Baking girl and helper man

In the mood to bake something, I decided it would be best to go to Rachael's house and get one of the kids to help me... I had just finished making a bag of lentils at my house and figured I would either freeze half of it or bring it over to Rachael's for her family, which is why I also decided to go over there.
I was previously working on organizing my recipes and came across a "Creamy Pumpkin Pie" recipe that looked 10 times better than the usual pumpkin pie I was going to make (especially after a really bad experience with pumpkins one Thanksgiving at Lori's house, a little too many pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecakes, and pumpkin something else, about 5 years or so ago) but this other recipe looked really good!
Ben was my helper man today. He helped me make two Creamy Pumpkin Pie, one for Rachael and the family, and the other for me and Jason and his dad, Ron. I haven't tried it yet, but I did lick the spoon, when we were done, and it was pretty darn yummy!!!*
Meanwhile, Rachael, Ben, Jack, and Katie finished off the lentils I made. So much for them eating it for dinner, right?
Oh, and I also got Katie to eat carrots, she said she didn't like them (they were in the lentils stew) so I told her that they were good for the eyes and that I ate them as a child and now my eyes are 20/20! (Okay, so maybe a + b won't always equal c, but at least I got her to eat it, right?)
Oh, and me and helper man also made bread... I used Rachael's mini loaves and they are so cute!
* Oh, and here's the recipe for the yummy:
Creamy Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cold milk
1 pkg (6-serving) vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups cool whip (thawed)
1 graham cracker crust

Directions:
In large bowl beat milk, pudding mix and spice with wire whisk for 1 minute. (Mixture will be very thick.) Whisk in pumpkin. Stir in whipped topping. Spread in crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.
Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.
(I'll probably use cool whip/whipped cream and a tiny bit of caramel or something for the top!)

Wild times with "Anything man" and friends...

Yesterday I headed to Rachael's house to pick up a few things so I could make apple pie* and had quite an eventful 20 minutes!
I walk into the kitchen and three kids were eating at the table, so I started talking to them, and Katie asked me what her favorite color was and I told her it was blue (um, I'm the auntie and who doesn't know that???), then realized that Ben was in the kitchen, sitting on the counter top, all grumpy-like... So, being the auntie, I went over to him to see if I could cheer him up, I figured that Rachael had just left the room and he was there waiting for her to come back. So, I went over and gave him a hug, but it didn't work. Still grumpy-like. Then I looked at him and asked if he needed one of my signature "squishy hugs". And he did! So, while I was trying to squeeze him into my arms, Katie and Jack were running up to me and talking but I didn't hear what they were saying until Jack started crying and ran to Derrick. Of course I felt bad. I thought Jack wanted a squishy hug and that I was ignoring him...
I went over to tell Jack that I'd give him a squishy hug, when Kristen started telling me that he was trying to ask me what I thought his favorite color was (which of course I knew it was red, because that's mine!) but at the same time, Katie was running over to tell me that Jack's favorite color was red!
So, while I was trying to tell Jack that I didn't hear what color they had told me, Katie told me, again... (oh, man, now he's crying even more!).
So, I picked him up and said, "Jack. Clearly we all know what your favorite color is. I already knew because I'm your auntie and red is my favorite color too!" Which relieved him just a tad. "But there's a very important question that goes along with your favorite color that I need to ask you!" Then I proceeded to grab as many different reddish colored items on the cabinet, i.e. ketchup bottle, bottle of strawberry jam, a tomato, and a red pepper. "Now, Jack, I need to know which kind of red you like the best!" He pointed to the strawberry jam bottle and then we all (me, Jack, Ben, and Kristen. Katie wasn't in the room at the time.) had a wild 5 minutes looking into the refrigerator and pantry for as many red colored items we could find!
I finally got a few minutes to grab a few items I needed, so in the mean time, I conned Jack and Ben to hook me up with a biscuit with butter and jam on it. Ben, of course, instantly became "Jelly Man" and "Helper Man" and I was trying to teach Jack how to spread the butter all over the piece...
I tried getting out of there quick because Jack wanted to come home with me and help me cook dinner for Jason, but then I knew I'd have to bring him back and figured it'd just be easier later, so I made a date with him this weekend to do something... I don't know, maybe make brownies or something at Rachael's.
Either way, it all happened in about 20 minutes or less and was a pretty wild time with little "squishy man" and friends!
Until next time...
*(Oh, and by the way, I never did make apple pie!)

