Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is the easiest and yummiest way to get Cassady to eat broccoli. Seriously. Last week when we were knee deep in the muck of her bedroom, she was demanding pizza rolls for lunch so that it would be quick. Well. Mama had this recipe in her arsenal. It was just as quick as those pizza rolls, but so much better! Even Cassady agreed after her first bite - and that is how you know this is a good soup. But you don't have to take my word for it!*

Broccoli Cheese Soup

14 oz chicken broth

3 c chopped broccoli (frozen works just fine)

1 carrot, shredded or finely chopped

1 can Cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free)

1/4 - 1/2 c cheese, shredded or finely chopped

Bring chicken broth to a boil, then simmer. Add broccoli, carrot & can of soup. Bring back to a simmer. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serves 4. Told you it was easy!!

I had some chopped chicken breast in the fridge last time I made this & threw a half cup in the soup. It was delicious. As was the time I added some boiled potatoes. You can not go wrong with a cheesy soup. It just isn't possible!

*Channeling my inner "Reading Rainbow". I have the theme somg in my head now. Great.

I shared this recpe at The Grocery Cart Challenge

The Happiness Project: RAK*

Why is this happiness, you ask? Well, I was having one of those days. Nothing was working right, babies were crying, tween was sassing...you get the picture. My husband was heading off to work and the last thing I wanted was to see him leave. I needed a pick me up in a major way. He left for work & my doorbell rang. (Great. Another thing to handle) I opened the door and found these red and white beacons of hope. Seeing this picture reminds me of how sweet and thoughtful my husband is. And that is why this picture, to me, is happiness.

Want to see more happy? Check this out!

*RAK: Random Acts of Kindness

My Apologies to Delaware...

It's time for another essay by Cassady. This time, she has prepared a scintillating report on the great state of Delaware. I have copied her work exactly as written. I even found the same pictures she used. Enjoy.

Delaware

Delaware was the first state in the U.S.. Isn't it gorgeous?!?! I love the peach flowers. Can you believe that the tiny state is the home to the Perkins Observatory, Columbus Zoo, the Little Brown Jug, and the Delaware County Fair?? I can't. But, believe it or not, it is. It has multiple antique shops. People there must have nice stuff! Delaware is a nice state. I would like to live there. There or Tokyo, Japan. The End.

This second picture that she used may have been what earned her the B-. This is actually Pennsylvania. Or maybe it was the lack of actual information in her report. Or the fact that she totally dissed Delaware at the end of her "report". It's hard to say...

Menu Plan Monday

We had a pretty low key week, which was very nice. I managed to stick to our menu plan for the most part. The weekends always seem to throw me off. I think it's because during the week, Cassady eats breakfast & lunch at school. I am only responsible for cooking for her once a day. Then weekends or days off hit us...and suddenly I am in the kitchen all day! I decided to stick with fairly easy weekend meals this week to see if that helps me stay on track. I am also trying to focus on healthier meals. Here's what we will be eating...

Monday - No School:
Breakfast: Eggs & bacon pita
Lunch: Leftover Soup (chicken noodle or broccoli cheese)
Dinner: Hamburgers on whole wheat bun, potato wedges & fruit

Tuesday: Spaghetti & meatballs, green beans, fruit

Wednesday: English Muffin mini pizzas, peas, fruit

Thursday: steak, baked potatoes, creamed spinach, fruit*

Friday: Chicken & stuffing bake, fruit

Saturday:
Breakfast: egg & turkey bacon breakfast burrito
Lunch: leftover Buffet
Dinner: oven baked Fish Sticks (tilapia), broccoli & cheese, fruit

Sunday:
Breakfast: french toast
Lunch: Potato Soup (recipe to be posted), green salad, fruit
Dinner: Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice with Green Beans, fruit

For More Delicious Menu Ideas, Go Here!

*Thursdays are the only day that Bill is home to eat dinner with us, so I let him pick what he wants (within reason). He will be having creamed spinach with coconut milk and Indian spices. Cassady & I will be having a more traditional recipe, which I will post later this week.

Weekend Project: Cassady's Room

Today we began to tackle the disaster that is Cassady's room. She is a typical tween with way too much stuff. We have gotten rid of most of her toys from her younger days, but her room is still very crowded. She's got lots of craft supplies, a huge chair, a TV, a bookshelf and a queen size bed. All that has to be squeezed into a pretty small space. Here's what we were looking at before we started working this morning. Warning: it is very scary!!

This is the (dismal) view from the door. Her bookshelf is empy because I will be moving it to a new location.

