxing time was had by all.

Next we made some cookies.  PINK cookies, thank you very much. I found a recipe for strawberry chocolate chip cookies and Grace and I thought we'd try them out. Let's just say they were a hit. The boys are lucky we were able to restrain ourselves enough and not eat the whole batch before they got back home. 

Grace was thrilled with the results. They were pink AND tasty. She had a difficult time waiting for the cookies to cool. She tried to be patient but eventually she started to get a little anxious. Give me a cookie, woman!

The rest of the weekend flew by. Grace went to the birthday party and had a blast and I was able to go for a run while she was there. Then we went to the farmer's market for some flowers and afterwards stopped over at my mom's house. My poor mother had yet another frightening health scare. She suffered a seizure in the middle of the night and ended up in the ER (thank goodness for her precious little dog who alerted my brother that something was wrong with mom). By Saturday morning mom was back home. Grace and I brought her flowers, cookies, and a few dog treats for her hero doggy.  

My mom has really been through it. One thing after the next. Multiple Myeloma, pericarditis, open heart surgery and valve replacement, a broken vertebrae (from her cancer meds) and cement injection to build the bone back up, and now seizures. If you could please keep her in your prayers I would very much appreciate it.  

Thankfully, my mother was feeling well after the ordeal. She is a tough cookie and has the best attitude. I just want her to catch a break here and be able to just be for a while without having to worry about any more medical emergencies and all the bills that come with it. 

Anyway, Grace and I visited with my mom for quite a while until my mom started to get tired. We left so she could catch a nap. By that time it was close to dinner so Grace and I went out to eat. We had such a nice time just the two of us. It felt really special. 

After that we went back home, snuggled up, and watch Frozen together.  Good times. 

The next morning Grace and I picked up my mom and took her to church. Afterwards we treated her to lunch. We were so glad she was feeling well enough to be out and about and joining us for part of our ladies' weekend. 

Medical emergency aside, it was a very good ladies' weekend.

All the menfolk are back home now and we are happy to have our family together under one roof again. A ladies' weekend is fun but we missed our stinky boys.

Reviews, Randomness, And A Recipe

It's cold. I'm cold. I hate being cold. I'm always cold. This cold is never ending. I'm done.

I realize I live in Wisconsin and I should be used to the cold winters. But here's the thing; this is REALLY cold. I'm talking COLD. Colder than Alaska, cold. Yes, Wisconsin has been colder than Alaska this year.

Normally in Wisconsin we have cold weather anywhere from October through March. The normal temperatures in December average around 34 degrees and in January the average temperature is 30. I can handle that. Honestly, I can.

But this winter? Yeah. This winter the average temperature was 8. And I think that is a lie. I can't remember the temperature being that high. February really wasn't any better.  I think our average for February was 12. The normal for February is 36.

Basically what I'm telling you is that for the past two months it has been AT LEAST 20 degrees colder than it should be on average. Most of the time it was about 40 degrees colder than it should be. And, well, I'm cold. It's too much. Even for Wisconsin.

*sigh*

I've been trying to stay warm by drinking steaming hot tea, wrapping myself in blankets, and reading.

I just finished the book What Alice Forgot.

"Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, , she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…" (courtesy of Kirkus Reviews on Amazon)

It is a touching story about life's twists and turns and what changes us. It is also made me very thankful for my life as it is right now and reminded me just how much I should cherish it. It was a very easy read and one of those books that you don't want to finish and you continue to think about it long after you do.

I ordered another new book too. Kicks Like A Girl written by my very own WI blogger friend, Green Girl!

"Gretchen Benton is the maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding when she gets drunk, says exactly the wrong thing and feels alone in the midst of all the couples. She can’t avoid weddings—she’s a florist. She also can't avoid the thugs who break into her shop and assault her the following night. To combat her fear after her attack, Gretchen enrolls in karate classes at a local dojo. Soon she's caught between her handsome martial arts instructor and the cute cop assigned to her case. As she begins mastering the basics of karate (while sweating enough to make her mascara run), Gretchen learns that kicking like a girl doesn’t imply weakness, it means striking hard and striking with style." (courtesy of Amazon)

I am so excited to start reading it. I have to finish two other books I'm currently reading before I dive in, but I couldn't help but sneak a peek and read the first few pages. Before I knew it I was two chapters into the book. It is such a fun book with well written characters. It really sucks you in.  Go ahead and run on over to Amazon and order a copy for yourself! And congratulations, Melissa! I'm so happy for you! I know I'll enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed your last one.