Lentils and Spaghetti Squash?

Last week, in an effort to eat random pantry items, I found myself making a bag of lentils... I remember eating them as a kid and they were pretty good, and I love all the flavors I add to it, like carrots, tomatoes, Ketchup, mustard, onions, salt and pepper, etc.
The funny thing is, most anybody, besides my family, has heard about them!
When I told Jason what I ate for lunch he asked, "What is it?" As if it were from another planet or some nasty gross tofu type meal.
The same thing goes for Spaghetti Squash. I bought two of them on Monday but couldn't remember how to make them. So, I called my mom, no answer, I called Lori, no answer, I called Natalie, no answer, then I called Rachael (who I thought was my sister, but realized that I had saved my friend Rachael's number under "Rachael's" name) and she answered.
"Hey, do you or your mom know how to make spaghetti squash?" "Um... my mom does, let me ask her..." when she came back on the line she started telling me how to make spaghetti, the pasta! "No, I mean the SQUASH!" "Oh, no, I don't even know what that is!" she said.
I finally called my sister, Rachael, and found out how and made it and it was so yummy!
How can people be missing out on these two items that are really inexpensive (lentils = $.98 per bag and the squash was only $.33/lb at about 3 lb's max!)
Either way, I feel like I grew up on a farm, and no one can relate, but all it takes is a good recipe and "hey, wanna try a bite?" to get them to like it, right?

Creative cooking

I have recently been really creative with my cooking, still attempting to make whatever is in my cabinets, but once I was out of all the staples, i.e. milk, eggs, bread, and potatoes, I decided that I should break down and go grocery shopping.
It was pretty fun, although I feel like it takes so much time out of my day to go to the store, buy all the stuff and then haul it all into my apartment...
It was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be, I got stuff for home-made egg rolls (yummy) and made those last night (only about $6 for 20 or so!). I also got potatoes for baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and baked potato soup...
I also broke down and got vege-meat, which is expensive in a regular grocery store, but I was craving some.
Oh, and I'm also going to try the new Dannon Activia Yogurt challenge (but the yogurt is not that tasty, but we'll see if it works!)
I guess that's it, but at least I got groceries that work with the left over stuff in my cabinets!
Oh, and I've got to get my apple slicer from Rachael, so I can make apple pie tonight!

My new baby

I was so proud of baby kitty this morning... he went potty in the litter box for the first time! Wow! He seems all grown up now!
Oh, he's so cute, too. I came home for lunch and couldn't find him in my room, but then I noticed a little lump under the covers, in the middle of my King size bed and when I fluffed up the blankets, little baby was under there, just snoozing away.
What a little cutie!
Hey, I think Jason will name in Rocco or Bobo... he's coming over today to make the final decision.
I'll keep you all posted!

My new baby cat

Just a few pictures of my new kittie cat... I picked it out so Jason get's to name it, although I get veto power, you know...
He's super cute and fluffy and chubby and lazy and I love him!

Cute Kristen

After I took those pictures, Kristen actually asked I would take some pictures of her! She's usually not into it, so I was really excited... so, here you go!

More pictures...

So, I decided to go to Rachael's today for lunch and it was pretty fun having Ben help us put all the food together for lunch, while Jack and Katie played really interesting guitar music for us, then we enjoyed a huge yummy meal of home-made lasagna, salad, bread, and fresh frozen corn.

Then I conned the kids into going outside and taking a few pictures. So, here's a few of them, I figured I better put them on before Rachael puts them on first! Ha-ha!!