The bed. We'll be ditching the headboard as it seems to be a gathering place for too much junk.

Her craft closet. She never uses any of this stuff because she can't even get to it!

Her clothes closet. And a lot of dirty laundry, much to my chagrin.

After spending most of the day rearranging and decluttering, we have it looking a lot better. I think I threw away about 5 (grocery) bags full of trash, and we have some items ready to donate to the Goodwill as well. I need to find some containers for her Build-A-Bear and American Girl clothes. We also need to go through her clothes - she has too many to fit into her closet right now. She doesn't have school tomorrow, so we will have a "fashion show" session to try on all the clothes to ensure that everything still fits appropriately. We will also be vacuuming and doing a few other small organization projects.

I will have the finished room pictures up soon. Then it will be time to move on to the next project: the bathroom. (Cue scary music)

Flashback Friday

Cassady - Age 1 (February 2001)

I took Cassady to get her picture taken for her 1st birthday. She was in a great mood, wearing a spiffy outfit and all was well. Until we got the the studio. She was not having ANY of that photography stuff. We tried everything - toys, bribery, high pitched voices, more bribery...no dice. Finally the photographer took the marshmallows I'd brought for Cassady to snack on and sprinkled them around her. Cassady was momentarily intrigued, but still very angry. She began stuffing the marshmallows in her mouth, still screaming. And this photo op was born.

I had to buy the picture. It was too good to leave behind!

Runza Skillet

This is a recipe I made up out of necessity. There is a fast food chain called Runza here in the midwest. They have these delicious sandwiches that are packed with goodness. My husband is unable to eat wheat, and I am unwilling to pay the price (both physically & financially!) to eat fast food all the time. So I came up with this one dish skillet dinner to mimic the amazing flavors of my favorite Runza - the Swiss Mushroom & Cheese. My husband & I love this, however, Cassady is not the biggest fan. I think it's the sauerkraut. At any rate, I usually fix this when I know she will be spending the night at a friend's house. That way, we can enjoy this yummy meal without any complaints!

Runza Skillet

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb gound beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 c brown rice, cooked

3 c sauerkraut

salt/pepper (to taste)

1 c mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sautee chopped onion, minced garlic and mushrooms. Set aside. Using same skillet, brown the ground beef, adding the onion/mushroom mix about halfway through. Mix in sauerkraut and brown rice. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring infrequently. Sprinkle cheese on the top. Cover skillet and let sit 5 minutes (or until cheese is melted) on low heat. Serves 6

Take That, Fisher Price!

After bringing home gently used toys for Jack on Craigslist, I discovered that the plastic balls for some of the toys were missing. I searched online for replacements - I looked on Fisher Price's site, as well Playskool. Both sites basically required the purchase of a new toy including the plastic balls. No replacement sets - why? I then scoured amazon.com. They did have a set of 4, but for $19.00?!? I didn't even pay that much for the toy...

Why are you eluding me, cheap plastic balls?

Next, I tried bidding on a set on eBay. Had I won (and of course, I lost by 5o cents. That is how it always happens!!), I would have been the proud owner of 5 plastic balls...for the (still ridiculously high) price of $12.00. The shipping would have been free. Woo. Still too expensive for this bargain shopper!

My favorite thing to do!

Since I didn't win, I got creative. I ended up at Kmart today while waiting for a car repair (hey, touring Kmart is better than sitting at the car place!) and found exactly what I need. I spent $2.19 and now have 12 little balls for Jack to use in any of the new toys we bought. Practice balls - originally for golf - ended up fitting the bill. And for so much less!! Hooray for saving money in creative ways!!

Besides the fabulous price, the best part is that Jack loves his new toys. They're big enough that he can't put them in his mouth, yet small enough to fit into the playsets. Perfect!

That's Nacho Pie!

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that a simple link to this recipe is not enough. The amazingness that is Nacho Pie deserves its own post. Seriously, it was that good. Cassady ate it without a fuss. In fact, she nearly passed out from happiness when taking her first bite. As a matter of fact, it was all I could do to refrain from swooning. (I have to set a good example, though!) The recipe in its original form is here. As usual, I have made minimal changes to it to suit our family's tastes. Try this delicious meal today - it will knock your socks off.

Nacho Pie

1/2 lb Ground Beef, browned
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 - 8oz Can Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Water
1 - Packet Taco Seasoning Mix
1 - Tube refridgerated Crescent Roll Dough (we used reduced fat)
24 Tortilla Chips, crushed
3 Tbsp Sour Cream
3/4 Cup cheese (shredded or thinly sliced)
additional sour cream for garnish, diced tomatoes and sliced black olives.

