Paint and Peppers

It is officially October!  My favorite month of the year.  A time of year where just a mere glimpse of outside is an antidepressant for me.  To kick off the season I decided to try two new things with the potential of uber mess, paints and peppers...

It is chilly out and I wanted to enjoy something heavy and warm in my tummy.  I had an over abundance in red bell peppers and zucchini last farm food go around and decided that Italian stuffed peppers and squash would do the trick.  I found a couple of recipes that sounded tasty, took the best parts of each and combined it into literally one yummy hot mess.

Here's how it goes:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Romano
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 
• 1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise
• 3 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the Romano cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

Step 3: Using a melon baller or spoon (I used one of those little cookie scoops), carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin.

Step 4:  Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.  Top with the Parmesan.

Step 5: Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.

They turned out perfect and there were no leftovers.  Yup, people.  My kids ate them...

Next the paint.  Just for giggles I drew my kiddos a little tree and pumpkin scene with a black sharpie.
Adelyn was very excited.  And yes, at our house we eat saucy things and paint nakie.  It's just how we roll.

I gave them each a little plate with fall tempera washable paint colors and cotton swabs and showed them how to "dot" the leaves on the trees.  Kept them busy for an hour!  That's like a year toddler time!

Messy yes, cleanable yes, memorable yes :)

I Have Yummy Hooters...

Well now that I have your attention...

I wanted to share a pinterest find that I have modified to make it Angie awesome.  Simple Oreo owl cupcakes.  For anyone who has been a part of my life these last four pre and post crazy prego years knows that I absolutely crave Oreos (and bacon but that does not apply here, unfortunately).  Like life or death, must have now type of thing.  So, when I came across this idea to incorporate my love of Oreos, with my love of owls, with my love of cupcakes... I was ecstatic.

Here they are... Aren't my little bakers and the cupcakes adorable?

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (and all the ingredients called for on the box)
2 packages of Oreo cookies
1 container of chocolate frosting
small bag of Reese's Pieces
cup cake liners

Directions:

As the adorable Adelyn is modeling here, we have separated the Oreos into two separate parts.  One still attached to the incredible frosting goodness and one just boring old chocolate.  Place the frosting side of the Oreo, frosting side up in the bottom of the liner (I used orange Halloween Oreo's here because orange rocks and makes me happy but not necessary.  The plain old guys will work).

Mix the ingredients together according to your cake box instructions.  Take the leftover Oreo pieces and crush them in a food processor to a crumb like state.  Mix them in with the cake batter.

Pour the batter over the frosting Oreo pieces in the liners and bake the cupcakes according to your box instructions.

Let your naughty one year old eat some while you aren't looking... It's her cuteness that keeps her alive...

Once the cupcakes are cooled,  frost them as normal but try to create two little points at the top.  Take two frosted Oreo sides and place them on for the eyes.  Stick brown Reese's on top of the cookies for the pupils.  Stick an orange one side ways for the nose.  Simple but ridiculously adorable and tasty!

And a whole parliament (I learned today that a group of owls is called a parliament.  A flock is a generalized grouping.  Surprised you didn't know that...)

Just a quick tip, do not add the Oreo eyes or the candy noses until you are ready to serve.  The moisture from the frosting will eventually seep into cookies and make them mushy :(  Always store cupcakes in an airtight container with a bread heal.  The bread will become hard as a rock but your cakes will remain moist!  The more you know! (you know the song.)

Possibly the Most Embarrassing Three Minutes of My Life

Today was a tough one.  Today was one of those days where you daydream of throwing in the towel, driving somewhere quiet and disappearing for a while.  Well let's be honest, a long while.  Like... forever a while.  I'm being a little dramatic but us mommies all have had one of those days.  A trial of patience and where the saying, "A face only a mother could love" came from. 

It started when Marcella woke up singing the party rock song at the top of her lungs at 5:45 (yes that's a.m.) and proceeding to wake up the rest of the household. Now Adelyn has a little bit of her grumpy morning daddy in her when she wakes up and that's on a good day.  She was a pill and half from the moment her feet touched the ground.  By 6:15 I was already planning my escape method.  Unfortunately, this was not a day I could camp out at home and ride out the storm.  I had a long list of things I needed to get done and I had an extra special gut feeling I wasn't going to be receiving much help from the munchkins. And like always, I was right.  I don't know why I kid myself with thinking that I can accomplish anything when my monsters are awake.  That is where the beginning to my end always starts.  One day I will accept this and be productive at night, but until then I will continue to have days like this...

One: Tried to push two cranky toddlers and a baby attached to my chest down a strip mall while balancing a large package.  Let's just say the package is a little worse for wear, the stroller is probably permanently stained and the fine people at Office Max are all praying I never return and have now been convinced that abstinence is essential for happiness.

Two: Chick-fil-a was never meant to be worn, the kids at the mall play place now have battle wounds from Marcella's sudden need to wrestle and punch anything that moves, and the spider bite on my arm may or may not have grown to the size of a base ball.