One more review, people. This one is a movie review.

If you see ONE movie this year it has to be About Time. 

Yes, it is a time traveling movie starring Rachel McAdams but it is nothing like The Time Traveler's Wife (which I wasn't a fan of). This movie is much deeper, much funnier, and more profound. The acting and directing and music (oh gawd, the music)are all superb. I pretty much love everything about this movie.

The basic premise is about a young man of who finds out from his father that the men in their family have always been able to time travel. Not to any point in time. Just back in time and only to places and events that they have already been to and experienced. Each man in the family used the time travel for what was important to them. Some were ruined by their desires (money) and others benefited. The young man now needs to figure out what he will use this newfound ability for.

The movie comes to us from the creator of Love Actually. Another favorite movie of mine. About Time has the same feel, the same sense of British humor, the same type of fabulous British actors, the same wonderful British scenery. The first half of the movie is a romantic comedy, but by the end of the movie the plot becomes so profound and meaningful that I can barely think of it without a tear coming to my eye.

I remember seeing the coming attractions for the movie and not being impressed. I finally watched it after a friend of mine INSISTED that I watch it. And now I insist you watch it. I watched it while Todd was gone this past weekend (thinking it was more of a chic flick) and by the time I was done watching I knew Todd needed to see it as well. I rented the movie again the day Todd came home and we watched it that afternoon. To say Todd was affected by the movie would be an understatement. Now he is recommending the movie to everyone too.  It is GOOD people. Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Now I feel like watching it again. I guess I'm gonna have to buy this one.

Okay. Onto the recipe.

I know everyone is always looking for yummy, sweet, healthy recipes and I have a great one for you. A very healthy banana bread. I found it online (I think Facebook) and adjusted it slightly.  It is super easy and SUPER yummy. Every other day the kids are begging me to make this banana bread so I usually double the recipe and make two loaves right away

.
Healthy Banana Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
3 mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and stir. Mix in the applesauce, honey, and eggs and stir until batter is properly mixed. Add the mashed bananas and stir well. Batter may be lumpy.  Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan (9x5) and bake in the oven for approximately an hour (I leave it in just a little over an hour). Do the toothpick test to make sure bread is thoroughly cooked before removing from oven.

I change and add things to my recipe all the time. I usually add raisins, sometimes walnuts, and even diced apples. And before I put the bread mixture into the oven I always sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the top. Also, Todd's uncle makes his own maple syrup and always gives us big jars every fall and I use that instead of honey when I have it. So yummy. Hope you enjoy it!

Christmas Cut

Each and every time I plan to write a blog post I have the best of intentions.  In my head my post is filled with Christmas warmth and loving stories.  

However, by the time I actually sit down to write the post all I can think about is how frazzled I am and how I just got done yelling at the kids again.  Merry Christmas, everybody! Ho, ho, ho! And all that crap.  Whatever.

*sigh*

So...

I will attempt to make this post about Christmas goodies, mmm-kay?

I won't even tell you what a completely crazy mess yesterday was, and how I honestly did not sit down all day (or eat) until 9 o'clock last night when we got home from Joey's very late basketball game.  I won't even mention the massive migraine I got last night after all the craziness.  And I won't tell you how today was the last day of school (complete with class parties and a talent show), I bought and wrapped 40 small gifts for our family Christmas/Eve dice game, and I went grocery shopping and packed everyone's stuff for a trip up north this weekend.  All before noon when I had to pick up the boys from school.  And I still have a migraine hangover.  

But, alas, I will not talk about that! Nope.  It will not make the Christmas cut. This is my Christmas fun post! Or something.

I will instead tell you about Grace's lovely haircut.  Grace has been begging to cut her hair for a while now (probably since I cut mine- even though it made her bawl).  She was just so tired of all the snarls and she wanted a change.  I finally gave in.  And I cut it myself.  

I was extremely nervous about cutting her hair.  Sure, I cut the boys' hair all the time, but that is different.  This is a real cut.  And straight hair is difficult to cut too.  