Preheat oven to 350. In large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat. Add black beans, tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Spray pie pan with PAM and separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Place dough in pan- face points of dough towards the middle. Press onto bottom and up sides of plate to form crust. Seal perforations - pan needs to be completely covered with the dough. Sprinkle 12 of the crushed tortilla chips over crust. Top with meat/bean mixture. Dab sour cream over meat. Sprinkle on(or lay, if using slices) the cheese, then crumble remaining 12 tortilla chips over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes (until cheese melts & the crust is golden brown). Cool 10 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6.

I served this over lettuce and a few more tortilla chips. Additional sour cream & salsa would also be great as a garnish.

Progress Report - Living Room

A few weeks back, we had a nasty flood in our apartment. (For exciting* details, go here!) Upon returning home from our stint in the corporate apartment, our living room looked like this:

The Horror! The Horror!

Ten days, two sick kids, one asthma attack, and a whole lot of decluttering later, I present you with this. My new & improved living room.

Ahhh. Much better!

I still have a few projects to tackle in here, such as cleaning the carpet and going through the drawers in the white hutch (aka: the white thing, in our house, which is currently scarily full of too much stuff). I am happy with my progress, though, and now am slightly obsessive about making sure things get put away. I don't want to go back to the before picture ever again!

*"Exciting" is most likely a strong exaggeration. I apologize for attempting to mislead you.

Menu Plan Monday

Another week has passed..wow! It went by super speedy quick. Maybe because I didn't have a flood/crisis to deal with? Hmmm... Anyway, I am pleased to announce that we stayed mostly on our menu plan this week. We ended up getting donuts for Cassady & her friend on Saturday morning, and I made a frozen pizza for dinner for them that night. Other than that, we did it! I have been trying to make plans that I can actually stick to, so this was an accomplishment. Let's see if we can do it again this week...with this menu!

Monday: Shredded Chicken Tacos, Spanish Rice, fruit

Tuesday: Nacho Pie, corn, fruit

Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, toast, green salad

Thursday: Runza Skillet, broccoli & cheese, fruit

Friday (No School)
Breakfast: eggs/bacon with toast
Lunch: tuna pitas, oven potato wedges, fruit
Dinner: Oven "fried" Chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, fruit

Saturday:
Breakfast: french toast, berries & Redi-Whip
Lunch: english muffin mini pizzas, green beans
Dinner: DIY Quesadillas

Sunday:
Breakfast: Super Fluffy Pancakes
Lunch: Broccoli Cheese Soup (recipe to be posted), crescent rolls, green salad
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie, fruit

For More Great Menu Ideas, Click Here!

Cassady's Essay

The Time I Overcame A Challenge

Hiya!!! When I was like four or sommething I went over to play with some girls (I might call them brats so...yeah) and I was all "Hi!!!Can I play with you??" and they were all "Sure". NO EXCITEMENT!! And then...THEN...the brats said "We are going to get a drink. We'll be right back." LIARS!!! THOSE FREAKING MEANIES LEFT ME!!! I was all sad and alone. I had ONE friend. His name was Marcus and he had an eyepatch (Then there was the day he betrayed me. I was in kindergarden and so was he, but I had Wednesday off and apparently so did he. There was this older kid and he convinced him that girls are stupid. And Marcus betrayed me for that LOSER!!! Then I went and cried on a Spiderman chair. Then I got in trouble for eating some crackers. CRACKERS!!! And they were good, too.) So I was all "Why'd you guys leave me?" and they were like "Uh...We had to go to the bathroom." LIARS!!! I watched them while they got a drink and then they went to the SWINGS!!! SWINGS!!! NOT THE BATHROOM!!! WASN'T EVEN CLOSE TO THE BATHROOM!!!! Ugh I was MAD!! So instead I went in and punched pillow. Then I went back outside, fists clenched and I got ready to punch them in the nose. But then it was meatball time and those were my FAVORITE. So after lunch it was. THEN it was naptime. So after naptime it was to be a mortal combat. Then naptime was over. It was time. I walked over. Fists clenched. The fire burned inside me. Then it died. I swerved and instead I just sat there and screamed into a pillow. I promised myself that someday, SOMEDAY, (SOMEDAY) I would kick their butts at Super Smash Brothers Brawl. YEAH. BEAT THAT YOU BRATS!!! The end.

(This essay was written by Cassady 9/10 in 5th grade. I have typed it here just as it was on her paper.)