Three: By two in the afternoon and two, three hour tantrums and door annihilating kicks later you think Adelyn would realize she will nap and I win.  However, she never napped and I inadvertently definitely lost.

Four:  Here is my favorite.  Adelyn's first official dance class.  From the moment she got in the car she started having a massive panic attack that the car seat was too tight and getting tighter and she couldn't breathe.  Which turned into I don't want to do ballet (which she has been excitingly waiting for for like forever) and I am going to run away.  By the time we got there she was in full blown I hate the world.  But thinking I was being the good parent and forcing my introvert to experience new things even if they are scary at first, forced her little body into the dance room hoping that the sight of ballet shoes and tutus would snap her out of it, I have never been more wrong.  We of course ventured in two minutes late and the other little girls were sitting quietly and paying attention.  I frantically tried to juggle the baby carrier, Marcella screaming "I'm a barina" and psycho Adelyn kicking and screaming.  Stumbling and feeling ridiculous, I awkwardly got Adelyn's shoes on and than my precious Elsie did what she does best.  Starts giggling.  But her giggles aren't innocent.  They are usually a follow up of a great comforting release.  And boy did she release.  I had six baby ballerinas and an instructor literally staring at me as I tried to control my crazies and Elsie ripping them like there is no tomorrow.  Than Marcella broke free from my clutch, ran to their little circle and starting singing party rock while Adelyn yelled about Elsie's butt.  I grabbed Adelyn as fast as I could, football held her and got her to the car.  I mean I just left the other two.  I only have so many arms and I had to pick and chose my battles.  Closed the car door with quite the crowd of moms watching and grabbed the other two apologizing the whole way out.  As I came out the door, I watched Adelyn push the automatic door button, jump out of the car and run down the street screaming hysterically "All I want to be is a ballerina!" I got the other two in and proceeded to chase my three year old banshee down the street and she is fast and I am out of shape. 

Wow. Just wow. The kicker and the punchline to this not funny joke of a day, the only thing getting me through was the thought that I was going to get away when Jason got home to get my hairs did and I ended up getting my bangs cut like a pumpkin pie hair cutted freak.  Jason actually played a clip of simple jack from Tropic Thunder when I walked into the room.  And yes it looks that bad and yes it will grow out.

But that's the great thing about living with a household of estrogen filled ladies, every second could be a new emotion.  And let's pray for my sanity, it's a positive one tomorrow.

A New Adventure

Being a one income family can be tough.  We decided a long time ago it was the best fit for our family for me to be home but it's still tough.  My husband is wonderfully supportive of it but I do feel guilty from time to time about not contributing financially.  I did the math the other day and I actually make about $30,000 a year because that's approximately what I save us.  Three under three in full time childcare with all it's extras is quite expensive.  However, for a long time I have been searching for something that is flexible and can be done at home with the craziness of three little ones that would allow me to bring in a little extra spending money.  Wouldn't we all?

I have a few friends that have persistently been hounding me for years to market some of the things I make my girls.  And until recently, I adamantly believed no one would ever purchase them.  But I reluctantly put a few things up on Etsy this week to appease their urging and I suppose to prove to myself, "see it's not worth the trouble"... And to my surprise, people did want to buy some of my stuff.  So, after a little thought, I think i will pursue it a little bit more.  Why not?  What's there to lose?  A few hours wasted to sewing and crafting?  I love that stuff anyway.  I took the leap today and signed up for my first craft fair and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous of rejection.  What if people look, "ehh," and keep walking?  What if I don't even sell enough to cover the rental cost?  I guess we shall just have to see...

Here are a few things that I am making that I hope others will enjoy as well...

 Carseat tents

 Reversible pinafore dresses

Costumes

 Hair bows

and I am not quite sure why it keeps putting this in upside down but nursing covers.  Kinda hard to get a pic of myself using one or nor do you probably want to see a pic of me using one, lol :)

Well here's to trying something new... Wish me luck.

"Tacos Baby Style"

So I ran across these little cuties on pinterest and thought they would would be a perfect way to get my picky kiddos to eat dinner. Because everyone knows that if it's cute and baby-like it taste better, naturally... Well in this case it was true. I can't remember another meal where we didn't have leftovers due to the kids needing seconds and even thirds! Here it is...

Ingredients: 

1 lb taco seasoned ground beef or Turkey
Pkg of wonton wrappers
2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
Sour cream (optional)
Bell pepper (optional)
Onion (optional)
Minced garlic (optional)

Directions: 

Step 1: pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

Step 2: brown the ground beef and season it according to the taco seasonings instructions.

Step 3: push the wonton wrappers gently into muffin tin. Bake for two minutes
Step 4: fill wonton with meat and cheese and bake for an additional 6 minutes or until wrappers are golden brown.

Top with anything you would regularly have on a taco...

Optional: I used the same pan I seasoned my meat in and sauteed peppers, onions and garlic until slightly blackened to top my taco bowls. Aren't they pretty? I served these with Spanish rice and they were delish!