This is Grace the morning before her haircut at her Christmas party.

This is Grace shortly (puns!) after her haircut.  Super cute!

When she got up from her nap she was SO EXCITED at how easy it was to brush her hair.  I even curled the ends for her and she loved it.  I may have started something I shouldn't have.

Either way, the darling girl looked adorable.  She loves her hair and so do I. So sweet.

Also sweet?  This recipe I found for Cinnamon Pecans.  My favorites!  We always get them when we go to Cabelas and now I can make them myself.  They are even better homemade.  I am in trouble!

And I'm sharing the trouble with you!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Pecans (you could also use almonds or cashews)

Great holiday gift idea! (if you don't eat them all yourself)

Ingredients:

1 C. Sugar
2 C. Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
2 Egg White
3 tsp. vanilla
6 Cups Pecans
1/4 C. Water

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. Add pecans. Make sure the pecans are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture. Add cinnamon mixture to the pecans and toss until coated.

Thoroughly spray the stoneware of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray and add the mixture of pecans and sugars.

Cook on low ( with the lid on) 3-4 hours stirring every 20 minutes. In the last hour, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. This ensures a crunchy yummy coating. (*make sure after you’ve added the water that you continue to cook the nuts for another 45 minutes to an hour.)

You have to stir really well, especially as it gets later in the cooking process.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the pecans flat to cool. The pecans will be sticky at this point, so make sure you separate them a little and have no large mounds.

There you have it!  A fabulous holiday treat!  

I hope you find some time to relax this weekend and try to enjoy the holiday madness.  I haven't perfected it yet, but I am still trying.  In the meantime I plan on sitting in front of the fire all weekend up north with a good book. Let's see how that pans out.  

Best Summer Salad

I am a huge fan of salads and this one may be the best salad ever.  And I invented it! HA!  I'm a genius!

I could eat this salad every single day of my life and never get tired of it.  Seriously.  Best. Ever.  And I'm gonna share it with you.  'Cause I love you.

I'll tell you the ingredients but I won't tell you how much of anything because it is entirely up to you.

Bag of baby spinach or 50/50 baby spinach/spring mix
Purple onion
5oz tub of crumbled Gorganzola cheese (I never use the whole container)
Green beans
Bacon
Slivered almonds
Cranberries
Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette

I always blanch my green beans before adding them to the salad but the rest of the ingredients you really don't have to do any prep work (besides making sure the bacon is cooked and chopped into bits). Just toss them all in a bowl and mix gently with a very light coating of the vinaigrette.

If you want to make the salad a meal then you could add some strips of steak or grilled chicken.  Even some hard boiled egg slices or little wedges of cooked red potatoes would be a great addition.  Mmm. My mouth is watering!

Enjoy!

Too Good Not To Share

I'm not one for posting recipes very often but I just couldn't pass on this one. It was way too good not to share.

My sister had dropped off a bunch of broasted chicken that she had leftover and I didn't want (well I DID want to but I wouldn't let myself) to eat the unhealthy skin so I went online to find a good chicken soup recipe. I am so sick of making the same thing all the time and wanted to try something new.

After a short search I found a Tuscan Chicken inspired soup that I altered with some of my favorite flavors. This is what I ended up with:
It was SO good. My hubby is a big soup fan and he LOVED it. He said it was one of his all-time favorites so that is saying something. I even gave my mom (another big soup fan) a take home cup (the hubby didn't even want to share!) and she loved it too. It has light and zesty flavors and yet is very satisfying.

I tend to shy away from making soups because usually it is an all day affair. Soups take me forever to make. It is the all day simmering and chopping and blending. Ugh! But this soup was so quick and easy I know I'll be making this one often.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 8


2 (10.75 oz) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Celery Soup (I used the 98% Fat Free)
4 Cups of Water
1 (15 oz) Can of Great Northern Beans or White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) Can of Chick Peas
2 (14.5 oz) Cans of Diced Tomato, undrained (I used the low sodium)
4 Cups of shredded or cubed cooked chicken
1/4 Cup bacon bits
6 Ounces of Baby Spinach
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Cilantro

1- Heat tablespoon of minced garlic in some olive oil in a kettle on low heat until garlic is a light golden. Do not burn.
2- Add soup, water, beans, chick peas, tomato, chicken, and bacon into the kettle over medium-high heat to a boil for 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste (I used about a teaspoon).
3- Stir in the spinach. Cook for 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. Serve the soup with the grated cheese and chopped Cilantro (hubby liked a ton of cilantro, but I had just a tad) sprinkled over the top.