The Tale of the Bake Sale

Cassady's school is having a bake sale tonight at open house. I love making yummy treats for these types of events, so of course I had to scour my favorite sites for a few new ideas. I decided on two treats: brownie pops and s'mores cookie bars.


The brownie pops were very easy to make, up until the step where I had to coat them in melted chocolate. I prefer using candy melts - especially since I do not have a microwave. The coating ended up being a little lumpier than I was hoping, but nothing a ton of red & white (the school colors) sprinkles couldn't hide! Here's how they turned out:

Now onto the s'mores cookie bars. They were really fun to make - Cassady helped with crushing the graham crackers. They smelled absolutely amazing while baking, too. I allowed them to cool for over three hours, and then tried to cut them. Unfortunately, they cracked and fell apart. Sadness! They are no longer presentable enough to take to the bake sale - but now we get to eat them! These bars are delicious and you really need to make them ASAP. I have no picture, as mine are not quite as cute as the ones you can see here.

Since the cookie bars were a no go, I decided to use my favorite cookie recipe instead. I love these cookies! Since coming across Jamie's amazing recipe a few months ago, I have made these three times. I usually add coconut and use butterscotch chips, rather than the chocolate. Since these are for school, I went the traditional route and used chocolate chips. They turn out beautifully...see?

Now go make some yummy treats :)

White Chicken Chili

We love soups and chili at our house, year round. I am always searching for new recipes, but am limited since my husband can not have tomatoes or wheat. This is a chili we can all enjoy - and it's super easy since it can be made in the crockpot. I found the recipe on the back of a can of Bush's Great Northern Beans, and have adapted it a little for our family. Here's the original recipe, and here's how I make it :)

White Chicken Chili

2 cans white beans (Great Northern or navy)*

1 can chicken broth

1 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken breast

1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies*

2 tsp cumin

Shredded Cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Farmer, or Mozzarella (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Put beans, broth, chicken, chilies, and cumin in crockpot. Stir together. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 1-2 hours. Serve warm, topped with cheese, sour cream & salsa (if desired). Serves 6.

*I usually do not drain the beans or chilies, as a matter of personal preference.

I Love Craigslist!

Jack has been growing increasingly more mobile, and was in need of some new toys. I decided he needed some standing toys, like an activity table. He also really needs problem solving toys, like shape sorters. Well. I hit up my local Craigslist and spent a few nights emailing and calling, and for only $35, our living room is full of "new" things to play with!

He loves his new table :)

Menu Plan Monday

This past week threw me off my plan in a major way. We ended up not eating anything I had planned, mostly because the majority of the week was spent at the corporate apartment. We had easy, minimal cooking meals there - I am so tired of sandwiches!! This week, Jack has his 9 month check up, Cassady has open house at school, I am babysitting every day and making treats for the bake sale at school & Bill is working. Oh, and Cassady will be having a friend over Friday night (and more than likely friend will stay all weekend). So there's our week and here's what we will be enjoying!

Monday: beef/bean tacos and spanish rice. Fruit salad made from blueberries, raspberries & strawberries with cool whip.

Tuesday: White Chicken Chili, toast & fresh pineapple

Wednesday: crockpot shredded BBQ chicken on a bun, fresh corn on the cob, fresh pineapple

Thursday: Split Pea Soup, biscuits and fruit salad (carried over from last week)

Friday:
Kids: Pizza or Bagel Bites, doritos, juice
Adults: leftover buffet

Saturday:
Breakfast: Super Fluffy Pancakes
Lunch: macaroni & cheese with peas, fruit
Dinner: Spaghetti & Meatballs, garlic toast & green beans

Sunday:
Breakfast: eggs & turkey bacon, hashbrowns
Lunch: english muffin mini pizzas, corn, fruit
Dinner; tuna pitas, carrots & ranch dressing, fruit

For more delicious menu plans, go here!

Flood Update

We returned home this morning. As expected, although the carpet was dry, the mess was unbelievable. In their haste to clean up all the water, the carpet cleaners basically threw everything from our bedroom all over the rest of the apartment. They also decided that leaving wet clothes all over the house was a good plan. After two days, laundry left sitting in toilet water does not exactly make a welcoming smell.

Scary living room picture. I won't frighten you with pictures of the rest of the house, because it just got worse.

I had the pleasure of spending the day washing clothes and digging my house out. I decided to look on the bright side: we finally got around to rearranging our bedroom & living room. Also, I am now nearly caught up on the laundry. Hooray for silver linings!

Flood!