Here's an attempt to get them all in the picture... didn't quite work out as planned. Apparently, when I tell them go scoot together, they interpret "scoot" as "squish" and then someone turns out squished and unhappy! But it's cute anyways!

Sweet sisters. Kristen and Katie. (Want the inside scoop? I had to wait for about 5 minutes to take this picture, because Katie kept putting her arm around Kristen and accidentally tickling Kristen in the mean time...).

Jack and Ben.

Aren't they so super cute, or what???

Kristen and Ben.

The oldest and the baby.

Adorable!

(Oh, and Ben is difficult when it comes to him smiling for the camera and looking at the camera... at the same time! He'll learn soon enough, I hope!

Jack and Katie.

For some reason, these two seem inseparable!

I had a pretty fun time with them all today... now, I have to take Kristen, Katie, and Jack to the park, because they're bored and everyone else is taking a nap!

Oh, how I miss those Saturday afternoon naps! Maybe, when I become a parent, I'll have the luxury. See what sacrifice I take as an Auntie? It's hard work, you know!

I made it!

That's right, folks. I made lentils! They were so yummy... I'm trying this new thing: try not going grocery shopping for more groceries until I've used what's already in my cabinets (that I've had for forever). So, that's why I made lentils for lunch yesterday and pancakes for dinner.

My co-worker had never had lentils and so when she took a bite, I thought she may think it was gross, but she liked it! Now, I have to figure out something fun and yummy with pinto beans, rice, coconut milk, and pumpkin pie filling... any ideas?

Oh, yeah, I also made it into the contest! I sang "Born to Fly" by Sara Evans and sang pretty darn good and made it to the finals! Basically, there are about 300 contestants trying to be one of the 27 finalists, and I'm one of them! I'm really excited, but not as much as I should/could want to be because of my friend, Missy, who talked me into going didn't make it... so, I felt guilty... I hate that!

Let's see, what else is new?

I might get another kitten! I'm going to go look at a litter today... and I'm super excited! I'll have to keep you all posted.

No luck for me...

I just had that feeling, you know the one where you'll try for something but don't have your heart in it because you don't think you'll make it, anyway? Well, last night, that was 'that feeling' I had.
I was planning on singing Delicious Surprise last night and realized when I went to go write it down, that the company didn't have that song. I hadn't practiced singing in months, I haven't sung that song for even longer, and knew I wouldn't have a chance, but decided to stick it out, since my friend, Missy, was singing too.
I chose to sing "Can't help falling in love" by Elvis.
We were then waiting to hear the order of songs, and while Missy was joking that she'd be first and how much it would suck, Jason laughed and said that it would be ME!
And, yes, I was first, then turned to Jason and told him that he was mean.
Oh, well, at least I won't have to fret over all the other singers and get mine out of the way, right?
Well, I got up to sing and realized that I had just had a grilled cheese, which equals a rougher voice (it's the dairy), but it wasn't too bad until my super excited twist at the end of the song, just in time for the CD to skip and screw everything up!
So..........................................
I obviously didn't have to stress or worry until the end. Everyone said it sounded really good, but I knew I didn't make it to the finals. I have two more opportunities, but unless my friend, Missy, keeps trying, I'm done. (She didn't make it either).
Oh, well.
Better luck next time, right?

Catch up, again.

Obviously, I haven't posted in a while. Been busy.

But just wanted to give you all a brief summary of what's been going on.

This last Sunday was pretty fun, having Natalie and Lori and Todd over to my apartment. I made a new 30-minutes meal from Rachael Ray, Spinach Ravioli and Artichoke Lasagna, which didn't take 30-minutes and wasn't that great, but with a bit of 'tweaking' I think it could be great.
Then Natalie made each of us a loaf (because I don't have a bunt pan) of Popcorn Cake. YUMMY! She even made it with Kettle Corn Popcorn which added a ton more flavor...