See? How easy is that??? EASY! And it goes great with garlic roasted bread. Yum!

I Feel Like I Deserve An Award

Today has been my most nauseous day so far. And unfortunately I had to go grocery shopping, to the bank, and then to pick up Joey from school.

Most of the morning I let Tommy and Ben run wild while I lie on the couch on the verge of vomit, and finally I mustered up the strength to get the boys hats, mittens, and jackets on and head out into the cold to run our errands.

Grocery shopping was not fun. All the smells and the bright lights were super painful. I hid under my hat and hoped the produce man would not be too chatty today. Surprisingly, we finished our shopping in just a half an hour, regardless of my very slow stride. I realize now that I forgot a few things, but we survived and that was all that mattered.

After picking up Joe I quickly fed the boys lunch, let them play for a little while, and then shipped them off to bed. The rest of my afternoon was spent back on the couch.

But after my guilty feelings over not making enough home cooked meals over the last couple of weeks (due to my super nausea) got the better of me I pealed myself off the couch and began preparing dinner.

And you know what I did? I smushed together raw ground beef, onions, ketsup, and rice WITH MY BARE HANDS. Something I never enjoyed doing even when I wasn't plagued with nausea. Every few seconds I would turn my head to the side, bury my nose in my shoulder, and breath deeply. I rolled the concoction together into balls and threw them in a roasting pan with a can of diced tomatoes on top. And I made it! I made it through! Whew! I am awesome! I am amazing!

And that is why I deserve an award.

Or maybe not. Because after thinking about it for a minute now I'm sure that is something every mommy in the world has done before. This job is not for the faint of heart. And the kids are hungry regardless of how mommy feels. The show must go on, right? Fine. I'm not that amazing.
Plus, I really am getting an award when this new little munchkin joins our crazy tribe. And truth be told, no matter how sick I get I would do it again in a heartbeat.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

So what was I making? A recipe of my mom's that I actually would eat as a picky kid. And my boys love it simply because of the name. So here is my recipe for my mother's porcupine (named because of the way the rice sticks out after cooking) balls:


PORCUPINE BALLS

1lb ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsps chili sauce or ketsup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsps garlic salt
1 cup canned diced tomatoes

Mix uncooked rice, meat, onion, ketsup (or chili sauce), salt, and garlic salt. Shape into 12 balls. Place in casserole dish and cover with tomatoes. Back 60-80 minutes at 350 degrees. For the last 10 minutes uncover and let balls get crispy on the outside.



I usually serve with roasted potatoes or even french fries.

Enjoy!

WW- Mums The Word & A Recipe

There is nothing better than the fall color palette.

**********************************************

So, you all want my yummy beef stew recipe, huh?

Well, I was going to add the recipe to yesterday's post and then decided against it when my instructions sounded like this:

-Brown the beef cubes until the sizzling turns to popping sounds.

-Add water. I don't really know how much.

-Add Oregano, Parsley, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, a Bay Leaf, Celery Salt, and Onion Powder until you think it tastes right. Cover and simmer for an hour.

-Add as many potatoes, carrots, celery and onions as you want. Cook for another 30-45 minutes or until you think it is done.

Know what I mean? It would have been so annoying. You would have been like, what the frig kind of a recipe is that?? It is just one of those that I had to watch my mom do, taste what her stew tasted like, and then try to copy. Ya just gotta see it to do it.

MMMmmm, Cookies

To cure our rainy day boredom the boys and I made cookies. It worked. These are my White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut cookies. Soooo good. I usually don't share recipes (cuz I'm a greedy hoarder who wants to be the only genius baker) so you should take advantage while you can.

WCCMN

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix together

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup soft butter flavored shortening

2 tsp vanilla

Stir in

2 rounded cups of flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Lastly add

1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts

3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips

Scoop out small rounded balls of dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Place in oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 2-3 dozen cookies depending on size of rounded balls (i hope i don't get any creepy Googlers cuz i keep saying "rounded balls").

Enjoy!