Well. Our week has certainly turned out much differently than I planned. After using the bathroom earlier today, our toilet decided to become a geyser. It was unreal. For 20 minutes, water was spraying everywhere. Naturally, I was the only one at home (with the baby), and I am not only completely unskilled in plumbing matters, but also I am not the biggest fan of wading through toilet water. Our apartment complex did send the maintenance man to stop the flooding (after two frantic phone calls), and he proceeded to tell me that this could have been prevented had I let them know that the toilet handle was too short. Remember when I mentioned I am not a plumber? Yeah.

This was only the beginning of the flood.

After another 3 hours of sitting in the flooded apartment (luckily the mess was confined to the back half), the carpet cleaning crew showed up to work their magic. They were very amazed/impressed with our new lagoon. It was decided that the cleanup process would take two days, and after some intense conversation with our apartment manager, they agreed to let us use their "corporate apartment".

We moved the bare essentials over to our temporary digs. It is very spacious - Jack has had a great time crawling around to explore his new surroundings. Hopefully we will be able to go back to our apartment soon. I have a feeling that there will be quite a mess to clean up there, even after the carpet is dry.

Under The Sea Ramen Lunch

This is probably one of my daughter's favorite meals. I saw the idea in a magazine years ago, and she asks to have it all the time. It's super easy and super quick, but not super healthy, so we have it as a rare treat. A day without school seemed like a great time to make it for her!

Under The Sea Ramen

1 packet any flavor ramen noodles
2 drops green or blue food coloring
1 can corn
2 hot dogs



Make ramen according to package directions, adding 2 drops of food coloring. (I usually add one green and 1 blue drop). Heat corn and hot dog as desired. To serve, put ramen on the plate and surround with corn in festively attractive manner (see poorly taken photo). Top with the hot dog, which has been cut to resemble an octopus. (Split 3/4 of hot dog into eighths. Or into fourths. That works too!) If you are feeling extra creative, use a toothpick to dab ketchup eyes onto the hot dog octopus. Serves 2.

Now you can see why I rarely include food pictures :)

Super Fluffy Pancakes

These are everything the name implies. Super, fluffy, and most definitely pancakes. Cassady had a friend spend the night a week or so ago & I made these for breakfast. Her friend told me they were way better than anything from the box. High praise, indeed! I generally cut this recipe in half, and it serves 2 hungry 10 year olds, with 3 pancakes each plus 2 leftovers for me. Just enough to establish a reputation as a fantastic pancake maker!

Super Fluffy Pancakes

2 c Flour

3Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

2 Eggs, beaten

1 3/4 c Milk

1/4 c Butter, melted

Splash of Vanilla (optional)

Food coloring (optional, but super fun)*

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt & baking powder) in bowl. In a separate bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla (if using) and food coloring (if using). Combine all ingredients and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Heat griddle or pan & cook in 1/4 c scoops. Serve with your choice of toppings.

*We have made all different colors of pancakes. I found that using at least 20-30 drops of color makes the pancakes look the best. At our house, we generally make pink or purple. We've also added heart sprinkles. We like to be fancy like that.

Recipe Origin Note: I originally found this recipe here. This is not the exact link to the recipe, but there are lots of great ideas here, so browse away!

**Recipe shared at the Grocery Cart Challenge**

Menu Plan Monday

I realized today that "Menu Plan Monday" is something of an inaccurate statement, since I post my menus on Sunday. And, to be totally honest, I also plan my menus on a monthly basis. I find that it is easier that way. I do one big shop at the beginning of my month (I call it "my month", because my menu plans run from the 16th - 15th of each month.) for the items we'll need for the menu. I then do smaller weekly shopping trips for everything that is on sale that week. I have a big chest freezer that I am slowly stocking with sale items - it makes me so happy! So now that I have been totally honest...here's what's cooking this week!

Monday:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Ramen Noodles, Hotdog & corn
Dinner: Bean Burritos, Spanish Rice

Tuesday: Tuna Melt Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, broccoli, fruit

Wednesday: Split Pea Soup, Biscuits, fruit salad

Thursday: Asparagus Stir Fry with Chicken over Brown Rice, pineapple

Friday: Beef/Bean Tacos, Spanish Rice, fruit

Saturday:
Breakfast: Egg McMuffins (egg, cheese, turkey bacon on english muffin)
Lunch: Really Big Salad
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan (recipe to be posted)

Sunday:
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: Macaroni & Cheese with Tuna & Peas
Dinner: Leftover Buffet

For More Great Menu Plans, Click Here!