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATALIE! I tried calling you this morning, but your new phone (and number) isn't set up for messages. I'll call later.
I knew I wouldn't be able to get today off work, so I got Tuesday off work and took the long awaited trip to Nat's new house.
It's huge! The only pictures I had in my mind were those when they first bought the house, I didn't quite realize all the work that had to be done! But it's amazing! So much potential and it would be a perfect candidate for "Flip this house" or every other house show out there. I'm reminded of the game Clue, which I think I only played once (for about 5 minutes) in my life, but with so many bedrooms, she could make one the Blue Room, the Green Room, the Brown Room, the Nautical Room, etc. I love it! And suppose I'll just have to go back and actually help her do something.
It was fun to got there, though. I slept in until 8 a.m. then we went to the grocery store and got cereal and milk. We took a peak down at the lake, but the fall weather was upon us and so we didn't stay down there too long. We also went to Ikea, where I found some great office stuff! A magnetic board that hangs on the board and that you can write on, then a contraption that hangs three metal baskets on the wall, just perfect for sorting mail stuff. I've already put them on the wall and it's so cute and perfect for my office! I have this theory, if there's a place for everything, then keeping a house clean and/or cleaning it should be pretty fast/easy. Hence my yearning for organization (since I don't like cleaning, much).
Back to Natalie... we also started working on the walls in the living room, but got hungry/bored, then we started a movie "Blood Diamond" but Natalie fell asleep on the couch (mmm, I wonder where she got that trait?) so I went upstairs and continued reading "Jack and Jill" the book Lori got me for my birthday, that's an easy read and intense and I wish I could bring to work and read it! Then Adam's mom and grandma came over and brought Walter and Dea. Then we decided to go to JoAnn's and get paint for Natalie to paint me a piece of art I bought at Ikea, so I'd have two similar pieces to hang on the wall in my house (and she said she got it all done yesterday, so I'm really excited to see it when they come over this weekend!).
I had a really fun time at Natalie's house... can't wait until it's all ready to be decorated!

I also have a karaoke contest tonight, it was started about 6-months ago, and now it's the semifinals and I'm not really in the mood, but my friend, Missy, reminded me that if I win, I could win $1,200! So, I guess I'm going to try, tonight.

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully, I get back into the groove of things, soon.

Labor Day Laboring

Although I had to work for a few hours today, it was a nice day of relaxation for me...
I didn't do much.
Got off work at 11:30 a.m.
Took a "mom" nap (you know, one of those naps my mom used to take... watching TV on the couch and then falling asleep) until about 4 p.m. (I must have been really tired!)
Then I made home-made banana bread, which was really yummy and gave me yet another excuse to use my new KitchenAid mixer, and I also had banana's that were ready to be used, but too ready to eat...
My potatoes were starting to look very similar, so I decided to make a batch of mashed potatoes, which gave me the opportunity to use my new KitchenAid hand mixer! It works super fast (compared to my hand mashing I used to do before). I also added two slices of pepper-jack cheese to give it a little something-something and let me tell you, it was perfect! It gave the best little "kick" to the mashed potatoes.
Now, I need to figure out what other stuff I can make with mashed potatoes, because I had to use the whole bag! So far, all I can think of is the German casserole (i.e. mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and hot dogs!) Anyone have any ideas?
Well, I ended up making the German casserole (meat and vegetarian style) then decided that I should make a Peanut Butter Pie for later.
Now, hopefully, Jason will come over and eat some of this food!

The game

A bunch of my friends got to go to the game too and we had a lot of fun! Notre Dame lost, which was really sad, but I'm hoping Charlie Weis gets his team to play more as a team for the next game...
Here's a few pictures!

This is me and my friends Missy and Mona.

I also got a picture with Charlie Weis (the current coach) and Lou something (the last coach) which apparently amused Jason that I didn't know that, either.The band doing its thing during the half time show. They were really good! (Although I can't say that about the game...)

And here are the fighting Irish. We totally got creamed... 3 to 33 points. Very sad.

Our Anniversay

Yesterday was our one year anniversary!
Wow, what a year of memories. We will be celebrating our anniversary at the Notre Dame game opener for the year, and I can't figure out which one of us is more excited!
I'll add pictures later...