Veggie Gluttony with a side of pasta

Ok.  So I really enjoy this farm co-op that Jason and I have invested in.  It has challenged me to try things I would have never tried, learn new cooking techniques and discover that you can eat things I never dreamed to be edible...  However, sometimes we get an overabundance of certain veggies that I can't really keep up with before they go bad.  For instance, zucchini, eggplant and yellow summer squash have filled my two bottom drawers in my fridge for the last month.  Definitely a beautiful display of God's great eye for design and color but not really sure what to do with all of it (coming from a girl whose extent of veggie preparation six months ago involved a microwave, something frozen and garlic salt).  This past week I was lazy.  I didn't plan my menu very well and come Wednesday night I had about four squash like creatures and several other freshies getting ready to turn nasty in my drawer.  They had to be eaten that night or I was going to become an American statistic of throwing out 40% of my groceries to waste.

What's a mommy to do? Make what I so aptly and grossly named, purge pasta. That's right.  I said it.  I sliced and diced zucchinni, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach and squash and threw it into a skillet with a little olive oil and minced garlic.  I sauteed the heck out of that stuff.  Now Jason insists on having meat in his pastas so luckily I had some chicken sundried tomato sausage from Trader Joes that was about to eat it as well.  Well, Mr. unrecognizable meat, come join the disposal party.  I let that stuff just hang out in all those glorious juices and a marinara sauce for a spell while I prepared some whole wheat spaghetti.  I also was lucky enough to find in my mystery produce drawer some fresh garlic cloves that were about to be not so fresh.  I popped those in a foil packet with a dab of olive oil and baked for 30 minutes while everything was just stewing.  At the end of this experiment lazy meal, I had what Jason quote un quote said was the best pasta he had ever eaten.  WHAT???? Not to brag but Italian is kinda my thing.  And I have made him some pretty stellar pastas.  So, my about to die lazy pasta is the best?  Well, I guess I can tote this up to a happy accident.  Enjoy.

Veggie Gluttony

Ingredients:

1 zucchini sliced thin
1 medium eggplant peeled and sliced thin
1 yellow summer squash peeled and sliced thin
8 oz container or so of mushrooms
two handfuls of baby spinach? (not so good with measurements)
2 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs olive oil
package of sausage of some sort
Red sauce (I am partial to Trader Joe's Four Cheese Sauce)
Whole wheat spaghetti
two fresh garlic cloves

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the spaghetti as indicated on the packaging.

Step 2:  Pre-heat oven to 350.  Using a sharp knife cut the stem off of the garlic clove until the individual cloves are visible.  Place on a small piece of foil.  Drizzle olive oil over it and seal.  Set on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
 
Step 2: Meanwhile in a large skillet, brown your sausage with a tablespoon of water for approximately 7 minutes over medium flame.  Cut into bite size pieces and return to skillet.

Step 3: Add two tablespoons of olive, minced garlic, and all the veggies.  Saute until softened.  Lower heat and add sauce.  Cover and let simmer.

Step 4:  When the pasta and garlic are finished, throw the sauce in and stir. 

Voila!  Look Ma!  I'm eating my veggies! 

Eggplant Chicken?

I don't know about any of you mommies of little ones but I am faced with a moral dilemma daily, to lie a little or play Russian roulette with the truth when it comes to feeding my picky toddlers.  I don't know if I would call it lying... it's more like putting an exciting spin on something that's not really exciting, maybe?  Dinner is always a time of walking on egg shells in our house.  Breakfast and lunch are pretty standards with not too many taste bud surprises but dinner can throw a good day out the window like a fart in the wind.  I'm sorry little ones but Momma can't survive on chicken nuggets and grapes every night like you would prefer so it's always an intense time until that first bite is accepted or even tried at all.  Sometimes things need to be delivered in deceiving packages.  Such as eggplant as chicken.

We are involved in a local farm food co-op (which I love and highly suggest to anyone who wants to eat organic and local on a budget) and are constantly getting new and untried fruits and veggies.  I am hesitant to admit that eggplant has always weirded me out a little.  I'm not quite sure why.  Maybe all the freakishly small slimy seeds inside and the texture when handling it.  But that is what we received this week and it was my job to disguise it into something even I could trick myself into eating.  And it worked.  I made eggplant parmesan that was so good my kids really believed it was "chicken and magic sprinkles (that's what we call parmesan cheese.  They will try anything with that stuff on it) and I think I even kind of believed it myself.  Here goes the recipes...

The picture stinks because I always take one last minute with my phone before the nightly food fight and wailing commences.  I served mine over whole wheat spaghetti noddles. Delish.

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

•  1 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced (fed my husband and I and two toddlers)
•   1 egg, beaten
•   2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
•   3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided (I love Trader Joes Four Cheese)
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, (sliced or shredded) and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Place eggplant in a colander and salt.  Let sit for 30 minutes to sweat and then rinse and pat dry.
3. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes on each side.
4. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella (I placed slices on mine) and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
5. Turn oven down to 350 and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.